Sugar Addiction
Sugar addiction is real, I’ve been dealing with this monkey on my back since I was a child. Today I wanted to get really personal and share my story. I’m hoping that this may be helpful to you or someone you love. Recently I shared that I just started going through menopause. You can read about that HERE.
This story starts when I was a child, that’s when my sugar addiction started. I remember at a young age, going to a small convenience store to get my fix of sugar.
And I remember doing this one day before school. Oh, that must have made my teacher happy.
I grew up in the 1970’s…… Do you remember those sugar straws, apple flavored Bubs Daddy gum, and Wacky Waffers? Still to this day, my mouth waters thinking about those candies.
Oh and do you remember those candy necklaces, wax with the juice inside? Now that’s really gross! I had to have my sugar fix, any candy would do , except chocolate. Yes my sugar addiction was strong!
Chocolate was not a favorite of mine at this point. This early sugar addiction has lasted way into my adult years. I have never been a heavy person. I have always watched my weight, and if I gained a few pounds, I knew that if I cut back on the sugar treats I could get that weight off.
Then I hit my 40’s and things started to change. Yes, in my early 40’s I could cut back on sweets and still loose weight, but it was much harder to do. Until I started going through menopause in my late 40’s, that changed everything!
Over this past year I have gained 15 pounds. To some that’s not much, but all of my life I have worked hard to keep the weight off. I resent anyone telling me, oh you’re so lucky you are thin. Why does that bother me? Because I have worked hard to keep my weight off! It’s not come naturally, I have worked my butt off to stay slim. I will tell you now that I HATE exercising, I really do.
But I exercise 4-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes. I don’t like it, but I know I need to do that not only because I am trying to maintain my weight, but for my overall health. The reason I am sharing my addiction to sugar and my weight is because I want to help you or someone you love that has an addiction to sugar.
I recently started a new program. Let me just say that this is not a sponsored post. I recently started the Whole30 program.
It’s a very strict program, and you have to eliminate processed foods, carbs like breads, pastas, and oh sugar too! When I first heard about this program I thought, no way! There is no way I am giving up sugar, especially chocolate, I just can’t do it! Even for only 30 days, no way! So I kept going along, trying to watch what I was eating, which was mostly vegetarian.
And since I was eating mostly vegetarian, I was eating a lot of beans which have sugars and carbs. Yeah, we were eating canned beans at our meals, not dry beans. I knew that starting this program meant that I would need to eat more protein, meat. And I would have to eliminate sugar. UGH!
Last Tuesday I hit rock bottom. I jumped on the scale and with a huge disappointment I saw the number. I already knew that I was gaining weight, but until I jumped on the scale and looked at the number, nothing would have changed.
I knew that if I didn’t stop eating this way, and didn’t start on a healthy path, down the road it would be harder to lose the weight. Tomorrow is my weigh in. It’s probably not a good idea to jump on the scale too much, but I just need to do it for myself. I know the weight is not going to come off fast. Especially since I don’t have a lot to lose.
But one thing is for certain this is a lifestyle change. I can’t ever go back to eating sweets again. I know this may seem harsh, but I have an addiction to sugar. I don’t even want a fake sugar substitute. Because I know eventually it will lead me down that same sugar addiction. Avoiding all sugar will be a challenge, because it’s in everything.
Once I lose the weight, I can’t reward myself with a sweet treat. I’ve done that in the past, and eventually I go back to my old ways. It’s like someone that’s addicted to nicotine, or alcohol. You can’t quit smoking or drinking and say, I just want one more cigarette, or one more drink. Because it’s not just one more, it’s another, and another and it never ends. And before you know it, you’re back to your addiction.
Some people can have a sweet treat occasionally, but then they can keep eating healthy. I can’t do that. Fruit is something I will have to be cautious with as well , but at least fruit has nutrients and vitamins.
I would rather eat fruit than a sugar substitute. As I progress on my journey, I will share how I am doing. I have to tell you, it’s almost been a week of not eating sugar, and I am not missing it. And I think it’s because I was ready to do this.
Don’t try losing weight or get on a program if you’re not ready. If you do start a program, but you can’t finish it, remember you are not a failure if you quit.
“You can’t fail if you try.”
Here are some tips if you are starting a new healthy eating program.
- Purge all the food from your house that’s not healthy. If you are unable to do this because you are the only person in your home on a healthy eating program, you may want to see if you can get a healthy version of those tempting treats so you can stay on track.
- Drink lots of water. I’ve started drinking a cup of warm water with lemon each morning. Then throughout the day I am making sure to get all of my ounces of water in.
- Don’t skip meals. I was skipping lunch and that lead me making unhealthy choices.
- Have lots of healthy choices on hand so you can grab it and go. For me I have lots of fruits, veggies and nuts.
- And make sure you exercise, always follow your Doctors recommendation before starting an exercise program. But just taking a walk is good exercise.
I hope this information will help you or someone you love. It’s never to late to start over. As I grow older, I want to have a better quality of life. A moment of satisfaction eating a dessert is not worth the health risks. But after years of my sugar addition, it’s time to say goodbye to sugar for good!
This REALLY hit home for me, so thank you for sharing your story! At the beginning of this summer, my daughter was diagnosed with prediabetes. We were told to eliminate refined sugar from her diet completely in hopes of reversing the damage. Being that she is only 7, I was devastated. But only for a short while…I thought of all the parents who get much worse news about their children & was ashamed for feeling sorry for us. Like you, I am also a sugar addict, & have never set a good example for my kids (I also have a 4 year old daughter).
I decided that I was NOT going to single her out & remove sugar from just her diet…we would all go through it together. My baby & I went through our pantry & got rid of anything that was a “problem” food. We have found that this has been much easier, because if it isn’t there, you can’t reach for it to cheat!
There is so little information available, considering the childhood obesity problem. I have had to improvise using good old fashioned common sense & my amazing friend Pinterest. It was hard at first, but the results have been incredible. She has lost almost twelve pounds since June, feels a LOT better, & her self-confidence has soared. She is now learning to make healthy choices, as are the rest of us.
We go back to her pediatrician in October to find out her progress & see if this total lifestyle change has taken care of the prediabetes. I’m praying that it will. But regardless, we will never go back to the careless way we were eating before.
A lot of people look at us strangely at first, when I try to explain how eliminating the sugar has been life changing. They think I’m being a health fanatic, or trying to push healthy eating on them. When I tell them this isn’t something we chose to do, but did out of necessity, their look changes. They become more open to listening. If I can keep at least one person from having to take insulin shots by telling our story, then I’ll be ecstatic. I’ll endure the initial eye rolls & looks that I’m “on my high horse”. I think it’s awesome that you spoke up & shared your story, because maybe by doing so, you also helped someone who may have otherwise gotten to a point of no return. Good for you!! Have a great week & stay strong! If the Queen of King size Snickers can do it, you can too lol! ?
Thank you so much for sharing your story Bridget! That’s awesome that you all decided to do it together. I am thrilled to hear your daughter is adjusting well. And once you stop eating sugar, you no longer crave it. I wish you all continued success on your healthy journey!
Last September my daughter and I did a “No sugar September” after 2 days I lost all cravings for sweets (I’m a sugar addict too). By Nov I had lost 20+ pounds and was back to my pre-pregnancy weight (mind you my youngest is 19 so it’s been a long time coming), but then came the holidays and I was back to my old ways. By spring I was back to my old weight too. I was really disgusted especially since I felt so much better when I wasn’t eating sugar. My daughter suggested we do another sugar-free September. You are right you can’t reward yourself for losing the pounds with something sweet. This time I’m staying the course. This is a great message to share-good luck with your program!
I am so glad to hear you are not giving up Melissa, you’ve got this! It’s taken me many years to realize that I just cannot tolerate sugar. And wow everything is tasting so much better now too!
When i was young,my mother had open heart surgery and after seeing how hard everything was for her made me change. I walk up and down steps,exercise 3 times a week,and eat fruit and veg.which of course i love. Good luck to you Anne,you can do it!!
Thanks so much Marlene!
I will be cheering you on as you step out on this new health journey, Anne! I can tell that you are determined. focused, and have your will-power in check. That will all make it a bit easier for you. You can do this! You are not alone! We are here for you!!!! 🙂
xoxo laurie
Thank you so much sweet friend! I think really being determined is the key. After all these years, I finally get it!
Good luck. I’m also a Whole30er.
Thank you Kathryn! Yay,awesome!
So glad you found Whole 30. My daughter and I started it together last year and after the first week or so I starting feeling so great! We loved it! Dianntha
I am too Dianntha. I am so glad to hear you are doing this with your daughter. And yes I am feeling great already!
I am doing Whole30 this month and I don’t miss the carbs or the dairy, but I do miss sugar! I don’t care that I’m missing out on desserts. I want sweet in my meat, like teriyaki chicken. Yesterday I was craving a lemonade like crazy…not chocolate cake, but lemonade! Over all though I feel so much better!! The weight is coming off sloooowly. I’m in my 40’s too and man, in my younger days the weight would have dropped off on a strict eating program like this, but now it holds on for dear life. lol!
Oh, I hope it gets better for you Lisa. Isn’t it horrible! We pass a certain and and boom! We can’t lose the weight as we once did. I too am feeling much better, and I plan on staying healthy. As I age I want to not only look good, but most importantly feel great!
Bravo for you, Anne! My daughters and I did the Whole 30 almost 2 years ago, and I have reaped the benefits of healthy eating. I suffered with IBS my entire adult life, but since I changed my eating habits I am symptom free and enjoying life! I still struggle with sugar, but like you, I feel that fruit is a better source than baked goods or candy. My husband lost a lot of weight as well because he’s too lazy to cook for himself, so he eats what I eat. hehe
Thank you Vickie. Yes I used to suffer from IBS years ago. But it subsided as I aged. I am feeling much better each day. So glad you husband was on this with you. My husband is fit, so he doesn’t need to be on this program.But he is eating what I am making which is a plus 😉
Five years ago I took a look at a photo of myself on vacation and decided then and there that I wanted to become slim and stay that way. I promised myself to take off 100 pounds and keep it off because I was tired of yo-yo-ing up and down in my weight. Eighteen months later I reached my goal! I went on a no-sugar, low-carb eating plan that was nutritionally very healthy. Half-way into my weight-loss I slowly began to exercise. The loss came slowly as I was post-menopausal, but I celebrated each 5 pound loss. I never wavered from my no-more-sugar mantra as I knew it was a killer for me. I had always been addicted to the substance. I was diagnosed with B.E.D which is Binge Eating Disorder .I would always binge on sugary foods. Today I work hard with both diet and exercise now because I know this is the only way to stay slim, healthy and happy with myself.
I started Trim Healthy Mama 7 months ago having never dieted before. It’s a very realistic stay worthy eating habit changer. Love,love it! Have lost 36 lbs so far with a goal of 50 to lose.
It is encouraging to hear that people of all sizes have sugar addictions also! I was told by a nutritionist that sugar is just as addicting as cocaine. I truly believe this! It is also difficult to change your eating habits when you are and emotional eater. Not an excuse just the truth! It is your go to for the hurt, the anxiety, the fear, and many other emotions that cause you to eat! When you start the journey to loose weight it has to be a total change in the way you eat. It can’t be a “diet”. You can’t go back to eating the way you once did. Thank you Anne for sharing your struggles. It is encouraging.