Dr. Meeker,
Have you been able to permanently kick your sugar addiction? I am trying this week to kick sugar, and it's awful! Any tips for us grown-ups? My kids are not addicted like I am.
Sincerely,
Sugar Addict
Dear Sugar Addict-
Weaning off of sugar is very hard and I do have some suggestions. First of all, in order not to set yourself up for failure, decide on a 2 week period that you plan on doing this. If you simply wake up one morning and decide to start weaning or to go "cold turkey" you won't have the mental preparation to weather through the tough days. So take your weaning seriously and set aside a specific time to do it.
Second, when you begin, eat a lot of protein. This really helped me when I weaned. The last thing you want is to feel hungry on top of craving sugar. I'm a firm believer in making one change at a time so when you ditch the sugar, you need to make sure to have enough good calories through other foods. Protein in particular can help stave off some of the cravings.
Third, if you are a diet soda drinker, stop drinking it a week before you wean from sugar. Diet sodas can actually increase your sugar cravings and they work against what you are trying to do.
Fourth, when you stop sugar, you can either go "cold turkey" or you can wean. I find weaning easier because when I stop all sugar at once, withdrawal can be hard and cravings intense for several days. So it really depends on your personality but either choice is fine. If you choose to wean, buy small packages of bite sized candy and allow yourself several a day. If, for instance, you always eat sugar for dessert, then let yourself have three or four pieces after dinner for the first few days then two for a few days and then one for a few days. If you crave chocolate, do the same with it. Stick to small peices that come already wrapped.
Fifth, embrace your cravings. I do believe that one of the reasons that we fail breaking addictions to sugar (or food) is fear. When the craving comes we feel an emotional as well as a physiologic need to give in. If you embrace the cravings when they come, tell yourself that they are good. They tell you that you are getting healthy. Tell yourself that they will pass. Sometimes we fear not indulging because we are afraid that the feelings of hunger or craving will overcome us. They won't. They will pass. So stare them in the face and don't fear them.
Finally, give yourself grace. If you indulge in half a pan of brownies, pick yourself up, don't call yourself names and begin again- determined next time to eat only one quarter of the pan. You CAN do this. It takes time and patience. So be kind to yourself but firm. Don't let yourself believe that you are a failure. You aren't and you won't be. You might bumble along the way but you can get there.
Recently my wife and I went a whole month without chocolate. We realised that we were getting it everything time we went shopping, and sometimes in between as well. So we decided not to have any chocolate for all of November (though we didn't cut out sugar entirely). I think we may have had a few bits while out, but not the copious amounts we were buying for ourselves. Almost a month later, there's not the need for chocolate, though we still enjoy it! We're not buying it any more either. It's probably good to be able to redirect the sweet craving into fruit or something much healthier.
ReplyDeleteI managed to cut sugar out after the birth of my first son and lost 25 pounds within about 4-6 months. I've kept it off by periodically cutting sugar out for a few days or weeks at a time. I am convinced that ADDED sugar is public enemy #1!!
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