I am new to No-S, having regained the 50 lbs. I lost last year by totally eliminating sugar. The white stuff is like heroin to me, and I feel I can't trust myself around it.
I realize this is only my first month of forming new habits, so I'll give it some time. I already checked out the sticky about No-S phases and the podcast "S Days Gone Wild." But I still wonder if anyone would recommend avoiding sugar altogether if it produces such an addictive response?
In the phases sticky it reads, "Focusing on making S-days pleasant and satisfying seems to help the most - it just takes a while to figure out that those words do not mean 'over-full' or 'frantic.'"
Those two words fit perfectly, but I could add: depressed, emotionally numb, obsessed, out-of-control, secretive, manical...any of those would fit. I am miserable on weekends.
Should I just keep plugging away until I have several months under my belt, and hope my intake of sweets regulates itself after I convince my diet brain that I'm not going to take away the goodies completely? Or should I treat this as a serious physical addiction and go back on the no-sugar wagon?
Sugar Blues
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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kgayle1971
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Sugar Blues
Karen, teacher and mom of 6
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NoelFigart
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Only you can answer that. Many people treat habituation different ways. Does total abstinence work better for you than moderation? Only you know that one.
If you'll forgive me, I want to talk about the emotional v. physical component of addiction for a moment. Sometimes we give the addiction label to things that have not been empirically proven to be genuinely addictive, but are powerfully habituated (i.e. HABIT. It can work for or against you). I think sugar falls into this. Study after study confirm a strong emotional component, but fail to reproduce results that are consistent with a physical addiction such as heroin or caffeine.
I am physically addicted to caffeine. If I do not get the correct minimum dose, I am subject to withdrawal symptoms (headache, nausea, shakes, sweats, etc).
I am emotionally habituated to a cup of strong coffee to start my day. I feel upset, out of sorts and unhappy if I do not get my morning cup. If I take a caffeine pill, I do not experience the physical withdrawal symptoms, but I have not been emotionally satisfied by the "coffee experience" and find that it throws off the rhythm of my day.
What does this have to do with you?
Sugar isn't physically addictive. I know we're encouraged to think it is. A lot of people in many professions are heavily invested in you thinking you're helpless in the face of the substance of sugar. You're not.
You're habituated to a sugar experience. It is a powerful and somewhat subtle distinction. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the habituation is not a serious issue. It is. Physical problems are considerably easier to solve than most emotional ones. (A major reason I am personally addicted to caffeine. I don't want to give up the emotional comfort).
Habits of moderation can take care of this problem if you're willing to be patient, but it does take time to replace the very very powerful habit of going crazy on the sweets after "popping the cork" by having some with the habit of being moderate about them. You really can't flip a switch and fix it without groundwork -- which is part of what N-days help you do.
If you'll forgive me, I want to talk about the emotional v. physical component of addiction for a moment. Sometimes we give the addiction label to things that have not been empirically proven to be genuinely addictive, but are powerfully habituated (i.e. HABIT. It can work for or against you). I think sugar falls into this. Study after study confirm a strong emotional component, but fail to reproduce results that are consistent with a physical addiction such as heroin or caffeine.
I am physically addicted to caffeine. If I do not get the correct minimum dose, I am subject to withdrawal symptoms (headache, nausea, shakes, sweats, etc).
I am emotionally habituated to a cup of strong coffee to start my day. I feel upset, out of sorts and unhappy if I do not get my morning cup. If I take a caffeine pill, I do not experience the physical withdrawal symptoms, but I have not been emotionally satisfied by the "coffee experience" and find that it throws off the rhythm of my day.
What does this have to do with you?
Sugar isn't physically addictive. I know we're encouraged to think it is. A lot of people in many professions are heavily invested in you thinking you're helpless in the face of the substance of sugar. You're not.
You're habituated to a sugar experience. It is a powerful and somewhat subtle distinction. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the habituation is not a serious issue. It is. Physical problems are considerably easier to solve than most emotional ones. (A major reason I am personally addicted to caffeine. I don't want to give up the emotional comfort).
Habits of moderation can take care of this problem if you're willing to be patient, but it does take time to replace the very very powerful habit of going crazy on the sweets after "popping the cork" by having some with the habit of being moderate about them. You really can't flip a switch and fix it without groundwork -- which is part of what N-days help you do.
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My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.
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gettheweightoff
- Posts: 254
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I thought for sure that I was addicted to sugar and white flour and it is what caused my binges until I did a lot of experimenting and figured out that it is really hunger that makes me binge eat.
Yes, it is true that if I eat a cookie I will want more and more but that's usually because I've denied myself so much that I want to get it all in which makes it more psychological than physical.
Anyways, I eat fairly healthy during the week and keep sugar intake to a minimum (a bi-product of no-s anyways since sweets are out during the week). However I was so brainwashed by low carb diets that white flour was the devil that I convinced myself I would get sick if I ate it but you know what... I had a delicious chicken panini for lunch today on white bread and I am fine... feel full and satisfied and nothing bad happened. The moral of my long story? Sometimes it can all be in our "diet head". I'm not saying that is the case with you or not. You really do have to figure this out for yourself.
I had 1 successful S day my first month with many F days and S days gone wild. I just completed another successful S day yesterday which tells me that I can handle sugar in limited quantities. This is all about habit.
It honestly takes patience and getting to the point where you are so fed up of going crazy with food. I'm not saying I wont' fall again but I proved that I can do it once or twice which means I can do it again and so can you if you give yourself a chance.
Yes, it is true that if I eat a cookie I will want more and more but that's usually because I've denied myself so much that I want to get it all in which makes it more psychological than physical.
Anyways, I eat fairly healthy during the week and keep sugar intake to a minimum (a bi-product of no-s anyways since sweets are out during the week). However I was so brainwashed by low carb diets that white flour was the devil that I convinced myself I would get sick if I ate it but you know what... I had a delicious chicken panini for lunch today on white bread and I am fine... feel full and satisfied and nothing bad happened. The moral of my long story? Sometimes it can all be in our "diet head". I'm not saying that is the case with you or not. You really do have to figure this out for yourself.
I had 1 successful S day my first month with many F days and S days gone wild. I just completed another successful S day yesterday which tells me that I can handle sugar in limited quantities. This is all about habit.
It honestly takes patience and getting to the point where you are so fed up of going crazy with food. I'm not saying I wont' fall again but I proved that I can do it once or twice which means I can do it again and so can you if you give yourself a chance.
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Nicest of the Damned
- Posts: 719
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Re: Sugar Blues
Sweets are not mandatory on S days. I don't have sweets on a lot of my S days (I'm more of a "seconds" type of gal). No S never requires you to eat anything.
What happens if you don't read labels to make sure things don't have sugar in them, but you just don't eat sweets?
It's probably not just eating sugar that's making you feel that way. If it is eating sugar that makes you feel that way, it might just be "diet head" food guilt.
There was a reason why you stopped doing the no-sugar diet. What was it?
What happens if you don't read labels to make sure things don't have sugar in them, but you just don't eat sweets?
Something's wrong that's making you feel that way. What is it? Is it something that you could try to change? Or could you just look for better ways to deal with those feelings? Even sitting around watching TV would be an improvement on eating to deal with those feelings.kgayle1971 wrote:I could add: depressed, emotionally numb, obsessed, out-of-control, secretive, manical...any of those would fit. I am miserable on weekends.
It's probably not just eating sugar that's making you feel that way. If it is eating sugar that makes you feel that way, it might just be "diet head" food guilt.
There was a reason why you stopped doing the no-sugar diet. What was it?
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kgayle1971
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:36 pm
- Location: Virginia
The reason I fell off the wagon? I guess because I was attending Weight Watchers meetings at the time and our branch folded due to lack of leadership. Once I wasn't part of a group, I didn't feel accountable to anyone and let bad habits slip back in. That's one reason I love this board and the HabitCal...I know I'll be reporting to someone.
Karen, teacher and mom of 6
Karen, I've been thinking about your question over and over. I do think sugar can be addictive - for some people. If you're bingeing on weekends there is a strategy you might try, if it fits with your life; make sure you eat good solid meals (plenty of protein and fat), especially for breakfast, to start the day. That may help stabilise your energy and blood-sugar levels, then the carb cravings might be weaker.
Depending on how sensitive you are to carbs, that might be a solution. If you are badly affected by carb excesses on weekends you could limit them for a while and then try again when you've gained greater steadiness in habits and carb sensitivity.
Depending on how sensitive you are to carbs, that might be a solution. If you are badly affected by carb excesses on weekends you could limit them for a while and then try again when you've gained greater steadiness in habits and carb sensitivity.