Addicted to sugar and wanting to shed a little weight

[felicians]

Hi there!

 

Following a rather unpleasant incident recently (ex boyfriend publicly congratulating me on 'the baby' (he knowing very well that I am not pregnant), and the incident subsequently becoming a running joke among a few mutual friends) I have started to feel increasingly self-conscious about the way I look and have been feeling very down about myself. I don't feel as though I have anyone to talk to about it. I'm not typically over-weight (I still fit into Medium/size 12 clothes), but 2012 did see me gain quite a few kilos... And truth be told, I have not been able to bring myself to step on the scales for about six months. When I last weighed myself, I had plateaued at 67 kilograms.

 

My biggest concern is my diet. I have the biggest sweet tooth imaginable! When I have dieted in the past, I have been able to go strong for about three weeks, and then somehow fall off the rails, and fail spectacularly, ending up back at square one. Although it's easy enough to say "clean out your pantry of all sugar to avoid temptation", I still live at home with a family who too enjoy sweets.

 

I was wondering if anyone else has kicked a sugar habit? How can it be overcome? And just some general tips for shedding a few kilos so I don't feel ashamed of myself anymore.

 

Thanks!

[WhatYouWantToHear]

Dieting is simpler and harder than people make it to be. Its simple in theory: spend more calories than you consume. That's it. Don't believe or even listen to those who talk about saturated this, or how your body processes that, or any thing else self-proclaimed doctors of nutrion who weigh 100 kg say. You and I both know you don't have some rare metabolic disease that people who post after me are sure to bring up. Burn more calories than you eat.

 

Now, in theory that's simple, in practice it's hard because people just don't have discipline. Get some discipline. Buy a swimsuit 4 sizes too small, take a picture of yourself in it and post it to your mirror. Then get 4 hobbies that that require physical exertion--jogging, football, piano moving, purse snatching, etc.

[rys]

if you cannot resist sweets yet, try honey

[FitChick]

Don't cut your calories so low that you are starving. 1500-1800 might be okay. Allow yourself one treat a day, like an ounce of dark chocolate in mid-afternoon. Not milk chocolate, which will make you crave more. Dark chocolate is actually very good for you. Add it into your daily calorie count.

[ooglesnboogles]

I would say cut out other things to fit under a certain limit. Start with the bar just a little under what might maintain your weight so it doesn't feel like you're diving in (cause eventually you'll probably lose the momentum and give up). Allow yourself to eat what you want while staying under that bar. When it becomes easier to stay there, drop the bar, bit by bit.

 

When I started dieting, I was 23 kilos heavier than I am now. Mostly because of excessive soda intake. So I did what I just described, and when the bar got to a low enough point, I realized that I had to start chiseling away at the soda. So 4 cans a day became 2. Then 1. Now, I don't even buy soda and I have 7 cans in my kitchen that've been there for months. It's not my preferred snack anymore. I still drink soda sometimes when I eat out, but considerably less, and I always bring my water bottle with me.

 

Basically, you allow yourself to keep the one thing that'll most convince you to drop the diet. Then, you'll get to a point where you see good progress but need to do more to achieve more, and it'll be easier to give up a little more.

[Mr Scorpio]

And just some general tips for shedding a few kilos so I don't feel ashamed of myself anymore.

 

Eat in small portions 5+ times per day to keep your metabolism running. Drink as much water as you can tolerate: I keep a gallon jug at work, in my car, and next to my bed at night. Avoid food that comes in a box unless it is a whole wheat cereal/pasta/rice.

[KatZee]

Try substituting sweet crap for sweet healthy stuff. There are plenty of fruits that are sweet, dark chocolate is healthy, Craisins to pop in your mouth are good... it's all self control and will power.

[HitMeNow]

Try intermittent fasting.

 

I know a lot of people will disagree. But believe me, easiest way to shed fat and regain control over your body.

 

Fast once or twice a month, for 24 hrs (meaning you eat dinner, then breakfast in 2 days)

After this, putting any sugar in you mouth will feel SOOO sweet and will make you realize how much of a drug it is.

As an added benefit fasting for 24 hrs makes you lose a pound of fat.

[D-Lish]

Dieting is simpler and harder than people make it to be. Its simple in theory: spend more calories than you consume. That's it. Don't believe or even listen to those who talk about saturated this, or how your body processes that, or any thing else self-proclaimed doctors of nutrion who weigh 100 kg say. You and I both know you don't have some rare metabolic disease that people who post after me are sure to bring up. Burn more calories than you eat.

 

Now, in theory that's simple, in practice it's hard because people just don't have discipline. Get some discipline. Buy a swimsuit 4 sizes too small, take a picture of yourself in it and post it to your mirror. Then get 4 hobbies that that require physical exertion--jogging, football, piano moving, purse snatching, etc.

 

Thank you for articulating what I've always felt but get shut down when I say it. I honestly believe it comes down to calories in and what you burn. You eat more than you exercise and burn- you'll gain weight, you do the opposite and you'll lose.

[Eternal Sunshine]

I have the biggest sweet tooth imaginable too. I lost 17lbs in the past year.

 

Here are some tips that you may find useful:

 

Everyone looks better toned. Increasing your lean muscle mass will speed your metabolism. So:

 

- do resistance training 3x week. join a gym but try lower reps/heavier weights

 

- eat 1g protein for every kg of your body weight (to help with building/maintaining muscle mass)

 

- if you want to do cardio, doing "fat burner walks" is enough. Do 45 mins walks every second day on an empty stomach

 

- Eat just under of what you are expanding (I eat 1500-1800 calories a day - expanding around 2000) - you can include a small sweet treat in there.

 

You CAN lose weight just by following last point. However, you will lose both muscle and fat.

 

Following the points I outlined, you will lose mostly fat. You will feel stronger and look more toned too

[D-Lish]

I have a sweet tooth as well- but if I indulge one day, I under-do it the next, and inject extra exercise into my life in order to compensate.

 

It's always worked for me. I probably consumed 2600 calories today, my day started with a cinnabon then just progressed into more unhealthy choices and indulgences. Tomorrow I will work out, eat less and not stress over what I did today- and I'll maintain my weight. It's not rocket science.

 

I allow myself to have a bad day here and there- but I balance it out. That way I don't feel deprived.

 

Calories in/energy out. It works, even if you practice it primitively like I do.

[dreamingoftigers]

Eat to Live deals amazingly with the sugar issues.

 

I am about to go back on it.

[stevie_23]

I am usually a non-practicing chocoholic and sugar addict. I’m 34 now, and from the age of 12 until around 28 or so, I had SO much sugar and also consumed about 3 times the daily recommended fat intake for a grown adult. I have a fast metabolism naturally and have always been slightly underweight despite this eating pattern.

 

It was only when I quit smoking back when I was 28 that I had to look at my diet as I put on almost 20lbs in 6 months. I still wasn’t fat, but…I was used to being thin so I took action and lost it all again in the next 6 months. Kept it all off too, and then lost more (from stress though, which isn’t good.)

 

Anyway, from one sweet tooth to another…I find the less you have, the less you want. Seriously. You don’t need to cut it all out entirely, but I find it also really depends on your mentality. What works for me, when I’m in “diet mode” (which isn’t all the time because I don’t need to lose weight), is to put a picture of someone whose body you would love to have (realistically) and then kind of lower your sugar intake quite drastically but not cut it out completely. You can still have sugar in the form of yogurt, cereal with some sugar on it, fruit, gingerbread’s not too bad depending on the type, fruit bars or muesli bars (low fat ones ideally), and stuff like that. Drink a LOT of water as well to keep your body hydrated and clear.

 

I find when I go off the typical sugar-laden snacks of chocolate bars, cookies, biscuits, cakes, etc for the first day I am irritable and angry. Resentful. And no hungrier than usual but I just crave it a lot. By day 2 I’m much better, and by day 3 I am not really worried about it anymore and this is when I bring out the picture of my “ideal” body. I get motivated and don’t want to put junk (which equals fat) in my body. I still have my yogurt, cereal with sugar, fruit bars, etc, but they’re low fat and they’re not the blatantly bad chocolate bars, etc.

 

It’s all about will power, and truly, once you cut out most of the sugar, you WILL find your body simply doesn’t feel the need for it anymore.

[youdunsay]

Hi Eternal Sunshine, what is lean muscle?

 

Also to all men, do you really like girls with bigger boobs? or cleavage?

[Casablanca]

Don't buy sweets, through them away if you have any at home.

 

Also AVOID artificial sweeteners and diet drinks. If you drink or eat sugar free, your taste buds get the sweet taste, but your body is like, "hey whats up? where is that sugar?" and you end up craving it more and more.

[ooglesnboogles]

Oh! I just thought of another way:

 

As terrible as it is (in many ways), hope the company who makes your favorite sweet snack goes belly-up or otherwise rescinds all business in your area. Hostess Chocolate Donettes were my vice once a month or so; I guess I won't have that problem anymore =(