The Easy Method to Stop Craving Sugar
and Lose the Weight You Want.
I’m asked a lot about sugar cravings. One:
what are they? and two: how do I stop them?
Sugar cravings seem to get in the way of of a
lot of things. Weight loss being the number one.
If not for the sugar cravings, and might I add flour,
– losing weight would be easy. We all know flour
turns to sugar in your stomach and if you didn’t know
— well now you do. Sugar and flour are pretty much
the same when it comes to cravings.
The thing I find interesting is that there is not one
diet book you can name that doesn’t, usually at it’s
core, tell you to stop using flour and sugar. All the
“white” stuff including white rice and potatoes. But
for sure they all say “no flour and no sugar”. One is
even named that.
So this brings us to a very intriguing question that I
spin a little and challenge people with all the time.
If, indeed, stopping sugar and flour will help us lose weight
and over sixty percent of us are over weight and presumably
want to lose weight – “why is it that no one can just stop
with the flour and sugar and watch the pounds melt off?”
Why can’t we just wake up one day and say: “that’s it! For
thirty days I will eat no flour and no sugar!” ? And then keep
our promise to ourselves.
Most can’t do that simple exercise because of cravings. We
crave to eat the stuff even though we promised ourselves we
wouldn’t. But wait a minute – we are grown adults here.
In most aspects of our lives we function and perform tasks
that we don’t love but we do it because we’re adults and we
know it’s our responsibility – work comes to mind.
But when it comes to not using flour and sugar it’s obvious by
the growing obesity epidemic that we just can’t say we are going
to do it and then do it. Why is that? The word addiction comes
to mind but you’ll need to read around the site more and make that
decision on your own. (to declare yourself a sugar addict)
Here’s the challenge I put to new people: Choose one weekend where
Friday will be a light day at work and you have nothing planned for
the weekend. Stop using sugar and flour and caffeine if you can.
(I always recommend quitting caffeine before attempting to quit
sugar and flour) Stop as early on Thursday as you can. The first
day will always be a grace day. The cravings won’t be to bad. Rest
as much as you can on the weekend. Eat anything you want that
doesn’t have any flour or sugar in it. Then leave a comment below
if you were able to go to work on Monday.
If you are like most people by Sunday evening you will be a basket
case. Yes, that is a medical term for you wiseguys. You will literally
not be able to function well. Headaches, lethargy, depression, cold
and flu like symptoms and more, in short you will not be fun to be
around.
I know this is going to scare some people off and I’m OK with
that. You’ll be back when you’re ready and we will welcome you then.
The answer to question number one:
What are sugar cravings? is simple – it’s sugar withdrawals. It’s
your body wanting to re-ingest it’s poison. I know it’s a hard and
clinical answer but please let it light on you for a little bit. Let the idea
that you may have a slight sugar dependency, built up over the years,
be a possibility for you.
The answer to question number two is equally simple. How do I stop
sugar cravings? You need to have a period of abstinence from sugar in
order for the compulsion to use it again to be released. I know more tough
words like compulsion but if you’re on this site you’re open minded
enough to handle it. You need to string together a week or more (yes
it will be tough) of sugar free living in order to feel the sugar cravings
dissipate. Now it will take much longer than a week to master the draw
to using sugar all together but the hard core physical cravings will not
be a part of your everyday life if you can string together some abstinence.
Anything we can do to help you in your journey to sugar freedom
please don’t hesitate to ask.
Be well.
Hello, I think your website might be having
browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, superb
blog!
Thanks Zane we’ll check it out
I;m an Asian and white rice is my main staple diet. Hpw to quit sugar? Will substitute white ive with brown ice is enough?
Brown rice will help.
It’s a good start.
But the sugar and flour
must definitely go too.
Best of luck, keep coming back.
The Healthguy
Hello, I think your website might be having
browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, superb
blog!
Thanks Zane we’ll check it out
I am so glad to hear how other people struggle with sugar and flour like me. I feel so disgusted with myself . I feel out of control. I’m going to do my best to take it our of my diet. As I say that I rember those chocolate brownies at home. Lord help me. Thanks for sharing your feelings. I know I’m not alone and crazy.
Hey Bobbie,
Keep coming back. Please be kind to yourself. I find that
the real struggle is to be kind to ourselves as we move
through this journey.
Be well,
The Health Guy
I am so glad to hear how other people struggle with sugar and flour like me. I feel so disgusted with myself . I feel out of control. I’m going to do my best to take it our of my diet. As I say that I rember those chocolate brownies at home. Lord help me. Thanks for sharing your feelings. I know I’m not alone and crazy.
Hey Bobbie,
Keep coming back. Please be kind to yourself. I find that
the real struggle is to be kind to ourselves as we move
through this journey.
Be well,
The Health Guy
Hi All,
I’d just like to share my experience on sugar cravings and how i cracked them. I knew several years ago that if you stop with sugar your feelings of hunger, when they arrive, don’t compell you to the buiscit tin (cookies to those in the US), chocolates etc.
I came down with so-called folliclitis Christmas 2012. Then I put two and two together. I realised that for the last five Chrismas periods I came down with some illness. I diagnosed myself with sugar toxiticy – if such a thing exists. Since then I have eaten mostly raw food, not one granule of refined sugar, and hardly any bread whatsoever.
It’s been like a religious experience – like riding a bicycle in foul weather on a Spring morning – the feeling of being alive and receptive. It’s beautiful. My eyesight is significantly clearer, my energy levels higher than ever, that folliclitus dissapeared, my urine comes out like water with a greeish tint (no yellow). A persistant mucus production in my throat (had it for a year) has all but gone. I won’t go as far as describing a higher level of conciousness – but the overall change in my persona has been absolutely remarkable. My hairdresser said ‘ ok – so you now feel healthy’. If this is what it means to be healthy, then I’m sold to it. Oh, and the stubborn fat around my belly has practically dissapeared – in less than two months.
Hey, and guess what – I got drunk on a near rotten kiwi-fruit. Tasted like cider, and no tax paid.
Seriously, the community needs to grow. and I’m doing what I can in the UK to do something about it. It makes me weep to see my two young children refuse to join my war on sugar. I feel I’m aiding and abetting in the sugar industry’s attempt to kill my children. I get really cross when their school dishes out sweets (candy) as some ‘reward’. I’m writing my senator about it.
good luck all
Johnny
Hi All,
I’d just like to share my experience on sugar cravings and how i cracked them. I knew several years ago that if you stop with sugar your feelings of hunger, when they arrive, don’t compell you to the buiscit tin (cookies to those in the US), chocolates etc.
I came down with so-called folliclitis Christmas 2012. Then I put two and two together. I realised that for the last five Chrismas periods I came down with some illness. I diagnosed myself with sugar toxiticy – if such a thing exists. Since then I have eaten mostly raw food, not one granule of refined sugar, and hardly any bread whatsoever.
It’s been like a religious experience – like riding a bicycle in foul weather on a Spring morning – the feeling of being alive and receptive. It’s beautiful. My eyesight is significantly clearer, my energy levels higher than ever, that folliclitus dissapeared, my urine comes out like water with a greeish tint (no yellow). A persistant mucus production in my throat (had it for a year) has all but gone. I won’t go as far as describing a higher level of conciousness – but the overall change in my persona has been absolutely remarkable. My hairdresser said ‘ ok – so you now feel healthy’. If this is what it means to be healthy, then I’m sold to it. Oh, and the stubborn fat around my belly has practically dissapeared – in less than two months.
Hey, and guess what – I got drunk on a near rotten kiwi-fruit. Tasted like cider, and no tax paid.
Seriously, the community needs to grow. and I’m doing what I can in the UK to do something about it. It makes me weep to see my two young children refuse to join my war on sugar. I feel I’m aiding and abetting in the sugar industry’s attempt to kill my children. I get really cross when their school dishes out sweets (candy) as some ‘reward’. I’m writing my senator about it.
good luck all
Johnny
I;m an Asian and white rice is my main staple diet. Hpw to quit sugar? Will substitute white ive with brown ice is enough?
Brown rice will help.
It’s a good start.
But the sugar and flour
must definitely go too.
Best of luck, keep coming back.
The Healthguy
As Health Guy says: brown rice!
I’d recommend brown *basmati* rice – it takes a while to cook (approx 25min+) but is well worth the effort.
Don’t add salt during boiling, won’t cook properly.
Delicious! White rice is tasteless by comparison.
hi guys, im so interested in reading your words because i am addicted to sugar.
i have been telling people sugar is like a drug to me, i just cant stop and the binge could last up to 2 or three days nonstop. I fill myself up sooo much i feel ill but want more? then,l try go cold turkey again. this sounds crazy but id say for the last year i have been trying to cut it out..i get to day three and then rebinge … and its just been a vicious cycle every 3 or four days…it makes me cry and sooo sad i cant just beat the cravings…i have spoken to my doctor in pleading of answers,i am seeing a psychologist for help and i have just tried hypnotherapy twice but no good….today is day 1 again.
i felt soo alone in this tell i read this article
Hi Amanda! I'm so glad you found this site. I completely understand where you are. It is really tough, but it is great that you have the commitment to do so. It took me a long time to quit sugar and I'm not going to lie, it is still struggle with. The thing that helped me the most is to find at least one person that supported what I was doing and would be there for me whenever I had cravings. I am a huge emotional eater so it was good to have someone tell me I didn't need that chocolate bar and help me figure out why I was craving and what healthier substitutes I could have. I admit when I was detoxing, I ate an obscene amount of fruit.
The biggest thing is don't beat yourself up if you slip; that just makes it worse and will increase the temptation to continue binging. Just know that it is ok and tomorrow is a new day. Take it just an hour and a day at a time and do not dwell on the past or the times you slip.
It might sound silly, but one thing that helped me when I was tempted was to tell myself: "Not today, I'm not going to eat it today, but maybe tomorrow." Then tomorrow I would say the same thing 🙂 So it made it seem like just a temporary resistance and not anything that I would be missing for the rest of my life.
Good luck and stay in touch!!
hi guys, im so interested in reading your words because i am addicted to sugar.
i have been telling people sugar is like a drug to me, i just cant stop and the binge could last up to 2 or three days nonstop. I fill myself up sooo much i feel ill but want more? then,l try go cold turkey again. this sounds crazy but id say for the last year i have been trying to cut it out..i get to day three and then rebinge … and its just been a vicious cycle every 3 or four days…it makes me cry and sooo sad i cant just beat the cravings…i have spoken to my doctor in pleading of answers,i am seeing a psychologist for help and i have just tried hypnotherapy twice but no good….today is day 1 again.
i felt soo alone in this tell i read this article
Hi Amanda! I'm so glad you found this site. I completely understand where you are. It is really tough, but it is great that you have the commitment to do so. It took me a long time to quit sugar and I'm not going to lie, it is still struggle with. The thing that helped me the most is to find at least one person that supported what I was doing and would be there for me whenever I had cravings. I am a huge emotional eater so it was good to have someone tell me I didn't need that chocolate bar and help me figure out why I was craving and what healthier substitutes I could have. I admit when I was detoxing, I ate an obscene amount of fruit.
The biggest thing is don't beat yourself up if you slip; that just makes it worse and will increase the temptation to continue binging. Just know that it is ok and tomorrow is a new day. Take it just an hour and a day at a time and do not dwell on the past or the times you slip.
It might sound silly, but one thing that helped me when I was tempted was to tell myself: "Not today, I'm not going to eat it today, but maybe tomorrow." Then tomorrow I would say the same thing 🙂 So it made it seem like just a temporary resistance and not anything that I would be missing for the rest of my life.
Good luck and stay in touch!!
Kiira, CONGRATS!!! That is awesome. The freedom is nice isn’t it?
Even though, I admit 6 months later I sometimes still have an occasional craving, it isn’t strong, it passes quickly and I am not as tempted to sacrifice the fact that I now feel happier, more energized and experience a lot less stress than I used to.
I keep a daily journal type thing and a couple weeks ago it really hit me how much more consistently positive my writings have been in the past few months unlike any other period in my life!
I hope you stay with us and share more and help others through the process on our new forum (you can access it by clicking the “Visit the Community” button at the top right side of the page.
We’re also getting rolling on Facebook and Google Plus, so check us out…yes, I’m pulling the Health Guy into the social media realm! hehehe
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Addiction/15…
https://plus.google.com/111929843883711866324/pos…
Kiira, CONGRATS!!! That is awesome. The freedom is nice isn’t it?
Even though, I admit 6 months later I sometimes still have an occasional craving, it isn’t strong, it passes quickly and I am not as tempted to sacrifice the fact that I now feel happier, more energized and experience a lot less stress than I used to.
I keep a daily journal type thing and a couple weeks ago it really hit me how much more consistently positive my writings have been in the past few months unlike any other period in my life!
I hope you stay with us and share more and help others through the process on our new forum (you can access it by clicking the “Visit the Community” button at the top right side of the page.
We’re also getting rolling on Facebook and Google Plus, so check us out…yes, I’m pulling the Health Guy into the social media realm! hehehe
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Addiction/15…
https://plus.google.com/111929843883711866324/pos…
I haven't had any sugar, flour, or wheat for four months now. You are absolutely right; you have to give it up completely in order to be free. Unfortunately. 😉 Truthfully, though, freedom from the cravings totally ROCKS. Thanks for getting the message out there.
I haven't had any sugar, flour, or wheat for four months now. You are absolutely right; you have to give it up completely in order to be free. Unfortunately. 😉 Truthfully, though, freedom from the cravings totally ROCKS. Thanks for getting the message out there.