I found that I am a bread lover. But, I also know that I need the fruit in my diet to keep my sugar cravings down. So, what I'm saying is that to me I need variety. I don't want to tell myself that I have to lose something that I love out of my diet, this has set me up for failure so many times. But, with the free day concept, and this comes directly from a conference where Bill talked, there should be no guilt in eating what you want. We women feel so guilty about everything and we need to get over it. No guilt anymore. The new you will be amazing. one day at a time. kennie

About FAA:

A bio-chemical disease

Food Addicts AnonymousFAA World

What is Food Addicts Anonymous?
Food Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who are willing to recover from the disease of food addiction. Sharing our experience, strength, and hope with others allows us to recover from this disease, ONE DAY AT A TIME.

The FAA program is based on the belief that food addiction is a bio-chemical disease. By following a food plan devoid of all addictive substances, we can recover. These substances include sugar, flour, and wheat in all their forms. They also include fats and any other high-carbohydrate, refined, processed foods that cause us problems individually.

Our primary purpose is to stay abstinent and to help other food addicts achieve abstinence. We invite you to join us on the road to recovery and suggest you attend six meetings before you decide you don't need our help. You need to know that withdrawal is a necessary part of recovery. We can get better if we continue to follow our food plan, work the tools of the program, and ask for help!
Food Addicts Anonymous is self-supporting through our own contributions. We are not affiliated with any diet or weight loss programs, treatment facilities, or religious organizations. We neither endorse nor oppose any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay abstinent and to help other food addicts achieve abstinence.
Food Addicts Anonymous was founded in December of 1987, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Our founder is a wonderful woman named Judith C. We are very grateful to Judith C. for starting our "Familyship."
The World Service Office is located in West Palm Beach, Florida. There are over 150 FAA meetings worldwide.

I ordered a starter pack from FAA (books & brochures), because there are not meetings in Nashville or 4 hours close to me. My friend & I started to get together to meet & talk about FAA & basically all of our sugar struggles...

I have my sponsor, "Miss A", who is taking me through the steps of AA because that is her familiar territory. I would not classify myself as an alcoholic by any means, but I noticed over many years, that if I tried to give up sugar, I started drinking ALOT more. So..... IXN-AY on the L-COHOL-AY.

Monday I celebrate 90 days of abstinence from Sugar(s) which includes alcohol, breads & flours, and "white foods". There's a whole lot of OTHER great stuff to eat!

Abstinence is the key for me. It's the only way I can have spiritual clarity.

WOW. I'm so glad I followed my intuition to this post... I just finished my exercise on elevating my nutrition and I realized that I need to approach my sugar addiction like any other serious addiction (it has been a huge, life-long addiction for me), and I even talked about using a 12-step approach. For me just one bite of sugar often takes me off the deep end. I also agree with Kennie about fruit... I'm just really glad to find other people who are sharing about this problem, and I'm glad for all the info you shared! CONGRATULATIONS on your 90 days!!!!

Wow what a great thread! I am an addict - recovered from alcohol and drugs, and now I seem to abuse sugar in the same way. I always say that sugar is my "crack" because once I take one bite or have some, i just want MORE and MORE. Its then ..never enough. I wish I could stop at just one bite or one cookie, or one sip of coke. But it doesnt work that way. The best advice is just to avoid it all together. Also my trainer told me to educate myself about sugar and this has helped tons, the more you know about what you are doing to your body the less likely we will damage it. The documentary called "Big Sugar" is amazing. The herb gymena I have heard about too, they say it is short acting so you must take it 15 min before your meal, and it will make sweet less tasty and diminish the desire. Also as Daisies said a very strong antixoidant is great too, as it helps cleanse that body and fight/prevent damage. I use Goji Berry Extract capsules and they have changed my life. You can read more here: www.gojiberrry4u.com, and you can also buy the dried organic berries in health food stores (but they arent super tasty they are tart/sour), or if you can handle the taste there are juices on the market too. Best rule... dont touch it... and we wont want more of it.. just like most addictions. Abstinence is key.

Oh my goodness! I have a long history of being a MAJOR sweet tooth! I definitely think that sugar in its refined form can be very addicting. It seems the more of it you eat, the more you want, and it can cause a whole slew of physical problems. Not to mention how sugar overload can have you walking around in the daze of brain fog.

I struggled with this issue for a long time and wasn't certain how to approach it. For awhile, I used artificial sweeteners, but that landed me in the ER. The doctors thought I had a stroke. I had the worst pain in the right side of my head and face. All the blood vessels in my right eye had burst, and my vision was impaired. I couldn't read the largest letter on the vision board test and normally I have 20/20 vision. In the end, the doctors determined this was the result of using artificial sweeteners. When they told me this was something they were starting to see more commonly, that really disturbed me. I was advised to never touch artificial sweeteners again and to this day I haven't. I have never had a repeat incident.

One thing that helped me alleviate my sugar addiction was switching to agave nectar as my sweetener. It is equally sweet as sugar, but is extremely low-glycemic and doesn't cause blood sugar swings. It comes from a cactus and pours like honey. Right away, just getting off the refined sugar, I noticed I was desiring sugar less and less. My intake of sweets started to diminish and with my blood sugar stabilizing, I was feeling loads better.

Prior to starting this Challenge just two weeks ago, I was continuing to have a little dessert every night. It was usually something more naturally-based and often just a few bites. Additionally, I was only eating about 3 meals max a day. Now that I am doing the Challenge and back to training, my appetite is more stimulated. I'm up to about 5 meals a day. I'm also composing my meals as Bill suggests... a little protein, complex carbs, healthy fat, and produce. This has really been helping me and since starting the Challenge, my desire for sugar has been erased.

It really shocked me how quickly this occured. So, I think the combo of getting off the refined sugars, as well as, feeding yourself well-composed meals frequently, really helps. I think it is a shame that some people make judgments about what is going on in someone else's body. It's your body. You are the true authority in this regard. Only you know how certain foods and ways of eating affects you. I absolutely believe that refined sugar can have an addictive component. I think that addictive component is more activated in some people than others. There is much scientific research that points to sugar dependency being common in those who come from alcoholic blood lines. I know that I have that genetic history, and it makes sense to me. Ultimately, you know what you are experiencing in your body. It doesn't really matter if someone shares the view or not. What does matter is that you listen to your body and work with its communication to ensure you provide yourself with the best care.

-Shannon

AN HOUR WITH THE JEDI MASTER
7.12.09 Sunday night
I've been sugar and alcohol free for....I think it's 138 days. I never take it for granted, but I am THANKFUL and feel BLESSED~

I'm doing really well, but the past week I've been totally distracted by stuff I don't want to think about, so in that sense it's been a very hard week (mentally).

I have something that is a huge stronghold in my life. It won't go away and just keeps coming up. Yesterday I prayed that God would remove it and show me what to do "no matter what it takes~". That is always a scary prayer, because I never know WHAT God will do next, but I'm at the end of my emotional rope. I'm tired of my poor brain, and the heaviness of the struggle~

So on Thursday, as I met with the great Jedi Master (my 12-step sponsor, Anya), she gave me the answer. I prayed for an answer, and then out of the blue she gave it to me. I was not expecting that one at all.

She started talking about the Martial Arts. I know absolutely NOTHING about it, so please forgive me if I don't word this exactly right. She said that the Martial Arts teach that half of the battle is not in fighting back, but in learning to "get out of the opponent's way"....sometimes the opponent ends up hurting themselves instead of you!

So when these things are brought into my life that are not a part of me, and I don't want it....it's like I am receiving a karate-chop. I can either fight back and get tangled up in it, or move out of the way. If the karate chops are hard enough, the opponent might fall down, and I won't get hurt in the process. I can and should just ignore it as if it is DEAD to me. I also just read a scripture verse about this on Wednesday....being DEAD to sin so it doesn't affect or steal our joy.

It is really about letting go and "let it be", which is funny because it is Assignment T # 11 on Transformation.

In any case, I remember that once I hit bottom, I got on my knees before bed one night and asked God to removed my sugar addiction. The next day I woke up and "planned" to binge all day, but I decided for some reason to eat a good breakfast and just try to get through the day. I put all of the binge food back on the shelf and went to work.

I was going to cancel my coffee meeting with Anya that day & go buy stuff to eat later, but I went to Starbucks to meet her because I promised, and I was avoiding the temptation to binge. It was during that hour on Feb. 25th that she became my sponsor~

The rest is His-tory.........................you never know when God is sending an angel.

Keep trying. Never give up on yourself.
Put action into your faith.
Laurah

My late evening cravings are for fatty sugar -- like icecream or cake -- not like sugar. I want to get rid of them. I'll try a protein shake (as others' suggested), see if that works.

I've been cleansing these last few weeks, mostly by eating lots more raw foods (especially vegies, but also oats/oat bran that is not cooked, just moistened with hot water). A lot of good changes are happening, and just these last two weeks I've noticed that my sugar cravings are WAY, WAY down... Seems to make sense that cleansing would help restore the chemical balance in the body and bring cravings back into balance, too. I'm going to continue in this new direction and I'm hoping the reduced sugar cravings continue, too.

Thank you all for addressing this topic. This is my number one nemesis. Sugar in the form of starches and refined carbos has kept me captive from my health goals for years. I have lived in denial of this addiction for many years. I am awakening to its power in my life.

Ahh the lovely sugar! Ever since I got sober my body still craves sugars, usually in the middle of the night I will have to stumble down the stairs and raid the cookie jar.... I wonder how long my body will crave these sugars or is it a result of my night time binges with sugars that has conditioned my body to crave it when my sugar levels get lowest. Usually I attribute it to my 24 years of substance abuse and my body needing that sugar, cause we all know that alcohol is loaded with the stuff and after all those years logically one would assume that the sugar needs are a direct result of having the alcohol removed from your body therefor your body craves it. 5 Years later I still have strong urges for sugar, does anyone else find themselves in this situation? and what did you do to attain healthy sugar levels in your body to eliminate the cravings?

Something that has worked well for me in the past and I'm even using now as I try once again to break away from the grip of a daily dark chocolate fix, is to slice up an apple, throw it into a skillet with nonstick spray. Cover it with a lid and let is slow cook to warm and soft. (kind of like a healthy version of fried apples) Sprinkle with cinnamon and apple pie spice and A spritz of can't believe its not butter spray. Seems to kill my sweet tooth and a much better option than the candy, ice cream, or any other sweet.

Working fruit into my diet has helped me, too... Making sure I get enough protein helps. Making sure I eat often enough (like Bill's 6 small meals approach) helps. Focusing on low-glycemic foods helps. I've approached the sugar thing from a lot of angles, simply because it has been so huge for me. A true addiction, my first addiction... Followed by alcohol, meds, rec drugs, smoking. I dropped all those fairly easily... But sugar had a tight grip. I also developed a pretty hefty systemic yeast infection (yeast LOVES sugar), and I think that's why my recent shift to internal cleansing, with lots of raw foods and fiber, has also helped. The cleanse used along with probiotics to rebuild intestinal health... probably something that almost every American needs if they've been eating a "normal" diet. Best wishes in your pursuit, John!

thank you both! i love probiotics and used to use them all the time, need to get back into that habit for sure, fruit is a great idea! thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsweet Ahh the lovely sugar! Ever since I got sober my body still craves sugars, usually in the middle of the night I will have to stumble down the stairs and raid the cookie jar.... I wonder how long my body will crave these sugars or is it a result of my night time binges with sugars that has conditioned my body to crave it when my sugar levels get lowest. Usually I attribute it to my 24 years of substance abuse and my body needing that sugar, cause we all know that alcohol is loaded with the stuff and after all those years logically one would assume that the sugar needs are a direct result of having the alcohol removed from your body therefor your body craves it. 5 Years later I still have strong urges for sugar, does anyone else find themselves in this situation? and what did you do to attain healthy sugar levels in your body to eliminate the cravings?

You know, scientists have discovered a link between addiction/alcoholism and sugar cravings. They have even noted that sugar cravings are predominant in those who come from alcoholic blood lines, even if the individual is not themselves a drinker. Additionally, it is really common for someone to go through recovery and find their sugar cravings increasing... almost in an effort to make up that deficit. I was sharing this information with a dear friend of mine who has been sober for almost 30 years and she laughed in recognition.

She said that her sugar cravings have definitely been more prominent since she became sober. She also quipped, "Maybe that's why they always have doughnuts at the AA meetings." Scientists are doing research in this area as there does seem to be a correlation. It seems that sugar has the propensity to trip off the same areas of the brain that alcohol does. It is very interesting. I myself, come from a strong alcoholic blood line on both sides. I hardly ever drink, but have always been a raging sweet tooth.

The sugar cravings have definitely subsided since eating more frequent balanced meals. I think that has helped a great deal, as has having a whey protein shake with essential aminos and some natural peanut butter each night before bed. I used to always want sugar at night and now that urge is gone.

-Shannon

Had a choice on wheither to go and buy a sugary treat or go on transformation.com. I almost gave in except a friend had called to ask to check his email. I'm so happy that he had asked me to turn on the computer, ended up on this website and read all your posts. Was really helpful. THANK U

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam I would like to see what people have to say about sugar addiction. People that don't have it, treat it like a joke. When you do have it it makes you feel miserable, ashamed and depressed.

Hi Sam,

I quit eating sugar (desserts, donuts, candy, ice cream etc) in February, and it helped me stop bingeing. Sugar affects my body like alcohol (I'm an alcoholic), and it just makes me crave more and more. Cutting it out completely has made all of the cravings go away and I no longer desire eating dozens of donuts or bags of cookies and cupcakes....it's a miracle. The cravings for it went away after about two weeks of not eating it and it felt so good. I no longer crave all of the sugary bakery goods that are presented so invitingly in the grovery stores or try to tell myself "oh I'll just have one slice of cake, one cookie etc," then eat tons and feel guilty and shameful.

Anyways, suagar addiction is a serious, real issue, and it you would like help kicking the habit, I'd be happy to share what's worked for me!

Steph

Steph, did you just go cold turkey?

I went cold turkey and one key was no artificial sweetners either for at least 6 weeks. I went through serious withdrawals. I blogged about it during my first transformation. It was very difficult but I knew I had to do it and stayed strong willed. The key is getting any and all sugars out of your system . Once done and over with , it is very easy to resist sugar now. It was worth the 6 weeks of struggle. Wendy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolynn Steph, did you just go cold turkey?

yes, cold turkey. It took about three months of me knowing I needed to stop eating sugar but still eating it anyways before I actually took action and stopped eating it. After I stopped eating it though, the cravings went away and I was way less tempted to binge.

It's been well over a year since my 1st sugar addiction post and I still am having the same problem. What worked for everyone? I like the protein shakes but they hurt my stomach.