EMAIL THREAD

sugar eatter

how do you help a peer who is candy-oholic curb her candy eating?

Tue. May 2, 1:49pm

I'm not sure if your friend is into carbs in general, but I'm a big carb-addict. Not very much into sweets, but into cookies, pastries, chocolate etc. When I need to break that addiction I go on 2-week no-carb diet, not even wholewheat or fruits - just salads, green veggies and protein. It does alleviate my carb cravings drastically.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 2:27 PM

I would call myself a recovering "sugar addict". I used to eat a bag of candy a day (sometimes within an hour or so) and do this several times a week, or I might get my fix by making and eating a bowl of frosting or microwave smores. Now that you know my history and severity, I can tell you that I stopped eating those things and have much more control about eating 1 or 2 sweet things without getting out of control. What I did was mentally prepare myself to take on the challenge of no sweets. During that time I did allow myself some hard candy (2 or 3 pieces a day) but it should be something that isn't liked all THAT well so that it isn't "abused". I still ate all the other normal things (carbs, bread, fruit). The first 4-5 days were the worst! I was crabby and irritable but I managed to get by with the hard candy. After a week or two I had so much more control; it was amazing! And now I've been binge-free for about 10 weeks. I still have the urges occasionally (depending on the time of day, time of month, being around sweet things) but I have success and time on my side now. I've lost ~17 pounds and can choose other things that suffice instead of candy and still get some health benefits -- granola bar (fiber and calcium), yogurt with cocoa added (calcium and chocolate flavor without the fat!), dark chocolate (too much aftertaste to want to binge, also anti-oxidants). A person just has to try to figure out what their trigger is, what they can eat in moderation and what makes them binge. It can be a lengthy process but hang in there!

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 2:42 PM

I drink sweet teas sweetened with stevia so I can sip all day rather than reach into a bag of candy all day...but there is still nothing like a Twizzler or jelly bellys once in a while!

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 3:07 PM

I think it is tough. Some people can cut back gradually, some people can go cold turkey. Maybe go gradually - suggest replacing candy with fruit. Then cut out white flour. For me the key is adding protein and sometimes more fat, but healthy fats like nuts or olive oils. Is she trying to eat low fat? I think low fat dieting tends to make you eat too many carbs. See if she can try eating an ounce of nuts and some raisins or dried cranberries when she is craving candy. These food have lots more nutrients and staying power. Also watch out for foods like low or no fat yogurt - these have lots more sugar in them than people realize.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 5:37 PM

Oh, one more thing - try the 72% dark chocolate like at Trader Joe's. If she can't stand it because it's not sweet enough try eating it with a few raisins or dried cranberries.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006, 5:39 PM

SWEETS

I LIKE TO DRINK SNAPPLE ICED DIET LIME GREEN TEA....IT IS LIGHT & NOT TOO SWEET BUT FILLS YOU UP & VERY SATISFYING.

Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 9:10 PM

try eating salty things -- not to go crazy with chips or whatever, but eating something salty gets me out of the sweetness craving. sometimes. :)

Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 9:54 PM

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