Sugar Free Army

I’m gonna “stop being sweet” right here, right now until February 4, 2013.

2012-02-03T21:40:52Z

Aloha David and others on this awesome site,

I’ve been looking for something JUST LIKE THIS, and was beyond thrilled when I found this! This is EXACTLY what I needed. An amazing support group for sugar-addicts like myself.

My goals:
1. Update y’all on this particular “Stop Being Sweet” thread DAILY.
2. Update Gorganic DAILY, which is my personal blog that I just started. http://gorganic.weebly.com/gorganic-blog.html to record my journey WITHOUT white sugar and white flour. Former “best” friend now turned enemy.
3. Go cold turkey on the white sugar and white flour crap until February 4, 2013.

Please hold me accountable! I’m from Hawaii…the 808 state with so much good food! And although far in proximity to y’all, I hope to keep our connection alive through DAILY updates.

Thank you to my new friends. :O)

Aloha from the gorganic girl (at least trying to be)

Can I Begin Tomorrow?

2012-01-31T16:06:15Z

Greetings, all, and thank you so much for being here. I just found this site after ruminating a lot today about “giving up” sweets. I have been sober for 20 years but have not been able to give up sugar for any amount of time except during Lent last year. I didn’t want to go back on my promise to God! I toughed it out, then went right back on Easter morning. Anyway, I know I’m using sweets exactly the way I used to use alcohol—to numb out and avoid feeling and facing things I don’t want to feel and face. It’s the same addiction as the alcohol, nicotine, etc., etc., etc. I am sad because I know I need to do this but have relied on my sugar habit for a lot of good times and happiness. Doesn’t that sound crazy? I look forward to my sugar at night just the way I used to look forward to my drinks. I’ve lied to myself for years that as long as I don’t eat any sweets until after dinner, I’m still o.k. (then will eat enough cake or pie or M&M’s to make myself miserable.) The thing that has driven me to want to learn to abstain is that I’ve realized that all this sugar I’m eating is separating me from myself, God, and other people because it takes me away from how I feel, and this doesn’t feel good anymore. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Anyway, I drank a mocha at Starbucks this afternoon, so today won’t be an abstinent day, but if I wait til morning to start tomorrow, will I wake up with the same drive to stop that I have tonight? I feel like an alcoholic drinking on the way to the rehab—I want to eat M&M’s tonight before I quit them tomorrow. Thanks for any help and encouragement! Peace & blessings.

Afraid to not start

2012-01-16T19:43:58Z

This has been going on for too long: the binging (a pint of ice cream and 4 brownies late afternoon is ‘normal’), telling myself, “this is the last time!”, then doing it all again the next day. And the next day. I’ve noticed this problem of mine and have been trying to quit (key word: trying, aka failing) for over 2 years. I’ve made it at most 7 or 8 days relatively sugar-free (maybe 4 times in 2 years, and they were great times) but then fallen back down deeper into sugar hell. But I can’t not be confident this time, things will be different. I mean that’s all I’ve got is willpower. And now this forum, so thanks for who’s here.

I like this game ‘you vs. sugar’. Today I lost. Tomorrow I win. Anybody ever read ‘The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program’? The book suggests a potato at night to increase serotonin levels throughout the following day. Supposedly elevating serotonin levels increase impulse control. I did that for maybe a month, but then stopped when I realized I wasn’t even trying to stop eating sugar anymore. I wonder if it really helps at all. Seemed like it, but then again might have been placebo, not potatoes. Kind of scary to me to intentionally alter my brain chemistry, though. Although, what the heck scars is all this sugar leaving? Hopefully more like waves than scars. I get scared of long-term damages I’m inflicting by following craving for sugar rather than intelligence that says run like heck away.

So here we go: No sugar starts now. Because it’s not like there’s really going to be a better time. But I’m in pretty deep: like I said, a pint of ice cream and four brownies was my early dinner. Maybe I should ween off, but maybe that’s not an option because, like Guns ‘N’ Roses sang (I think about heroin), “i used to do a little but a little wouldn’t do / so a little got more and more / i just keep trying to get a little better / a little better than before.” (Mr. Brownstone)

I have been addicted to and quit cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, caffeine/coffee, chewing tobacco (gross), Adderall, various combinations of these (ie: beer red bull adderall tobacco). Things are better now. I meditate: that helped make everything else far less appealing. But sugar is proving to be the toughest thing to shake, mostly because a) it’s so socially acceptable and readily available and, b) i can’t just not eat like i can just not take drugs, and c) i keep thinking a little won’t hurt. But I’m wrong. This has been going on for too long. So wish me luck. Good luck to all of you. Stay strong!

Afraid to start

2012-01-11T18:09:57Z

I have finally come to the conclusion that sugar is ruining my life. I am no good at moderation, and the constant struggle is killing me. I’m so tired of obsessing about food all the time. Sometimes I want a doughnut more than anything else in the world, and if there are doughnuts around, I will shove as many of them down me as possible. It’s sick. It’s insane. I just want to calm down, and eat for nutrition, not because some crazy little voice inside me is demanding that I eat as much sweetness as I can. And then I don’t want to suffer with the other little voice that perpetually scolds me because I gave in and ate the candy.
But sugar has been my everything forever. I don’t know if I can do this. The idea of having no more cupcakes, no more cookies, seems like pie in the sky (no more pie either). Can I do it? I really think I will feel better if I can succeed, but it seems sort of like chopping off one of my arms. I am absolutely addicted, but I’m afraid of getting clean.
Today was day one. I’m desperately hoping that at work tomorrow nobody brings in cookies or doughnuts or something into the lunch room. It happens a lot, and I feel like a cocaine addict working in a crack house.

a fresh start!

2012-01-08T14:16:36Z

I stumbled across this website and instantly knew it was what i had been looking for.

Sugar has managed to gain a waay to big influence on my life -
i constantly search for my next sugar fix, not even enjoying life anymore anything i do is only fun if eating is a part of it or an afterwards-reward.

I just ate no sugar for a few days and felt incredibly good, but then slipped attending a birthday party with too many cakes for anybody’s good!
after that i got online, researched sugar addiction and all its evil side effects and my search took me- right on here.

after reading some of the other posts, i cleaned out all candy from my cupboards (other than sweets i don’t really eat much processed food, candy is the number 1 enemy for me really!) and joined.

even tho i know that it’ll be a struggle for me, i SO need this!
i am an athlete and going sugar-free always improves my performance tremendously. i feel more self-confident, get stuff done and simply enjoy life much more!

i printed out some motiviational quotes from on here and also put some private goals& benefits on that paper. i’ll always read it when a craving approaches, hoping that ll do the trick from keeping me give into it.

knowing that there are others out there that aren’t only primarily concerned with dieting, but with being healthy and stopping being sweet is such a huge and supportive thought for me!

i will keep posting how this goes for me- also hoping that it’ll keep me a little more accountable.

thanks already for creating this forum and website- it might have saved me!!

What are you eating instead of sweets?

2011-05-04T17:00:51Z

What are you replacing sweets with? Is it working for you?

One of my new “go-to” snacks is to pour a little olive oil in a saucer, add some italian seasoning, and dab whole grain bread in it. Its simple/quick enough I can do it in my cubical at work, has complex carbs, healthy (I believe) fat, and very little sugar.

Addiction versus rebellion against deprivation

2012-01-02T20:40:32Z

I’ve been an emotional eater for a while now and have gone through periods of food restriction followed by bingeing. I’ve read Geneen Roth’s books about this behavior and she suggests that the only reason we binge on particular foods is because we try so hard to restrict them. She says we should eat whatever we want, whenever we want it. I think this is reasonable, but not when it comes to sugar. Sugar seems to exert a unique power over me and I feel totally out of control with it, just like an alcoholic. If I cut out sugar though, I don’t want to go on more binges/“what the hell, I just blew it” scenarios. How can one avoid feeling deprived so that rebound binges don’t occur? I can’t see my cravings ever going away.

January Challenge

2012-01-01T14:57:41Z

Going to practice self restraint this month and not be overcome by short term pleasure.

My plan for January:
Monday- Saturday: eating only protein, vegetables, and legumes/beans, and only when I am truly hungry.

Sunday: Fruit and non sugar junk food is allowed (pizza, chips, etc.)

How do you feel when you see others having sugar?

2011-05-29T12:38:50Z

I’ve noticed over the years that occasionally I’m jealous when I see others enjoying a dessert. It’s like my inner child rises up, stamps its foot and says “It’s not fair!” This happens whenI’m feeling a little tender about something and that’s the time when I have to be especially vigilant and tell my inner child to just grow up. Ha!

Seriously addicted

2011-12-28T21:38:30Z

Wow. Trying to cut out sugar as of today.

I am feeling…. Sore and cranky and HUNGRY. I want to cry and I’m feeling really anxious and Terrible. I feel almost as if I’m in mourning of my favourite “drug” of choice. It’s very sad!!!! (another symptom, depression). How am I so sad over food?! It’s kind of silly really but it’s the truth. I’m having visions of myself binge eating with all the usual suspects. Pancakes with syrup, peanut butter marshmallow squares, and my fave: fudge!!!!!!!!!!!! I can almost taste it these cravings are so bad.

Someone please tell me this will get better!!!!!!!!