Want to beat sugar cravings

[Mrs_A_Wrinkly]

Hello all you amazing people. I have been diagnosed for over 10 years.I am doing the low carb low calorie diet and am doing ok. Am now not taking glicazide as it is causing hypos, but I keep falling off the wagon about every fortnight which leads to horrendous highs! I know I am an idiot but am finding sugar need so difficult to overcome.
Some of the posts state that it is almost impossible to go into remission when long term diabetic
I have lost about half a stone in3 weeks but finding it very difficult to loose weight.
I need BACKBONE where can I get it?

 

[Goonergal]

You say you are doing low carb, low calorie. What does that look like in terms of what you eat? Do you have a lot of weight to lose?

You may need to add some fat to your diet - in the absence of carbs, your body needs fat for satiety and energy. This should help with cravings and help promote weight loss as well as managing your blood sugars.

You may just need to tough it out for a few weeks - remove temptation by taking anything you want to wean yourself off from the cupboards/fridge, eat enough fat to fill you up and it will get easier.

 

[sally and james]

It is said that sugar is an addiction, like some drugs or smoking, so it is very difficult to kick the habit. You therefore need a plan. I would start by clearing the house of all temptation, or if there are other family members to consider, put all offending items in one cupboard/box and say that that it Their box and you won't go into it. They must also return items to it, not leave them lying around.
Then I would make sure that there are alternative snacks and deserts available. Chunks of cheese, nuts, slices of salami, olives, stick of celery and cream cheese all come to mind.
Look up low carb baking. I make tasty little muffins with cream cheese, eggs and almond flour, but there's loads more to choose from. this will give you something that looks and feels like a cake. Could I suggest, at the moment, that you don't go for the many sugar free, artificial and replacement sweeteners, these will just keep your taste for sweet things going.
I am not of "have a treat at the weekend" school of thought, this just keeps sugar at the front of your mind and emphasises the idea of deprivation. The idea that you need to get through to your mind/body is "things have changed round here, now get used to it, you'll thank me in the long run!".
Sally

 

[Mrs_A_Wrinkly]

Thank you for such a prompt reply.
I am a true follower of Dr Moseley and use the recipe book the 8 week blood sugar diet. Which is fab. I carry around a little snack box of almonds and carrot sticks and celery but still once a fortnight I loose the plot.
Also even after days of being good my blood sugar levels before breakfast are about 11 or so.
I have been following others on the forum and have only seen readings of 4,5,6.

 

[Mrs_A_Wrinkly]

It is said that sugar is an addiction, like some drugs or smoking, so it is very difficult to kick the habit. You therefore need a plan. I would start by clearing the house of all temptation, or if there are other family members to consider, put all offending items in one cupboard/box and say that that it Their box and you won't go into it. They must also return items to it, not leave them lying around.
Then I would make sure that there are alternative snacks and deserts available. Chunks of cheese, nuts, slices of salami, olives, stick of celery and cream cheese all come to mind.
Look up low carb baking. I make tasty little muffins with cream cheese, eggs and almond flour, but there's loads more to choose from. this will give you something that looks and feels like a cake. Could I suggest, at the moment, that you don't go for the many sugar free, artificial and replacement sweeteners, these will just keep your taste for sweet things going.
I am not of "have a treat at the weekend" school of thought, this just keeps sugar at the front of your mind and emphasises the idea of deprivation. The idea that you need to get through to your mind/body is "things have changed round here, now get used to it, you'll thank me in the long run!".
Sally

Thank you I love the sound of the muffins.
I didn’t realise that I could be so secretive about my efforts to obtain sugar am horrified at myself! So now I own it. Thanks for listening.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thank you for such a prompt reply.
I am a true follower of Dr Moseley and use the recipe book the 8 week blood sugar diet. Which is fab. I carry around a little snack box of almonds and carrot sticks and celery but still once a fortnight I loose the plot.
Also even after days of being good my blood sugar levels before breakfast are about 11 or so.
I have been following others on the forum and have only seen readings of 4,5,6.

I think you may be suffering from the "half pregnant" nature of the low calorie diet that Doc Moseley advocates which I think is still relatively high in carbs (at least its a lot more than I eat). Because you are still eating things like carrots and other root veg on the diet then you are going to find it harder to ignore carb cravings (all carbs turn to sugar in the body).
In your shoes I might try a month of very low carb to see if that counters my cravings. Just eat green veg and meat/fish/eggs/bacon/avocado/olives. The fat is what keeps you full so without it you likely be hungry which may well contribute to you falling off the wagon.
Check out www.dietdoctor.com for some yummy recipes . What I am advocating is usually known as the ketogenic diet (as in way of eating) if you want to read up on it. Can have some amazing benefits.

 

[woodywhippet61]

After 4-5 months of keeping the sugar cravings away I have been having the most awful time the past few weeks. I slightly changed my diet approach yesterday, I still have weight to lose but I've decided to forget it at the moment and eat more. I also decided to 'hell with it' I'm going to have a desert the next time that I eat out. Friday I had lunch out got shown the desert menu ....... Nope didn't fancy any of those. Saturday again had lunch out. We were the only people in the pub had a nice main meal waited for the usual desert menu offer and the landlord and landlady were off out to watch some rugby and so we had to leave without being offered a desert.

 

[Pinkorchid]

I can never see the point of people giving up sugar then making cakes and puddings etc with sweetener. I would rather loose the sweet tooth for good than keep eating sweet stuff, difficult at first but you soon loose the taste for anything sweet if you just do not have it

 

[Guzzler]

I agree with the comments up thread, the fewer carbs you have the easier it becomes to overcome the cravings. I decided to go cold turkey on anything sweet after learning that this would prolong the 'withdrawal' symptoms and it took just a few short weeks to kick the sugar habit. In my opinion using artificial sweeteners prolongs the time it takes to change the palate so I do not use those either. Having said all that, I won't pretend that I didn't wobble at times but it gets easier and easier over time.
I still have family at home so there are lots of carby stuff in the house but to be honest it no longer bothers me at all.

 

[Mrs_A_Wrinkly]

Hello yo all
Advice great.
As it happens I don’t use sweeteners at all and have been strict.

I just wondered if there is a theme here about cold weather and needing to bulk up?. Don’t know really. I have felt cold and needed to eat.
I liked the point that was made about more fats and although I think it’s right I don’t know how as can’t eat bread for example. We have meat with fat we cook with oils, enjoy avocados and nuts.
I am still over weight but the most important thing for me is to get my blood sugars under control and off my medication.

 

[Goonergal]

Hello yo all
I just wondered if there is a theme here about cold weather and needing to bulk up?. Don’t know really. I have felt cold and needed to eat.
I liked the point that was made about more fats and although I think it’s right I don’t know how as can’t eat bread for example. We have meat with fat we cook with oils, enjoy avocados and nuts.

You could try adding butter to veggies, using double cream in hot drinks. Ensure you use full fat versions of dairy products.

As someone else said, Diet Doctor has good recipes and you could try posting a couple of menus to see if others can help you to tweak things.

 

[bulkbiker]

we cook with oils,

Not always the best thing.. depending on the oils..butter, lard, goose fat better IMHO.

 

[woodywhippet61]

Hello yo all
Advice great.
As it happens I don’t use sweeteners at all and have been strict.

I just wondered if there is a theme here about cold weather and needing to bulk up?. Don’t know really. I have felt cold and needed to eat.
I liked the point that was made about more fats and although I think it’s right I don’t know how as can’t eat bread for example. We have meat with fat we cook with oils, enjoy avocados and nuts.
I am still over weight but the most important thing for me is to get my blood sugars under control and off my medication.

I find a small chunk of cheese works. I'm just giving in to eating lots of nuts at the mo. Since I've lost all this weight I am feeling the cold I'm having to wear coats!! and socks!! and hats!! and gloves!!

I think that it's true that it's better to not eat/drink things with artificial sweeteners in and also to keep carbs to the minimum.

But hey according to my gp I'm no longer considered diabetic due to results of blood tests and oh boy I wish that I could get that statement out of my head. It's Christmas and the call of the sweet stuff is so strong and in my case toxic.

The fact that my partner still eats toast (oh the wonderful smell), potatoes, biscuits and cakes never used to bother me but the past few weeks............ If he makes his own bread today I might just commit a crime.

Edited to say that he did make his own bread today but he moved the bread maker into the conservatory and I couldn't smell it.

 

[Guzzler]

Cooking oils are inflammatory . Good old fashioned lard, butter, suet and duck fat are what I use (and it works out cheaper). I use olive oil and cold pressed rapeseed oil occasionally on salads but with the winter truly here I'm not having too many salads. Some people use mayonnaise but I prefer coleslaw.
With regard to the cold, I viewed a Breckenridge video last night that said eating just a small amount of a high fat food such as a chunk of cheese or sausage will switch on the action of brown fat and have a reasonably quick affect on warming you up.

 

[Alison Campbell]

Just wanted to add a few things to the amazing advice that you have recieved.

Fasting levels for me are the quickest to rise and the last to fall. Falling slowly over months of better eating choices. Please don't be discouraged is you don't get immediate feedback from fasting levels.

Secondly, never compare your readings with others. You are only seeing numbers, not how long diagnosed, what medication they are taking, what other conditions they have, what they eat or what else is going on in their lives. Everyone is at a different stage in their diabetes journey, some luckier than others in how quickly they find what works for them. I hope you set your own goals and exceed them.

 

[Kristin251]

When I get a craving for more food of any kind, I eat something with vinegar. Mustard, horseradish, olives and it immediately goes away. I never crave carbs. Even veggies sets me off on the hunger train

 

[KathyCP]

i can't really add to the advice you've had here, but just a word of encouragement. i have been really strict with myself about not eating sweet things and starchy carbs (large glasses of water and handfuls of nuts when i'm tempted), and i have found that my sugar cravings have disappeared completely over the last few years (used to be a serious chocaholic and doughnut consumer). i have found myself getting hungrier in the last few weeks, which is probably to do with the change in weather, so i'm just eating more of what i know is ok for me, particularly eggs, nuts, avocados and full-fat yoghurt. good luck!

 

[woodywhippet61]

When I get a craving for more food of any kind, I eat something with vinegar. Mustard, horseradish, olives and it immediately goes away. I never crave carbs. Even veggies sets me off on the hunger train

I'll give this a try, not with those foods though.

 

[archersuz]

I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling the cold. I have taken to wearing a base layer, several t-shirts, a sweat shirt and fleece - and that's indoors with the heating on Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Mrs_A_Wrinkly]

Thank you to everyone. The advice has been varied giving me choices. I will learn from your experiences.
Thank you for all the encouragement, I am determined to make it work.