Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Sugar Addict

Last year I lost 50lbs it was not that hard. Now I am trying to keep it off. Now that is HARD. I have allways liked sweet stuff but it seems to me the last few weeks that I may have a problem:eek:. I get these cravings and I can't say no. This may not sound bike related but if I put the weight back on it will kill my riding. Has anyone else ever been through this and if so what will help? The last thing I want to do is go back to were I was.

I understand what your going through. Pepsi is my biggest dieting problem. I am going through the same cravings as you are. I try diet Pepsi and it works for a short while, then I get these cravings and just have to have it. I wish I had the answer to solve our problem, but at least you can know your not alone.

I think if I could go one week I could get off the sugar. When I get off I think I will just stop eating sweet stuff for good. I stoped drinking mountain dew and I was drinking about 6 a day. Have not drank anything but water in over 2 years. It seems to me it is a mind set. But I am in a battle right now. You know what as of right now I am off the sugar. I will check in and let you know how I am doing. If I don't someone ask me please. Tom stoped smoking I can stop sugar.

I understand what your going through. Pepsi is my biggest dieting problem. I am going through the same cravings as you are. I try diet Pepsi and it works for a short while, then I get these cravings and just have to have it. I wish I had the answer to solve our problem, but at least you can know your not alone.

When I peaked on Pepsi, I was drinking a little over 4 liters per day. I took myself off Pepsi by cutting it with sparkling water, more and more over the course of the month, giving myself a week at each level till I finally went to pure sparkling water.

But that left me to discover that below the Pepsi problem there was also a sugar problem. That's what I get for being put on a largely sugar oriented formula at 3 days of age. (1950's nutrition at its best)

I'm having to learn to eat all over again. I eat a lot less sugar than I used to, but it's still a struggle. I've read a lot of books like "Sugar Blues" and "Sugar Busters" and currently "The Craving Cure". But no answers yet. But I have empathy with you. Somedays I can ignore the cupcake, some days I eat it.

This is like nuts. I am talking about when I get started I will eat 7 or 8 candy bars. It's like there is not enough sugar in the world. I have not put on but 5 or 6 lbs so far but if I don't stop I will be 260 again.

Don't replace the sugar with simple carbs like white flour-based products. For me, these things cause me to get sugar cravings as bad as the sugar itself.

I try to only do complex carbohydrates or the low carb route. It makes it much easier to control my eating.

it might sound lame, but sometimes if you eat something sweet that isn't terrible for you, it can help. i have a real sweet tooth but i can only handle so much, so if i have some grapes, i wont want candy as much because i know i'll go into sugar overload. sometimes i do it anyway but sometimes it helps.

are you trying to make some other changes in your life? they say that people can usually only handle so much "sheer force of will" at a time. so if you're closely watching your food intake, you'll probably find it harder to closely watch your budget. or if you're budgeting, you might be more likely to overeat. or even just stress could do it. i go through phases of drinking pop (i hate it for a year, then for a month or two i drink it too much), but i've been in a pop phase for the past 6 months because my job is so much more stressful than it was last year. it's like, "i just want a stupid pop, so let me have the stupid pop." maybe there is something going on that doesn't seem related to food at all on the surface.

Have you had your blood checked? Maybe you are experiencing low blood sugar cravings or diabetes.

I'm like you too some days i'm great and others I can't help myself. I was gonna point you to www.radiantrecovery.com but you probably saw that already. You sound like you've read up alot on the whole sugar sensitivity thing. I would suggest keeping a food diary along with a diary of exercise, stresses, mood etc and try and work out a pattern. When are the days you can say no to the cupcake and when are the days you can't. See if there's any links that you wouldn't have spotted normally.

A quick history on my situation.
I started a food diary when i started the radiantrecovery steps (couple of months ago) and noticed i was starving myself during the day trying to lose weight and then when i got home i'd stuff myself. I'd literally eat the equivalent of a dinner while i was making the dinner! Without the food diary I didn't realise i was going 7 hours without anything twice a day and only a little tiny sambo for lunch! Literally starving myself. i started eating 2 extra sambos each day about 200 calories each between my meals and i'm doing so much better on the cravings front. They seem to be gone - most days but i still can't get out as much as i'd like to:-(. oh yeah I also added protein powder to my breakfast;-)

If you have a sweet tooth, but want something with some good fibre and lower calories, try the Fibre One bars, or something along those lines.

Have you recently been checked for diabetes? The doctors have checked me and I don't, and I have similar cravings. If I get a craving, I will buy a small bag of plain M&M's. Then pull one out and not have another one for 5 minutes. Then when I am still craving sugar after the entire package is gone (hours later) I should be at a time for a meal or a healthy snack. We buy the Fibre One bars by the box (20 per box) now, and we also buy Quaker Chewy Bars buy the box (40 per box). Once you find the bar you like, then you can buy them by the box and save a lot of money.

Is this a craving you get at work, or at home? Is this a craving you get while doing nothing at home (reading, watching tv), or when you are busy doing chores around home? I find that most of my cravings are when I am being what I call lazy (watching TV or reading a magazine). If I am busy, the cravings are rarely around, that is why I do a lot of little projects, or pick up a new hobby, or learn a new instrument, to keep myself busy and my mind occupied.

Do you like fruit? I cut up pineapple and put it in small containers and take one with me and put in my desk when I go to work in the morning. A small piece of pineapple really is good and it helps me get my fruit level up that is one of my weak points.

This is like nuts. I am talking about when I get started I will eat 7 or 8 candy bars. It's like there is not enough sugar in the world. I have not put on but 5 or 6 lbs so far but if I don't stop I will be 260 again.

It sounds like a visit to a doctor might be in order.

Munch a couple graham crackers or have a few tablespoons of honey. That usually beats the sugar craving for me. Another good thing to try is a Gala apple. They got a satisfying crunch plus they are really sweet tasting.

it might sound lame, but sometimes if you eat something sweet that isn't terrible for you, it can help. i have a real sweet tooth but i can only handle so much, so if i have some grapes, i wont want candy as much because i know i'll go into sugar overload. sometimes i do it anyway but sometimes it helps.

are you trying to make some other changes in your life? they say that people can usually only handle so much "sheer force of will" at a time. so if you're closely watching your food intake, you'll probably find it harder to closely watch your budget. or if you're budgeting, you might be more likely to overeat. or even just stress could do it. i go through phases of drinking pop (i hate it for a year, then for a month or two i drink it too much), but i've been in a pop phase for the past 6 months because my job is so much more stressful than it was last year. it's like, "i just want a stupid pop, so let me have the stupid pop." maybe there is something going on that doesn't seem related to food at all on the surface.

I am a bigtime stress eater. Food is a drug.

Have you had your blood checked? Maybe you are experiencing low blood sugar cravings or diabetes.

Yes. Things were good. But I have been thinking about having it checked again.

I don't know how I ever stumbled across this page but:

http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php

I have a sweet tooth as well and the last thing on my mind is gnawing on a leg of lamb or a horseradish root. LOL

Take it for what it's worth :)

I've gone from drinking 2 liters of soda a day, to 1 glass a day. The one thing that helps me is Propel water. It still has some sugar, but not nearly as much as soda. I'm about 8 weeks of cutting my soda back, and am doing great.

I am a bigtime stress eater. Food is a drug.

To you, right now, it is. It doesn't have to stay that way.

There's a story that was told to me by a guy who did some zen meditation training at a Buddhist monastery in South Korea. At one point there was an opportunity for people to ask questions of the temple's abbot. Most people asked for advice in dealing with specific problems in their life, and one woman asked with problems she was experiencing with trying to meditate, because people she owed money to were constantly hounding her for payment. The abbot said, "Why are you meditating? If you owe these people money, get a job and pay them what you owe them; then meditate."

What I take from that story is that when most people feel stress, all they want is for the stressful feeling to go away. Obviously dealing with the root cause of the stress is one way to do this -- but it's also usually not the fastest way to deal, and it may lead to even more stress before it leads to less. Then you have all these "quick fix" alternatives that aren't a fix at all -- like drugs, alcohol, food -- but that will make you feel better quickly. The thing that you need to remember is that you don't have some special problem that no one else has. Everybody feels the impulse towards whatever will make them feel good now. Taking the longer, slower, harder route is hard for everybody, not just you. Nobody has a magic bullet or a free pass -- the hard way is hard for everybody, and nobody can teach you the "trick" to make it easy for you.

If you've identified yourself as a stress eater, counseling might be helpful. It won't make it easy, but a good therapist can help you to identify triggers and behaviors, which is the first step to not letting them rule your life. Or you can set out to identify them on your own, and consciously make different choices. But don't spend too too long on self-analysis -- you want to understand yourself and what makes you jump, but you can't just consider that in the abstract, you have to translate it into action. Your "sweet tooth" has been given free rein for a long time, and you may never be entirely free of it. But habit is powerful, for both good and ill, and if you can drive yourself into healthier habits and just stay there for a while, and not expect it to feel good right away, they will become habit. Cut out the negative by filling your life with the positive. Actively seek out the apple; that way you won't crave the candy bar as much. Actively seek out the opportunity to exercise; that way you won't have idle time to sit on the couch.

hey, lil brown bat, have you lost a lot of weight? if you did, did you use mindfulness as part of your method?
i feel like i have grown 100,000,000,000x since i started learning that a kneejerk reaction to unpleasant circumstances is maybe not the best route to take, but things like being hungry, or being tired, or whatever, are usually so strong and internal that it doesn't even occur to me to treat them with mindfulness. i'm not sure if it has occurred to me until now. (maybe because i am not paying attention.)

anyway your post was awesome and helpful. i'm curious if it's worked for you (or anyone else here) in practice.

Try things like Sugar Free Jello, Sugar Free Fudge Pops, Sugar Free Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cakes etc. I have a HUGE sweet tooth and have been able to lose 25lbs by switching to these items. I can now have an ice cream cake after supper that is sugar free, low calorie and still tastes great. My husband didn't even realize it wasn't the real thing.

if only it was that easy;-) i defo agree with you about getting to the root of the problem and it can take years and years to find one - if there is one at all. most people are looking for the quick fix - myself included! the thought of undertaking something that could take the rest of your life seems just a bit scary;-) my plan is to exercise enough so as not to worry about eating too much - again nice on paper:-) variety of exercise is great too for me i don't always feel like cycling!

if only it was that easy;-) i defo agree with you about getting to the root of the problem and it can take years and years to find one - if there is one at all. most people are looking for the quick fix - myself included! the thought of undertaking something that could take the rest of your life seems just a bit scary;-) my plan is to exercise enough so as not to worry about eating too much - again nice on paper:-) variety of exercise is great too for me i don't always feel like cycling!

The only quick fix for me is to look at it as a life style change and that I want to make the change for the rest of my life. I will still eat good food at a restaurant, but I rarely will eat at a fast food place. Even when we travel 12 hours in a car, we will stop and make sandwiches or wraps, and take fruit and things with us. I am enjoying life outside of the house, which I think is making me a better person overall, and I am much happier. I am also enjoying music all over again.

This is like nuts. I am talking about when I get started I will eat 7 or 8 candy bars.

Where are you getting these from? Do you keep this many at home? Are you feeding a vending machine at work? There are a few treat products that are triggers for me. One way I've found to avoid them is to not have them at home. If it's there, I will eat it.

Bryers ice cream is one example. The grocery store has a 2 for 1 special on it every other week. When I go I buy 2 or 4 containers, which are usually gone in less than a week. This year I decided to give it up for Lent. Haven't had any since then and so far I've resisted picking up the habit again now that Lent is over.

Something else I've done recently to help break me of sweets is to make a conscious decision to eat more fruit. Instead of eating at the cafeteria at work, I've been packing my lunch. I bring 3 or 4 pieces of fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, etc) and snack on those instead of going to the vending machine to get a candy bar.

These two things must be helping a bit because even though I've essentially been off the bike since mid-Feb, due to an allergy problem that's finally been identified, I've lost about 5 pounds.

if only it was that easy;-)

I never said it was easy. My point was that it isn't easy -- for anybody. People who ask, "Why is it so hard for me???" are overlooking the obvious, that it's hard for everybody and you're included. Here's a quote that I keep around to remind me of this. A dojo, btw, is a Japanese martial arts school.

When a newcomer appears at the dojo door, he really doesn’t need very much, if you come to think about it, to get him inside. He should be in reasonable physical and mental health and be willing to accept what he will encounter with an open mind. In reality, he needs almost nothing else. But in his own mind the new student often arrives believing he has a great many more necessities, and he will come schlepping up with them, even before his training has begun, toting them along like the excess baggage tourists carry with them on a holiday at the beach. The student carries this extra baggage because he has the very human notion that he is special in some way, that he has liabilities or considerations that others do not have…

The fact is, although your individual needs and shortcomings may seem very important to you, they are not really all that special. Chances are, if you can walk into a dojo under your own power, you are in good enough shape to begin training there. Of course, your asthma or your myopia or lack of flexibility may be a problem. But if you had the opportunity to ask her, you would probably discover that the woman practicing beside you is dealing with chronic arthritis. The man on the other side has a left hip that has a slight congenital deformity, ad the girl behind you suffers from chronic bronchitis. And it’s very likely that they all began their training by thinking their problems were as special as yours.

- Dave Lowry, Moving Towards Stillness

In other words, don't get caught up in all the reasons why it's hard for you. Instead, draw inspiration from all the other people for whom it's also hard, and who are doing it anyway.

hey, lil brown bat, have you lost a lot of weight? if you did, did you use mindfulness as part of your method?

Hey, Wild Animals, good to chat. I have lost weight, but it's only one of the things that have improved as I've gradually been developing a more conscious approach to life -- mindfulness, as you say. Thinking about what I'm doing, thinking about what I'm eating, thinking about how I'm spending my time...when you say it like that, it sounds like endless navel-gazing, or what my brother likes to call "paralysis by analysis", but it's not like that. Maybe "being aware of" is a better way of saying it than "thinking"? Yeah, I like that better. I think a lot of our unhealthy habits come about through a combination of three factors: the easy availability of...not bad stuff, but stuff that's best consumed sparingly (t-bone steaks, television, ice cream, computer games); the innate appeal of such stuff; and not being aware or mindful of how much of these things we're consuming. That's how it's possible for someone to consume an entire bag of chips without really being aware of it until they get to the bottom of the bag, or to spend several hours playing computer games and not notice the time going by until it gets dark and they have to turn on the light. Mindfulness, awareness, is always going to help you realize when things are out of balance.

When I have a craving for sugar, I make myself some herbal tea (my favs are African Nectar and Chamomile Citrus from Mighty Leaf), and I add erythritol or xylitol to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

Out of the two, I definitely prefer erythritol

If you're craving sugar your blood sugar is dropping too rapidly which means something something isn't right. It could be diet (spreading meals out, eating more brown rice syrup vs regular sugar so it'll release slower, whole wheat over bleached flour, etc...) or it could be some early signs of diabetes. Schedule a Dr. visit, bloodwork, and a meeting with a nutritionist.

Grapefruit seed oil is great at keeping hunger away - 10 drops in a glass of water will do it. Tastes horrible though.

Where are you getting these from? Do you keep this many at home? Are you feeding a vending machine at work? There are a few treat products that are triggers for me. One way I've found to avoid them is to not have them at home. If it's there, I will eat it.

Bryers ice cream is one example. The grocery store has a 2 for 1 special on it every other week. When I go I buy 2 or 4 containers, which are usually gone in less than a week. This year I decided to give it up for Lent. Haven't had any since then and so far I've resisted picking up the habit again now that Lent is over.

Something else I've done recently to help break me of sweets is to make a conscious decision to eat more fruit. Instead of eating at the cafeteria at work, I've been packing my lunch. I bring 3 or 4 pieces of fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, etc) and snack on those instead of going to the vending machine to get a candy bar.

These two things must be helping a bit because even though I've essentially been off the bike since mid-Feb, due to an allergy problem that's finally been identified, I've lost about 5 pounds.

I work at a church we have a snack room with full of junk food for only .25 each. I keep no junk food at home. Lots of fruit. For me it is a mind set I have to stay on top of the way I think about food.

If you're craving sugar your blood sugar is dropping too rapidly which means something something isn't right. It could be diet (spreading meals out, eating more brown rice syrup vs regular sugar so it'll release slower, whole wheat over bleached flour, etc...) or it could be some early signs of diabetes. Schedule a Dr. visit, bloodwork, and a meeting with a nutritionist.

Grapefruit seed oil is great at keeping hunger away - 10 drops in a glass of water will do it. Tastes horrible though.

Had the blood work done all that is good. I think for me anyway it is lack of self control. When I started my diet last year I got off the sugar and did fine. But for some reason I just can't get that want to back.
I lack DISCIPLINE in my eating habits. Most{NOT ALL BUT MOST** people with a weight problem do. If we were disciplined we wouldn't have a weight problem.

I think a lot of our unhealthy habits come about through a combination of three factors: the easy availability of...not bad stuff, but stuff that's best consumed sparingly (t-bone steaks, television, ice cream, computer games); the innate appeal of such stuff; and not being aware or mindful of how much of these things we're consuming. That's how it's possible for someone to consume an entire bag of chips without really being aware of it until they get to the bottom of the bag, or to spend several hours playing computer games and not notice the time going by until it gets dark and they have to turn on the light. Mindfulness, awareness, is always going to help you realize when things are out of balance.

+ 100 That is what I mean by lack of discipline. That may be the best I have heard it said. I need to think about that.

I work at a church we have a snack room with full of junk food for only .25 each. I keep no junk food at home. Lots of fruit. For me it is a mind set I have to stay on top of the way I think about food.

Maybe suggest that this be replaced with healthier alternatives, it doesn't take much to replace the snack machine with a small fridge that contains several kinds of fruit for example, with a coin box to help offset the cost of stocking it. If it's a machine, there are machines available that can do this job as well, they are usually refrigerated, you put in your coin, and open a small door to remove the item.




.

I lack DISCIPLINE in my eating habits. Most{NOT ALL BUT MOST** people with a weight problem do. If we were disciplined we wouldn't have a weight problem.

I have always been this way every time that I have tried to lose weight up until now. I really think what has changed for me now is that somehow I finally convinced myself that if I did not lose weight that I would die early. When I finally got that through my thick head (literally and figuratively), I was able to put things into proper perspective. Now instead of saying it is only a cookie or a bowl of ice cream or a Dr. Pepper, I say if put this cookie in my mouth, I am going to die. I really did help to put things in perspective the first few weeks.

Now I am to the point that I will let myself have an occasional treat, but it better be worth it. I know how hard I have to work to lose weight now, so there is a price associated with sweets. It is like putting yourself on a financial budget when you work hard. You know the value of a dollar compared to how hard it took you to earn it. Now I know what that sweet item is going to cost me in terms of exercise and further dieting. 95% of the time now, I say, you know, it is just not worth it.

I have always been this way every time that I have tried to lose weight up until now. I really think what has changed for me now is that somehow I finally convinced myself that if I did not lose weight that I would die early. When I finally got that through my thick head (literally and figuratively), I was able to put things into proper perspective. Now instead of saying it is only a cookie or a bowl of ice cream or a Dr. Pepper, I say if put this cookie in my mouth, I am going to die. I really did help to put things in perspective the first few weeks.

Now I am to the point that I will let myself have an occasional treat, but it better be worth it. I know how hard I have to work to lose weight now, so there is a price associated with sweets. It is like putting yourself on a financial budget when you work hard. You know the value of a dollar compared to how hard it took you to earn it. Now I know what that sweet item is going to cost me in terms of exercise and further dieting. 95% of the time now, I say, you know, it is just not worth it.

Thanks That realy is true. Because I have lost the 50lbs I am off my blood pressure med and my reflux med. No way I would live as long with the 50lbs back on. That is something I needed to think about.

I used to love sweets - chocolate, candy, soda, cake, frosting, brownies, cookies, etc. Then I got diabetes. Now I eat none of those things unless they're sugar free. My life changed drastically. It's okay; I'm alive. My quality of life isn't that bad. I wonder if I got diabetes because I ate too much sugar???????

I still crave sweets sometimes. So I eat organic baby carrots by the bagful. Strawberries, pears, apples. High glucose fruit like bananas only when riding.

When craving gets REALLY strong, sometimes I eat a handful of figs. Just like soft candy.

+1 on the proteins, like nuts. Gotta watch the fat content tho... and digestive issues. Almonds are easy for me, to a point. Brazils, and I love cashews, but they are fattening.

+1 on the herbal teas, especially Bengal spice.

IMO artificial sweeteners are poison.

If chocolate is your thing, develop a taste for the very best organic dark. Harder to find, more expensive. But eventually you won't be able to look at the cheap milk stuff that's full of wax and fillers.

Where are you getting these from? Do you keep this many at home? Are you feeding a vending machine at work? There are a few treat products that are triggers for me. One way I've found to avoid them is to not have them at home. If it's there, I will eat it.

Bryers ice cream is one example. The grocery store has a 2 for 1 special on it every other week. When I go I buy 2 or 4 containers, which are usually gone in less than a week. This year I decided to give it up for Lent. Haven't had any since then and so far I've resisted picking up the habit again now that Lent is over.

Something else I've done recently to help break me of sweets is to make a conscious decision to eat more fruit. Instead of eating at the cafeteria at work, I've been packing my lunch. I bring 3 or 4 pieces of fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, etc) and snack on those instead of going to the vending machine to get a candy bar.

These two things must be helping a bit because even though I've essentially been off the bike since mid-Feb, due to an allergy problem that's finally been identified, I've lost about 5 pounds.

Vending machines.... shudder! I try to avoid them by not carrying cash, or at least no small bills.

I never said it was easy. My point was that it isn't easy -- for anybody. People who ask, "Why is it so hard for me???" are overlooking the obvious, that it's hard for everybody and you're included. Here's a quote that I keep around to remind me of this. A dojo, btw, is a Japanese martial arts school.

When a newcomer appears at the dojo door, he really doesn’t need very much, if you come to think about it, to get him inside. He should be in reasonable physical and mental health and be willing to accept what he will encounter with an open mind. In reality, he needs almost nothing else. But in his own mind the new student often arrives believing he has a great many more necessities, and he will come schlepping up with them, even before his training has begun, toting them along like the excess baggage tourists carry with them on a holiday at the beach. The student carries this extra baggage because he has the very human notion that he is special in some way, that he has liabilities or considerations that others do not have…

The fact is, although your individual needs and shortcomings may seem very important to you, they are not really all that special. Chances are, if you can walk into a dojo under your own power, you are in good enough shape to begin training there. Of course, your asthma or your myopia or lack of flexibility may be a problem. But if you had the opportunity to ask her, you would probably discover that the woman practicing beside you is dealing with chronic arthritis. The man on the other side has a left hip that has a slight congenital deformity, ad the girl behind you suffers from chronic bronchitis. And it’s very likely that they all began their training by thinking their problems were as special as yours.

- Dave Lowry, Moving Towards Stillness

In other words, don't get caught up in all the reasons why it's hard for you. Instead, draw inspiration from all the other people for whom it's also hard, and who are doing it anyway.

Bravo! A wonderful post, sir!

if only it was that easy;-) i defo agree with you about getting to the root of the problem and it can take years and years to find one - if there is one at all. most people are looking for the quick fix - myself included! the thought of undertaking something that could take the rest of your life seems just a bit scary;-) my plan is to exercise enough so as not to worry about eating too much - again nice on paper:-) variety of exercise is great too for me i don't always feel like cycling!

No one, especially me, ever said weight loss was easy. Unfortunately people assume things that are simple MUST be easy, so they object when the solution is described as simple.

Have you had your blood checked? Maybe you are experiencing low blood sugar cravings or diabetes.

My thought as well. Perhaps some hypoglycemia? Do you get cranky and irritable?

My thought as well. Perhaps some hypoglycemia? Do you get cranky and irritable?

No. Had blood work done everything fine. I think I am just hooked on sugar. But am kicking the habit. Have come to the place where I know this has to change now or there will be problems down the road.

Glad the blood work came back all clear, must be a weight off your mind! or is it? Sometimes i think it would be easier to understand if I did have a physical illness. Mine were all clear too but like that can't seem to get to the root of the problem if there is one? I did notice that all my cravings and guilt happen at the weekend or as soon as i finish work;) Something to think about there.

Do you get cranky and irritable?

Of course he does. He posts to the Internet. What more proof do you need? :)

IMO artificial sweeteners are poison.


How about stevia?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

This is like nuts. I am talking about when I get started I will eat 7 or 8 candy bars. It's like there is not enough sugar in the world. I have not put on but 5 or 6 lbs so far but if I don't stop I will be 260 again.

I've been there. I don't know what the answer is. But I think the fact that you don't want to backslide might be a help to you. That keeps me going. I am feeling SO good that I don't want to go back to how I used to feel. I have also found great freedom in carefully tracking my caloric intake and expenditure. I know that sounds a little wierd, but I know, on average, how many calories a day deficeit I need to lose my 1lb a week. With some of the longer rides and more intense workouts I now do, I have found that I can have a treat when presented. The difference is I will stop at one cupcake instead of 3 or 4 because I know exactly how much work it will cost me to burn it off :D. It does seem that the cravings have largely disappeared over time. But every once in a while...om nom nom nom...yet even those episodes, I end up stopping before I would have before. Plus, I think my addiction has now changed to riding the bike!

I think that's ok to allow yourself a little slack every once in a while. I think one will stay with a diet plan longer (preferably for life) if they allow themselves a little treat once in a while.

Don't know if any of these ramblings will help. We are all different. Maybe your addiction is stronger than mine. Maybe your best action would be to not ever touch sugar (kind of like an alcoholic). Or maybe it would be best to allow yourself a satisfying smaller amount from time to time on your terms. I don't know. You will have to figure out what works best for you.

How about stevia?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

"Natural" isn't synonymous with "non-toxic" or "healthy".

I used to love sweets - chocolate, candy, soda, cake, frosting, brownies, cookies, etc. Then I got diabetes. Now I eat none of those things unless they're sugar free. My life changed drastically. It's okay; I'm alive. My quality of life isn't that bad. I wonder if I got diabetes because I ate too much sugar???????
Many others here have mentioned diabetes...

I had a sudden and severe cravings for sweets and was eating them. While I am not badly overweight at 6'4" and 225# I would be better off at my peak fitness weight of 200#. My blood work and everything else was OK while I experienced these cravings then WHAM!!!! I suddenly could not stay away from the restroom, as soon as I emptied my bladder I had to go again! It was driving me crazy and as soon as I saw the doctor I was diagnosed with full blown diabetes. As I look back I see that sugar craving as a HUGE stop sign!!! While some people see artificial sweeteners as poison they are certainly immensely better than the alternative, -DIABETES! Diabetes is a insidious killer. Not only will it destroy your stamina for riding a bike it will expose you to a whole variety of fatal or severely debilitating complications, -like blindness, amputations, infections, etc. Simple injuries that would just inconvenience a normal person are now life threatening and often fatal.

STOP EATING SUGAR AND CARBS! Consider yourself warned and put yourself on a strict diabetic diet even though you do not presently have the full blown disease. There is a slim chance you may be able to avoid getting diabetes. ANY AMOUNT of sacrifice is worth avoiding that disease, even the use of artificial sweeteners that may cause cancer 20-40 years from now. Diabetes is a killer NOW!!!

Many others here have mentioned diabetes...

I had a sudden and severe cravings for sweets and was eating them. While I am not badly overweight at 6'4" and 225# I would be better off at my peak fitness weight of 200#. My blood work and everything else was OK while I experienced these cravings then WHAM!!!! I suddenly could not stay away from the restroom, as soon as I emptied my bladder I had to go again! It was driving me crazy and as soon as I saw the doctor I was diagnosed with full blown diabetes. As I look back I see that sugar craving as a HUGE stop sign!!! While some people see artificial sweeteners as poison they are certainly immensely better than the alternative, -DIABETES! Diabetes is a insidious killer. Not only will it destroy your stamina for riding a bike it will expose you to a whole variety of fatal or severely debilitating complications, -like blindness, amputations, infections, etc. Simple injuries that would just inconvenience a normal person are now life threatening and often fatal.

STOP EATING SUGAR AND CARBS! Consider yourself warned and put yourself on a strict diabetic diet even though you do not presently have the full blown disease. There is a slim chance you may be able to avoid getting diabetes. ANY AMOUNT of sacrifice is worth avoiding that disease, even the use of artificial sweeteners that may cause cancer 20-40 years from now. Diabetes is a killer NOW!!!

Given a choice between cancer and diabetes i think i'd choose diabetes any day:( Not great choices though are they? I do agree that carbs and sugar are killing us though, my blood sugar is like a roller coaster most days. Although i haven't really agreed with diets in the past i think its time for me to start cutting the simple carbs out if i can.

No one, especially me, ever said weight loss was easy. Unfortunately people assume things that are simple MUST be easy, so they object when the solution is described as simple.

sorry i wasn't getting at you, i am after getting quite good saying "if only it was that easy", it is the negative expression when i should be looking for the positive i.e. "it will be hard but I can do it and worth it in the long run"

Given a choice between cancer and diabetes i think i'd choose diabetes any day:(

I think I'll choose neither. Artificial sweeteners may be a transitional aid for some, but I think ultimately the problem you have to solve is the sweet tooth. Keep feeding it with sweet stuff, no matter the source of the sweetness, and you'll keep wanting it.

I think I'll choose neither. Artificial sweeteners may be a transitional aid for some, but I think ultimately the problem you have to solve is the sweet tooth. Keep feeding it with sweet stuff, no matter the source of the sweetness, and you'll keep wanting it.

+1

Believe me when you have to start eating a diabetic diet because sugar will KILL you then artificial sweeteners are a godsend. Raw food is like Crocodile Dundee said; "You can eat it but it tastes like sh**". Given a choice between diabetes now and cancer sometime in the future I will pick cancer in the future. I have diabetes now and it is a daily grind that is much worse then cancer. With cancer you go thru chemo and radiation etc and either get over it or not. My wife had severe cancer 10 years ago and she has survived. My health with diabetes and my ability to live life are a whole lot less than hers.