Quote:
Originally Posted by Arctic Mama
Many of us struggle in this area, but there's no magical solution. Sometimes the obvious - removing the hormonal food cues that trigger most of our voracious eating cycles - can solve 90% of the issue. That's the way it is for me, when I am low carb. It's freedom from so much of the head and physical food cravings I would get, and absolutely worth it.
The last 10%, though, is strategy, purposeful balance of treats with normal daily diet, and plain old exercising the mental 'no!'. There's nothing else for it, I've found.
^this^
I believe that sugar (and flour? maybe) come down to a physical addiction, just like drugs or alcohol. Alcoholics in recovery are supposed to practice complete abstinence. I believe that the same way some people can drink but never have an alcohol addiction, that others can eat sugar/flour products and never form an addiction. But just because I can drink, take it or leave it, no cravings, not alcohol abuse issue, that doesn't diminish the addictive quality of alcohol for some people. Same for sugar.
So I now treat it as an addiction. I am an addict and I must be careful. 90% of the time I am grain free, all grains and even fruits because I get cravings I have a hard time controlling. But 10% of the time, I eat "normal" stuff, like today went to a brunch and had a piece of bread. Sugar I try to stay away from 99% of the time. The white stuff, not fruits. (Those I treat like breads, like treats) Sugar I treat like my drug, and I try at all costs to avoid it because UNLIKE say oats, I will actually notice a lot effects from a sugar binge (depression, fatigue, sleepiness)...where as grains just cause an increase in cravings, but I'm ok afterwards. I save sugar treats for very special occasions. That's what works for me. Helps me keep craving away so far...