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Sugar. It's so addictive that we're trying to figure out a way to engineer healthier versions. There's truth behind the phrase "sweet tooth". I indulged in a l

Sugar. It's so addictive that we're trying to figure out a way to engineer healthier versions. There's truth behind the phrase "sweet tooth". I indulged in a lot of cookies, cakes and sweet and savory foods. My peak weight was 103kg/230lbs and my height is 178cm or 5'10". I decided to make a big shift in my eating habits few years back and cut out any foods with added sugar. It was not easy in the sense that sugar really is addictive. I found myself buying a lot of fruit to curtail the cravings. Felt like rehab. It took me almost two years to fully discipline myself and lose weight. Though every now and then I still splurge because I feel like I must in order to keep the cravings at bay. My all time favorite is a baskin robbins peanut butter and chocolate malted. Even talking about it is making my mouth water. What a delicious dilemma sugar presents us humans.

stronglikedan 7y ago
Former Baskin-Robinns Pralines & Cream addict checking in. I know they say all sugar is the same, but I noticed a marked decrease in the addictive feelings when I switched to unrefined sugar sources, such as fruit and honey.
- vezycash 7y ago
  I don't know about honey but for fruits, the theory is raw versus processed. Raw means lots of fibre which acts as a natural limiter. More like coca leaves vs. cocaine. A teaspoon of granulated sugar is the equivalent of a stick or more of sugar cane. Everyone can eat 10 spoons of sugar daily no sweat. Eat a stick of sugar cane and you won't do it any time soon.
  - MisterTea 7y ago
    For sure the flesh of the fruit acts as a sort of filler. Fruit is more a meal vs confectionery. Whereas refined sugar can be poured on with reckless abandon. The real takeaway is sugar is fine in moderation.
    - vezycash 7y ago
      >The real takeaway is sugar is fine in moderation It's like saying cocaine is fine in moderation. Only few people can self moderate addictive substances.
  - MisterTea 7y ago
    > Everyone can eat 10 spoons of sugar daily no sweat. forgot to add this: I had a diarrhea problem when eating out most of my life. Could be a nice restaurant or a mcdonalds, didn't matter. there was a 50/50 chance I was looking for a toilet within 30 min of eating. So I lived in fear and I didn't eat when I went out or had very little. Doctor said I had a sensitive stomach so I just lived with it. Fast forward, Not to long before losing weight, I was talking to a boxer about his diet. The one thing he said was "I cut out sugar and now if I even eat a cookie or drink soda I get an upset stomach." I kinda laughed because here was this brawler telling me cookies gave him a tummy ache. Lo and behold during the early days of my sugar purge I noticed the exact same thing. Eating/drinking sugar with a meal, even less than my usual amount, gave me an upset stomach and/or diarrhea. I realized I was losing my sugar tolerance. So I decided to experiment and separate the sugar in my cheat meals and made desert the entire meal. The result was no diarrhea and my stomach could better tolerate the sugar. Major realization that all this time, I'd go out and drink soda which caused a sugar overload giving me diarrhea. I have much more confidence and eat out regularly now without worrying about toilets. I just avoid added sugar and drink water. Problem solved.
leetbulb 7y ago
Congrats on the weight loss. Similar story here. Having sweets on occasion, even if it's just to reward yourself, is great! They taste far better, are much more rewarding, and way less guilty with weeks or months in between. Everyone seems to have their crutch when making that transition. For me it was chocolate. Certain brands of dark chocolates really helped.

stronglikedan 7y ago

Former Baskin-Robinns Pralines & Cream addict checking in. I know they say all sugar is the same, but I noticed a marked decrease in the addictive feelings when I switched to unrefined sugar sources, such as fruit and honey.

vezycash 7y ago
I don't know about honey but for fruits, the theory is raw versus processed. Raw means lots of fibre which acts as a natural limiter. More like coca leaves vs. cocaine. A teaspoon of granulated sugar is the equivalent of a stick or more of sugar cane. Everyone can eat 10 spoons of sugar daily no sweat. Eat a stick of sugar cane and you won't do it any time soon.
- MisterTea 7y ago
  For sure the flesh of the fruit acts as a sort of filler. Fruit is more a meal vs confectionery. Whereas refined sugar can be poured on with reckless abandon. The real takeaway is sugar is fine in moderation.
  - vezycash 7y ago
    >The real takeaway is sugar is fine in moderation It's like saying cocaine is fine in moderation. Only few people can self moderate addictive substances.
- MisterTea 7y ago
  > Everyone can eat 10 spoons of sugar daily no sweat. forgot to add this: I had a diarrhea problem when eating out most of my life. Could be a nice restaurant or a mcdonalds, didn't matter. there was a 50/50 chance I was looking for a toilet within 30 min of eating. So I lived in fear and I didn't eat when I went out or had very little. Doctor said I had a sensitive stomach so I just lived with it. Fast forward, Not to long before losing weight, I was talking to a boxer about his diet. The one thing he said was "I cut out sugar and now if I even eat a cookie or drink soda I get an upset stomach." I kinda laughed because here was this brawler telling me cookies gave him a tummy ache. Lo and behold during the early days of my sugar purge I noticed the exact same thing. Eating/drinking sugar with a meal, even less than my usual amount, gave me an upset stomach and/or diarrhea. I realized I was losing my sugar tolerance. So I decided to experiment and separate the sugar in my cheat meals and made desert the entire meal. The result was no diarrhea and my stomach could better tolerate the sugar. Major realization that all this time, I'd go out and drink soda which caused a sugar overload giving me diarrhea. I have much more confidence and eat out regularly now without worrying about toilets. I just avoid added sugar and drink water. Problem solved.

leetbulb 7y ago

Congrats on the weight loss. Similar story here. Having sweets on occasion, even if it's just to reward yourself, is great! They taste far better, are much more rewarding, and way less guilty with weeks or months in between. Everyone seems to have their crutch when making that transition. For me it was chocolate. Certain brands of dark chocolates really helped.