A very interesting article on Sugar Addiction- Good read.

[Daernoth]

-From Psychology Today: February 2002 issue

Sugar addiction is more than a trite expression people use to describe their sweet tooth. A pattern of fasting and over-loading on sugary foods may foster dependence, according to a recent study published in Obesity Research.
“People with a generic predisposition for addiction can become overly dependent on sugar; particularly if they periodically stop eating and then binge,” warns Bart Hoebel, Ph.D., a psychologist at Princeton University who led the study. “Laboratory experiments with rats showed that signs of sugar dependence developed over the course of 10 days. This suggests that it does not take long before the starve-binge behavior catches up with animals, making them dependent.”
Earlier research found that this pattern sensitizes both dopamine and opioid receptors in rats. A cycle of deprivation and excessive sugar intake reinforces bingeing.
Abstinence also triggers withdrawal symptoms that resemble those of drug addiction, such as anxiety, chattering teeth and tremors. The taste of sugar makes the brain release natural opioids, and the bingeing causes dopamine release.
“There is something about this combination of heightened opioid and dopamine responses in the brain that leads to dependency,” explains Hoebel. “Without these neurotransmitters, the animal begins to feel anxious and wants to eat sweet food again.”
The rats exhibited behavioral changes even when sugar was replaced with the artificial sweetener saccharin. “It appears to be the sweetness, more than the calories, that fuels the sugar dependence,” says Hoebel.
Although researchers still don’t understand how people can curb their sugar cravings, they do know that withdrawal symptoms and dips in dopamine levels aren’t evident when meals are moderate and regularly scheduled.

Sorry for any grammatical, or spelling errors, as I had to write that out by hand from a magazine I borrowed from my AP Psychology teacher.

I find this particually interesting because I have noted simillar behavivor in myself in only 3-4 weeks on a zero-tolerance on sugar bulking diet. I cut for 6-7 months very strictly, and never had any binges when I mixed in sugars from Yogurt and fruit with my diet. My first two weeks on my bulking diet I have lasted with no desire for sweets, but in the past two weeks I have cheated 3-4 times, dispite my usually high self-disipline.

I have also been looking in the archives, and have seen plenty of simillar cases to that of my own. Discuss.

 

[tsarleon]

interesting..... seems sugar is just another "drug" that is out there, haha.....
cheated 3-4 times on bulk diet does not necessarily matter. couple times a week is fine for buliking or cutting. Bulking is ideally the same meals as cutting, just more of it. I am lessed worried to throw back a double stack from wendys if bulking though, haha....

 

[collegiateLifter]

i equate sugar addiction with marijuana addiction.

 

[Ceebs]

i equate sugar addiction with marijuana addiction.

The one reinforces the other? Nothing like a pothead begging you to drive them through the Jack in the Box drive-thru at 1am.

 

[collegiateLifter]

The one reinforces the other? Nothing like a pothead begging you to drive them through the Jack in the Box drive-thru at 1am.

haha yea i've definately been begged to drive to the aibertos back home before.

i should have said liken though. i liken sugar addiction to mj addiction, in that i believe it belongs in a lesser class of addictions, or it is not a 'real' addiction in the classical sense of coke, heroin, nicotine, etc.

 

[DanielBishop]

This could explain a lot!!

Lately I've had a lot of trouble with my diet.... I caved and binged a few times in a row, and wasn't able to get back on track for more than a few days before the next binge. And after that, it just got harder and harder.... it's not so much a physical addiction, but my brain starts telling me stupid things and eventually I talk myself into cheating.

My problem is, I can't cheat for just ONE meal.... I will cheat ALL day, and I'll see the cheating as a window of opportunity. It's like.... "Now is my opportunity to eat all the foods I've been wanting to eat!! If I don't eat ALL the foods I've been craving, I'll miss my chance!!"

Since I started CKD, the binges have become more frequent and I think the above article explains a lot....

.... I wonder if there's any way to counter-act it?

 

[sweetjesus]

This could explain a lot!!

Lately I've had a lot of trouble with my diet.... I caved and binged a few times in a row, and wasn't able to get back on track for more than a few days before the next binge. And after that, it just got harder and harder.... it's not so much a physical addiction, but my brain starts telling me stupid things and eventually I talk myself into cheating.

My problem is, I can't cheat for just ONE meal.... I will cheat ALL day, and I'll see the cheating as a window of opportunity. It's like.... "Now is my opportunity to eat all the foods I've been wanting to eat!! If I don't eat ALL the foods I've been craving, I'll miss my chance!!"

Since I started CKD, the binges have become more frequent and I think the above article explains a lot....

.... I wonder if there's any way to counter-act it?

Same thing happened here. When I was on a CKD, I'de only have carbs after cardio and I was pretty strict about it. Then I'de devour 4000+ calories thruout the rest of the day.

However, since I've added carbs back into my daily routine, I haven't binged once. I eat carbs for nearly every meal except 2 out of 6. Seems to work, though my progress has slowed.

 

[PwB]

I've read from numerous sources that sugar is a true addiction and the evidence is compelling enough. It seems to really have an effect on brain chemistry mainly seratonin which gives people a good feeling.

DanielBishop, same thing here. If I had a quarter for every time that i'd slip up once on the diet then suddenly "rationalize" that binging on everything else is OK since I blew it once, i'd be a very rich man. I can be the most hardcore dieter but when I blow it a little, I have to go all out and eat a ton of other crap. I've improved a LOT but there's always that temptation.

The NO carb diet works better for me, a few years back with a body-for-life type eating plan the bingeing was MUCH worse, I think that eating carbs each meal lead to more sugar cravings and I've read this is a real possibility. Now that I try to eat zero carbs, and I try to be VERY meticulous about my diet, the cheating is put to a minimum.

What might help u is the to do the same. I know I'm obsessive compulsive and also have an extreme personality. I need to have my meal plan written precicely, then have all foods weighed and cooked, if I do this NO cheating. I also have to either have NO carbs or TONS of carbs, psychologically I can put the breaks on say "1 sweet potato", etc. Its all or nothing. Bad? probably, but this is my personality, and might be a similar case with u. If u're doing low carbs try going NO carbs (use psyllium husk for fiber). Do this for a while, slowly introduce carbs from fibrous greens ONLY. Try being meticulous with a written diet, and follow it to a tee. I mean amt. of food, timing, supplements. Have it all typed up and then you'll feel your help more accountable to follow it. Just some suggestions but hope this helps.

 

[DanielBishop]

I appreciate your advice.

Problem is, I AM on a strict, written diet....

.... my problem is being AROUND other foods. As I've mentioned before, I work in an ice-cream depot (and we distribute other very tempting foods as well) and lately I've found it very difficult after about 2-3 days of CKD.... not to say "Ah, fuck it" and just eat whatever is on hand. Then I continue eating crap for the rest of the day.

If I lived alone and worked in a different place, it would be much easier.... except I really need this job and can't quit simply because it's disruptive to my diet. And I can't really kick my mother out of the house simply because she buys food which I find tempting.

But back to the study.... I find it relevant to me, because the first few weeks of CKD, I didn't really cheat/binge at all. But as it became more frequent.... and the CKD-binge-CKD-binge pattern was established, the temptations became stronger and stronger.

I'm hoping that when I'm bulking, I'll constantly be so full of food and water that I won't even want to think about ice-cream and cookies. I start bulking as soon as my supplements arrive.... I'm looking forward to it.

I'm just trying to stay as lean as possible until that time, even though I'm losing A LOT of muscle.

 

[JG1]

When I binge, I just can't stop eating. I'll go so fucking strict with the diet, then all of a sudden I say fuck it and eat EVERYTHING I can get my hands on....and this always happens late at night for some reason. It's like my brain is telling me my body ABSOLUTELY needs this food I'm going to consume, and the urge is so strong I can't help but go with it. It's not uncommon for me to eat so much that my stomach is literally in pain, and soon as the pain start going away I stuff more food down....I talking about a box of chocolate chip cookies and milk, box of cerial, packages of sugar waffers, krimpets, tasty cackes, cheese doodles, ice cream, PB & J sandwiches, frozen pizza. I get this mentality that if I'm going to cheat, I might as well go all the way and eat till I can't eat anymore.

Problem is the binges are taking place more often now...last week I binges 3 different nights. Right now I'm totaly disgusted with myself and I look and feel like shit, my abs are smoothes over, face full, and depressed as hell. Don't think I'm going to let the binges take control anymore, but sadly, I've said that before...

This has to come to an end....