Junk Food Compulsion Is Ruining Me

[VeggieLifterChick]

Yes I eat both the cracklin oat bran cereal and the oat meal. This is a more restricted diet lately, as I tend to eat atleast 220g carbs. This one has more like 150g.
When I talk of craving sugar, Spats, I'm definitely talking about craving green beans! I'm talking about craving processed junk, like breads and candy bars. I'm sure Gladiola can attest.

Yeah I know that day is only around 1400 kcal but I'm trying to keep it between 1400 and 1700 because any more than that and my slow ass metabolism makes me a chunker. I tried the 2000 cal diet, clean or not, its really too much for 135 lb me, atleast until I pack on some more nutrient craving muscle, anyways.

 

[VeggieLifterChick]

OOPS! I meant I'm definitely not craving green beans.

 

[VeggieLifterChick]

constant

 

[Temple]

Who are you talking to Spats???

 

[Gladiola]

Beta-endorphins:
Women have lower levels than men naturally.

Those with exceptionally low levels typically have low self-esteem.

When you have low BE levels naturally, those things that give us a "BE Boost" (sweets, exercise) - the ppl who are low get a BIGGER boost (I thought of this like a drier plant sucking up more water quickly). If you try to give it up cold-turkey, your body rejects that - it wants that BE spike.

These are the theories of the author of "The Sugar Addicts Total Guide to Recovery". They make a lot of sense to me.

If the theory is somewhat sound, I definitely have lower BE levels. My self-esteem is often crap (& there's no good logical reason I shouldn't feel good about myself) & I get SO HIGH from exercise, I swear sometimes it's BLISS! I've often said - the HIGH that I get from exercise, I honestly don't know why anyone would do drugs. I've talked with enough ppl about fitness to know that THAT MUCH OF A RUSH/HIGH/BLISS is NOT NORMAL.

If VooDoo Lady (my sister) is lurking, hopefully she'll jump in - but she did start a thread on "Binging" not long ago. No, no other addictive behaviors run in my family for the most part.

 

[Gladiola]

constant

Ditto for me, the only thing it's correlated to is if I'm upset/sad/feeling lousy about myself. I'm also more likely to have cravings on days I don't exercise, or don't do so intensely.

 

[Temple]

Spats, I think you might be onto something here, at least for me. I am quick to say cold turkey on the sugar but my lack of sugar cravings could have to do with my supplements and overall diet as well. At the root of the cravings I think there is an insulin sensitivity issue brought on by years of sugar consumption. I have currently been sugar free for a few months but have done this before for longer periods of time. Cold Turkey + low glycemic carbs + increase protein + moderate cardio + heavy weight training + alpha lipoic acic 600-800 mg/d + vitamin and mineral supplemnts as a whole program improve insulin sensitivity over time and stabalize blood sugar levels which gets rid of the cravings. But..... sugar on a regular basis puts me right back on the roller coaster.
Type II diabetes runs in the family and I am a card carrying manic/depressive/obsessive/compulsive/addictive personality type so if I can beat this anyone can.

 

[KEL]

I'm late to jump into this one....but it makes sense to me.
Beta-endorphins low = need a sugar high

 

[Gladiola]

Cold Turkey + low glycemic carbs + increase protein + moderate cardio + heavy weight training + alpha lipoic acic 600-800 mg/d + vitamin and mineral supplemnts as a whole program improve insulin sensitivity over time and stabalize blood sugar levels which gets rid of the cravings.

I am willing to try anything... really. I'm just beginning to lose hope that I will ever beat it. I was SO excited about this book that I read last year. The woman turned out to be NUTS (seriously, literally, she kicked me of her discussion group for questioning her recommendations of eating only 3 meals per day & not counting calories!!) so that made me forget it & dump the program.
I suppose I just have VERY little hope & optimism - after years of struggling & trying everything I come across + not being taken seriously (even here when I first brought it up).

BUt - I would appreciate it if you could share what the vinamin & mineral supplements you take are. Right now, I just take a women's multi from GNC.

 

[Temple]

Spats - IMO there is physical withdrawal from it, lethargy, depression to a certain extent much like an alcoholic is with alcohol only to a lesser degree I would imagine. It was easier for me to kick my cocaine habit that it was for me to kick the sugar.

As for the supps that I take the multi vitamin is probably good.
I take the Tyler's Liver Detox Factors but I think the most important one that I take is the Alpha Lipoic Acid. Oatmeal was also my best friend during "detox" and still is to a large extent but I don't eat it past 3pm. Also take 5-10 g L Glutamine ed.