compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful.
Lets check this out here….
√ Sugar is a habit forming substance
√ I (seem) to tolerate far more than my friends/family
√ When I try to ‘quit’ sugar I get lethargic, and have very strong cravings
√ Compulsive use of sugar (once I’ve had my first taste of sugar I want MORE)
√ I know sugar to he physically and psychologically harmful.
Yep its true, I’m an addict. I’ve worked on this before and true to addiction it just keeps coming back, umm another sign of addiction maybe.
But I’m ready to do something about it, for real this time. I’ve read too much lately about how it affects everything from hormones to digestion to ignore what I’m willingly doing to myself.
My first step is publicly admitting I have a problem, so that you will all help me be accountable. The second step for me is more knowledge, the more I know about what this is doing to me the more likely I am to make a permeate change.
So I’m reading a book , its come highly recommended by some people I trust in the health/fitness world but I haven’t read it myself so this isn’t a recommendation just yet. The book I’m reading is “The Sugar Impact Diet” by J.J. Virgin.
Do you have an addiction to something most people don’t see as a problem, maybe carbs or caffine? Please tell me I’m not alone in this.
You’re definitely not alone! My husband and I are in Week 2 of the Sugar Impact Diet. He gave up sugar 15 years ago whilst I mostly gave it up when I did the Virgin Diet last year. But I was eating rice cakes, potatoes and cereal and I knew it was having a bad effect on my energy levels and overall health. So when I got given this book for Christmas, I knew it was time for a reboot.
Even my husband has struggled a little bit with this diet. I certainly have! I find the recipes very complicated, with expensive ingredients. We tend to do better just making our own simple combinations, but sometimes I want something elaborate to compensate for not being able to eat many carbs.
Have you started the diet yet? Whilst I’ve had some challenging days, I can feel my energy returning and I’m going 3-6 hours between meals now — something I could never have dreamed of before I started.
Let me know how you’re doing and remember, you’re not alone! I think pretty much all of us are addicted to sugars, one way or another.