How To Stop Cravings For Unhealthy Foods And Sugar

How To Stop Craving Unhealthy Foods And Sugar

This is is part of my live-learning series! I will be updating this post as I continue through my journey. I apologize for any grammatical errors or incoherent thoughts. This is a practice to help me share things that are valuable without falling apart from the pressure of perfection. 

This is not a fun one for me. I’ve had my battle with food. At my peak, I saw 278 pounds on the scale. It took me years of work to lose that weight. I still think about it every day. I have scars and stretch marks on my body to remind me. It’s a lot easier to slip then we think it is.

In August 2018, I started fasting in the morning. I was around 225 at the time and I plateaued. Not eating in the morning and reducing carbs (a combination of intermittent fasting/and the keto diet) helped me shed that final weight I had amassed. 

Since then, I’ve been pretty steady. I had a solid exercise routine before COVID-19, thanks to a wonderful routine where my work and gym were closeby.

The gym also had a beautiful pool, steam room and sauna. Having those rewards at the end of each workout was a big part of my success.

However, in early 2020, I moved to Toronto. Things were chaotic moving that much, having an office beside a food court, and losing access to my routine a gym with the same amenities. 

Then, it got worse. COVID-19 came, the gym closed, like many, I spiralled into a pit of an existential crisis as I watched a lot of things with my work collapse.  A feeling of meaningless onset. 

For a while I let myself go. In the summer, I re-emerged, and although it wasn’t the same, I would run stairs (I even got my butt back 😂), I was eating healthy, and I was trending positively. 

Recently, a few things in my personal relationships and work have caused some stress. I had started to notice my belly growing a bit, but I hadn’t acknowledged it consciously. Until a person I cared about told me I was the biggest they had seen me. It hurt. But, it was exactly what I needed.

I have a lot of things to address with food. I’m an addict. I love sugar. Sweets. Candy. Chocolate. Bread. Peanut butter. Maple syrup. Anything breakfast really. McDonald’s pies and ice cream cones. Indian snack food mix. Asiago and Artichoke cheese dip. 

Growing up, I lived on the same farm my grandparents did. We had a tumultuous childhood. And, anytime we were sad, we were given food. A lot of it.

Food became comfort. It still is. When I get stressed out, that comfort starts to reverberate through my head and body until I find some way to fulfil that craving.

I met a person the other day who said they had no cravings for sugar. I said fuck you 😂

What a dream that would be. Unfortunately, unhealthy food and sugar has been hard-wired into me physically and mentally.

It’s disgraceful the way food is created and marketed. I feel sorry for anyone who has this addiction with me. I know what it feels like. I love you. Let’s see if we can figure this out together.

I’m in the early stages of research here. Here are some resources. I’ve grabbed a few impactful quotes from some of the articles. I’ll make some notes below as I go. For now, thanks so much for checking this out. 

Some early resources:

11 Ways to Stop Cravings for Unhealthy Foods and Sugar

“Protein may help the body to feel more satisfied for longer.

According to findings published in the research journal Obesity, overweight males who increased their dietary protein intake to represent at least 25 percent of their total calorie intake reported a significant reduction in food cravings.

Protein may be especially helpful at breakfast. Research published in Nutrition Journal studied the effects of eating breakfast on cravings in teenage females who were overweight or obese and who usually skipped breakfast.

They found that eating breakfast resulted in fewer cravings for sweet or savory foods. Those who ate breakfast with a high protein content had fewer cravings for savory foods.

The authors considered the protein content to be high when the meal contained 35 grams of protein from certain sources.”

The 30-Second Trick That Might Stop Your Food Cravings
How to stop food cravings for sugar and carbs
Food Cravings: Ways to Identify and Cope With Food Addiction

“Most often, the foods we crave are processed carbohydrates. These change the brain’s chemistry, increasing the level of serotonin, our feel-good neurochemical.”

Beat your cravings: 8 effective techniques

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