I crave sugar so much and Halloween is terrible for me because I go crazy over the chocolate. There are times when I would eat cookies or brownies for dinner. It's awful. I have always had hypoglycemia and I know that is a symptom. I have heard there are herbs out there that help with sugar cravings. I have a feeling if I stopped eating sugar I would feel more energy and less pain.

Hi!

It's hard but the only thing that works for me is to eat a good source of protein with every meal and very light carbs - such as vegetables, like salad, zucchini, broccoli etc.

Processed foods and heavy carbs - like potatoes, peas, corn, breads, pasta - only drive the cravings more.

If I eat protein first in any meal - it satisfies faster and doesn't drive the hunger...

Hope this work for you. Good luck!

God Bless,

Elisabeth

I have the same problem, deserella; I know I just have to get serious and not eat the sweets. It feels like I go through physical withdrawals, though. The cravings are horrible. I get such a headache and feel so weak when I try to quit eating heavy carbs. I'm going to start weening them out of my diet little by little. Maybe that will be the method out of the madness.

~debilyn

First let me scare you a little, then I will give very helpful advice - uncontrolled hypoglycemia will eventually become type 2 diabetes.

It will take about 3 days of not eating sugar to get rid of the cravings. Eat 4-5 small meals or snacks a day. Each one should be balanced with lean protein, low glycemic carbs and fat. This is basically the Zone Diet, which was designed to control blood sugar and keep it in a good "zone".
Eat on a schedule, every 3 hours or so, or whatever you need to keep from feeling hungry, fuzzy headed, etc.

Second, supplement with chromium, which will help support your pancreas in making insulin.

If you do the above, you will feel much more consistent and won't be craving sugar/carbs.

ps. watch out for what you drink too - fruit juices are highly glycemic, and of course you shouldn't be drinking pop/soda. Diet pop is just as bad or worse than the real thing. The best thing to drink is plain old water (filtered of course).

Eventually you may be able to tolerate moderate glycemic carbs without cravings, and also go longer between meals and snacks.

[This Message was Edited on 11/02/2009]

Are my nemisis. I believe my body is craving sugar as an energy boost to help me make it through the day. It's really hard. After years of trying to do it on my own, my doctor has finally given me glucophage - it's a diabetes treatment, but I take it in a very low dose and it helps tremendously. The thing is, you have to find a doctor willing to prescribe it for off-label problems. I do want to take as few drugs as possible - but this is one that helps me. Good luck, I know it's hell.

when I read that **cancer cells thrive in a sugary environment**. I did my share of sugar in my long life and used to be one of those that would buy that candy bar at the checkout in markets...No More!!!

Also, sugar plays havoc on our joints. I eat a very very limited amount of sugar. I will sometimes buy a bag of Dove dark chocolate squares and "maybe" eat 1 or 2 an evening or every other evening. That's it.

Weight and appetite has always been a big problem for me ever since i developed cfs. My well known CFS doc recommended trying Prozac to see if it would help my cfs. I reluctantly gave it a shot. It did not help my cfs, actually i didn't notice anything at all. However after 1.5 months I have lost 7 lbs. without even trying so i plan on staying on it if my doc will let me. My appetite has been cut in half. I googled it and weight loss is a side effect. I'm only on 20mg, that's the second smallest dose. Its worth a shot. it is working for me.

bake

Thanks for all the info and suggestions. I am getting better each day with these sugar cravings!

Hi deserella, I have noticed that I crave candy more and more as the weather gets colder. my peak of weakness is in January....each year I end up addicted to something....last year it was Milky way candy bars, one year york peppermint patties!

The worst offender to cause sugar cravings was CYMBALTA!!! I felt like I would die if I didn't crawl into the kitchen and dish up a HUGE bowl of vanilla ice cream drenched in T. Marzetti's caramel/butterscotch combined topping.....The year I was on Cymbalta was not good. I gained 50 lbs in 4 months.....i was 125 lbs when I started taking it and 175 when I told my doc to stick it! He had urged me to stay on it because I was feeling better and wasn't it better to be a little bigger and feel better than thin and miserable.....

That depends....If I was feeling fabulous then, I would happily love my new rubenesque body but it was only a marginal improvement.....

oh, and there was the year of the Edy's Chip and mint ice cream.....that was really good....

anyways, i am out of control when I take certain drugs....the cravings are off the charts....

I am going to look into a light therapy box to try and stop the madness this winter...it is already bothering me because I live in a northern climate(why?why?why?????)

When I read your post title I had the urge to answer with jusst a simple, " eat a candy bar!" but there are many here that might not see the humor in that!!! heehee!

I was just reading about Cymbalta because my cousin told me today she's on it and she's doing great with no side-effects or weight gain. She's thin, and I'm not, so the thought of weight gain is why I've avoided taking a lot of these kinds of drugs. That's a side effect I really DON'T need. I realize everyone is different though.

I got a light therapy box last year because I was weepy in December (yes curse this northern climate). I noticed it helped with my mood and maybe with the sugar/carb cravings. I'll have to see if I notice that this winter too. But I have major sugar cravings all year round. Going off sugar was like going through any major drug withdrawal I think. It's PAINFUL.

deserella, I had good results when I went on a low carb/high protein diet like South Beach. The only time I ever lost weight and the sugar cravings really went away, and felt better overall. Problem is I fall off the wagon and the sugar addiction comes right back again.

good luck.

Try sucking on a cough drop, one of those mediciny flavors. The taste may occupy your cravings for awhile??