Craving Sugar

It doesn't require starvation to make me have a sugar addiction, unfortunately :-/

I've managed to cut back on sugary stuff a lot, on the grounds I don't really want sugary, fatty junk to comprise half my daily calories, especially when I can't eat that much. But I can't give it up entirely - have to have something sweet every day still. I wish I could give it up entirely, but life is too grim without the prospect, just as life without tea would be too grim to even consider.

Whether or not you stay at your current weight would depend on how often you get flares and to what extent the pounds drop off you, I should think. I lost a lot of weight over a period of 2-3 years, and I never tried to put any of it back on. But then I never get the sort of flare ups where I shed 25lb in one month. If I did then I would be in trouble 'cos that would make me seriously underweight. But at the moment uncontrolled diarrhoea is looking less likely than ever.

Thanks for the responses. I would love to have smoothies and things but I am allergic to fruits and vegetables unless they are processed or thoroughly cooked. Go figure. As for the sugar craving I was thinking that my body really wanted the calories to make up for the lost weight???? Chocolatier. Dream job!!!

I still can't decide if I should try to hold my weight here or not. I guess I will see where nature's course takes me and kind of play it by feel.

FunGuy said...
Thanks for the responses. I would love to have smoothies and things but I am allergic to fruits and vegetables unless they are processed or thoroughly cooked. Go figure. As for the sugar craving I was thinking that my body really wanted the calories to make up for the lost weight???? Chocolatier. Dream job!!!

I still can't decide if I should try to hold my weight here or not. I guess I will see where nature's course takes me and kind of play it by feel.

Hi FunGuy,

The following is just my opinion, not the Oracle...

If you're slim now but not seriously underweight, I think you should try to hold it there. I come from a family of fatties, but I'm not overweight myself, probably thanks to my Crohn's. In general, fat people suffer more health problems than underweight people, especially as they get older (think diabetes). This is in addition to any social stigma attached with being overweight. Should you start flaring and find yourself unable to eat much, there are always various weight-gain formulas available.

Sugar craving - well, I experienced a general food craving mania after recovering from my various bowel resections, though it wasn't limited to sugar. I also had a salt craving. There might be something to the idea that after starving, your body wants to pig out. I would resist the urge to overdo it, if I were you.

Sugar is not a particularly good thing to have in your diet. I know, that's easy to say, but harder to enforce the discipline. I personally don't eat any sugar at all. I sweeten things with stevia. You can read about that here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

I'm not sure where you live, but if it's the USA, there is a product on the market there that is NOT stevia. It's called Truvia (true stevia?), deliberately misleading. It contains modified stevia, and more. It's being marketed by food conglomerate Cargill for the sole purpose of getting around patent laws that prevent the patenting of stevia (since it's a natural plant - you can't patent that). There's a law in the USA that prohibits marketing stevia as a "sweetener" - that was passed under considerable pressure from the manufacturers of aspartame. Truvia can be marketed as a sweetener - I suggest avoiding it and go for the real thing which can be sold as a "food supplement." You can google "stevia" to find online suppliers if your local health food store doesn't carry it.

Chocolate - yes, good addictive stuff, though I don't eat it now. You might try the semi-sweet chocolate (usually sold in the "baking supplies" section of a supermarket.

best regards,
Robert

Wow CubFan, that is a lot of sugar!

How's your groin pain?

Oh and FunGuy I bet you could have smoothies. I do not tolerate alot of fruits and veggies either, but smoothies I have no problem with since its liquidated (is that a word:). Good luck!

Wow strong points of advice from both sides. I am probably at a healthy weight now but I was never heavy really. I prefer myself around 150 I think.

I have been using some products with stevia in it. I just don't care much for it though. I use it in some drink mixes to encourage me to stay hydrated

It helps to know that others here have experienced this. I will work to moderate the amount of sugar I am eating but I will still indulge a bit :)

I think I will eat up to around 150 and try to hold it there.

Thanks everyone

I've had a real sweet tooth for years now but never considered remicade as the cause, could be though. I've been on remicade for just under 3 years, the time frame could be right.

So I have never really had sugar cravings in my 32 yrs until the ast 6 months.....now I have been eating something sweet almost every night because of it.

Well two weeks ago I found out I am Fructose Intolerant (sugar cravings is one of the symptoms). My docotr couldn't figure out why I kept losing weight. Colitis is in remission, negative celiac.....so he suggested a fructose intolerance test...turns out I'm very positive! I have been on the diet for for 8 days....still have the cravings but I'm hoping that will improve.

I got some sugar free cookies to help me for now.....they aren't good, so if I keep eating those I'm sure I won't want anymore sweets soon enough!!