WHAT’S WRONG WITH CALLING A “SWEET TOOTH” A SUGAR ADDICTION? · 2017-09-27 · If you tell...
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THE TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR ADDICTION & WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT WHAT’S WRONG WITH CALLING A “SWEET TOOTH” A SUGAR ADDICTION? 1. YOU’RE CREATING A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY The messages that we tell ourselves about how we will respond to a situation have a profound effect on how we actually respond to that situation. If you tell yourself you’re a “sugar addict,” implying that once you start eating something sweet you’ll lose control, when you do eventually eat that food, you probably will feel like you have lost control. But, you really haven’t given yourself another option. By deciding the outcome of the situation before you even begin eating, you deny yourself the opportunity to respond in a different way. 2. IT’S NOT ALWAYS JUST ABOUT THE FOOD. It’s normal to eat sugary foods because we like the sweet taste, but we may choose to eat them for many other reasons, too—stress, loneliness, fatigue, boredom, celebration, and the list goes on. By chalking up our experience to an “addiction,” we’re not giving ourselves a chance to explore what else might be at the root of our eating behaviors—the physical, emotional, and environmental cues that drive our desire to eat. This knowledge is critical for figuring out how we can effectively change our behaviors around certain foods. 3. YOU DEVELOP AN ALL-OR-NOTHING MINDSET, WHICH LEADS TO ALL-OR-NOTHING ACTIONS. If we believe we are addicted to sugar, we usually also believe the only solution is total abstinence. But, at some point we reach our breaking point and give in, and when we do, we almost always overeat the food we’ve been trying to avoid. We go from one extreme (complete restriction) to the other extreme (overeating). This reinforces the belief that we cannot trust ourselves— furthering our restrictive efforts, but always winding up with the same outcome. WHAT DO I DO IF I FEEL LIKE I AM ADDICTED TO SUGAR? 1. UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE EATING Introduce a practice of pausing before deciding to eat. Check-in and ask, “do I really want to eat this right now?” or “what might be influencing my desire to eat?”. And, explore your past experiences with eating sugary foods—the when’s, the why’s, the how’s—to help you to understand the triggers that are really responsible for your cravings. This information can guide you in exploring alternative options, which just might more effectively meet your true needs. 2. PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU EAT. Increase the satisfaction you experience from the foods you choose by slowing down the eating process, being more present, engaging all of your senses as you eat, and savoring your food. This is the essence of mindful eating. When we eat mindfully, we are beer able to detect our hunger and satiety cues and oſten find that we can feel more satisfied with less food by simply slowing down and tuning in. 3. GIVE YOURSELF UNCONDITIONAL PERMISSION TO EAT. For anyone who has struggled with eating, this may initially seem like a very bad idea. But, we know that restriction hasn’t worked either. Ultimately, granting yourself permission to eat sugary foods will help you reclaim the power they seem to have over you, allowing you to be your own authority on your food decisions. And, when you are in charge of your choices about food, the pull of those foods becomes much weaker. 262 Fox Lane, Ludlow, Vermont 05149 | (800) 448-8106 | WWW.FITWOMAN.COM
Transcript of WHAT’S WRONG WITH CALLING A “SWEET TOOTH” A SUGAR ADDICTION? · 2017-09-27 · If you tell...
THE TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR ADDICTION & WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
WHAT’S WRONG WITH CALLING A “SWEET TOOTH” A SUGAR ADDICTION?
1. YOU’RE CREATING A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECYThe messages that we tell ourselves about how we will respond to a situation have a profound effect on how we actually respond to that situation. If you tell yourself you’re a “sugar addict,” implying that once you start eating something sweet you’ll lose control, when you do eventually eat that food, you probably will feel like you have lost control. But, you really haven’t given yourself another option. By deciding the outcome of the situation before you even begin eating, you deny yourself the opportunity to respond in a different way.
2. IT’S NOT ALWAYS JUST ABOUT THE FOOD.It’s normal to eat sugary foods becausewe like the sweet taste, but we maychoose to eat them for many other reasons, too—stress, loneliness, fatigue, boredom, celebration, and the list goes on. By chalking up our experience to an “addiction,” we’re not giving ourselves a chance to explore what else might be at the root of our eating behaviors—the physical, emotional, and environmental cues that drive our desire to eat. This knowledge is critical for figuring out how we can effectively change our behaviors around certain foods.
3. YOU DEVELOP ANALL-OR-NOTHING MINDSET,WHICH LEADS TOALL-OR-NOTHING ACTIONS.If we believe we are addicted to sugar, we usually also believe the only solution is total abstinence. But, at some point we reach our breaking point and give in, and when we do, we almost always overeat the food we’ve been trying to avoid. We go from one extreme (complete restriction) to the other extreme (overeating). This reinforces the belief that we cannot trust ourselves— furthering our restrictive efforts, but always winding up with the same outcome.
WHAT DO I DO IF I FEEL LIKE I AM ADDICTED TO SUGAR?
1. UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE EATINGIntroduce a practice of pausing before deciding to eat. Check-in and ask, “do I really want to eat this right now?” or “what might be influencing my desire to eat?”. And, explore your past experiences with eating sugary foods—the when’s, the why’s, the how’s—to help you to understand the triggers that are really responsible for your cravings. This information can guide you in exploring alternative options, which just might more effectively meet your true needs.
2. PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU EAT.Increase the satisfaction youexperience from the foods you chooseby slowing down the eating process,being more present, engaging allof your senses as you eat, and savoring your food. This is the essence of mindful eating. When we eat mindfully, we are be�er able to detect our hunger and satiety cues and o�en find that we can feel more satisfied with less food by simply slowing down and tuning in.
3. GIVE YOURSELF UNCONDITIONAL PERMISSION TO EAT.For anyone who has struggled witheating, this may initially seem likea very bad idea. But, we know thatrestriction hasn’t worked either.Ultimately, granting yourselfpermission to eat sugary foods willhelp you reclaim the power they seemto have over you, allowing you to beyour own authority on your fooddecisions. And, when you are in chargeof your choices about food, the pull ofthose foods becomes much weaker.
262 Fox Lane, Ludlow, Vermont 05149 | ( 8 0 0 ) 4 4 8 - 8 1 0 6 | W W W. F I T W O M A N . C O M
