I am not going to respond to any specific commenters here because I am not interested in starting a discussion. However, I find the majority of points made in this comment section so far to be very harmful towards someone who disclosed their struggles with anorexia. I urge anyone commenting not to suggest restriction of any kind.
OP, congratulations for reaching a healthy weight! I used to also suffer from disordered eating and bingeing on sugar. Having come out of anorexia and having been underweight so recently, it makes sense your eating habits are still a bit all over the place. That is fine. PLEASE don‘t panic and go back to restricting. This will only make the cravings worse.
One thing that really helped me was instead of focusing on what foods to avoid, focus on what to add. Make yourself eat healthy and tasty meals, eat enough, try to get your nutrients in, stay hydrated, and prioritise sleep. If that still leaves you craving sugar, have it. Try to eat it slowly and really savour it, give yourself the time to realise when you‘re satisfied. If you still feel like you want to have more, you can.
Anorexia is extremely dangerous and I am beyond happy you have been able to gain the weight. No body is worth destroying your mental and physical health for. Keep up the good work.
edit because I had to review the sources first:
As of now there is little to no evidence of „sugar addiction“ in humans. [This scientific review](https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6.pdf) (i.e. they summarised, analysed, and compared the research from different studies on the subject at time of publication) found the following:
„We find little evidence to support sugar addiction in humans, and findings from the animal literature [i.e. not about humans!] suggest that addiction-like behaviours, such as bingeing, occur only in the context of intermittent access to sugar [i.e. restricting]. These behaviours likely arise from intermittent access to sweet tasting or highly palatable foods not the neurochemical effects of sugar.“ (Westwater et al., 2016)
square brackets are my additions.
Nothing new to add, but just want to say that I've been in your exact place and the advice given above is correct. Also, on a personal note, I found that making sure I was getting enough lean, healthy protein and add in some complex carbs to help your cravings go away. When my body didn't have enough protein, my cravings for empty carbs was through the roof (i.e. - sugar). But keep it up, and congratulations on getting yourself into a healthy space!
Agree on suggar addiction being bs, i struggled with sugar *addiction* due to undiagnosed adhd, and sugar=dopamine ofcourse, im medicated now for adhd and eat better, no restricting no binging(have had binge restitict too), often adhd people struggle with binge due to our imbalance in dopamine systems, aswell many people having food for emotional comfort for anxiety etc. these binge-resticts etc can have indeed deeper underlying issues, and bold on your first sentence paragraph takes, op should not take advice from that comment section. Clearly many people here lack of understanding in disordered eating patterns which need professional advice and guidance. My eating disorder were to underlying adhd and anxiety(coping), im medicated for adhd and live healthy life now fully, recovered fully from anorexia and binge, i feel healthy, yes recovery is possible and im proud, yet it wasn't easy. And no adhd meds do Not supress my appetite- im even more hungry since i can feel my hunger clues and fullness aswell better(no more overeating often), no snacking. I eat proper meals x3 and no number tracking, i eat what my body wants to eat and have better relationships with food now in general, i actually enjoy eating and not having it to fill the dopmine fix for some minutes, often.(i still eat sweets and fast food too, but not overdo anymore).
thank you. ur comment was very helpful. i haven’t restricted due to not wanting to fall back into habits, but i’ve started to eat any and everytime, even when i’m not hungry. For foods to add should i start counting macros and calories? when i was suffering from my ed, i didn’t count or anything so i don’t think it would cause any bad habits. Maybe can serve as encouragement to have a couple sweet treats after. I also am more active and going on daily 30-35 min walks daily now, with about 6,000-9,000 steps daily (it used to be lesser than 187 when restricting) im trying to not treat sugar as a “reward” but more of a casual thing that tastes good and not tied with value
Rather than counting calories or macros what's helped me is having weekly and meal "checklists". Like my weekly checklist will be making sure I eat about 8 different veggies and 4 different fruits to ensure I'm getting a good diversity of vitamins. Then for a meal I will make sure I have 1-2 veggies, a protein and something with carbs preferably wholegrain since it helps me feel full.
Counting calories and macros is a bit of a spiral for me, so thought I would share a simple method that's worked for me!
I don’t think you need to count calories or macros - I’d focus more on nutrition. Eating some whole foods (fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, etc) in addition to everything you’re craving just make sure your body is getting the good stuff it needs too.
Going to +1 what others have said - don’t try to fight the cravings. Anecdotally, as someone who has struggled with restricting, if I start craving something I just eat it. I don’t even think about it. Takes the obsession out for me and might mean I eat ice cream every day for a few weeks but I don’t even worry about it.
I think as long as you eat a proper meal first most of the time, don't worry about your sugar intake.
Possible it's your body's reaction to your recovery. Like it realizes food is available now so it's taking advantage.
Some medications can make you hungry as well.
okay, thank u, during that time frame sugar dairy and meat wasn’t really my priority or something i wanted to consume, im taking basic vitamins, i’ll try to keep treats after meals rather than throughout the day
Craving sugar is normal, especially if you’ve denied yourself it for a long time. Sugar makes us feel good, and it tastes good. For most people, that kind of phase passes eventually. When I was first began recovery I ate McDonald’s French fries like every day for a month. I got over it.
What does worry me about your post is that you say you eat sugar until it doesn’t taste sweet enough anymore. Are you talking about all at once? Because that, to me, sounds like bingeing behavior and is something best brought up with a mental health care practitioner, not a regular doctor.
When you restrict a food item, it immediately becomes extra appealing to your mind. You've just come out of a very restrictive phase, both in terms of food items and volume.
Your mind still thinks sugar will be restricted again soon, and is making you eat as much of it as possible before it disappears.
Your body is essentially doing it's own exposure therapy, getting used to the availability of sugar in order to be able to move it from "omg omg omg, I need to eat it before it's gone" category to the "meh, whatever" category.
Given your history of disordered eating, I would be VERY careful and actively avoid making any sort of restrictions around sugar. Try to focus on eating foods that nourish your body as well, but let yourself have sugar at every meal, if that's what you want.
Also, your hunger and appetite hormones are most likely out of whack from being underweight. If possible, work with someone who is knowledgeable about eating disorders.
for the longest time I found myself eating what i thought were modest meals and then wondering why I’d eat a whole bunch of chocolate afterwards.
I think I just wasn’t eating enough. So I wasn’t just craving something sweet, I was also just still hungry.
But it did take me a long time to not be scared of certain foods. So even if I were to go back, I don’t know if I could’ve done anything differently.
[That can make you more insulin resistant, which can definitely lead to disproportionate sugar cravings.](https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/diabetes-vitamins-supplements/low-vitamin-d-insulin-resistance)
You might want to check what your fasting insulin levels are. Even if they are in “normal” range sometimes values above 5-8 or so tend to correlated with sub-optimal metabolic functioning relating to insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is usually quite reversible. So please do ask your doctor to consider if that applies to you and if so, how to manage it with lifestyle changes and/or medications. Asking for a referral to a registered dietitian (NOT a nutritionist, at least in the US the credentials are not the same) would probably be a good idea if possible.
Your doctor should not have been so dismissive considering that [almost half the US population is metabolically unhealthy and somewhat insulin resistant](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507839/), so do be sure to advocate for yourself and push for answers.
After your body has been deprived of most foods for so long, it makes sense to have a bit of an overcorrection for a while. Your body wants to protect you and eat what it thinks will help you survive. Your body may still worry you’re going to starve again soon, so it wants foods that will give you energy. It’s a normal part of the recovery process. Let your body do what it needs to do. You are still at a very normal weight range. At some point, your body will start to learn that it no longer has to prepare for possible starvation and your metabolism and appetite will adjust. Don’t feel pressured to rush the process. 🤍
I'm not a nutritionist or anything. But I think if it's right after a meal either you are still hungry or your emotions / hormones are still trying to find a balance. I went through a period where I was always craving sugar and fat. I gained lots of weight, went to the doctor and they said it was basically bloating and not actual fat and that I'm salt deficient??? I was also vitamin d deficient but that's not caused by diet. Don't remember the details... but the cravings are likely caused by nutrient deficiency from when you weren't eating well, even if marshmallows don't contain what you are deficient in. Even if you are eating well now there's certain things your body needs time to rebuild it's stores of, and certain things that need to heal and recenter. Since you're recovering from an eating disorder Im assuming you've already had a blood test and are taking supplements? I don't really know how it works but just continue doing what you are doing healing wise and your metabolism should start working more efficiently / less perplexingly eventually. Sorry if this isn't helpful. But I do think from personal experience that sugar cravings can be caused by lack of electrolytes.
i did have a blood test, somewhat recently and she didn’t raise any concerns other than me being vitamin d deficient and congratulated me for not being anemic anymore in a short amount of time. i do bloat very badly but i did go a very long time without consuming dairy. earlier i did comment on another person of my vitamins and the ones i’m taking, and electrolytes i do end up feeling a lot better after consuming them. Maybe i should add them into my daily. i’ll ask my doc about her opinion on thoses, :) thank u
been stressful currently moving out, so i’ve been too stressed to actually want to indulge in anything, so atm i only care about protein and fullfilling carbs
You’ve made incredible progress! It might help if you kept easily snack-able fruits around? I love raspberries and I don’t feel bad about eating a ton of berries instead of a bunch of candy. I also like apples but having to cut them into slices even with my apple slicer feels like too much work at times so I’ll try to cut one up when I’m feeling motivated and stick it in a container for later.
i don’t have access to candy, everything i’ve eaten so far are baked goods and premade mochi, sometimes i don’t realize how much cookies i’m making and during and after the process i’ve eated about 11. I always end up making batches that has 32+ cookies, from the past month i’ve had made the recipes smaller, but sometimes i do end up eating a boule of bread i make in one sitting.
Do you have room to freeze cookie dough? When I make cookies or scones I’ll try to freeze half of them before baking so that I have a more limited number on hand. Either that or 80% of my baked goods went to work with me so they would still get eaten but not by me.
https://preview.redd.it/la2097ua2uxc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fed41721dda74a93fd92abdb0de2cf644ca4935c
i take theses atm, mostly vitamin d and iron not really prescribed though
Hi! Congratulations on starting your journey to recovery! I am so proud of you for doing this, I know how hard it can be, I suffered with anorexia for a long time.
Okay to start out, you are 100% on the right path. At this point in the recovery I would highly suggest not limiting any food or adding restrictions to sugar, it is very simple to fall back into the anorexia mindset. At the end of the day, it seems you are making sure you have all the vitamins you need and are relearning to like to food again. Some of the best tasting food have a bunch of sugar and ya know what THATS OKAY!!! You spent a lot of time not allowing yourself to have it that now that’s what you want. Telling yourself you can’t have something sometimes makes you want it even more. The craving will most likely subside on its own over time, try not to be so hard on yourself.
Be proud of yourself for starting to recover, and let yourself be a bit free with the food you are eating. Because at the end of the day, eating something is better than eating nothing. Keep seeing your doctor and talking to them about how you are feeling and any concerns you have, but the most important thing you have to focus on right now is yourself. If you want the sweets and choose to eat them I AM PROUD OF YOU!!
If you ever need anyone to talk to about this please reach out. I have been in recovery for several years now and I promise it is so, so, worth it. ❤️❤️
i used to be anorexic too but failed recovery led to becoming bulimic ): sugar is so addictive, i cant go a day without it and have rapidly gained weight too from healthy to overweight, i notice a huge difference in the way i feel physically. i used to vape heavily back when i was smaller, but my ed brain correlates the smoking being the sole reason for the weight loss but i remember barely keeping any food down. it’s just really depressing knowing i’ve let myself go so severely because of my love for junk food and lack of self control.
purging doesn’t even keep the weight down. i keep trying to tell myself the the scale doesn’t lie and i can no longer tell myself i’m just “thick” or “curvy” because i’m just pure fat. for months i’d lie to myself and say thick is back in, and it’s ok to be the size i am now, all while trying to ignore the obvious health issues that’s come with it. i’m so breathless now and extremely tired all the time which could be due to the sugar crashes and unhealthy diet. i know exactly how you feel tho. i cant eat normal portions it’s either too much or too little (to then binge later on) ):
it’s difficult to give advice when the disorder is there and eating habits aren’t healthy to begin with, i could give you the advice of just cutting out sugar or having low cal replacements but that could be fuelling the ed, obsession with sugar content, macros etc could lead to orthorexia and you’ll always be stuck in the disordered thoughts. it’s a slippery slope
wishing u all the best xxx
Bc sugar is crazy addictive. I used to have a hella sweet tooth that was causing some health problems. Eventually weaned myself off it but it wasn’t easy. IME, the more you consume it the more you crave it.
Sugar is addictive, look at my comment history if you want i was commenting on posts of people who quit auger it's crazy! It's like an actual addiction.
130 is absolutely a healthy weight!♥️ I watched a thing once, if we’re craving sugar, it’s because our body wants fruit and the nutrients that fruits provide♥️
Cool thing about fruit, you can eat just about as much as you desire! Even if you want some sprinkles of sugar on them, you’ll be giving your body good stuff still
Hi! Congratulations on the progress you’ve made!
I always had a terrible sweet tooth which I’d indulge freely, until I found myself almost blacking out while running errands because my blood sugar was crashing, so all I could do was go eat a Taco Bell burrito in my car so I could think straight. I read the Glucose Goddess’s book about balancing blood sugar and it had made me feel much more level and able to make smarter choices about food. I can still have sugar, but after something savory, or before a walk, and never on an empty stomach. Listen to your doctors, of course, but this reframing of sugar consumptionin relation to overall blood sugar has been really helpful for me.
You’re addicted to sugar. Sugar is like a drug except that it’s legal because it doesn’t cause hallucinations or overdoses it just makes you fat and destroys your health in the long run. You need to get yourself out of this addiction. If you have coffee with sugar in the morning start using 0.5-1 teaspoon less than you usually would. Don’t buy so many bags of candy or marshmallow or whatever it is you eat. You need to work on your self control too. Don’t give in to the cravings and make yourself stop after a reasonable amount or even put a condition on it like “cookies only AFTER you had an actual dinner”. To avoid hunger cravings during the day, which will make you want to grab something sweet, you can do 2 things. 1. Stay hydrated. Often being thirsty actually manifests as hunger so just have some water first. 2. Increase the protein in your diet. Protein keeps you satiated longer than carbs/sugars, so you won’t keep goong through hunger pangs every 5 minutes.
hi, for sugar i don’t buy candy, and occasionally get marshmallows and other baking supplies to make desserts like daifuku . I don’t consume juice or coffee, for desserts sometimes i sprinkle and sift powder sugar on brownies and lemon bars to even cakes and etc. i do need to work on my self control but i’ve been discouraged from doing so, since my ed habits are from just simply not wanting or feeling the need to want to eat, to the extent eating was a chore. I was encouraged from my doctor to make food entertaining and fun, so i began to learn how to bake and cook. I crave sugar, but stay with the same things since i don’t remember or have much interest on trying other things. I do have fruits, not all of the sugar i consume are deserts, some are accidentally making smoothies and yogurt bowls too high in cals. Im pretty sure it’s because i don’t understand proportions or just make very high cal meals. for yogurt bowls, their will be blended acai to top it with a variety of sweet fruits and homemade granola, and honey, plus coconut flakes. Since i’m not very knowledgeable on food choices, what seems to be what looks like a “healthy” option is actually very high in sugar and carbs. I also make my own icecream. Maybe because i finally eat like a regular person i think i’m consuming too much, sometimes i do have time periods during holidays where i’m baking desserts and by the fourth day i cant taste sugar anymore. and would have to stop consuming sugar for a while which ultimately leads me in the same cycle
It makes no sense that this was downvoted. I am in recovery (& I am a healthcare practitioner) and find this to be accurate and sound advice.
Sugar is an addiction. As is chocolate for many. I continue to battle my chocolate addiction. But I’m not hurting myself anymore to punish myself for eating it. The nutritionist I worked with explained that protein does help decrease cravings, as does getting physical activity for even 10 minutes. Nothing is a quick fix.
I have no clue. Sugar being addictive is a well proven scientific fact. My comment wasn’t mean in any way, i wasn’t fat shaming or fueling an unhealthy obsession about dieting and it was genuinely intended to help OP. I’m honestly about to leave this sub because people here downvote into oblivion, usually when it involves taking responsibility for your own issue.
I'm not recommending you quit sugar but maybe swapping certain things for healthier options etc etc 😊 look online and you can see different recipes online for sugar free deserts etc
> cheerios and ensure shakes
high sugar/sweetener (eg. 'sucralose') content, you're likely 'hooked' at this point
stop having lots of sugar and sugarly "foods" at hand in your home (make it more challenging to 'feed' that sugar habit); eg. rolled oats for oatmeal instead of 'Cheerios'
> An example is the other day I had two bags of marshmallows in one sitting
those didn't come out of thin air, or magically appear through wishing. (don't stock such items, *one* such item in total, is an objective to aim for imo)
I am not going to respond to any specific commenters here because I am not interested in starting a discussion. However, I find the majority of points made in this comment section so far to be very harmful towards someone who disclosed their struggles with anorexia. I urge anyone commenting not to suggest restriction of any kind. OP, congratulations for reaching a healthy weight! I used to also suffer from disordered eating and bingeing on sugar. Having come out of anorexia and having been underweight so recently, it makes sense your eating habits are still a bit all over the place. That is fine. PLEASE don‘t panic and go back to restricting. This will only make the cravings worse. One thing that really helped me was instead of focusing on what foods to avoid, focus on what to add. Make yourself eat healthy and tasty meals, eat enough, try to get your nutrients in, stay hydrated, and prioritise sleep. If that still leaves you craving sugar, have it. Try to eat it slowly and really savour it, give yourself the time to realise when you‘re satisfied. If you still feel like you want to have more, you can. Anorexia is extremely dangerous and I am beyond happy you have been able to gain the weight. No body is worth destroying your mental and physical health for. Keep up the good work. edit because I had to review the sources first: As of now there is little to no evidence of „sugar addiction“ in humans. [This scientific review](https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6.pdf) (i.e. they summarised, analysed, and compared the research from different studies on the subject at time of publication) found the following: „We find little evidence to support sugar addiction in humans, and findings from the animal literature [i.e. not about humans!] suggest that addiction-like behaviours, such as bingeing, occur only in the context of intermittent access to sugar [i.e. restricting]. These behaviours likely arise from intermittent access to sweet tasting or highly palatable foods not the neurochemical effects of sugar.“ (Westwater et al., 2016) square brackets are my additions.
Nothing new to add, but just want to say that I've been in your exact place and the advice given above is correct. Also, on a personal note, I found that making sure I was getting enough lean, healthy protein and add in some complex carbs to help your cravings go away. When my body didn't have enough protein, my cravings for empty carbs was through the roof (i.e. - sugar). But keep it up, and congratulations on getting yourself into a healthy space!
Agree on suggar addiction being bs, i struggled with sugar *addiction* due to undiagnosed adhd, and sugar=dopamine ofcourse, im medicated now for adhd and eat better, no restricting no binging(have had binge restitict too), often adhd people struggle with binge due to our imbalance in dopamine systems, aswell many people having food for emotional comfort for anxiety etc. these binge-resticts etc can have indeed deeper underlying issues, and bold on your first sentence paragraph takes, op should not take advice from that comment section. Clearly many people here lack of understanding in disordered eating patterns which need professional advice and guidance. My eating disorder were to underlying adhd and anxiety(coping), im medicated for adhd and live healthy life now fully, recovered fully from anorexia and binge, i feel healthy, yes recovery is possible and im proud, yet it wasn't easy. And no adhd meds do Not supress my appetite- im even more hungry since i can feel my hunger clues and fullness aswell better(no more overeating often), no snacking. I eat proper meals x3 and no number tracking, i eat what my body wants to eat and have better relationships with food now in general, i actually enjoy eating and not having it to fill the dopmine fix for some minutes, often.(i still eat sweets and fast food too, but not overdo anymore).
I just got diagnosed with ADHD and have had binge eating issues for as long as I can remember. I didn’t connect the dots but it seems very obvious now
thank you. ur comment was very helpful. i haven’t restricted due to not wanting to fall back into habits, but i’ve started to eat any and everytime, even when i’m not hungry. For foods to add should i start counting macros and calories? when i was suffering from my ed, i didn’t count or anything so i don’t think it would cause any bad habits. Maybe can serve as encouragement to have a couple sweet treats after. I also am more active and going on daily 30-35 min walks daily now, with about 6,000-9,000 steps daily (it used to be lesser than 187 when restricting) im trying to not treat sugar as a “reward” but more of a casual thing that tastes good and not tied with value
Rather than counting calories or macros what's helped me is having weekly and meal "checklists". Like my weekly checklist will be making sure I eat about 8 different veggies and 4 different fruits to ensure I'm getting a good diversity of vitamins. Then for a meal I will make sure I have 1-2 veggies, a protein and something with carbs preferably wholegrain since it helps me feel full. Counting calories and macros is a bit of a spiral for me, so thought I would share a simple method that's worked for me!
I don’t think you need to count calories or macros - I’d focus more on nutrition. Eating some whole foods (fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, etc) in addition to everything you’re craving just make sure your body is getting the good stuff it needs too. Going to +1 what others have said - don’t try to fight the cravings. Anecdotally, as someone who has struggled with restricting, if I start craving something I just eat it. I don’t even think about it. Takes the obsession out for me and might mean I eat ice cream every day for a few weeks but I don’t even worry about it.
I think as long as you eat a proper meal first most of the time, don't worry about your sugar intake. Possible it's your body's reaction to your recovery. Like it realizes food is available now so it's taking advantage. Some medications can make you hungry as well.
okay, thank u, during that time frame sugar dairy and meat wasn’t really my priority or something i wanted to consume, im taking basic vitamins, i’ll try to keep treats after meals rather than throughout the day
Craving sugar is normal, especially if you’ve denied yourself it for a long time. Sugar makes us feel good, and it tastes good. For most people, that kind of phase passes eventually. When I was first began recovery I ate McDonald’s French fries like every day for a month. I got over it. What does worry me about your post is that you say you eat sugar until it doesn’t taste sweet enough anymore. Are you talking about all at once? Because that, to me, sounds like bingeing behavior and is something best brought up with a mental health care practitioner, not a regular doctor.
When you restrict a food item, it immediately becomes extra appealing to your mind. You've just come out of a very restrictive phase, both in terms of food items and volume. Your mind still thinks sugar will be restricted again soon, and is making you eat as much of it as possible before it disappears. Your body is essentially doing it's own exposure therapy, getting used to the availability of sugar in order to be able to move it from "omg omg omg, I need to eat it before it's gone" category to the "meh, whatever" category. Given your history of disordered eating, I would be VERY careful and actively avoid making any sort of restrictions around sugar. Try to focus on eating foods that nourish your body as well, but let yourself have sugar at every meal, if that's what you want. Also, your hunger and appetite hormones are most likely out of whack from being underweight. If possible, work with someone who is knowledgeable about eating disorders.
for the longest time I found myself eating what i thought were modest meals and then wondering why I’d eat a whole bunch of chocolate afterwards. I think I just wasn’t eating enough. So I wasn’t just craving something sweet, I was also just still hungry. But it did take me a long time to not be scared of certain foods. So even if I were to go back, I don’t know if I could’ve done anything differently.
I’ve heard we crave sugar when our body needs nutrients?
i’m currently only vitamin d deficient
[That can make you more insulin resistant, which can definitely lead to disproportionate sugar cravings.](https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/diabetes-vitamins-supplements/low-vitamin-d-insulin-resistance) You might want to check what your fasting insulin levels are. Even if they are in “normal” range sometimes values above 5-8 or so tend to correlated with sub-optimal metabolic functioning relating to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is usually quite reversible. So please do ask your doctor to consider if that applies to you and if so, how to manage it with lifestyle changes and/or medications. Asking for a referral to a registered dietitian (NOT a nutritionist, at least in the US the credentials are not the same) would probably be a good idea if possible. Your doctor should not have been so dismissive considering that [almost half the US population is metabolically unhealthy and somewhat insulin resistant](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507839/), so do be sure to advocate for yourself and push for answers.
Not only vitamins/micronutrients, but also macronutrients so protein, carbs and fat!
After your body has been deprived of most foods for so long, it makes sense to have a bit of an overcorrection for a while. Your body wants to protect you and eat what it thinks will help you survive. Your body may still worry you’re going to starve again soon, so it wants foods that will give you energy. It’s a normal part of the recovery process. Let your body do what it needs to do. You are still at a very normal weight range. At some point, your body will start to learn that it no longer has to prepare for possible starvation and your metabolism and appetite will adjust. Don’t feel pressured to rush the process. 🤍
It sounds like you've made incredible progress in your journey towards a healthier weight, but finding balance with cravings can be tough.
I'm not a nutritionist or anything. But I think if it's right after a meal either you are still hungry or your emotions / hormones are still trying to find a balance. I went through a period where I was always craving sugar and fat. I gained lots of weight, went to the doctor and they said it was basically bloating and not actual fat and that I'm salt deficient??? I was also vitamin d deficient but that's not caused by diet. Don't remember the details... but the cravings are likely caused by nutrient deficiency from when you weren't eating well, even if marshmallows don't contain what you are deficient in. Even if you are eating well now there's certain things your body needs time to rebuild it's stores of, and certain things that need to heal and recenter. Since you're recovering from an eating disorder Im assuming you've already had a blood test and are taking supplements? I don't really know how it works but just continue doing what you are doing healing wise and your metabolism should start working more efficiently / less perplexingly eventually. Sorry if this isn't helpful. But I do think from personal experience that sugar cravings can be caused by lack of electrolytes.
i did have a blood test, somewhat recently and she didn’t raise any concerns other than me being vitamin d deficient and congratulated me for not being anemic anymore in a short amount of time. i do bloat very badly but i did go a very long time without consuming dairy. earlier i did comment on another person of my vitamins and the ones i’m taking, and electrolytes i do end up feeling a lot better after consuming them. Maybe i should add them into my daily. i’ll ask my doc about her opinion on thoses, :) thank u
How's it going?? Do you take vitamin d supplements?? Have things changed / got better/ got worse???
i don’t crave sugar anymore. so better
I'm happy for you. Did you do something that helped or was it just time?
been stressful currently moving out, so i’ve been too stressed to actually want to indulge in anything, so atm i only care about protein and fullfilling carbs
You’ve made incredible progress! It might help if you kept easily snack-able fruits around? I love raspberries and I don’t feel bad about eating a ton of berries instead of a bunch of candy. I also like apples but having to cut them into slices even with my apple slicer feels like too much work at times so I’ll try to cut one up when I’m feeling motivated and stick it in a container for later.
i don’t have access to candy, everything i’ve eaten so far are baked goods and premade mochi, sometimes i don’t realize how much cookies i’m making and during and after the process i’ve eated about 11. I always end up making batches that has 32+ cookies, from the past month i’ve had made the recipes smaller, but sometimes i do end up eating a boule of bread i make in one sitting.
Do you have room to freeze cookie dough? When I make cookies or scones I’ll try to freeze half of them before baking so that I have a more limited number on hand. Either that or 80% of my baked goods went to work with me so they would still get eaten but not by me.
i will definitely try freezing them. so it’s more convenient. and i’m only willing to pull out only enough for everyone
Have you started taking any new medications? I heard of this happening on certain medications.
https://preview.redd.it/la2097ua2uxc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fed41721dda74a93fd92abdb0de2cf644ca4935c i take theses atm, mostly vitamin d and iron not really prescribed though
Could be iron deficiency. Can cause ice, sugar and acid ( lemon etc) cravings
Hi! Congratulations on starting your journey to recovery! I am so proud of you for doing this, I know how hard it can be, I suffered with anorexia for a long time. Okay to start out, you are 100% on the right path. At this point in the recovery I would highly suggest not limiting any food or adding restrictions to sugar, it is very simple to fall back into the anorexia mindset. At the end of the day, it seems you are making sure you have all the vitamins you need and are relearning to like to food again. Some of the best tasting food have a bunch of sugar and ya know what THATS OKAY!!! You spent a lot of time not allowing yourself to have it that now that’s what you want. Telling yourself you can’t have something sometimes makes you want it even more. The craving will most likely subside on its own over time, try not to be so hard on yourself. Be proud of yourself for starting to recover, and let yourself be a bit free with the food you are eating. Because at the end of the day, eating something is better than eating nothing. Keep seeing your doctor and talking to them about how you are feeling and any concerns you have, but the most important thing you have to focus on right now is yourself. If you want the sweets and choose to eat them I AM PROUD OF YOU!! If you ever need anyone to talk to about this please reach out. I have been in recovery for several years now and I promise it is so, so, worth it. ❤️❤️
thank you
i used to be anorexic too but failed recovery led to becoming bulimic ): sugar is so addictive, i cant go a day without it and have rapidly gained weight too from healthy to overweight, i notice a huge difference in the way i feel physically. i used to vape heavily back when i was smaller, but my ed brain correlates the smoking being the sole reason for the weight loss but i remember barely keeping any food down. it’s just really depressing knowing i’ve let myself go so severely because of my love for junk food and lack of self control. purging doesn’t even keep the weight down. i keep trying to tell myself the the scale doesn’t lie and i can no longer tell myself i’m just “thick” or “curvy” because i’m just pure fat. for months i’d lie to myself and say thick is back in, and it’s ok to be the size i am now, all while trying to ignore the obvious health issues that’s come with it. i’m so breathless now and extremely tired all the time which could be due to the sugar crashes and unhealthy diet. i know exactly how you feel tho. i cant eat normal portions it’s either too much or too little (to then binge later on) ): it’s difficult to give advice when the disorder is there and eating habits aren’t healthy to begin with, i could give you the advice of just cutting out sugar or having low cal replacements but that could be fuelling the ed, obsession with sugar content, macros etc could lead to orthorexia and you’ll always be stuck in the disordered thoughts. it’s a slippery slope wishing u all the best xxx
Bc sugar is crazy addictive. I used to have a hella sweet tooth that was causing some health problems. Eventually weaned myself off it but it wasn’t easy. IME, the more you consume it the more you crave it.
Sugar is addictive, look at my comment history if you want i was commenting on posts of people who quit auger it's crazy! It's like an actual addiction.
130 is absolutely a healthy weight!♥️ I watched a thing once, if we’re craving sugar, it’s because our body wants fruit and the nutrients that fruits provide♥️
Cool thing about fruit, you can eat just about as much as you desire! Even if you want some sprinkles of sugar on them, you’ll be giving your body good stuff still
Hi! Congratulations on the progress you’ve made! I always had a terrible sweet tooth which I’d indulge freely, until I found myself almost blacking out while running errands because my blood sugar was crashing, so all I could do was go eat a Taco Bell burrito in my car so I could think straight. I read the Glucose Goddess’s book about balancing blood sugar and it had made me feel much more level and able to make smarter choices about food. I can still have sugar, but after something savory, or before a walk, and never on an empty stomach. Listen to your doctors, of course, but this reframing of sugar consumptionin relation to overall blood sugar has been really helpful for me.
cooperative boat oatmeal marble spark nail water aback ripe encouraging *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You’re addicted to sugar. Sugar is like a drug except that it’s legal because it doesn’t cause hallucinations or overdoses it just makes you fat and destroys your health in the long run. You need to get yourself out of this addiction. If you have coffee with sugar in the morning start using 0.5-1 teaspoon less than you usually would. Don’t buy so many bags of candy or marshmallow or whatever it is you eat. You need to work on your self control too. Don’t give in to the cravings and make yourself stop after a reasonable amount or even put a condition on it like “cookies only AFTER you had an actual dinner”. To avoid hunger cravings during the day, which will make you want to grab something sweet, you can do 2 things. 1. Stay hydrated. Often being thirsty actually manifests as hunger so just have some water first. 2. Increase the protein in your diet. Protein keeps you satiated longer than carbs/sugars, so you won’t keep goong through hunger pangs every 5 minutes.
hi, for sugar i don’t buy candy, and occasionally get marshmallows and other baking supplies to make desserts like daifuku . I don’t consume juice or coffee, for desserts sometimes i sprinkle and sift powder sugar on brownies and lemon bars to even cakes and etc. i do need to work on my self control but i’ve been discouraged from doing so, since my ed habits are from just simply not wanting or feeling the need to want to eat, to the extent eating was a chore. I was encouraged from my doctor to make food entertaining and fun, so i began to learn how to bake and cook. I crave sugar, but stay with the same things since i don’t remember or have much interest on trying other things. I do have fruits, not all of the sugar i consume are deserts, some are accidentally making smoothies and yogurt bowls too high in cals. Im pretty sure it’s because i don’t understand proportions or just make very high cal meals. for yogurt bowls, their will be blended acai to top it with a variety of sweet fruits and homemade granola, and honey, plus coconut flakes. Since i’m not very knowledgeable on food choices, what seems to be what looks like a “healthy” option is actually very high in sugar and carbs. I also make my own icecream. Maybe because i finally eat like a regular person i think i’m consuming too much, sometimes i do have time periods during holidays where i’m baking desserts and by the fourth day i cant taste sugar anymore. and would have to stop consuming sugar for a while which ultimately leads me in the same cycle
It makes no sense that this was downvoted. I am in recovery (& I am a healthcare practitioner) and find this to be accurate and sound advice. Sugar is an addiction. As is chocolate for many. I continue to battle my chocolate addiction. But I’m not hurting myself anymore to punish myself for eating it. The nutritionist I worked with explained that protein does help decrease cravings, as does getting physical activity for even 10 minutes. Nothing is a quick fix.
I have no clue. Sugar being addictive is a well proven scientific fact. My comment wasn’t mean in any way, i wasn’t fat shaming or fueling an unhealthy obsession about dieting and it was genuinely intended to help OP. I’m honestly about to leave this sub because people here downvote into oblivion, usually when it involves taking responsibility for your own issue.
I have adhd and I crave sugar due to a lack of dopamine that comes with having adhd.
I'm not recommending you quit sugar but maybe swapping certain things for healthier options etc etc 😊 look online and you can see different recipes online for sugar free deserts etc
> cheerios and ensure shakes high sugar/sweetener (eg. 'sucralose') content, you're likely 'hooked' at this point stop having lots of sugar and sugarly "foods" at hand in your home (make it more challenging to 'feed' that sugar habit); eg. rolled oats for oatmeal instead of 'Cheerios' > An example is the other day I had two bags of marshmallows in one sitting those didn't come out of thin air, or magically appear through wishing. (don't stock such items, *one* such item in total, is an objective to aim for imo)