Chocolate,sweets and Cigarettes

[chef]

I thought it would be an interesting thread title and pays homage to Alan Jacksons song everything i love is killing me.
On a more serious note though and a question..........
In November i gave up smoking, November 11th to be exact and havent touched one since, its not been at all easy and i had to go cold turkey as i knew just cutting down or vaping wouldnt work for me.
Ive now found since being diaganosed as type 2 and changing my diet that i experience the same sort of cravings for chocolate and sugar, is this normal?
If i want sweet things my body actually craves it the same way as it did cigarettes, ie it fills my mind, makes me testy all the same sorts of feelings, i never knew that sugar coud be so addictive, do people think its a physical or more mental adiiction, is cold turkey the best way and any other tips or tricks or should i just treat it the same way as i did smoking? Aplogies probably more than one question in there.

 

[eggyg]

@chef Firstly, well done on giving up smoking. I’ve never smoked but can imagine the cravings as I am a chocoholic which isn’t good if you’re a diabetic. I’m 10 years in and it does get easier. I would say firstly, the more you can’t have something the more you want it and you’re more likely to break and then gorge. My advise, if you chose to accept it, is to train yourself to limit your sugar. Diabetes is a marathon not a sprint. Oooh Marathons! 😉 I remember many, many years ago training myself to stop taking four sugars in my tea. Three and half, then three, then two and half, etc etc. Now if there’s one grain of sugar within two miles of my cup of tea I can taste it! I started to realise that it was the chocolate taste I craved as opposed to the sugar so started on dark chocolate, 70% at first, Bournville isn’t low sugar, it’s only about 30% cocoa. I’m now up to 85% but I can’t go any higher. A couple of squares gives a real chocolate kick and stops my cravings. I now find other chocolate a bit too sweet. If you’re craving a cake, try an eclair, quite low in sugar believe it or not. As time goes on the craving will become less, like the smoking. If I have too much sugar or indeed any carbs, be it mash potatoes, my nemesis, or a Magnum ( never to be repeated) I actually feel unwell and that’s a great incentive to not eat it again or at least not as much. The thing with sugar is that it gives you an instant energy boost for all of five minutes then you fall flat so want more. It is a real physical and mental addiction. For example this morning I wanted chocolate, I don’t have anything in the house chocolaty at the moment. Did I really need it? Was I hungry? Definitely not. So I had a drink, Diet Coke in my case, but you could have anything low sugar or a hot drink, sometimes it’s just something to do, like smoking I would think. If you are hungry, try a protein snack, a small handful of nuts, a hard boiled egg, a piece of cheese, a slice of ham. As I said earlier it does get easier. Good luck.

 

[Ditto]

Back in the day I had no trouble giving up the fags or the Valium, it's the food that has killed me.

Because you have to have it, you can't do without food and can't just go cold turkey for all time.

Going strict low carb should cure your sweetness addiction. You're just not hungry on that. You'd think that would solve my problem but I don't have to be hungry to want to eat. I want to eat all the damned time!