How I Overcame Sugar Addiction and Jumpstarted My Weight Loss

July 15, 2021

My name is Phil.  I am one of the founders of Uplift and I am a sugar addict. I didn’t realize it until about a year ago, but I am.  And as I think back on my eating habits, I can see that I have always been one. 
 
I am going to tell you my story and hope that it may help you with your journey.  Many people don’t realize they are addicted, and many people don’t realize it is stopping them from losing weight.
 

Is sugar addiction real?

 

Absolutely.  I am not a doctor, but I can tell you that if you research sugar addiction, you will find many research papers on the subject.
 
Research suggests that sugar is just as addictive as some opiates.  People get a dopamine release and temporary high from sugar intake.  But this comes at a cost.  You risk many health problems from obesity and diabetes.  People with anxiety, high stress levels or low moods are most at risk which is similar to many compulsions and behavioral addictions.
 
Binge eaters, stress eaters, anxiety and emotional eaters, many times are also sugar addicts.

 

How I spotted my sugar addiction.

 

Just like many people, during the quarantine, I gained a little weight.  Well, actually it began before the quarantine, but it accelerated. Around August of 2020 I went to get a covid test at the doctor’s office.  They put me on the scale.  When I saw what the number was, I freaked out inside.
 
I knew I gained weight, but I didn’t realize how big I had gotten. 
 
Part of the problem with weight gain is that it comes on slowly.  My clothes got tighter and tighter.  I was feeling less and less comfortable just moving around.  But I just didn’t see how big I had gotten. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I was fat.  I thought maybe 40 or 50lb gain.  But it was way more than that.
 
On my way home I had a long discussion with myself.  There was no excuse.  I had all the tools.  A home gym, knowledge of nutrition, former athletic ability.  What I was lacking was self-control. 
 
Here is how I spotted it.
 
I downloaded an app to start putting in everything I ate.  After just a few days it was clear that most of my calories were coming from sugar, second only to bad carbs. 

 

How I fixed it.

 

Cut Out Refined White Sugar

 

The first thing I did was cut out the bad, refined white sugar completely.  That meant looking at everything I ate and getting rid of most processed foods.  So I went cold turkey.  I replaced a few meals with Our Phyto Superfood Green Drink and Plant Power Vegan Protein. This allowed me to detox off the sugar. 
 
Let me tell you this.  Detoxing off of refined white sugar is no picnic.  Headaches, nausea, lack of sleep, sweating. I had it all.  But after a week, it subsided, and I realized that I started to feel much better. I realized that it was sugar that was creating my sleep problems.  It was the sugar that was causing me to wake up with a headache every day and walk around sluggish.
 
I gave up milk in my coffee. Then, I switched to our Lean Bean Power Coffee. The blend is a turbo-charged coffee that reduces the effects of stress. The mushrooms and herbs add benefits that keep my immune system strong and my mood up – which are essential to keeping me moving and motivated.

 

Exercise Everyday

 

There was no way I could start exercising like I had in the past.  So I started out slow.  My wife and I went for 2-mile walks in the morning, then we began increasing it.  Btw, there is no shame in walking as an exercise.  You can burn just as many calories per mile walking as you can running.  And there is a lot less wear and tear on the joints. 
 
It wasn’t long before we were up to 4 or 5 miles a day of walking. 
 
Then I began to add in other exercises like cycling and rowing.  But that wasn’t until I dropped 40 lbs. 
 
Just getting your body moving is the key here.  Of course not replacing the calories I was inhaling from sugar also played a huge role.

 

Intermittent Fasting and Water

 

This is not for the faint of heart and I am not telling you that you should do this.  I am only telling you what I did to detox from sugar. You have to do your own research on the subject and determine if this is a good strategy for you.
 
I chose a window if eating from 12 noon until 6 pm every day.  The only thing I had before noon was water.  That is it.  When I was exercising in the morning, my body was in a fasting state.  Therefore, it was burning away fat to feed itself.  And believe me, there was enough of that to go around.  There still is, but it’s a lot more controlled than it was before.
 
The key to intermittent fasting is to not replace the calories you would have consumed outside of your eating window.  In my case, I cut out breakfast and only ate lunch and dinner. 
 
I have been white and refined sugar free for about a year now and there is a significant difference in how I feel.  Removing sugar also helped accelerate the weight loss.  There is no doubt that sugar fuels your brain. But, your brain also sees sugar as a reward.  And there is where the problem occurs.  Too much of a good thing leads to a bad habit and tough to break.  It is better to get your sugar more naturally.
 
Do I occasionally go off the wagon and eat cake?  Sure I do.  I am an addict.  There are always birthdays, holidays, and special occasions.  But I will tell you this.  I always regret it the next day and I can feel it in my body.  So that negative feeling keeps me from going totally back to where I was.

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