New Year Survival for the Sugar Addict by Joan Kent, PhD

It’s Resolution time, of course, but obstacles are everywhere. Christmas candy that’s on sale till mid-January. Valentine candy that’s on display till February 14 – and goes on sale February 15. Then March, when Easter candy appears – even though Easter is in late April. And so on through the entire year.

Everyone offers tips for sticking to resolutions. Tips for quitting sugar may be as dumb as these: (Don’t take notes here!)
– Having fresh fruit instead of juice or dried fruit
– Flavoring plain yogurt with honey
– Using “better” sugars, like agave, coconut sugar, honey, and the like
– Switching to dark chocolate from milk chocolate
– Limiting sugar to desserts
– Weaning yourself off desserts slowly
– Substituting wine or spirits for high-sugar mixed drinks.

Those poorly chosen tactics won’t – and can’t – work for those of us who have a sugar addiction.

Here are a few suggestions that WILL work for sugar addicts.

1. Keep sugar and other junk food out of the house. Totally. Don’t buy it and tell yourself you won’t eat it. Don’t buy it and tell yourself you’ll have only a small portion. Don’t make your kitchen a Binge Blowout waiting to happen. Just don’t.

2. Stop testing your willpower. I keep reading that we have only limited willpower and conscious self-control. Let’s assume for now that it’s true. The fewer willpower tests you have each day, the fewer lapses you’ll experience later that day – or that week.

Instead, look for ways to change the situation. Ask the waiter to remove the breadbasket from the table (white flour = sugar). Don’t even ask for the dessert menu. Reread Suggestion 1.

3. Train yourself to end meals without dessert. No matter what time of day it is or what everyone else is doing, no matter what others think or say, no matter what habits you learned as a child. It takes practice, but it’s worth it.

4. Lie. (That’s fun to say because it grabs attention.) Don’t worry – I’m NOT telling you to lie about important matters.

Sugar is a need-to-know issue. Does everyone at the table need to know you’re turning down dessert because you’re addicted to sugar? Or trying to lose weight? Both reasons will bring out every form of sabotage your “friends” can serve up:
“You’ll eat less tomorrow.”
“You’ll work out harder tomorrow.”
“Just a little can’t hurt.”
“But I made it myself.”

Harsh as it seems, anyone who sabotages you is not a friend. If dessert is pushed on you, try this. Claim to be full from the terrific dinner. Ask for a doggie bag. On the way home, stop at the nearest trashcan and dump it.

Don’t take it home and tell yourself you’ll make it last several days. Reread Suggestion 1.

5. Learn to throw away food, especially junk. No compunctions here. The U.S. overproduces food significantly, every single day. Tossing unwanted food is survival. It’s NOT a sin, no matter what you were taught as a kid.

6. Focus on short-term actions. What can you do right NOW to avoid sugar? A recent study showed this approach is better for weight loss than focusing on a long-term goal.

It works for quitting sugar, too. Plan your next meal:  how can you make it healthy? Buy nutritious foods when you shop. Skip the junk. Develop a ritual for the first 20 minutes after you arrive home to keep you out of the kitchen.

There won’t be any sugar in there, anyway, right?

7. Get real about motivation. As I’ve written before, motivation is not about enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is optional. It tends to fade when daily life presents its daily challenges. Yet using the above suggestions consistently can be transformational.

In fact, enthusiasm often results from consistent actions that lead to the changes you want. There’s your transformation.

I’m dedicated to helping you conquer sugar addiction so you can transform your health, lose weight, and stay addiction-free. If you’d like support in changing your health, your weight, your image of “you” in the new year, just visit www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Empowered Eating Consult. My 2018 rates are going up, but you can still enroll at last year’s rates if you get in by January 20!

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar:  7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.