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Sugar cravings and autism

SchrodingersMeerkat

trash mammal
For most of my life, I've always had a craving for sweets. I could never get enough. My mom kept tabs on it so I wouldn't get obese or develop diabetes. She always had to hide any candy or cookies or lock the freezer so I couldn't get to it. If I had unlimited access, I would eat them in one sitting until there was none left. Sweets were kinda rare in my house because I would "just eat it all up before anyone else had a chance to get some".

Whenever I did have sweets, I acted like a starving, wild animal. I would get cravings so bad you'd think I was craving cocaine or something. I would get a "high" from it.

One time I was so desperate, I snuck out of bed and tried to take some flavored chew-able Tylenol even though I knew I wasn't supposed to take medicine without my mom or dad's knowledge.

My cravings often came in the middle of the night and sometimes I could not "wake up" in the morning unless I had something sweet. I would obsess about it until my mom broke down and brought the cookies out of hiding or drove me to the store to get a candy bar. Natural sweets like fruit or carrots didn't help.

I had a stupid psychiatrist (I think I've mentioned her before about her "solution" for bullying) who suggested my parents use sweets for a reward and only if I had "behaved" that day. I was only allowed a certain number and if I complained, I would get what I had taken away.

As an adult on my own, I can go to the store and buy as much sweets as I want and eat as much as I want...but I rarely buy sweets because I don't crave them as much as I did when I lived with my parents.

Anyway, is this kind of craving a common thing for autistic people?
 
For most of my life, I've always had a craving for sweets. I could never get enough. My mom kept tabs on it so I wouldn't get obese or develop diabetes. She always had to hide any candy or cookies or lock the freezer so I couldn't get to it. If I had unlimited access, I would eat them in one sitting until there was none left. Sweets were kinda rare in my house because I would "just eat it all up before anyone else had a chance to get some".

Whenever I did have sweets, I acted like a starving, wild animal. I would get cravings so bad you'd think I was craving cocaine or something. I would get a "high" from it.

One time I was so desperate, I snuck out of bed and tried to take some flavored chew-able Tylenol even though I knew I wasn't supposed to take medicine without my mom or dad's knowledge.

My cravings often came in the middle of the night and sometimes I could not "wake up" in the morning unless I had something sweet. I would obsess about it until my mom broke down and brought the cookies out of hiding or drove me to the store to get a candy bar. Natural sweets like fruit or carrots didn't help.

I had a stupid psychiatrist (I think I've mentioned her before about her "solution" for bullying) who suggested my parents use sweets for a reward and only if I had "behaved" that day. I was only allowed a certain number and if I complained, I would get what I had taken away.

As an adult on my own, I can go to the store and buy as much sweets as I want and eat as much as I want...but I rarely buy sweets because I don't crave them as much as I did when I lived with my parents.

Anyway, is this kind of craving a common thing for autistic people?
Go look up Stevia. Learn how to make cookies and sweets from that. Please
 
Stress creates sugar cravings. It's a lot of complicated chemistry, but that's the bottom line.

Sugar is also very much like a drug: it releases dopamine, which calms us, and it gives pleasurable feedback. But the downside is excess insulin, drops in blood sugar, and increased cravings for it. Kinda like heroin :)

I find avoiding sugar and eating in ways that keep my blood sugar steady does wonders. I do low carb and eating a big meal and then coasting for hours works best.
 
Maybe once a month I’ll buy a pint of ice cream, other than that I don’t by sugar or any foods with sugar. Protein and fat are my diet.
 
Lots of kids crave sweets. I don't think it's related to autism in particular. I used to like sweets but now as an adult I barely ever eat them. One thing I absolutely can't stand is artificial sugar. It puts a film on my tongue. So disgusting. I think that stuff also tricks your body into thinking it's sugar, so even though you don't get the calories, you can develop diabetes from it.
 
My sleeping patterns don't exist, in that I don't have a 'pattern' or routine.
I crave carbs in the early hours, it's my body's way of coping with being awake when it's programmed to rest/sleep.

I don't add sugar to anything I eat or drink in general.
The exception to the above is when pre menstrual.
I don't crave lactose or fructose, I don't want chocolate or cakes or ice cream.

A single hit of something that's basically pure sugar. Boiled sweets, those 'Love heart' sweets or even a glucose tablet/sweet.

And that's it. I can't eat these pure sugary things at any other time. Gives me headaches.
I presume it has something to do with the synthesis of hormones required at that time and if I haven't got enough already going into my body through my food?
 
I never had cravings for sweets as a child or adult.
Sometimes I have a small desert with coffee after dinner, but not always.
Cravings, no.
 
Never to ever give any defense for sugar... I fully know its not good for us...
but I guess I noticed at a young age it gave me bursts of energy and then maybe I became dependent on it.

It would be interesting to look up diabetes in ASD... and also to know if we actually use that energy maybe better than others...

I have never been a person with lots of long lasting energy and it runs out really fast at times... Sugar (now 5 hour energy - which is horrible also) helps me get through the day. I know its an excuse - or is it?

Do I have less energy than those around me? Or do I use it all up mentally not leaving much left on the physical end?

Heres Chance full of questions as usual... : )

I have been trying (and failing, but still trying to come off of as much sugar rich stuff as possible).

I'm not a candy pastry guy so much as a soft drink guy. I now try and drink 2 bottles of water for 1 one soft drink... Next step is 3 waters to 1 and so on... To try and hold to this I pack them with me and pack more water, if not I will stop and buy soft drinks...

I'm weak in the sugar department, but still active and mostly height weight proportionate. I'm always trying to get healthier not because I fear so much dis-eases... I just want to be able to experience LIFE as long as I can. I'm selfish in that aspect I guess.
 
Never to ever give any defense for sugar... I fully know its not good for us...
but I guess I noticed at a young age it gave me bursts of energy and then maybe I became dependent on it.

It would be interesting to look up diabetes in ASD... and also to know if we actually use that energy maybe better than others...

I had severe AD/HD as a kid and INTENSE hyperactivity. I was apparently TOO active as a kid.
 
For most of my life, I've always had a craving for sweets. I could never get enough. My mom kept tabs on it so I wouldn't get obese or develop diabetes. She always had to hide any candy or cookies or lock the freezer so I couldn't get to it. If I had unlimited access, I would eat them in one sitting until there was none left. Sweets were kinda rare in my house because I would "just eat it all up before anyone else had a chance to get some".

Whenever I did have sweets, I acted like a starving, wild animal. I would get cravings so bad you'd think I was craving cocaine or something. I would get a "high" from it.

One time I was so desperate, I snuck out of bed and tried to take some flavored chew-able Tylenol even though I knew I wasn't supposed to take medicine without my mom or dad's knowledge.

My cravings often came in the middle of the night and sometimes I could not "wake up" in the morning unless I had something sweet. I would obsess about it until my mom broke down and brought the cookies out of hiding or drove me to the store to get a candy bar. Natural sweets like fruit or carrots didn't help.

I had a stupid psychiatrist (I think I've mentioned her before about her "solution" for bullying) who suggested my parents use sweets for a reward and only if I had "behaved" that day. I was only allowed a certain number and if I complained, I would get what I had taken away.

As an adult on my own, I can go to the store and buy as much sweets as I want and eat as much as I want...but I rarely buy sweets because I don't crave them as much as I did when I lived with my parents.

Anyway, is this kind of craving a common thing for autistic people?


Not as a child, sweets actually made me feel sick, and I wouldn't eat anything unless I was forced to because of food issues a lot of us have. It seems like there's a psychological component to this story because you mention not having this extreme craving now that you're living on your own, and can make your own decisions. If you're like me, the 'reward' center of your brain is probably a little more active than a NT, which could explain your intense cravings (addiction) when it was used as such. Special interests, I find, garner the same reaction, it's all I can think about until I engage in it.
 
I've also always been a sugar junkie. I remember sneaking out of my room at night to eat straight sugar and my grandmother always missing her cake frosting and finding the empty tubs in my room.XD
 
What I do now is mix a spoonful of cocoa powder into unsweetened whole milk yogurt and add berries. Plenty sweet enough for me. Add chopped walnuts and it's like a cream pie crust.

When my issues are really acting up I can't eat; it's terrible, actually, because nothing appeals to me yet I am really hungry! I now use low carb protein bars; they are junky enough that I manage to make myself eat one, but they have some actual food value and doesn't wreak havoc on my metabolism like actual junk food does.

That is why "comfort foods" tend to be high in starch and sugar.
 
Do I have less energy than those around me? Or do I use it all up mentally not leaving much left on the physical end?
I would tend to agree with that. I run low on energy quickly also and even though sugar doesn't seem to help, I think the runaway train brain drain is the main reason for feeling tired easily.
I'm not a candy pastry guy so much as a soft drink guy. I now try and drink 2 bottles of water for 1 one soft drink... Next step is 3 waters to 1 and so on...
It's easier than you might think.
I used to be a diet coke addict.
Then I was told after my liver surgery to stop due to the caffiene. Caffiene was not good for the liver.
I never drank a lot of coffee either so no problem there.
I decided to go healthy on the hydration with Reversed Osmosis water and started replacing the soda like you are.
Green or white tea was also recommended.
So now I usually will have a glass of that with stevia as the sweetener if I want something besides water.
I don't want to drink diet soda now due to the harm the artificial sweeteners do to your system.

Cheers! Keep on drinking the right stuff!
:p
 
Like WereBear said, sugar's a drug. I have a lot of stress and depression in my life and crave sugar, mainly chocolate then. I don't smoke or drink so sugar is my go-to drug of choice. It's really hard to lose weight when I keep getting depressed, although I do balance it with exercise.
 
I had been off sweets for a while except I tend to drink a lot of coffee. I only go one sugar.

I had tried different fruits to tackle my sugar craving, I can kick it only ifvI stick to only eating granny smith green apples, yellow fleshed stone fruits and citrus fruits that don't have seeds like navel oranges and afourer manderines. I only like bananas when to skin is perfectly yellow.

I also love my watermelons, rockmelons, pineapples and honey due.

The best alternative to sugary foods like candy, cakes and chocolate.
 
It's easier than you might think.
I used to be a diet coke addict.
Then I was told after my liver surgery to stop due to the caffiene. Caffiene was not good for the liver.
I never drank a lot of coffee either so no problem there.
I decided to go healthy on the hydration with Reversed Osmosis water and started replacing the soda like you are.
Green or white tea was also recommended.
So now I usually will have a glass of that with stevia as the sweetener if I want something besides water.
I don't want to drink diet soda now due to the harm the artificial sweeteners do to your system.

Cheers! Keep on drinking the right stuff!
:p

Last summer I noticed I was getting a lot more leg cramps. Typically that comes from dehydration. I was like how can I be dehydrated? I was drinking a half gallon of diet coke a day lately, because the gas station was running a really good special. Any other time I drank Moon Mist or something without aspartame. So I switched back and the problems started going away. Lately I drink Powerade and forego the pop. Less acid for my belly.
 

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