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Oh gosh I thought I was the only one!! I am in the same situation as u. Ive been Vegan now for a little over a month and for me meat and dairy werent that difficult to give up, like u, sugar is my downfall. Just last night i ate white chocolate prezels (yeah dairy i was so mad at myself) 2 bags worth, In ONE night so yeah i know the feeling, and i cant seem to stop myself either. Do you eat sugary stuff at night? I think what we need to do is find something to keep ourselves busy... I usually wake up thruout the night and binge eat, i HATE it. Hopefully someone will have an answer for us lol

Hi ladies. Sugar is like cheese, once you kick it, it is usually easy to never go back, but getting there is the hard part, and generally even if you allow yourself only a little every once in a while (and if that means just once a week, you're really in trouble), you're not going to get over it.

Make the crispy rice treats if you haven't already, they are amazing. Those can help wean you off of white sugar. What I did - the only sugar I allowed myself at all for a month was fruit-sweetened jam. I would have a cup of herbal tea in the evening with a high quality whole grain cracker with jam (such as Wasa or Ryta (?) - I think). That  was my sort-of dessert. After that, I made occasional treats, like the rice treats or the peanut butter cups. Unfortunately, after a while I allowed myself treats about once a month that were vegan, but not really healthy - not made with 'healthier' sugars. That started a sugar and salt craving, and I had to start all over again. Sugar is EVIL, pure and simple. Now if I have a treat it's something I make or ocassionally I will buy a wholesome, vegan treat from an Ayurvedic cafe in my area.

Good luck! Also, search for other sugar threads, there have been some. I think Alicia did a blog as well.

Danielle - maybe if you're binge eating at night you aren't eating enough during the day? Just a thought. 

Thanks Hazel. Yeah that might be the problem! I feel like im gettting enough.. but i might not be.. being Vegan is so hard.

Danielle - what in particular are you feeling overwhelmed with right now? I know you haven't been doing it long and it can be a more difficult transition for some than others. Don't give up!

Late night binge eating can of course be emotional, but maybe if you write down what you eat for a few days you might see a pattern of too few calories or not enough variety.

Im not sure--the few times Ive cooked Vegan meals they werent that tasty and they didnt last long, it seems like I have to go to the market every other day and my hubby (bless him) is so frustrated with my new lifestlye too, its just so overwelming, And then to top it off I feel like i HAVE to have sugar, chocolate mainly, like its so addicting to me, its such a habit, i get so cranky if I dont have it., but tonight i plan on baking Alicia's peanut butter cups, which sounds awesome but.. they might be all gone by midnight. Whats WRONG with me?!?! I have NO self control. Which is why I quit drinking a year and a half ago. If I had one drink I had to have another and so on, just like with sweets. I have one taste , i have to have more. Im sorry I wrote so much!!! But yea thanks for the suggestion.. i will tryt to do that, writing down what i eat.

Are you cooking Alicia's recipes? Have you tried others? Perhaps your taste buds have not yet adjusted to appreciate the more subtle flavors of some of the dishes you're making, especially if you are still consuming a large amount of sugar. After your body clears our, when you have really been eating cleanly - and if you can reall try to get rid of most of the sugar - you may be amazed at how differently food tastes - because you're actually tasting the food, and not having to salt and season it to death to taste it because your taste buds are coated with dairy, or desiring the fat/salt combo. The crispy rice bars are really good, easier to make than the peanut butter cups, and healthier than the cups, too. You might want to try those next.

Sorry, Dawn, kind of hijacked the thread here. Danielle - you could always post on my board, or send an email if you like. You were just so enthusiastic when you started, I'd hate to see you give up because you can;t find a balance.

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Thats awesome I know u can do it!! If you can do it, so can I. Gosh you sound just like me. I think the longest ive gone without sugar is a day. Sugar is the devil. We can do this!!!!

Indeed!!!  The answer lies somewhere in the middle of will power, having the proper nutrients, getting enough protein, going cold turkey, and simply making the decision.  Its not easy ever when you are addicted to sugar and it truly is an addiction.  Try only eating it with meals for awhile and it may not affect you as badly and perhaps you can start to get off the roller coaster.

I have a major problem with candy. I do really well with eating healthy for a while and then all of a sudden the skittles start calling. Or the fat does, fries mostly. I'm still not a vegetarian but I have found things that are meatless that taste really good so I'm trying to get the meat out of my diet. Fake meat worked but then I got really bad food poisoning from fake chicken wings and found a piece of cardboard in a veggie bite, both from products made by Morning Star so I'm unwilling to try them again. I need more planning and really good recipes and I'll try again. I lent my copy of the Kind Diet to a friend so as soon as I get it back I'm trying Alicia's recipes.

Hey everyone! I'm just chiming in with tons of sympathy and a message of encouragement from the "other side"--the other side, that is, of the sugar addiction. I've battled it myself my whole life; through every kind of eating habit (veggie, vegan, meatasaurus), always, always, sugar was the one consistent item that derailed my attempts to be healthier, maintain/reduce my weight, stabilize my moods, you name it. I'd go along okay for a little while, then suddenly find myself diving headfirst into a five-pound bag of cinnamon bears or jelly bellies, emerging crabby, exhausted, and with subsequent cravings not only for more sugar per se but often also for refined wheat and dairy (also sugars, just different forms). I've been there -- over and over again.

Here's the thing:  I ESCAPED.  When I really made the commitment to go permanently vegan, I knew that sugar could derail me. So I stopped. Altogether. No candy, no packaged food, no refined products, no milled grains, no questionable condiments -- seriously, I gave up ketchup. Over time, I found I could tolerate a little brown rice or agave syrup in some recipes, so long as I carefully balanced everything else. How to balance everything else? I centered my diet completely on whole grains, beans, and veggies, especially greens, with occasional fruits (berries, apples and pears) -- pretty much everything Alicia recommends and that other sources confirm. Also, I exercise, which I think really helps to stabilize the hormones that can lead us to sugar chaos.

And it's worked. For me, lifetime sugar junkie from hell. My energy has stabilized, I don't get cravings, I feel steady and well nourished and remarkably happy. Sugar doesn't own me anymore. Plus, bonus -- lost 20 lbs.

My point?  You can ABSOLUTELY DO THIS. I'm not saying that you have to do exactly what I did, but I am saying that you absolutely have the ability to figure out what will work for you and to succeed. Good luck!

I was in the exact same situation, I could not stop at just one bite!

I found the best way to overcome sugar addiction is by replacing it with sweet fruit....mother nature's sugar.