Sugar: I Used to Love It

My Favorite Candy

When I was a kid, I craved sugar all the time.  It wasn't so bad at first, but as I went through high school, the craving grew worse.

I'm going to tell you some kind of gross stuff I used to do, but don't worry, there is a point.

I could eat an entire jumbo bag of Wint-O-Green Lifesavers in a couple hours.  While I ate that, I would alternate eating a couple cans of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles.  In four or five hours, while reading a good book, I could eat all three packages.  Gross, huh?

It got worse.  Sometimes, I would crave sugar so much that I would go upstairs, get a 1/4 cup of sugar and just eat it.

As I neared my senior year, my appetite just increased.  I could sit down, devour an entire medium pizza, stand up and be hungry again.  It seemed as though I was never satiated. 

I didn't worry about it too much.  After all, I was a teenager.  We were renowned for eating a lot.  However, I forgot that I had stopped growing when I was in eighth grade.

Finally, during my senior year, I began to gain weight.  Which was ridiculous because I led a super-active lifestyle. We went to doctor to see if something was wrong.  The doctor had a theory.  They decided to have me return the following day for some tests.

I was asked to drink a super nasty, syrupy drink.  Then for the next few hours, they would take my blood every hour or so.  The drink was gross.  I liked sugar, but not that much.

A few days later, they had the results back.

I had insulin resistance.

The doctor informed me that if I didn't cut back on my sugar intake, that I would have diabetes within ten years.  They gave me a medicine to help my insulin, and then advised me to eat more protein with my carbohydrates. 

Since then, several years have passed.  Since my pregnancy, I haven't been on the drug anymore.  However, I still don't crave sugar like I once did.  In fact, my husband sometimes tells me that I don't eat enough of it. I still like cookies, mints, and Pringles, but I now get tired of them.  Candy that used to last me hours lasts me days, and sometimes weeks.

The best thing of all?  I now feel full after I eat, and the feeling lasts.  I am so grateful that I was able to get my insulin resistance under control when we did.  I am nearing my decade mark, and I don't think I'll be getting diabetes anytime soon.  I didn't have it when I was pregnant, and that was a huge blessing.

Why did I write this blog?  It is meant to be a warning.  If you, or someone you love is experiencing sugar cravings like I did or doesn't ever feel full after eating, it might be worth it to take them to the doctor.  Insulin resistance is better than diabetes, and much more manageable.  If you are gaining weight and it is really difficult to lose, get checked out.  This is a completely preventable thing.

I used to really love sugar.  Now, I just like it, and I'm much happier for it.