Is processed sugar bad for rebooting?

Yeah for me there is a strong linking between food binging and fapping... If I do one the other will happen later in the day... and I eating any kind of sugar, especially processed, but even in fruit, basically is like throwing lighter fluid on my diet. It is easy to maintain a healthy diet once I am low carbs / sugars for a week... but if not it makes it tough

Def exercise, cold showers meditation attitude toward work and life in general.... I had to commit to making progress in all of those, even if I fell, as part of staying on track

 

I never really thought about it before but I do have some self control issues with food! I'm not too overweight, and I lift weights and work out. Overall my diet is fairly healthy, but sometimes I have trouble saying no.

As far as processed sugar, I think it's simply not good for you. I think reducing your intake overall will help a reboot just because it'll improve your overall health.

BUT!!!!!

I also think you should indulge a little bit early on. I read a great book on willpower that put out the theory that it's something you have in a limited quantity throughout the day. If your goal is to drop ten pounds and you keep fighting off the urge to have a candy bar ...you might win but you used all your energy up resisting the temptation. Then later when you have to fight off the urge to PMO...you're already spent. Im not promoting food binges...but if every couple of day you want a cheat meal or are really craving a milkshake, treat yourself a bit. Trying to stick to a very strict diet (I've done it with some bodybuilding) it really takes it out of you...and I while I think a healthy diet is great along side rebooting I wouldn't recommend becoming a diet nazi while you do.

 

Well, I'd take it slowly personally. Some people find motivation in total lifestyle changes. To me sex and food are the two biggest human needs, and we're dramatically changing one of those already with a reboot. If I changed both suddenly I'd be bound to get really burned out. I'd very slowly cut out processed sugar if you're taking in a lot (like three sodas a day), if not and it's really only every few days I think you'd be okay.

 

I think eating unhealthily, not exercising, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep and the numerous other factors of living a healthy lifestyle, definitely contributes to sustaining (or failing) a reboot.

A healthy lifestyle promotes a natural offence against any kind of addiction - whether PMO or otherwise. The increased energy, positive mindframe and determination to overcome temptation, is all damaged by unhealthy living.

Processed sugar is bad for you, but so are a lot of things: staying up until 3am watching movies and playing video games. Eating fast food every day. Skipping breakfast. Drinking too much coffee. Getting very little fresh air or exercise - it all promotes an unhealthy, lethargic mindset, wholly unprepared for the onslaught of temptation that PMO brings.

So yes, I would agree that processed sugar is bad for a reboot. But rather than simply 'cutting out sugar', I think it's important to promote healthier living across the board. Give your body the best chance to recover and resist.

Just as a solider keeps in shape for the demands of the battleground, so too must we keep our minds and bodies in peak condition to fight the addiction of PMO.

Look after yourselves out there, fapstronauts.

 

Sugar is just bad for everything. It is an adddictive substance and can be used for stress relief just like PMO.

I think the real challenge for all of us is finding healthy ways of stress management.

 

I agree with this. Anything can be addictive. All things in moderation - once we're no longer addicted to them.

The ideal is to rely on our own resources, not substances or external material, to manage the stresses in our lives.

 

Destroying things is amazing. For my bachelor party instead of going to a strip club we are going to destroy things with swords and axes.

 

Hahaha. That sounds like a much better time!

 

I don't know that sugar really has a direct effect, but it's all a matter of the same self-discipline: whether you fap, watch porn, be lazy, gamble, eat sweets, drink, smoke, etc. The more of them you can cut out, the better, whether on no-PMO or not.

 

Hang on.
The thing with sugar and to a similar extent carbohydrates in general is that it's easy energy for your body to accumulate fast... it then starts getting lazy, resisting healthier food and craving more fast energy food... just because it's easier. That's the phsical addiction. But breaking this cycle does not actually take will power. That's what's so amazing about these low carb diets.
Because you can eat as much as you want whenever you want. It just has to be no carb. You do not fight cravings. You totally feed them, just with no carb snacks. And after less that a week of this your body will switch over to just burning high quality foods and tour cravings will go way down. Sure you have to keep deciding to crab a cup of almonds instead of the oreos in the kitchen but it's not like yo have to ever fight being hunger or sitting with a food urge

 

I don't think that sugar in fruit should ever be concerned unless you're trying to be lean as the bodybuilders competing, they're great for health with the vitamins and minerals in them. What you want to avoid is anything man-made and sugary. Sodas, candies, confectionery, sugary cookies, things like that. If you're interested in health, go for real food. They don't come in boxes, plastic packaging and cans, nor do they have long shelf lives.

I don't think that sugar and carbohydrates should be too much of a concern in regards to nutrition, I mean, fats and carbs give you energy and if you're living a truly healthy lifestyle and staying physically active, you shouldn't be too concerned with eating them. Don't restrict yourself too much and avoid heavily-processed foods, junk food and fast food. As long as you're maintaining a healthy body and mind, it's not gonna affect your reboot negatively and the discipline developed that way will compliment you in the long run.

 

Read through follow up comments on this and I wanted to clarify what I meant by 'indulge a bit'. I don't mean eat a whole pint of ice cream or down an entire liter of soda. I meant a cup of soda or ice cream....or a single cookie or whatever.

I've never really experienced an addiction to sugar. If I'm in a pissy mood I'll eat two steaks and eight potatoes though! I guess if you have a severe enough problem with sugar and occasional treat might not be a good thing after all....I guess it might lead to a binge a lot like MOing once can lead to a few days of it.

 

Oh wow, ok, than that is different for you, I guess my food drive, to compare it to my sex drive, goes into a "fuck everything that moves" mode when I get hungry. So I can satisfy it with something no-carb For me the hunger, or at least my stomach nagging or screaming it is hungry, would take more will power to ignore than I ever could muster. Indeed if I do hold my hunger with will power it will just end in a mother of all binges a few days down the road. But I can just replace a fistful of almonds, or a burger without the bun, for the pastry and walk away without my mind and stomach being at war. It feels more like just making a decision rather than fighting off a craving.... at least to me.

That being said I do get lazy, and stuck in a mode, where I am a few days in on the low carb reboot and decide to grab a beer or pastry etc. And this is just dumb because it is not hard for me to say no, it is brain on auto pilot. I can get away with a slip like that (as long as it is not excessive) if I am carb-rebooted and jump right back into the diet, if I have not had any carbs for a few weeks... but the mindset of "I'm not that far in what does it matter if I reset my counter now"... is pure poison... as I have been in that mode for months...