Ditching Sugar Won’t Stop Your Binges. But This Will.
For years, I was convinced I had a sugar addiction.
I’d swear off chocolate, cut out dessert, avoid anything with “too much” sugar. I’d feel great for a few days, convinced I was finally back in control… and then the weekend would hit, or a stressful day would come along, and I’d find myself deep in a binge.
I’d eat all the things I told myself I “wasn’t allowed” - and then feel like I’d failed. Again.
It felt like sugar had this power over me. Like I was totally addicted.
But here’s what I know now, both from my own journey and through years of helping others heal their relationship with food:
Sugar isn’t the problem. Restriction is.
Is Sugar Actually Addictive?
You’ve probably seen those viral headlines or videos claiming that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. It’s a bold claim - and it’s everywhere.
But where does that idea come from?
It’s usually based on a study done on rats. In the study, the rats were deliberately starved and then they were given the option: sugar water or cocaine. Guess what? They chose the sugar over cocaine.
So, the media jumped in with the dramatic headline: “Sugar is more addictive than cocaine!”
But let’s take a closer look. The rats were deprived of food. They were hungry and underfed. When animals (and humans!) are deprived of energy, the brain drives them to seek out quick, high-energy foods - like sugar. What they don’t tell you in those headlines is that when rats are not starved and have regular access to food, they don’t binge on sugar. They actually self-regulate.
We aren’t rats, of course. But the principle applies.
When we restrict food - when we under-eat, skip meals, or label certain foods as “bad” - we create the perfect conditions for bingeing.
It’s not because sugar is addictive. It’s because we’re hungry, deprived, and stuck in a cycle of guilt and control.
Cutting Out Sugar Often Backfires
If you’ve ever tried to give up sugar completely, you probably know how it plays out:
You do well for a few days.
Then you start craving the very things you’ve banned.
You give in and end up bingeing.
You feel guilty.
And then you promise to start over again tomorrow (or Monday).
Sound familiar?
That’s not because you’re addicted to sugar or lacking willpower. It’s because restriction fuels the binge.
When we label sugar as “bad” or something we need to avoid, it becomes more tempting. More exciting. More powerful.
The more off-limits it is, the more we think about it. And when we finally “give in,” we often eat way more than we actually want because we think we’ve blown it.
This cycle keeps you stuck. And exhausted.
So What Does Work?
If you want to stop binge eating for good, your approach to food needs to be something you can stick with, long term. That means letting go of the all-or-nothing thinking and finding a more balanced way to eat.
What actually works is eating regularly and consistently throughout the day; including foods you enjoy, including the sweet stuff; stopping the guilt and shame spiral when you eat something “off plan” and giving yourself full permission to eat, because all this reduces the power food has over you.
It might sound counterintuitive, but when you stop restricting sugar, you actually crave it less. It becomes just another food. No drama. No guilt.
I Know This Isn’t Easy
I know how real it feels to think you’re addicted to sugar. I know what it’s like to feel completely out of control. And I also know that more restriction isn’t the answer.
What helps is learning to trust your body again. And giving yourself permission to eat, without rules, without guilt, and without fear.
Want to Stop the Binges, without giving up sugar?
That’s exactly what we work on inside the Binges to Balance Academy. It’s a supportive membership that helps you break the binge-restrict cycle, rebuild trust with your body, and create a calm, balanced relationship with food.
If you’re ready to stop feeling out of control and start feeling more at peace around food—without cutting out the things you enjoy—this is the place to start.
👉 Click here for more information about the Academy
You don’t need to fight sugar. You just need a different approach.