Does Eating Sugar Make You Feel Guilty? by Joan Kent, PhD

No logic exists around this. We usually feel guilty in the face of wrongdoing or sin.

 

Sugar may taste wickedly good, but it’s legal and readily available. So what’s up with the guilt?

 

I’ve been thinking about this, reading about it, and thinking some more. Apparently, we feel guilty when we believe – accurately or not – that we’ve compromised our standards. Or have failed to live up to expectations.

 

Presumably our own expectations, but maybe someone else’s?

 

Many years ago (back during my sugar days), I showed up for work one morning and went to the break room to make a cup of tea. A tray of cookies was on the table, and I took one.

 

A co-worker whom I barely knew walked in and said, “Caught you!”

 

It was fascinating. I hadn’t done anything “sneaky.”  Hadn’t been looking around to see if I could ‘get away’ with taking a cookie.  Didn’t jump with guilt when she walked in.  Hadn’t taken a bite of the cookie.  Hadn’t done anything to invite her comment.

 

As I said, I was still an active sugar-eater then, so what I did was in line with my “expectations,” such as they were.

 

Based on the explanation above, then, I must have failed to live up to her expectations.

 

But let’s go back to why someone might feel guilty after eating sugar.

 

My reading indicates that guilt is closely related to remorse. Maybe we’ve tried to stay away from sugar and failed. Is that regret then accompanied by guilt?

 

Also, the symptoms of clinical depression and/or anxiety often include guilt. And that’s where the brain chem thing lights up for me.

 

Sugar can exacerbate symptoms of both depression and anxiety.  Maybe there’s a Food & Mood trifecta here:

• Eat sugar.
• Make depression (or anxiety) worse.
• Feel guilty generally – and especially about eating sugar.

 

What about you? Have you ever felt guilty about eating sugar? Have you ever had a guilty reaction if someone walked in while you were eating it?

 

More Importantly, What Can You Do?

 

Tip 1

Find an accountability partner who won’t judge you but will help you stay on track. It might help if she/he is on a similar quest with sugar, so you can support each other.

 

Tip 2

Put the opinions of others in their rightful place. Be merciless – their opinions typically do NOT belong high on your list.

 

For example, the woman I mentioned above once said the same thing when she walked in as I took a cherry tomato from a bowl of them on the table! Maybe she’s someone with food issues of her own.

 

Ya think?

 

Anyway, if you struggle with sugar and would like expert help from someone who knows exactly what you’re going through, I’d love to help you. Just visit LastResortNutrition and grab your free report: “3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Trying to Quit Sugar.” Discover how easy it is to make small shifts that can give you huge results!

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar:  7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.