How to Stop Sugar Addiction

Do you Struggle with Sugar Addiction? 

We were Overweight, Unhealthy, Sugar Addicted Doctors who changed.

We want to show you that we not only...

talk the talk, but also walk the walk.

Dr Lucy Burns

I don’t have a lot of photos of when I was overweight. I tried my best to avoid photos, feeling uncomfortable and if I’m honest - ashamed of my body. I had stopped caring about it. I was a frumpy middle-aged woman destined to wear elastic-waisted pants.

You see I didn’t want to “give up” chocolate and lollies...

I always joked “Lucy Loves Lollies”...

I loved sitting down after dinner watching telly and eating most or all of a block of chocolate.

If it wasn’t chocolate, it was ice cream and if it wasn’t ice cream, it was lollies.
I didn’t want to admit it but I was addicted, hook, line and sinker, to sugar.

And do you know what?

My drug was available in many different forms, it’s socially acceptable, it’s legal and there are “dealers” everywhere!

The idea of stopping seemed too much...

How would sitting on the couch reading a book be any fun without a bag of Malteasers?

What would I eat at the movies?

What about parties, book group, coffee dates?

My thoughts about these things were all about the food. In fact, my whole life was all about food!

One day, it stopped!

Enough was enough. I got on the scales. I was heavier than when I was 9 months pregnant! I learned about insulin. I was, in fact, insulin resistant and pre-diabetic.

A wonderful doctor friend introduced me to LCHF and I never looked back. No longer hungry, I was able to work on my mindset and boy that needed a lot of work!

Once the physiological driver of hunger had gone, I had much more control. I acknowledged my sugar addiction and I know that I can’t eat sugar without dire consequences.

Many of my patients hear me say “one is too many, 1000 is never enough“, that resonated so strongly with me...

My mantras - “I don’t eat bread. I don’t eat cake. I don’t eat lollies”

I don’t miss them.

I have food freedom.

My mind is quiet.

I am in control.

I have gone from overwhelmed and overweight to in control and full of health!

Dr Mary Barson

Change is possible, change is beautiful, helping people change is what I live for.

A few years ago I was overweight and overwhelmed.

I had badly controlled polycystic ovarian syndrome and was stuck in a hideous sugar addiction/carb craving/hyperinsulinaemic negative feedback loop from hell.

I was horribly busy (as so many of us are) working heaps, studying more and trying to keep my life afloat. The life of a doctor can be pretty unhealthy sometimes...

I knew better but the stress of work + exams wore me down and sent me to the ice-cream freezer time and time again for both soothing and solace.

By chance, I stumbled across a  30 day low carb challenge at a local gym, I had a supportive group of colleagues who cajoled me into doing it with them. I had never heard of a low carb lifestyle before. But, with support from my colleagues and my competitive type A personality not wanting to be outdone - I managed to do it.

The results were startling...

Utterly startling.

In less than 30 days my sugar cravings vanished, my energy returned and my PCOS symptoms disappeared. Weight was falling off me and I was awestruck that I could walk past ice-cream and not want it...

Being the curious mind that I am, I looked into the scientific data. I found that the data was robust. This stuff was not in the mainstream medical paradigm but clever scientists had known about it for years...

Low Carb Real Food made so much sense I felt dumb for not thinking of it before.
After the intensive 30-day challenge was over, I managed to slowly (but not perfectly, I stumbled plenty) change my habits for good.

Behaviour change needs knowledge of what to do, the desire to do it and the skills to implement it...

I had the knowledge, the desire and I managed to build my own Low Carb Real Food lifestyle skills.
Now I can't even imagine eating the way I did...

I have changed.

Ice-cream is no longer my soother or solace.

With the right tools, change became easy.

What I thought was impossible became possible.
I am healthy, energetic and loving life.
I am no longer overwhelmed.

Dr Lucy and I have similar stories.

However, more powerful than our own stories, are the stories of the patients that we have helped.

People losing 10, 20, 30kg+...

Fibromyalgia symptoms vanishing, joint pain reversing, fatty liver disappearing, type 2 diabetes remitting, sugar cravings stopping for good.

Helping people get well is the reason I go to work with a smile and spring in my step.
I love it.
Dr Lucy and I have lived through the struggle of behaviour change.

We love helping other people change their lives too.

We know this community will be helpful to you on your journey to health and vitality.

Dr Mary Barson and Dr Lucy are the co-owners of Real Life Medicine. They help women who have been on every diet under the sun, improve their metabolism and learn mindset skills, so they can achieve optimal health and long lasting weight loss. With this comes increased energy, vitality and confidence. You can avoid chronic disease and stop living life on the sidelines!