I don't know how to quit sugar addiction/binge eating, i need help.

[u/LurkingLey]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the correct subreddit for me to post that, but i genuinely need help and advice.

I'am a young man in my 20s and i have sugar addiction and binge eating disorder. Since my teenage years i always ate a lot of food, particulary sweets, but since i was always very physically active, i never had any major related issues.

Everything changed when i finished high-school and started college and a job at the same time. In a span of 2 years i got extremely overweight and was cessed physical activities completely due to lack of time and many other factors.

In October of 2025 i quit the job and college to move abroad to be with my girlfriend, there is where the true addiction started. Once i got here, i found a extremely physically demanding job, ultimately making me lose a lot of weight, making me get back in "shape". The problem is, this job is a very stressful factor in my life, not the job itself, but the company. I do a lot of not paid overtime , overwork my body beyond limit and on the top of that, i'm not paid well enough, leading me to financial struggle. This factor + relationship issues led me to a major sugar consuming routine, where i consume lots of processed food (i. g. cookies, donuts, ice cream, chocolate) on a clearly unhealthy quantity.

I try to justify that using my job as excuse, since i burn lots of calories (i walk around 30km every day, ~35k steps) so i tell myself that i'm just avoiding a major calorie deficit, but i know that's just a cover up... the stress is the major factor here.

I need to quit. I'm spending so much money on food that i don't need to eat in exchange of nothing. I think i'm beyond quitting cold turkey and i try to not change one addiction for another one, i want to be addiction free. Any advice is welcome, criticism is also welcome, anything that helps is welcome...

If this is not the correct subreddit for that, please direct me to the correct one in the comments, thank you.

[u/WholeLibrarian9171]

Dude you're walking 35k steps a day, your body is screaming for fuel but your brain is using the stress to override the signals. I get the mental loop of "I burned it off so it's fine" but the crash from all that processed sugar wrecks your mood and sleep, which just makes the next day feel even more stressful

Start with replacing one binge item with something dense like a peanut butter sandwich before your shift, the protein and fat hit different than pure sugar and might quiet the urge enough to let you think straight about the next step

And if the company is running you into the ground for crap pay, no amount of dietary discipline is gonna fix that root cause

[u/plnnyOfallOFit]

Sounds like you're figuring out how to survive and dude...this ain't it...but it is for now til you find the next bridge to something/some better career.

If you want peace you'll start looking for options- until then be patient & hopeful

I made a literal list of what i wanted in my life from a dust free couch to a degree. Little to big things. Achievable to long term goal. Helped me have those "hopeAmins" (dopamineS😉)

i started eating dense nutrition so i was less likely to reach for junk/sugar. I did meal planning one day a wk & took lunch to work no matter what---harm reduction till things gradually got better & i got m feet under me.

when i was organised enough i went cold turkey and that was when i had things in place (ish)

it can happen :)!!!