Give up sugar with me!

[Calixtine]

I’m completely hooked on sugar and desperately want rid of it! Anyone else?

I have a history of compulsive eating (under and over) and although I’ve made huge strides with food generally, I feel like sugar is the one thing I still have a really toxic relationship with. Chocolate and cake are my heroin!

I’m not looking to give up carbs or naturally-occurring sugars (in fruit, etc). I’m not even looking to lose weight. I just want to ditch those totally nutritionally void processed sweet treats. Completely. I’ve tried to reduce/moderate and it just does not work for me.

I’d love some GUS buddies if anyone else is thinking about it!

[Omgyouatetheprincess]

Yes! I feel like I could have written that post! I really struggle with it and I know I am addicted.
Currently on morning one with no chocolate/sugar. Just trying to get to lunchtime.. baby steps

[Huntlybyelection]

Me! Me!
I've posted - I read the Allen Carr book Easy way to Give Up Sugar. The smoking one worked for me and I was desperate to fond a way to stop eating sugar so gave this a go.

I joked a few weeks ago that I was probably about 80% sugar but it was sort of true. Compulsive sweet and chocolate and cake eating. Urgh, it made me feel ashamed and guilty.

I'm still eating fruit and carbs. It's the sweet sand biscuits and cake and chocolate I've stopped. Going ok so far. Not massively missing it, I just don't want to eat it.

I need to now focus on getting a handle on emotional eating.

So I'm with you too!

[Omgyouatetheprincess]

@Huntlybyelection did you find the book really helped?
I just need to pull myself from the mindset that I'm eating sugar to 'relax' when I don't feel good after eating it, I always feel guilty. Especially with the amount I eat.
Well done for getting this far!

[Huntlybyelection]

It absolutely helped.

I started reading it, got near the end and put it to one side for about 3 weeks and ate shitloads of sweets and chocolate, got a grip on myself and finished it.

Some of it is a bit nonsense but it basically talks you through cravings and once you recognise them it helps manage your thoughts.

I was just tired of feeling bad about myself. I didn't want to feel guilty any more. It was exhausting.

[Omgyouatetheprincess]

Oh I'll take a look at that then.

How do you distract yourself away from the cravings?

I've made it to lunch time hurrah. Although I'm starting to feel like I want that post lunch sugar rush.

[Huntlybyelection]

I don't really need to distract myself - the book is very good at unravelling all that.

It's practically brainwashing. Which is maybe sinister but I also don't really want to eat sweets and chocolate any more so... swings and roundabouts and so on.

I drink water. I drink loads of coffee. I eat fruit. I try and figure out if I am actually hungry or just want to eat for something to do.

But it's been ok.

I have eaten the odd plain scone and had 2 marshmallows yesterday - they were really too sweet. The biggest thing is I don't want to keep eating sweets after I have eaten a scone or marshmallow. I don't have that overwhelming pull to keep shoving in sweets and chocolate that I did before.

[Calixtine]

Hello both of you! That book sounds interesting, @Huntlybyelection, I’ll have to see if I can get hold of a copy. I haven’t been toooootally sugar free today, but just one “cave” and so much better than normal. Onto tomorrow and hopefully I’ll manage to do it properly! Have either of you ever tried this before?

[Huntlybyelection]

Never tried it before, was too scared of feeling deprived of cake.

But I had to do it, my eating was getting out of hand.

[Cantdoright1]

Hi, I gave up sugar in march and still going strong. I do feel much better for it as I was eating sugar constantly. I do find it a bit antisocial if I go for a cuppa with friends and can't have a cake. It's also very hard when im out and need a pick me up as I have 2 young kids as there's not much you can get. I also gave up all fizzy drinks at the same time as I was addicted to diet coke. I had a diet coke last week for the first time in months and thought it was yuk.

Im eating alot more crisps and things like cheese strings. So I've actually put on weight.

But I don't get energy ups and downs anymore. I generally have much more energy than before and it's constant.

It's well worth doing and it gets easier when you get through the first 2 weeks. Also if you then eat a cake after a month off it might give you quite a stomach ache.

My sweet treats now are fruit especially a melon. That's my go to if I need a sweet treat. Good luck!

[Omgyouatetheprincess]

Hi @Calixtine! I also had one cave today - but I managed to stop myself shortly after, so slight progress!

I did manage to slightly give it up about 5 years ago but that was due to exercising so much and almost being obsessive about how many calories I was eating, it wasn't healthy.

I just want to be able to find a healthy medium where when I fancy it I can just have a little bit and feel satisfied, and not have to rely on it if that makes sense!

[Calixtine]

That would be amazing, @Omgyouatetheprincess. I hope I can get there.

And @Cantdoright1 well done!

[Glitteryglitter]

Can I join!

I'm addicted to diet coke, I actually have cravings for it and I don't even enjoy drinking it anymore! I also crave sugary things! I've gone from having the odd bit of dark chocolate here and there to a bar of chocolate or packets of sweets every day, I'll even go to the shop on the way home to buy sweets

[Omgyouatetheprincess]

Hi @Glitteryglitter I'm the same with Pepsi max too!

So today I've managed to stock up on lots of savoury food that I like. So if I feel like I have to eat something at least it won't be sugary.

Fingers crossed for a good day today!

I do also have a can of Pepsi max as a treat

[goose1964]

If you miss sweets Ricola are really nice, as are Werthers Original sugar free. These are sweetened with stevia so shouldn't be laxative. I also found a sugar free chocolate in Tesco.

I've been mainly sugar free for years and little things like this help me keep it up.

[ppeatfruit]

This is interesting because I don't eat a load of sugar but my daily fix of dark not too sweetened chocolate was getting bigger! I couldn't eat anything because of an infected tooth last weekend and now I've been treated I've got a headache but I'm still not eating the choc.!!! The weight is dropping off me!

I did use molasses as a sweetener in drinks and cooking cakes , that's actually healthy but I don't crave it. it's much better than aspartame doesn't have a weird taste like stevia either.

[Huntlybyelection]

I've found not replacing sweets with sugar free versions to be easier - that is I don't eat anything in place of the bar of chocolate and biscuit I had in the afternoon. If I ate sugar free werthers, it would still be feeding that habit if you see what I mean?

It was eating for the sake of eating as well as being addicted to sugar. I don't want to keep up the eating-because-its-3pm habit.

So no replacements. I'm trying to think "am I actually hungry?" And then if I am I have some fruit if it's not close to a meal time.

Although "close to a meal time" is approx 5 minutes. I ate some ham slices yesterday evening and it was approx 15 minutes before my tea was going to be ready...

I'm not perfect in this. But I want to not eat sugar and not eat out of habit or for emotional reasons

Remind me of this later - I've had a shitty day and the next 15 days look hectic so...

[ppeatfruit]

You could make a ginger\molasses tea which is healthy and nice (not cravable). or a huge glass of filtered water with 2 or 3 drops of ess oil of mint, that's fab ! I have it in the evening because I stop eating at 5pm. My own version of The Fast Diet.

[RoseyPeas]

How are people doing on this? I have just started today but am having sweetener and sugar free sweets from M&S. Will be interesting to see if sweeteners make it harder to resist sugar. I am also addicted to diet coke and can easily drink 2l a day. I have given it up several times but gone back on it
I heard a podcast recently saying to approach dieting thinking that it's an interesting science experiment!!

[ppeatfruit]

I'm drinking filtered water all day with 2\3 drops of ess. oil of peppermint in it, it's lovely and removes the sugar cravings! Mind you I have never been into fizzy syrup drinks like cxke so maybe I have an advantage Rosey ( I won't type the name I'll just get cookies !!)

[ppeatfruit]

Oh silly me I just read my one before post and I suggested the mint and water drink then It does help though !!

[Huntlybyelection]

Hello!
I've been struggling a bit. Having a tough time for a variety of reasons. Had a piece of millionaires shortbread on Tuesday, basically inhaled it. Glorious. And an ice cream yesterday.

I haven't wanted to binge after. But I am really conscious of how easy it will be to slip back into the "just one ice cream a day won't hurt" routine and I don't want that. I don't want back into that trap, and I really was feeling trapped by my eating.

I'll keep going. It's been fine mostly! And I'm conscious of my eating now!

[ppeatfruit]

Huntly I'm cutting down on carbs too (I've reached the age where I get affected negatively by a lot of foods!). I've a feeling that the c ombination of wheat and fat and sugar is REALLY addictive!!

[RoseyPeas]

@Huntlybyelection that's very familiar to me. Over the years I have given up a variety of unhealthy foods and gone back to them by thinking that a little won't hurt!
I have come to realise that I can't do moderation when it comes to food, although I can be successful in other areas of my life.

@ppeatfruit wish I had never started drinking the stuff. I do struggle with what to drink when out. Diet cxke is always available. Easier at home but I feel like I should have a treat when out

[ppeatfruit]

I use a helpful digestive when I've been eating the wrong things for me , at a nice restaurant etc. It's by Viridian called Betaine and Gentian (it's very gentle, natural) I'm not selling it honest but it does get 'things going' if you know what I mean

[ppeatfruit]

I can't believe how much better my skin looks AND the bags under my eyes are finally getting less!!! Sugar is evil!!!