To be amazed at the difference after cutting down on this?

I love herbal tea as it is and so id pick a green tea or fresh mint tea.

I csrry snacks with me if I know im on a long day ojt protein bar or nuts like walnuts. Most stuff in a cafe is kore than its worth and not the right type of food I want to eat anyway. But since I eat protein it fills me up so I don't really need a pick me up for energy more like a break for my feet and to hydrate

Honestly im not bothered. Ive been eating maybe some crackers or crisps. Im low sugar/carb. I couldn't do none but I've had no chocolates, cakes , biscuits etc

Im having small amounts of white rice but no bread or pasta

I saw a documentary once that said that the gut bacteria you have that thrive off the food you eat will
make you crave more of that food. So if you eat lots of processed food and sugar etc you will crave more of it because of the gut-brain axis.
I have been eating very healthily for a couple of months - mainly whole food and getting 6 or 7 portions of fruit and veg every day and it’s all I want to eat these days so there may be some truth to it.

To be honest when I have it I don't feel as good the food just makes me feel more tired cos it does spike your insulin. So hence why its easier for me to avoid as much as possible.

Its like when I had some birthday cake, it just tasted sickly sweet I couldn't have more than two forks of it as it had been so long since I had something like that.

I was under the impression that sugar cravings still remain as long as white carbs are consumed, so that's good that these one off meals don't cause general sugar cravings to return.

I’ve lost a load of weight since cutting down on sweets, biscuits, and crisps. We literally don’t buy them anymore. Instead, we buy strawberries and raspberries and I have pomegranates in my porridge. It’s helped me lose 20lbs over the last 4 months. I’m aiming for 42lbs in total so got a way to go but I’m happy with that.

Jumping in to say I don't crave white carbs. If I go out and they don't offer brown rice I ask for rice to be left off the meal. I wouldnt pick pasta to eat. Or if I know where I am going out for a meal ill make sure my entire week is good to compensate for a one off meal and definitely go to the gym that day or the next. I don't look to climate everything completely but where I can I will.

What do people have as a hot chocolate replacement when you've just come in from severe cold? I find I desperately need that combination of warmth and dopamine. I tried one of those mushroom hot chocolates from H&B once and it wasn't good.

Also, if you're out and about all day and get knackered and need a pick me up, do you have a bowl of chips in a cafe instead of cake? I'm not THAT much of a sugar addict but these are two main uses for it I struggle to think of replacements for.

Do you not still get cravings though from white carbs, or have you cut them out too? If so, how?! I can't imagine navigating eating out without consuming white pasta or rice.

Yeah my skin is better and my bowels !!

I’ve given up sugar/biscuits/cakes in the past with no discernible difference. I also regularly stop drinking alcohol like for Lent. No difference there either! I just assume it’s doing my body good even if I can’t feel it (and no I don’t lose weight just by going it up either).

Thanks. I’m going to try this 😀

I don’t notice a difference in mood but I find that my skin is better when I cut down sugar. I don’t have sugar during the week, but I will eat it at weekends. We usually go for dinner at weekends and I have a cocktail, glass of wine and/or a dessert. I think that life’s too short to deny yourself completely!

I agree re it being addictive. It calls u. Says'insert your name, u know want to'

At one point I had to consume more and more to get the same dopamine hit from the sugar. I overhauled my diet focus on protein to support my weight training as I wanted ro ensure I have good muscle mass to support me as I get older. I carb cycle but the carbs i have are wholegrain rice for example. Healthy fats like avocado.

I haven't touched ultra processed food for 12 weeks now. The only bits I might have are any rubs or marinades I might use but they are in such small amounts it hardly has an impact.

At my nieces birthday I had only two forkfuls of birthday cake because it tasted so sweet but it was quite interesting to see how quickly the craving for more kicks in!

I am aiming for a certain weight so more stricter than usual but im not miserable in my choices. Ill loosen up a bit later on but to be honest I don't really want to eat that type of food anymore.

Yes I’m so healthy after years of reduced sugar, healthier in my 40s than ever. I always felt hot, itchy, sugar crashes, fake energy, weight gain, always needing another hit!

How's eveyone getting on? Still no sugar or very low! Lost 4kg so about 8lbs. I dont even want sugar now

I don’t have a full length mirror at home. When I see myself in the hotel full length mirrors I can evaluate my tum. It’s then I think “right! Cut down on sugary snacks and do some exercises.” This was 2 months ago and I’ve cut down on crisps and sugary snacks. There’s always so much of it at work too, so I’ll have to keep being good. If someone has made a cake I’ll have some but I’ve knocked the shop bought stuff on the head. I’m doing ab exercises too and my core does feel a bit stronger.

Yes well done! Sugar is poison

I went camping and had some ice cream and chocolate snacks. Don’t feel great. Earlier in the week though was in coffee shops and didn’t have cake- except for a Krispy Kreme. It was so artificial and rich!

How's everyone getting on? We've been on a holiday this week and I didnt eat sugar

well done OP! I have such a sweet tooth, and need to find a way to do this

Thank you. I think I'm going to cut myself some slack and do as you suggest - continue having something sweet but only as part of a meal. So if I really want a bit of cake I shall have it as pudding rather than as an add on. I'm resigned to not being able to cut sugar altogether, but I know I'll feel better if I can think 'it's pudding, not a snack...'

I think that sounds really healthy! I eat lots of fruit and also have sweet items at times - I made chocolate muffins with DS yesterday and I definitely had one at dinner!

What seems to make a difference for me is having really sweet food as part of a meal or larger snack, not on its own!