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Original poster

How long does it take to get used to not having sugar in tea?

34 replies

imnotarunnerivetried · 10/10/2019 18:43

I'm trying to cut down on sugar and have gone from two spoons to one in my tea. I'm now on none and have been for a few days but how long does it take for your tastebuds to adjust? Seems so bitter!

OP posts:
StillWeRise · 10/10/2019 18:48

to make it easy you should have taken it slower- go half a teaspoon, then a quarter. Once you're on a quarter anything more will taste disgustingly sweet and it's easier to say 'no sugar' than have people put a whole half teaspoon in.

ifigoup · 10/10/2019 18:50

My mum once gave up sugar in tea for Lent (so about six weeks) and when she had a cup with sugar in afterwards she found it so disgusting she never had sugar in tea again.

Will0wtree · 10/10/2019 18:50

I can't remember how long it took, but the compensation is that once you DO get used to it then you really can't bear it with sugar. I used to take two sugars, but now take nothing, and I can tell if someone stirs my cup of tea with a spoon that they've used to stir a sugary cup of tea and it completely wrecks it and I have to make another.

(Just wish I could cut out sugar in other things...she says, eating a lump of Toblerone with my sugar-free tea...)

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Aquamarine1029 · 10/10/2019 18:51

It really doesn't take long. A few days and you'll be fine. Keep it up!

madcatladyforever · 10/10/2019 18:51

I never got used to it in 20 years of trying. I take canderel.

EvenPhilip · 10/10/2019 18:52

I'm 2 weeks in after going cold turkey and now don't even think about it.

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 10/10/2019 18:53

Not long! A week or so. Once you've got used to it, you'll find sweet tea utterly repulsive - honestly.

Justmuddlingalong · 10/10/2019 18:56

I went from 2 sugars to none and found it easy straight away in coffee. I still find tea rotten sugar free, even years later. So I seldom have tea and when I do I have a sneaky wee sugar in it.

firstimemamma · 10/10/2019 18:57

I went from one to half then after a few weeks half to none. A gentler transition!

WorraLiberty · 10/10/2019 19:01

My mum once gave up sugar in tea for Lent (so about six weeks) and when she had a cup with sugar in afterwards she found it so disgusting she never had sugar in tea again.

OMG I think I might be your mum! Shock Grin

I did exactly the same thing when I was about 12 or 13 years old and couldn't stand even half a teaspoon of sugar after that.

Bleurrrgghh!

FriedasCarLoad · 10/10/2019 19:04

My parents and husband gave up sugar in tea (separately).

Each was challenged to go without for a week, but drink the same amount of tea as usual.

I suspect not a fun week, but it worked well for all of them - none ever wanted to go back to sugar in tea.

NecklessMumster · 10/10/2019 19:08

Everyone told me a week but it took 2 Grin
To begin with you are forcing a horrible drink down and thinking 'what's the point?' but then it becomes normal and sugary tea then tastes vile. Still like a bit of sugar in coffee though

DtPeabodysLoosePants · 10/10/2019 19:13

I cut down to half a spoonful from a full one to start with then kept forgetting to add sugar and didn't really notice too much. I only drink 2-3 cups a day. I've been without sugar in my tea for about 6 months now. I'm a frightful sugar fiend but it's not bothered me at all.

bbciiu · 10/10/2019 19:29

When I was a kid I'd have 3, 4, sometimes 5 sugar cubes in my tea! Now I have none, and I have no milk either.

It's a slow process.

GymNovice · 10/10/2019 19:36

Put a bit more milk in it!

yellowallpaper · 10/10/2019 19:46

Yes, just go down a quarter of a teaspoon at a time. Maybe for a week or two? Eventually your taste buds do adjust. Even a speck of sugar in my drinks tastes revolting. Coffee takes longer than tea to adjust to.

lazylinguist · 10/10/2019 19:49

I can't remember, but it's worth it - you will hate sugar in tea once you've kicked the habit. I'm not generally a fussy person food and drink-wise, but if I accidentally drink tea with sugar in now, I have to restrain myself from actually spitting it out!

RopeBrick · 10/10/2019 19:51

A few weeks

rosy71 · 10/10/2019 19:51

I can't get used to tea without sugar. I went from 2 spoons to one to one flat one but hate it without sugar. Coffee, on the other hand, I found it really easy to cut sugar out.

I now only drink one cup of tea a day to avoid too much sugar. Previously, I'd have 5 or 6. I have a couple of coffees instead.

abitoflight · 10/10/2019 19:57

About 18 months to really enjoy tea for me
Coffee oddly was about 2 weeks

Original poster
imnotarunnerivetried · 10/10/2019 20:00

Great, thanks everyone. Am holding on to the fact that I will soon hate the taste of sugar in tea!

OP posts:
RozHuntleysStump · 10/10/2019 20:05

I gave it up in January. It took a month or so before I stopped missing sugar. So persevere!

paw1977 · 10/10/2019 20:06

I used to have two spoons of sugar, I then switched to 2 sweetener but then that was too sweet so I cut back to one . Within 3 weeks I'm now not having any sugar or sweetners in my tea

EskewedBeef · 10/10/2019 20:14

I weaned my husband off two sugars in a couple of weeks.

bellinisurge · 10/10/2019 20:22

After 50 years, I gave up completely. Never looked back.

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