I fully intended to go sugar free for a whole month but I'll be lucky to do a whole week

[Chopsicle]

I miss chocolate, it's been 5 days I've gone without now. I used to only have chocolate at weekends but since giving birth in January I've been a chocoholic and mostly had hot chocolate everyday with actual chocolate just at weekends still.

In my plight to be healthier I decided I'd go sugar free for November but it's miserable and I miss my hot chocolate in the evenings. I'm thinking if cutting it short to a week instead if a month. Good idea? 👍🏼👎🏼

No, stick with it! This is the hardest part.
Well, nearly. Is there a fruit you love that you could eat instead?

I like bananas but have those in a morning. I need to find a substitute and quick!!

If your baby is still waking in the night you need chocolate!

I never was that into chocolate until I had a baby- the sugar combined with caffeine kept me alive.

Could you do hot cocoa without adding sugar? If you like dark chocolate it could work. If you need a bit of sweetness, try adding a spoonful of coconut cream. It's like really concentrated coconut milk.

I think you should persist!

Once you cold turkey off sweeter milk chocolate (lovely though it may be) you can re-introduce dark chocolate. A few squares really give a wonderful intense chocolatey hit.

Have you looked at no added sugar chocolate?

Tesco sell some by chocologic. It's really nice but rich so I can't eat anywhere near as much as normal chocolate. It doesn't have malitol in either which has a laxative effect. I've quit normal sugar and chocolate except for that and I've lost quite a bit of weight without really eating less otherwise.

I tried the sugar free chocolate but just made me want more!
I dont fancy drinking dark chocolate at all although I don't mind eating a small amount of dark chocolate once fast this is over!

Try chewing gum instead of chocolate.

I found chocolate caused fussiness and tummy discomfort in my babies when I was breast feeding. So there’s that too.

There are a lot words that say chocolate in your posts OP

I really like Cacao Powder with hot milk. It's pure cacao, so no added sugar or anything. IMHO it's better than hot chocolate. You can sweeten with honey...ok that's sugar...but it doesn't really need it. In fact I'm going to make one now.

The other good one is cinammon over apples in the microwave with a dollop of natural yoghurt.

I ate four cookies today in an otherwise sugar free week : ( Is sugar free November a thing?

It's not that dark, because you make it with milk, so it's still creamy.

I'll get told off for saying this I expect

I did it for two weeks. It was very boring and unrewarding really. I lost no weight, felt a bit crap whereas normally I feel fine. So it wasn't for me.

also, what sort of person are you, do you like winter? I hate it. I tried it in summer which I think gave me a better chance. My goal was always two weeks - I heard lots of stories about how it would be amazing and I'd sleep better but nothing happened really.

Nobody needs sugar laden chocolate or biscuits. You’re just craving it because your body has gotten used to using it as an energy source instead of fruits, veg, and nuts.

You'd be doing well to do a week OP, I couldn't do a day and wouldn't want to.

I’m inclined to suggest now might not be the best time - young baby, sleep deprivation, depressing dark days and all the temptations of Christmas food around...

I’ve tried to give up sugar many times and my current attempt has lasted the longest - on about six weeks now and feeling really good on it, BUT has taken a long time to get to the point where I was ready to do it, eg:

• lots of reading both for motivation and facts
• lots of thinking about what I will actually eat
• being rested enough that I’m not sugar craving all the time through tiredness
• having the time to cook food
• a few supplies that help like snack pots to remember to take oatcakes or nuts or whatever out with me and not get stuck somewhere where there’s only sugary options

If you go for the hot chocolate I would enjoy it, congratulate yourself on the days you have done sugar-free and don’t see it as a failure, just as another step on the way to being sugar free - it will tell you more about what you would need to change should you decide you really want to commit to it.

TLDR: have the hot chocolate!

I want to try and do this too. I wasn't too fussed about chocolate but since having my DS I've got a massive chocolate habit. And cake.
I am putting off starting it.
Well done for starting! Maybe it's something you need to stick with for a while to see the effects... x

Op, are you doing this for health or to loose weight? If the latter keep going and don't self sabotage,

Hot milk and cocoa powder is sugar free.

It's a health thing not weight related, I'm under 8 stone so definitely don't want to lose any weight

Then enjoy your chocolate.

I did this for 3 months before (weight loss, health, fitness thing - went v low carb). Honestly, first week was worst. But right now I cannot get started. I either crave chocolate / cake or toast & marmite. I want to go low carb again, but even cutting out sugar would be huge!

"Treats" I've tried - sliced apple with peanut butter; PB on toast / oatcakes; fruit (apples, pears, nectarines).

If it’s health related, did you have a blood sugar reading that worried you?

If it’s just a “let’s try this” thing, then try another time IF you want to.

can't be done. Sugar in honey, fruit etc etc.

rather than diet celeb-babble, what you mean is 'less added or refined sugar'. Just eat a bit less crap - that's diet foods, low-fat foods (lots of extra sugar) and anything with celeb endorsement. Eat stuff that isn't advertised.

Of course it can be done, no one forces you to eat honey or fruit etc.🤣

I'm on a health kick at the moment (calorie counting) and have been for 9 weeks. I find depriving yourself is the worst. I allow myself to have 1 dark chocolate digestive a night and it's fine. It satisfies my craving without making me feel like I've cheated.

@AutumnRose1 If it’s health related, did you have a blood sugar reading that worried you?

I did. Was diagnosed pre-diabetic. Plus in obese BMI.