How long to adjust to sugar free diet?

[cashewsoralmonds]

Anyone who has gone sugar free how long has it taken you to adjust to it or do you still really miss it?

The first week is really, really difficult but after that it is surprisingly easy. I would say if you want to be sugar free, avoid any sort of sugar added or not (so no fruit etc) for the first week, it just makes it much eaiser, and then you can have food with a bit of added sugar (eg some baked beans with your fry up) and just avoid cakes/ biscuits/ sweets etc.
You might get headaches or feel urges for things, but they're just cravings. Sugar is so addictive, but honestly after that first week or two it's much easier.

@Greenvalleysightseeker

The first week is really, really difficult but after that it is surprisingly easy. I would say if you want to be sugar free, avoid any sort of sugar added or not (so no fruit etc) for the first week, it just makes it much eaiser, and then you can have food with a bit of added sugar (eg some baked beans with your fry up) and just avoid cakes/ biscuits/ sweets etc. You might get headaches or feel urges for things, but they're just cravings. Sugar is so addictive, but honestly after that first week or two it's much easier.

This.

I thought I would murder someone with my mood the first 48 hours!

@cashewsoralmonds have you started this? I've been thinking about this for some time and I'm planning to start tomorrow!.

I have done 3 weeks and no headaches or anything but am still having caffine in tea but I am missing it exactly the same now as it did on day one.

Have not been tempted but just feel so sad as i really enjoyed a biscuit with a cup of tea and it was my one pleasure at this challenging time. I cant notice any difference in health/energy.

Luckily I dont appear to have lost weight as am already underweight but am eating loads of other things (nuts, avocados, veg etc) to make up for it. However I havent cut out natural fresh fruit. I only ever drank water so no issue with juice or fizzy drinks.

Anyone?

What are you trying to achieve by cutting out sugar? Are you diabetic/pre-diabetic? Are you aiming to be healthier? How much sugar did you consume previously? Are you still eating other starchy foods that breakdown quickly into sugars, eg white bread?

Aim is to see if it helps auto immune conditions so I can reduce amount of medication which is considered high risk for covid. No diabetes and am underweight on BMI though feel correct weight. Always eaten very healthy food so no white bread etc and never had takeaways or any junk but do have some pasta/rice. I did have biscuits before sugar free diet.

How many biscuits were you eating though? Doesn't sound to be many?

A couple of biscuits with cups of tea, maybe mid morning, mid afternoon and late evening. Plus chocolate maybe once or twice a week. How have other people felt after a few weeks sugar free?

Are you cutting down on carbs or purely cutting out refined sugars?

If you've cut sugar but are still high carb then you will still have the same sugar cravings as your body hasn't given up sugar.
Brown bread, although it is more nutritious is just as bad as white bread from the carbohydrate load on the body. Pasta is also a refined carbohydrate and therefore hits the bloodstream quickly.
You've stopped putting in one type of sugar but are still eat the other sugars.

I use the Glycemic Index to reduce sugar. It identifies all the foods that fall into that high band and should be avoided.

Your yearning for a biscuit is because your body hasn't given up sugars.

If you really want to detox then I'd suggest a non weight loss diet compromising of mid to low GI foods that are all nutrient dense.

So you’re still drinking fruit juice? That’s pure sugar.

Sorry I can see you said natural fresh fruit, not natural fresh fruit juice. Just be careful with fruit as nowadays all the fruit are super sweet hybrids of their ancestors.

Both me and DP are now sugar free. I’m also caffeine free which I think made the transition worse as I had a terrible headache for three days. I would say if you’re three weeks in now then that’s the time frame you should be feeling clearer headed. Some say up to three months though.

Its probably the dopamine hit you are really missing. Have a look at dopamine rich foods & eat the lowest/no sugar ones as snacks e.g. almonds etc.

Looking at the list it seems the type of thing I am eating - avocados nuts and bananas. I never drink juice. I feel perfectly clear headed just sad at the thought of the change in diet. Not sure if it is the hit I am missing or just realisation that I really enjoyed my food and now that has totally changed and i am just eating to maintain weight. It feels so sad and maybe a step too far at these challenging times.

OP bananas are very high in sugar. So whilst it sounds like you have reduced refined sugars you haven’t removed sugar completely from your diet.

My DP also misses the dopamine hit he used to get from biscuits. It really is a drug. I don’t particularly miss the emotional ups and downs I used to get from food but I do understand it.

The other suggestion which is really good is to get your hit from flavours and spices...cinnamon, lemongrass erm others I can't think of. Flavour cheers me up a lot.

Cacao powder is good (not cocoa powder), which is just the bean, in milk, slightly bitter but no sugar needed

If you have sugar e.g. apples, with protein, e.g. cheese, it releases the sugar slower. Half a banana with yoghurt etc.

Also some fruits have a lower GI (glycameic index) meaning they release their sugars slower e.g. raspberries, apples.

You do get massively more sensitive to sugar when you quit, I just gave it up again, then had some dates and oh my goodness!