Has anyone quit sugar?

[Nocrispsinthehouse]

I don’t need to lose weight but have some chronic health issues and would really love to quit sugar as I am sure it would help me.
I am not a huge sugar junkie (I don’t add sugar to anything and only drink water) but every time I try to quit or even cut back I have such huge cravings (feel shaky, queasy, extra hungry etc) that I stumble at the first hurdle and end up eating biscuits, chocolate or crave carbs so badly that I just HAVE to eat something, then I am so angry with myself and back to square one.
It happens every single time I try.
I have such poor willpower.
I know sugar is a drug on the brain but how do you do it successfully?
It’s the in between snacking which always gets me, that’s when I crumble.

I've just started reducing my sugar intake. I knew doing it cold turkey would probably affect me the same way. I'll allow myself one chocolate biscuit and then go and do something to keep my hands and brain busy. It is hard, though! I'm only a week in (but I've lost 3lbs already).

I'm low carbing and the sugar cravings do go if you stick at it. I've also been on Saxenda and that helps too. You do have to treat it like a drug and keep off it as it's very easy to fall off the wagon.

Yes I did a few years ago. Once I cut out all the biscuits, cakes, chocolate I lost a load of weight. Was hard to begin with - my teeth were grinding and I was headachey but that soon eased.

I found that what I missed most was the crunch of a biscuit so I ate oatcakes instead. Not quite the same but with a cup of tea it was passable! And I ate more nuts - almonds, walnuts etc (unsalted) but not too many.

I also allowed myself a piece of 90% dark chocolate, which is an acquired taste!

I was totally in the mindset - after a while, I felt all powerful that I could say no to sugary foods!

Meant to add that Christmas was my downfall - shortbread biscuits did it for me. But I am more conscious about my sugar intake (more than calories) for me and the children.

I've given up sugar since the new year. To be honest, it was pretty easy, didn't have too many cravings. I think it helped to get all sugar out of the house - and for me, I made it a strict rule to have zero added sugar, so I won't even have a ready-made sauce if it has sugar in the ingredients. I think pyschologically it helps to have a black and white approach to it, for me anyway.

I haven't really lost a lot of weight though, since I'm still binging on other foods/not doing enough exercise. But I do feel generally fitter and healthier, skin looks better, more energy, better sleep and so on.

The best thing i've found to help is montezumas 100% dark, I order it online. The peanut butter one I can eat straight and I love the mint and orange but I melt them down and mix them with sugar free muesli so they're not so intense.

Sugar is not a drug

And like you say, by banning it you immediately trigger your inner rebel , and self loathing (I have no willpower!) and other negative emotions... which may lead to you craving exactly what you want to cut out

Much better to try and make healthier choices generally and not sweet it if a piece of fruit or healthy snack contains some sugar

I have 2 friends who eat no sugar, both are very slim but also have pretty disordered eating IMO (one panicked all night after eating a biscuit once) , you can call it "self discipline " I guess, but it's fairly obsessive stuff

Yes, when I had gestational diabetes I dramatically reduced my sugar intake. I haven't cut it out entirely (I still bake something sweet every couple of weeks and have the odd sweet treat), however, dramatically less than before. It took a lot of getting used to, but over a time your taste buds do seem to adjust and it's surprising how crap the sweet stuff I once loved actually taste (mr kiplings fondant fancies were my favourite!)

Most of the treats we now have rely on natural sugar rather than refined. I think it's healthy to get all the crap out of the house, but have a little treat every day and make it as healthy as possible as otherwise you just end up really struggling. So things like:

Baked peaches (get them when they're really ripe, cut in half and put in a baking dish cut side up with a bit of butter, scatter some vanilla seeds on top, and some ground almonds, bake for 20 minutes). Serve them warm with some greek yoghurt and they're a really nice pudding!

Similarly greek yoghurt with a few berries and some ground almonds makes a really nice desert. Or on a hot day freeze the berries and blend with the greek yoghurt to make a quick 'ice cream'. Similarly fruit ice lollies are always an easy option (frozen mango blended with greek yoghurt makes a good one...although the mango is pretty high on natural sugar).

For a breakfast treat goodfood has a great blueberry american pancake recipe with no sugar (though we do serve ours with honey, so it's not exactly sugar free at all!). But you can also find some decent vegan and oat ones which don't use flour.

Or a few squares of dark chocolate melted in cream to make a lovely hot chocolate, or make a ganache and cool it into a chocolate pot (can add orange zest etc for different flavours)

Apple and peanut butter was always suggested as a good snack, but it never appealed to me!

Are you cutting back carbs as well, as it sounds like you may be in your OP? If so, don't cut too dramatically, as you will be hungry, and it'll drive you mad with cravings. Try to go for a more balanced plate where the carbs aren't the main star, with wholemeal versions where possible (brown rice / brown pasta)...Having said that I just can't get used to wholemeal pasta at all, I'd rather just have less regular pasta and bulk it out with a salad instead.

I was not eating that much of sugar anyway but have had no sugar for the last 2 weeks. I have only two cups of tea and it is difficult with no sugar. Have lots of fruits and haven't missed sugar that much.
I am going to be on 4 weeks of no sugar and then go back to normal.

I heavily cut down on sugar 10 years ago and now just have things like cake on my birthday/Christmas. Now and then, though, I still do get the distracting Must-Have-Sugar feeling where I feel like I might faint.

What works for me, and I'm aware this is probably more of a mind trick than anything, is that I swallow a tic-tac or two. Then I can tell myself I've had some sugar so I'm not going to die, but I don't actually get any pleasure from it and I don't taste anything sweet. So if it satisfies the craving all well and good, and if it doesn't it means I wasn't actually needing the sugar, I just wanted something sweet and I can give myself a talking to and get over it.

Following, as I really need to control my intake of the stuff.