Anyone a sugar addict who’s managed to quit sugar?

[Everythingaches]

I really need to do this but it’s very very hard. The more I have the more I want.
I need to hear success stories from total sugar addicts who managed to quit!

Yes that’s the stuff I mean, biscuits, cake, chocolate.
I don’t drink alcohol or fizzy drinks. I have water, tea or coffee but no sugar in tea or coffee.

Yes. Becuase I ate all the things with sugar etc I now have a bad gallbladder and the pain is awful. If I could go back and smack that biscuit or pizza out of my hand I would.
trust me eating everything u see 3% fat is hard. Don’t eat the biscuit.

You are me

I have no ability to moderate my sugar intake .
so I either eat it all
or I cut it out and don’t eat puddings and chocolate .

and for a little while of no nonsense cutting it out I actually don’t miss it.
the trouble is if I “have a bit” and then I’m back with an unquenchible sugar chomping.

i make an effort to eat more protein and to have no snacks/sweets at home.

I probably need to go no nonsense right now .
but oooh I bloody love sugar.

I quit 18 months ago and don't miss it now. My tips are
A) go cold turkey on any added sugar or upf with added sugar including starches and any refined carbs including flour. Initially also cut starchy carbs e.g potatoes, rice, pasta
B) follow the glucose goddess hacks to regulate blood sugar, e.g eat fibre then protein the fat then carbs, acv on a green starter, walk after meals, only eat fruit as pudding after orotein etc.
C) after the sugar cravings stop (a few weeks) you can reintroduce small portions of starchy carbs, it is best if these are cooled and reheated to increase resistant starch as this passes straight through you without spiking blood glucose.

Doing the above has completely stopped my cravings for sugar, I don't even enjoy it now as my palette has changed. I have lost 15kg without cutting calories and have a lot more energy. My hba1c has also dropped 10 points.

Another sugar addict: like you, the more I eat the more I want it.

I have improved massively by changing my whole diet. I went onto a low fat diet, especially avoiding sat. fat, after discovering I had tipped over into high cholesterol. So no crisps, cakes or biscuits for a year. No cheese. I do allow myself a square of 70%+ dark chocolate and that's ok. It's not sweet enough to trigger cravings. But I do find if I go out or "have a little treat" and just one ordinary chocolate, then the cravings are back and I have to refocus . . .

Hope you find a way that works for you.

Not completely but since end of August I've cut out all sweet treats. So no biscuits, cakes, sweet pastry, chocolate and no sugar or sweetener in my tea.

I don't snack as much as before and I don't feel so out of control. For me I couldn't portion control sweet stuff. The more often I had sweet stuff (several times a day), the more I wanted so the more I ate and round it went. There was no such thing as "2 biscuits" or a "slither of cake" for me.

I feel loads better, have lost a stone (not dieting, just eating less as I'm not seeking my next sugar high) and it's helping with my autoimmune condition. I have regular blood tests and my inflammation markers are always lower when I'm not having sugar..... alas this isn't my first rodeo but I've been at it for a lot longer this time.

I do plan to allow myself to have what I want over the Xmas period bur from 1st January I'll be back to no sugary shit.

Thank you. I do need to do it for my health.

I've just finished a two week fitness challenge which involved fasting 16 hours in 24, and eating nothing sweet except fruit, and it's broken me of my chocolate habit. I haven't even missed it and I used to eat a big bar daily.

Did it impact your weight?

I avoid obviously sugar laden foods and do my best with the hidden sugars. I have lost 41/2 stone in 41/2 years doing this and not eating until after 12 and not after 8pm.
I had a chocolate biscuit last week to be sociable to an elderly relative, all I could taste was sugar and didn't finish it. The chocolate was oily too to out it went.
I do think the longer you can do it, the more likely you are to loose your sweet craving and find most sweet things disgusting. My go to if I'm wanting something comforting is a low or no sugar cereal with a banana chopped on it and oat milk... even though still some sugar there, there is roughage too so weigh up the pros and cons. AVOID UHP foods, if there is a long list of ingredients, most of which look like chemicals ( they are) if food is long life wrapped in plastic and anything that is highly coloured. That will be a good start x

Yes, I've lost 4lbs and my stomach is flatter.

Joining the club, I'm a chocolate addict and do need to kick it completely, I'm not fussed on sweets just chocolate

That's good. Headaches are quite common when drastically reducing sugar.

I’m fuelled mainly by good fats. :)

Large amounts of green leafy veg, cauliflower, salads, small
amounts of lentils and chickpeas, eggs, fish and seafood, seeds and nutshell . Plenty of EVOO, coconut oil. Occasional dairy (cream and cheese). Lots of water, fruit tea and the occasional decaf coffee. Am very very healthy with bags of energy and almost never feel any hunger.

Have you had blood tests etc, OP to test your sugar levels?

I'm on Mounjaro, which improves the way insulin works in your body. Before this I craved high-sugar foods all the time - now, not at all,

I haven't quit sugar, but don't often have it anymore and I don't crave it like I used to. It also involved ditching sweeteners (which are in bloomin' everything these days) and I don't eat much in the way of fruit either.

Yes I’ve had high blood sugar for years.

I feel like you are trying to make a point rather than asking a genuine question - I'm not interested in whatever kind of agenda you have - I got over sugar addiction - it wasn't an addiction to fruit or veg.

If that list is what you eat then you're not sugar free. You might not be having very much added sugar but many of the foods you list contain sugars and carbohydrate.

I switched to a small amount of dark chocolate, I found it fulfilled my desire for a treat and I don't crave the dark chocolate in the same way as really sweet stuff.
I had to almost train myself to like it!

It's not an agenda.
I'm glad you got over your addiction, well done, but 'quitting sugar' or going 'sugar free' is simply not possible because some sugar is essential to life. It's like those who speak of going 'chemical free', it simply isn't possible.

I think most people on these sugar free threads mean added sugar, not natural sugars found in fruit and veg. Certainly when I’ve cut out added sugar eg biscuits, cake etc, I’ve simply made my own food with veg/rice/pasta/fruit etc. So rather than having an apple pie I’d have an apple. Or rather than have biscuits I’d have more regular meals to ensure I didn’t get to the point of wanting anything extra in the first place.

No there clearly is a point you are making or you have difficulty communicating in a non comnbative way. I gave up sugar - I stopped eating sugary products - at my worst I had to give up fruit too but I continued to eat starchy carbs, I don't feel addicted to bread/chips/rice/crisps - I get that they might have the same impact on my blood sugar but they did not have the same impact on how I felt about sweets/chocolate/cakes/biscuits - I have no idea why the approach I took worked - I just know that sugar was dominating my life at one point - I ate it in extreme amounts and now I eat it like a normal person. Will that work for others? That's for them - we all have to figure out our own approach but sharing experiences helps.

Gave it up about a year ago, for the most part. By that I mean I don't avoid carbs or things like fruit, spaghetti sauce etc. that convert to/contain sugar but I no longer eat sweets, biscuits, chocolate, cake, sugary breakfast cereal or drink any kind of pop, not even the diet stuff.

I do very, and I do mean very, occasionally have a drink or ten though... for old times sake.

Good home-ground coffee and bags upon bags of peanuts have helped me stay off the poison (and still do).

You just have to do battle with the craving at first and let your body identify a suitable substitute for you. Doesn't take long.

Nope, nothing combative at all.
I'm not sure why you're intepreting it that way.
As I said, well done on what you achieved.