I'm a sugar addict. Join me getting clean

[FrenchFriesSurprise]

I have a terrible sugar habit.

Today I've eaten a packet of shortbread biscuits, a lemon cheesecake portion and a scone with jam. I have two young kids and I'm bored. I was a 'two squares of dark chocolate after dinner' kind of person before having babies, but motherhood has driven me to the Dairy Milk. In abundance. I'll get diabetes if I don't sort myself out.

I ate the biscuits in secret. I mainly eat my sugar in secret.

From Monday I'm going to cut out all high-sugar foods for 4 weeks. That's all cake, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, sweetened drinks, sweet sauces such as ketchup, stir-fry sauces etc, dried fruit. I think I'll keep berries and apples, but will avoid most fruit.

If you would like to join me, sign up here! It doesn't have to be a sugar addiction you'd like to kick - if you have any habits you're struggling with, or changes you'd like to make, feel free to join the thread and we'll work on them together 💪

Sounds a great idea. I have made great strides with improving my diet, but sugar is my downfall.

Yes please! I'm really struggling with my sugar habit and like you, eat most of it in secret. The secret eating thing kind of scares me, tbh. I'd like to join to be kept accountable, as it were, if that's ok?

I’d love to eat less sugar…I feel like I need a reality slap on the risk of diabetes/other issues. I keep telling myself that as long as I’m an ok weight I’m allowed sugar as a vice but I know it’s not that simple. Does anyone have any stories about sugar that aren’t linked to obesity so I can stop denying it’s a problem?

i feel like I can’t have any. I need to try and go cold turkey.

I listened to hypnotherapy on YouTube to break away from sugar. It worked for me.

Yesterday I had an insane amount of sugar. I woke up and thought- that's it! None today, but it must stikk be in my system, so I expect tomorrow amd beyond will be much more difficult than today.

Also really need to cut down the sugar. Just thinking of eliminating all that makes me feel anxious though...

Anyone managed moderation eg cutting back a lot but still allowed a few treats? Or is that harder as you still crave it if you have a bit?

@Shortbreadstarmy son sent me a clip from Instagram about a week ago. Basically, it was lab mice - one had been fed a typical American / Western diet, the other a healthy diet void of sugar. They were in a sort of small swimming pool with an island in. The mice who hadn't had sugar could work out how to get in to the little island, the ones who had eaten the Western diet, couldn't remember where the island was.

It is now known that sugar is linked to alzheimers (don't know how to spell that, sorry).
I googled it to check, and it's true. You can reverse Type 2 diabetes, but not the word that I can't spell.

I'm going to go cold turkey on highly processed foods & drinks. I will eat pasta & allow myself sour dough bread in moderation, but nothing else. I'm allowing myself fruit. Good luck everyone.

Lots of messages, amazing!

@cloudengel Do you think that the secrecy aspect in itself is one of the reasons why find it hard to stop? Secrecy is definitely one of the attractions for me. I don't have much time to myself, so it feels nice to have a small secret treat... there is something about it being a bit of a dirty secret that makes it so appealing.

@Shortbreadstar I'm not overweight either, but also worry about diabetes. I was thinking about doing some reading around what sugar does to bodies/brains. The mouse study that @PhaseFour mentioned is horrifying!

Maybe I'll look up some sugar facts to share on the thread.

@Ihitthetarget I gave up for a while last year and did really well for a few months. Then as soon as I started allowing myself the odd bit of cake at social gatherings, I went fully off piste and started bingeing/secret sugar eating again. So I suspect like @Aprilrainagainagain I need to stay off it longer term really.

How long have you been off sugar for @Livedandlearned ?

This is interesting. I was very much a carb addict and went cold turkey, not even fruit or root veg. I had flu like symptoms but loads better afterwards.

If you're a sugar addict fair chance you've got an over growth of yeast in your gut. Highly recommended taking a thrush tablet to kill it off and reduce the cravings.

I went cold turkey from January till Easter weekend. Well I still allowed myself fruit and things like ketchup etc (because I don't really have much in the way of processed sauces anyway) but I cut out all cakes, biscuits, chocolate, even protein bars as I used to eat quite a few of those Grenade type ones. The first few weeks were so hard but after that it became easy, it's almost like your brain just starts to disregard sugary snacks as even being an option, similar to how I imagine vegetarians look at a menu and immediately disregard meat options.

I'm not overweight so I lost maybe 2-3kg, but I saw a huge difference in my energy levels (no more mid afternoon slump) but most of all my face went from being bloated and pouchy to more of a 'slimline' look.

I let myself eat chocolate over easter intending to go back to my newly formed habits after, but that kind of didn't happen lol and somehow it's now July and I'm sat here having eaten a fuck ton of sugary crap today. It's annoying because my diet is pretty good otherwise.

So yes I'd like to join please!

I need to join. Eating sugar in secret is my downfall. I’m 40 now and have diabetes in the family. Really need to improve this aspect of my life.

I'm with you. Another secret sugar scoffer here. I need to find some ways of changing my life so I dont constantly need the burst of pleasure that a mouthful of something sweet brings.

I feel you. I gave up booze in Jan and my sugar consumption has skyrocketed. I'm not worried about my weight - cutting out the booze has helped enormously with that! - but I'm worried about my teeth!
Plus I have such bad slumps in the afternoon and I'm sure it's sugar related - although mostly I binge in the evening, often when a bit restless or bored. Last night I ate almost an entire bar of Tony Chocolonely - great stuff but a helluva a lot to eat in almost one go!
Not sure I have any suggestions but following with interest.

I will say tonight I was craving chocolate bit we had none in and instead of going to the shop like I did last night -resulting in the above-mentiones chocolonely gorging- I had some greek yoghurt with a drizzle of honey and it worked a treat. Still sugar but much better. I think I need to read up properly on sugar so if anyone has any reading recommendations let me know!

How long have you been a secret sugar addict @Mintearo7 ?

@AuraBora well done giving up the alcohol! Do you mind if I ask why? It's ok if you're not comfortable talking about it. I enjoy Tony's too. So chunky! No... mustn't...

I think boredom is one of the big reasons I eat so much sugar. You've put it very well, @Bluebells81 it's a deeper issue than just enjoying eating sweet stuff. Do you know what got you into the habit of eating lots of sugar? I started after DS (4) was born. I have a 11m old DD now, too. Sleep deprivation definitely hasn't helped, I'm currently holding a restless teething DD.

@Unicornskies ahhh this sounds very familiar. I did really well for a couple of months, then Christmas happend. I kept eating my son's selection pack and having to go out and buy another. And another. My face looked so much better when I was off sugar, too!

Think I'll get prepared tomorrow with some healthy snacks (greek yogurt is a good shout) and some nice teas.

Reading with interest as I went cold turkey 10 years ago(having been a secret binge eater) and have felt so much better since, I lost a stone quite quickly and have kept it off (I wasn’t really overweight but look a lot better at the lower end of my bmi). I no longer think about it really, occasionally I crave it but I decided to take it as seriously as any other addiction and go cold turkey and it has worked for me.

I need to do this I’m an addict too. I’ll join Tues as Monday is my DD’s bday and so birthday cake.

I need to do this, but whether I’m fully committed is the problem. I’m such an emotional eater and sugar or carbs are my go to. I’m going through some really difficult times at the moment and I suppose sugar gives me that boost.

Having said that, I gave up alcohol very easily but maybe because that was never a daily thing whereas the sugar is. Good luck to everyone!

That's a good idea to treat it as a serious addiction and indeed I do think it is one.

How extreme is your cold turkey after 10 years? Eg. Would you decline dessert at a wedding/cake on your birthday, and have you included giving up alcohol as well? And do you eat fruit? Sorry about the barrage of questions, it's just I think I need to do a long term giving up of sugar too.

I've just been diagnosed type 2 diabetic after 2 years of being pre-diabetic. I am making a 'low carb' tiramisu today, wish me luck :)

😂

I think I need to join! My story is similar - pre kids I didn’t have much of a sweet tooth and would eat chocolate weekly rather than daily. But it crept up. Then I got long covid and often struggle with my appetite so have got into really bad habits, using sugar (and caffeine and fat) as emergency fuel to keep myself going. I’m not overweight but am distinctly chubby, but have to be careful dieting due to my health - cutting out refined sugar seems the sensible way to go, but it’s hard losing my emotional crutch!

I’d like to join this too. I quite regularly use sugary snacks to get me through work and replace proper meals with having a load of biscuits. DP and I have taken to getting desserts delivered and when going out for breakfast my eyes look for the pancake/waffle options. I’m in deep!
Really hope this would give me more energy and less brain fog.