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 💪

Yes I’ll join! I’ve been trying to do this and normally last a few days. I can’t have sweet things in the house but I have kids who sometimes want it so that’s tricky!

I started after I got married if I'm honest. My husband eats a lot and I keep saying yes when he is offering me food.

Also less time to myself to decompress and de-stress. I can't just go for a walk whenever I want which I did all the time before. I'd just spend all weekend and most evenings out doing activities and hobbies. Most of which I no longer have time for.

Less time to cook so I by unhealthy moorish shop snacks rather than making my own.

Then two children who are always hungry and I got a snacking habit with them.

I feel like if I could just get back into healthy activities and hobbies when I need a break rather than snacking I could get back on the right path.

I'm going to buy some exercise weights and a mat so I can do some more youtube exercises videos when home with kids.

Trying to persuade my family to come for a hike today - I can already hear the morning starting.

Also when I try and share my attempts to get healthy and my reasons with my family, they just scoff... "just stop eating crap"... its just not that easy and so hard to explain that family life is making me unhealthy. I'm just told to stop moaning.

Morning!

Hello to all the new joiners 😃

@Wemdubz let's do a month to start off with and see how it goes? I think it's easier to quit if you break it down into smaller targets. You could even say you're going to start with 2 weeks. We can do this!

I think, regarding emotional eating, it feels good while you're doing it, but ultimately it makes you feel worse about yourself. Feeling bad about yourself means you're less emotionally resilient.

Does anyone else feel like the way their brain works might have been rewired? As in, it's a genuine addiction... I think the immediate "reward" of a big dose of sugar has sent my brain a nuts looking for more (need to look into the science of this).

I'm also interested to know @byabobby if you have sugary foods at events such as birthdays and so on?

It's actually my son's birthday in 10 days. I might have to make an exception for my little boy's birthday cake.

Interesting how many of us are struggling with this since having kids. @Bluebells81 to be honest, if you'd complained to me that you were feeling bad about your diet, "just stop eating crap" would have been my secret thought before I had kids. Now I know it's not that simple - that it's an addictive behaviour and it's really hard to make a change when you have so little time for yourself.

Good luck persuading them to join you for a hike 🤞

My kids probably end up eating more sugary crap because of my habit, so it can work both ways. For example, our local shop does nice pastries, so I might get an almond one for myself and a chocolate one for DS, which he totally doesn't need.

@Selfsetfree yes I'm the same and will just hoover up anything sugary that's in the cupboard. Is there anything that would be less appealing to you, that the kids would like? Like fruit winders or frubes?

@LivingDeadGirlUK sorry about your diagnosis. What were your symptoms? Hope the tiramisu comes out well!

Yes I am up for trying. I’m pessimistic, because I’ve tried so many times. I’ve even been on Mounjaro, and after a few months just started eating sugar like I did before. I kicked it once for two years, then some crappy life stuff happened and I went back.

it feels mad to me - I do so many hard things in life - stuff that I feel should be harder than this. It’s a no brainer that it is better for me to give up. I feel better physically and more emotionally empowered within days….. and yet something in me self destructs and goes back again and again.

so yes, here’s my first action - saying yes to being on the thread! And my second action is skipping the honey I normally put in my coffee this morning….. fingers crossed! 🤞 and nice to find some kindred spirits/ sufferers!

@unicornskiesno worries about questions, I am happy to answer - I’m as extreme as the day I started, just like any serious addiction it’s important to me not to break it. When it’s my birthday I make a cake, blow out the candles and everyone else eats it but me. I do eat fruit - it’s processed sugar I’m addicted to . I still drink alcohol now and again because alcohol isn’t my poison iyswim.

I’m really trying to reduce my sugar intake & upf. Want to lose 5kg before my wedding next year. I have started a few days ago and woke up this morning sick and lightheaded. Will push through!

My trouble is like other pp I’m such an emotional eater, one bad day and I’m back at the chocolate. I have got rid of it all so just have fruit in the house so will follow along. Good luck everyone.

@FrenchFriesSurprise I don't really have any symptoms, it was picked up in my 'MOT' that our drs offer at age 40.

Just about to try a bit of the tiramisu! Its still incredibly calorific even if low carb. So I won't be having it often as trying to loose weight to put myself in remission.

I need to aa well. Have given it up a few times and always feel so much better, then I relapse. The sugar cravings go surprisingly quickly and my bloating goes and feel a lot lighter. Im going to start Monday as well!

I became addicted to sugar when I was very underweight. Twenty years on and I am now struggling with my weight and health, which if I'm completely honest, is probably mainly due to my sugar addiction.

Yeah I think this is basically me to a T and it's what I did from Jan to April before falling off the wagon during easter. I can enjoy a cocktail or two without then wanting to eat a huge bar of chocolate, but as soon as I have some sort of cake or biscuit it's like I turn into a starved animal and want every sugary snack going.

This is giving me motivation to go cold turkey again from tomorrow!

Just a quick note to say glad you're all here with me!

Slightly dreading tomorrow, but I know I need to do this. I mean, it's crazy it's even got to the point I'm worried about a day with no sugar! Says a lot.

Good luck everyone!

@LivingDeadGirlUK that looks lovely ☺️ loads of cream!

I am in. I have a massive chocolate problem and the link to Alzheimers scares me.

I'm also hooked on sugar. I think for me I'd need to give up everything sweet, like fruit and berries. I drink peppermint and liquorice tea but I think that satisfies my need for something sweet. Anything with sweetener is also off (in any case I read that it also triggers a similar insulin reaction).

Someone told me that the Artah supplement (I can't remember what its called) is meant to be very helpful in kicking sugar.

Well, day 1 didn't go at all well. Family trip to country fair = temptation at every turn. Afternoon cream tea and banana chocolate cake... 😳 Start yet again tomorrow...
Peppermint tea is a good suggestion. I remember that helping before. I just need to find a tea I can drink lots of without getting UTIs. #yetanotherproblem
Now my by dh is following me round the garden offering me ice cream. 🤯

Ok- I’m coming to the end of first day, inspired by this thread. Didn’t have sugar or honey in my coffee all day, and I also turned down cake and apple strudel at the neighbours’ get together. So a good first day. I did buy chocolate when shopping. Genuinely forgot in the moment, but I haven’t eaten it. I’ll try to pack it away somewhere up high…..

now getting through the Monday work tiredness will be the next challenge. Good luck everyone!

Do you have a link at all? Sounds really interesting, tia x

And then there is Dr Becky Gillaspy….. her short videos are excellent daily reinforcement:

I need to join you. The amount of sugar I eat is just going up and up and has got ridiculous. I'm starting to notice the kids are following my bad habits as well, not to such an extent obviously but still worrying.

See Joe Wicks on his Instagram page. He's just given up sugar and documented how he did it. He was a right sugar addict too. Good luck!

Will I lose weight if I do? Lol

I’m in! I started this 3 weeks ago and it’s going really well. I’m not that strict though, still have fruit and honey etc. But no cakes/biscuits/chocolate etc which was my downfall. I felt unwell for one day when I first started but now it’s amazing, I am not as hungry! I used to always want to eat. I’ve lost some weight and hope to keep losing some more. Once you’re past the first week I’ve found it pretty easy 😀

Hello, please can I join in?
I'm having a very shitty time in life at the moment, which means that I have very little time to myself and very little opportunity to do things I enjoy other than stuff my face with chocolate. I've always had a sweet tooth and always been slightly chubby, but over the last year or two I've moved into the overweight category and just this week I had to buy new summer trousers as last year's now cut into my ever-increasing belly. I need to get out of the comfort eating/stress eating habit.
Hoping that joining you all will help me hold myself accountable. I have a bad habit of telling myself that one little bit of chocolate won't make a difference - and then having 4-5 large portions of chocolate over the day.
I'm about to have a morning coffee. I am not having any chocolate with it today.

Well. Yesterday was the first day I haven’t eaten chocolate since… I actually don’t know when. Yes ok so I did have takeaway Pad Thai for dinner, but tiny baby steps. This morning I swapped my sugary cereal for fruit and yoghurt. Should be fine until the afternoon - any healthy afternoon snack suggestions?

@excesssugar I can relate to pretty much everything you have posted. Sorry you’re going through a hard time. I’m also having morning coffee and I’m mumsnetting instead of snacking…

OK so I managed yesterday and was going to not start till Tuesday as today is my daughter's birthday but I now feel I am one day in so should stick at it so going to try and resist the cupcakes...we are having a chinese for dinner at my daughter's request so what is the best thing for me to eat without undoing all this....

I have just had fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, normally I put honey on but didn't in attempt to reset my tastebuds further.