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 💪

My wake up call this year is my dad's tests came back as pre-diabetic, he is super fit, runs every day, not overweight at all but has always had a very sweet tooth but thought exercise gave him carte blanche to eat what he wanted. I would say I am similar, have never been overweight but eat a lot of sugar, if I eat one haribo the whole bag is gone in a matter of minutes. Need to get on top of this.

Should be fine until the afternoon - any healthy afternoon snack suggestions?

A boiled egg
Half an avocado
A tablespoon of cottage cheese
An apple or pear
A handful of berries
A slice of cheese
Some leftover soup or salad
A glass of phyllum husk with lots of water
Just a large glass of water
A cup of tea…

Quite often, when we think we’re hungry, we are actually thirsty.

I had an apple with some peanut butter as a healthy snack yesterday

Hi, I did this a few years ago. I went very low carb and totally cut out sources of sugar, including fruit.

The first couple of weeks, my gut reacted quite badly. I was on a forum (I forget which!) where people were talking about gut bacterial die-off. I don't know if that's what happened but it certainly wasn't a really easy time.

BUT afterwards? It was like a reset. I didn't crave it.

Now I eat far, far less sugar and am just as likely to crave savoury.

Good luck - just wanted to share my experience.

I could have written nearly everything you have OP.

I want accountability and will join you to eat healthier and feel better in my clothes x

Boiled eggs and then downing lots of water usually work for me. At the time I feel like it does nothing and am still hungry but a couple of hours later I often realise I haven't been reaching for more snacks like I usually would.

Cashew nuts are also a good snack.

Dates (medjool) are a great alternative to processed sugary snacks if you aren't giving up fruit although they themselves are pretty calorific so only a few at a time.

Joining - I did manage to quit for two months the end of last year and fell off wagon at Xmas…I found giving up coffee/caffeine reduced sugar cravings so going to attempt both…

yes, sugar is the main poor coping mechanism treat for kids being trying, boring bits at work etc…

Oh god you are all my people. Stressful home life ☑️ high stress job ☑️ all hobbies and me time (and me just as a person!) gone by the wayside ☑️. Secret binge eating daily is my absolute downfall. Usually in my car.
I have found the brain over binge podcast and books quite useful in terms of trying to retrain my brain.

I would highly recommend Dr Mark Hyman’s The Blood Sugar Solution. It explains the science behind sugar addiction and the effects sugar/glucose has on our metabolism very succinctly, plus there are some excellent recipes and suggestions on what to eat.

Hello, I'd like to join too please! I always self-sabotage my efforts to be healthy with my sugar addiction. I've managed to get on top of it before and I know that once I go a few days without sugar it becomes easy and I barely think about it, but I'm struggling so much to do even a few days at the moment.

Things have been tough this year...I lost a very dear friend of mine suddenly and unexpectedly, a few financial struggles, the stress of a child going through GCSEs, perimenopause and work overwhelm, and my answer to everything is eating more sugar and drinking more wine! Obviously it's not sustainable so I hope cutting out sugar will be a step towards doing better!

@JustAnotherDayWorkingAtHome ooft, how did your dad take the diagnosis? That must have been a shock. I'm the same, once I start eating something sugary I just don't stop until I've eaten it all. Never used to be like this, it's like a switch in my brain has been turned on.

Thank you @Rallentanda that's encouraging!

I've just got myself a glass of sparkling water with lots of ice, I was thinking very cold drinks might help. Actually it's not going too badly so far (I know, it's only half way through day 1!)

@Dufff23 omg you're doing both at the same time, this is very brave 😲 but I guess it makes sense if they are linked for you.

@FabulousPharmacyst and others, thanks for the reading/listening recommendations, I will look into them when I actually get a moment.

I'm back to work next week, after mat leave. There's ongoing redundancies at the moment (I work in higher education), very fraught. I am not looking forward to it at all.

@CoffeeChocolateWine I'm sorry to hear about your friend, and that things have been tough generally.

The number of people on this thread saying they use sugar as a crutch is making me think that the way forward is also to develop some healthy coping strategies. As well as taking the sugar away.

Quite some time ago I had an issue with drinking too much, and I'm wondering if this sugar problem is part of the same pattern of unhelpful "coping" behaviour. I can't drink much because I'm breastfeeding...and also it would be obvious to my partner if I did that...so secret sugar is an alternative?

Anyway hope today is going OK for everyone!

I’d love to join please. I’ve read the whole thread, while eating highly inappropriate snacks (straight after a late lunch) and you are my people. Work and life stresses mean I feel like I need the treats to survive, or where is the joy? But sometimes I don’t even enjoy what I’m eating - I just want the sugar hit.

I’ve given up sugar before, and I feel great when I don’t eat it, but it always creeps back in. I’m starting right now. No more snacks today!

@FrenchFriesSurprise he took it really badly, he kept saying how he didn't like bland food etc etc, and I had to explain to him that you don't need sugar for flavour. He was drinking a can of coke a day and chocolate milk it was crazy, he cut those down and has managed to come of the pre diabetes score. He does still mourn the sweet stuff but I have told him to enjoy it as treats rather than as a staple.

Can I just say that normally by this time on a Monday I'd have eaten at least 3 sugary snacks/chocolate etc? One with morning coffee, one after lunch, one afternoon snack. Today I haven't. Even just being on this thread is helping me think about it and do it less. Thanks OP and everyone else!
Not saying I'll get this far everyday but actually even if I manage to avoid it some days it's a huge improvement.
So many of us here in similar situations, using sugar as a coping strategy - but it's counterproductive and we must be able to do better.

This is the time of day that I find tricky and start reaching for sugary snacks. I start thinking about the kids' dinner and then start thinking about what I can eat. Need some strategies to stand firm! I remember reading somewhere that smelling some vanilla essential oil can help which I just happen to have so will give it a go! Any other strategies? I really want to avoid the self-sabotage!!

I am finding right now VERY tricky. I've just had a large handful of cashews. I'm less hungry but could still murder a bar of chocolate. I have an orange on the desk next to me, which I'm not interested in!

I’d also like to join please, I have eaten 5 chocolate bars today (3 Dimes and 2 Fry’s mint fondant bars). Ridiculous and necessary! From tomorrow, no more. I know I can do it, I’ve just slipped into baaaad and lazy habits. Well done everyone starting today!

I find a handful of nuts does help - if I remember I try and steer myself to hazelnuts, walnuts, brazils etc. doesn’t always work!!

10 ways to stop eating sugar…:

• Keep sugar out of the house
• Fill up at mealtimes, especially with protein, so you won’t feel hungry
• Eat healthy fats and protein to keep blood glucose stable
• Notice how unstable sugar makes you feel due to the increase in dopamine
• Skip sugar substitutes/ artificial sweeteners because they’ll keep your sugar cravings alive
• Stay hydrated because dehydration can be confused with hunger
• Set short term goals such as no sugar today - one day at a time
• Use a stopper, e.g, brushing teeth or a cup of tea, when cravings hit
• Wait 10 minutes when you’re craving something sweet

I managed to push through the slump and avoid sugar 💪

Thanks for those tips @Outofthemoonlight. Some of these I try to do anyway, such as eat protein and healthy fats to fill up, avoid artificial sweeteners and wait 10 mins when I am craving sugar. I wish I could keep sugar out of the house but if I don't buy sugar then my DH will and usually about double the amount! I also have two teens and a younger child who have packed lunches so there is always 'snacky food' in the house. I feel like my will power needs to be switched on always! I just need to aim to steer myself towards the healthier snacks!

This evening I found it quite helpful to make myself a nice (sugar-free) sparkling drink rather than snack...the gas tricks me into thinking I'ml full as well and it saw me through till dinner.

Hi @excesssugar and @CoffeeChocolateWine did you make it through dinner time without giving in?

Thanks everyone for joining, it's definitely helping me! Hope it helps you too. Today wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but actually DD was doing her first proper nursery session. I kept DS off nursery on purpose, to actually get some time to play with him properly. We did some nice things together without DD constantly trying to climb onto one of us (sorry DD my love 😂).

I'm sure many of you here will identify when I say I often struggle with "mum guilt" when trying to balance the needs of both kids, my own emotional needs, and DP's. It's a lot.

Hi @CointreauQuaint don't you worry, yesterday I had a Cornetto followed by dairy milk. No judgement from me! But yeah, time to make a change I think! We can't keep doing this without getting sick.

Oh sorry cross posted @CoffeeChocolateWine ! Good job

If it helps I am like that, eaten too many sweets and sugary stuff for years even though my basic diet is good. I now have high cholesterol and prediabetes and am trying to reverse it. I got away with it for years but it catches up to you in the end so for the sake of your health knock it on the head now!

Oh also I meant to say it's quite worrying a can of coke a day + chocolate milk was enough to cause an issue in an otherwise healthy and active person 😳

I might actually work out how many grams of sugar I consume on an average day. And how many calories that is. Will report back!

I failed today. No real excuse, I just didn’t try hard enough. I think I need to go and do a decent food shop so I’m better prepared. Well done to everyone else though 👏🏼