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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think it is possible to permanently change to a low (or no) sugar diet if you have an incredibly sweet tooth?

84 replies

cyclerunmum1 · 23/08/2015 16:13

I eat way too much sugar and want to try and change this to reduce lethargy and headaches I suffer from, which I think may be related to this.

I am not overweight, or unfit, but my eating needs to change. I snack on sweet things a lot, always have done, but exercise regularly which I think has helped keep my weight down. I am beginning to think more of my general health and teeth now too though.

Problem is I have a really sweet tooth, so giving up crisps, cheese etc would be easy for me..... but cakes, biscuits and chocolate, not so much!

Has anyone else successfully done this and kept to it long term?

So AIBU to think I can do this, or overly optimistic?

OP posts:

LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 23/08/2015 16:16

Watching with interest.
I would love to do this too.

theoldtrout01876 · 23/08/2015 16:20

I have done this,sugar free for 2 months now. Had a few cravings to start with but they stopped.

HeffalumpsnWoozles · 23/08/2015 16:22

Also watching, I snack and crave sugary treats a lot. After every meal barring breakfast I have to have a sweet.

theoldtrout01876 · 23/08/2015 16:23

Oh and it also amazed me just how much of the non sweet things we eat contain quite large amounts of sugar too,didnt realise this till I started actually looking at labels

FarFromAnyRoad · 23/08/2015 16:26

You really can do it OP. I was you. Now I can hardly bear regular ice cream I find it so sweet! For some it works to do it in stages, others find cold turkey better. I went cold turkey because I'm afraid I'm very much all or nothing and actually it wasn't THAT hard. I found that I felt the benefits pretty quickly too. Good luck!

Reubs15 · 23/08/2015 16:26

Rather than denying yourself of all sugar try moderating it? Don't have sweet things in the house but maybe treat yourself occasionally when you're out or just buy a single chocolate bar etc

FarFromAnyRoad · 23/08/2015 16:27

Heffa - sugar free Polos are your friend! I still have that urge especially after dinner but it's not insurmountable.

Original poster

cyclerunmum1 · 23/08/2015 16:27

Well done oldtrout did you ease yourself in gently, or just go cold turkey? Did you eat much sugar before?

And final question, if you wanted to snack did you replace your usual sweet snack with a savoury one, or just not snack at all? I am worried about the feelings of deprivation meaning I won't be able to stick to it.

OP posts:

FarFromAnyRoad · 23/08/2015 16:29

OP - forgive me cackling on here but this is something I feel quite strongly about - I did replace the snacking with savoury stuff but bearing in mind the carb count I did home made kale chips and that sort of thing just so's not to feel too deprived. Worked for me anyway. Thinly sliced and oven dried butternut squash also helped - just spray or brush with olive oil. You can do this with lots of veg.

Original poster

cyclerunmum1 · 23/08/2015 16:33

Please keep cackling on FarFrom! I need all the info I can get at the moment, as when I mentioned doing this to DH he thought it was hilarious given my current sugar consumption!

I just don't want to be so militant about it that it becomes difficult eating anything, need a happy medium where I can see health benefits asap.

OP posts:

WildStallions · 23/08/2015 16:33

Read 'potatoes not prozac' for a plan to permanently get rid of sugar.

FarFromAnyRoad · 23/08/2015 16:36

Yes - I do understand the tendency towards smug militancy - I did have to have a word with myself on a couple of occasions but I've got my DH and adult DS to lower their intakes by around 75% too so I do feel kind of smug! And I am not an absolute slave to it - just last weekend I gave in and snarfed up a Magnum Espresso and it was lovely but so so sweet! Weddings, meals out - I have a dessert like everyone else. There is no harm in occasional treats but I used to sit down to, for eg, a bag of Reece's Mini Cups every bloody night - and that was before the rest of the day's intake! I would say that within a week I was feeling the benefits.

HeffalumpsnWoozles · 23/08/2015 16:37

Kale crisps sound good, do they come out quite crispy like seaweed from the Chinese? Will be buying those polo's, there's some SF liquorice flavoured sweets in a box I like too but can't remember who makes them?

FarFromAnyRoad · 23/08/2015 16:44

Yes - the kale is crispy. You just lay the leaves out on a baking tray, spray with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and then pop in a fairly low oven (they can burn quite quickly!) - they don't take too long and they're absolutely delicious!
Are you thinking of the Ricola sweets? They're really yum!

theoldtrout01876 · 23/08/2015 16:49

cyclerunmum1 I just stopped snacking. I went cold turkey too,tis the only way to do it. I did it as part of a 40 day reset diet. I stopped craving sugar after a week or so.I would tell myself that slice of snickers cheese cake would be mine as soon as my diet was over,my diet is over and I no longer want the cheesecake.

Woopsiedaisy · 23/08/2015 16:51

I did this for eight weeks after Christmas, but fell spectacularly off the wagon come March.

Have now started again because I realise how much better I felt and looked then. Even my Doctor was stunned at the reduction in my Cholesterol and Blood Sugar counts. She could understand the latter but couldn't believe the impact on Cholesterol.

The only concession I am making this time is that I am not giving up fruit. I love all kinds of berry and don't want to live without them.

Last time I switched to nuts as my snack of choice. Good for you but fairly hefty in calories.

HackerFucker22 · 23/08/2015 16:52

I have cut out all refined sugar (I too am a cake / biscuit fiend) and it's not been too bad. First few days are the worst... sugar is like bloody crack!!

I've had a few relapses but I've lost 18lbs in a few months. Still got a few stone to go and am hoping to steer clear of my trigger foods.... cake is the hardest for me and I have 4 birthdays coming up!! Going to have to be strong and stay away from the birthday cake

Cocolepew · 23/08/2015 16:55

Ive pretty much cut out refined sugar. I went cold turkey. Its been 4 weeks now.
I was having an ice cream on a saturday, fir a treat, but have stopped that too, it was giving me a headache.
Everything tastes very sweet now.

trinity0097 · 23/08/2015 16:55

I did, I had to as I developed t2 diabetes. I now follow the Lchf way of doing things, so about 20g of carbs a day max. It is easier to cut out sugar if you also cut the carbs. The diet doctor website has a great guide about how to do it.

Since Feb I've also had the bonus of losing 3 stone because of it and my diabetes is in remission.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 23/08/2015 16:57

My father and sister have gone totally sugar free and insist that after a few weeks with zero sugar (including all sugar forms such as dextrose, fructose etc) they experience no cravings. My dad particularly is very strict, (a bit obsessive) where as my sister, who fancies herself as a bohemian-earthy- type gets her sweet fix by using things like raw carob nibs and coconut milk to make 'cakes' which frankly seems a bit too extreme for me. It goes against every diet concept I've ever heard of, and I have watched my father on several occasions eat large quantities of cheese for 'dessert' because he is allowed to, rather than have a bowl of fruit salad with the rest of us. However, I do feel dependent on sugar to get through the day sometimes and I too am tempted to try it. I just don't think I can go through life never having sweet food (all sweet food, even artificially sweetened is off limits, plus fruit, in the beginning) or having a piece of birthday cake with my kids. Bear in mind it's sugar free, not carb free, and after a while, carbs are allowed, (unlike Atkins etc) and veg etc is allowed. I'm currently pregnant, but I'm tempted to try it once DC is born. I should point out that it took 6 months sugar free for my sister to lose any weight (in fact, she gained and she was overweight to begin with) and my father has lost 3 stones in a year (but exercises daily and was also overweight t begin with, plus I personally think he looks miserable, especially when we're having birthday cake or ice-cream with the kids and he 'can't' have any- I don't think it's a quick weightloss fix, more of a lifestyle change to have more energy as the OP suggested.

HeffalumpsnWoozles · 23/08/2015 16:58

Yes FarFrom that's them, will pick some up tomorrow when I get the kale. This no sugar lark is sounding more fun by the minute.

chickenfuckingpox · 23/08/2015 16:58

im watching with interest ive been trying for the last few days and despite my chronic toothache i cracked today and had not one but three gluten free chocolate cake thingies gluten free ones have twice the sugar of normal ones at least!! im fuming with myself why couldn't i stop at one

FarFromAnyRoad · 23/08/2015 17:05

Same with anything labelled 'reduced fat' or 'low fat' - all stuffed with sugar to make it taste ok chicken
I also switched to the LactoFree milk - I love milk and am not willing to compromise on that - the Lactofree one, being free of lactose, is naturally lower in sugar too. It also makes a very good latte!

msrisotto · 23/08/2015 17:28

It can be done!

I could easily eat 3 chocolate bars a day, no problem. Lovely in fact. I'm a bit all or nothing because I found moderating myself really difficult.

2 months ago I decided to cut out added sugar, except for on weekends. The weekends soon included Friday night (Friday night's basically the weekend, right?,) it gradually crept and I binged on weekends. That didn't work for me.

After a month I quit added sugar completely, including weekends. This has worked. I think a lot of this was psychological. I associated getting home from work, with a biscuit, there was always dessert after dinner etc. Cutting out sugar completely broke that habit. I don't crave sugary stuff at home anymore.

It was really really hard at first. When you get cravings distract yourself so you don't obsess and cave.It helped me to have a defined period of time to do it for. The idea of doing it permanently would be too difficult so I just said i'd try it for 1 month. It's been a bit over a month for me now and i've not gone back to my old ways but i am having dessert at restaurants/ having dinner with friends.

Try it! Pop over to the I quit sugar thread

JanetBlyton · 23/08/2015 17:46

I have done it for long periods 2, 3 4 years. Once you change you just lose the taste for it.

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