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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Bulbasaur · 25/08/2015 18:54

I have the same problem. My solution is to just not buy them at the store. It's easier to battle will power once while shopping than every day at home. I do buy some sweets when out and about though, but at least it's not mindless snacking.

I don't really crave sugar anymore, so out of sight out of mind except when I'm about to get my period.

I gave up soda a few years back. Super hard the first week, craved it like crazy, drank tea instead (with sugar, because I'm human dammit). Then one day I didn't crave it at all. Now if I drink soda my stomach literally hurts.

I think it'll be the same thing for you if you give up sugar. It'll be hard the first few weeks, then after a while you won't be able to handle more than a few bites while you're out and about.

I do have some substitutes though that might help:

  • Pineapples
  • Melons
  • Honey
  • Yogurts
  • Cane sugar stirred in tea/coffee (not good for you, but better than corn syrup and artificial sweeteners)

Do you have a juicer? Make some fruit juice and freeze them into popsicles. It'll feel like you're having dessert, but it's actually good for you.

faintlyoptimistic · 25/08/2015 20:15

I really want to do this. I have for a long time but never do anything long-term about it.

I was bulimic in my late teens - started one day after eating an entire double pack of custard creams. I haven't had an issue with vomiting for about 15 years but I do still binge a bit. And I hide my snacking too. I too hate the addictive feeling I get and the lethargy as well as worrying about the damage I'm doing to my health.

I have such a sweet tooth though and, like you, wasn't sure it was possible... Anyway, as of now I plan to give up all added sugar but not fruit. I've no idea whether I'll manage it but your thread has given me the boost I needed. Thank you!

FarFromAnyRoad · 25/08/2015 20:28

Good luck faintly - you can do it! I've also eaten a double pack of custard creams dipped in sweet tea in my time - not a moment I am particularly proud of! I couldn't do it now if someone had a gun at my head - and soon that'll be you too!

msrisotto · 25/08/2015 20:32

Yeah, after a couple of weeks no added sugar-ing, I'd inevitably get excited about allowing myself a dessert and have way too much. I got a really sore stomach when I did.

museumum · 25/08/2015 20:40

Some people are talking about zero sugar but others are mentioning fruit? How do you decide what's "allowed" and what's not?
I couldn't imagine a life with no fruit ever - though I know we need to moderate our intake :(

msrisotto · 25/08/2015 21:15

Cutting out fruit is madness. Yes it contains sugar, but also fibre and vitamins and and and...

People make up their own minds but i'm going for sensible and sustainable. So mine is no 'added' sugar. If sugar occurs naturally in it then it's ok. Maple syrup and honey etc are ok....but they are exceptionally high sugar so I would have them rarely. Fruit juice is ok, but I personally water mine down as you can easily drink like, 12 oranges on one go which again, is very high sugar.

mikado1 · 25/08/2015 21:27

I have a horrific sweet tooth and I have done it in the past for two months each time, felt brilliant and then binged on a cake and fell off the wagon. Imo it's absolutely possible if you mean re physical cravings but for me the difficult thing is the comfort eating side to it-if I am tired or stressed I need chocolate-it's what I was given as a child as q treat, as a reward and as a consolation. . Trying so hard not to hand on the same association to my DS.

mikado1 · 25/08/2015 21:28

I did no processed sugar btw, definitely didn't cut fruit.

msrisotto · 25/08/2015 21:30

Yes yes yes mikado1. I think winter will be really hard to maintain for me. Dark, cold nights practically beg for a hot chocolate and treats.

ExasperatedAlmostAlways · 25/08/2015 21:43

Yes I have. i use to eat so much sugary stuff it was ridiculous. I'd have a kitkat biscuit then end up eating four. I'd sit at night with my husband and we'd eat up to two/three big family bags of sweets like maltesters, minstrels, haribo at least three times a week. i was addicted to maltesters
maltesters could eat the small box myself in twenty minutes. i loved ice cream. It was ridiculous.

my husband is slim and goes to the gym every night. I'm about a stone overweight. so five weeks ago I decided it needed to stop.

stopped drinking fizzy juice completely. And drank water instead. i didn't eat breakfast before or lunch really just aye garbage so iv been eating them and when I crave something sweet I drink a glass of water then wait ten mins. if I still want something sweet I had fruit.

i now don't really crave sugar at all. I defo prefer healthy stuff and have only had one normal sized packet of maltesters in the five weeks and that was two nights ago. I have also changed my children's diets as well and they have been eating much better too and don't reach for the biscuit jar when hungry infact we use to buy three packs of biscuits per week and buy one now and there's often a few left at the end of the week.

Feel much healthier and much more energy.

Iv just got a new mob sorry and it keeps changing words and uppercase to lower case sorry and don't know how to fix it so sorry for mistakes.

stripytees · 25/08/2015 22:16

One thing that helped me was medjool dates. They are so sweet and satisfying that I rarely want more than 2 which is a lot better than having 10 jaffa cakes or similar...

Loafliner · 25/08/2015 22:32

MsrisottoNo my cravings went pretty quickly, I stayed off sugar for a couple of months but it's not something I could do long term, I don't know why I ate sugar again but when I did it was scary, I even binged on fruit!I'd bake if there was nothing sweet in the house, binge on raisins, the kids sweets etc. and the binging only started after I tried to go cold turkey, I had never sugar binged before. And it was bloody hard to stop.
I am where I want to be now - I have the occasional treat when I really want it but only if the treat tastes great and I don't eat chocolate ever, I have managed this now for about 6 months. No binging, just controlled sugar intake, it works for me. Imo you need to experiment with how far you can take it, going too far created a bigger addiction than I started with and it was a real bitch to knock on the head.

WaxyBean · 26/08/2015 20:00

I need to give up sugar. Can we have a giving up sugar support thread?

msrisotto · 26/08/2015 20:18

There's one already going, linked upthread.

Chickychickyparmparm · 26/08/2015 22:58

I cut out fruit for the first few weeks (as suggested in the I Quit Sugar handbook). Otherwise I would've just binged on it. It definitely helped me reset my tastebuds/system/whatever. I slowly reintroduced it after a few weeks and have the odd bit now.

wanderingwondering · 26/08/2015 23:04

I wish I could do this but I just love cakes and puddings.
I would be so sad to not be able to eat them

BIWI · 26/08/2015 23:10

I'm sorry but this is nonsense:

I do have some substitutes though that might help:

  • Pineapples
  • Melons
  • Honey
  • Yogurts
  • Cane sugar stirred in tea/coffee (not good for you, but better than corn syrup and artificial sweeteners)

Do you have a juicer? Make some fruit juice and freeze them into popsicles. It'll feel like you're having dessert, but it's actually good for you

All of these are sugar! If you're trying to break the addiction to sugar, eating any of these will not make any difference, as they are all sugar

There's a lot of misconception in this thread.

Your body treats all carbs as sugar. That's how it deals with carbs - it doesn't matter if it's table sugar, baked potatoes, pasta or fruit. It's all sugar.

Louise43210 · 26/08/2015 23:19

I think that I am getting old and cynical ... but there are so many guilt inducing new ideas about food that it is no wonder that young people get ill from food related issues. Anyway I digress. If sugar is causing headaches I would reduce to a small end of day treat or once a day. Could that be possible? Life would then continue to be fun and yummy.

FishWithABicycle · 26/08/2015 23:38

I'm gearing up to trying to give up sugar - I don't want to do it until I have finished up my stock of chocolate treats that are in the house e.g. the hotel chocolat truffles I got for my birthday, and a few other things that only I eat like my extra-specially posh strawberry jam that no one else likes because of the lumps.

I'm successfully managing mostly non-sugary breakfasts and I have noticed something interesting. When I used to start the day with a sweetened cereal for breakfast (typically either honey nut cornflakes or honey granola) I would never be satisfied with a single sensible portion and would always have a second helping or have toast too etc. With savory breakfasts and aiming for the same sort of initial portion control, I find that yes I am still peckish and wouldn't mind some more breakfast but actually the cravings are massively more resistable and I am able to get on with my day without cracking.

I'll be watching this thread with interest too.

Dancingquality · 27/08/2015 01:50

We are getting through a lot of melons at the moment which are our current sweet tooth substitute. Or at least it lets us all drastically cut down on unhealthy sugary items.

Certainly not giving up any fruit because of its natural sugar content, that to me is insane.

mathanxiety · 27/08/2015 04:30

If you find yourself drinking your sugar, I recommend fizzy water instead, unflavoured or fruity flavoured but with no sweetener.

Wine is also sugar-loaded.

I switched to dark chocolate and occasionally a boiled fruity flavoured sweet which I made myself suck instead of munch. Chewing gum was also good, for emergencies.

Don't be tempted by artificial sweeteners.

I only really saw results when I cut it all out. Eating breakfasts that had a lot of protein in them was a turning point for me.

faintlyoptimistic · 27/08/2015 12:53

What protein rich breakfasts do you have martha?

mathanxiety · 27/08/2015 14:12

Eggs, mainly. Also whole grain breads with peanut butter (natural PB without sugar or added shelf stabilisers), Greek yogurt with ground almonds, porridge..

vulgarbunting · 27/08/2015 15:02

I did, I don't eat any refined sugar at all now.

It was unbelievably tough for me, I was a real addict, and ate a LOT of fruit to satisfy the cravings in the first few weeks. Also, agree with those that say most processed food has sugar in (bread, tomato ketchup etc.), also you can't eat anything that constitutes a sauce or a dressing, unless you're really careful.

I feel amazing for doing it, have lost weight, flatter stomach. I wouldn't go back.

beardsrock · 27/08/2015 15:39

I honestly believe that sugar is as addictive as crack.

If I eat a bar of chocolate or a piece of cake I am like a woman possessed. I just want more and can't think about anything else! Really don't like the hold it has over me.

I find it's easier to :

A. Not have it in the house. Hard, but works. Have dates, fruit, nuts etc.

B. If you do decide to have cake, have a slice in a coffee shop instead of baking at home. If you bake it at home, you end up eating the whole thing!

After a while you will not even crave processed sugar anyway, you find fruit and veg tastes sweet enough.

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