Has anyone successfully given up sugar?

[FannyDeFuzz]

I'm about a stone heavier than I would like to be, and I often feel sluggish and headachey. I'm pretty sure it's down to my love of sugar - am otherwise healthy, five a day etc. But I just can't give up the sugary things.

Did you manage? How long did it take and what did you use to stop the cravings?

I'm watching with interest as I want to give up sugar for health reasons, diabetes runs in my family. My down fall is tea and biscuits, if I drink a cup of tea then I need biscuits as an accompaniment. Then before I k ow it, half the packet has disappeared. I'm not overweight but I do need to curb the sugar intake because of the diabetes risk.

I'm on day 9 low carb and feeling great now i've got rid of initial headache. Substitute fat for sugar.

There's a great thread going in low carb section which has been really helpful for meal ideas and general support. Come & join us

I have cut it right down but damn man it's the tea, it just needs it!! I went cold turkey to begin with (how hard can i be said i)and by day 3 i was in a total mess shaking, head aches etc so I let the tea back in at a very strict 1 spoon per cup with a cup limit of 4 per day. I am still working on it though and it is HARD

Yes! I'm in week 4 of the 8 week blood sugar diet by Michael Moseley. I am a recovering sugaraholic and I've struggled with it a bit at times but broadly speaking the high fat food choices are really satisfying in ways I hadn't expected. Also I think having the 8week time scale really helps you to focus on your goal. Read the book. I really do recommend it.

No, but I'd like to. Emotional eater here, and fresh veg just doesn't cut it when I'm stressed

I might pop over to look that low carb thread Flibbertyjibit, is in Weight Loss?

Ok I will order the Michael Moseley book. My down fall is biscuits, sweets and chocolates I can easily leave but not the biscuits. Now I'm getting older the excess sugar is causing digestive turbulence and bloating!

I started keto on 4th Jan. I gave up all sugar and most carbs. I felt like absolute crap for 2 weeks, but now I feel great and I've lost a lot of weight in that time. Stick with it, it's worth it!

Yes. 3 months in. So not necessarily kicked the habit.

But have found that if I slip it doesn't taste as good as I thought it would. Or as good as it used to taste. Hopefully taste buds are changing

Easier to abolish (switch to veggies not fruit) than to reduce I have found

AdoraBell there is a low carb boot camp section, there is a boot camp starting in a few weeks but quite a few of us have started early.

Only short term; several times for about 4-5 months each time

Felt bloody amazing but each time got cocky and thought 'I can have a little bit every now and again' - I really can't!!!

Trying to get back 'on it' by initially cutting the obvious right down.

Switched from hot chocolate to fruit teas, eat plain crisps instead of bars of chocolate and try to avoid the office vending machine mid afternoon!

Thanks, I'll have a look.

Can you switch your milk to semi or full fat? It tastes sweeter so you might find it easier?

I need to do this.
Im 5.7 & people say I so skinny, do I eat? Im 11 stone and its all around my stomach.

Im wearing maternity tops to hide it, Its a great big bloated tummy & Im sure its just full of all the sugary crap I eat all day.

Do the 7 day juice detox by Jason Vale. He's an annoying cockwomble but it bloody works. After 3 days you stop craving unhealthy carbs and sugar, and you don't miss them after that. You also lose 7 lbs in those 7 days! It was a good few months before I found sugar was creeping back into my diet, if that happens just detox again.

I stopped having sugar in tea when I was 13, so 11 years ago. Best thing i ever did.
Now it's mainly in alcohol I get sugar. And coke.

We managed to give up artificial sugar when my son was little, still included small amounts of honey/maple syrup and a normal amount of fruit. Then he hit a sleep regression and it went downhill!

We try to be mindful of how much sugar we eat but it's been a craving during this pregnancy (I put it down mainly to tiredness)

Once I've given birth I would like us to gradually cut back again. I would say the first week was the hardest for us but if you include plenty of water and eat regularly it helps

I had to give up sugar for health reasons.
I didn't take sugar in tea, coffee, etc so that was not so difficult. But I used to always have a sweet or two after lunch and giving this up was difficult as I always used to have cravings for sugar after lunch (which turned out to be a symptom of my condition).
I resolved this by getting sweets with artificial sweeteners (isotol, and others).
There are debates about artificial sweeteners I suppose, but it did the job for me. I eventually stopped having them as I got more used to having less sugar.

I've pretty much given it up apart from alcohol. Gave up sugar in hot drinks and on cereal about 3 yrs ago - it took 6 months to get used to it now it doesn't bother me at all. Have completely lost interest in sweets/ chocolate and biscuits. Crave savoury food but still need to cut out alcohol. You can do it but if you're like me it just takes a bit of time. Good luck.

I have mainly fiven it up since new year.

I have eaten out twice and dont worry about it when i eat out.

I am doing low carb, high protein and fairly high fat.

I have pcos and struggle to lose weight. Since new year i have lost 10lb. I feel great now. The first few weeks wetent great though. But last weekend i found myself not even wanting some chocolate when it was offered.

Does fruit count? I've been vegan since new year and have found that I've avoided most sugary things naturally as they often contain dairy or gelatine. I have snacked on lots of fruit though so not sure if I have actually quit sugar. Definitely had loads less refined sugar though. I had a really expensive truffle left over from Christmas the other day, and to me it just tasted like gone off milk. I was quite pleased as I didn't want another one. I have lost about 8lb in a few weeks and am sleeping much better!

my best friend is a health coach and I'm doing her sugar detox. It's quite gentle as you remove things week by week rather than all at once. I've lost 11lbs in 3 weeks!

I have. 8 weeks on the blood sugar diet at the beginning but am now 4 months in. I feel amazing and am 3 1/2 stone lighter (obvs I cut down portions not just cut out sugar to get that!).

The weird thing is I don't even want cake or sweets. I will admit that I have a packet of 96% dark choc buttons and occasionally have one or two in the evening if I do have a twinge. Packet has lasted 2 months.

You can do it. You just have to push through the withdrawal headache 🙂

I eat a LCHF diet, bloody love it!

Definitely worth doing, feel so much better.

I have the odd wobble (curly wurly...) but generally I'm super strict.

I don't have sugar in tea, thank goodness. I do in coffee though - a big strong sugary coffee is what gets me up in the morning. Today I've substituted the sugar for agave nectar and it's fine.

It was back before Christmas I realised- I had D&V and didn't eat much for ages. Dry toast etc. I then had some Christmas chocolate and it tasted vile. What's the point in eating something that tastes gross just because it's feeding your sugar cravings? It definitely dulls your tastebuds.

I find it really difficult to maintain willpower, especially because in work we're all rushing around then someone brings cake in.... I like the idea of a very strict initial detox

Work can be difficuly. My afternoon sugar hit used to get me through. I have greek yoghurt and sugar free peanut butter instead.

I just always think that i want to lose weight and be healthier more than i want the sugar. And concentrate on how shit i will feel later for giving in