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 gave up added sugar for 7 months in 2015 and again new since Christmas. There's a thread in weight loss chat which is supportive. It is possible and after a while it won't even be hard but it takes a month or two to break the habit.

I'm vegetarian, are there vegetarian options in the Michael Moseley book or is it wholly meat based?

Come join our thread Giving up Sugar in January over in the weight loss section. A bunch of us are trying to. I'm still eating fruit and pasta/bread but gave up all sweets/chocolates/biscuits/fruit juice/soda etc just before Christmas (I also gave up caffeine at the same time as used to put a ton of sugar in my coffees every day and wanted to kick the caffeine addiction at the same time).

I'm now 5 weeks into it and I'm feeling so much better! I didn't realise quite how sluggish I was feeling before but have so much more energy now.

Sorry msrisotto missed your plug of the thread too.

Yes, I gave it up when I was 17. I am now 54. I realised that the sugar crash made me feel depressed and sluggish and that it was addictive and I was better off without it. And I haven't looked back.

I eat lots and lots of fruit and St Dalfour jam which is pure fruit but doesn't seem to affect me, just nothing with added sugar or honey. So no cakes, biscuits, chocolate etc. It's very easy and the longer you go without it the more it doesn't even enter your mind as being something you would eat.

I don't miss it. I feel healthy and have maintained a BMI of 19/20 without any effort whatsoever on my part, but I'm sure if I had continued to eat sugar that wouldn't have been the case.

Many times. Once for 7 weeks and once for 7 months and then days and weeks in between.

Addictive, annoying, habit forming stuff!

One lapse is all it takes.

Wow catneuterer.
I doff my cap to you!

fresh veg just doesn't cut it when I'm stressed

But cheese does - and I say that as someone who used to eat 2 Mars bars in a row, or a 100gram packet of Dairy Milk in one go! I'm now a Stilton addict ...

Lol that's what happens when I'm texting and mnetting at the same time

I have reported...

This guy writes a great evidence-based blog about food and nutri-bolkocks. Anyway he did a piece on sugar, which is very even handed.

angry-chef.com/blog/the-most-unfashionable-defence-of-all

It's a lot easier than you'd think. I have a rare (neurological) health condition(complication) that's effected by sodium, vitamin A, caffeine and sugar. not alcohol thank god
I've been sugar free for about 7 months.
The cravings subsided fairly quickly. Same for my morning cuppa which I thought I'd never survive without.
I wasn't trying to lose weight and basically been eating as much as I want but nothing processed and light on the gluten.
I've lost about 18lbs over 7 months. Not dramatic but pretty sure this weight will stay off for good.
Best of luck.

I have managed 3 weeks, my turning point was after getting a filling!! which was horrible. & I thought would I let my kids eat this crap, answer was NO! just stopped.

I gave up sugar on 1 Jan and now don't eat anything with more than 5g if sugar per 100g except fruit. It's been easier than I thought it would. I miss fizzy laces, and have on occasion fantasized about eating them. I don't get a post lunch energy slump anymore, and have lost 3lbs.

This is very interesting to read. I'm also a massive sugar addict although I do go through phases of eating sweet stuff constantly then I'll cut right down for a while and the cravings start again. It's a horrible cycle.

Those who have given up or at least cut down long term - how did you manage it? Did you start gradually?

My dd has just turned 3 and I know she eats far too much sweet stuff so I'd love for us all to cut right down if possible. Christmas chocolate is almost gone thank god!

Felix. I did it by cutting it out entirely instantly. I just told myself that was something I could no longer eat. And after a while (it was so long ago I really don't remember that well) it just became second nature. I part of who I am. Just like being vegetarian. I told people I had a sugar intolerance (which I think is more or less true - it made me feel crap) to stop them trying to push stuff on me or say 'just one piece won't hurt' or whatever, and that helped I think.

I did one month of whole 30 (you also give up sugar) and lost 15+ lbs without limiting how much I ate. Took a week for the mouthwatering cravings to go but I slept like a baby, had amazing energy and lost weight. Well worth it.

I dont think sugar is that bad. Ive been following the freelee banana girl diet for two months and lost alot by having unlimited fruit and very little fat / salt. Fruit is good for you

It depends on what you mean by giving up sugar.
years ago I did the atkins diet and gave up all carbs, bar 20g for 2 weeks, thereafter I allowed myself as much veg as I wanted and let fruit back into my diet a few weeks after that. It was hard intially, but after a while, i noticed that things that I had assumed weren't particularly sweet, felt incredibly sweet. For example plain greek yoghurt with blueberries felt like a sugar rush. An entire banana was difficult to finish.

We don't need sugar to be added into any of our food. Cakes and biscuits etc can be kept as a once or twice a year treat. But it requires a step change in your thinking.

I'm not overweight but haven't eaten sweets, biscuits, chocolate and cake for 3 weeks.

Was concious I was eating too much sugar. I have always eaten sweets, never taken anything out of my diet but wow I do feel better. More energy, fewer headaches. I'm still having orange juice in the morning or a glass of smoothie. Still getting the odd craving, usually in the evening as that is when I used to eat my chocolate stash.

Don't know if I'll keep going, start eating a bit again but the way I, feeling now is proof enough that it really isn't good for you - and I CAN live without chocolate!!

I eat very little sugar. I'd not say I'd given it up 100% but it's minimal in my diet.

I will have a treat maybe once a week.

Don't know if it will help but this is a typical day's food for me (without sugar)

Brekkie- boiled, scrambled or poached egg with mushrooms , occasionally bacon, slice gluten free bread.

Lunch (1pm)- homemade or bought (quality) soup. Or an avocado with salad. Apple or greek yoghurt.

Afternoon snack- oatcakes with almond butter, Greek yoghurt

Dinner (around 7pm) fish, chicken, stir fries, salad, vegetables, casseroles, fish cakes, roast veg/ lentil bake, cauliflower cheese etc.

I don't snack much and if I'm hungry have a few nuts- always have a bowl in the house or in my bag if out.

I have various food intolerances to am gluten free and can't eat chocolate! I never buy sweets. At a weekend we might have a pudding- crumble or something.

OP,
are you constantly thirsty?
always hungry?
muscle ache?
eyesight changing through the day?
younsay you are headachy...

see your GP ... ask for a nlood sugar test to be sure you are ok.

It may sound very simplistic, but the key is really just not to buy the stuff in the first place (and resist the urge to bake at home!)

Everyone has a choice over what they put in their trolley or online shop. You can make a decision not to buy sugary products. If they're not in the house, you can't eat them and you can stop yourself buying snacks at work or when travelling.

I think the key is to find something to replace the sugar. For me, it's Greek yoghurt- a couple of spoonfuls - or an apple, a small cube of cheese, or some nuts.

I also think you have to be realistic. The odd treat is fine so long as you can keep it as a treat. We had mince pies and Stollen in the house over Xmas for visitors. I did have a little. Now it's gone, I won't be replacing with anything else.

I've had a packet of meringues in the larder for around 18 months and I'll throw them away soon because I just find them far too sweet. Another thing I've found that works is - if I do bake anything- reducing the sugar by 30-50% and it still tastes the same.

I'm finding it impossible! Partner managed it for a while (he's a nutritionist) but I can't. If anything, through thinking about it i've got worse!

The only thing I'd say really helps is making everything from scratch so that you can still make your treats but control how much sugar goes in.

If you really wanted to, you would :)

Why are you making or buying sweet stuff if you don't want to eat it?

Only you is choosing to do that.