To be amazed at the difference after cutting down on this?

[Holls7]

I’ve always had a terrible sweet tooth. For the past 10 days I’ve made a huge effort - only having a few squares of high % dark chocolate each day and the occasional low sugar ice lolly if craving.

I feel like a new person! Far less mood swings, less snappy, calmer in general.

I didn’t think it would make that much difference - I’d always have chocolate and sweets before, and my cravings are almost gone.

Was I naive to think this wouldn’t make any difference from a mood perspective?!

I don’t notice a difference in mood but I find that my skin is better when I cut down sugar. I don’t have sugar during the week, but I will eat it at weekends. We usually go for dinner at weekends and I have a cocktail, glass of wine and/or a dessert. I think that life’s too short to deny yourself completely!

Thanks. I’m going to try this 😀

I’ve given up sugar/biscuits/cakes in the past with no discernible difference. I also regularly stop drinking alcohol like for Lent. No difference there either! I just assume it’s doing my body good even if I can’t feel it (and no I don’t lose weight just by going it up either).

Yeah my skin is better and my bowels !!

Do you not still get cravings though from white carbs, or have you cut them out too? If so, how?! I can't imagine navigating eating out without consuming white pasta or rice.

What do people have as a hot chocolate replacement when you've just come in from severe cold? I find I desperately need that combination of warmth and dopamine. I tried one of those mushroom hot chocolates from H&B once and it wasn't good.

Also, if you're out and about all day and get knackered and need a pick me up, do you have a bowl of chips in a cafe instead of cake? I'm not THAT much of a sugar addict but these are two main uses for it I struggle to think of replacements for.

Jumping in to say I don't crave white carbs. If I go out and they don't offer brown rice I ask for rice to be left off the meal. I wouldnt pick pasta to eat. Or if I know where I am going out for a meal ill make sure my entire week is good to compensate for a one off meal and definitely go to the gym that day or the next. I don't look to climate everything completely but where I can I will.

I’ve lost a load of weight since cutting down on sweets, biscuits, and crisps. We literally don’t buy them anymore. Instead, we buy strawberries and raspberries and I have pomegranates in my porridge. It’s helped me lose 20lbs over the last 4 months. I’m aiming for 42lbs in total so got a way to go but I’m happy with that.

I was under the impression that sugar cravings still remain as long as white carbs are consumed, so that's good that these one off meals don't cause general sugar cravings to return.

To be honest when I have it I don't feel as good the food just makes me feel more tired cos it does spike your insulin. So hence why its easier for me to avoid as much as possible.

Its like when I had some birthday cake, it just tasted sickly sweet I couldn't have more than two forks of it as it had been so long since I had something like that.

I saw a documentary once that said that the gut bacteria you have that thrive off the food you eat will
make you crave more of that food. So if you eat lots of processed food and sugar etc you will crave more of it because of the gut-brain axis.
I have been eating very healthily for a couple of months - mainly whole food and getting 6 or 7 portions of fruit and veg every day and it’s all I want to eat these days so there may be some truth to it.

Im having small amounts of white rice but no bread or pasta

Honestly im not bothered. Ive been eating maybe some crackers or crisps. Im low sugar/carb. I couldn't do none but I've had no chocolates, cakes , biscuits etc

I love herbal tea as it is and so id pick a green tea or fresh mint tea.

I csrry snacks with me if I know im on a long day ojt protein bar or nuts like walnuts. Most stuff in a cafe is kore than its worth and not the right type of food I want to eat anyway. But since I eat protein it fills me up so I don't really need a pick me up for energy more like a break for my feet and to hydrate