How to quit sugar - it’s taking over my life

[ChocolateAddictAlways]

In my early 40s, overweight, low mood and poor skin. I have previously used hypnotherapy in my 20s which worked but two decades later and several children later I’ve struggled to find the time to listen to the track every night. Desperate to know how others have succeeded in a long term approach to sugar removal or reduction. I can go weeks without it and then stupidly have a small amount which sets me off and suddenly I’ll be eating several magnums a day or 150g of chocolate in one go. I deeply loathe myself for this right now. Terrified of long term health implications.

Appreciate putting this in addiction support may seem like a kick in the teeth to those with serious addictions to nicotine, alcohol etc but I couldn’t work out which other sub topic to plonk it in.

Any advice from those who have managed it would be greatly appreciated but please don’t say, just stop, don’t give in, use willpower etc. I have had two decades of EDs as well and that complicates things and my mental health is quite frazzled so the ‘pull yourself up from your bootstraps’ approach is respectfully, not helpful.

Thank you.

And yes, the username was sort of a joke-but-not-really-a-joke when I first started to use Mumsnet :(

Analyse where your sugar is coming from? Is it what you are adding to drinks? Snacks?
Goes without saying, don’t have anything like chocolate, biscuits ice creams etc in the house if you know you will eat it all. Get family and friends on board to help you too.
You sound really dedicated. You can do this!

Thank you for your kind reply.

It’s almost never in drinks (unless we eat out which is rare) and very much added sugar, purely in confectionary or dessert form. I don’t buy anything which could tempt me with our weekly groceries and have little interest in sugar which appeals to my children (haribo, smarties, etc) but I have found myself leaving the house in the evening telling husband I need a walk and then head straight to local shop and purchase chocolate/ice cream. It’s often linked to stress and emotions. So GP kindly agreed to referral with local mental health team. Just frustrated that I still can’t beat this when I’ve - largely- dealt with the EDs (although I recognise this is a type of disordered form of eating as well)

Just feeling fed up of still doing this :(

Only thing that works for me is cold turkey, and tell whoever you are with - kids, DH, friends etc. And maybe use this as a confession place so someone can kick your arse? If I think ‘oh I can’t do that because so and so will be disappointed in me and I’ll look like a weak person’ it helps me.

I would also look at the menstrual cycle.

Even on contraceptives, there are hormone levels/ phases when I eat loads followed by back to normal eating.

Knowing that and then catering for the rise/ dip can help... if there is a pattern of course!

I sympathise - sugar is my weakness. I’m going to look into hypnotherapy, I didn’t realise it was actually a thing. I’d be willing to give it a try.

Well done - you have identified the cause. So replace that walk to the shop with something else. Trip to the cinema, walk through the park, visit to a friend.

I find a low carb diet makes me crave the sweet stuff less.

I deeply loathe myself for this right now

Generally we don't care about doing anything good for people we 'loathe' so the first thing to try and change is you view of yourself. I bet there are lots of great things about you but the only thing you can currently focus on is your compunction to self soothe with chocolate. If you can love yourself despite this (perceived) flaw you'll probably find it easier to resist harming the person you love with junk food.

(As an aside I doubt that listening to hypnotherapy tapes from 20 years ago aren't relevant any more, but if it worked once it should work again so look for standalone sessions rather than having to do the hypnotist's work yourself!)

I’m having the same issue, I’m trying to find a good audio book to help, it’s so hard to cut down / give up

I'm the same. I think I need to go cold turkey but it's so hard. Following this thread with interest

Levelling my blood sugar has worked for me in the past and o can go long periods not craving sweet things. There is loads of info online, but effectively lower carbon (especially processed ones) and higher protein.

In reality, the way to get over the hump of the first few days has for me been fat. Eat lots of cheese, maybe steak with cream sauce etc. In the long term this isn't ideal, but I find after the first 2 or 3 days the sweet cravings have gone and I can try and eat more healthily. Doing this means it all seems like a bit of a treat rather than a bad thing. (Melted dark chocolate with double cream mixed in satisfies the sweet craving without spiking your blood sugar).

It's so hard. I'm currently trying to get back into it all.

I think it’s better to cut down rather than try to go cold turkey. Decide that you are only going to allow yourself a sweet treat on certain days. It’s easier to get through today if you know that you can have something tomorrow, or the next day.

I went cold turkey, also cut out simple carbohydrates in any form (pastry, biscuits, bread and so on), and after a couple of weeks was able to have a tiny bar of chocolate every now and again. Think a Freddo.

I also kicked my protein intake up and am still eating a healthy amount of carbs but in veg and fruit form mostly.

I still cannot buy a normal bar and not eat it all, so just can't buy them. If anyone gives me choccie or cake stuff, I cut a slice or a few blocks, then have to take the rest to a public bin. I can't be trusted to have them anywhere accessible (and that includes my own bin) because I hyperfocus on them and end up eating them.

I had bulimia from the age of 12 which probably goes some way to explain my disordered eating.

As a lifelong sugar/chocolate addict I decided enough was enough at the end of February this year. I had lost all self control, the amount of chocolate I was eating had got completely out of hand and I felt disgusted with myself every day. I’m not BMI overweight but I felt lousy, tired, sugar crashes, skin looked crap etc. I cut out all sugar with the exception of fruits such as berries which are lower in natural sugars on 1st March and I’ve had nothing since. It’s transformed my life tbh, and freed up time in the evenings to do other things where I’d have rather sat eating a huge bar of chocolate most nights! I won’t go back now, chocolate has no place in my life. I don’t trust myself to have a small amount as I suspect I could lose self control and old habits could creep back. Life is for living though so I’m looking forward to having an ice cream on holiday or perhaps a dessert if I’m out for a special occasion. It sounds extreme but it’s all or nothing for me and I don’t ever want to be the person I was again. If I can do it, anyone can! I’d tried many times before but finally I’ve done it. I’d also suggest telling as many people as you can that you’ve quit sugar as this also holds you accountable!

I have a complicated mix of emotional eating/sugar addiction/getting older going on that I haven’t figured out properly yet. I tend to be good for a little while then fall off the wagon and be really bad/don’t care etc. Bit black and white. But finding a couple of bits helpful…

Have you come across a book called ‘Women, Food and God’? (Connecting to yourself/feelings rather than a religious idea of a god).

And The Binge Eating Therapist on YouTube -

I cut it out for a year. After a couple of weeks you stop craving it and just feel way less hungrier. Other things start tasting sweet. You get your taste buds back, I caught way less colds and felt much better overall. I gave up giving up for Xmas and am now trying to avoid it again. I thought I could just allow myself a bit but I’m realising for me it’s got to be strict. So much stuff has added sugar that by avoiding it I ended up eating a really healthy diet. In the supermarket I avoid 80% of the aisles !! It’s worth it and once the cravings pass it’s way easier.

I have been where you are. The cravings do intense just horrendous.
I had coaching which helped, but once the coaching ended I lapsed and at £300 a month I couldn’t continue.
hypnotherapy also helped till I had a serious accident
rhe only thing that’s helped has been mounjaro, and the joy I feel about the loss of cravings is immense.

Yes they do say to just walk around the permiter as all the junk is within the centre - but I noticed my local one constantly rearranges everything so I wonder if they’re deliberately sabotaging people trying to do this?! 😅

Update: I am sorry everyone. I started this thread in May of last year and then promptly seem to disappear! Unfortunately I had a few health scares, one by one, which ended up going on for months (ultimately all was okay, major relief but all very stressful at the time)

After starting the thread I jumped back on my Paul Mckenna method and I managed 6 weeks no sugar. Then there was a birthday party and things fell apart sugar wise again for a few months. Then I went back and managed another 7 weeks. I keep yoyo-ing in the sense that a 'special occasion' seems to be my downfall and sets everything backwards. I managed another 7 weeks of no sugar about 2 months ago and then had a stressful weekend with a sick child in hospital which led to a chocolate biscuit lunch which started the whole silly process again 😕

I am going to reread everyone's suggestions. The Paul Mckenna thing does work for me but as soon as I stop listening to the audio around weeks 5 to 6 things start to fray! It's hard with several kids and elderly relatives. I will just keep at it...maybe one day it will stick!

I hope you're all doing better than me! 💓

Hi @ChocolateAddictAlways
I’m glad you revived this thread as so much of your descriptions ring true for me. You sound like you have a method Paul M that works but you allow yourself a taste and then it all goes to pot. I used Alan Carr’s book to give up smoking years ago but it took me years to give up completely as like you I kept going back to it.
Im addicted to eating bad food now, it’s either chocolate, ice cream, biscuits etc or crisps nowadays. If I buy anything like that I know I will eat it all in one sitting. Today I had a big sharing packet of salt and vinegar chip-sticks. Last week a tub of. Biscoff ice cream. I buy it with the intention of eating it all at once. Don’t know how to stop