Sugar addiction - going cold turkey anyone want to join me?!

[vix206]

I am terrible, I have no self control when it comes to sugary and stodgy foods. It is spiralling out of control now and I feel deprived if I don't have something sweet several times a day; cake, chocolate, sweets etc.

I'm not very overweight but I am carrying a few extra pounds, my DS is 21 months old and I am still BFing twice a day but this will stop before he is 2 and I know I can't rely on breastfeeding weight loss for much longer!

I need to put a stop to it, I've asked my husband for help and I've decided to go cold turkey on all the sugary foods I've been eating. I just wondered if anyone else wanted to join me, or has any tips? I've done this before so I expect I'll feel like cr*p for a few days but I know I'll feel better by the middle of next week!

Hiya wantingout. It is difficult, you've a lot on your plate. I also rn my own business with my husband and we only have the 1 DC at the moment. He only started sleeping through a couple of months ago (he is 21 months old) and the sugary treats we're keeping me going. But I have had 5 days without them and I do feel better already. And I'm sleeping much better than I have been! Weird dreams though...

I wouldn't cut out both caffeine and sugar at once. Caffeine is easier as its only really in tea, coffee and coke, so much easier to avoid. I was someone who couldn't string a sentence together in the morning without 2 cups of tea in my system.

It's still 2 cups of tea in the morning, but decaffeinated ones. I truly struggle to taste the difference between them, now. It might leave you a bit headache-y when you give it up, but some people do it with no problems at all.

I'd suggest Twinings Decaff Everyday Tea as a good alternative to PG tips.

Sugar is much harder to give up, IMHO. You can use Agave syrup as an alternative sweetener which is delicious - bit like maple syrup.
You can also use this stuff called Perfect Sweet; you get it in supermarkets. It tastes just like sugar. Both of them give you a really sweet taste, but don't play havoc with your blood sugar and leave you wanting another sugar fix an hour or so later.

Oh, and you sleep much better, too!

I also meant to say - stay away from artificial sweeteners. They arn't good for you. Keep to the 'natural' stuff!

is perfect sweet stevia?

Hello,

I'm a bit late to the plan, but can I join in too? About a month ago I stopped eating sugar and got through the cravings and kept it up for about a week and a half and felt great, but then I ended up going to a party and treating myself and I've never quite managed to get through the 3ish days of cravings to stop again...

But, starting tomorrow, I am going to try! Wish me luck.

Welcome studying and good luck!

I officially suck at this! In the past couple of days I've had a can of fanta, some haribo and a couple of chocolates at work - I did manage to say no to the cakes though. I tried this a couple of months ago and found it really easy, apart from coke. Now, I can't seem to stop myself :(
Must Try Harder!

Hello all. Well, I haven't caved into them but my cravings today (day 6 for me) are OFF the scale! I want cake so badly

Munching on a carrot!!!!

Sorry. Its called 'Total Sweet' and not 'Perfect Sweet'. They had a name change. Stevia is fine to have, too. Its natural stuff from a plant. Total Sweet is derived from plum sugar, apparently.

Try not to eat too many unrefined carbs - pasta, white bread, white rice, etc. Your system will convert them to sugars and give you highs (which you don't really feel) and lows - which you do! (hence sugar cravings)

Wanting - don't beat yourself up! It might have been the kedgeree - you may just be knackered and your body wanted sugar.

BTW, you can get microwaveable brown rice from Sainsbos and Tilda - 2 mins max!

Ok, so I have to confess that today is day 1 for me - yesterday did not go well! But I have a busy weekend planned, and that should be helpful in not giving me chances to sit and crave sugar...

wantingout, its so true - and get togethers with friends are normally marked with chocolate/sweets and wine too! Why is that?? I am going to have to try to avoid the sweet things at our street party on Sunday, and at my friend's party on Tuesday.

Really tired today and grouchy. My mum kept trying to get me to try her homemade ice cream resulting in me snapping at her that it's like me keep offering her cigarettes (she gave up last year). I don't smoke btw.

Anyway, worked out its 5 days before my period and I'm normally eating my own weight in stodge and chocolate around now so I'm proud of myself for not crumbling into a cakey mess!!!!

I think that ANY amount of sugar that you cut out is GOOD FOR YOU! Going cold turkey is really really hard. Don't beat yourself up when you 'fall off the wagon' - BUT don't think to yourself "Oh, well, I give up!".

Just accept that parties happen and there will be sweet things to eat. OK, so you have a cake... so what? Just wake up the next day, and resolve to keep off sugar. As long as you eat less - and less, then you are on the right track.

Don't forget that white sandwiches will up your sugar level. Suggest you eat as much protein as you can get hold of.... sausages, chicken tikka bites, eggs followed by veg and salads. Keep yourself full. Then when you eat the cake, it should have less of an impact. (Notice I said "the" cake and not "cakes"!)

I've lost 9cm around my waist since January.

(BTW, drink gin and Slimline or vodka and slimline instead of wine if you can.)

Happy Jubilee!

How's it going peeps? All good here, I'm really feeling good today after visiting a favourite cafe where I always have cake. I promised myself a slice of carrot cake but they didn't have any so I was really strong and instead of opting for another cake I just had coffee. Might not sound like much but omg they had chocolate fudge cake and Victoria sponge which are both my favourites. Was a bit twitchy sitting there (like an addict) but I felt so good for having the discipline.

How's everyone else getting on?

Sounds like you're doing really well vix :)

I've not done toooo bad but there's definitely room for improvement. I had a coke at a wedding yesterday but other than that I've managed to steer clear.

Would love to join you guys please! I gave up my considerable sugar crutch a few weeks ago and shrunk my tummy and love handles considerably! fast forward a couple of weeks and its business as usual.
My downfalls:
Shop-bought coffee (1 or 2 a day)
Sugar in other hot drinks
Biscuits (at work and at home)
Chocolate

I am starting again today and am currently having plain tea, unsweetened porridge and toast with butter. I would say I have a good half a stone to lose. Like many people I find the hardest times between 4pm and 8pm.when preparing kids dinner. I pick relentlessly and then stuff my own dinner too. I am racing towards 40 and with less and less time to exercise I don't want to look like a weeble!

Welcome diamond
I'm really struggling with this, which is really annoying as I've done it before without too much difficulty?!

I've started this today in a very small way. All I am doing for now is giving up sugar in tea and coffee. I am tired all the time and I look terrible. My teeth aren't brilliant either. I had a cup of coffee without sugar this morning and it was ok. I will have a week or so with no sugar in hot drinks and then I will give up something else. I started eating dark chocolate, which I have always hated, a few weeks ago as a means of cutting down on chocolate consumption but DH sabotaged it by giving me a massive bar of milk chocolate. Admittedly, he didn't actually force it down my throat but that's where it went.

Reading my post, it's not really cold turkey but it's a start. I am surrounded by people who tell me I don't need to lose weight and that sugar won't do me any harm.

Hi all,
Am doing monumentally poorly. Yesterday was hit by worse case of PMT for months, and began day with sugared coffee. Today am working a long day and have drunk sweet teas and coffees amd many many biscuits. So sick of myself right now.
On top of this, I seem to have developed itchy hormonal skin on my jaw. I just have no self control for the stuff yet its so bad for me. I should add over the weekend I drank a bit and again my skin just played up the following day.

diamond - ditto (minus the PMT) my skin is bad the mo and I know sugar makes it worse but I just can't seem to control it at the moment.
I may try anypoints approach and do it a step at a time...