Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Giving up sugar for 21 days

135 replies

Ihaterain1 · 07/05/2023 19:09

I have been eating toomuch chocolate and sweets since the new year which resulted in putting on around 8 pounds. I am planning to reset my cravings by giving up sugar from tomorrow for at least 21 days. Anyone wants to join me?

OP posts:
44PumpLane · 13/05/2023 07:48

GoldenFarfalle
second day, I can't stop thinking about chocolate, bread etc.. I had a banana for breakfast (plus greek youghurt with nuts

Morning- just to say that bananas and other tropical fruits are rather high in natural sugars.....you might be better off with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.

GCWorkNightmare · 13/05/2023 08:03

Ketosis is where you switch from burning sugar to burning fat. Most people need to stop having much carbohydrate to do it (generally around 40g). It’s what the Atkins diet is based on.

PaminaMozart · 13/05/2023 21:08

I would really recommend the 10 Day Detox Diet by Dr. Mark Hyman - available free via Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/bloodsugarsoluti0000hyma_e7w4

It not only explains WHY we are addicted to sugar and why artificial sweeteners are not the answer (because they just spike insulin and increase cravings for sweet stuff) - it also provides a detailed 10-day plan with recipes.

The blood sugar solution 10-day detox diet : activate your body's natural ability to burn fat and lose weight fast : Hyman, Mark, 1959- author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

xiii, 338 pages ; 25 cm

https://archive.org/details/bloodsugarsoluti0000hyma_e7w4

Doseydots · 14/05/2023 15:59

My weekend has gone really well. Hardly any cravings and no
headaches. Today will be my 7th day and I am so pleased !

Ihaterain1 · 14/05/2023 18:05

Doseydots · 14/05/2023 15:59

My weekend has gone really well. Hardly any cravings and no
headaches. Today will be my 7th day and I am so pleased !

Well done! Its my 7th day too, yesterday we had some friends over so it wasn't easy, i must admit i had one bite of a cupcake, but thats all . Normally i would eat all the sweet leftovers this morning, but everything is still here. I will ask my partner to take it into work with him tomorrow so there is no temptation.

OP posts:
Doseydots · 14/05/2023 18:39

Let’s hope it gets easier now we’ve got through the first week. The accountability on her definitely helps

Doseydots · 15/05/2023 20:42

day 8 for me, my colleague had a bag of toffees today and kept offering them. I took one and popped it in my bag, I felt rude declining and also couldn’t be bothered getting into a conversation about what I am doing and why. So another good day here.

Ihaterain1 · 15/05/2023 21:23

Good day for me too today! Fingers crossed for day 9.

OP posts:
Ihaterain1 · 15/05/2023 21:24

How is everyone else doing?

OP posts:
ImAvingOops · 17/05/2023 08:44

I'm trying this too as desperately need to lose weight and hope to address all the little health niggles that I have.
I still have a bit of artificial sweetener but have cut out all sweets and non green vegetable carbs.
I'm finding that I'm not so hungry, although it's hard separating out the difference between hunger and fancying sweet snacks. I miss watching a film in the evening with a bar of chocolate or some granola. But I feel better in myself, even though it's early days - I feel like I'm doing something positive to improve my life and health.

Ihaterain1 · 17/05/2023 12:01

ImAvingOops · 17/05/2023 08:44

I'm trying this too as desperately need to lose weight and hope to address all the little health niggles that I have.
I still have a bit of artificial sweetener but have cut out all sweets and non green vegetable carbs.
I'm finding that I'm not so hungry, although it's hard separating out the difference between hunger and fancying sweet snacks. I miss watching a film in the evening with a bar of chocolate or some granola. But I feel better in myself, even though it's early days - I feel like I'm doing something positive to improve my life and health.

Good luck! I am on day 10 today and feel that the cravings for sweet things have gone now,but i have always had a sweet tooth so quite often i just want some sweet just because i like it not because i am craving it if that makes sense. I have always been greedy for chocolate this.

OP posts:
ImAvingOops · 17/05/2023 12:41

@Ihaterain1 it's a weird feeling isn't it? I'm not hungry at all now I've had breakfast but it's like I don't know what to do with my mouth! I'm so used to nibbling on chocolate - I feel like something is missing but Im definitely not hungry.

Megamopyeah · 17/05/2023 13:32

Has anyone else found that they feel hungry all the time? Even after a healthy meal, I still feel hungry. Hoping it’s just the bad gut bacteria trying to get me to eat sugar…

PaminaMozart · 17/05/2023 14:48

It takes time to wean yourself off sugar,@magneticmoon but it's definitely worth persevering. Can you try some of the recipe suggestions in Mark Hyman's book. Very simple but satisfying meals.

I have replaced breakfast and lunch with brunch, which I normally eat around 10.30-11. I normally have a 2-egg omelette incorporating a sizeable portion of spinach, mushrooms or peppers - or whatever vegetables I have to hand (often leftovers from last night's dinner). This is so, so filling that all i need is a mid-afternoon snack of carrots, an apple or some cantaloupe.

Followed by dinner consisting of protein (chicken, fish or prawns) plus lots of vegetables, and only a tiny amount of healthy carbs. Around 25-30% protein, 10-15% carbs and 55-65%, vegetables. (NB: eggs and lentils/chickpeas are also useful sources of protein, and the latter are an excellent substitute for refined carbs.)

I also have a square or two of dark chocolate if I 'need' something sweet. But beating the sugar addiction is definitely THE key factor!

I try not to eat anything after 7 pm or within 3 hours of bedtime. Drinking a lot of water is also really helpful. Quite often, when we think we are hungry, we are actually dehydrated.

Doseydots · 17/05/2023 18:48

Day 10 here, I’ve lost cravings, don’t feel hungry and I’ve lost 3 pounds !! I too have brunch, evening meal and don’t eat anything after that. I am still thinking that cravings will come back at some point but I feel determined to get to day 21.

Jennifer17 · 19/05/2023 16:35

Im seriously thinking about doing this also. I’m gone very bad with crisps too, can’t stop at 1 packet, have to have 2 more aswell. And I feel so guilty the following day. And I can feel the weight gradually creeping on…

Uncertain111 · 19/05/2023 16:54

i so need to join you! Hope that is ok. Tomorrow will be my day one

Ihaterain1 · 19/05/2023 19:39

I am must admit i had 5 chocolate buttons today( luckily came to my senses after), been good otherwise, it would be my day 12. The next few days will be challenging as i am premenstrual and that's when i normally go mad with chocolate.

OP posts:
ImAvingOops · 19/05/2023 20:05

I think this is really hard - sugar is in so many things and we are designed to crave it. I figure that even if we lapse a bit, it's still way better than what we would have consumed under normal circumstances.

Jennifer17 · 19/05/2023 20:10

I will leave it till Monday to start as we have a meal out for my daughter’s 18th birthday on Sunday. Clean slate from Monday onwards 👍

Doseydots · 20/05/2023 08:17

Please join us I think the accountability on here does help. So far I have given up refined sugar, I could binge daily on haribos, chocolate, biscuits and cake. I would be in the kid’s bedrooms looking for sweets and eating their Easter eggs. The cravings have stopped but I am still eating fruit and if I fancy chocolate I eat the dark stuff. Yesterday was tough but I didn’t cave, mint tea got me through the day.

Ihaterain1 · 22/05/2023 06:46

Morning, how has everyone been sugarwise over the weekend? I am on day 15 /21 today, weekend hasn't been to bad, i had a 1 square of dark chocolate though and a small glass of red wine ( i normally dont drink, maybe like twice a month), fingers crossed for the coming week...

OP posts:
ImAvingOops · 22/05/2023 07:30

Not too bad here - I wouldn't say perfect but better than most weekends. Had a white wine spritzer with diet lemonade and a few squares of dark chocolate. And some raspberries.
I figure if I'm not perfect at giving up all sugar, then by massively cutting down it's still a big improvement on my usual cakes/chocolate etc

LittleOwl153 · 24/05/2023 10:35

I'm going to join you all on the 1st June - with my teenage daughter. Our aim is to break her sugar addiction.

So I have questions... what have you cut out? sweets, choc, biscuits, cake etc milkshakes, sugary pop are on our list. Whats the theory on natural sugars e.g. fruit, milk etc. What about artifical sweetners? I'm trying to plan my shopping list. Have you substituted with anything? (nuts and popcorn are her go to...)

I really want this to work for her as she is in such a state mentally due to rapid weight gain.

And can I ask when were your worst days... so I can plan ahead!!

ImAvingOops · 24/05/2023 11:06

For me wrt fruit, I only eat strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, which are the least 'sugary' of fruit. I do have some artificial sweeteners but these are a bad idea for breaking sugar addiction because they trick your body into thinking it's getting sugar. But, if a little bit of sugar free jelly and a can of Diet Coke keeps you off the mars bars then it's preferable to have them rather than go cold turkey and not be able to keep it up imo. My aim is to reduce artificial sweeteners now I've stopped on the chocolate bars etc.
I also don't eat pasta and high carb food generally at the moment because they act like sugar in your body. But if you've never done this before I'd recommend starting with the sweets and cakes snd drinks, then build up as you get more used to it.
Other people would do complete cold turkey in the view that the cravings will go quicker, so it really is personal choice and what you think you'll cope with better.