Has anyone given up sugar for a period of time? What were the results?

[Ellieshome]

I want to lose a few pounds, not much.

I've wanted to try giving up sugar for a few weeks. Not only for weight loss but to see what effect it might have on my skin, hair, energy levels etc.

Has anyone done this and did it have positive benefits? How far did you go with what you cut out and for how long?

Me, I lost 17 pounds, still losing.

Triggered a massive pig out the first time I tasted something even vaguely starchy (I've never been a binge eater and don't even like noticeably sweet/sugary things).

Moral is: don't cut out entire food groups, make sure you still have carbs every day.

I have done it a couple of times. Once very strictly. Including no jars of sauces, no juice, cereal etc as well as the obvious stuff like cutting out cakes and biscuits
it can give you headaches if you go too far too quickly. But skin improves dramatically

I'm in for a NO SUGAR CHALLENGE. Maybe 15 days? 30 days? 😀

Without any other changes? Sounds good 👍

yes but I don't consume anything that has added sugar so no breakfast cereals (I now eat yoghurt with whatever fruit I have at home) , I don't it bread, sauces, bottle juices etc.. I started doing exercise but most of the weight lost was before I started exercising.

No results here I do best with a balanced diet that includes the odd biscuit or chocolate bar!

I am a size 8 and love healthy eating so did zero sugar for fun. I did 7 days and it was really intense! A few weeks will be brutal! Did you realise sugar is in so many things? On the challenge I couldn't even have bran flakes. Low sugar is more achievable for more than a week.

Well that's what I'm wondering, how far to go.

To be fair, I don't drink anything other than coffee and water. I eat eggs or whole porridge oats for breakfast.

I'd have to cut out white bread. Maybe eat only wholemeal bread? Jars of sauce and baked beans would be a no go. Would I cut out pasta? I'm not sure.

I'm not much of a cake/biscuit eater anyway. I'm interested to see the skin benefits. I can remember years ago someone I worked with did it, very extreme, but her skin was so different.

I did it for nearly 30days skin looked great then one day had a small bottle of orange juice without thinking and had the worst abdo pain of my life had to go home from work. So if you do it be very careful about how you reintroduce sugar!

What do you mean by sugar?

Things that are made with sugar/honey/syrups?
Starchy carbs of varying sorts or all of it
Fruit and veg/pulses/legume type carbs?

For me, I found that when I reduced starchy carbs and mostly cut out things made with sugar in high amounts, it really controlled my appetite much better, similar to the effect of using wegovy/ozempic

I still eat fruit/veg/pulses etc and I also have porridge for fibre.

Dont listen to people talking about 'cutting out food groups'. Sugar is not a food group!

For a year to protect my teeth.
My teeth are still rubbish. Didn't change weight.

Carbohydrates (which is what I did and regretted) are more than just added sucrose.

I’ve done it but not for weight loss, but to try and improve an auto-immune condition. I also didn’t do it in isolation - I cut out sugar, caffeine and alcohol (yes I’m very fun at parties.)

I felt amazing and I did lose weight. But it was hard. Mainly because as apps have said it is in nearly everything. I was very strict and so found I couldn’t have things like mayonnaise…I did it for months and then gave in to booze at Christmas.

If you go ahead, Montezumas do a chocolate called Absolute Black which is an acquired taste but I got quite used to as a ‘treat’.

Like @Edwardandtubbs I have done it for about 2 years for auto immune reasons and it has really helped. I also did it because i was pre diabetic and I’m not anymore.

I also lost 2 stone - but that was over the course of 2 years.

Like @Edwardandtubbs i did it along with other stuff, like alcohol, caffeine, processed food and dairy. Fun times!

what I have struggled with is my mind! I used food as fun, comfort, being sociable. All that has had to shift and I’m struggling with it.

I ate pasta and could have pesto but had to check a bunch of labels carefully. I did also manage to find sugar free bread but as you said it wasn't white.

If you want good skin teetotalism is your friend. I'm over 7 years in and feel so good.

I have given up sugar in the sense that I no longer eat UPF or at least very, very little and definitely not things that would really have sugar in. But I have had sugar in fruit and homemade things like muffins or cake- after listening to a lot of Dr Chris van Tulleken and how sugar is not the main problem, it’s the combination of sugar, fat, salt, emulsifiers, preservatives and the intense processing of UPF that is the problem, partly because it drives you to eat more and more, my rule was if I wanted something sweet (except fruit) I had to make it. Honestly it has been life changing. I’ve stopped binging, stopped feeling out of control and yet can still have the odd sweet thing- I just have to have made it. It’s the weirdest thing, I can make a batch of muffins or a loaf of banana bread and have one muffin or one slice and leave the rest for another day- if I had a multipack of Mars bars I know I couldn’t. For me, it was UPF I was addicted to, not sugar. I have lost 18lb in 6 weeks too.

What did you eat then as carbohydrates are in most foods

You had no milk/plain yoghurt? No fruit, veg, pulses, legumes, lentils,

You cut all of those out?

I think you misunderstood my point, which is that Im saying carbohydrates are more than just added sucrose. Im asking OP which she means by 'sugar'.

Sugar is not a food group, its fine to cut out added sugar, its also fine to cut out starchy carbs too, thats not a food group.

Its not fine, and Ive never seen anyone claim its fine, to cut out 'carbs' in general.

Low carb doesnt mean no carb, its impossible unless you are Inuit.

not had sugar in cuppa tea for years and after a couple of days every so often very min sugar i get sugar cravings etc

Low carb doesnt mean no carb, it's impossible unless you are Inuit.

Quite hard for even the Inuit now. Too much shitty food flown in.

I gave up sweets after being a massive sugar addict & lost 2.5 stone since last October. I now eat savoury snacks, things like mini cheddars & although I have increased the calories I'm eating, I'm still maintaining what I lost.

That is true actually

And in solidarity Im now eating a bar of chocolate

I made this accountability thread. Sorry for my English mistakes, I'm from another country and I still don't speak/write English very well
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5008170-quitting-sugar-accountability-thread?reply=133035365

Late to the thread that I found by accident but it made huge difference in my life. I have gone onto keto diet so no sugar and only naturally occurring carbs that are limited too. Its pretty much cured my migraines after 10 years of medication upon medication. I have lost weight, my insulin resistance has pretty much cleared up now too, my skin is better, I'm less moody. I'm shocked

Yes I cut sugar out as well, it was hard in the beginning but I swapped all the bad stuff for fruit it's helped my reflux massively as well and I've lost a few pound, I eat healthy food and bulk buy my vegetables i cut them all up and store them in my freezer, when I want them I put them in my electric steamer, job done! If you feel a craving for sugar eat a pear or nectarine they are so lovely and sweet and satisfy your cravings while being healthy!