Quitting sugar accountability thread

[quittingsugaryay]

I'm quitting sugar for 30 days. I did it before and lost lots of weight, cleared my skin and felt more energetic.
So here are my rules:
*No added sugar (check every label)
*No honey
*I'm allowed to eat fruits but the ones with low glucemic index
*No pasta and no bread.

I'll be using this thread as accountability thread. Everybody is welcome to join.
Thank you x

Great work!
That third week has rolled around very quickly.
Fantastic that you are making it to the gym and the steps have increased.

Review of Day 60 (Wednesday, 17.04.24)
No processed sugar/reduced intake of salt/reduced intake of processed food.
Light day of eating with a few sausages for breakfast before heading out the door. Lunch was vegan sushi rolls with grapes. Supper was stir fried veggies with tofu pieces with cashew nuts later in the evening. 20k+steps.

Last official day of the 60 day challenge. However, I will continue with weekly updates for the next 30 days and will continue with the no added sugar or its derivatives, and further reduce the intake of processed food and salt.

Starting weight: 10 stone 4lbs
Final weight after 60 days: 8 stone 11lbs

Congratulations @Kamr123, that’s an incredible achievement. This week is harder than the previous two were but I keep reminding myself that I can resort to fruit or other food with higher fat (strawberries and cream is a nice one when I really fancy something sweet!)

I have been wondering where to next with the sugar? I don’t feel it is sustainable for me to stop entirely in the long term but when I do come to the end, I am really keen to ensure my intake is much more limited. I also need to find what alternatives hit that sweet craving without me constantly reaching for more.

I’ve seen you have a lot of veggies and tofu - what do you use to give them flavour? I am getting sick of the few things I regularly make and need inspiration for new flavours!

Thank you @colouroftherainbow!

Finally in a place that I know where I am going and what to do when I am in those less than stellar moments of stress, which was a key turning point on this journey.

Well done for moving through week 3. Good substitutions with food, as you rightly pointed out, is a significant factor. Having a variety of different foods to eat for high protein and good fats, will help with sustainability.

On a substitute for sweetness note, I know that frozen grapes (though the sweetness can seem very concentrated) was a great idea for me. Tangerines, strawberries and pineapple. But again, some can have a lot of fructose per gram, so moderation is key. To get that sweet hit every now and then we made ice lollies from squeezed oranges (we dilute with water).

There should be no reason why you can't have something in moderation. If you are conscious of the recommended portion size, then it shouldn't pose an issue. Example, small Freddo chocolate bars are 18g, enough for a little treat. We don’t actually eat chocolate and haven’t done so for years (it’s more of an ethical reason than dietary), and we don’t smoke or drink - just wasn’t part of anything we enjoyed.

Off the top of my head, for variety we tend to have black beans, cannellini beans, pinto, kidney, chickpeas, firm tofu, veggie sausages, eggs (kids eats chicken and fish. We have never really been meat lovers) and green and red lentils, jackfruit is what we may come back to every now and then, we also use Teff for porridge (we have a bag in the cupboard, but it takes a while to cook, and you need to watch it, or it can burn). Sometimes we may use Tempeh, but it’s an acquired taste and we tend not to always have it. We also use coconut oil and coconut milk in our cooking, very small amounts of virgin olive oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil on occasion depending on the meal. We also use Natto in our smoothies which for us, always gives it that coffee flavour (not sure why).

We always season the Tofu with the same ingredients we would use to season our meat or veggies, depending on what you are pairing it with. I usually leave it to marinade for as long as possible (herbs and spices) and onions/spring onion. You then remove the onion with all the flavours and use it as a start of the base for the sauce and gravy. For a light vinegar based marinade, we sometimes use soy sauce (g/f), vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger with spring onions. We also do baked tofu, fried tofu or we may add it to sauces or curries.

Some of our favourite flavours for cooking/baking are:

• Mild and Smokey BBQ seasoning
• Curry powder
• Garlic
• Garam masala
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Basil
• Curry power (mild and hot)
• Parsley
• Bay leaves
• Mixed herbs
• Thyme
• Chives
• Oregano
• Tarragon
• Ground Turmeric
• Marjoram
• Rosemary
• Cloves
• Black pepper
• Ground allspice
• Sage
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Mixed Spice

We use a mix of fresh and dried (we have a few herb plants that yields decent leaves to add to our food).

We have one cupboard just for herbs and spices.

😃

Review of Days 61 – 67
No processed sugar/reduced intake of salt/reduced intake of processed food.

61. Thursday, 18th April. Small bowl of amaranth porridge, smoothie and crushed cashew. Lunch was a very light avocado salad. Long day of work and when I arrived home, made pholourie with hummus. Weighted exercises and 19k steps.

62. Friday, 19th of April. Breakfast two hard boiled eggs, then out the door. Left over pholourie with pickles, black olives and avocado salad for lunch. Work was very challenging but did not reach for anything. Calisthenics in the morning, weighted exercise in the evening and 18K+ steps throughout the day.

63. Saturday, 20th of April. Usual cleaning of our home. Breakfast we a large omelette with stir fried mixed veg, hummus and spinach. Then out for the day food shopping and buying the last of the school items the kids have grown out of. Back home early afternoon and prepped for the week. Banana fritters, hard boiled eggs, soaked lentils and nuts and homemade sauce. Picked as I was cooking food, so was not hungry until supper, which was a banana fritter with yoghurt and peanuts. Weighted exercises and 19k+ steps.

64. Sunday, 21st of April. Finished up a lot of outstanding work in the morning, it was a just a few grapes and half a mango for breakfast. Lunch was a very small portion of jollof rice (bought the sauce from authentic shop) with egg, veggies and avocado. On offer for supper was chicken or pinto beans with rest of the jollof rice. Settled for a film with DS in the evening with a banana and a few lightly salted crisps, that always taste very salty. 19k+ steps.

65. Monday, 22nd April. Scrambled eggs with a few grapes in the morning. Then stayed at work until early evening. As I tend to have fruit at work (apples, clementines, grapes, banana, carrot sticks) I ate a few of them during the day. Lunch was eaten at my desk just before I left (one of those days). Home was a very small bowl of mixed veggies, corn, hummus with a veggie sausages. Made some popcorn a picked on that in the evening. 18k+ steps and weighted exercises.

66. Tuesday, 23rd of April. Open sandwich of G/f break with peanut butter, banana and strawberries. Don’t often eat bread but DD was making it and grabbed one. No real lunch as I was off site and packed grapes, nuts and small bag of popcorn. Home after 20:00. Supper large bowl of lentils in pasta sauce (no added sugar pasta sauce from Tesco) with egg and broccoli. 14k+ steps.

67. Wednesday, 24th of April. Up early and was puffy around the face and fingers. Don’t tend to eat a lot of bought pasta sauce as it does have high salt, so paid for that bowl the night before. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, avocado and olives. Offsite again today and bought watermelon and apple slices and nuts from Tesco. Felt uncomfortable all day, as I hadn’t done anything ‘exercise’ related other than a few steps the day before. Was thinking about what I will do when I get home all day, and quite excited to work out. Finished up the day with over an hour of weighted exercises, and 18k+ steps.

A good week.

Good work @Kamr123 - you're still going strong!

I've been away for work a lot so diet hasn't been great but I'm still off the sugar and fitting in the gym, and runs when I can. Think I've lost 0.2kilos which isn't much but I haven't been dieting, and have had way too much chips and pizza, so can't complain!

Thanks @sugarbyebye !

I really like keeping a daily log for this part of the journey. It has helped me to remain on track, and reflect on each day to make better choices for the next.

Is this your fourth week?

I've reduced sugars/carbohydrates but no plans to give up entirely. So I'll still have a slice of wholemeal rye or soda bread (instead of two), reduced the dry weight of my porridge oats (so one to 1.5 scoops dry oats instead of two) and add in extra nuts & seeds. Light meal can be a small (or half large) avocado with steamed/griddled asparagus with lemon juice and a grinding of salt/pepper, light protein meals, hot smoked salmon or mackerel or prawns or plain roasted chicken with low carb vegetables. I have plain skin-on almonds to snack on (eat one at a time and slowly, so don't binge). Scrambled or poached eggs on lightly "buttered" wholemeal toast or a good crunch peanut butter (I like Meridian) on thin oatcakes or on apple slices. Lots of milkless tea (especially green tea with mint) and still water. I also drink fresh ginger or turmeric tea on an empty stomach. Good luck all. 🌹

@Newestname002
Super that you are modifying just a little and keeping an eye on the portion. example, making sure that you don't over indulge on the almonds. Nuts can be my nemesis when I am not conscious of the hand to mouth motion, until the pack is almost empty.😊

Review of Days 68 – 74 (Second Week)
No processed sugar/reduced intake of salt/reduced intake of processed food.

68. Thursday, 25th of April. Egg muffin with avocado for breakfast and spring rolls for lunch with two clementines. Home early (very rare these days) so supper was roasted potatoes, black beans, steamed veggies with yoghurt (fish for the kids). Over and hour weighted exercises and then finished up a little work before bed. 17K+ steps. Pretty good day.

69. Friday, 26th of April. Breakfast was a small bowl of buckwheat porridge, with smoothie and peanut butter. Work was kicking my butt today, but I finished stronger than I anticipated. Lunch was veggie sausage rolls (bought g/f puff pastry and used the veggie sausages for the filling) with grapes. Supper, I picked at a few more veggie rolls and small bowl of black beans with homemade sauce, broccoli and hummus. 20k+ steps.

70. Saturday, 27th of April. Usual clean of the house and then out for shopping. Breakfast was two boiled eggs before I was out the door. Did not return until late in the afternoon to DD’s homemade Tteokbokki with egg, spinach and avocado. Nothing too heavy for supper and shared DH’s homemade flatbread sandwiches. Weighted exercise and 17k+ steps.

71. Sunday, 29th of April. G/f oats, strawberries and blueberries, with peach herbal tea. Lunch was red lentils with rice noodles and corn. A few lightly salted crisps, and veggie omelette for supper. Relaxed with family in the evening ready for the next day. Over and hour of weighted exercise and 17k+ steps.

72. Monday, 29th of April. Banana fritters, topped with sugar free yoghurt and a few nuts, then off. Usual pressurised day and no lunch until around 17:00, which was a falafel wrap with grapes. Supper was a very large plate of stir fried veggie omelette, broccoli, spinach and corn. Finished up work around 23:00. Weighted exercise and 17K+ steps.

73. Tuesday, 30th of April. Small bowl of porridge, smoothie and peanuts. Tesco salad for lunch with fruits. Supper was a small bowl of veggie curry with potatoes and cabbage. Late night finishing at 23:00. Weighted exercises and 16k+ steps. Not a great day, lots of stressful situations, but learning to let go of situations that I have no control over, another development in my journey. 17k+ steps.

74. Wednesday, 1st of May. Small bow of leftover veggie curry for breakfast with added hardboiled egg. Grabbed an apple and banana throughout the day as it was manic. Supper was pan fried tofu, with spinach, corn, lots of broccoli and hummus. A few lightly salted crisps rounded off the day with a small bowl of nut and seed mix (this can be so moreish I have to watch myself with it). 16k+ steps.

Starting weight: 10 stone 4lbs
Current weight: 8 stone 9lbs

Upper abdominal muscles showing, have more muscular arms, and legs have trimmed down dramatically. My old size 8 trousers are now loose, a far cry from the usual rotation of two size 12 trousers I would wear for work and was too embarrassed – or too prideful - to buy anymore in case I needed a 14. So, I used a (very stretched) button extender - yes, I went there.

Another good week.

nice job @Kamr123 ! Well done on fitting back into your clothes. I’ve been living in jogging bottoms for the last two years as I’ve refused to buy bigger clothes. I made myself promise I’d either lose it or accept the weight gain by the end of this year, and get rid of everything that no longer fits. I lost 2.5kg in April though so if I can keep the trajectory going I’ll be back in them in no time.

you have a hectic work schedule! It’s very impressive you keep the momentum going with long hours. I mostly work from home except when I’m travelling and it’s far easier to eat well at home. Especially now my partner is keeping all his sweet treats in his office where I won’t see them.

Wow @Kamr123, really good to read your update. Well done, I am really inspired! Do you feel like it has become a habit? Huge thank you for your spice tips too, I do have pretty much all the spices you mentioned, tend to have a mental block that associates tofu with SE Asian cuisines and not others but I need to start introducing it into all food.

I reintroduced small amounts of sugar for a couple of days, only unrefined and limited to once a day but I noticed how I have the desire to have 'just a little bit more'. I have decided to go back to not having any as it is easier to avoid completely and just enjoy fruit.

@sugarbyebye completely agree how much easier it is when at home. I have to make sure I carefully plan my food for days in the office and have plenty of healthy snacks available should I get hungry.

I have not weighed myself since starting but hoping to get on the scales within the next week and see where I am. Also need to increase my step count each day - gym sessions going well but some days get so busy, I just dont walk enough

Hi @colouroftherainbow and @sugarbyebye

It has been great to feel like I used to feel all those years ago, before Covid. Just moving around without the added heaviness, is just incredible.

Yes, work is very challenging, but I do love my profession and feel confident in the role that I have. It does take a lot of my energy, and mentally it can be draining. But this journey has helped me change the way in which I respond to the pressure.

It has become second nature to look at the package I am buying if it is something that I will not cook from scratch. We tend to cook a lot in our home, even when I would go crazy with the high sugar food. So, simply removing it to help me, meant that we don’t buy it as much as a family, and I can see the impact to the family.

Example, DH bought a small cake to celebrate achieving a goal. We had to throw 75% of it away. I didn’t have any, but the kids had one small slice each, and DH had two small slices, and that was it. They said, and I quote, ‘It was too sweet.’ Guess what? They had eaten that same cake at least twice before, and it was just fine at the time, and what used to be left were just crumbs. That is an absolute win!

This is the same for olives and pickles, which I do eat, but I need to soak before using. I.e., olives have to be soaked two or three times before I can eat it, and the pickle water gets changed once (I don’t like the taste of olives in oil).

Have a few more weeks to go before I arrive at 90 days (approx. 3 months).

Review of Days 75 – 81 (Third Week)
No processed sugar/reduced intake of salt/reduced intake of processed food.

75. Thursday, 2nd of May. Sugar free yoghurt, heavy on the cashews and chopped cherries. Lunch was chickpea salad with avocado and two finely chopped pickled peppers. It was a trying day, lots of issues at work, lots of ‘quick’ meetings. Lunch was a quick half a wrap (peppers, sliced pickled peppers, cucumber and fried tofu). Supper was two large egg muffins (oven baked) made with spring onion and tomatoes with avocado, olives and spinach. Finished up work around 22:30 but did have a few large handfuls of fruit and seed mix. This is the danger zone – late night eating. Weighted exercises and 20k+ steps.

76. Frida, 3rd of May. Grabbed two hardboiled eggs before heading out the door. Was not hungry by the time lunch rolled around, and picked on the carrot sticks, bananas and Tesco salad throughout the day. Supper was baked sweet potato topped with spicy lentils and veggie mix. Lightly salted crisps rounded off the evening. Weighted exercise and 18K+ steps.

77. Saturday, 4th of May. Usual Saturday house cleaning. Left over baked sweet potato topped with coconut oil and a mixed topping (chopped egg, olives, cucumber, spring onion, tomatoes, and a small amount of spicy lentils). Almost too full to move but headed out for the usual shopping. Back early afternoon and grabbed more nuts and picked at the rice bowl DD made. Supper was chips from the local shop (proper thick cut potato). I ate a small bowl with a little no added sugar sauce. Weighted exercises and 17k+ steps.

78. Sunday, 5th of May. Up early to do admin work. Breakfast was two Egg muffins, avocado and spinach. Made baked pasta for lunch, but as I don’t really like any kind of pasta (have never been a fan), had only a spoonful with veggie sausages, tomatoes, cucumber and olives. Opted for vinaigrette instead of hummus (olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and herbs). Supper was a falafel wrap with shredded lettuce and tomatoes and settled in for the evening. Out to the local shops to get the steps in and ended on 13k+ steps. Weighed exercises in the morning.

79. Monday, 6th of May (Bank Holiday). Breakfast was stir fried chicken pieces and veggie rice for family, while I had a large bowl of veggies with fried tofu and avocado. Simply wasn’t hungry when lunch rolled around and opted for a small bowl of mixed berries (cherries, blueberries, and raspberries) with pistachios. A few large slices of watermelon rounded off the evening. Weighted exercises and 17k+ steps.

80. Tuesday, 7th of May. Very late out the door and only had an apple when arrived at work. Lunch was non-existent with back to back meetings. Grabbed a Sainsbury’s salad during the day. Arrived home to veggie sausages, roasted baby potatoes with web lettuce, cucumber and olives. Worked for a few more hours before settling in for the evening with a few grapes. Weighted exercise and 15k+ steps.

81. Wednesday, 8th of May. Blueberries and grapes in sugar free yoghurt. Then out the door. Busy day and lots of sitting at computer. Lunch was two spring rolls, and then home for supper of rice noodles, chickpeas in homemade sauce and shredded cabbage. Weighted exercises and 13k+ steps.

One more week to go.

Review of Days 82 – 90 (Fourth and final week)
No processed sugar/reduced intake of salt/reduced intake of processed food.

This is my fourth and final update. In the span of approximately 3 months (90 days), I have lost 25lbs. My target is to keep building strength and endurance. I have seen a dramatic change in my physique: greater muscle tone, more streamlined, and easier movement. This has given me the incentive to keep going. I may give a brief update at the 4 month mark, but I will continue to keep my own personal diary of what I am doing each day, which has, without a doubt, helped me along the way.

Thank you for all the support, and I wish you every success in achieving your goals.

82. Thursday, 9th of May. Leftover spring roll and out the door. Lunch was homemade egg and avocado salad. Pretty stressful day but got through it. Supper was black beans and mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes and hummous. Ended the evening with sugar free ice poles. 14K+ steps and weighted exercises.

83. Friday, 10th of May. Quick breakfast wrap and then out the door. Busy day and ate just after 14:00. Home by around 17:00. Then a quick supper of stir fried veggie omelette with avocado, olive and pickles (my favourite combination of green 😊). Little bit of work before calling it a day around 20:00. Weighted exercises and 17k+ steps.

84. Saturday, 11th of May. Usual clean of the house. Small bowl of g/f porridge oats, smoothie and cashews on top. Was out most of the day. Lunch was a grab and go and consisted of Moroccan hummous (which I adore) with carrot sticks, and a small packet of apple slices and grapes. Supper was stir fried tofu with broccoli, corn and more Moroccan hummus. Weighted exercises and 17k+ steps.

85. Sunday, 12th of May. Eggs, rice noodles, cabbage and mushrooms. Lunch was lentils, fried plantain, roasted potatoes and veggies. Supper was simply banana fritter. I did go crazy with a few sugar free ice lollies in the evening. Weighted exercise and 16k+ steps.

86. Monday, 13th of May. Scrambled eggs, avocado and olives. Then out the door. Heavy day of work. Did not arrived home until late. Lunch was homemade salad with chickpeas, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, strips of red pepper, olives and pickles, with a healthy dollop of Moroccan hummus. When I arrived home, it was more work. Supper was leftover lentils with more of the salad (ran out of Moroccan hummus). 15k+ steps.

87. Tuesday, 14th of May. Two veggie sausages with herbal tea. Tiredness bled through a busy day. It required an energy I didn’t have. Lunch was the left over salad from the day before, but with added black beans, which made it a lot more filling. Wasn’t very hungry by the time I arrived home, simply tired. Supper was steamed veggies, in sugar free tomato sauce (Tesco brand), and hardboiled eggs. Weighted exercises and 14k+steps.

88. Wednesday, 15th of May. Scrambled eggs, olives and avocado, start the day. Crushing workday, left feeling exhausted. Lunch was a large spring roll with a packet of lightly salted crisps. Which I threw away as they were simply too salty. Supper was a bowl of mashed potatoes, kidney beans, corn and guacamole. Weighted exercise and 15K+ steps.

89. Thursday, 16th of May. Banana and some nuts in the morning and lunch was eaten in between a meeting and was a leisurely rice noodles, tofu and mixed veg, with a sugar free yoghurt. Supper was stir fried vegetable omelette with avocado. Weighted exercise and 14k+ steps.

90. Friday, 17th of May. Final update
G/f pancakes (which I am not a real fan of, but it was on offer), with peanut butter, banana and strawberries. Lunch was tofu salad, eaten at around 14:00, when things slowed down. Supper was steamed veggies, egg curry, and corn. Settled in the for the evening to watch a film with DS. Weighted exercises and 16k+ steps.

Starting weight: 10 stone 4lbs
Final weight: 8 stone 7lbs

Good luck! 😃

Wow @Kamr123 what are you going to do from here?

I'm 2 stone down since starting the fast 800 diet and two more weeks to go for me, making that 12 weeks.

I didn't consciously cut out sugar but my food hasn't been dissimilar to yours, eggs, fruits, Greek yogurt, nuts, veggies, fish and chicken. On the occasion I did go for something sweet it tasted liked I was spooning in granulated sugar from the bag!

Not sure I am tempted to go back to anything with refined sugar in it.

Still about half a stone for me to get to a healthy BMI, so aiming to introduce more non sugar calories and slow the weight loss to a pound per week.

Thank you @Alainlechat!

I am now back to where I was four years ago prior to Covid, which is unbelievable. I think for my height and frame, anything between 8 and 8 1/2 stones (112 to 119), is fine for me, but as I am still building muscle, it could be more.

Congratulations on your weight loss of 2 stone. 😃
Never heard of fast 800 diet, so I did a little research on it. It includes fasting, which I have never done, not intentionally (apart from when I sleep), as I need to eat in the mornings, even if it's just something little.
800 Calorie Diet | Rapid Weight Loss | The Fast 800

With the food I am eating and the exercises I am doing daily, it seems odd to lose just 1lb a week. But, for me that's fine, it's going in the right direction. And I do understand, it's not always about the scale, but how you feel and I know that with the increase in weight training, I am feeling so much better.

For now, I will continue to keep a daily log, exclude anything with additional sugar, or a high sugar content, and look out for the added salt also.

😄

Hi, I've just found this thread and am placemarking. It's very inspiring!
I'm 5ft 2 and 11stone. I'm pre diabetic.
Something has finally clicked for me this week and I really want to quit sugar. I know I will feel better and
thats what I'm going to focus on.

I'm going to stop eating, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, pasta, rice and white bread. Also pizza as it massively messes up my blood sugars and I feel starving.
I'm still going to have potatoes and wholegrain sourdough bread.

Sweet sauces are going to be hard as I put things like sweet chilli sauce and siracha on everything!
Any good alternatives?

Welcome @Howcanichange !

Good to have you on board.

Sometimes, it can be hard to cut out so much from your diet, especially if it's something you have previously enjoyed. If you tell yourself, you will cut out sugar, it will naturally eliminate most of the items you listed. This, from personal experience made it psychologically more enabling, as you are focused on one thing, as opposed to a list of things you can't have - if that helps.

Break slathered with cream cheese and chilli sauce was my go to comfort food. I could finish off an entire loaf a bread easily. Bread itself has a lot of salt and sugar, and that, for me, made a big difference in the early stages.

An alternative to sauces is a hard one. You can simply use herbs and spices to give you that 'taste' you are looking for. Or you can create your own with healthier ingredients, opting to leave out the sugar.

These are decent websites which offer some alternatives.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/list-of-condiments#TOC_TITLE_HDR_22

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-19-healthy-sauces-to-have-with-roasts

I tend to eat hummus, make my own vinaigrette, and eat a lot of avocado for that creamy texture.

For cooking sauces when I can't make my own, e.g., pasta sauce, I do tend to use the Tesco no sugar pasta sauce, it's not often, but it's a better alterative in a bind.

Do hope your journey is going well so far.

Thank you so much!
Past 2 days for tea I've had salmon with leeks in a creamy mustard sauce. Delicious. Away with friends and family now for a few days, the services will be a challenge!

This thread is exactly what I have been looking for to help me kick sugar (and general rubbish eating, all triggered by the menopause).

Is it ok if I join, please? I'd like to start on Saturday as currently away, and this will also give me time to read and prep...

@Kamr123 your daily diary and your achievements are incredible - I like how pragmatic and organised you are, whilst also recognising that a psychological shift is needed to help embed long lasting changes.

Knowing what you were eating is such a helpful road map.

Well done to you - and all the others here - on turning the sugar tide around.

Hi @50FootWave and welcome!

Well done for making the decision to change, and for giving yourself time to prepare.

If you can do a little reading around reducing and/ or eliminating sugar, it will help with the possible headaches, dizziness and maybe tiredness that you may experience as your body reacts and adapts to the changes. Some of the members on this thread did experience the discomfort of headaches

I did a littler reading about menopause and sugar and it was interesting reading:

Menopause, Sugar and Alcohol: What You Need To Know | Drinkwell (drinkwelluk.com)

Menopause and Natural Ways to Cope | Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (hey.nhs.uk)

This was a good read about sugar cravings in menopause.
How To Stop Sugar Cravings & Foods To Avoid During Menopause | Inspired Health

Perimenopause Cravings | Perimenopause Sugar Cravings | Bonafide (hellobonafide.com)

Can you improve menopause symptoms by eating specific foods? - BBC Food

Good luck with the start on Saturday!😄

Thanks so much, @Kamr123 for taking the time to send me those links, I really appreciate it. I am really looking forward to reading those.

It sounds like you have a very busy job, which I can relate to, particularly the triggers and the value of planning. I'm encouraged to hear you successfully navigated this.

I gave up drinking five years ago, and life has been so much better for it. I'm hopeful this next change will yield similar results. I so long for all the food noise to reduce!

Thank you for your good wishes. I am going to adopt your daily check in, if that's not too cheeky...

@50FootWave

All I can say is that the daily check in, is what helped me take accountability of my actions and responsibility for the outcomes. Absolutely go for it! 😃

It helped me see the patterns in my behaviour i.e., responding to pressure by reaching for high sugar foods. As well as helped me see that I needed to really cut down on the salt (swollen face and fingers after a day of high salt).