Anyone successfully kick a sugar habit?

[Puppmom]

Guys, I have a serious problem with sugar. I eat refined sugar every day - in pretty large quantities. My body craves it and I'm pretty sure I get high off a good donut. All kidding aside, I feel like I NEED it. I'm grumpy without it and I obsess on it until I satisfy my craving. When I eat sugar, I eat really quickly too - like I can't get it in fast enough. For me, a meal is not complete without some sort of junk.

I even eat things that I don't particularly like because I need the sugar. Today, for example, I had two pop tarts (yuck - don't even like them), two mini donuts, a large glazed donut, some goldfish grahams, a soda and iced tea and I dipped into the candy jar (which contains mini candy bars and swedish fish) several times. This is in addition to my three meals. My meals are okay in terms of their nutrition.

I've loved junk since I was a kid. I remember eating the entire contents of my Easter basket before we even got to Grandma's house for brunch! Junk was always accessible in our house. We ate junk cereal, always had cookies in the house and were permitted unlimited amounts of ice cream as a reward for finishing our dinner. My mom's idea of a healthy snack was fruit cocktail in heavy syrup. We NEVER had fruit in our house and ate vegetables with dinner maybe once or twice per week.

I don't have a weight problem. My BMI is about 21. So, as a vain gal, I haven't really been motivated to do anything about. But I'm so tired all of the time and have that icky, crawling out my skin feeling A LOT. I'm breastfeeding and probably need about 2,000 calories a day but I'm obviously getting that in all the wrong ways. Heck, the stuff I had today probably exceeded 2,000 calories by a lot!

The problem is - I'm totally addicted! Is sugar addiction real? Every time I try to cut myself off, I get anxious and eat more than I would have if I wasn't trying to cut back!

Anybody successfully kick a sugar habit? Any pointers? Do I need to go cold turkey? Do I need to consult my doctor? What can I do to take the edge off while I'm "withdrawing"?

 

[luv2sparkle]

I have been moderately successful at kicking the sugar habit. I went for 3 months without eating any. Then I ate just a little
bit-BIG mistake. Instantly, I felt addicted again. I now eat a very little bit. For instance, sometimes in the afternoon I will eat
2 graham crackers with some tea with almond milk (which does have a little sugar). I would like to be completely off of it,
but I am not sure that is the life I want either. Somewhere, I want to find the balance.

I really like the book called "Suicide by Sugar" by Nancy Appleton PHD. It is very helpful in the motivation to get sugar out of your life.
It has several pages that list all the side effects of what sugar does to your body. When I need a motivation boost, I go back
and read it again.

I can say a couple things. When I got off sugar, I had a few bad days where the cravings were crazy. But after that, I couldn't
care any less about eating it, didn't crave it, and could easily stay away from it. Secondly, I felt great. I slept better as well.
However, eating a little bit throws everything out of whack. I can feel the effects in my body. When I didn't eat ANY, I had no
joint tightness in my fingers when I woke up in the morning. If I eat even a tiny bit, my joints don't hurt, they just feel tight.

Hope that helps!

 

[Haven]

My husband has a horrible sugar habit. We once got into a huge fight over a box of Thin Mint cookies. Seriously . . . you don't want to know. Anyway, he also doesn't have any weight issues at all (groan!) but he's been trying really hard to cut down on the sugary foods lately because they do dry his skin out.

The first thing we do is we don't keep any bad foods in the house. Obvious, I know.

The second thing we do is we keep a lot of satisfying alternatives around. Another obvious thing, I guess, but that's what's been working for him. His current kick is dried foot. (GAG!) But he loves it, and he found a lot of dried fruit that only has the actual fruit listed in the ingredients, no extra sugar. He also likes raw almonds, I think. They're raw nuts of some kind, and so they're softer than normal almonds or whatever they are.

If we don't have an alternative snack available for him he will literally get in his car and drive to the grocery store to get some, sleet or snow, regardless of the time. Whenever that craving hits it's like he must eat something immediately. It's very strange. He was raised in a house with a pantry that his childhood friends reminisce about to this day, and they were allowed to eat sweets whenever and however they wanted them. (It's a miracle that DH and his brother are both so slim.) I really think his upbringing had something to do with his habit, because it's like he can't control himself. I, on the other hand, was raised by a bunch of hippies who thought tofu and backyard veggies were the most amazing treat on the planet. I used to be so jealous of those kids whose parents allowed them to eat sugar cereals.

 

[junebug17]

Oh, I've struggled with sugar cravings for a long time. Oddly enough, I'm fine during the day, but my cravings kick in after dinner, and I have been known to scour the kitchen cabinet in search of some sugar laden substance. One time I found an open bag of chocolate chips in a dark recess of a cabinet and was thrilled!

I've tried various things, and have gone for periods without having sugar. My mother had a stroke last October and I lost my appetite, including the one for sweets, from all the stress I was under. The cravings eventually came back. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the cravings. They come and go. Lately they've been mostly coming!

I notice protein helps. Sometimes I'll force myself to eat a hard-boiled egg or two (which I really like) and I'll be ok for the rest of the night. Cheese and peanut butter works for me too sometimes.

Fruit really doesn't seem to help. It seems to trigger the cravings for me. I've read artificial sweeteners may act as a trigger too.

Sometimes, if I've been on a really bad sugar binge, I'll allow myself to eat whatever I want for a few days, excluding sugar. The I'll try to stick to a high protein/low carb diet, and I've had some success with that.

 

[somethingshiny]

I have a sugar habit too. I've been reading up on it and this is what I've got to try for myself.

Cut out sugary beverages, even ones with artificial sweetener. Once you get the sweet taste, you body wants more sugar

Your first snack of the day should be solid protein, almonds are a good choice. If you can get satiated without the sugar in the morning, it's supposed to be easier to avoid it later.

Lemon. Don't know why but it's supposed to help.


I'll try to do this with you, pupp. Lord knows I need to cut down on my Cadbury egg and crap consumption.

 

[TravelingGal]

I have a sugar habit too. I've been reading up on it and this is what I've got to try for myself.

Cut out sugary beverages, even ones with artificial sweetener. Once you get the sweet taste, you body wants more sugar

Your first snack of the day should be solid protein, almonds are a good choice. If you can get satiated without the sugar in the morning, it's supposed to be easier to avoid it later.

Lemon. Don't know why but it's supposed to help.


I'll try to do this with you, pupp. Lord knows I need to cut down on my Cadbury egg and crap consumption.

I've always preferred salt over sugar, but I loved my sugar fixes too. Cookies and pie especially. 8 years ago, I stopped drinking coke (I had switched from regular to diet, but still). That did it for me. I no longer need or want sugar regularly, except what is naturally in fruit.

Basically I cut out the sugar that's quick to your bloodstream...and juice and soda is probably the fastest way. That really seemed to regular my blood sugar levels and as I eat more healthy, I don't have those swings where I just NEED some sugar in my system, asap.

So yeah, I'd say the number one thing is to cut out sugary drinks. I also drink a lot of green tea. I just mindlessly sip it. Nothing seems like it will taste particularly good after green tea, so I find I just don't eat anything.

 

[merilenda]

Hehe, had to chuckle at Haven's husband eating "dried foot."

Like TGal, I tend to crave salty foods more often than sweets. Generally the only time I really crave sugar is during the week of my period. And then, watch out, I NEED chocolate and other assorted sugary goodness. I'm currently dieting though, and I've found that it's hardest at first. When I started the diet, I obsessed about food. Thinking about what I wished I could be eating, trying to talk myself out of it, over and over all day long. But now that I've kind of gotten into the groove, I find that I barely think about it. I also don't crave foods much now.

 

[zoebartlett]

Yeah, dried foot would make me gag too.

Thank you for starting this thread, Puppmom. This is something I struggle with too and it helps to read everyone's suggestions.

 

[JewelFreak]

Me too, Zoe. It is good to read what others do. Sugar consumption is my BIGGEST burden, darn, it annoys me when I give in & buy cookies or M&Ms after swearing I won't! Can manage not to eat it for a few days, then I make up for it in about 15 minutes! But when I don't eat sugar I feel a ton better -- not tired & sleepy. Sugar gives you highs, then you get dumped when it processes through.

I use foods for comfort, when I'm bored, irritated, sad -- many things other than hunger. Some diets suggest you keep a little diary of how you were feeling when you had a craving. Gives you a picture of any patterns in your eating. When those feelings come on, you can know to get busy w/something else & change them.

Snacks are a bigger problem than meals. When I get peckish around 4 p.m., carrots & celery just don't do it. I gag at the thought. Foot is an idea, might be more satisfying.

--- Laurie

 

[Haven]

Hehe, had to chuckle at Haven's husband eating "dried foot."

Hahahaha! How did that even happen? Was I trying to spell "fruit" as "froot"?
Dried foot--the new rage for overcoming your sugar habit!

I forgot to add that another thing that's really helping him is drinking Crystal Light lemonade. I'm not sure it's even a good-for-you drink, but for some reason it's curbing his appetite for cookies at midnight. We don't usually drink anything other than water in the house, so I'm not sure the Crystal Light is a step up, but it's better than cookies, I say. But really, you should try the dried foot. De-licious.

 

[Puppmom]

Luv2sparkle, funny you mention having joint issues. For a few months now, I’ve been having problems with my ankles and knees. They don’t *hurt* but I do have some discomfort here and there and they feel weak sometimes if that makes sense. I just attributed it to the fact that I just had a baby and minor joint issues are common postpartum. I’m gonna take a peek at that book.

Haven, DH and I have had many confrontations about my sugar consumption. Not that he judges me or is on my case of easing up but he often gets accused of eating things he didn’t. I mentioned this in another thread but I once asked him to hide M&Ms from me. Then, one night, I HAD to have them and couldn’t find them. I stalk called him during a business meeting to find out where they were. I was actually pissed that he didn’t answer the first few times I called. I felt justified at the time! I think you’re right about my upbringing playing a role because I just don’t have the taste for fruit.

Junebug, you make a good point. Trying to diet or change my eating habits otherwise while trying to cut sugar probably isn’t a good idea. I would just be setting myself up for failure. I’ve never really been successful in the past with cutting out sugar completely. I usually just end up substituting with artificial sweeteners.

SS, let’s! It’ll be nice to have someone to join me in my fight against sugar! So no more starting the day with a French vanilla coffee with 4 splendas?

TGal and Meri, salt is a problem for me too. When I’m deciding on what to eat for breakfast for example, I first think “salt or sugar?”. If it’s sugar I’ll go for whole wheat pancakes. If it’s salt, I’ll go for eggs. When we go out to breakfast, I think “Syrup or Ketchup?”

Zoe, I hope you have some luck too! I can’t wait to hear more ideas.

Jewel, I think I do a lot of the same. I definitely eat out of boredom and just habit. I could be full from lunch but I feel like I’m not done unless I’ve had a cookie or cupcake and some sort of sugary treat.

…I’m glad to know I’m not alone. It’s kind of embarrassing sometimes because eating junk just isn’t as socially accepted as it once was. I totally closet eat junk sometimes because of this. DH often finds the evidence in the car.

 

[soocool]

For me it is more salt than sugar.

I gave up refined sugar many many years ago. Now if I have too much sugar (more than once a day) I feel lousy. I can really feel the difference. And funny thing is that I do not crave sugar. At all. It is hard when I go to parties and do not have dessert. People are always trying to cram sweets down my throat. I have been successful in getting DH to limit his sugar intake. He has a huge sweet tooth and dental bill as a result!

It was because of DH that I started to eat sugar and I really would get a high and then crash quickly. I weaned myself off slowly. Use honey as a sweetener whenever you can and find low glycemic foods as they will help stave off the cravings! My guilty pleasures though are 2 squares of 85% dark chocolate a day and my once in a while oatmeal/apricot/walnut cookies.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Puppmom, I'm right there with you. I don't drink coffee, don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, but my big vice is sugar. I promised myself that I would start eating less sugar before getting pregnant because I don't like the idea of eating junk while pregnant. Needless to say, it's been HARD!

I don't know if this is the case for you, but fruit does not hit the spot for me. A frut roll-up, maybe. So I'm having a tough time filling the void, if you know what I mean.

I did cut out all soda, but have noticed I'm drinking a lot of apple juice instead. Which still has sugar. And I hate water. I know that sounds weird, but I really just do not find water appealing--the Crystal Light that Haven mentioned is okay, but a bit tart for my (sweet) tastes. Still, I think it's my best option.

I find my mid-afternoon sugar craving the hardest to kick. I can feel satisfied with a couple of graham crackers or biscotti with milk after dinner (though I'd much rather have a cupcake!)--I'm just hoping my cravings wane soon.

I wish you lots of luck!! Who knew it was so hard to stop!!!

 

[Haven]

Haven, DH and I have had many confrontations about my sugar consumption. Not that he judges me or is on my case of easing up but he often gets accused of eating things he didn’t. I mentioned this in another thread but I once asked him to hide M&Ms from me. Then, one night, I HAD to have them and couldn’t find them. I stalk called him during a business meeting to find out where they were. I was actually pissed that he didn’t answer the first few times I called. I felt justified at the time! I think you’re right about my upbringing playing a role because I just don’t have the taste for fruit.

This could totally be us, as DH has done the same exact thing to me!
The Thin Mints fight was the worst, he was really out of control. I bought two boxes of Thin Mints from my department chair's daughter, brought them home and said that night "I want to eat two of these after work tomorrow. I'm going to put one box in the freezer. DO NOT eat both boxes of Thin Mints, please save two cookies for me." At the time he scoffed and said there was no way he was going to eat both boxes of Thin Mints in one day.
So . . . I come home from work all excited about my two frozen Thin Mints. (By the way, I'm not much of a chocolate fan and the only sweets I really love are seasonal--Thin Mints and Cadbury Mini Eggs. DH knows this.) I open the freezer--no Thin Mints. I go through the pantry--no Thin Mints. I look in the garbage can, the recycle bins, the OUTSIDE garbage cans and bins--no Thin Mints. It is as if they have vanished into thin air, and my bedraggled overworked self was so let down I nearly cried. I wanted those damn Thin Mints.
I text and call DH. No answer. This is unusual.
He walks in the front door several hours later, hangdog look and all. This is what he tells me:
I came home between clients and took out the first box and ate them all. I couldn't help myself. So then I went for the second box but I didn't want to eat them, but I couldn't NOT eat them when I knew they were there. So . . . I took the garbage from the first box and the full second box and threw them into a dumpster behind the local store.
This was my response: "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!?!?!"
It was ugly.

Now, when my friends overindulge on sweets they call it "pulling a Howie."

I often come home from work to find him sitting on the sofa surrounded by candy wrappers, by the way. It's especially annoying when I walk in carrying bags filled with FRESH FOOD from the grocery store to, you know, make a meal that he won't be able to eat.

 

[Lauren8211]

Hehe, had to chuckle at Haven's husband eating "dried foot."

Hahahaha! How did that even happen? Was I trying to spell "fruit" as "froot"?
Dried foot--the new rage for overcoming your sugar habit!

I forgot to add that another thing that's really helping him is drinking Crystal Light lemonade. I'm not sure it's even a good-for-you drink, but for some reason it's curbing his appetite for cookies at midnight. We don't usually drink anything other than water in the house, so I'm not sure the Crystal Light is a step up, but it's better than cookies, I say. But really, you should try the dried foot. De-licious.

I seriously laughed so hard at "dried foot" that I had tears streaming down my face.

Thanks for the lolz, Haven!

 

[somethingshiny]

Okay, Pupp! We're doing this! (as I sip my diet dew ) My first goal is to cut down to 2 sodas a day. I don't need the caffeine headaches on top of sugar cravings!! I'm all out of chocolate and cookies and other junk. Today is grocery shopping so I won't buy much. I don't think I can go cold turkey on this so I'm thinking some vanilla wafer cookies and m&ms for the week of sugary snacks. I'll stock up on fruit too. By the end of the upcoming week, I'll go down to 1 soda a day. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle the tea and lemonade thing without sugar though.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I have a serious chocolate problem. I eat it everyday. And not the small piece of dark chocolate recommended either. Large bars are more my style. The last time I tried to cut back, I found myself in the supermarket at midnight, on a cold, rainy night, buying a bar of chocolate. That is BAD.

I have yet to find a successful strategy for cutting back. The problem is that my chocolate craving is both emotionally triggered and nighttime fueled. I crave chocolate from 8pm on - and I am a night owl who likes to sleep at 2 or 3 am.

 

[mrs jam]

Haven, DH and I have had many confrontations about my sugar consumption. Not that he judges me or is on my case of easing up but he often gets accused of eating things he didn’t. I mentioned this in another thread but I once asked him to hide M&Ms from me. Then, one night, I HAD to have them and couldn’t find them. I stalk called him during a business meeting to find out where they were. I was actually pissed that he didn’t answer the first few times I called. I felt justified at the time! I think you’re right about my upbringing playing a role because I just don’t have the taste for fruit.

This could totally be us, as DH has done the same exact thing to me!
The Thin Mints fight was the worst, he was really out of control. I bought two boxes of Thin Mints from my department chair's daughter, brought them home and said that night "I want to eat two of these after work tomorrow. I'm going to put one box in the freezer. DO NOT eat both boxes of Thin Mints, please save two cookies for me." At the time he scoffed and said there was no way he was going to eat both boxes of Thin Mints in one day.
So . . . I come home from work all excited about my two frozen Thin Mints. (By the way, I'm not much of a chocolate fan and the only sweets I really love are seasonal--Thin Mints and Cadbury Mini Eggs. DH knows this.) I open the freezer--no Thin Mints. I go through the pantry--no Thin Mints. I look in the garbage can, the recycle bins, the OUTSIDE garbage cans and bins--no Thin Mints. It is as if they have vanished into thin air, and my bedraggled overworked self was so let down I nearly cried. I wanted those damn Thin Mints.
I text and call DH. No answer. This is unusual.
He walks in the front door several hours later, hangdog look and all. This is what he tells me:
I came home between clients and took out the first box and ate them all. I couldn't help myself. So then I went for the second box but I didn't want to eat them, but I couldn't NOT eat them when I knew they were there. So . . . I took the garbage from the first box and the full second box and threw them into a dumpster behind the local store.
This was my response: "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!?!?!"
It was ugly.

Now, when my friends overindulge on sweets they call it "pulling a Howie."

I often come home from work to find him sitting on the sofa surrounded by candy wrappers, by the way. It's especially annoying when I walk in carrying bags filled with FRESH FOOD from the grocery store to, you know, make a meal that he won't be able to eat.

My sides hurt from laughing! I might be your husband's long lost twin sister that he never knew he had! I did the SAME EXACT thing with my husband's prized box of Andes chocolate mints, except I also poured vinegar on them before throwing them away. I couldn't handle the mere fact that they were in the house and I couldn't eat them.

I remember watching tv (don't remember what program) and seeing someone squirt windex on cookies so they couldn't eat them. I remember thinking that was sheer genius. Throwing something away isn't enough for me, because I WILL dig it out of the garbage and eat it. I must first douse it in chemicals.

 

[mrs jam]

Puppmom, I'm right there with you. I don't drink coffee, don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, but my big vice is sugar. I promised myself that I would start eating less sugar before getting pregnant because I don't like the idea of eating junk while pregnant. Needless to say, it's been HARD!

I don't know if this is the case for you, but fruit does not hit the spot for me. A frut roll-up, maybe. So I'm having a tough time filling the void, if you know what I mean.

I did cut out all soda, but have noticed I'm drinking a lot of apple juice instead. Which still has sugar. And I hate water. I know that sounds weird, but I really just do not find water appealing--the Crystal Light that Haven mentioned is okay, but a bit tart for my (sweet) tastes. Still, I think it's my best option.

I find my mid-afternoon sugar craving the hardest to kick. I can feel satisfied with a couple of graham crackers or biscotti with milk after dinner (though I'd much rather have a cupcake!)--I'm just hoping my cravings wane soon.

I wish you lots of luck!! Who knew it was so hard to stop!!!

I have tried to fill the cookie and ice cream sandwich void with graham crackers. After I ate the two I had rationed for myself, I remember thinking, "Wow, I never realized how good graham crackers are." Then I ate the whole box.

Puppmom, one thing that does help me sometimes is to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich whenever I'm trying to fight off sugar craving. I don't think eating pbj is all that wonderful a solution, but I figure it's better than giving in the to cupcake monster. I spread the peanut butter and jelly VERY lightly on one piece of bread. Sometimes, I have to admit, I add a smidgen of honey. I've noticed that about ten minutes after I eat my pbj, my cupcake/brownie/cookie/tub of cream cheese frosting subsides to a more manageable level.

When I was young, I used to sneak a box of jello gelatin out of the pantry and keep it in my room in a desk drawer. While I would work on homework, I would lick a marker (closed top, of course), dip it in the gelatin, and stick it in my mouth, and repeat. Peach was my favorite. I could spend hours up in my room, doing homework and licking peach jello gelatin off of a marker.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Okay, these snack-sneaking stories seriously have me cracking up.

Haven, I really thought you were going to tell us that your husband didn't answer your text because he was out driving around for hours trying to find a Girl Scout to buy Thin Mints from...I don't even want to think of the wrath my husband would come home to if it were me!

Here we are in the middle of the afternoon and I'm a-cravin' some sugar. I haven't had any YET, but I'm definitely THINKING about it!

 

[phoenixgirl]

I gave my eating habits an overhaul a few years ago that included scrapping soda, sweets, processed snacks, etc. It was really hard. I would seriously need to drink a coke, then I would feel OK, then I would crash and need something again . . . Yes, it is a real thing. You should read up on the glycemic index. I recommend the book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Drink-Be-Healthy-Harvard/dp/0743266420/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304706605&sr=8-1

I feel way better now. I used to get headaches, constipation, etc. No more. (I also started working out and running.) Not to sound harsh but you to give you a sense of how *you* can change things and feel differently . . . now the thought of eating "two pop tarts, two mini donuts, a large glazed donut, some goldfish grahams, a soda and iced tea and I dipped into the candy jar (which contains mini candy bars and swedish fish)" in one day makes me want to throw up. There is hardly any nutritional value in any of that. Maybe I'd have some less-processed goldfish grahams and an iced tea throughout the day, and maybe a dark chocolate square, but the rest . . . oh dear.

Basically, if you switch to a low(er) glycemic index diet, you will avoid getting a sugar high or rush, which is a good thing, because you just crash after the high and crave more sugar. So your blood sugar is kept at a more constant level throughout the day if you avoid the donuts and soda.

ETA: I'm not sure why I wrote that changing my diet was "really hard" because actually I don't think it was. I still allowed myself snacks, but I started shopping for those in the organic section because they tend to have fewer ingredients, especially the really weird highly processed ones (but check the label because it could still be crap that's just labelled organic). I started drinking seltzer water (with natural flavor, not artificial sweetener) to have that fizzy taste in my mouth instead of soda. I started eating cereal or whole wheat waffles for breakfast instead of mini-muffins out of a box. Etc., etc. It really wasn't too hard after reading the aforementioned book and really wanting to make healthier choices.

 

[Pandora II]

I have watched my husband do it over the last 4 months to the amazement of both of us and all our friends and relatives.

He'd been putting on weight steadily over the last few years, was feeling tired all the time, craved sugar and couldn't keep away from nibbles at parties etc.

I put him on a low carb/low GI diet in January. He now eats no refined sugars, no potatoes, no rice and no bread products. In 15 weeks he has lost 30lbs, taken 5" off his waist and dropped 2 suit sizes. He feels happier, less tired and has zero cravings for sugar or carbs at all anymore.

It took about a week to stop feeling withdrawal - and the withdrawal is nasty (migraines, joint pain - a bit like a bout of flu basically) - I have heard that chromium supplements can really help.

 

[aviastar]

This thread has me feeling so guilty...and strengthening my resolve to kick the sugar habit! I am addicted to Dr. Pepper, which is bad news bears, gotta have it- but the good news is that I usually only have one a day and I am satisfied and it seems to take the place of any other cravings for sweets. A Dr. Pepper with dinner generally means I won't even want any dessert.

My mom and sister had a lot of success with the candida diet, they both lost weight, skin cleared up, felt better all around, but it's a tough one to get started with. So the theory is that the sugar (natural and refined) you eat feeds the yeast in your GI tract, which encourages the little yeasties to multiply which makes you crave more sugar, and you have yourself a nice little circle of sugar addiction.

So, if you cut out all sugar, natural and refined, for something ridiculously hard like 6 weeks, it will clear all that yeast out of your system, which cuts the cravings out. Then you can add natural sugars like fruit back in. Some people also suggest probiotics to help balance everything out and increase the good bacteria while you are detoxing.

It's really hard because EVERYTHING has sugar in it. I was never fully able to stop my sugar intake, but did cut back alot with my family while they were trying this, and we had to start making our own guacamole cause the store bought stuff has sugar in it! By default, you end up eating a whole lot more fresh, whole foods to avoid the sugar in the processed stuff, which is a good idea in general , too.

The first few weeks of trying this are really hard but then you really do feel tons better. This thread was just the motivation I needed to give it another go!

 

[Laila619]

Fellow sugar-aholic here! I am baaaad. No real advice for you, puppmom, except try to cut out things slowly. Even if you eliminate one pop a day, that's better than nothing! Try to up your intake of protein too.

I do have to say, I've never eaten a whole box of cookies! I'd be so worried about getting diabetes!

 

[Inkblot]

I have been completely sugar-free since July 6, 2003.

Diabetes is absolutely rampant in my family, as are endocrine disorders and auto-immune diseases (one of which I already have at 2. I knew that if I wanted to live a long and happy life and try to beat genetics, I had to do something. I was also heavy and miserable. Once I cut out sugar, I also took steps to follow a low glycemic diet. Thanks to a gluten-intolerance (discovered after I gave up sugar), I do not consume any refined sugar, starches, potatoes, rice, wheat, corn, oat, etc.

I lost 80lbs, ran a marathon, worked as a personal trainer (in addition to my professional career), and went from a size 20 to a size 6. It's the best thing I've ever done for myself, and I can't believe the utter crap I used to eat. My friends and family adjusted, and I got really crafty in the kitchen. I don't crave it, I don't miss it, and I've managed to dodge some health bullets because of it! The book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes is recommended.

 

[Puppmom]

PG, no offense taken! I totally get that all of that stuff is crap. I eat it compulsively not because I'm hungry. I'll check out that book. As a side note, I could REALLY use some exercise so I'm hoping to integrate that back into my schedule too.

Avia, I would have to offer myself a serious reward if I cut sugar out totally for 6 weeks! Maybe I can buy myself something nice when I hit *milestones* without sugar.

Laila, have you found your cravings to be worse since the birth of your LO? I feel like I'm in a constant PMS state in terms of my eating.

MsJam, I do LOVE PB&J. I actually keep it at work. I eat that in addition to my other really junkie snacks!

Lady, I have a friend who keeps chocolate in her night stand and has a square every night before she goes to bed!

NEL, the time between lunch and dinner is hardest for me too. I'm not much of a night time eater. I usually don't eat after dinner. I don't really have the taste for most fruit. Now, a fruit roll up...mmmmm! I always say I like that food in a package tastes the same every time. I like the predictability.

Pandora, do you do the cooking? I do it in my house so I have pretty much total control over what everyone eats so I think that's why I'm inclined to eat healthy (er) at meals. 30lbs is fantastic! He lots a Daisy and a half!

Inkblot, WOW! That truly amazes me. I must admit, I'm afraid I'll be miserable without sugar. I know it's probably best to get myself to the point that I don't NEED it but hopefully, I'll be able to enjoy it every now and again without it triggering a binge.

Well, I did OKAY today. The only (it's all relative, right?) sugar I had was a Vitamin water and two cookies (bakery ones so they were kinda big).

 

[gemgirl]

I gave up sugar completely twenty five years ago for health reasons. I have a chronic overgrowth of candida (yeast) in my body and that overgrowth made me crave the things that fed the yeast and spread it even further. So out the door (over the course of five years) went sugar, anything with vinegar in it, any breads of baked goods made with yeast,and anything alcoholic or fermented. I cut out the bad stuff, lost a bit of bloat weight and my food allergies completely stopped bothering me. It's called the anti-candida diet, although it's not at all a diet, it's a permanent way of eating for me.

Food cravings beget food cravings. It's a case of Overeaters Anonymous' rule "one bite is too much and a thousand is never enough".

 

[Dancing Fire]

no sugar,no junk foods...what is there left to eat??...

 

[aviastar]

PG, no offense taken! I totally get that all of that stuff is crap. I eat it compulsively not because I'm hungry. I'll check out that book. As a side note, I could REALLY use some exercise so I'm hoping to integrate that back into my schedule too.

Avia, I would have to offer myself a serious reward if I cut sugar out totally for 6 weeks! Maybe I can buy myself something nice when I hit *milestones* without sugar.
Laila, have you found your cravings to be worse since the birth of your LO? I feel like I'm in a constant PMS state in terms of my eating.

MsJam, I do LOVE PB&J. I actually keep it at work. I eat that in addition to my other really junkie snacks!

Lady, I have a friend who keeps chocolate in her night stand and has a square every night before she goes to bed!

NEL, the time between lunch and dinner is hardest for me too. I'm not much of a night time eater. I usually don't eat after dinner. I don't really have the taste for most fruit. Now, a fruit roll up...mmmmm! I always say I like that food in a package tastes the same every time. I like the predictability.

Pandora, do you do the cooking? I do it in my house so I have pretty much total control over what everyone eats so I think that's why I'm inclined to eat healthy (er) at meals. 30lbs is fantastic! He lots a Daisy and a half!

Inkblot, WOW! That truly amazes me. I must admit, I'm afraid I'll be miserable without sugar. I know it's probably best to get myself to the point that I don't NEED it but hopefully, I'll be able to enjoy it every now and again without it triggering a binge.

Well, I did OKAY today. The only (it's all relative, right?) sugar I had was a Vitamin water and two cookies (bakery ones so they were kinda big).

I know, right? But apparently after the first week or two the cravings dissapear and you don't really miss it anymore. It sounds like a few people commenting here have done it with much success- so we can too!

I specifically checked the sugar content when making my lunch today and on purpose did not pack any dessert. I did pack a soda, but baby steps in the right direction are better than no steps at all!