Cutting out sugar completely

strawberryontop

Has anyone ever tried cutting out sugar COMPLETELY? I eat a consistently healthy diet, but I do have a sweet tooth, and even though much of the sugar I consume is fruit, my sugar intake is much above what it should be. I've decided to go cold turkey and stop eating sugar completely to see if I can get rid of my sweet tooth. The past two days I have consumed less than 5g of sugar. I have an unbearable headache (which I anticipated as a withdrawal symptom), but I haven't been hungry at all. Does anyone have experience with this? I am wondering if this is safe. Is it okay to consume zero grams of sugar per day?

Wetcoaster

Not sure if serious

Athena98501

Has anyone ever tried cutting out sugar COMPLETELY? I eat a consistently healthy diet, but I do have a sweet tooth, and even though much of the sugar I consume is fruit, my sugar intake is much above what it should be. I've decided to go cold turkey and stop eating sugar completely to see if I can get rid of my sweet tooth. The past two days I have consumed less than 5g of sugar. I have an unbearable headache (which I anticipated as a withdrawal symptom), but I haven't been hungry at all. Does anyone have experience with this? I am wondering if this is safe. Is it okay to consume zero grams of sugar per day?

Could it be done? Yes. It's it safe or advisable? Absolutely not. Even vegetables have some sugar in them. Zucchini, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes. Only one I can think of that doesn't is lettuce. Even removing all fruit isn't really advisable. Maybe just switch to the lower sugar berries.

Cindyinpg

NO..... and why would you? :huh: I've lost 123lbs and I have ice cream everyday, sometimes with Poptarts. :bigsmile:

BobbieInCA

Pretty much all processed sugars for more than 30 years. It gets easier in time. Lots of fruit and veggies...

JazmineYoli

Just wondering what you are actually eating? You taking out all sugars not just added sugar right?

starrylioness

What about the sugars in fruit and vegetables? You'd have to avoid eating ALL of those if you wanted to go the no-sugar route. That wouldn't be healthy, I don't think....but I'm no nutritionist.

servilia

Unnecessary and if you cut out all fruits, unhealthy.

eileen0515

I just ate the most delicious apple, the Ambrosia variety. Cut it out of my diet? No way! The wild blueberries I have in my morning oatmeal? No way! I made baked chocolate, cherry oatmeal this morning...I would be sad, sad, sad.

Itlnchk

I am assuming it is the added sugar aka White sugar? If so cut it out! I have been trying to do this and the detoxing is awful! But doable

Miss_Kaz80

I managed to survive by cutting out refined processed sugars for almost 2 years. I still ate incidental carbohydrates from Leafy greens and Brown Rice. Otherwise I felt great, my teeth never felt furry and my glucose tests still came back within a healthy range at my check ups.

QuincyChick

NO..... and why would you? :huh: I've lost 123lbs and I have ice cream everyday, sometimes with Poptarts. :bigsmile:

I see that and raise you this:

escloflowneCHANGED

thinklivebefree

Catfish profile! Random outlandish question! FAKE!!!!!

QuincyChick

Catfish profile! Random outlandish question! FAKE!!!!!

Mokey41

If you read through the OP's previous posts she has a history of disordered eating so this new idea doesn't surprise me.

mrspinky85

I had to cut sugar when I was in basic training because I was out of shape at first. Then, my family took me to a restaurant and I wanted to eat everything. I was sick for a week straight. But that was 7 years ago. I think that you can eat sugar because now people say that sugar substitute has aspartame which is bad for you in it.

I think if you eat less calories then you take in and eat it in moderation, you can have some sugar.

nklp

I was wondering about this, too because I go over my sugar allowance every day! Super worried about never being able to kick the habit, but you definitely need fruit and veg - just try to replace some of the fruit your eating with more vegetables, and try to cut out any processed sugar would be my advice. Good luck!


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PrincessMissDee

Oh my god. I'm assuming you mean processed and refined sugars and so all the answers banging on about cutting out fruit and vegetables have gone the wrong way entirely?

If so, yes I have, once. I did a January "detox" (dirty word I know but I don't know what else to call it). I stopped alcohol, caffeine, salt, sugar, meat, dairy and wheat for 1 month only and largely to see what effect it would have. When I reintroduced those foods, the biggest headache I've ever had in my life came from the sugar. It was an interesting experiment but life's FAR too short to eat like that always.

If you want to cut down, CUT DOWN. That's all.

bcattoes

I'm not sure it's possible to consume zero grams of sugar per day, and I'm sure it wouldn't be healthy. Many vegetables contain sugar. I used to have a huge sweet tooth too and gave up all added sugar for a while to break that habit. I ate little fruit and no sweets - no table sugar, honey, syrup, candy, desserts, sugary cereals, etc. This was decades ago and I wasn't tracking nutrition so I have no idea how many grams I was getting, but I still ate some fruit and lots of vegetables and whole grains so it wasn't super low sugar.

It was hard at first, but after a few months I found I no longer craved sugar. Ever since then I've been able to eat sweets without wanting more and more. I think the deprivation was needed to change my tastes.

bcattoes

Unnecessary and if you cut out all fruits, unhealthy.

A person can't be healthy without eating fruit? :huh:

Lives2Travel

Unless there's a medical reason to do so, why? In MODERATION sugar is fine. Just like most everything else.

c7eat2live

.

firstsip

Unnecessary and if you cut out all fruits, unhealthy.

A person can't be healthy without eating fruit? :huh:

Remember "well-balanced" being a good, key word for a healthy diet? The majority of "vegetables" people think are vegetables are actually fruits, as well. Pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, etc. etc.

OP, based on your post history, and your question: stop. If you're looking to wean sweeter things out of your diet as a challenge to yourself, fine, whatever. Be careful you don't start triggering further restriction.

If you think it's really because your sugar is "more than it should be," be aware that one of MFP's consistently complained about flaws is giving a "sugar" setting in the diaries that includes both natural and added sweeteners. One apple and one cookie a day suddenly sends people into a tailspin... when, really, they're fine (unless you have an existing condition that should limit added or any sugars).

tech_hunter

Oh my god. I'm assuming you mean processed and refined sugars and so all the answers banging on about cutting out fruit and vegetables have gone the wrong way entirely?

If so, yes I have, once. I did a January "detox" (dirty word I know but I don't know what else to call it). I stopped alcohol, caffeine, salt, sugar, meat, dairy and wheat for 1 month only and largely to see what effect it would have. When I reintroduced those foods, the biggest headache I've ever had in my life came from the sugar. It was an interesting experiment but life's FAR too short to eat like that always.

If you want to cut down, CUT DOWN. That's all.

That is so interesting! I did a "detox" because I used to get migraines every week, cut out grains, starchy veggies, nightshades, sugar, dairy, eggs and then did a really anal reintroduction. I can eat everything without a problem, except wheat, gives me the 3 day aural migraines.

Everyone is so varied in what works for them, I love hearing stories about people finding their triggers.

As far as sugar is concerned, there is nothing wrong with sugar, unless like the above poster, you have medical reasons for avoiding excess. I avoid excess processed sugar, because I can eat better things. I eat organic fruit, homemade jams and jellies, ice cream, etc, because I eat them in moderation, and they don't bother me. You won't see me eating a piece of toast though!

jenn26point2

I say do a 21 Day Sugar Detox (www.21daysugardetox.com) and then stick with that... but there is no way anyone could ever give up all forms of sugar b/c there are too many sources of it that are too important to health - i.e. green veggies.

But a 21 DSD will cut out the ones that cause the greatest insulin response while still allowing you to consume some fruits (green apples, green tipped bananas) and all veggies (with the exception of starchy ones and sweet potatoes).

The 21 DSD helps you break that sweet tooth, but is temporary, so after the 21 days is up, it's recommended to add berries and fruits back into your daily diet (not diet as in weight loss, but diet as in what you consume for survival), but to continue avoiding processed sugars.

wheird

I heavily recommend that you avoid this borderline insanity. However, if you choose to proceed, please keep a daily post going on here so that others can learn from your error.

cookiealbright

Why would you want to? I had corn pops ceral for breakfast today and a cinnamon roll yesterday. Too yummy for me to cut out! Good luck to you if you try it though!

janicelo1971

Yes, with anything if you detox from sugar you will stop craving it...I eat about 10 grams max daily of sugar...all natural..no processed, no added sugar in anything. I also don't like fruit, so I don't eat that, however I would imagine berries would be low sugar...People on the Atkins diet avoid sugar as well...good luck to you:flowerforyou:

bcattoes

Unnecessary and if you cut out all fruits, unhealthy.

A person can't be healthy without eating fruit? :huh:

Remember "well-balanced" being a good, key word for a healthy diet? The majority of "vegetables" people think are vegetables are actually fruits, as well. Pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, etc. etc.

Well, if we're going to get technical, all edible plants are vegetables and only some edible plants are fruits. But, that still doesn't mean that a person would be unhealthy if they ate none of the vegetables that are also fruits.

mathiseasy

I cut out sugar for a month. Lost weight. Reintroduced it. Gained weight.

I was able to live without sugar cravings for a short time, and then my body started craving it because I was depriving it of something that it needed. I ended up binging and realizing how stupid cutting out sugar is and started eating a balanced diet. I still try to at least regulate added sugars because sometimes they give me headaches. Doesn't mean I won't eat chocolate or cake or ice cream or whatever when I want, though.

In my experience (read: Mine, not everybody's), your body tells you what it needs. It's not worth it to cut all sugars because you're damaging your body from the inside.