sugar withdrawal

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allotmentgardener
allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
in Getting Started
Not sure if I'm on right forum - be patient with me, I'm new :)
Started last friday and have been suffering major sugar withdrawal. Today (Wednesday) is the first day I've woken up and got through the morning without a pounding headache and wishing I could crawl into a darkened room! :)
Today I feel less like a zombie and more like a person, feel more alert and no sledgehammer going off between the eyes.
Has anyone else felt the same?

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    you know there is sugar in a lot of foods...like fruit, Milk, veggies like carrots etc....

    so not sure if you cut it all out or just granulated sugar...
  • clanmcfleming
    clanmcfleming Posts: 37 Member
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    Sounds like me when i once tried giving up caffeine! I've recently cut out most (not all) sugary snacks, sweets etc and didnt feel bad at all but then my sugars are still high due to fruit. I feel much better and more energetic and dont really crave sweets any more. Still drinking tea and coffee though!
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Not sure if I'm on right forum - be patient with me, I'm new :)
    Started last friday and have been suffering major sugar withdrawal. Today (Wednesday) is the first day I've woken up and got through the morning without a pounding headache and wishing I could crawl into a darkened room! :)
    Today I feel less like a zombie and more like a person, feel more alert and no sledgehammer going off between the eyes.
    Has anyone else felt the same?

    What's your reasons for cutting sugar (well done by the way)?

    Sometimes the first week or two can be a bit rough. What style of diet are you following?
  • danireyes14
    danireyes14 Posts: 11
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    I was the same way as well, my sugar was mostly coming from coffee, pop, and candy candy candy...I would say substitute your cravings with natural sugars that come from fruits that you dont mind eating, it will take some time for that pounding headache to go away once your body adjusts to you treating it better! good luck:)
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
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    Probably didn't explain properly. I meant I have cutting down/out chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and such like. I tend to comfort eat and always seem to migrate to cookies and crisps.
  • spader72
    spader72 Posts: 13
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    Cutting sugar is a tough one!! I am in this boat as well, I just picked up a box of stevia in the raw to substitute. I crave sugar more so than any food, I would much rather eat candy! I have had my blood sugar tested several times and all is well? Anyway I totally understand the sweet cravings! I am hoping to at least cut waaaaay back on my sugar intake, feel free to friend me, as well as anyone else. Have an AWESOME DAY!
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
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    Thank you for positive reply. Thats what I am doing, I'm going for cherrry tomatoes and cucumber as a snack rather than the chocolate bar. :)
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
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    I have stopped putting sugar in my coffee, tea, and cereal. I have also cut out candy which I used to eat by the bagful. Daily. I find that I am perfectly satisfied to have 32 semi-sweet chocolate chips (70 cal) to feel a little indulgent, but not every day. All that said, it is the added sugar that has been a problem for me, not the natural sugar that is most food. The initial headaches are normal but it sounds like you are on the other side of those.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
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    Sounds like you have the worst part out of the way (and the symptoms are not far off quitting a lot of things that stimulate Dopamine Receptors BTW (I've quit a few of them and that feeling is common to all)
    It does sound like you are well along the way. You will always get some sugar in your diet (fruits and veg will provide it) eliminating the huge amounts you can get from other things is a chore well done.
    Like all things the longer you go without the easier it will get- I still have a few things i substituted like Pepsi Max and Stevia for Tea and Coffee.
    Keep going you have beat the hard part now (no different than quitting Smoking for instance or drinking or for that matter Heroin - all cue addiction through dopamine)
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
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    Thank you for positive reply. Thats what I am doing, I'm going for cherrry tomatoes and cucumber as a snack rather than the chocolate bar. :)

    good idea - Berries are good too - Blackberries have been dead cheap here lately so i'm eating a lot of those
  • hjy319
    hjy319 Posts: 269 Member
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    Ohh its bad! I'm going through it again, fell off the wagon for a while and getting back on is tough. It takes about a week for me to not feel hungry all the time and have the headache. Hang in there and it gets better!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Probably didn't explain properly. I meant I have cutting down/out chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and such like. I tend to comfort eat and always seem to migrate to cookies and crisps.

    It is hard to break a sugar habit. I did it years (and years) ago, but still every once in a while I'll notice that I'm eating too much and have to mindfully cut back again.

    I try to make sure that any sweet I have also has a decent amount of fiber and/or protein. Things like cocoa or cinnamon roast almonds, peanut butter and oats with just a little maple syrup, high fiber bread with jelly or honey. These satisfy my sweet tooth, but are filling enough that they don't make me want to eat more and more and more.

    Typically, I only eat things like cake, pie or cookies at gatherings or occasions (birthdays, weddings, holidays...)
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    In, to see where this goes.
  • greenmeena
    greenmeena Posts: 118 Member
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    Good for you! You're almost through. It can take up to 2 weeks for some folks, depending on how hard you were hitting it. Drink lots and lots of water, and give some herbal teas a try. You are doing yourself a huge favor kicking out the junk. I myself have been on and off that wagon so much in my life and always feel better when I stay away from processed foods and added sugar. These days, I limit how much fruit I eat as it seems to trigger me; I do without grain (you can get nutrients and fiber more readily from veggies); and when I feel like I really need a treat, I keep super super dark chocolate around and am pretty satisfied with a couple of squares.

    Good luck! You're almost there! The "carb flu" is the worst!!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    In. Most definitely.
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
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    Could have been your body craving the caffeine...

    Chocolate contains it.

    Sodas contain it.

    A lot of different things contain caffeine. I still consume caffeine just without sugar like my pre-workout powder & fat burner.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Sounds like you have the worst part out of the way (and the symptoms are not far off quitting a lot of things that stimulate Dopamine Receptors BTW (I've quit a few of them and that feeling is common to all)
    It does sound like you are well along the way. You will always get some sugar in your diet (fruits and veg will provide it) eliminating the huge amounts you can get from other things is a chore well done.
    Like all things the longer you go without the easier it will get- I still have a few things i substituted like Pepsi Max and Stevia for Tea and Coffee.
    Keep going you have beat the hard part now (no different than quitting Smoking for instance or drinking or for that matter Heroin - all cue addiction through dopamine)

    There is a dopamine response any time you eat anything. Or experience anything pleasurable. A dopamine response =/= an addictive substance.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
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    Sounds like you have the worst part out of the way (and the symptoms are not far off quitting a lot of things that stimulate Dopamine Receptors BTW (I've quit a few of them and that feeling is common to all)
    It does sound like you are well along the way. You will always get some sugar in your diet (fruits and veg will provide it) eliminating the huge amounts you can get from other things is a chore well done.
    Like all things the longer you go without the easier it will get- I still have a few things i substituted like Pepsi Max and Stevia for Tea and Coffee.
    Keep going you have beat the hard part now (no different than quitting Smoking for instance or drinking or for that matter Heroin - all cue addiction through dopamine)

    There is a dopamine response any time you eat anything. Or experience anything pleasurable. A dopamine response =/= an addictive substance.

    I agree BUT sugar is more instant and develops a stronger response. There are studies showing the addictive nature of sugar being on a par with other substances. if you don't suffer from addictions then you won't have a sugar issue either is my guess. In any case i've been down this road once already today and am not going to start it up again
    the study below is from 2007. I haven't seen it debunked yet, it has been peer reviewed. yes they used rats not humans but we have similar responses to dopamine I'm inclined to go with science on this one. Like any other addictive substance though not everyone is affected the same way and anyone can quit any of them but it takes will power and determination and if you have been using to excess you will suffer withdrawal symptoms

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
  • christa279
    christa279 Posts: 222 Member
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    Sounds like how I felt after cutting out soda last year. Not quite sure if it was the drop in caffeine or sugar or maybe even a combination of both! It definitely gets easier and then if you try eating/drinking something you cut out it will taste so sugary!
  • mrsl90
    mrsl90 Posts: 31
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    They say the first two weeks of giving up sugar is the worst. And yes you can suffer from all sorts of symptoms and cravings. Just keep battling through its worth it. I can now walk past the sweet drawer at work without stopping for several sweets, I can go outfit coffee with friends and be the one who doesn't have a cake or biscuit! It's great when my friends are impressed, and say they wish they could be like me. Also remember less calories used on sweet sugary things means more to eat of good healthy stuff that fills you up

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