Sugar Free until 2015

EmilyAnn_1989

Good morning MFP friends!

I have recently had an extremely difficult time fighting sugar cravings, giving in to them, sugar crashing, then repeating the cycle. I'm not one of those people that can just have a bite of something sweet and be satisfied, because I end up ruining the rest of my day and suffer many "food hangovers" the next day. I've finally decided enough is enough and I'm ready to quit desserts, cookies, brownies, cake, etc. for the rest of the year. I know the first couple weeks will be the most difficult, but I can't wait until those cravings slowly start to disappear and I start enjoying real food again.

I'd love for some of you to join this "sugar addict rehab" with me and share our support for one another. :flowerforyou:

Today is DAY ONE!

Escloflowne

LOL

SonicDeathMonkey80

I give it til Halloween. But good luck!

ValGogo

:yawn:

JTick

FitForL1fe

It's so much easier to just count your calories honestly *every* day and try to hit your macros...things will sort themselves out as you go along...why join the "all or nothing" camp? :ohwell:

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

I agree. Sounds dreadful but if that's what you feel you have to do to stay on track, go for it.

timeformejlw

:noway:

I'm hoping to go sugar free till dessert this evening. Good luck to you!

muggzie399

Do you know how much sugar is in ketchup? :sad:

CyberEd312

It's so much easier to just count your calories honestly *every* day and try to hit your macros...things will sort themselves out as you go along...why join the "all or nothing" camp? :ohwell:

I'm with this guy, plus I have to many gallons of ice cream in the deep freeze to let it get all freezer burned and have to throw it out...I will never understand the all or nothing mentality, it NEVER works and in the end your right back where you started. Why not watch you calories and begin to work on the mental side of this journey and learn how to fit those things like desserts into your day... is it easy? No, you will have to work at it but You will stand alot better chance of succeeding doing so and enjoy some cake and ice cream along the way... :drinker:

MelisRunning

No. Way. Isn't sugar the foundation of the food pyramid? Or is that beer? I get them confused.

zyxst

Best of luck, OP. I can't function without sugar.

Sharon_C

But...but....but.... Christmas cookies.

MississippiMama87

No way, no how. Sugar actually helps to suppress my appetite or "hold me over" until my next meal.

If I'm starving but for whatever reason can't eat something substantial for a couple hours, a couple sips of Coke helps me immensely.

Edited- haha I accidentally said "eat someone substantial!"

BadWolf_Rose

I have not given up on indulgences, but I have switched up a whole lot and have been eating a TON less sugar. I do eat a dark chocolate square here and there, and ate a halloween mellowcreme pumpkin the other day (lol, shame on me). BUT.... other than the chocolate (Which there is only 4g of sugar in the Ghiradelli Sea Salt Soiree squares per square, and I limit myself to 1, which they are rich so only one needed, in my opinion :happy: ) I have only been getting my sugar in foods I eat from fruit and dairy, which is naturally occurring.
Since I've switched it up, no more sugar crashes, and I feel much more balanced overall and it's fantastic.

EmilyAnn_1989

I absolutely agree with a lot of you that moderation is key. For MOST people, I'm sure that works just fine. There are some people (like myself) that have tried moderation time and time again, and tend to make excuses for one more of this and one more of that, which leads to many many more of this and that.

More than anything, I'm excited to face a huge personal challenge and not give up. And that's truly the most important thing

s_pekz

but. but. why?

CynthiasChoice

I say good for you, EmilyAnn! You've discovered something important about how your body and your mind reacts to sugar. It's OK if other people haven't experienced it - you don't need any one else to validate what you know is true about you. It takes so much courage to face that you have an addictive response to the sweet stuff. Giving up sugar is HARD!

I've been on and off a sugar free diet for four years. This time around, I've been off sugar for about 45 days (no sweets, but still small amounts of sugar in sauces and dressings, etc) and I'm so much happier and in control of my appetite. I'm one of those people that can't include a modest treat in my diet because that treat makes me obsess about more treats. All that chatter in my head is way too exhausting, so it's much easier to just give up sweets and shut up the chatterbox.

So why am I "on an off?" Birthdays, holidays, vacations, etc. I always think, "Just this once." but then the sugar casts it's magic spell over me again and I'm hooked sometimes for months before I find the where-with-all to put the brakes on again.

I've been thinking ahead to Christmas (I've done Halloween sugar free, so I know I've got that.) But I've never done Christmas sugar free. I don't know how to accomplish that without feeling deprived. Planning a sugar detox after Christmas has never worked for me before - I mean, I haven't followed through - so I'm going to have to find a treat other than sugar to make Christmas feel like Christmas.

Any ideas?

kurotoshiro

I know exactly how you feel, I can't just have a square of chocolate or a handful of whatever. I'm doing the 30 day no junk challenge, which I'm doing mostly so that I can learn self control. It's been easier than expected, I have messed up twice but not majorly and I plan on doing the whole 30 days since my 2nd mistake. I'm hoping by the end of the month, I'll be able to just say no when I don't need junk and just limit any junk to once a week or something. I've been finding healthier versions when I feel like I want sweet stuff, usually on the form of fruit or yogurt. So maybe start with a 39 day challenge, and continue if you want? For me, saying till 2015 is daunting, whereas if you start off with smaller goals it may be easier to conquer.

It's your choice though! Good luck

exelbyplumpton

Hi. I have been addictive to sugar for 41 years. Started after my daughter was born. Sweets. This is my problem. Not biscuits, cakes, Puddings etc.. Tried many,many, times to stop. I cannot bear the thought of not having sweets in the house. I panic . Did not have sweets in my home once and it was awful. I have a sweety jar. My grandchildren know what I'm like, but they do not indulge in the jar like I do. SUGAR is in alot of food. It would be very hard to omitte this beastly food substance. But! I will join you ) for the challenge.

Booksandbeaches

Good for you. That's a great goal. Expect some setbacks. There may be times when you fall off the wagon, but keep your eyes on the goal. I'm on a pretty low sugar diet too. A family history of T2 diabetes convinced me to eliminate as much starch and sugar from my diet as I could. Unfortunately, you're going to find some here mocking your dietary choices, but you don't have to justify your choices to anyone here.

TheKingsChampion

Mm. I won't be joining you. I love sugary stuff.

I used to be like you and eat everything. But I've found the solution to the problem without having to go sugar free. I'll share my secret with you:

If you want to eat it in moderation, then buy it in moderation. If you want cookies, buy a single serve package with 2 or 4. If you want chocolate, buy something that's about 30-40grams.

You also have to realize something and remind yourself of it when you eat something. A craving is just a craving. It's what your brain wants and you can say no to your brain. If you feel like binging on sweets, ask yourself why? Are you hungry? Or are you just craving?

There's a very clear distinction between the two. When you think you are hungry, and perhaps at the same time you want chocolate, ask yourself if you would be satisfied if you ate an apple instead. If the answer is yes, then you are really hungry and should eat. If nothing other than chocolate will do the trick, it's just a craving.

ETA : in short, think before you eat.

LeslieTSUK

Hi EmilyAnn.
I totally understand your plight, I am kind of similar.
I grew up in the 70's, even though dad worked, we never knew were next meal was coming from, so mum used to drill it in to us kids, don't waste anything.

Now 40 years on, that mentality never truly leaves ya, and it can be anything, a bag of 6 packets of crisps, can't just eat 1, has to be all 6, daren't leave any.

Basically if it can be opened or grabbed and eaten without cooking, I go back to those child hood teachings and it almost impossible to leave it alone.

Now if it has to be cooked, thats different, so now I make sure I get stuff for freezer that has to be done in oven or grill, so if I want something I have that bit of time from going to get it to actually cooking it to think mmm, do I really need to eat this?

Still not easy but easier.

But don't go completely sugar free, I'm a diabetic and can tell ya, as good as it might sound, it will send ya into a bad cycle of cravings and cheat days.

Look for foods with overall carbs, but the ones which have an extremely low carbs that sugar.

12g overall carbs = 1 spoon of sugar over time
1g of carbs that sugar = 1 spoon of sugar instantly

Now when i want to be a bit naughty, and I have to be very careful as i managed to get off insulin injections so diet n tab control only, i'll go over to my friends place, he always has junk food in, but because it his home, and not mine, it easy then to just have a couple of biscuits or packets of crisps, think yayyy been naughty, then back home and back to normal, and since I don't keep anything like that in house can't binge out.

Hope that helps you out in some way.

afortunatedragon

Oh please, give her a break.
Some comments are so discouraging...
It is possible to go without cookies, cake and chocolate.
I hardly ever have some and I live fine and don't miss anything.
If she feels this is the way to overcome the craving than encourage her.
People are different.

Go for it OP, it is possible if your mind sets for it.

_Zardoz_

Good morning MFP friends!

I have recently had an extremely difficult time fighting sugar cravings, giving in to them, sugar crashing, then repeating the cycle. I'm not one of those people that can just have a bite of something sweet and be satisfied, because I end up ruining the rest of my day and suffer many "food hangovers" the next day. I've finally decided enough is enough and I'm ready to quit desserts, cookies, brownies, cake, etc. for the rest of the year. I know the first couple weeks will be the most difficult, but I can't wait until those cravings slowly start to disappear and I start enjoying real food again.

I'd love for some of you to join this "sugar addict rehab" with me and share our support for one another. :flowerforyou:

Today is DAY ONE!

I think the problem is you've said is that you want to go 'sugar free', which not only being impractical is impossible. Your body runs on sugar in it's many forms some it makes itself some you ingest. There is a form of sugar in almost everything and your brain needs it just to function.

This thread may have got gone better if you'd just said you were giving up sweet things that give you cravings and that you find it difficult to moderate rather than such as non achievable blanket statement. I applaud your positive mindset but make sure you make goals that are achievable as failure of impossible goals can cause huge mental set backs. Good luck

La5Vega5Girl

last year i did 3 months with no sugar -
i even looked at ingredients (no soy sauce, no ketchup, no eating in restaurants where there might be hidden sugar)
and i did great. i loved the way i felt after. now i do eat sugar if it is in very light moderation, i don't add sugar to anything and i don't eat anything that is overtly sweet such as do-nuts or cake etc. i think my body is happier

La5Vega5Girl

]I think the problem is you've said is that you want to go 'sugar free', which not only being impractical is impossible. Your body runs on sugar in it's many forms some it makes itself some you ingest. There is a form of sugar in almost everything and your brain needs it just to function.

This thread may have got gone better if you'd just said you were giving up sweet things that give you cravings and that you find it difficult to moderate rather than such as non achievable blanket statement. I applaud your positive mindset but make sure you make goals that are achievable as failure of impossible goals can cause huge mental set backs. Good luck

i don't think she meant giving up sugar such as natural sugar that is in a banana or a carrot. you twisted her post.

Sabine_Stroehm

Good morning MFP friends!

I have recently had an extremely difficult time fighting sugar cravings, giving in to them, sugar crashing, then repeating the cycle. I'm not one of those people that can just have a bite of something sweet and be satisfied, because I end up ruining the rest of my day and suffer many "food hangovers" the next day. I've finally decided enough is enough and I'm ready to quit desserts, cookies, brownies, cake, etc. for the rest of the year. I know the first couple weeks will be the most difficult, but I can't wait until those cravings slowly start to disappear and I start enjoying real food again.

I'd love for some of you to join this "sugar addict rehab" with me and share our support for one another. :flowerforyou:

Today is DAY ONE!

You're likely going to need to define your quest a bit more clearly, as many things you're not giving up have a lot of sugar and will derail you.
Perhaps saying something like: no foods with more than 3 grams of added sugar.
But, then you'd have to look at store bought breads, ketchup etc.

It's a laudable goal.
I try not to eat foods with more than three grams of added sugar. And have eaten this way for 13 years now.
It helped me lose and has helped me maintain.
Am I 100% successful, of course not. But goals are good to have.

ren_ascent

No. Way. Isn't sugar the foundation of the food pyramid? Or is that beer? I get them confused.

It's screwdrivers. That way you get the sugar AND the alcohol.

independant2406

Oh please, give her a break.
Some comments are so discouraging...
It is possible to go without cookies, cake and chocolate.
I hardly ever have some and I live fine and don't miss anything.
If she feels this is the way to overcome the craving than encourage her.
People are different.

Go for it OP, it is possible if your mind sets for it.

This! ^^^

rprussell2004

AWESOME!

Unfortunately, I agree with.. uh.. whoever it was who said that "totally sugar-free" is unrealistic - aim to minimize, with a goal of zero.

I aim my total carb count at about 20g per day (sugar and starch combined) and it's remarkably easy. Not stressing over a single raisin [or whatever] makes the difference between "OH GOD I FAILED" and "Meh, I'm still within my goal."

Good luck!