Did you give up processed sugar? How?

citizenpioneer

I have been trying to stop my processed sugar cravings for a few months. I definitely eat less than I did before (of course, anything less than 5 candy bars and handfuls of cookies a day still isn't necessarily "good"), but I still have really, really intense cravings for sweets.

Desserts have always been a huge part of my life. Since I was a kid I would eat dessert with EVERY meal, including breakfast. With a pattern like that, it's no wonder I can't even imagine what it's like to say "no" to sweets.

How did you quit sugar? I don't necessarily want to replace it with something else, like sugar-free stuff that has weird chemicals and still has lots of calories, but I am totally lost without dessert.

Also, somehow I miraculously don't have diabetes. You'd think the fear of that would help me...

AlyRoseNYC

I will never ever give up processed sugar. I love white sugar in my coffee and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Little Debbie's Swiss Rolls ha ha.

I just take to teaspoons in my coffee (30ish calories) and if I want a sweet dessert, I'll make sure to fit it into my calorie allowance.

That being said, I don't have diabeetus or anything like that. My grandfather on the other hand, MUST control his sugar intake.

cramernh

How did you quit sugar? I don't necessarily want to replace it with something else, like sugar-free stuff that has weird chemicals and still has lots of calories, but I am totally lost without dessert.

To be honest, the fact I read my labs that were drawn, it was enough to eliminate anything in that category - in conjunction with a food allergy/sensitivity report.

For me it was an all-or-nothing thought. It took me a good solid week Id say to get over the carb-related aches, pains and headaches, but I kept at it without straying.

I no longer have the sweet cravings. No longer do I crave breads, pastas, rice, corn, flours, candy, ice-cream, etc... I dont want it - I almost had insulin-shock thanks to my pancreas not shutting off (hyperinsulinemia)..

When I eliminated these items, my A1C went from 11.2 down to 5.2
My total CHO went from 252 down to 117

From Sept 2011 to Dec 2011, I made those changes. I had blood work drawn on Dec 16, 2011, and the labs came back looking AMAZING....

You have to ***want*** to make the changes for yourself... thats the first thing you have to come to realize.

Take it one day at a time and learn about what makes a good substitution in the most natural way.

twinmom01

I did it slowly...first got rid of sodas - then got rid of the bulk of processed foods - switched putting sugar in my coffee for coffee creamer (still has sugar but I use a lot less) - I slowly started switching things.

It can be done...I still have sugar on occassion - my biggest daily splurge is a serving of coffee creamer in my coffee (but I do have to watch my serving to make sure it isn't heavy handed) - other splurges are things like a few pieces of dark chocolate every once in a while, maybe a few bites of frozen yogurt if I take my daughters to the froyo place.

To satisfy my sweet tooth I ate a lot of fresh and frozen fruits - frozen is awesome - strawberries and blueberries - let them thaw just a bit....

Overtime i have had to back down from fruit to 1-2 servings a day.

It can be done...if you do it slowly and over time...maybe choose 2-3 things that you simply won't give up and work on getting the rest out.

jolynyk

For me, quitting cold turkey was the way to go. I went a whole month or two without having desserts or refined flour, and I avoided artificial sweeteners as well. I noticed that after a few weeks, my cravings for sweet things disappeared completely. Fruits and vegetables actually started tasting better to me, too. I still use natural sweeteners like honey, but I find I no longer need the sugar. A dessert of frozen blueberries is actually super satisfying to me. And now, on special occasions I can limit myself to one cookie, a small square of chocolate, or the occasional cupcake, and I don't feel the need to eat a lot. Just the small bit is satisfying enough. I didn't think I could ever cut out sweets from my diet -- I used to have no self-control. I feel like if I can do it, anyone can.