Need a Sugar Detox plan

13

Replies

  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    My dietitian just told me to increase fruit and eat my whole grains and my love for the bad stuff should decrease..she doesn't believe in cleanses..so far it's working!
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Get all the sugar out of your house. Along with Breads, Pasta's, Rice, Potatoes etc. Your body will crave these just the same as sugar, especially if you are already craving sugar, and your body treats these the same as cookies, cakes, and candies.

    Whole grains are not terrible for everyone...I can't give them up completely..nor do I want to!
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Noooooooooooooooooooo! Sugar is good.
  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
    Get all the sugar out of your house. Along with Breads, Pasta's, Rice, Potatoes etc. Your body will crave these just the same as sugar, especially if you are already craving sugar, and your body treats these the same as cookies, cakes, and candies.

    Whole grains are not terrible for everyone...I can't give them up completely..nor do I want to!

    I have no plans on giving up Bread, pasta, potatoes or rice. I don't have any issue with those things (in other words, I can control myself around them). I'm thinking more along the lines of Cakes, cookies, pies, donuts...etc.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    I would suggest intermittent fasting from it. If you are Catholic, fast from it as a form of penance (i.e. Betrayal Wednesday and Penance Friday). Slowly build up more days until you are no longer using sugar. If you are fasting during Spring, do the whole 40 days without sugar.

    Ok, I'm Catholic and went to Catholic school and I never heard of Betrayal Wednesday! Or Penance Friday! Just going to Penance on Saturday so I don't burst into flames when I receive Communion at Mass on Sunday.

    As for sugar cravings, I dk if I agree with detoxes, I've never had to do one. But, the best way to detox is to cut it out of your diet. Now, my dad is diabetic and you'd be AMAZED at how many products have sugar in them, including milk. That being said, drinking Shakeology helps me with sugar cravings. Eating all natural no salt and no sugar added PB helps with my chocolate cravings.
  • loria508
    loria508 Posts: 41 Member
    My plan is upping my protein grams and taking l glutamine to help with the sugar cravings...so far so good!
    I agree, up the protein, it will fill you. Give away the sweets in the house or dump them. try tea with honey, hot ovaltine, tsp. coolwhip, that works for me. good luck!
  • loria508
    loria508 Posts: 41 Member
    Sugarfree jello & pudding are good!
    Get all the sugar out of your house. Along with Breads, Pasta's, Rice, Potatoes etc. Your body will crave these just the same as sugar, especially if you are already craving sugar, and your body treats these the same as cookies, cakes, and candies.

    Whole grains are not terrible for everyone...I can't give them up completely..nor do I want to!

    I have no plans on giving up Bread, pasta, potatoes or rice. I don't have any issue with those things (in other words, I can control myself around them). I'm thinking more along the lines of Cakes, cookies, pies, donuts...etc.
  • I find that if I don't anything sugary for breakfast - eggs/meat/vegetables only, I am not as likely to slip up later in the day. However I need to change some behavior patterns because I believe my sofa is truly toxic. . .if I sit and either read or watch TV I feel the need to eat as well -- and I am a master at "just one won't hurt"!


    This exactly! Call me the masters loyal follower...I have a tootsie pop in my mouth right now trying to sustain from all the holiday pies and goodies ..the lesser of two evils. I need to "detox" too! I think it may have to be all or nothing for me. I have taken to getting up in the middle of the night to "feed the need" for sugar.
  • GypsySoul_74
    GypsySoul_74 Posts: 152 Member
    my plan for getting back to normal eating is two-fold:

    first, as others have suggested, i'm going cold-turkey. eliminating sweets and treats completely until i feel ready to add them back in moderation. (this will probably happen in february. because i'm doing a "30 days of clean eating" challenge with a friend in january.) i dodged a cookie craving tonight with raisin bran--the raisins are sweet enough to take the edge off. fruit also sometimes helps me. if all else fails, i have a mug of diet hot cocoa.

    i'm also incorporating intermittent fasting (IF) for the next week (started last night/this morning) in a 10-hours eating, 14-hours fasting pattern, as a way to limit the number of hours per day i'm consuming food. (the past week, food has been consumed from the time we wake up in the morning until long past midnight--my body is hating me for it!).

    IF is something i've been wanting to experiment with for fat loss, but before i commit to it long-term, i want to see how it affects my exercise intensity and endurance. so if i notice positive changes in my exercise routine & energy levels, i may keep it up (or step up to a 16/8 plan), but if i find i'm struggling during my runs, i'll probably revert to my usual eating patterns.
  • Cptrob
    Cptrob Posts: 80 Member
    just don't eat it?

    Easier said than done! Some people struggle with eating the proper foods and to simply waste our time and put "Just don't it it" is rather rude in my opinion.

    Now to be productive to this post: I start with getting the food out of my house. This doesn't always work, because people bring sweets into work, I might stop somewhere, and will power isn't always easy. I also find that repeating to myself "I do not eat sweets" actually works! Positive affirmation can add to willpower.

    I'm having trouble understanding why it is so hard to do. If you want it bad enough, then you will do what it takes. That goes for anything in life. It's not being rude, just using common sense.

    Logically, it makes sense. But like a lot of other addictions (physical or emotional), it's easier said than done. Some of us just need external tools to help us out. Others, like you, are lucky enough to have the internal tools are already built in. I know it's hard to understand, but it is what it is unfortunately. I envy you.


    you make a good point!!

    I need to be a little more sensitive to that... I just think from time to time, we all need to take a tad more accountability... But yes.. at the end of the day, it is difficult...

    I say this because i was 'addicted' to fast food and soda... I BS'ed the situation on a day to day basis, came up with every excuse in the book.. And one day I took accountability, and made the decision to stop.. It was HARD at first, i'd have to call a friend of mine as i drove home just so i could talk to her and drive past the McDonalds etc... But before I knew it, the desire was a thing of the past!!

    Good luck on your journey! You can do it! Just gotta make it happen!
  • Melanie_xox
    Melanie_xox Posts: 28 Member
    lol "just don't eat it" he said....
  • kristarablue2
    kristarablue2 Posts: 386 Member
    I have found the Whole 30 works well for sugar detox. It is 30 days of super clean eating and some may think it is restrictive. However, really helps with the sugar cravings, it gives no leeway for the month so you can't make deals with yourself saying you will have a cheat day or just one...two...three pieces of candy..fill in the blank.....Good luck! You can do it!

    you can google.....whole 30 to get all the info
  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
    just don't eat it?

    Easier said than done! Some people struggle with eating the proper foods and to simply waste our time and put "Just don't it it" is rather rude in my opinion.

    Now to be productive to this post: I start with getting the food out of my house. This doesn't always work, because people bring sweets into work, I might stop somewhere, and will power isn't always easy. I also find that repeating to myself "I do not eat sweets" actually works! Positive affirmation can add to willpower.

    I'm having trouble understanding why it is so hard to do. If you want it bad enough, then you will do what it takes. That goes for anything in life. It's not being rude, just using common sense.

    Logically, it makes sense. But like a lot of other addictions (physical or emotional), it's easier said than done. Some of us just need external tools to help us out. Others, like you, are lucky enough to have the internal tools are already built in. I know it's hard to understand, but it is what it is unfortunately. I envy you.


    you make a good point!!

    I need to be a little more sensitive to that... I just think from time to time, we all need to take a tad more accountability... But yes.. at the end of the day, it is difficult...

    I say this because i was 'addicted' to fast food and soda... I BS'ed the situation on a day to day basis, came up with every excuse in the book.. And one day I took accountability, and made the decision to stop.. It was HARD at first, i'd have to call a friend of mine as i drove home just so i could talk to her and drive past the McDonalds etc... But before I knew it, the desire was a thing of the past!!

    Good luck on your journey! You can do it! Just gotta make it happen!

    Thank you! I truly do appreciate the words of support :smile: I know I can and I will!! Thank you for sharing your story. I know that the first few days are going to be hard, so I'm trying to prepare so that when the craving does strike, I will have a plan to divert and make better choices.
  • cardenalera
    cardenalera Posts: 18 Member
    I think this is a valid concern. Not everybody knows at once what to do and certainly not everything works the same for everybody.

    I have a little bit more than a year that I started to cut down my refined sugar intake. I say started because I didn't do it all at once cause I don't think is the most reasonable path to follow. I mean, if you're used to drink a lot of sodas or eat a lot of candy, just because it's there or because you can buy it, you won't get rid of that habit overnight. It's a matter of creating a new habit.

    What worked for me: cut back a little each day. If you drink two cans of soda, take it down to one. If you usually eat a cookie with your coffee, have instead a toast. If you put two or three tsp of sugar in your coffee, reduce 1/2 tsp until you get used to it and then reduce it a little bit more. And so on.. I didn't want to cut it all at once because I knew I'd feel miserably for a few days and then I would fall back, it happened before. It takes a lot of will but it's totally worth it.

    It is by no means easy, refined sugar is in almost if not every processed food. So it doesn't hurt check on the labels and increasing fruits and veggies, especially those that contain a lot of fiber since they'll fill you up. And always always eat a good breakfast, with lots of protein and fiber that will keep your blood sugar stable and you won't get those cravings in the afternoon.

    As of now, when I eat something really sweet like ice cream or a cream-filled cake, I get a headache that reminds me that I'm not supposed to eat those. If I want a taste, I eat a little bit, just enough to satisfy myself, without guilt or anything like that. Again, it's just what worked for me.
  • just don't eat it?

    Easier said than done! Some people struggle with eating the proper foods and to simply waste our time and put "Just don't it it" is rather rude in my opinion.

    Now to be productive to this post: I start with getting the food out of my house. This doesn't always work, because people bring sweets into work, I might stop somewhere, and will power isn't always easy. I also find that repeating to myself "I do not eat sweets" actually works! Positive affirmation can add to willpower.

    I'm having trouble understanding why it is so hard to do. If you want it bad enough, then you will do what it takes. That goes for anything in life. It's not being rude, just using common sense.

    People get addicted to sugar for lots of reasons, and they are all very legitimate.

    Sugar is physically very addictive - this is becuase of the effect it has on your blood glucose/insulin levels (creating fluctuations and cravings, and also needed to up your intake) , it also affects dopamine receptors in the brain - these are linked to pleasure and cravings - is also ocurrs when someone is using substances like addictive illegal drugs. More and more of the substance is needed to recreate the feelings of pleasure.

    People get addicted to sugar for emotional reasons too - sometimes it is to forget things for a while, or to try and make yourself feel better. or just to fill a gap of something else that is missing in their lives. It is also a fact that some people are genetically pre disposed to be addicted to things. Sometimes its just habit, and sometimes someone doesnt have much self control, or they are greedy!

    Theres plenty of very credible scientific studies outthere Wendyterry, if you want to understand it further. Just becuse its not something you properly understand then it doesnt mean its stupid or doesnt exist :smile:

    No, it isn't physically addictive. I have actually studied addiction issues and volunteered time working with addicts. Lots of things affect our dopamine and serotonin levels, that doesn't make ANY those things addictive.

    YES IT IS ADDICTING SO i AM NOT SURE WHERE YOU ARE STUDYING AT.........
  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
    I went cold turkey. I had to compensate by having lots of salt in my diet for a while. But now im low sugar and low salt. My tastebuds now are heaps better. Love the sweetness of fruits but limit this to twice a day.
  • Belita38
    Belita38 Posts: 39 Member
    Here is what I would do in your case. Your option is not my option since I prefer to be radical and cut it all at once. It´s difficult but effective after a short period of time.
    The suggestions that I am going to make are examples of what a nutritionist told me once: Don´t have any kind of sugar at home, if you still have something offer it to other people. (This is a problem for me because when I have something at home and don´t have the chance to offer it, I simply eat it!)
    If you like tea, drink several cups of tea, for example, apple tea, which is already sweet and take a little bit of sugar. That way you won´t feel the need to eat cakes or chocolates or whatever.
    If you want something sweet, eat just a piece of black chocolate everyday. But just one piece! It can be after a meal ou as a snack.
  • Belita38
    Belita38 Posts: 39 Member
    Sometimes people get sweets to work but that is not a problem because you can have your own bag of nut, hazelnuts, dry banana, raisins, dried broad beans and some other sort of things. They are sweet and you can eat 4 pieces in the middle of the afternoon. It´s a good option and it brings benefits to your health.
  • jkcrawford
    jkcrawford Posts: 435 Member
    just don't eat it?

    ^^^This. It is all about you and what you can do, and you can do it. Just give it away, take it to work, or just turn and walk away.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    just don't eat it?

    Easier said than done! Some people struggle with eating the proper foods and to simply waste our time and put "Just don't it it" is rather rude in my opinion.

    Now to be productive to this post: I start with getting the food out of my house. This doesn't always work, because people bring sweets into work, I might stop somewhere, and will power isn't always easy. I also find that repeating to myself "I do not eat sweets" actually works! Positive affirmation can add to willpower.

    I'm having trouble understanding why it is so hard to do. If you want it bad enough, then you will do what it takes. That goes for anything in life. It's not being rude, just using common sense.

    People get addicted to sugar for lots of reasons, and they are all very legitimate.

    Sugar is physically very addictive - this is becuase of the effect it has on your blood glucose/insulin levels (creating fluctuations and cravings, and also needed to up your intake) , it also affects dopamine receptors in the brain - these are linked to pleasure and cravings - is also ocurrs when someone is using substances like addictive illegal drugs. More and more of the substance is needed to recreate the feelings of pleasure.

    People get addicted to sugar for emotional reasons too - sometimes it is to forget things for a while, or to try and make yourself feel better. or just to fill a gap of something else that is missing in their lives. It is also a fact that some people are genetically pre disposed to be addicted to things. Sometimes its just habit, and sometimes someone doesnt have much self control, or they are greedy!

    Theres plenty of very credible scientific studies outthere Wendyterry, if you want to understand it further. Just becuse its not something you properly understand then it doesnt mean its stupid or doesnt exist :smile:

    No, it isn't physically addictive. I have actually studied addiction issues and volunteered time working with addicts. Lots of things affect our dopamine and serotonin levels, that doesn't make ANY those things addictive.

    Recent research answers "maybe" anyone arguing for or against the addictive nature of sugar is cherry-picking one side. If it is addictive it is much less so than opiates. There is no need to completely eliminate sugar from the diet of most people, but if it helps to meet your goals to remove it from your diet then do so.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    set aside 1 day a week where you are allowed to eat it. then if you have cravings for it during the week, think to yourself that you'll allow yourself to eat it on that 1 day and simply resist the urge until then. you can mentally plan all of the things you want to eat on that day if that helps. the first time this day comes around, go ahead and have anything you're still craving knowing that your next chance will be 7 days later. odds are, 7 days later, you'll be over the cravings altogether.

    i do something like this when i have a craving for a certain food. i schedule it on a future day, usually at least 4 or 5 days in the future. if that day rolls around and i still crave it, i eat it. more often than not, i no longer crave it on that day. for example, i haven't had mac and cheese for months. i was thinking about it the other day and penciled it in for dinner on January 4th. odds are, i won't want it anymore by then.

    or,

    eat whatever you want when you want and find a way to make it fit in your calorie goals for that day. :smile:
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
    Best thing for me... replacing it with fats ie. a boiled egg, PB on celery, cheese on sliced apple (still sugar in apple though), avocado on rice cakes, cottage cheese with carrot sticks. Enjoy one of these snacks with a herbal tea.

    I always THINK I want a sweet hit but once I have the snack with some fat in it, I find that the sweet craving squashed.
  • VictoriaWorksOut
    VictoriaWorksOut Posts: 195 Member
    Cut out all white sugar and suggary foods, like cookies, candy, cakes, breads, soft drinks, alcohol ...etc. Eat fruit that are sweet, and sweeten your tea with honey if you must.


    I am doing fast from sugar, dairy and white flour products, and caffeine in the whole month of January, like I do every year. That takes care of all the Thanksgiving- Christmas eating.

    Good luck, first week is going to be heard, but it can be done.
  • crabbok
    crabbok Posts: 66 Member
    I don't know how you are all set up on this site, but for my Food plan, it also shows my my sugars, and I use that as a forcing function to help limit my sugar intake. I try to eat as few sugars throughout the day as I can and if I'm good, after dinner I'll eat a cookie, and I can usually get away with that. Sometimes I'll go over a little bit by having 2 cookies, but typically I try to stick with just 1 a day and I nibble on it to make it last a little longer.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    just don't eat it?

    Easier said than done! Some people struggle with eating the proper foods and to simply waste our time and put "Just don't it it" is rather rude in my opinion.

    Now to be productive to this post: I start with getting the food out of my house. This doesn't always work, because people bring sweets into work, I might stop somewhere, and will power isn't always easy. I also find that repeating to myself "I do not eat sweets" actually works! Positive affirmation can add to willpower.

    I'm having trouble understanding why it is so hard to do. If you want it bad enough, then you will do what it takes. That goes for anything in life. It's not being rude, just using common sense.

    People get addicted to sugar for lots of reasons, and they are all very legitimate.

    Sugar is physically very addictive - this is becuase of the effect it has on your blood glucose/insulin levels (creating fluctuations and cravings, and also needed to up your intake) , it also affects dopamine receptors in the brain - these are linked to pleasure and cravings - is also ocurrs when someone is using substances like addictive illegal drugs. More and more of the substance is needed to recreate the feelings of pleasure.

    People get addicted to sugar for emotional reasons too - sometimes it is to forget things for a while, or to try and make yourself feel better. or just to fill a gap of something else that is missing in their lives. It is also a fact that some people are genetically pre disposed to be addicted to things. Sometimes its just habit, and sometimes someone doesnt have much self control, or they are greedy!

    Theres plenty of very credible scientific studies outthere Wendyterry, if you want to understand it further. Just becuse its not something you properly understand then it doesnt mean its stupid or doesnt exist :smile:

    No, it isn't physically addictive. I have actually studied addiction issues and volunteered time working with addicts. Lots of things affect our dopamine and serotonin levels, that doesn't make ANY those things addictive.

    YES IT IS ADDICTING SO i AM NOT SURE WHERE YOU ARE STUDYING AT.........

    Find one study that proves that. Good luck! :wink:
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    just don't eat it?

    Easier said than done! Some people struggle with eating the proper foods and to simply waste our time and put "Just don't it it" is rather rude in my opinion.

    Now to be productive to this post: I start with getting the food out of my house. This doesn't always work, because people bring sweets into work, I might stop somewhere, and will power isn't always easy. I also find that repeating to myself "I do not eat sweets" actually works! Positive affirmation can add to willpower.

    I'm having trouble understanding why it is so hard to do. If you want it bad enough, then you will do what it takes. That goes for anything in life. It's not being rude, just using common sense.

    People get addicted to sugar for lots of reasons, and they are all very legitimate.

    Sugar is physically very addictive - this is becuase of the effect it has on your blood glucose/insulin levels (creating fluctuations and cravings, and also needed to up your intake) , it also affects dopamine receptors in the brain - these are linked to pleasure and cravings - is also ocurrs when someone is using substances like addictive illegal drugs. More and more of the substance is needed to recreate the feelings of pleasure.

    People get addicted to sugar for emotional reasons too - sometimes it is to forget things for a while, or to try and make yourself feel better. or just to fill a gap of something else that is missing in their lives. It is also a fact that some people are genetically pre disposed to be addicted to things. Sometimes its just habit, and sometimes someone doesnt have much self control, or they are greedy!

    Theres plenty of very credible scientific studies outthere Wendyterry, if you want to understand it further. Just becuse its not something you properly understand then it doesnt mean its stupid or doesnt exist :smile:

    No, it isn't physically addictive. I have actually studied addiction issues and volunteered time working with addicts. Lots of things affect our dopamine and serotonin levels, that doesn't make ANY those things addictive.

    YES IT IS ADDICTING SO i AM NOT SURE WHERE YOU ARE STUDYING AT.........

    Find one study that proves that. Good luck! :wink:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17924782
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17617461
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    I think the best way to do it would be cold turkey.
  • sweatybettyboop
    sweatybettyboop Posts: 22 Member
    There is no magic diet to detox.

    Eat Whole Foods. Drink Water. Eat Protein at every meal. Eat Protein at every snack, if you have snacks.
    Vegees, Fruit, Lean Protein, Evoo for fats, limit nuts if you eat them. Completely eliminated any/all processed ca-rap.

    Once you eliminate the processed foods and replace with whole foods, then the cravings will subside & you'll detox from the refined sugars.

    This *always* works for me.

    Good Luck figuring this out :smile:
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    I think the Phase one of the South Beach Plan is a great way to break the carb addiction in general. Your body doesn't know the difference between table sugar and a slice of white bread.

    For 2 weeks you cut out all carbs and sugar except for non starch veggies. You eat higher protein and healthy fats. After 2 weeks you start adding back in fruits and whole grains. It may not be desirable for everyone, and I'm sure plenty of people will bash it, but it does work for many people who have trouble limiting their sugars and simple carbs.
  • nyusha
    nyusha Posts: 21 Member
    Make sure you don't have any in the house
    Pre-log food
    Curb cravings with fruit/ dried fruit - make sure you "schedule" those into your meal plan

    Good luck!