Uh, help me with sugar!

OP, what have you tried?

I think having a plan helps. If you have foods and a schedule you plan to live by, you don't just end up eating candy unless you choose to. You can then decide how much sugary things you want to be part of your plan--if you love it, I'd think some, at least, but if you want to try to change your palate it might be easier to try taking a break from most of it for a while (but don't beat yourself up about it if you have some).

I tend to think it's easier to change your diet if you have concrete goals (a calorie goal is good, maybe a nutritious diet and some idea of what that means -- hitting protein goals or vegetables or both, for example). Although sugar wasn't my specific issue, I did cut out added sugar for a while and then added back in my favorites in moderation. What helped me was focusing on these kinds of goals, what I did eat and structure, having a plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and no snacking (for me) or (if you prefer) maybe planned snacking. Stuff like that.

It might also help to think about what more nutrient dense foods you really enjoy and focus on that. One thing that cutting stuff out for a bit helps me with (in addition to cutting out added sugar I sometimes cut out other things, like meat) is in expanding my horizons and getting out of a rut. Are their savory meals you enjoy, especially for breakfast, protein-rich snacks, maybe sources of sweetness like fruit that would be enjoyable for options instead of candy, etc.

Wow I am reading your last post and I swear I could have wrote this. I also skip meals to eat sweats.

Me too!!! Ughhh I'm the biggest sugar addict!! I literally get headaches and physically sick if I don't have it. I am trying so hard to cut down and eat healthier. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do! I'm hoping once I detox I won't crave it as much. The only thing that works for me is to chew gum or I eat some fruit. Good luck! I'm right there with ya!

I cut all added sugar a while back and it's amazing how my tastes have changed. I can honestly happily easy berries for dessert and bananas taste so sweet to me now I can barely eat a whole one. Cut it completely for at least a month and see what happens. It'll suck in the beginning but it's worth it.

Wtn_Gurl wrote: »

Go the the doctor for a physical exam, have him/her check your blood sugars and see how close you are to diabetes. It might make you not want that sugar if you consider the alternative - going into diabetes and HAVING TO stick yourself with a needle everyday to test your sugar and also you MUST moderate your eating. That's what worked for me this time. I don't want to get diabetes but im heading there very shortly unless I change immediately. A health scare might cause you to change for realz.

I reversed the progression of my prediabetes while still eating sugary foods-I just started eating at the correct calorie deficit for my weight goals and lost around 50lbs. Losing the extra poundage stabilized my glucose number, which is now in the 80s and 90s. My daily carb intake is usually between 150g-200g+ a day, and as long as I'm hitting my calorie targets and maintaining my weight, my glucose numbers are stable

I want to add that once you've detoxed, measured sweets are fine. I have a small amount of dark chocolate every day. Also, I sometimes have a teaspoon of honey in my tea if I'm particularly hungry. Finally, eating sugar during endurance activities (more than an hour, typically) makes sense. Sugar is not a poison, but it is habit forming.

Watch the documentary Fed Up on Netflix. This really motivated me to quit sugar (even hidden sugars). Also it looks like you have and addiction to carbs not just sugar. Someone about suggested a detox that might be a good idea. Good luck.

jeshutt wrote: »

The sugar cravings pass more quickly if you try cutting out carbs generally.

I found this to be true for me too.

Also one othing you can try perhaps : as you said, the afternoon and evening are the worst because you're looking for a dessert ( that's me again

Here's a good trick I learned from Vitruvian Physique. If you find yourself craving something you know isn't good for you. Go ahead and eat it, but first you've got to fill yourself up with something healthy and filling like brown rice AND you have to wait two hours.

Then...if you still want it...eat it.

I am on week 7 of the 8 week I Quit Sugar program and it has worked well for me. I know that some people can handle sugar in moderation but for me, this was a real struggle. I do much better now that I have cut fructose right back in my diet. I cut out all sugar from week two through to the end of week 5 which included all fruit. Week 2-3 were the hardest for me as far as cravings go but if you push through you will get there. I allow myself low fructose whole fruit every day but to be honest, now I only eat a small amount every other day because I don't really want it anymore.

If you really want to cut down on your sugar I would suggest finding a program that you can join and follow. I chose the one I did because it provided full meal plans, helpful resource information all in the one place. They had their own forums where you can ask questions and them be answered by Drs and dietician/nutritionists as well as normal people. This sort of structure really helps me to stay on track and I found chatting with other people that were experiencing the same symptoms as I was really helpful.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Quitting sugar is hard for the first few weeks but after that, I found it pretty easy. I did miss fruit when I couldn't have it but now that I can have it I don't want it.