Trying to quit added sugar

Meh, not impressed with the responses so far.

I think sugar should be researched more and considered to be classified as an addiction. Sugar metabolizes in your body and causes the release of endorphins, much like drugs.

I, too, have a hard time with sugar. Quitting cold turkey can be difficult and can't really be sustained. A few things have helped me manage sugar...

1. Take a lot of notes in your diary on each sugar item you turn-away, decline, don't buy, substitute, etc.. then celebrate it. When you feel an impulse, look back at your notes and gain the strength of how you turned it down before and that you can do it again. If someone offers it to you, tell them you'll come back and walk away. Go busy yourself with something else. Distract yourself. Then, don't go back the rest of the day. Share with those around you that you struggle with sugar and ask for their support and not offer it to you.
2. Remember to celebrate all the no's you give sugar. Consider building yourself a reward scale. For example, for every 5 donuts you turn-away, you get 1.
3. Work the sugars into your calorie intake. Sounds crazy to fill your breakfast with donuts (because you can), but make sure it is counted. It quickly adds up, but stay focused on your daily target and don't go over (or exercise more to reduce it if you do). You'll find over time it isn't worth it and your body begins to slowly change before you realize it.
4. Don't buy it. If you crave it, make yourself have to leave the house to go get it.
5. Only allow yourself the sugar after you exercise. Sure, eat that cupcake... but, only after you workout.

Take some time to acknowledge where you are weak and create a plan for when you are faced with it. You're not going to cut it out completely.

The one thing I can count on to stop a sugar craving in its tracks is to eat meat or drink a sugar free protein shake.

As someone else said, proper sleep and good hydration are tremendously important in keeping your will power strong. Personally, I find I have to quit other high glycemic foods at the same time (potatoes, white rice, bread, cereal) because they all cause a similar spike in blood sugar that leads me to future cravings and false hunger cues.

The workplace temptations can be extremely difficult because you're not saying no just once, but many times, especially when items are in your field of vision. It's exhausting. You might pre-plan some other low-calorie options to grab when you get weary of saying no. Beef jerky, nicely seasoned cubes of chicken breast, or make chai tea with unsweetened almond milk instead of water.

In the first few days of quitting sugar, I'm not super strict about my calorie intake. If I can get through 3 - 4 days without high glycemic foods, then I know I will be sane again and I'll feel better. At that point, it's easier to limit calories.

That was me. I'm pretty sure if people brought sugary stuff to work I'd eat close to half the package. I started allowing within my favorite sweet at the end of the day. It's really helped to be able to say no to things. We had donuts the other day and I decided I wanted my ice cream instead. Ice cream is my fav treat so I started having it everyday and have been so much better with eating things I don't really want but eat because they are there. I've lost weight saving calories for my favorite sugar foods

I just eat fruit instead. Its still sweet and its a healthy way to get in 9 veg and fruit a day.

I cut out all added sugars for 2 weeks and it really helped reset my taste buds and cravings. I followed David Zinckenko's Zero Sugar Diet (which should really be called zero added sugar diet) and he gives a lot of recipes and a list of foods - including commercially prepared - that have no added sugars. A few of my lifesavers were:
*fruit - I ate a ton of fruit especially during the first week. Fruit has a lot of sugar in it true but my issue was candy, cupcakes, etc...and wanting the sweetest thing out there. Plus fruit has nutritional value so the calories actually counted for something. Having berries, apple slices, and frozen grapes available really helped get me the sweet fix I wanted.
*Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin bread with natural peanut or almond butter - this was my all-time favorite snack during those 2 weeks. It is SO yummy and has no added sugar.
*Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt Triscuits with really sharp white cheddar cheese, smoked almonds, salted cashews - when my sweet cravings hit really bad I could usually redirect them with salt. These 3 items were the best for a distraction.
*unsweetened cocoa powder and raw cacao nibs - no sugar but they got me my chocolate fix. I mixed the cocoa powder into coffee and smoothies and the cacao nibs I sprinkled over a bowl of strawberries and raspberries.
*Twinnings Ultra Spice Chai tea & Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Herbal tea - both have a really strong spicy flavor that doesn't need sweetener. I was drinking 2 or 3 cups of the Chia (black tea) to replace the second and sometimes 3rd cup of coffee I would usually have had (with loads of sugary, chemical creamer) to stave off headaches then switch to the herbal tea for the rest of the day. The extra flavor kept me from missing my Crystal Light, soda, and other stuff.

Good luck!

More protein and lower carbs helps me. I still eat complex carbs but trying to avoid pasta etc. I admit I use sugar substitutes but it doesn't seem to set me off the way the real thing does.

I have cut down on the added sugar alot, and actually my husband came to me last night and said he wanted to cut out most processed foods as well, which I am perfectly fine with! However, I dont plan on never eating any added sugars again, I like occasional treats, Ice cream for example, and I allow myself a small treat every day. Since I started that I find it much easier to not give into to temptations during the day.

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I cut all added sugar for about a week (during spring break as a teacher was the only way I could do it). It was horrible at first, but by the end of the week I thought I could handle it. (Unfortunately, I had a "reward" the next day of several cookies, and it was downhill from there).

One thing that I've noticed for me is that I can resist sugar if I haven't had any that day. So if I start out my day with a donut that someone brought in, I'll crave sugar all day and eat way too much of it. However, if I can avoid sugar until I get home, I won't eat very much and it'll be a much better day for me overall. (I also don't count things like fruit as sugar because it doesn't seem to cause cravings like added sugar does)