help sugar is my downfall

For me it definitely starts with the shopping. I buy as little sugary treats as possible, when I buy things for the kids I buy things I like least. I also make sure my non sugary snacks are yummy so I will snack on nuts rather than sugar. Good luck xx

This may not apply to you, but a thing to think about: As the day goes on, we get more fatigued. Fatigue can trigger the body to seek energy, to counteract the fatigue. Sugar is quick energy, so can be a probable craving when energy seeking enters the picture. Howdy there, late in day cravings!

Like I said, may not apply for you. If you think it might, some things to consider:

1. Can you improve the quality or quantity of your sleep?
2. Are you experiencing extra stress in your life? Stress contributes to fatigue. If there's stress in the picture, can you find non-food ways to reduce the effect of that stress? (Common things are mild exercise, prayer or meditation, a comforting warm shower, soothing music, journaling, calming hobbies like needlework or adult coloring books, etc.).
3. Are you losing weight? A calorie deficit is a physical stressor, even if the hoped-for results are good. If losing, is your current loss rate becoming too aggressive for your current body size? If so, that can increase stress, plus contribute to cravings in the obvious ways. If your loss rate is reasonable, but you've been losing for quite a long time, maybe it's time for a "eat at maintenance" break, to reset and re-energize (plus it can be good practice for future maintenance).

On another note, not necessarily fatigue related: For me, making it a point to eat more fruit reduced my cravings for less nutrient-dense sweets like candy and baked goods. This doesn't work for everyone, but I've seen some others here say it worked for them, too.

I first heard the idea from a registered dietitian (RD) who said she thought sometimes people who needed more of certain micronutrients (vitamins/minerals/etc.) would experience cravings for sweets, because of human history where sweets = fruits = micronutrients. Sugary things are sweet, but don't scratch the underlying itch - if it's for micronutrients - so we keep craving more sweets. I have no idea whether it's literally correct, but the strategy helped me.

For a while, it took a little will power. I made it a point to eat 3 servings of fruit every day (that was the amount the RD recommended). After a while, sticking to that and avoiding the sugary things by willpower, my cravings for those non-nutrient-dense fruits were reduced. Some of them eventually started tasting just too sweet, too simple, not satisfying. I still enjoy the occasional dessert or something, but it's not a desperate craving, and the types of things I enjoy aren't the same. YMMV.

I've struggled more with stopping sugary food than with any other 'issue' in my life. So in other words, I've failed a huge number of times. I'm still trying to get off sugar though. I think that there's 3 (at least) ways to stop having sugar: total immediate stop, slow reduction in quantity per day, and increasing the number of hours between eating sugary food. I'd suggest that you try one or all of these to see what works and what doesn't.