How To Stop Eating Sugar
I know steering clear of sugar is a difficult thing for most people. If you are really serious about going cold turkey I want to tell you how to do it. First I’ll tell you how and then I’ll tell you why.
- Have a REASON to do it and then DECIDE to do it. Really. Stop saying you’re going to start tomorrow. Start right now!
- Stop eating sugary foods, soda, juice, everything. Cut it all out of your diet and get it all out of your house.
- Tell your family what you’re doing and ask them to please not bring any sweets into the house or to eat them in front of you. When we went to a Chinese buffet my family moved to a different table to eat their desserts!
- The first week will be difficult. All you will think about is dessert. All you can do is just suffer through it.
- To make it through the first week, make a meal plan. That way you will know what you are going to eat for every meal. Don’t skip meals or you will get overly hungry and vulnerable to falling off the wagon.
- Next, buy every kind of snack food that you could possibly want that’s not sweet. Chips, crackers, nuts, popcorn etc. You’re not trying to eat healthy the first week. You’re just not eating sugar. If you have other snacks available then it won’t be such a hardship.
- Buy lots of fruit. I know it’s sweet and it has lots of sugar in it but it’s good for you and for some reason I can eat all the fruit I want and it doesn’t make me crave sugar. It just doesn’t. Buy a box of strawberries and tell your family that this is dessert. They might complain at first but they will secretly like it and get used to it. I go to Sam’s club and buy watermelons, cantaloupe, bananas, boxes of kiwi, strawberries and plums. So, fruit juice, no. Fruit, yes.
- If someone offers you a brownie say, “No, thank you.” A soda, “no”. A candy bar; “no”. A jelly bean, “NO!!!” “But thanks for asking”.
- The second week on will be easier. You will have that sweet taste out of your mouth and you will stop craving sugar.
- You will start yearning for healthier foods. You will stop thinking about eating junk food. If you do eat junk food, it won’t taste as good to you. Go with the flow. If you want to eat salad for three meals a day, do it.
- Don’t start eating sugar again. Not even a little bit. Remember how hard it was this time? It will be even harder the next time you try to stop. When you tell your brain you are going to stop eating sugar again it will say, “Ya, I’ve heard this before. I’ll believe it when I see it.” And then you will have visions of sugar plums dancing in your head until you give in and eat one. What is a sugar plum anyway? They sure sound tasty.
I found this about sugar addictions. I haven’t read her book and I don’t know about her methods but I thought her website was interesting reading.
Stop eating sugar for all the obvious reasons. It rots your teeth, it’s bad for you, it will make you fat, etc., etc.. Here is a reason you might not have known about because I sure didn’t. I only found out from my own experience. Once you stop eating sugar your food cravings will stop. Seriously, you will eat less of everything. Even foods that I normally love, I have to force myself to eat. I don’t think about food like I used to. Sometimes I even forget to eat or I have to make myself stop and prepare something to eat when I’m busying doing something. Does this sound depressing? It’s not. It’s liberating. When you’re not eating all the time or thinking about food you are freed for so many other things in life. Ok. This is getting too preachy for me, especially since I’ve eaten a plate full of brownies in the last two days! But all is not lost. I’m still on the wagon. I just plucked a couple sugar plums from an overhanging tree that came a little too close. I’ll do better to steer my wagon away from the sugar plum trees in the future.
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October 12th, 2006 at
Amen! Preach that sermon, sister!
I SO need to hear this advice. And I completely agree with you that once you get that heroin/sugar out of your system, it gets easier and easier to resist temptation. But those first few days are brutal. I can’t seem to make it past them.
October 13th, 2006 at
I have an awesome encouraging book called GET THE SUGAR OUT. It lists ways to do it even if you want to go gradually (for a resistant family). I also read a really good book called FOOD & LOVE by Garry Smalley. I’ve just given up sugar for the 2nd time, and I thought I was going to get sick or that my head would explode. It is SO much harder the 2nd time, but I’m also more determined remembering how great I used to feel!
October 18th, 2006 at
Very good post! I went for over nine weeks without eating any sugar. It felt so good. I lost weight. And then, I started again. It was little by little, and then before I knew it, all my weight gained back. Ugh. OK I’m starting this today. Right now! Thanks!
PS I hopped over from I’m an Organizing Junkie. =)
July 25th, 2007 at
I highly recommend the book, Sugar Shock! by Connie Bennett, as a starting point to learn about what damage sugar and other simple carbs (rice, chips, white flour and other refined grains, etc.) does to the body, mood, and behavior.
Sugar and other foods that break down quickly into simple sugars in the body (starches and processed starches such as cold cereals, refined grains, and nearly all starchy snack foods even if they are not sweet tasting) are very damaging to the body. Consumption of these industrial “foods” has increased astronomically in the past 150 years, especially in the past 3 decades), which is one major reason why we are seeing huge increases worldwide in some diseases (chronic degenerative diseases: cardiovasular disease and impaired metabolism, such as diabetes, as well as some cancers). High sugar consumption decreases immune response, raises insulin production, disrupts moods and behavior, damages cells, and contributes to a host of subtle health problems that take decades to develop (one of the reasons it has taken so long to finger seemingly innocent sugars as a major culprit).
Humans did not evolve on a diet of constant access to sugars and grains; these are relatively new additions (less than 15,000 years) to the human diet and over-reliance on them is disasterous for health.
Personally, I have found that reducing and/or eliminating most sugar and sugar-like (starches, refined grains, starchy snacks) from my family’s diet over the last 3 years has been very beneficial for everyone. I lost 20 pounds, my husband lost 35 pounds (yet we both increased our unprocessed fat and protein intake, eat as much as we like, and we maintain our weight loss as long as we keep the sugars and starches out of our diet). Our 8 yo son’s behavior and periodic grouchiness really evened out and improved, too. He’s doing better in school. Removing sugars and starches made a lot of room in our diet for more high quality foods such as fresh vegetables, nuts, and minimally processed/high quality/high nutrition foods such as butter, fish, pastured-raised meat, dairy, and eggs. I get as much as I can from local sources in season, direct from producers, rather than from the grocery store, where food travels great distances.
I had to eat a sugar/starch restricted diet when I was pregnant 9 yo, due to gestational diabetes. I was able to avoid taking medication or insulin, because I controlled my blood sugar by restricting carbohydrates (sugars, starches). My main form of carbs were non-starchy veggies and a tiny amount of fruit. I ate lots of traditional fats (butter, olive oil, etc.). Ironically, I ate much better this way than before the gestational diabetes diagnosis because the carb restrictions forced me to choose less processed foods, more fresh foods, and higher quality foods – in other words, nutritionally dense foods, and I probably gained far less pregnancy weight (28 lbs total) than I would have if I hadn’t had to plan my diet. I should have stuck to it after the birth! Then I wouldn’t have gained that 20 lbs a few years later (during my “healthy” homemade bread and pasta days!).
Another very good book is Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck. Great book on how and why real food is superior to industrial foods.
September 28th, 2007 at
Giving up sugar for good changed my life. I was a sugar addict my whole life, from the time I was a little girl. In my 20s and early 30s, I went through a Russian roulette routine of going off sugar/bingeing on sugar for 7 years, until I gave it up entirely this spring. What sparked my changed was accepting that sugar whacks me out and that I can’t eat it, ever; even “healthier” sugars like maple syrup or stevia. I was never willing to surrender, but it became a choice of sugar, or my life. I chose my life.
I’ve written about giving up sugar on my site, http://www.firstourselves.com, and on Connie Bennett’s fantastic blog, sugarshockblog.com. Another great resource is Kathleen des Maisons’ work at http://www.radiantrecovery.com. Her books were the first ones I read about sugar’s addictive qualities, and they were such a relief to me: finally, I understood why I could eat an entire gallon of ice cream in a sitting!
Giving up sugar is challenging, because it’s everywhere, ingrained in every holiday and celebration, and equated with love and self care. But “sugar is not love,” as Kathleen des Maisons says. Discovering what drove my need for sugar—-once I had tamed the biological issues by abstaining from it—took me several years.
But once you do these two things: abstain from sugar, and figure out what emotional needs drove your desire for sugar, you can be free from sugar’s hold on your life. I don’t crave sugar ever. Honestly. When I first stopped eating it, I had horrible cravings, but after the first few weeks, they truly do disappear. And if they return, I know that they are a sign that something else is missing in my life: self care, kindness, proper rest, and maybe just a good, protein filled lunch!
Good luck to you all in your journey. If I can kick my sugar habit, anyone can!
Best,
Karly Randolph Pitman
October 9th, 2007 at
I have been trying to stop eating sugary foods for years now. I just wanted to say thanks for the tips. I am soooo excited to start trying the hints that you suggested.
January 7th, 2008 at
Hey, I’ve been sugar free for 12 months and it’s changed my life. I’ve lost 26 pounds and two dress sizes. I don’t get food cravings any more, no ups/downs. No shakes.
It took me two weeks to lose the taste for it, and now ordinary fruit and veg are quite sweet enough for me. My family know better than to offer me anything with processed sugar in it and I am FREE of the damn stuff! I promise you if you can do it and stick to it, it is the best move you can ever do for yourself.
Carole.
February 12th, 2008 at
See my problem isn’t eating sugar it’s that I don’t know when to stop eating it until i’ve already given myself a headache. I need to cut it down to moderation
February 21st, 2008 at
Since I was 7, I have been struggling with sugar. As most of you have written, I have an insatiable threshold with my sugar intake. Mood swings, obsession with food, getting my “fix”, weight obsession, headaches are all the result of my overabundant intake. You would think that that would be more than enough to stop! Although I am desperate to overcome this addiction, I find that the pleasure I get from the intake is holding me back. I agree that it is torture to stop and my mind set is so negative. In fact, I truly believe that I am on so much medication to deal with my moodiness and depression is all due to sugar. Thank you for sharing your struggles so I do not feel alone. Best wishes for you to overcome this challenge. By the way, I joke with my husband that there needs to be “Intervention” (the show on A&E) for sugar addicts. I believe there are so many parallels.
February 25th, 2008 at
i am an addict and in recovery four years . I stopped smoking two years
ago . Sugar was my first drug off choice . The sugar is just replacing
the drugs , the drink and the cigarettes . I PRAY FOR THE WILLINGNESS TO GIVE UP THE SUGAR .
Thank you.
E
March 20th, 2008 at
Hey everyone!
Sugar is a natural crave in our bodies for energy. In WW2 refined sugar was invented..producing an awful effect since. before refined sugar was rice malt and so on. This is a natural energy inducer that releases over 4 hours giving your body a calm energy without the crash or “sugar blues” Try substituting it and you’ll be amazed!
March 29th, 2008 at
I’ve just been inspired!! Thank you! I CAN DO THIS!
April 27th, 2008 at
Oh my gosh, I am soo glad I have found this sight. I have asked several Dr.s and they tell me you can not be addicted to sugar. I know they are wrong and feel rehab for sugar addicts is a great idea. Unless you are a sugar addict you would not understand. It’s not like drug addictions-God bless those with that problem.
Sugar addiction affects me and not my family, I dont miss work or put people in danger when I eat sugar but to me it is a big deal. I have just finished a huge bowl of Coco Wheats with tons of sugar and feel guilty. I work out and have a trainer but am not seeing the results I desire and I know its because of the sugar consumption.
I am always tired and have sleep apnea and I know its because of the sugar I eat. I need to stop now to avoid more problems in the future.
I am committed today to stop.
April 30th, 2008 at
I need the help of getting off of sugar. What are the withdrawal symptoms. I hate this. sailmv@yahoo.com
May 30th, 2008 at
I always thought I was the odd ball who just had these cravings to each sugary foods, and here I come to find out I am not alone!! THANK YOU!!! I have tried in the past to get rid of the sugar, and end up with fatigue, headaches, and dizziness. So I figure one little taste won’t hurt. Well, one little taste will hurt!! It just sets off the binge cycle. I just had my lunch, and I had some meat, cheese, and some cantaloupe. After that, I had a craving for sugar, so I thought I am not giving in, I am going to look for an answer. I found this site, and got interested in reading, and guess what?? The craving has now gone away. I have heard people say: do something to take your mind off of it, and I thought that was a bunch of HOO HAA . I guess it does work. Maybe not always, but giving it a try is worth it!! I also took a great big swig of unsweet iced tea, so maybe that helped too.
Blessings on all my fellow sugar addicts and may we all have the peace we need to get the JUNK out of our bodies!!!
Tami
June 29th, 2008 at
Sugar is a way to kill us. It is not like this in every country, mostly just the U.S. I was recently in Canada and there big thing up there is salt. People use salt like we use sugar here. I lost a lot of wieght when I was working up there because there was really no sugar in the things you buy. I bought something in cananda then bought the same thing in the states and I noticed the difference in the sweetness of the american product. Now I understand why so many americans are so fat. It really isnt there fault. But there is something we all can do, when you buy grocerices just because it might say sugar free , thats a load of crap, ok, maybe it doesnt have “refined sugar” in it, but it more than likely has some other form of sugar, that is not call “sugar” maybe aspertain, which in my opinion is worse. So we all can do it, when you go shopping, read those labels very carefully and learn what every thing on that label means, there are some sneaky words they use for “sugar” .. It’s a war , us agaist our pretty little governement that is trying so hard to keep us healthy, being quite sarcastic there.
You all need to understand why, you eat sugar, you get sick, diabetes etc, I dont think I ever saw more commercials for diabetes in my entire 33 years of living, so, guess who gets rich off of us , pharmaceutical companies, that’s why they are the most richest productive business in America now. I quit sugar and lost 30 pounds in one year… And I am never sick anymore.. You Can Do IT!!!
August 14th, 2008 at
I decided to give up sugar about a week ago for many of the reasons that other people mentioned: frequent headaches, mental fogginess, mood swings, grogginess and fatigue. I’ve felt great this week, and so far the only side effect I’ve noticed is that I am constantly hungry!
I’m also giving up caffeine at the same time. The only hard part has been that I used to spend a lot of time in cafes, drinking very sugary coffee drinks, and I’m missing that part of my routine. (Drinking a cup of unsweetened chamomile tea just isn’t the same!)
September 6th, 2008 at
I have kidney cancer. The doctor says “no sugar”. Cancer cells feed on sugar. I am trying to get off any type of sugar. My husband and I are overweight due to our sugar intake and many carbs. I am going to start today with a no sugar diet ! Wish me well.
September 18th, 2008 at
I too have been battling with sugar addiction and also have hypoglycemia, so I shouldn’t be eating sugar at all. I was laid off a few months ago and the stress of that made my addiction a LOT worse. (3 boxes of Lucky Charms/week, eating it out of a big serving bowl. ugh.) I thank all who have written as it helps to know you are not alone and also for the suggestions to help with the cravings. I am starting my tomorrow as Day 1 Sugar Free!
October 30th, 2008 at
I was told I had to stop my sugar intake. Period. I have cancer and sugar pormotes cancer. So you would think that’s enough of a reason, but I really enjoy sugar in my tea, sweet cereals, chocolate, etc. I hear everyone say how much better they feel, and how kicking the sugar habit made them feel so much better–I want to feel like that!
December 5th, 2008 at
I am currently trying to quit so my body can heal from the last 13 years of on/off sugar abuse. I have a 2-year-old daughter and I really don’t want her to share my habit of sugar treats. I grew up with 7-Eleven being the place for getting treats whenever there was a little extra money or we were on a road trip or bored or whatever. I can’t drive by one today without thinking “Hmmm. is there anything I need?” After my parents separated I found myself eating sugar straight out of the bag! Stress is a major trigger and emotional eating is the result. I have heard that homeopathy (find a professional, not the prescription that some websites may offer) can help with some constitutional reactions like mine/sugar cravings, but commitment to taking care of self has to be #1 for anything to work. I work in health care and I see how diet affects an individual’s health every day. Sugar, next to chemicals in every day products (hair care, etc.) has to be one of the worst culprits. Think how much we could avert disease by giving up refined sugar!?
December 11th, 2008 at
Thanks for all the great advice here. I had just about given up and said, oh well, fat, dumb and happy is what I will be. But now I have hope that I can conquer this addiction (just what my DH called my sweet tea habit). Good luck to you all who are going to give this a shot, and me too!
February 18th, 2009 at
O.K., it is interesting that you posted this just yesterday. My daughter and I made a promise to each other that we would completely quit eating sugar just yesterday. These are some good tips to use. Thanks!
February 22nd, 2009 at
Does this include honey?
November 4th, 2009 at
I have had no sugar for three weeks and I definitely don’t miss it. I find oranges TOO sweet and lemons just right! Strange indeed.
January 25th, 2010 at
Hi!I think this blog is good!I found it on Google,I will surely come back!