how did you eat less sugar?

[Deleted]

I swear I'm like a sugar junkie or something. One taste of the sweet stuff and that's all I can think about until my next fix. It doesn't matter if it's cake, grapes or a drink.

I'm down to half a splenda pack in my tea, but I can't let bring myself to go without.

How did you (do you) cure the sugar craving?

[ilovebed]

I've never been successful long term but the only way I've been able to eliminate my cravings is to go cold turkey on all sugars including fruits. After 3 full agonizing days I feel less cravings and can slowly add fruits back in.

[karebear219]

larzhope might have some ideas too.

My road to less sugar was making small sacrafises. Like Desert only every other day. Chocolate milk instead of chocolate. Fruit instead of candy... Frozen Grapes are a good treat.

I've been on this path for sooo many years now that super sweat things don't taste good, especially processed stuff, so I don't want to eat it. Yesterday I even ate this super gooey delicious cinnimon role and it made my tummy hurt from all the sugar from the frosting

So my answer is it takes time and save the splurges for something really worth it.

[mkate710]

Whole 30 took care of my sugar cravings and it hasn't been an issue since. No idea what to do about the cravings for chips and guac and truffle popcorn though...

[larzhope]

Aug 25, 2014 14:00:37 GMT -5 karebear219 said:

larzhope might have some ideas too.

My road to less sugar was making small sacrafises. Like Desert only every other day. Chocolate milk instead of chocolate. Fruit instead of candy... Frozen Grapes are a good treat.

I've been on this path for sooo many years now that super sweat things don't taste good, especially processed stuff, so I don't want to eat it. Yesterday I even ate this super gooey delicious cinnimon role and it made my tummy hurt from all the sugar from the frosting

So my answer is it takes time and save the splurges for something really worth it.

I echo all of this.  Whole30 definitely helped my sugar cravings, but it didn't cure me completely. I ate a LOT of sugar on vacation and am finding myself slipping back into old patterns, so I've done a lot of "bargaining" with myself "if I don't have a piece of chocolate between now and lunch, I can have a piece after lunch"

I will say my stomach has hurt pretty bad anytime I've had anything sweet since whole30 ended, and it has made me really question "is it worth a stomach ache to eat this" sometimes (a lot of times!) The answer is still yes, but sometimes it's no, and that is progress.

I have also found that if I eat really full meals and only allow myself a small piece of dark chocolate, that helps. Milk chocolate actually has started to taste pretty gross to me since eating more "real" foods.

[Deleted]

*watching this thread* I've heard you have to go cold turkey for several days, but I JUST CAN'T. Besides, I already had to give up cheese and I can rarely drink anymore that I just don't WANT to give up my only remaining vice but it can get out of control and I need to rein it in.

[MrsPotatohead]

I'm a salt person so I don't typically crave sugar, BUT I noticed with a bunch of events happening lately that I got into the habit of having more desserts and that definitely started to make me want sugar more often. I only noticed it in myself because it was so strange to want it every day like that.

So then just last week I had to make a conscious effort to not 'allow' myself to have dessert for a few days and I noticed a big impact. So sadly I agree that the best thing might be to try not having dessert for a week and see what happens, but you don't have to go cold turkey with no sugar - just not the 'treats' that I think are the addictive part. Unless you go around craving fruit all the time, lol, I think it's more about getting out of the habit of rewarding yourself as often.

[alias]

Aug 25, 2014 14:28:37 GMT -5 mkate710 said:

Whole 30 took care of my sugar cravings and it hasn't been an issue since. No idea what to do about the cravings for chips and guac and truffle popcorn though...

Agreed. I'm 1/2 way through my Whole 30, and it's been way easier than I thought. I don't really crave or miss sugar and can say no to desserts, which was NOT the case before. I don't know how I'll be after....but I hope I'll be better at considering whether its worth it.

ETA: They say its an addiction, so sugar makes you crave sugar. So, you gotta get it out of your system.

[dana86]

I can usually fix it with eating fruit. Besides that I try not to keep baked goods and that kind of stuff in the house.

[Deleted]

Aug 25, 2014 15:52:04 GMT -5 @ksta said:

*watching this thread* I've heard you have to go cold turkey for several days, but I JUST CAN'T. Besides, I already had to give up cheese and I can rarely drink anymore that I just don't WANT to give up my only remaining vice but it can get out of control and I need to rein it in.

This is pretty much exactly where I'm at too. I feel your pain, yo.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the help everyone!