If you don't eat sugar, please help!

[scbusf]

I am already Gluten-free because it helps with my migraines. I really, really need to cut out sugar. It is such an addiction for me and I know I would feel better. I'm good with eating natural sugar, like fruit. It's just sweets, like cookies, candy, stuff like that that needs to go.

 

Tell me how to do it. What snacks do you eat?

 

Is there any chocolate that would work? Some type of super dark chocolate, maybe?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

There are chocolates that are sugar free or use artificial sugar.  

 

The only way I can cut sugar for more than a few days is going fully ketogenic (which also helps with my migraines)  Ketogenic, I don't even THINK about sugar after the initial couple of days.  If I go paleo and allow sweet fruits, I still think about sugar all the time.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.  

 

My hope is to stay in keto for a while, then gradually move towards paleo when the sugar addiction is broken and the habit is more solidly ingrained in me.  For example, I fell of the wagon two weeks ago to eat dessert at a friend's house and haven't gotten back on because once I'm off...  I'm off.  And then it's excuses: holidays and all that...    It really is an addiction.  

 

Anyway, if you struggle with cravings, do look into keto diet, at least for a while to try to curb the addiction factor.  It took me from craving a second coke (after a 500ml coke) daily to craving a mandarine orange segment.  lol.  

[KatieJ]

I keep protein bars around. Look for ones with at least 20 grams protein for 200 calories bar.

Costco carries several.

[HomeAgain]

We do eat sugar, but it's such a minimal amount and reserved for special things.  For snacks we eat fruit, cheese (goat cheese on Triscuits is pretty good), nuts, seeds, hummus, yogurt, cottage cheese, avocado,peanut butter.  I try to pair a protein or fat with fiber.  And when we eat sugar I try to pair it with a fat - sugar isn't very satisfying on its own.  It just creates a stronger craving for it.  By having the fat with it the body is sated with a pretty small amount.

 

 

What will be hard will be cutting out the hidden sugar.  I bought sunflower seeds once and looked at the back to find that they'd had corn syrup added during the roasting.  I swear there were about 6 different ingredients in what should have been three: seeds, salt, oil.

[Frances]

For me, the key was not to eat any added sugar in anything at all. It's very difficult to eat out or eat anything that is not homemade.I was also doing low carb and no processed or simple carbs at the same time. I did eat limited fruit like berries and grapefruit. The cravings disappeared very quickly and never returned until I had my first taste of sugar over a year later. And then they were back full force.

[bethben]

I just don't buy it.  If it's in the house, I eat it.  The kids can just deal with the lack  :laugh: .  Also, if I make cookies, I "ruin" them by putting gluten in them so that I don't feel tempted to eat them.  My snacks are nuts, raisins, fruit, or cheese.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

Try going cold turkey and realize you are going to feel like crap mentally and possibly physically for at least several days. 

 

Have snacks that are sugar free until you are in control of the situation.  Stuff like celery with sugar free peanut butter or cream cheese, deviled eggs, cheese, nuts, etc.  Avoid fruit until you do your cold turkey go.  Add some back in, but avoid certain fruits altogether like bananas and pineapple.  Ideally pair fruits with something like sugar free yogurt. 

 

Raisins are SUPER high in sugar.  Like seriously as much as a Snicker's bar of a similar size. 

 

If you go long enough with no sugar, stuff that has nearly no sugar taste super sweet (like the lower sugar tomatoes). 

 

 

[regentrude]

Sugar free snacks: nuts, cheese, veggies with hummus.

If it's just about added sugar: fruits

 

Or rethink radically the way you eat. Nobody needs snacks. You can simply have several meals a day and not snack between meals.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Try going cold turkey and realize you are going to feel like crap mentally and possibly physically for at least several days. 

 

Have snacks that are sugar free until you are in control of the situation.  Stuff like celery with sugar free peanut butter or cream cheese, deviled eggs, cheese, nuts, etc.  Avoid fruit until you do your cold turkey go.  Add some back in, but avoid certain fruits altogether like bananas and pineapple.  Ideally pair fruits with something like sugar free yogurt. 

 

Raisins are SUPER high in sugar.  Like seriously as much as a Snicker's bar of a similar size. 

 

If you go long enough with no sugar, stuff that has nearly no sugar taste super sweet (like the lower sugar tomatoes). 

 

This was my experience as well. I didn't feel super crappy physically, but I seriously went through all the stages of grief during that first week. It was kind of scary, actually, how my brain fought to convince me to eat sugar. The addicted side was telling me all kinds of things while the rational side was watching from the sidelines, appalled at how strong the hold was! So mentally prepare yourself for the cravings and the angel and devil on your shoulders. But it's true that once you get past the first hard days, the cravings diminish drastically. Unfortunately, it's also true that if you start eating junk again, they come back with a vengeance. I have a feeling many of us will be supporting each other through it in January. 

 

One of the things that really kept me going when I broke the habit the first time was eating bell pepper sticks in warmed goat cheese. I'd warm a little ramekin of goat cheese in the toaster oven so that it was soft, drizzle some olive oil on and sprinkle it with black pepper, then dip sliced red peppers into it. Between the little bit of sweetness and freshness from the red pepper, the tang and creaminess of the cheese, the salt and fat from the cheese and the olive oil, and the bite from the black pepper, it was enough palate stimulation to get past the sugar cravings when they came. I also found that if I could just hold on past the craving, it would subside after 10-15 minutes or so. While it was happening, though, it was all I could think about!  

 

I also ate a lot of cheese and drank a lot of homemade chicken broth during that time.

 

Maybe we should start a support group here on January 2  :zombie:

 

ETA: Oh, I also remembered another tactic from when I was quitting sugar. I ate a lot of salads with a huge variety of toppings--for example, I'd eat mixed greens topped with goat or feta cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, peas or shelled eda mame, and chopped pecans. Again, it seems like enough palate stimulation was key. If your brain is looking for that "pleasure" hit it gets from sugar, maybe flooding it (or confusing it :lol:) with a variety of flavor sensations can help overwhelm the craving. 

Edited December 23, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops

[Greta]

I eat fruit, but I don't eat any concentrated or refined sugars like sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc. I also gave up non-caloric sweeteners like stevia, Splenda, aspartame, saccharin and such. So basically fruit is the only sweet thing I ever eat, and I don't drink any sweet beverages.

 

I wish that I could give you some tip or trick to make it easy, but I can't. All I can tell you is that if it's possible for a sugar addict like me, it's possible for anyone. And though it isn't easy, it is entirely worth doing.

 

The good news is that your tastes and your cravings do "readjust". The first week was hard for me, because any habit is hard to change. But now I taste sweetness in foods that I didn't notice before, and fruit is so sweet and delicious that it's like candy! I didn't really enjoy it that much before, but now I love it. I look forward to eating a peach the way I used to look forward to eating a brownie, or two, or four. ;)

 

I do not snack between meals, so I can't really help you there. But I would advise that you strictly avoid hidden sugars (things like ketchup and salad dressing can have shocking amounts of sugar in them!) and avoid artificial sweeteners too, because that way your tastebuds will adapt to a less sweet diet, and your cravings will be drastically reduced.

[Greta]

Or rethink radically the way you eat. Nobody needs snacks. You can simply have several meals a day and not snack between meals.

Yes! I gave up snacking at the same time I gave up artificial sweeteners (I had given up sugars years ago) thanks to Dr. Jason Fung. I eat three meals most days, just two sometimes, and it has been great.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I didn't give up snacking per se, but I rarely snack.  Or more I eat 2 meals a day and the third meal might be more snacky in nature (plate of veg with dip or something).  I find it easier when your blood sugar isn't out of whack though.  So really I wouldn't do EVERYTHING at once.  If you want to kick excessive sugar, do that first and snack as much as you need to not to give into the cravings.  As you crave it less and less and then not at all, THEN you might find you don't need to snack so much.

 

 

[Greta]

I didn't give up snacking per se, but I rarely snack.  Or more I eat 2 meals a day and the third meal might be more snacky in nature (plate of veg with dip or something).  I find it easier when your blood sugar isn't out of whack though.  So really I wouldn't do EVERYTHING at once.  If you want to kick excessive sugar, do that first and snack as much as you need to not to give into the cravings.  As you crave it less and less and then not at all, THEN you might find you don't need to snack so much.

 

 

Yes, good advice!

[gardenmom5]

I am already Gluten-free because it helps with my migraines. I really, really need to cut out sugar. It is such an addiction for me and I know I would feel better. I'm good with eating natural sugar, like fruit. It's just sweets, like cookies, candy, stuff like that that needs to go.

 

Tell me how to do it. What snacks do you eat?

 

Is there any chocolate that would work? Some type of super dark chocolate, maybe?

 

fruit still has sugar.  read labels - most processed foods have sugar.   learn what is on the label as something other than "sugar", but is still sugar.

 

I do not eat agave, honey, splenda, fructose, etc.  artificial sweeteners are actually worse for sending mixed signals to your brain.

 

when I start eating no sugar - i will do a yeast cleanse.  (if you've never done one, and you do one, go slowly.  yeast die off can be extremely unpleasant if you go too fast.)  yeast craves sugar,  it also displaces good bacteria.  getting yeast under control always leads to a huge improvement for me.

 

I eat veggies that adapt well to snacking. e.g. pea pods.  popcorn (I have a hot air popper. I use butter.)  pickled foods are very good for the gut.   pickles are good for sugar cravings as the vinegar will kill some yeast.

 

another thing that can cause sugar cravings is adrenal fatigue.  (the best way to diagnose it is a 24 hour spit test.)  if they're dysfunctional - they crave sugar for quick energy.