cutting sugar for good this time!!

so ive decided that i am completely cutting sugar out of my diet starting tomorrow. im talking about added sugars not natural sugars in fruit etc. as those sugars are good for you. i'm talking cake sweets, sugar in the coffee etc.

ive read it does wonders for your health, body, weight managemant and mind.

has anyone done this? what were the effects it had on you personally?weight? mood? ect. id love to hear from experience.

ive tried this before for a week or so to see the difference, it wasnt easy but i felt better as a whole.

I unfortunately can't answer your question...however I will be interested to hear what anyone else has to offer.

Giving up sugar completely seems like such a hard thing to do...I don't know if I could pass up all of those little sugary treats in my life...don't get me wrong, I only really eat things like candy bars or ice cream or cookies on the weekends (by that I mean one week, for Saturday I may but a mini single serving ice cream, not all at once!)  but I just can't imagine giving them up.

It's some good food for thought though. I wish you lots of good luck with this!

I've cut out sugar completely before.  I had serious withdrawl headaches for over a week!  Makes me wonder if I'm hypoglycemic or prediabetic... And, I ended up eating more of everything else trying to satisfy my cravings.  Just didn't work out for me all that well.  And, the cravings just didn't let up so after a few weeks, I gave in.  During that time I was grouchy and miserable.

Now, I only eat a small amount of sugar because it just doesn't fit nicely into my calorie budget.  But, everyday I save up a few extra calories for a sweet treat...  Sugar is like crack for me.  I've heard that it effects the same receptors in the brain as certain narcotics which is why it is so addictive... both my mother and my sister are big sugar addicts.  Even after gastric bypass surgery, my mother has to have her chocolate candies.  However, she eats far less than she used to and has maintained a 100+ lb weight loss. 

I have also been sugar - and refined carb - free since March 9th of this year.  (Okay, I've compromised on 2 occasions and had a couple of cookies, but that is absolutely all.)

My initial reason for doing this was to get control of my emotions.  I was at a place in  my life where I could feel myself sinking into a depression (again) and I didn't want to have to take medication.  A wellness professional suggested that I switch my diet to contain more protein, ditch the refined carbs, and especially the sugar.  For the first time in 7 years, I got through this spring without either being on antidepressants or going to get a prescription for them.

As an added bonus, I dropped 12 pounds just from cutting the sugar.  And I have more energy, as well.  I find now that sweets really don't appeal to me in the same way.  Before, I would go to the store and buy 2 or 3 candy bars - now I can have them sitting right in front of me and still not even eat 1.  

 Of course, this just my experience.  I still get my sweets in the form of dried fruit (which I only eat as part of trail mix because I can get hypoglycemic if I'm not careful and the protein from the nuts balance the sweetness.)

Hope this helps! 

unless you have a medical reason, i don't really see why you should cut it out completely. then again, i don't discriminate much between sugars. if you eat fruit, that's plenty of sugar. you might notice cutting out chocolate, candy, etc, works for you. especially if you previously ate large amounts.

 

hi theashster
i cut out sugars several months back and have never felt better. i have more energy, less headaches, less mood swings, less hunger pangs. i can literally jump out of bed in the morning.
if i do have a piece of chocolate or something, i instantly get a headache and feel nauseous. if i have the chocolate at night (or even popcorn (high carbs)) the next morning i feel like i was hit by a truck... as if i'm hung over but without having had anything to drink.

sugar is a toxin.
we've only started eating lots of sugar since a very recent period (in evolutionary terms). in other words, our bodies have not yet evolved to the point where we can adequately digest and deal with such huge amounts of refined sugars.

i've heard it takes 21 days to incorporate a new habit. and that's about right for me for cutting sugars out.
try it for a full three weeks. do NOT cheat .... you will be amazed at the difference.

headaches, irritability, moodiness is your bodies way of asking for its drug back. its withdrawal. you will experience it... but think of it this way... if your body has to go through withdrawal from something, doesn't that kind of mean it shouldn't have had it in the first place?

sorry for the long post.
i found it helpful to use the word "poison" instead of "sugar" or "chocolate" :-) it might sound strange but when you are telling yourself "oh, i'll just have one piece of poison" it's a whole lot easier to say no

good luck! you won't regret it.

it's a bit extreme... to label something poison, isnt it? do you eat fruit, hil?

yes of course. and other carbs: leafy greens, whole wheat bread etc.
but refined sugar is a poison.

Cutting out added sugar was the first change I made to my diet.  I used to put 4 tsp in my coffee, and I drank about 4 cups a day.  I also loaded it on my breakfast cereal.  I've never been much of a dessert eater, but when I really looked at it, I was eating at least one sugary treat a day in the form of hard candy or a breakfast bun of some kind.

The immediate result was that it was easier to keep within my calorie limit.  I noticed that I was sleeping better too, and I no longer had hunger issues.  I learned, by reading the CC and About.com articles on nutrition, that sugar can cause insulin spikes that make you feel hungry when the sugar high wears off. 

I've also learned that it's not a good idea to swear completely off foods you really like.  But you do have to control portions.  Now, instead of eating a whole candy bar, I have just one piece of really good chocolate for a special treat, and I eat it slowly.  I work those calories into my total for the day.

I cut out sugar about 4 months ago when diagnosed with diabetes. I eat only complex carbohydrates and anything sweetened is with sugar substitute, and just a little bit of that (1/2 packet in my plain lowfat yogurt once a day). I also eat once a day a 0% pudding (with sugar substitute in it) or a dietic ice cream bar (same deal). I have lost a lot of weight, my glucose is way down and I feel much much better than I have in years. If you don't have a medical reason for giving up all refined sugars I don't know if it's necessary, but cutting back is certainly good for your health (blood sugar, teeth, etc. etc.)

 

Well you can ask me advice because I have not eatten sugar for the past 5 years and never intend on doing so ever!I only eat lean meats & fish & veggies: THAT IS IT...no fruits, no nuts, no dairy, nothing!!!I am still alive after 5 years so obviously it DOESN't KILL YOU to cut out sugar! haha!It really helps with your energy levels...granted at first you probably won't feel so good but that is a normal withdrawl symptom.How I sweeten things if I need them sweet...which is normally just for coffee....I use Stevia- an herbal supplement with no calories or sugars! Google it if you have never heard of it!

it won't kill you to cut it out. but it's kind of a life half lived without it! for me anyway.

i wanted to try stevia. until the fda recently refused to approve it.

thanks a lot everyone! some of you really helped me out this very minute!!! its been such a struggle i try to stop and wind up eating more!! so those that have offered advice i may message you for support if you dont mind?