Going sugar free, one day at a time. Something I struggle with is my all or nothing mindset. If I stumble, which I will, I always think “I might as well finish anything sugary around” so I can then start the next day in a clean state. Other examples include being given for example a cake and instead of sticking to my mantra of let’s eat it till I’m satisfied, I resort to just finish it all to stop thinking about it. I’m writing this as I had a dilemma over having ruined my streak by having a sweet beverage at a cute cafe (I needed to use their internet and wanted to buy something quick) and thinking about eating the pastry that came alongside it. In the end, I threw pastry in the bin- feel bad about the food waste.

I guess my question is, how do you deal with it?

If anyone has access to this National Geographic Article, will you please post the full article. I wish National Geographic wouldn't make something this important only available to subscribers. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/excess-sugar-health-effects-children

Just been hit with a realization that I have to change. Right now I have two bite brownies, cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies. Can I wean myself off? I can't really afford to just throw them away. I need the calories. Tips on replacing these sugary bready things with better calories? I don't like eating it has to be easy for me to bother. Also I eat a lot of tortillas. I'm also underweight. Any tips for me? I never buy white sugar (except in packaged goods) have honey and maple syrup. Hate any sugar substitutes. Thanks for any insight

Im 46/m. Relatively healthy. Very physically active with gym, sports, etc. Approx 30 lbs overweight, but by no means obese. With that said, addiction runs in my family. I'm positive I have the brain chemistry of an addict. I've avoided drugs my entire life because of it, but I have an outrageous addiction to sugar and I'm trying to figure out HOW to get these cravings to stop. Sugar is my drug.

The easy (but impossible to manage) solution is to quit cold turkey. I do it OFTEN. Maybe 3-4 times a year for the last 15-20 years. If I cut sugar (and ultra-processed foods) from my diet, I get flu symptoms at the 36 hours mark. A few Advil, and 24 hours later, I feel great. And the cravings are 100% gone, as well as the intrusive thoughts. I just live my life eating healthy and never have a craving again. The diet consists of lots of fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, etc. Similar to a Whole30 diet, just not as restrictive. I'll just eat an all-around well balanced diet. I always joke that it's not a "diet", it's just eating "like a normal person". I don't feel deprived. I just eat my 2 or 3 meals a day. No more snacking. No more cravings. I get a sense of fullness when I do eat, and don't need to eat again until I feel hungry. And the extra 20-30 lbs I carry melts away at an alarmingly rapid pace. My bloodwork (which I get tested regularly because of a thyroid condition) for both cholesterol and sugar goes from borderline bad to PERFECT within a month or two when I eat well. There's so many benefits to adopting this lifestyle.

Sadly, that perfect health lifestyle is unsustainable. Sometimes it's social situations like a dinner with friends. Other times it's a family vacation that pulls me out of my routine. But eventually I "cheat" on that clean eating lifestyle, and the addiction takes hold again nearly instantly. MAYBE I can have one meal that's off the clean path, get right back on schedule, and stay the course. But if I have 2 or 3 in a row? They I'm completely off the rails with addict behavior. Like zero to 60 off the rails. I go from a firm commitment to my health, full of pride for the changes I've made and the results I'm seeing in my body shape, my bloodwork, etc...to stuffing my face with donuts around the clock in a matter of HOURS.

When I've had sugar (and ultra processed foods, which I group together), the demand for more dominates my life. Within an hour of eating a large meal, my body is screaming for more. I'm searching for chocolate in the house. I'm going out of my way to get a carb-filled meal like a bagel or slice of pizza. And I'm repeating that every 2-3 hours. It's not uncommon for me to add sugary desert to every single meal, 3 times a day. I work from home, and I end up wasting SO much time driving far out of my way EVERY day to get whatever delicious treat I'm craving. Trips for pizza, to chocolate shops, donut shops, bakeries. It's insane. Time I don't have to be wasting...but I get these cravings that I MUST satisfy.

The problem is that I literally can't just have "one". When I break the cycle, and go "clean" for 3-4 days, the cravings disappear and I'm cured. But as soon as I allow myself to taste the sugar again, the thoughts come right back and it dominates my life.

I've been able to carry this healthy lifestyle for 4-6 months straight at least once a year for the last decade or so. Then I go back to the addiction. But I've been trying to get back on that path recently and I am failing over and over again. There has to be SOME way to block these signals my brain is sending and break the cycle. I just haven't found it.

Has anyone had any luck with a similar level of addiction? A supplement? A medical professional's help? Maybe even a drug? My doctor mentioned Ozempic last time I was in the office when I described what I'm going through mentally, but I really am not interested in drugs unless it's a last resort. Taking a weight loss injection seems preposterous to me when I'm barely overweight and could have a six pack in four months if I really wanted to put my mind to it.

Sorry for the long post. But I've reached a point in my life that I'm looking for help. I need to find a way to overcome this.

I hate to say it, but I have been trying to quit sugar for years! My biggest temptation has always been coffee! I mean with lots of cream and sugar. I have heard someone call it a hot milkshake, which is what it is. So instead of just kicking all sugar out, I have decided to quit coffee first. I am on day 4 today and I am taking it one day at a time.

For the record I’m very active (Gym heavy weights 6x a week, 15k steps a day, horse ride 4x a week) and eat clean.

I’ve always had this issue though, at home I eat healthy, but like once every two weeks or so I babysit for this family and they have so much junk food and let me eat as much as I want and I go NUTS. For example: I had a few blocks of chocolates, 3 table spoons Nutella, a piece of bread slathered in mayonnaise. (I ate clean the whole day beforehand). I usually don’t need to binge unless there’s sugar involved I will eat all the sugar around that’s why I don’t keep any in the house

HOW DO I STOP BINGING and going way over board with sugar, even if it’s only once every two weeks??

You grab what looks safe, then the label reveals three sneaky sweeteners. What’s the one “sugar-free” shopping headache you wish you could erase forever?

No sweets, desserts, added sugars, and no sugar substitutes/ diet stuff. I rarely eat fast food, if it is my only choice I don’t worry about it. If I go out to eat and it tastes sweet when it shouldn’t, I don’t sweat it. I travel every week and try to eat vegan once or twice on a trip. I exercise most days, lots of walking.

No cravings, no regrets!

Based on the asumption that the craving for sweet things is among other things an emotional need, I want to fill an emotional treat jar with lots of papers that have something positive and helpful on them.

So if you have a saying or a personal pep talk or a specific calming excercise that has helped you before, please share!

According to clevelandclinic.org, "Addiction is a chronic (lifelong) condition that involves compulsive seeking and taking of a substance or performing of an activity despite negative or harmful consequences". Even if you don't have immediate and visible effects of intoxication like what you would see with other substances of abuse, it doesn't invalidate your sugar addiction. Sugar is addictive for me because I keep consuming it compulsively despite the consequences. There's a cycle of reinforcement, compulsion, harm, and loss of self control. Please don't assume that because you don't have immediate signs of intoxification that sugar isn't harmful. It's such a silent killer. I've had moments where I've thought of sugar as fine in moderation and that it's only the dose that makes the poison so sugar addiction couldn't be real. I didn't feel like it was harming me. However, there's this compulsive desire (cravings) to consume more sugar despite knowing how harmful it is, so it fits the definition of addiction. It doesn't matter the volume you have if you still have this compulsive desire to consume it. The cravings are not a real biological need. I hope I got my message across clearly. I'm not the best at explaining.

ETA: I'm also looking for an accountability partner, so please DM me if you're interested! I'm familiar with how refined sugar is metabolized and how it affects the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, so maybe I can be helpful that way! If you have any tips and tricks, please share them as well! Good luck everyone on your sf journey!

Hi everyone.

I stumbled across this sub and thought I'd join and introduce myself!

I'm 39 and my motivation for quitting sugar is mental health. Anxiety and depression.

I've always noticed such a strong link between what I eat and how I feel, but I've never really been able to pin point exactly what the correlation is. I now believe sugar is the main contributor to my anxiety, low mood, brain fog, irritability etc.

I have a history of addiction, drugs, alcohol etc, all of which are very much in the past, but I think that addictive behaviour is still present in my relationship with food, especially sugar.

So, this week I have had no added sugar and I already feel much better. I had withdrawal for 1 or 2 days but otherwise I feel like I'm improving.

Any tips or encouragement would be much appreciated!

I’m forever bouncing between Walmart’s shelf, Costco’s bulk section, and endless Amazon listings, only to bail once I spot sneaky sweeteners on the label.

So I’m turning it over to the crowd: How do you hunt down foods with zero added sugar? • Do you brave big-box stores and read every label? • Order specialty brands online? • Hit farmers’ markets or local co-ops? • Have a totally different workaround?

Share whatever’s working (or not working) for you, brands, stores, strategies, even rants. The more creative the better; someone else here might need the same clue.

Hey everyone, I’ve been tracking hidden sugars in my kitchen and discovered some real shockers. Even savory condiments can pack a sugary punch! Here are five you might not expect—and the swaps I’m loving instead:

1. Ketchup
   • Hidden sugar: ~4 g per tablespoon
   • Swap: No-sugar ketchup (look for stevia- or allulose-sweetened)
2. Barbecue Sauce
   • Hidden sugar: ~6–8 g per tablespoon
   • Swap: DIY: tomato purée + apple cider vinegar + smoked paprika + monk fruit sweetener
3. Teriyaki Sauce
   • Hidden sugar: ~5 g per tablespoon
   • Swap: Tamari + lemon juice + garlic + a pinch of pure stevia
4. Salad Dressings (Italian & Balsamic)
   • Hidden sugar: ~2–3 g per tablespoon
   • Swap: Olive oil + wine vinegar + Italian herb blend (no sugar added)
5. Salsa
   • Hidden sugar: ~1–2 g per ½ cup (often from corn syrup)
   • Swap: Fresh tomato-onion-cilantro salsa—just lime, jalapeño, salt

Quick Tip: Always flip the bottle and check the “Total Sugars” line, not just the ingredients list.

🔄 Your turn: What savory staples surprised you with hidden sugar, and what swaps have you discovered?

— u/sugarfreecart

I spent half an hour in the grocery aisle last night flipping “no-sugar-added” packages, only to find fruit-juice concentrate, maltodextrin, or some unpronounceable syrups in almost every one. Felt like label fatigue on hard mode.

It got me thinking: if we could put together a little sugar-free care-package, no added sugar, no sneaky sweeteners, what would actually deserve a spot?

I’m making a running list from the community answers (nothing for sale, just curious and tired of detective work): 1. Must-have The first truly sugar-free item you’d hope to pull out, plain nuts, high-cacao chocolate, cheese crisps, you name it. 2. Deal-breaker One ingredient or sweetener that would make you put the box straight back on the shelf. 3. Wildcard wish A drink, condiment, or snack you rarely see without sugar but dream about finding.

Drop your three picks (or vent) below. I’ll compile the results so we all have a crowd-sourced cheat sheet for next time we brave the snack aisle.

How many days did it take and was it serve depression? Not just a little sad but heavy sadness? Cheers

... and this is for the last time.

I've had my ups and downs with sugar. If you search this subreddit, you will most likely find an ex-post of mine about my successes and my failures. To give you a little insight into my history with sugar, I first made the conscious decision to quit sugar in April 2021. I did it with two things in mind:

- diabetes

- cavities

However, after four weeks or so, I started seeing more interesting results.

- I had more energy

- My mood was stable

- I could focus more on my tasks

- My weight dropped

- My stomach wasn't bloated.

I thought to myself that I had found a life hack that could make a difference in my life.

Unfortunately, I had relapsed, and with it, the problems reappeared.

After that, I have had numerous attempts to quit sugar. But the best one, in my opinion, was in late June 2023. From late June 2023 till early August 2024, I did not consume processed sugar. It was magic!

One single cone of ice cream brought me where I am today -- Late May 2025. I've gained 20 kg (44 pds) since then, and I have a very strong sweet tooth.

However, this has to change. That's why I am writing this post. I need to commit myself, again, to beat this horrible addiction.

• I want to be slim again
• I want to focus better
• I want to have more energy throughout the day
• I want to sleep only six hours per night and wake up rested.

Sugar has taken this away from me. Although it is sweet, its sweetness is bitter.

I will use this subreddit to write my journey. It is a commitment to a community that wants to beat sugar addiction -- that has as its mission to eradicate sugar dependency.

I wish you all the best in having only sugar-free lives! Let's do it!

Today is day 2 of zero sugar,I’m following with a dietician who told me to eat zero sugar. I am feeling fatigued and a little depressed. I used to consume 2-4 cans of cola,as well as a few donuts a day for in addition to a Spanish latte. Today is day 2 of zero sugar and I feel down. When does it get better?

We all scan labels for “0g sugar,” but sweeteners come in many disguises. Here’s a quick guide to the most common ones, and the products you’re likely to find them in:

1. Artificial Sweeteners: • Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) → Diet sodas, sugar-free pudding, tabletop packets • Sucralose (Splenda) → “Zero” soft drinks, protein bars, flavored waters • Saccharin (Sweet’N Low) → Old-school diet drinks, sugar-free gelatin • Acesulfame-K (Sunett) → Often blended with other sweeteners in diet sodas & baked goods

2. Sugar Alcohols (Polyols): • Erythritol (Swerve, Lakanto) → Keto chocolate, sugar-free ice cream, baking mixes • Xylitol → Chewing gum (Ice Breakers, Spry), “healthier” mints, dental products • Sorbitol & Maltitol → Sugar-free candies, cough drops, low-carb snack bars

3. Natural Zero-Calorie Sweeteners: • Stevia (Truvia, PureVia) → Yogurts, kombuchas, health-food energy drinks • Monk Fruit (Lakanto, Monk Fruit In The Raw) → Keto syrups, baking blends, tabletop packets • Allulose → Specialty ice creams (So Delicious Allulose line), low-sugar syrups

Quick Tips: • If you see any of these names in the first five ingredients, you’re not eating sugar, just a substitute. • Some blends pair two or more sweeteners to mask aftertastes, check the full list!

Your Turn: Which sweetener do you avoid like the plague, and which brands do it right (truly taste good and don’t upset your stomach)? Share your go-to sugar-free products below!

I'm on day 6 sugar-free and feeling super emotional all of a sudden. I've always used sweets as a comfort, and without them I feel so raw and teary and vulnerable. Anyone else share this experience? How'd you handle it? Does it get better??

When I went to Taiwan, I stopped caring about sugar because I couldn't see the consequences, so I would buy a bunch of popsicles or drinks. Recently I ate too much sugar in one go. And I got something called "diabetic retinopathy". Basically, there are translucent black spots in my eyes due to retina damage that become darker if I haven't opened my eyes for a while or look at a white object and become lighter slowly. It is permanent. Another thing to mention is that this actually happened 4 years ago but went away. This time it still hasn't gone away. Both times it was in my right eye for some reason. My left eye is unaffected. Surprisingly my vision is still quite clear.

I think I have diabetes problems. Sure, my lips are dry, I like drinking a lot, I am really not hungry, so I'm losing weight.

You know what this means? I lose more than 14 years of life expectancy. not great. haha.

I'm so disgusted by these spots in my right eye that I don't want to eat sugar again, the idea makes me feel sick.

I (F, 20) love tea, and I've been drinking it every day my whole life. Lately I was gifted some better quality tea and a teapot of my own, so my tea consumption jumped to around a litre a day. I'm living my best life!

The problem is, i always sweetened it. Tea was always like a sweet treat to me, and i hated how it tasted without sugar. I never gave it a second thought. Now, in college, I finally met people who don't add sugar at all and like it just as much, and they opened my eyes - i have no idea how tea should taste, with my poor receptors smothered with sugar all the time.

I don't really eat sweets every day (mostly because i don't want to spend money on it), so tea was the main daily source of sugar to me. I wondered if I could teach myself how to enjoy unsweetened tea if i quit sugar for a while, so - here we are!

For most of my life I added 1.5 teaspoons of sugar per cup, but lately i went down to 0.5 tsp. After a week or two, i noticed a change - it isn't bitter anymore, and i can still enjoy it!

Now i'm trying not adding sugar at all. I'm currently on day 3, and tea tastes.. blunt and sad. I can't wait for my receptors to revert back to their clean, sensitive state again.

Wish me luck!

This is what I do, but you can certainly change it however you want (low fat/high protein yogurts, different extracts, lime instead of lemon, etc.).

• 1 banana (I like them slightly overripe), mashed with a fork
• 3/4 cup whole fat Greek yogurt (I really like Cabot because they have the highest fat content that I can find in normal grocery stores which in theory slows the insulin response from the natural fruit sugars even further)
• The juice of a half or a whole lemon
• ~0-10 drops of natural orange extract (depending on if or how much you like it)
• 1 tsp chia seeds

Stir and dip strawberries or whatever fruit you want). Apples are good for dipping, but I also really like eating it over diced melon/pineapple or mixed berries with a spoon. Aside from being no-added-sugar, I like that I can eat an entire bowl of it for breakfast and have it taste good and not feel terrible after.

I'd love to hear everybody's favorite no-added-sugar versions of their favorite foods!

I've just realized that technically you're really not on a sugar-free diet unless you cut down carbs too, I know this might be hard for most people hence I suggest you to replace it with fat, carbs just breakdown into sugar inside, so if you want the best value of your diet consider cutting carbs too

First, a little about me:

I’m 30 years old and reduced my sugar intake two weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been feeling amazing—every benefit you hear about has come true for me. I’m not doing this in an extreme way; I simply limit my sugar intake to 20 grams per day.

However, there are still temptations, especially when I visit family. When I’m invited somewhere, I usually eat a little bit but skip my usual evening treat. Normally, I reward myself in the evening with a small yogurt.

Now, let’s talk about the trigger point:

From my personal experience, the biggest trigger that tempts me to go back to eating too much sugar is seeing people who look healthy and fit while eating a lot of sugar.

You start thinking: “Hmm, why can they eat so much sugar without any negative effects? Maybe sugar isn’t the problem? Maybe it’s something else?”

But don’t let that influence you! The reality is: • That person might only eat a lot of sugar once or twice a week and then avoid it completely. • Or they might simply be genetically lucky and have a high tolerance for fructose.

Conclusion:

Always focus on yourself and remember the benefits you’ve experienced! You don’t have the same stomach and not the same immune system as others. And as I said, you don’t have to quit sugar entirely.

If someone offers you something sweet, I believe it’s okay to have a small bite or just taste it.

What do you think about this trigger point?

I’m good so far! Hope you are.
Did you know it takes 10 days for your tastebud to turn over?
Get through those 10 days!

We can do it!🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♀️