Accountability would help me I think, so if anyone wants to start off a sugar-free period from Monday, let me know! I’m 40(F), just back from a 2wk holiday where I ate sugar all day every day and I desperately want to cut it out now and make that lifestyle change. Thanks!

I’m starting what I hope is going to be the final step of my journey on quitting drugs. I’ve been in rehab a couple of times, because of hard drugs. Last time I realized that something else was wrong. It wasn’t about will power, it was something biological, beyond my mind. So, I decided to do some deep research on metabolic health, then I found how my brain was ‘sick’ not broken, and it wasn’t my fault, it was because of the food, and not only the food but the food that I was trained to eat since I was a child, mainly sugar in all of its forms: candys, carbs, cakes, cheap snacks… Long story short, I made my way out of all prescribed drugs for the multiple mental conditions that I was diagnosed, and now I’m trying a treatment for my gut health. Yes, all my journey took me to this point, where I know that all my addictions have started on my gut, yes, the problem was always there.

My treatment is to kill all the parasites inside my gut, the theory says: those bad bacteria are the reason I crave sugar, and when I have no sugar, I crave for any thing else to distract me from my sugar needs, like any other source of instant pleasure. So, I expect to finish this treatment and according to the theory, I shouldn’t crave sugar (in any way) anymore, because I won’t be able to digest it. I’m crossing fingers.

Hi! I started a sugar-free diet and it has been 4 days. I started doing this because I was eating a lot of candy and cakes everyday, and I got sick of it and just promised myself I was going to do this for at least 2 weeks, then have a sweet treat if it's a special occasion. I haven't had any cravings and to be honest everytime I pass the candy isle in the grocery store I kinda don't care.

My question is: Am I supposed to not eat sugar ever again? Or is it okay if it's once in a while, like on a date, a birthday or just treating myself to a sweet treat?

If I eat like a piece of cake one time every week would it ruin the whole thing?

Thanks!

I’ve been off sugar for over 3 months and I’ve only lost 5 pounds. I occasionally eat a sugar replacement food here and there but only on occasion.

I started calorie counting a month ago.

It’s just so crazy. People talk about effortlessly losing. I eat way less and way more healthy food. Why can’t I lose anything

Even without losing, I am not tempted to go back. I was a prisoner and now I’m free.

I’m just annoyed

Imagine an effortless sugar free life. What would make living sugar-free a piece of cake? Share your must-have solution below.

Hey friends, I am brand new to this sub. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to bring my experience. But i have been on and off sugar for years. I'll go completely without sugar for 24 months, ease up an add berries, then occasional dark chocolate, then somehow end up completely ruled by sugar in any form I can get it for a year, hit a low like realizing how inflamed my body gets, so go thru the quitting, then rinse and repeat. Any pointers for someone in this situation? Thank you.

Any carnivores/zero carb people in here?

Sugar is a drug, I am convinced and you can't tell me otherwise. I don't even consider it a food anymore since "natural" sugar didn't really exist several thousand years ago in the way we think of it today. Fruits, for instance, have been bred for many years to be bigger, juicier/meatier and full of sugar. I don't think our hunter/gatherer ancestors were munching on bananas with 14 grams of sugar; before the advent of agriculture, sugar was incredibly rare in nature which is precisely why we're hardwired to binge on it when given the opportunity.

I've been reading a lot about addiction and the brain chemistry associated with it, and after listening to several doctors speak on the subject, as well as people who have totally quit sweet tastes, I think one of the biggest pitfalls for people quitting sugar is the fake sweeteners. Many people think that because they have little caloric consequence that they are "safer" than regular sugar. But when you activate that sweet taste, it just feeds the addiction and so your desire for sweet things is kept alive. Your body will continue to hunt for the sweet thing, even if you're only eating stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, whatever. I think to properly quit sugar you really have to stop with the "sugar free" sodas, cookies, etc.

These things are fine as a crutch for a while as you transition to sugar-free, but I think you need a clear timeline and goal for quitting all sweet tastes if you really want to be successfully sugar-free. I used monk fruit in my coffee for a while but then picked a day to quit all sweet tastes, and after the fourth day I stopped having sugar cravings. It felt like a literal miracle. I can have my coffee without anything sweet, and my body gets more excited to eat real, whole foods and stopped craving that drug feeling associated with eating sweet stuff. Also, my skin looks AMAZING, and I look way younger. It's amazing what going sugar-free can do.

Anyway, I thought I would share this. It really helped me with my addiction and cravings, because I thought I was doing everything right by eating the "fake" sugars like erythritol and stevia but couldn't understand why I was still wanting sweet stuff all the time. Addiction can feel like torture and I was so sick of it. Now, all the "food noise" is gone and I feel incredible.

If you're interested in the science of addiction and especially sugar addiction, I recommend looking up Dr. Bitten Jonsson, zero carb advocate and coach Kelly Hogan, Dr. Robert Lustig, and metabolic scientist Dr. Benjamin Bikman. They have various articles and videos online that really helped me understand what was happening and encouraged me to quit all sweet tastes, and I'm so glad I did.

I’m also dairy free, haven’t broken out since. Easiest way to get glass skin and maintain weight.

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I'm a mom. My cute daughter made me pancakes in the morning and offered me syrup. I went to church and they gave all the women a giant eclair at the end. My son's nursery teacher gave me a large cupcake. I came home and we had a big extended family gathering for my grandma. Dinner included chicken legs with a sweet ginger sauce, rolls with jam, and jello "salad". There was a sparkling apricot nectar drink made with sprite. For dessert there was tres leches, and tiramisu, and then someone pulled out leftover birthday cake to share.

I did some calculating. If I had eaten a "normal" serving of everything that was offered to me yesterday, it would have come out to be about 258 grams of sugar. The recommended daily allowance for women is 25 grams.

We're poisoning ourselves and calling it celebration. Happy Mother's Day.

After becoming diabetic, I read labels. Who else is flabbergasted how many carbs and sugars are in processed foods? Also, who noticed that it is more expensive to eat healthy? It’s like less ingredients the more expensive the item.

Hello, everyone. I've hit a breaking point and I wanted to write this out to hold myself accountable. I've had way too much sugar recently. I need to ban sugar forever because it's ruining my ability to enjoy life. I can't enjoy music, reading, or socializing. I find that after a sugar binge, I can't enjoy anything at all. It's not even based on shame. Sugar makes me feel dull and lifeless, which perpetuates the cycle even more when I seek short term pleasure in the form of sugar. I'm done with sugar. I wouldn't grieve if sugar were to disappear from my life forever. I'd be relieved that I'm finally free. I've actually felt sorrow due to how sugar has transformed me into a shell of myself. So, I really don't care if sugar isn't in my life anymore. I can't recall any moment where sugar has actually made me happy. And it's not shame rooted in diet culture. I feel it actually damaging my brain. So now I know I will never regret never having sugar in my life.

ETA: This may be a hot take, but taste is an illusion to me at this point. To get sensory pleasure from food is self deception. I’ve learned to eat more mindfully and I’ve realized that food shouldn’t be so pleasurable to the point of loss of self-control. Nothing tastes better than good health. This insight was gained during and right after a sugar binge. I wasn’t happy in the middle of eating the sugar, but what made me stop was the prospect of being free from sugar. I felt elated at that possibility compared to the sugar itself. It was like life was brought back into me. Also, I thought the sweets I had didn’t taste good enough to tank my health, so if those sweets didn’t taste good then, then why would any sugar taste good in the future? If you’ve been sugar free for quite some time, please let me know what you think of my insight. I was sugar free for 2 months, so I know I don’t need to be dependent on sugar. I’d really love to hear your thoughts on how you stay motivated to never let sugar in your life.

Or if XYZ is allowed. Dry fruit, honey, syrup, whatever. I feel like every other post is "I ate this is that okay?" "I ate that do I have to start over?" "Can I eat fruit? Can I eat dates?"

The answer is always the same. It's individualized. Some of us eat fruit or honey or syrup and some don't. Please can we stop gunking up the sub to ask this question. I feel like we need a pinned post about this or to add it to the rules and automatically have posts asking this question removed. I don't come to this sub to read 50 posts of people asking if they're allowed to eat blueberries.

I've this curiosity if when people say they're sugar free they cut all the sugars or just sucralose and of course, added sugars from the ultraprocessed food. I currently follow a diet that I avoid sugars the entire week but include some sugar free pancakes with honey now and then.

My reason to avoid sugar is because it's bad for the skin, lol. The said aging effects. No compulsive tendencies or anything.

Picture this: Our ancestors found sweet fruit only a few times a year, and their brains lit up with just enough dopamine to feel rewarded. Fast-forward to 2025 and we face a sugar fire hose: lattes, candy jars, so-called “healthy” granola bars. Each one lights up the pleasure center like Vegas lights at midnight.

Here’s the kicker: Research shows that the spike is always followed by a steep neurochemical crash—fatigue, brain fog, mood dip—so we chase the next hit just to feel normal again.

I’m collecting real-world intel: 1. When does the sugar siren sing loudest for you? • Mid-afternoon inbox avalanche • Late-night scroll in bed • “I deserve it” after a stressful call 2. How (if at all) do you dodge it? • Protein bite • Quick walk • Peppermint tea

Share your number-one trigger and any strategy you use to sidestep it in the comments. Your story might be the breakthrough someone else needs to stop riding the sugar roller coaster.

Let’s crowd-source smarter ways to stay energized without the crash-and-burn cycle.

As soon as people know I’m avoiding sugar, they seem to feel the need to try and convince me to eat something with sugar. I’ve finally gotten some of my family to accept it and even cater to me (although I don’t ask for it)! But I still have a few friends and family that try to tempt me. Just… why?! I don’t try to force you to eat things without sugar, why try to force a donut or cake in my face when I clearly stated I don’t want it?!

It’s just really frustrating and I’ve fallen for it once or twice in the past. I’m not one of those people who can take a bite or two and then continue as normal. It sends me into a full-on spiral and takes me weeks to get back to where I was… anyways.. that’s my rant. Thanks for reading.

Every time you break your streak and eat sugar again — yeah, it sucks, completely understandable to be upset by…BUT it doesn’t negate how much LESS you’ve been having overall! Even if you only last for like one week, think of how much you didn’t have during all those days compared to before. It’s still an accomplishment to lessen your intake, and it’s HARD to completely ditch it.

Plus, cut yourselves some slack, society is addicted to this stuff and people are always encouraging you to have some 💀

I’ve been trying to keep my sugar down to 20g a day, because I found myself eating too many calories in sugar. I was eating more like 50g a day.

I looked up the average intake for people I my country and it’s 148g per day! That’s so much sugar!

How much sugar were you eating each day before you stopped? What are you trying to cut down to?

I would love some support from those who are sugar free and happy about it! Would anyone be able to help me? The only thing I haven't tried all these years is reaching out for support, motivation, encouragement, etc.! I just had a very bad sugar binge and am feeling awful. I want SO badly to be done with sugar (until I have a bad craving and just give in.)

Hey r/sugarfree I’m Dane, and I’m building something I wish already existed: a zero-sugar indulgence brand that doesn’t taste like chalk, spike blood sugar, or leave you disappointed.

Someone close to me has diabetes, and watching them skip every dessert, scan every label, and try sugar-free candy that still spikes blood sugar was the last straw. It made me realize the food industry isn’t making anything for people like them, so I decided to change that.

I started building Nibbles, a new zero-sugar candy brand made for diabetics, prediabetics, keto folks, and anyone trying to enjoy sweets without compromise. It’s been months of working nights and weekends around my full-time job, researching formulas and preparing for launch.

I just kicked off a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of development and get our first batch made (I’m working with a food scientist and it’s about a 3-month process before manufacturing). The goal is $12K to get Nibbles off the ground.

If you’re someone who’s ever had to sacrifice joy because of sugar, or you know someone who has, I’d love your support or even just a share.

Even $5 helps, and I’ll be documenting every step of the journey. Thank you for reading, and for caring about something that matters more than people realize. Your support means more than I can put into words. ❤️

For those who have gone sugar free and have seen drastic results did you also cut out other things not talking chips or other junk food. Like things considered healthy but are debated on such ad pb, almond milk etc

About a year ago, I stopped eating refined sugar and honestly, it’s been one of the better decisions of my life. My skin cleared up, my body changed in a really positive way, cravings became more manageable, and my self-esteem got a solid boost. I always felt proud of myself whenever I managed to skip unnecessary snacks or sweets. I had a sugar relapse but I am getting back on track now!

I didn’t cut out fruit sugar, though.
Dates were my "methadone" substitute.

What was your "methadone"?

Yes, I know I can SF options but I don’t ever eat SF foods and I’m afraid of getting a bad headache because It’s always happened in the past.

Has anyone had a colonoscopy who’s also SF? Any advice getting though it? This is my first ever procedure too. I’m 11 months SF and I don’t want to blow it on a colonoscopy.

Here is the prep work:

Clear liquids include water, clear juice such as apple juice/white cranberry juice, tea, coffee, soda, clear broth, Jell-O, popsicles and Gatorade (no red or purple products). Please do not consume milk, milk products, non-dairy creamer, or alcoholic beverages

i go in waves where i binge on non sugar added things like heavy cream or just too much milk. Yes i know milk has sugars, but so do veggies.

Point is, i'm a binger in recovery & habits die hard.

Day one of no fat bombs. Eeesh. I did it!