I first tried to give up sugar in 2009; it didn’t stick until 2018. So above all, be patient with yourself. It’s a journey. Here’s what I learned along the way that might help you save a few years--
1. Addiction. This may not be the same for everyone, but I realized that I related to sugar like it was a drug. To the degree in which people desperately try to quit smoking, drinking, or doing heroin, that's how hard it felt for me to give up sugar. When it was in my system, I spent most of the day thinking about when I was going to get my next "hit". There would be donuts or cake in the teacher's lounge at work, then I'd swing back through for seconds and thirds throughout the day, then I'd have to stop at the gas station on the way home for candy, then I'd walk to Walgreens after dinner for ice cream, and it felt like the craving could never fully be satisfied until I had eaten so much sugar that I finally felt sick and just needed to go to bed. No matter how strong my resolve was each morning, I'd find myself in the same routine day after day. My mom, however, could eat one square of a candy bar then tuck the rest away in the fridge for several weeks... practically forgetting about it. Whereas for me, HER candy bar was burning a hole in my brain, and couldn't rest until it was gone. So again, you have to assess for yourself, but if you feel like you are not in control of your actions-- meaning you're reaching for sugar or making detours to go buy something even though everything in your mind is telling you that you DON'T want to be doing that behavior, then the first step is accepting that you're dealing with an addiction rather than just a less-than-desirable habit. If for you it's not an addiction, then take the rest of the things I say with a grain of salt because you might not need the extreme treatment that I needed.
2. Cold Turkey v. Moderation. Moderation as it relates to sugar did not work for me. The first few times I did it, I tried no sugar all week and a just one dessert on the weekend. Nope. Led to binging on anything that had sugar in it all weekend long. Then I tried one dessert a month-- same result. I'd avoid sugar all month, then when I had that one treat, I would go on a sugar bender for almost a week. It wasn't until a year and a half ago when I said, I'm giving up sugar for good that it finally stuck. Because of the chemical reaction sugar was creating in my brain, I couldn't keep reintroducing it. Every time I did so, by brain would receive an extreme reward/pleasure signal, then when it crashed, it would spend the rest of the day trying to find foods that would bring me back up to that "high" again. And each time, I needed more and more to feel satisfied. I wanted to get it out of my system completely and stop putting foods into my body that operated at such extremes. Here is a 1-hour lecture (so it takes a bit of focus), but it's REALLY helpful in understanding the science behind brain activity dealing with overly-rich foods: The Cram Circuit. I felt like it perfectly described my interactions with food and really helped me to get a handle on my behavior. I highly recommend it!
3. Accountability. I just listened to this podcast interview where Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, talks about The 4 Tendencies. Listen to the 9 minutes from 34:17- 43:45. I learned that I was an Obliger, so the best way for me to commit to an action is to tap into my sense of accountability and responsibility. Therefore when I gave up sugar, I posted in a Facebook group in August that I was giving up sugar for the rest of the year and that I invited people to ask me periodically over the next 5 months if I had eaten sugar that day. If I had, then I'd pay them $10. I knew that I would follow through because I had said it aloud and I wasn't one to go back on my word to other people. I also knew that I didn't have money to be paying out $10/day for 5 months, so it actually really helped me to cut the cord during those first few weeks which is the hardest time.
4. Education. It's really helpful for me to read books and watch documentaries about nutrition every few months or so. This helped me to stop feeling like I was on a restrictive diet, and instead I felt inspired by the power that clean, whole foods can have towards helping the body run as effectively as possible and become the thriving, glowing work of art that it's supposed to be. Seeing the science behind fresh fruits and vegetables being such powerful agents for promoting positive health and eliminating disease, and simultaneously, seeing the narrative of donuts, cakes, cookies, and candy as the evil invaders that were wreaking havoc throughout our body was a great reminder that helped me to stay in tune with a deeper purpose beyond just wanting to lose a few pounds before my friend's wedding. Recommendations:
5. Crutches. So my hard and fast rule was no processed sugar of any sort, including things that sounded healthy like "organic cane sugar," "coconut palm sugar," "Stevia," etc. The only thing I allowed was RAW, unfiltered, non-processed honey and agave. And a year in, I started allowing unprocessed maple syrup, but I'm still deciding how I feel about it. The most important thing you can do is, READ the ingredients on EVERYTHING! Sugar is hiding everywhere! Crackers, sausages, soups, yogurts, Healthy Choice dinners, Amy's pizza, etc--all kinds of things that seem savory and like they shouldn't have sugar... it's in there. I still have a sweet tooth, and I want to eventually address that, but to help me get through the elimination phase, I still had treats that felt indulgent but were at least better than eating processed sugar and that helped me to stick to my goal. Dried mango, frozen Medjool dates, That's It bars, Lara bars, Go Raw chocolate squares, and if I was really about to lose it and needed to turn to an old source of comfort: Coconut Bliss ice cream (but read the ingredients carefully because some of them had cookie or brownie chunks, or other things that had sugar in them. I stuck to the Hazelnut Fudge and the Peanut Butter flavors).
6. Reflect regularly. My goal was getting to a place where I felt in control of my food, and that it wasn't in control of me. You have to play with different things and see what works for you. For example, in the beginning, I was EXTREMELY strict and wouldn't eat ketchup or dressings at a restaurant because I knew they had sugar in them and I was scared it would send me into a spiral. However, after about 6 months or so, I tried it slowly, and I didn't notice any change in my behavior the following days, so I felt like it was okay and something I didn't need to be afraid of when I ate out every now and then. However with the GoRaw and Coconut Bliss, although they helped me get over the hump of eating processed sugar, and they didn't lead to me going out and scavenging for more sugar, I still realized that I'd eat more than I intended to, and I'd feel sick afterwards. So I don't say that I can never have them again, but I think twice before I reach for them now because I know they are foods that make it a little harder for me to stop at a healthy amount. I just encourage you to be super diligent and aware at restaurants. For example, if you've been sugar-free for a couple weeks, and you order pad thai (obviously not thinking of it as a dessert), and then you realize (like I did) that you start having cravings or munchies in the hours or days that follow, then you'll learn that pad thai sauce is actually loaded with sugar and not something that's going to work for you in terms of staying craving-free and in control of your behaviors.
7. Make your own treats! Something I'm working on in 2019 is wanting to bake a batch of something once or twice a month. It's a great way to control the ingredients and not go around in the world feeling deprived all the time. There are tons of recipes out there now that use dates, honey, agave, and/or maple syrup to sweeten things and they're still delicious and exciting. I've gone a year and a half mostly avoiding pancakes, waffles, cookies, cakes, brownies, etc., and I needed to go through that season, but it would be great to reintroduce some healthy alternatives so that I can enjoy a Sunday morning waffle every once in a while. However I'll keep an eye on it, and if I feel like I'm trying to eat a whole pan of date-sweetened brownies in one sitting, then I'll re-evaluate and see if it's worth it.
8. The freedom paradox. On one hand, I can confidently say that there is a tremendous amount of freedom on this side of the addiction. My mind is clearer, I'm happier, and I'm not constantly living in shame about my choices. I lost weight (somewhat effortlessly compared to ways I've lost it in the past), I have lots of energy, and honestly, I just like myself better. I have a much healthier relationship with food-- not the constant yo-yo of restricting and binging. And when I think about what I'm going to eat for the day, I think about things like nutrient variety and biodiversity... which I can hardly believe that that's who I am now, but it's also really fun for me! On the other hand, even though I don't experience the intense cravings anymore, just like an alcoholic, I always feel like I'm one bad decision away from "relapsing" and reversing everything. I don't think this something in which I'll ever feel like I can just kick back and coast. So when I write out these tips, I don't write as an expert by any means, but rather someone who's still on a journey and is just sharing what I've learned along the way. I hope this helps!
Follow me on IG; let's figure this out together! @rachael_nicole_arthur
1. Addiction. This may not be the same for everyone, but I realized that I related to sugar like it was a drug. To the degree in which people desperately try to quit smoking, drinking, or doing heroin, that's how hard it felt for me to give up sugar. When it was in my system, I spent most of the day thinking about when I was going to get my next "hit". There would be donuts or cake in the teacher's lounge at work, then I'd swing back through for seconds and thirds throughout the day, then I'd have to stop at the gas station on the way home for candy, then I'd walk to Walgreens after dinner for ice cream, and it felt like the craving could never fully be satisfied until I had eaten so much sugar that I finally felt sick and just needed to go to bed. No matter how strong my resolve was each morning, I'd find myself in the same routine day after day. My mom, however, could eat one square of a candy bar then tuck the rest away in the fridge for several weeks... practically forgetting about it. Whereas for me, HER candy bar was burning a hole in my brain, and couldn't rest until it was gone. So again, you have to assess for yourself, but if you feel like you are not in control of your actions-- meaning you're reaching for sugar or making detours to go buy something even though everything in your mind is telling you that you DON'T want to be doing that behavior, then the first step is accepting that you're dealing with an addiction rather than just a less-than-desirable habit. If for you it's not an addiction, then take the rest of the things I say with a grain of salt because you might not need the extreme treatment that I needed.
2. Cold Turkey v. Moderation. Moderation as it relates to sugar did not work for me. The first few times I did it, I tried no sugar all week and a just one dessert on the weekend. Nope. Led to binging on anything that had sugar in it all weekend long. Then I tried one dessert a month-- same result. I'd avoid sugar all month, then when I had that one treat, I would go on a sugar bender for almost a week. It wasn't until a year and a half ago when I said, I'm giving up sugar for good that it finally stuck. Because of the chemical reaction sugar was creating in my brain, I couldn't keep reintroducing it. Every time I did so, by brain would receive an extreme reward/pleasure signal, then when it crashed, it would spend the rest of the day trying to find foods that would bring me back up to that "high" again. And each time, I needed more and more to feel satisfied. I wanted to get it out of my system completely and stop putting foods into my body that operated at such extremes. Here is a 1-hour lecture (so it takes a bit of focus), but it's REALLY helpful in understanding the science behind brain activity dealing with overly-rich foods: The Cram Circuit. I felt like it perfectly described my interactions with food and really helped me to get a handle on my behavior. I highly recommend it!
3. Accountability. I just listened to this podcast interview where Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, talks about The 4 Tendencies. Listen to the 9 minutes from 34:17- 43:45. I learned that I was an Obliger, so the best way for me to commit to an action is to tap into my sense of accountability and responsibility. Therefore when I gave up sugar, I posted in a Facebook group in August that I was giving up sugar for the rest of the year and that I invited people to ask me periodically over the next 5 months if I had eaten sugar that day. If I had, then I'd pay them $10. I knew that I would follow through because I had said it aloud and I wasn't one to go back on my word to other people. I also knew that I didn't have money to be paying out $10/day for 5 months, so it actually really helped me to cut the cord during those first few weeks which is the hardest time.
4. Education. It's really helpful for me to read books and watch documentaries about nutrition every few months or so. This helped me to stop feeling like I was on a restrictive diet, and instead I felt inspired by the power that clean, whole foods can have towards helping the body run as effectively as possible and become the thriving, glowing work of art that it's supposed to be. Seeing the science behind fresh fruits and vegetables being such powerful agents for promoting positive health and eliminating disease, and simultaneously, seeing the narrative of donuts, cakes, cookies, and candy as the evil invaders that were wreaking havoc throughout our body was a great reminder that helped me to stay in tune with a deeper purpose beyond just wanting to lose a few pounds before my friend's wedding. Recommendations:
- Hungry for Change (Netflix)
- Plant Pure Nation (Netflix)
- The Whole 30 (book)
5. Crutches. So my hard and fast rule was no processed sugar of any sort, including things that sounded healthy like "organic cane sugar," "coconut palm sugar," "Stevia," etc. The only thing I allowed was RAW, unfiltered, non-processed honey and agave. And a year in, I started allowing unprocessed maple syrup, but I'm still deciding how I feel about it. The most important thing you can do is, READ the ingredients on EVERYTHING! Sugar is hiding everywhere! Crackers, sausages, soups, yogurts, Healthy Choice dinners, Amy's pizza, etc--all kinds of things that seem savory and like they shouldn't have sugar... it's in there. I still have a sweet tooth, and I want to eventually address that, but to help me get through the elimination phase, I still had treats that felt indulgent but were at least better than eating processed sugar and that helped me to stick to my goal. Dried mango, frozen Medjool dates, That's It bars, Lara bars, Go Raw chocolate squares, and if I was really about to lose it and needed to turn to an old source of comfort: Coconut Bliss ice cream (but read the ingredients carefully because some of them had cookie or brownie chunks, or other things that had sugar in them. I stuck to the Hazelnut Fudge and the Peanut Butter flavors).
6. Reflect regularly. My goal was getting to a place where I felt in control of my food, and that it wasn't in control of me. You have to play with different things and see what works for you. For example, in the beginning, I was EXTREMELY strict and wouldn't eat ketchup or dressings at a restaurant because I knew they had sugar in them and I was scared it would send me into a spiral. However, after about 6 months or so, I tried it slowly, and I didn't notice any change in my behavior the following days, so I felt like it was okay and something I didn't need to be afraid of when I ate out every now and then. However with the GoRaw and Coconut Bliss, although they helped me get over the hump of eating processed sugar, and they didn't lead to me going out and scavenging for more sugar, I still realized that I'd eat more than I intended to, and I'd feel sick afterwards. So I don't say that I can never have them again, but I think twice before I reach for them now because I know they are foods that make it a little harder for me to stop at a healthy amount. I just encourage you to be super diligent and aware at restaurants. For example, if you've been sugar-free for a couple weeks, and you order pad thai (obviously not thinking of it as a dessert), and then you realize (like I did) that you start having cravings or munchies in the hours or days that follow, then you'll learn that pad thai sauce is actually loaded with sugar and not something that's going to work for you in terms of staying craving-free and in control of your behaviors.
7. Make your own treats! Something I'm working on in 2019 is wanting to bake a batch of something once or twice a month. It's a great way to control the ingredients and not go around in the world feeling deprived all the time. There are tons of recipes out there now that use dates, honey, agave, and/or maple syrup to sweeten things and they're still delicious and exciting. I've gone a year and a half mostly avoiding pancakes, waffles, cookies, cakes, brownies, etc., and I needed to go through that season, but it would be great to reintroduce some healthy alternatives so that I can enjoy a Sunday morning waffle every once in a while. However I'll keep an eye on it, and if I feel like I'm trying to eat a whole pan of date-sweetened brownies in one sitting, then I'll re-evaluate and see if it's worth it.
8. The freedom paradox. On one hand, I can confidently say that there is a tremendous amount of freedom on this side of the addiction. My mind is clearer, I'm happier, and I'm not constantly living in shame about my choices. I lost weight (somewhat effortlessly compared to ways I've lost it in the past), I have lots of energy, and honestly, I just like myself better. I have a much healthier relationship with food-- not the constant yo-yo of restricting and binging. And when I think about what I'm going to eat for the day, I think about things like nutrient variety and biodiversity... which I can hardly believe that that's who I am now, but it's also really fun for me! On the other hand, even though I don't experience the intense cravings anymore, just like an alcoholic, I always feel like I'm one bad decision away from "relapsing" and reversing everything. I don't think this something in which I'll ever feel like I can just kick back and coast. So when I write out these tips, I don't write as an expert by any means, but rather someone who's still on a journey and is just sharing what I've learned along the way. I hope this helps!
Follow me on IG; let's figure this out together! @rachael_nicole_arthur
What a great post Rach! Thanks for sharing your jourmey, I am seriously in awe of your sugar free transformation. I often think Im not a sugar addict but it really is in soooo much food. Keep blogging gf!
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