Why is giving up sugar so hard?

[Anonymous]

Yep, like a drug like everyone else has said. It’s hard to give up.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, I'm an alcoholic and what you're describing is similar to the way I react with alcohol. I thought it was just another symptom of my addiction but apparently there are non=alcoholics who get addicted to sugar.
Willpower doesn't work. I used the 12 steps to quit sugar.
Try doing one day at a time (one hour at a time when it's hard). Don't have it in your house, distract yourself:Call a friend, take a walk, drink some sparkling water.

[Anonymous]

Because it tastes so good.

[Anonymous]

Find a healthy replacement for the time you crave sugar. I have to pack snacks for work like Greek yogurt (tons of protein to fill you up) and a little fruit. If I'm not actually hungry, I have something with some taste to give me a fix, like La Croix.

It also helps me to not have sugar accessible. I sometimes keep a little bit of candy in my car and in my desk for if I'm particularly stressed, and if I know it's there I can't resist. So it's better to just not have it there at all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting, I'm an alcoholic and what you're describing is similar to the way I react with alcohol. I thought it was just another symptom of my addiction but apparently there are non=alcoholics who get addicted to sugar.
Willpower doesn't work. I used the 12 steps to quit sugar.
Try doing one day at a time (one hour at a time when it's hard). Don't have it in your house, distract yourself:Call a friend, take a walk, drink some sparkling water.

OP here. I'm also an alcoholic in early sobriety. I considered doing the twelve steps for sugar.

[Anonymous]

Have to just cut it out cold turkey. Limit fruit, even. Once you get through the first few days it gets easier. After a week or so you wont even think about it.

[Anonymous]

Because there is sugar in practically everything. You also need to watch the sugary smells and scents in your body wash, dish detergent, parfum, etc. Because those things subtly cause you to crave sugar even when you don't have sugar in the house. The scent lingers and causes your brain to subconsciously want those things.

[Anonymous]

I kicked my sugar habit a while back with Orbitz gum. When I eat sugar now my bones crack abd ache.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find a healthy replacement for the time you crave sugar. I have to pack snacks for work like Greek yogurt (tons of protein to fill you up) and a little fruit. If I'm not actually hungry, I have something with some taste to give me a fix, like La Croix.

It also helps me to not have sugar accessible. I sometimes keep a little bit of candy in my car and in my desk for if I'm particularly stressed, and if I know it's there I can't resist. So it's better to just not have it there at all!

+1 Or even gum or tic tacs. At least if you have something sweet in your mouth, it lasts a while and isn't highly caloric. But agree with others that sugar cravings may be because you're not getting enough protein, so try to up that too.

[Anonymous]

Extremely fresh fruit and yogurt with things like cinnamon granola really helped me.

Substitute things like ice cream and cupcakes for chocolate covered bananas (trader joes has some amazing ones!)