Have you signed up for the 30 Sugar Free Days Program?

All I can tell you is that you are not alone. What you describe is addictive behavior and we have all been through that at one time or other. The only way to make that little man inside your head go away is to stay away from both sugar and foods that act like sugar; it is just like stopping cigarettes or alcohol. I’d like to say that the cravings go away and they do get easier, but it is a constant battle.

It also helps to have friends, there is a group on Facebook for the 30 Sugar Free Days Program.

No, stay away from fruit and juice for the whole 30 days. Have you downloaded the e-book and signed up for the program? 30 Sugar Free Days Program

Thanks

Either way, I feel that my physical dependency on refined sugar is gone, as I’m now on Day 9. The first few days, 30 days seemed like a long time, but now it seems easy. I’m also enjoying fruit more than I ever have before, and in general, I find less of a desire to overeat at meals. Those 4 days of being sick were pretty terrible, but I’m happy I stuck with it. I feel much better already.

People are very intrigued/confused by my decision to cut out sugar, so I point them here when I can. Hopefully more people will open up to the idea.

Thanks again!

Occasionally when people start eating healthier, the go through what is called a healing reaction and this may be what is going on with you.

When you eat a lot of junk, your body has to do double-time getting rid of the junk. When you start eating better, your body takes this opportunity to get rid of everything. I’m not sure adding back in a small amount of “no” foods will help, but it is certainly worth a try. I would choose more fresh fruits and, yes, maybe a little bit of caffeine.

Good luck!

I signed up for your site last week, and have since bought and read your book Sugarettes. All great information. I have a question about how long the withdrawal symptoms might last and how severe they are. I am now a full week into the 30 days program, and since Day 3, I’ve had really awful withdrawal symptoms. POUNDING headaches and a pretty high fever. I knew there would be withdrawal symptoms, but I’ll be honest, I was not prepared for this level of uncomfortableness. I thought I might drag a little and have mild headaches, but I’m full on sick. In the past 2 days I’ve felt A LITTLE better, but I’ve had to stay home from work most of last week, and my fever only breaks when I pump myself full of cold medicine. I don’t want to quit, but at the same time I can’t afford to take any more days off.

If my symptoms don’t improve, I was wondering if I should maybe incorporate a SMALL amount of the “no” foods back into my diet. Like maybe some whole grains, or small amounts of juice? Also, maybe eliminating sugar AND caffeine is making things worse (I was a heavy soda drinker)? I can’t say I’ve had any really strong cravings for sweets, but that may be because I haven’t really had a desire to eat anything. Maybe Im just sick and it’s a coincidence? I really don’t know and it’s tough not having an idea of how much longer I will feel like this.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

A lot of these questions are answered in the free e-book, the e-mails and the FAQ page, but let me give you the short version:

I don’t believe in using sugar substitutes, the often are worse than using white sugar. Agave is also not an answer because it is essentially just high fructose corn syrup. If you want to kick sugar, you are looking at radically changing what you are eating. For breakfast, most people stick to low-glycemic index fruits or a breakfast burrito or they eat something like dinner for breakfast. It is hard to give up the habit of having something sweet all the time, but once you struggle through the change, you will be surprised how sweet something like a carrot can be.

I hope that helps!

I have a lot of the problems you’ve mentioned… headaches, stomach problems, skin problems, and fatigue. Right now I feel like it’s so difficult to cut out all the sugar and I would love some suggestions for alternatives. I’m a decaf coffee drinker and use sugar free creamer and stevia (sometimes I use agave nectar) in my coffee. I’m not a big fan of plain water so I drink A LOT of Crystal Lite. Is that something I need to discontinue and if so what do you recommend? I also eat a lot of Greek yogurt and fruit for breakfast (or I make a protein shake) and that doesn’t look like something I should be eating either. What breakfast items do you recommend?
v/r,
Angel