Glad you started this post I am doing the same thing! My first year (almost) of not drinking I allowed myself to enjoy all the sweet things lol I figured I at least earned that much in my life and it was way better than drinking. Now I’m ready to kick those sweets out too! I know it’s pretty tough to change the diet because we get fixated in patterns and our bodies get used to it. I always allowed myself one meal a week for cheating when I was dieting and exercising. I plan to do the same this year. I know I’m not addicted to sweets so for me I’m not treating it the same as alcohol because I know I can moderate myself to one meal a week where I can enjoy a treat on the food menu. I’ll be here with ya though and try to check in because it’ll still be tough when I want to go in the pantry and find the junk my kids eat 
Happy to see this thread again! I quit eating sugar the day after Christmas.
I did keto for 6 months this past year with the keto “approved” sugars and not only lost no weight, it completely messed with my biome in my intestines. It continued on weight watchers as they approve of those same sugars. I consumed normal sugar from Thanksgiving until Christmas & ended up with Candida overgrowth again. Not nearly as bad as the day I quit drinking, but almost 6 years later seeing that rash start to come back made me really commit to the next phase of my journey-no more sugar. I have no poker face-I literally wear whatever I have going on inside legit on my face! It’s a curse that is always my biggest blessing.
I’ve taken a picture every night to document my progress, except last night as I forgot. (Top left=day 1 & follow across) Literally 24 hours in, the was already a HUGE difference!! The little things we do really matter. It’s not 100% gone yet but it’s super close.
As an added bonus, I don’t like coffee without sweeteners so that beast is gone too. Those vices for me tend to go hand in hand. And both mess up my system.
The detox phase showed me I was doing the right thing and I needed this. As I told my sponsor, I’m definitely an addict when it comes to those feel good substances! Sugar and coffee are definitely on that list for me.
I ate pretty healthy other than the junk I’d mix in there so I’ve got the basics down and I am cutting out those unhealthy fillers. I’ve already lost weight and I can see it in face and my body how unhealthy it was for me.
I’m actually pretty excited for this journey! I want to really heal my gut and stick with it this time to see where it leads me. I’m ready to win the war this time.
I’m happy to be reminded on this thread that we are truly never in it alone. 
Wow @MandiH what a change. You really can’t hide that. Good choice. I’m here with you.
@Jwfletcher4792 I allowed myself anything food wise that I’ve wanted in sobriety. I’m almost at 2 years and need to evaluate the role of sugar in my diet. I’m giving sugar the boot for January. I’m here.
Just like alcohol it’s all about knowing yourself. If it’s something you’re addicted to then there is no moderation just like alcohol. If it’s something that just needs some pruning back then moderation is okay in my personal opinion. What I know from when I trained people in the gym and built food plans for them I had to help them evaluate the role of food in their life and how to try and get it aligned with their goals. They told us something in training once that stuck with me though: “if you have a client that drinks 6 mountain dews a day, taking their Mountain Dew away likely won’t be successful, instead get them to replace one of those mountain dews with a water and work your way into axing the six pack of soda.” It really is different from person to person I’ve found though and each person has to find where they are and what works for them just like alcohol or drugs.
Sugar in my opinion really is actually a drug. I’ve read books about how it’s almost similar to narcotics. It blows my mind how much sugar food companies put into our food and it gets us addicted to those foods without even realizing it. Like spaghetti sauce for instance…why the hell do they need to put so much sugar in something like tomato sauce?!
Exactly!
I did Whole 30 many years ago and that is what opened my eyes to this. There is too much sugar in everything, myself included.
Guess I am going to start checking in again. I have had to restart my counter multiple times and then again today. I need some accountability and somewhere to go when i get urges.
#fuck addiction
. Welcome back on the band wagon.Found some fantastic podcasts on this on Huberman Lab really interesting. Also the ones on alcohol and dopamine are enlightening!
Im doing no refined sugar but aware with initial sobriety im not wanting to change to many things at once!
Alright!! I’m here! I wanted to get 24 hours under my belt but this will haf ta do 
So for me; it’s No Extra Added Sugar. Like no desserts, cookies, ice cream, gelato, shit! 
I forgot to get some gelato during the Holiday free pas I had . I did have ice cream though.
Oh well.
I do pretty good as long as I don’t have it in the house. My problem is I’ll binge on it. If there’s sugar already in some of the foods I don’t worry about. But I don’t add any extra. And this time around I’m not going to deprive myself when it’s my birthday or a grandchild’s birthday. Maybe I’ll have some cake? Maybe not?
I do know I always feel better when I abstain from sugar. Inflammation, headaches, etc….
So I’m back in for awhile. I’ve done great before. I don’t find it that hard. But when I’m traveling I’ll cautiously indulge and reset my clock. If I don’t binge I take that as a win.
Checking in I already fucked up, I am at four hours. 
I cant have it in the house. I am going to have to get rid of everything for a few months until I get through the first few brutal weeks.
PFFT nm in the house it cant be on the property. I walked across to my parents in a monsoon in my socks to get chocolates the other night.
Aaaand, its totally effing with my ED. I am restricting like crazy. Major back slide.
Sugar withdrawal is hard. I had to put all sweet stuff away from the flat for at least a week. And even now it is in a place where I can not easily reach it.
I remember sneaking out of the house one night to find a place that will sell me some in the middle of the night, which is not an easy feat where I live.
For the first few weeks I did the following:
- I explained my situation to my family and my resolve to abstain from sugar.
- I collected all items containing added sugar/sweetener of any kind.
- I asked my family to go through this pile and identify the items, they REALLY care about. I asked them to limit themselves to the most important items.
- I then asked my partner to put the ‘important’ stuff somewhere, where I wouldn’t know where it was, and would not stumble upon accidently.
- I threw the remainder of the pile away.
- After a time, when I felt more confident to not prawl around the house ridden with cravings, I allowed one difficult to access shelf in the kitchen for stuff with added sugar. I stay away from this cupboard. I don’t open it.
- For every ocasion where I know there will be ample amounts of trigger foods around me I consider, whether I reasonably think I can handle it. If I am not sure, I don’t attend. If I plan to attend I make a plan: how to prep before, what to do on location, what to do with cravings, and an exit plan.
It’s still a struggle, but I found it much easier within an enivironment where I can feel safe. And of course this place here and all the recovery work are part of this.
It took me a very long time to accept that this is my addiction, and if I want to change anything about it, I have to think like every other addict in recovery. Sometimes my smartass addiction voice tells me to stop complaining because this is just sugar and not some hard drug that will destroy my life. But I know better.
I don’t know the answer here but I do want to let you know I care.
There are so many different ways to be human, to eat, and to attack addiction. Do what feels healthiest for you.
Be gentle on yourself my love. We are all human and not perfect. And, we love you! You aren’t in it alone.
Yeah, I am grateful that I have lots of experience with the beast; even some success in staying off it for a period of time. I threw in the towel at a year and a half because I wanted a fricken slurpee this summer. As soon as I had one it was on like donkey kong. I am grateful for the very stark reminder of how powerless I am over addiction and that I am being reminded with sugar not dope.
It was funny I was at my addiction specialist today talking to her about how I was stopping sugar again and she is too! Told her we could do a check in at my next appointment. 
Oh and checking in with 25 hours. Phew.
Wow. A year and a half! What a success.
I once made it to a year and crashed at a party. It really is one day at a time.
You can do it!
I might join this from tomorrow. Mainly because I am five biscuits deep in a pack of Lu cinnamons. 
I have ceased all sugar in tea and coffee completely years ago, but I do tend to snack on Haribo and biscuits after tea and with a cup of tea. It’s a comfort thing and also I mainly eat really well and all homemade.
I will try though! I hate the thought of extra sugar, especially with my recent hormonal instability!