Back to the basics my friend… do what you did at the begining of your recovery to alcohol.
Thank you my friend! 
You right you right. I think part of me has been holding out for all the fall festivals coming up and really wanting to find an apple fritter before I gave up sugar again. Nope nope nope.
Starting clean with a new tracker and planning to make myself some good fruity apple treats without the sugar. No more sugar headaches!
I don’t want to start a new counter. But I got 1 week of no after dinner 0 sugar snacks.
No
0 sugar
Ice cream.
Chocolates
Or Cookies.
And I been trying to replace them with a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup serving of nuts and raisins if I feel snacky in the evening.
I almost kinda feel like I been cheating, eating the Zero Sugar stuff. But I read the packages and there’s Zero Sugar.
But like most addicts during the past month or so with my struggles I been eating way too many in the evening. I wouldn’t say binging but definitely more than a couple of servings of cookies and then on to the zero chocolates.
It would be nice to check in next Tuesday with another week under my belt.
Amazing!!!
I don’t know if it’s fair but I decided to add a kind of cheat day to no-addee-sugar regime. Once in ten days I can treat myself. Yesterday was that day 
I had some (TW!) brownie.
With alcohol it wouldn’t be an option but with this counter we can be little bit flexible, right? Right? 
And about that treat yesterday. I must admit. I regret NOTHING
Now I see that post might be a bit sensitive and arrogant, sorry for that. Feel free to flag it if it is
I tried no sugar and did well for a while. For me, it boils down to I don’t eat much added sugar in general on a daily basis so if I want a sweet I get one. I have no sugar chocolate that I turn to most of the time. I just have to be mindful around period time because I have been know to binge on sweets, oreos in particular.
Didn’t see this thread when I was more regular on TS.
Decided to give up processed sugar just over a year ago. I got back from my first summer holiday back home after Covid and discovered that none of my work clothes fit me. I had been leaning on sugar a lot in my early sobriety, and had basically replaced wine with ice cream during my first summer back home.
I had no idea that sugar caused inflammation - I did it purely to control my weight. Couldn’t believe how much better I felt after cutting it out. It was almost as big a difference in my life as stopping drinking alcohol. I had been suffering with a frozen shoulder for months and it cleared up in about 10 days. I started reading about it and couldn’t believe how much I didn’t know.
I am/was astonished how much sugar there is in practically everything we eat. I no longer eat any of it. 
I can now play football more regularly because I weigh about 10 kilos less and no longer get inflammation in my joints when I play. I thought my condition was a function of my age but it turns out it was a function of my sugar and alcohol intake. I’m now the healthiest I’ve been for about 15 years.
I had never had a sweet tooth before stopping drinking, so it was probably easier for me to flick the switch back.
It has lead me into the healthiest diet I have ever had in my life. Basically, if it isn’t whole food, it doesn’t go into my body.
It certainly made me realise that the sugar industry is making as much of an effort as the alcohol industry is to conceal the damage it is doing to us all.
My normal food now tastes so much better because I can actually taste it. Just like my life felt so much better after stopping drinking because I could actually feel it.
I must confess that I (very) occasionally have a tiny taste of something sweet but I don’t feel the need to reset my counter. It doesn’t feel like alcohol in that way to me. The first time I did it, I had a headache for 24 hours and I didn’t make the connection.
All of this great stuff in my life comes from stopping drinking alcohol. I simply cannot believe what a profound improvement it has made to pretty much every single aspect of my life.
Sorry. This all seems so self congratulatory. It’s just true.
OH wow - yes – this is so true!
I myself did rely on my nightly ice cream when i first gave up drinking. Now it is a few bits if that once a week.
Its now been 2.5 months that am on a 95% clean of sugar intake diet and when i do partake - i take a few bites and feel contented.
@Mischa84 i think its totally acceptable to have a cheat day. I feel if we are super rigid on all parts of our lives then something will cave.
The more time i spend on a refined sugar free diet the more i’m experimenting on healthier meals / desserts so that i will not be pulled into the FOMO effect. I have noticed that a lot of my sauces that i used to cook with (especially my asian mixes) are filled with sugar so now i’m working on making my own mixes.
No worries.
I do the out of the country rule. And reset eventually. I think whatever we use to keep our sugar intake intact is ok. It’s not like alcohol. But I get how you feel. When I get back from a trip I kind of feel guilty about starting up again like it’s no big deal. But it is just sugar. You’re fine.
What I get from your post is cheat days wouldn’t work for me. Maybe they’ll work for you. You’re about to find out.
Be as flexible as you like.
Yeah, cheat DAY is a little bit to much I mean more like cheat-treat.
I reset my no-extra-added-sugar clock It’s funny but I was thinking about it to much which means I wouldn’t feel fair with myself.
How far I’m gonna go this time? Lets see
For now - day 0 again
Ya, for me I’d have to reset my clock each time I had a cheat day. Or get rid of the clock. And come up with a new plan.
I would really love to have a desert with my wife once and awhile. Like a nice cheesecake out. Or something like that. But I’m very “clock oriented,”. And I just don’t want to go back to the way I was. But at least I was sober. That was the main thing. I waited about a year and a half to get off the sugar.
Day 3 !!
The worst of it was having actual dessert when I was out with friends Thursday night. We went to the restaurant that my one friends mum owns and her mom and gran make homemade cheesecake which I hadn’t had cheesecake in a year so I caved. Then over the weekend finished off the ice cream I had at home and here we are….
I need to keep stringing the days together now and get better with sugar again. Cravings are finally a bit less overwhelming. Scrolling Pinterest recipes is surprisingly calming when I get a craving 
Planning to do some baking next week and work some of my sugar free magic.
Well. I had a good run! A great streak IMO
I have been planning to break my no extra added sugar, like deserts, chocolates, sweet snacks etc…… for our big trip and the Holidays. Last night was as good a time as any with the luscious chocolate cake I had. I felt guilty eating it but it was soooo good. I’m hoping all my abstinence will prevent me from binging on sugary treats.
I don’t feel like depriving myself of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and a cheesecake or carrot cake to share with the wife on her birthday. I’m more concerned about weight gain. Especially through the Holidays.
I’m going to be careful and just see what happens. To me it’s not like booze and alcohol. I know I can’t have one or any and restart with drinking. I’ve restarted before on the no sugar journal and will probably restart again after the Holidays.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And I’m enjoying the pumpkin bread with my coffee this morning.
I’ve been mulling it over and if its alright with you all I’m going to hop on here Jan 1 to try to tame my sugar for (at least) a month. I have no delusions that I can personally make it through Christmas without the cookies and ice cream I am leaning on hard and I need that future date for accountability.
Happy holidays. See ya’ll soon.
I’m in! No more custards and cream pies or sticky puddings 
Jan 1! Enjoy yourself while you’re there Daze! Eat all the sugar and I’ll do the same. I wish you safe and delicious travels. 
