#191 How To Quit Sugar

A diet high in sugar contributes to some of the leading causes of death, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. I’m not saying that you need to cut it out 100% forever (but you can if this suits you!). But eat it in moderation and in small doses.

There’s no point on quitting sugar for a short period of time, only to go back to eating lots of it again. If you’re going to quit sugar or get rid of your sugar addiction, it should be for good. I admit that I’m not perfect and do occasionally eat sugar, but it is rare and I am not addicted (although I used to be). Most of the sugar I eat comes from natural sources such as fruit. And it honestly makes me feel so much better. So this is how to quit sugar!

Sugar Addiction Is A Real Thing

Your brain actually reacts to sugar very much like it does to drugs, alcohol and smoking. You get addicted and when you cut it out of your diet, you might feel deprived for a few days while your body adjusts. Quitting sugar can be just as difficult as giving up drugs, alcohol and smoking.

How Much Sugar Is Allowed?

As a guide, men are allowed a maximum of 36 grams (or 9 teaspoons) of added sugar per day, and women 25 grams (or 6 teaspoons) per day. Not sure how much added sugar you’re eating? Read food labels! Or better yet, try not to eat processed food from a packet. One can of coke has 39 grams of added sugar so there’s your entire daily sugar intake gone. 1 serve of Just Right cereal has 11.5g of added sugar.

How Do You Give Up Sugar?

This is a personal preference and one method might work better than another for you. You can either go cold turkey, or cut back slowly (I recommend and prefer the second one).

Each week make the effort to cut out sugar from one meal. For example, if you usually eat cereal for breakfast, have a healthy smoothie, oats or a piece of whole meal toast with an omelette. Keep your other meals the same as usual and just implement these changes one by one. Read my blog post here on my favourite breakfasts for fat loss.

Over time, you will gradually cut out more and more sugar from your diet and you won’t even notice it!

How To Deal With Cravings

You will get sugar cravings (let’s face it, we all do!). When these cravings hit, you should have a back up plan. My favourite sweet treats are chocolate balls that I make from dates, nuts, cacao powder and coconut. Otherwise something simple like fresh fruit or no added sugar yoghurt are good back ups!

And if you absolutely, desperately must eat some junk food (i.e. those time of the month cravings) and then a piece of dark chocolate is definitely allowed.

As I mentioned earlier, I still do eat sugar sometimes. But for me, it is a treat and is something I only eat occasionally. My skinny legs ebooks include an 8 week nutrition plan that also includes treats a few times per week. If you think this time of eating plan is for you, read more here xx

Article written by Rachael Attard

Rachael is an Australian born certified personal trainer and nutritionist who holds a Bachelor degree in Science.

After struggling for years to find an exercise and diet program that is tailored to women striving for lean and toned body with no bulk she designed her Lean Legs Program. This program is tailored to each body type and focused on helping women get toned but feminine bodies, without getting bulky.

Her mission is to empower women and help them stay in shape in a healthy and balanced way.