May 27, 2008 ↓ 14 Comments

10 Reasons Why Quitting Sugar Will Make You Happy

1. You find out who your friends are.
When you announce that you are quitting sugar it’s like you are declaring war on food. People who know you will immediately take sides or try to stay neutral. Of those who take sides, some will side against you. These people will act as devil’s advocate by tempting you with your favorite sweets. They’ll make fun of you. They’ll tell you you’re crazy or that you cannot sustain your unsweet ways. Forget about them! You aren’t here to make them happy.
2. You find new, healthy, things to eat.
When I quit sugar for the first time in 2001 I ended up eating nothing but complex carbohydrates—orange juice, bagels, and pasta. I was getting my sugar from sources other than my usual chocolate, ice cream, and baked snacks. After being off sugar for a long time, I’ve discovered all kinds of amazing vegetable dishes, sugar-free snacks, and great fruit juices. What’s more is that I very much enjoy and appreciate these naturally sweet snacks because my sense of taste isn’t spoiled by corn-syrup.

3. You find that you have more (or at least more even) energy.
Prior to quitting sugar I just couldn’t wake up in the morning. I wouldn’t feel awake until about 10 pm every night. In fact, I’d be so awake that I’d stay up late (sometimes really late) and then it would be harder to wake up in the morning. The cycle would continue but I’d start to eat sweet things to get my system going. For some it’s coffee that wakes them up. For me it was sugary breakfast cereal or cookies.

Now that I’m “off sugar” I can wake up easily in the morning. I eat good food and am able to sustain a great deal of physical activity all day long without the need for a crashing 2-hour nap at 3pm in the afternoon.

4. You become a smart consumer.
You’ll be amazed at how many foods have added sugars—soups, pasta sauce, bread, drinks, steak sauce, meats, apple sauce, chips, peanut butter, and more. Just about every product with a logo or a character on to it contains sugar. Not only will you learn to spot those products and avoid them, you’ll also learn how to measure portions and know how much sugar you’re taking in should you decide to eat something with any level of sugar in it.

5. You learn how to cook new things.
What do you cook when you aren’t eating sweets? All kinds of stuff! Try walking down a different aisle at your store. Pick out something that you’ve never seen from the produce section. Mix together some of your favorite unsweetened dishes and make up something new. It’s hard to see and taste good food when everything around you is a candy-style product. Not only will you find new things to eat, you’ll also CREATE new things!

6. Your sweet moments get sweeter.
It’s a rare breed, but some people can eat sugar only once a week. For those who can manage such a feat, they appreciate those moments for what they are. For those of us who avoid sugar altogether, we learn to create a sweet moment in some other way. For instance, instead of running out to buy a pint of chocolate chip mint ice cream to celebrate a moment, you’ll find yourself eating something else (if you must eat something) or doing something else altogether. Imagine celebrating your raise at work by spending $15 on a book rather than buying a cheeseburger, fries, coke and dessert.

7. You learn how to stand up for yourself.
People are going to wonder what-the-heck is wrong with you. You’re at a birthday party and you’re not having cake? You won’t have a mint at the cocktail party? You’re not going to at least have one of your friend’s mother’s homemade cookies? After all, she made them by scratch just for you (and everyone who came to visit). Who has more power over our decisions than friends, family, and coworkers? Peer pressure stinks. Forget about it! Do what makes you happy.

8. You replace sugar binges with other behaviors.
I used to buy lunch. Some days I’d spend $12 on lunch. It adds up. $12 three times a month equals $36. Add a tip and you’re easily at $45 or $50. What did I get for my $50 per month?

Fat.

Sugar.

Nothing.

Had I spent $50 a month on books, a training course, a savings account—anything but whatever it was I ate—I’d still have that thing (or possibly that 50 dollars) today.

9. You smile more.
When you quit sugar your teeth don’t feel coated with scum like they used to (Milk Chocolate with Nugat does that, you know). Your smile is brighter and you don’t need an artificial chemical in your body to lift your mood. You are spending less time eating and more time doing. No wonder you are smiling more! No wonder people are asking themselves, “How can I do that? Can I do that?”

10. You learn that you can do anything.
It’s been eight months, maybe a year, and you haven’t eaten sweets. Your friends stopped offering you dessert when you go to their house and your real friends make sugar free desserts when you come over—just for you. You wake up early in the mornings and make it through the day without a nap. Your behavior patterns have shifted, you no longer binge, and you’ve given up emotional eating. Instead you’ve taken up knitting and find it relaxing to sit on the front porch after dinner. You’ve taken up fencing and are on your way to the championships. You saved up $400 dollars from lunch money and are going to take the kids to the zoo. Why go back to sugar? There are so many other things to do.

(14) Comments: 10 Reasons Why Quitting Sugar Will Make You Happy

Seb
May 29, 2008

Amen Brother!

r
Jun 12, 2008

i am trying to quit sugar…but i have a question.

xylitol? i have heard a many good things about this… but what’s your take? your body’s reaction?

Unsweet David
Jun 12, 2008

I don’t like it and opt for sweeteners like agave or fruit juice.

Sonya Hare
Jun 24, 2008

I have amitted to my self i have a problem, im a sugar addict, im putting on weight causing me more health problems and i want it to stop, i was brought up on sweets as a kid and now i dont want my son to follow me. where can i start? i know its not going to be easy but i have to do it. tell me how did you start off. can you give me any pointers i need all the help i can get. could you please pass me some information that helped you that can help me please. thank you

Unsweet David
Jun 25, 2008

Hi Sonya,

The first step is to start eliminating the sugar form your diet and replacing those foods with healthy alternatives. Remember to use replacement foods or else you will be starving yourself and it won’t be fun. Go to the supermarket and start trying new fruits and vegetables. It’s going to take some time to see what you like. Think of this as an adventure, or more like a quest, that won’t get completed overnight. See how long you can last without sweets. A day? A month? Do you know?

Let me know how you do!

David

Sonya Hare
Jun 25, 2008

thanks david i will keep you informed. i know its going to be hard but i have to do this not only for me but my unborn child as well.
i will let you know in a week how i got on and work from there.

thanks

Cory
Oct 23, 2008

Thank you so much for this article! After I ate half a cake today (throughout the day) I realized I have a problem! Actually I knew before… I am the type of person who would buy a bag of cookies and before 2 or 3 days, they were gone. I am not a huge person either (average with some extra weight 160ish) and don’t have any other bad eating habits (not crazy about chips, or pop, beer…). I could eat a donut everyday if I had one in front of me though. I have two small kids and that is a big motivation to stop with the sugar. I know my dad has a problem and his mom did too… so I want to do as much as I can now so my kids don’t feel like when they get a reward it has to be sweet food!

Traci
Jul 10, 2009

I am printing this out and hanging it on my fridge.

Ray
Nov 13, 2009

I really think giving up refined (over processed) sugars is a great thing for many reasons. I have known several people that have lost significant amounts of weight by cutting sugar out of their diets alone. If you want to spare your pancreas and avoid getting diabetes cutting the sugar definitely would be a great step in the right direction.

As far as will power to avoid sugar is concerned, I really feel that if you can kill/cut the cravings it can go a long long way with your ability to resist sugary unhealthy food. I found that certain herbal supplements and even certain meal replacement shakes really cut the cravings for sugar.

sass
Dec 20, 2009

I really find it hard to quit sugar tho I really want to. I have one friend in particular who pushes me to eat cake, cookies, ect.
I decided in Sept. to quit drinking for a year to see how that feels.
(it feels great!) Just the other day she was pushing me to have a glass of wine. (she was unsuccessful) What gives?? Why does she care? I don’t care what food/drink choices she makes. It’s not my business. And I would certainly support whatever healthy choices she makes.

Unsweet David
Dec 21, 2009

Hi Sass,

You could look at your “friend” as an antagonist or you could see them as a coach who is challenging you to stand up for yourself and stop being so sweet!

As far as quitting goes, read All or Nothing

sass
Dec 21, 2009

Hi David,

Beautiful! Thanx for your self empowering response.
(when i’m under stress i see enemies - much prefer
your helpful viewpoint)
Checked out the link and it makes sense.
(when i’m under stress i see in black and white - lol!)
Thanx again.

Louise
Feb 23, 2010

I recently looked into the maximum sugar allowance that the US Surgeon General recommends for daily individuals. This turns out to be 40 grams (or 10 tablespoons). As a runner and overall pretty healthy eater, I thought I would surely be under this 40 gram “limit”, though it has been widely publicized that many Americans consume double if not triple this in a typical day. Well, I tallied the damage (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and of course, dessert), and guess what? My daily sugar intake was 82 grams!!! How scary. I would highly recommend doing a sugar breakdown of your daily meals/snacks to figure out where to “save” your sugars for (i.e. fruit, bread, etc). http://www.nutritiondata.com is where I found all the sugar info for every food type. Good luck and prepare for an eye opener.

Unsweet David
Feb 23, 2010

Louise, thanks and thanks for the link!