Are you a sugar addict? I am.
In 2005 I vowed to quit and began
writing about life without sweets.
This site contains a forum,
product reviews, my journal,
educational Sugar Challenges,
and the Stop Being Sweet ebook.

Sugar Challenge: September 2008

September 03, 2008

Whatever you eat, write it down. Get a small notebook and keep a log.

That’s it—write down everything you eat.

If you’re feeling ambitious, write down how much you paid for the food you’re eating.

At the end of the month you’ll be in for a surprise!

Posted in Sugar Challenge on 09/03/08

I Ate Sugar Again. This Is Bad.

August 29, 2008 • Comments (1)

My girlfriend Gwenn had an art gallery opening tonight for her show Apple Pie. And to go with the theme of the show there were like five different kinds of apple pie. I ate a slice. Which was so good I had another. And later when nearly everyone had left I had a third slice. Not good.

This is the second time I’ve eaten sugar this year. I felt it right away and by the time we got home I had the shakes and needed to eat regular food. The pie was very good but at the end of the night it wasn’t worth the hassle. I feel bad now but not so bad seeing as I already broke my sugar-free run for this year.

My hope was that I could eat little bits of sugar here and there, which I’ve kinda done, but it’s just not possible for me to sustain such a practice. Besides, the sugar goes right through me. Tomorrow I’ll have to fight cravings for sweets. Don’t do what I’ve done!

Posted in My Personal Journal on 08/29/08 • Comment

Unsweet Advice: Are Ketchup and Mayo Okay to Eat?

August 08, 2008 • Comments (1)

Hi David! I have a quick question for you. How do you handle ketchup and mayo? I bought a no sugar ketsup and it is gross. Do I have to give up ketsup? What about mayo? Thank you!

I still eat both ketchup and mayonnaise. Sugar free mayo is common and doesn’t taste bad (to me). I eat ketchup rarely and we don’t keep any in the house. Since everyone is different, the determining factor would be if after eating either one you find yourself craving and or bingeing on ketchup or mayo covered foods.

Can you successfully avoid eating ketchup and/or mayo for two months with little to no struggle? The answer to that question will indicate if you can eat it or not and in what quantities if you do have any.

Posted in Frequently Asked Questions on 08/08/08 • Comment

Unsweet Advice: What About Alternative Sweeteners?

August 01, 2008 • Comments (1)

Hi David, I am on day 5 of my sugarless life and I am in the “bargaining stage.” What are your thoughts about alternative sweeteners in sugar free foods? Do you just eliminate all sugar like substances?

I am not into chemical sugar alternatives. Most of them have nasty side-effects like gas. I’ve tried sugar free cookies and products of all kinds sweetened with that stuff and it’s bad. For one thing, it doesn’t help you to get away from addictive sweets. It’s kind of like drinking alcohol free beer or smoking smoke free cigarettes. Gross.

The best bet is to find naturally sweet snacks. I personally will eat something sweetened with honey, agave, pure maple syrup, or fruit juice. Everyone is different, of course, but these types of sweeteners don’t seem to have an addictive reaction for me—although pure maple syrup can certainly pack a punch in terms of a sugar high. In fact, I’ve avoided it lately for this reason.

So if you are just starting out try some of them for yourself. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder about those sugar-free Murray cookies in the cookie aisle. Do beware and read the labels.

Related Links

· Sugar By Any Other Name Is Still Sugar - How to find hidden sugar on labels.

· Sugar Free Jell-O Review - A video review.

· I Ate Chocolate Chip Cookies - About eating sugar free Joseph’s brand cookies.

Posted in Frequently Asked Questions on 08/01/08 • Comment

Unsweet Advice: Amino acid l-glutamine?

July 25, 2008 • Comments (0)

Have you ever used the amino acid l-glutamine to try and curb your sweet tooth? If so, was it effective?

I have never used I-glutamine to curb my sweet tooth. In fact, although we reviewed Sugarest, I never tried it myself. I’m a bit scared of things like that because it is my belief that we stop being sweet by creating a change in our behavior—not as the result of taking a pill or eating another product. I have found that using products or supplements to control sugar intake doesn’t work in the long run, but it might be helpful for some people in the short-term.

My feeling is that it doesn’t work when we give the “power” to something outside of ourselves. People don’t need a health club to be healthy. We don’t need a (no)sugar pill to be sugar free. The sustainable answer to quitting sugar is using our willpower and making the choice to eat right.
That said, has anyone out there used I-glutamine to try and curb their sweet tooth? If so, please tell us about your experience.

Posted in Frequently Asked Questions on 07/25/08 • Comment