How do you cut sugar out of your diet?
Sugar is one of the main reasons people have trouble losing weight. It’s in almost everything we eat, hides in so called “healthy” foods, and keeps our metabolism bogged down and slow going.
(This page probably contains affiliate links, if you want to read more about that check out our disclaimer page)
Things to Stop Eating/Drinking
Stop drinking soda.
Soda contains SO much sugar and caffeine, and makes it near impossible to lose weight. Fat cells thrive off of sugar, and eat it like its candy. If you drink soda everyday, cutting the amount you drink is a great place to start. You can ween yourself off of it by having it every other day, to just on the weekends. After you cut it completely, you will probably not even miss it.
Try healthier carbonated drinks like the “Ice” brand sparkling water, or “Live” brand Soda flavored Kombucha.
Sugary Coffee
This is a tough one if you cant do black coffee.
Starbucks and similar coffee shops have great selections of food, and some of their teas are not very high in calories or sugar. But if you are like me, Salted Caramel Mocha’s are your downfall.
We started making coffee at home when my husband and I moved in together, and we use Organic half-and-half and a teeny bit of Organic cane sugar. That’s it, and it’s still really good!
Making your own coffee will not only save you money, but you will cut the sugar WAY DOWN.
Granola and Fruit Bars
Granola bars SEEM like such a good option, but have you ever checked to see how much sugar is really hiding there?
Even Organic granola and protein bars can be crammed full of sugar and carbs.
The best option would be to make your own trail mix. This can be a fun activity to do with your kids or spouse! Natural grocery stores will typically have a bulk section where you can get small bags of your favorite treats. Try this sometime and see what you can make.
Also, try bars like Quest for a good, high protein, low carb, low sugar protein bar. My favorite is the White Chocolate Raspberry!
DON’T opt for “sugar-free”.
Let’s be honest guys. What does “sugar-free” really imply?
Most items that claim to be sugar-free add in chemical sweeteners that are “calorie-free” to mimic the taste of sugar. These sweeteners such as Splenda and Aspartame are two of the major players when it comes to artificial sweeteners.
Aspartame is in most soft drinks, diet drinks and foods, sugarless candy, even some condiments and medicines.
Here is a list of known side effects that can present when you use artificial sweeteners daily:
- Depression
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Weight gain
- Alzheimer’s
- Dizziness
- ADHD
- Decreased red-blood count (anemia)
- Infertility
- Raises risk of type 2 Diabetes
- Heart palpitations
Using artificial sweeteners is most definitely NOT the way to go. It would be much safer to use twice as much Organic cane sugar every day than to use artificial sweeteners such as the ones listed above.
If you do want a “non-sugar” substitute, try using Xylitol or Stevia. These are both plant based, and come from nature.
Related Content: The Toxic Truth behind “Sugar-Free”
Breaking the Sugar Habit
Sugar is a habit, just like anything else we can get addicted to. Actually, sugar is one of the things MOST Americans are addicted to.
Stay Hydrated
We often mistake feeling thirsty as being hungry. It feels about the same, and so we usually head to the pantry instead of getting a glass of water. Drinking water can make you feel more full, and flushes out toxins. We can start to cut our sugar cravings by staying hydrated.
Whenever you start to feel hungry, drink a glass of water first. If you are still hungry afterwards, you were probably actually hungry and not just thirsty.
Keep healthy, filling foods on hand
Healthy fat’s such as tree nuts, some cheeses, nut butters, and fruits like avocado can keep you full and keep cravings down. Try taking these with you to work, or keeping them in your pantry for when you need a filling snack.
Don’t buy snacks when you are hungry
This applies to grocery shopping, or just grabbing a snack on your breaks at work. If you buy food before work, before you are hungry, you have a better chance of grabbing something healthy instead of something you are craving.
Realize there will be detox.
With anything we constantly eat or drink, when we cut it out of our lives (even temporarily) there will be a detox period.
Detoxing feels AWFUL. You can get bad headaches (especially when you cut caffeine), have mood swings, and feel lethargic or even sick.
But don’t worry too much, its just your body trying to reset, and get all that gunk it doesn’t need gone.
You can prepare for the detox phase by slowly easing yourself into the good habits we talked about, and not going cold-turkey.
The slower you take things away and add other, healthier habits in, the easier it will be to make the big changes last.
What to Read Next: 8 Things Happy, Healthy women do everyday
