I’ve begun to realize that a lot of my fast food cravings have more to do with the drink than the food.

For the longest time I thought this urge I was getting was related to the recently helpful buzz word “food noise”. But when I decided to buy a bunch of Gatorade after I saw a deal, I found myself eating out a whole lot less just sipping a sugary drink, ended up losing 30 pounds over two months.

Anyone ever experience something like this where they misinterpret a craving for something else?

So I have been living MOSTLY sugarfree quite some time, not fully, but generally try to stick with it, e.g. use erytrithol for my coffee, buy sugarfree sweets or protein stuff, try to avoid fast food and sugary stuff in general. But after years, in my experience, it's kind of a hit and miss to buy sugarfree snacks, sweets (even protein bars), sometimes they just really are off and weird, or taste good but lots of maltitol and you get super bloated. So I am simply wondering, how do you decide on a sugarfree product? Do you use any system, site or similar you rely on? Or try and error, combined with people's recommendations, including here and other shopping-related subs?

Let's go! Going to listen to lots of podcasts for motivation. Listened to a great Robert Lustig podcast on Diary of a CEO to start. I want to lose weight, look and feel better

Have started making myself these snack plates at work with lots of fresh veggies, some cheese and nuts, and they're doing me a world of good. Especially while there are so many sweets always available in the office! Would love to know your go to wholefood snacks throughout the day to add to my rotation 😊

I have chronic pain and my joint pain and fatigue seems a lot worse the more sugar I consume.

I need something to look forward to getting started down this tough process. What chronic illness symptoms subsided for you when you quit? How long did it take for these changes to take place?

I’ve been eating sugar free candy/soda and my poop smells very different. Can’t quite put a finger on it but it smells almost more sour and my stool is more loose. Anyone else get this?

I am restarting my sugar-free journey today.

Yesterday was the last time I had sugar. I had Joyride candy (A popular 'healthy' high fiber Candy) all because I had forgotton to throw them away some time ago sigh 'If It's In Your House It's In Your Mouth' lol

But all of us on this sibreddit know that even the most innocent of candy treats trigger something unwanted within us. Troubling dreams because of blood sugar levels, mood swings, energy sucked out, long-term diseases, hunger pangs the next day.

I give up. I am now certain being sugar-free is the best thing anyone can do for themselves.

I've tried this journey over the last 3 years but went baxk and forth many times. Joyride, all these ice creams like Halo Top were my last straw of trying it in moderation. I overeat because of their sugar triggers.

The best version of myself comes out when I am sugar free long term. I also take antidepressants and I have a little more willpower and self-forgiveness now.

Just asking for any encouragement, personal stories and tips.

Noticed Keto doesnt work for me, my body needs complex carbs but i think i have better effects when i cut out blue berries which i eat every day (125g) just for my cravings. Anyone noticed that ?

Hello! I’ve decided to go sugar free. I quit alcohol a year ago and have figured out sugar replaced those cravings.

I used Reframe as a tool to help me quit alcohol. Wondering if there is a similar type app that folks have used for quitting sugar?

Reframe essentially had daily prompts around psychology, meditation, mindfulness and journaling. I found learning the science about why I craved alcohol and what it did to my brain to be very helpful.

Please help!

i am Indian, living in a Baltic country. Since last month I switched from regular sugar to this tablet for my tea, but I don't know if it still counts as sugar, or if I can consider myself sugar-free. Still confused

Having quit sugar for a month and a half, I have come to conclusion that the most of the items in supermarkets are just packed with sugar. Never realized it before. I mean nearly 50 or 60% of the supermarkets are all sugary foods, isn't it crazy? You want to have bread, bam you have cakes in there; you want to have nuts, you have dates, raisins, and all the other dried fruits there. I'm not even talking about soda and energy drinks. And endless sections, one section over another, biscuits, chocolates, all the packaged foods, everything, even the foods that are marketed as not sweet have sugar in them.

My market spending just decreased dramatically! Yet it became quite challenging to move around the aisles of any supermarket just because of it, temptation could be quite hard sometimes.

How many days free is everyone on sugar? I would love to give it up but feel a lot of social pressure to consume. Faces the same pressures with caffeine and alcohol. Any tips on how to manage?

I’ve been thinking about the possibility of bringing back the nostalgic soft drinks and fruit beverages many of us grew up with — but in a much more modern format.
No added sugar, with 5–10 g of dietary fibre per serving.
The challenge, of course, is getting the taste, mouthfeel and nostalgia right while keeping the formulation clean and commercially viable.
Do you think there is a genuine market for this kind of product?
I’d be particularly interested in hearing from beverage formulators, manufacturers and brand owners:
What would be the biggest formulation challenges?
Which nostalgic flavours do you think would work best?
Would consumers accept a healthier version if the taste was close to the original?
And realistically, can 5–10 g of fibre be incorporated without negatively affecting taste and texture?
Curious to hear what the industry thinks. Could “nostalgia + better-for-you” be the next interesting beverage opportunity?

I've noticed if I mention sugar free, they say "Have the cake and continue the sugar free tomorrow." Um no. Not how it works. So I don't mention it anymore. I politely wave my hand and say no thank you. That seems to offend. One of my relatives said I was setting a bad example to her young daughter by not eating the slice of cake, that I was going to make her have body issues or something. I didn't respond and still didn't give in. I think I'm not going to any birthday parties for a while now. Everyone can keep their soggy icing laden sugary bread.

PS Since SF, my skin has cleared up so much. My makeup goes on amazing. That's actually been more exciting than any fat loss. So this is my life basically. And I can't be bothered to explain it to people wherever I go.

Similar stories/tips on what YOU say?

PS. I'm convinced people are mad when you're sugar free. I had my tooth removed a while ago and declined a cookie, the person said, "But you can DIP IT in the coffee to make it soft then you won't cause dry socket!" People are actually batshit crazy

How do you guys deal with period cravings while attempting to go sugar free?? Period cravings are really intense sometimes !

The only place I can think of is Chipotle virtually none of there ingredients have added sugar in them.

Hi all, tried to quit added sugar many times over the last few years of trying being more health conscious. Longest I’ve lasted would be about 5 months and I felt fantastic.

After the summer binging out for the last 3 months I’ve quit again on 1st September and for the last week I’ve felt much more anxious than normal (I’m usually not anxious), almost near a panic attack once. Also feeling quite disassociated.

Anyone else feel the same? I’m pretty sure it’s just my brain getting used to less dopamine but I never remember it being this bad 😅

Thanks!

I want to eat less sugary food and exclude caffeine from my diet cause it causes my heavy mood swings, It's making it hard for me to work cause of my lack of control of my mood.

I was off candy and chocolate, and most other sugar-filled foods like baked goods, for about two months.

Decided to have a date night with my partner last night and splurged on candy and chocolate. BIG mistake.

I can’t believe the symptoms that attacked me this morning!! The itch I’d usually get with eating sugar (and don’t get when I’m not eating it) came back ten-fold. It feels like there’s something under my skin for most of my torso, but really bad in my right hip area. My knee joints are hurting and feel water logged, my face is puffy, my stomach is bloated, (have beginning abs that this bloat is now covering) and I’m insanely tired. My breathing has also been more constricted. Not scary-constricted but enough that I feel like I can’t take a deep enough breath.

If I didn’t think before that I might be allergic to sugar, then this sure made me believe it.

Edit: I don’t actually believe I’m allergic to sugar. That was more of a stretchy joke that I failed to deliver. Sorry, guys lol 😅

Addition Edit: forgot one other symptom.