Is anyone up for a sugar-free challenge? I'm thinking we could start off small. Like 21 Day Sugar-Free challenge where we avoid all processed sugars in our diet.... what do you guys think?

Sugar is a HUGE trigger for me and I want it more and more and more. So the best thing is for me to AVOID IT!!

I will start my sugar free challenge again today.... if anyone wants to come join me?

I managed to do 17 days once, but when my buddy quit (around the 10th day) I found it harder to stick to it.

That sounds good to me. I've never made it past a week without sugar. I'd love to break past that. I have a lot of fear about quittting sugar. I guess that's part of the addiction. I love chocolate, but I'm most scared to quit sweetened tea. I don't even add much sugar to it. I don't do artificial sweeteners except stevia.

It would definitely help to have a quitting buddy. This week has been terrible for me because we just got girl scout cookies.

I'll start tomorrow, but I'll have to wean off it for a day or two. I'll make Saturday my first totally sugar-free day.

I'm up for it! I lived all last year on a steady diet of Skittles and Rockstar energy drink... I lost weight but it was sooo unhealthy. *shudder* It is time to eat real food.

My cutting down plan for today is that I'll have an ice tea, only lightly sweetened. I also have a planned dinner with a friend. The coupon for the restaurant includes a mini dessert.

My mantra for today is "NO GIRL SCOUT COOKIES".

I am usually a bit worried about challenges (the pressure!), but, since I have actively been cutting down on sugar and trying to avoid eating as much as I used to, I am up for the challenge!

It has been over a week since I have been more conciously watching my sugar. Last week, I started with adding sugar only to my coffee, and avoiding other sugary foods. I then eliminated the added sugar, and now, if I get something with sugar in it, it is usually from a trail mix (I still watch the carbs and sugar, though), and there is a healthier form of gatorade that I drink (my body was fiending for some type of flavored beverage other than a typical sugar-free drink) that is not made with sugar, but with fruit juice.

I don't get weird about sugar in dressings, as I figure that my even eating salads again is a big deal and a good step towards healthier eating.

I don't like the pressure of challenges, either. Then, I feel guilty when I mess up and stop posting on the thread.

Maybe a good first step would be to only eat sugar with a meal so that it doesn't spike insulin as much. I'm most tempted to eat sugar right after eating lunch. It doesn't matter what I eat for lunch, but right afterwards I want a something sweet. I don't have that feeling after breakfast or after dinner. It's mainly lunch. Weird.

Anyway, I think that any reduction in sugar is good.

I have found that when craving a sweet, a sugar-free option can help (such as sugar-free jello or pudding w/ whipped cream (without sugar), or large pieces of sweet fruit like plums, or even dried fruit if the sugar craving is so strong. try to opt for the natural dried fruit without the added sugar.

I'll give it a try. I had decided to give up refined sugar (AGAIN) for Lent and made it fine for the first 12 days and then had a break down for 2 days in a row. I don't know why I did it! Really the worst it usually gets for me is around day 3 and 4. That's when My body really starts to show serious signs of withdrawal, (anxiety, panic, dizzy, shakes). I'm on day 3 right now...trying to at least make it until Easter...(Hopefully forever...)

For the girls that can't do it cold turkey, have you ever thought of maybe quiting one thing at a time. High Fructose corn syrup is the devil imo. It is more toxic than nicotine (for me). I was reading up on it not long ago and found out something interesting. It was introduced into the food market in the late 60's early 70's. Later I started looking at when binge eating (morbid obesity)became a problem in the US. In unrelated articles the 2 variables appeared in the US near the same exact time. Maybe just a coincidence, but it really makes a person wonder why there are so many junk food addicts. It's in EVERYTHING. POP is #1.

There's some really good "quitting sugar" reading at firstourselves.com.

I have her ebook pdf, which you can download on the website. It tells her story about quitting sugar and coming to grips with the fact that she can't eat sugar and live her life the way that she wants to. It also talks about ways to cope. It's one of the best guides for quitting sugar that I've come across.

I will definitely join you guys in this one! I went 15 days last month and then broke down on vacation, I figured I'd be fine with one sweet thing...of course that just lead to me wanting more.

My first day without refined sugars will be Saturday!

Lets try to check in every day or so to keep eachother motivated, I know I'll need it come Monday and Tuesday when my body is freaking out!

Good luck ladies!

Okay...I made it Friday. It got kind of ruff there for awhile, especially when I was alone in the house for a few hours, (with a bag of Choc. Chips I bought just in case I needed to make a dessert for a school/church function )....But I made it. Today and tomorrow will be easy because I will be with my family all day, and I never sugar binge in front of people.

I just signed up on the site and would like to join the challenge. I have been slowly eliminating excess sugars as they are a huge trigger for me. I have stopped buying cookies and ice cream to have around the house for the kids and switched to a sugar free for tea and coffee instead of sugar.

Okay, I'm out. I screwed up big time yesterday. I gotta quit feeling sorry for myself. When I see other people chow down on sugary stuff, it makes me mad sometimes that I "know better". Sometimes I wish I was still in the dark, or in denial or SOMETHING. Most people don't even think twice about eating a cookie, or a piece of candy, but I agonize over it, debate it, make deals with myself, and in the end, the only thing that ever happens is I binge and feel like crap for the next 2 days. So here I am...Day 1 again.

You know, I gave up cigarettes, (a pack a day 20 year addiction) and I NEVER even dream of smoking. I drank a 1.75ML bottle of Black velvet whiskey by myself in around 4 days...every day for several years. I quit and don't even remotely crave the stuff...matter of fact it sounds vile to me...WHY can't I feel the same way about SUGAR??? It makes me feel terrible, puts me in a coma like trance, makes me gassy, and constipated and bloated, but I still crave it, dream it. The $hit is TOXIC for me.

RANT over.

Lori Bell - I totally know what you mean, although I've never smoked or drank. I have this huge debate in my mind/body about sugary foods. My mom passed away 1 1/2 years ago. It was a huge shock. I've often thought that if I can live in a world without my mom, that I can also live without sugar in my life. Much easier said than done. Sugar is so much a part of our lives. Even thinking about quitting makes me sad.

Yesterday, my husband and I rode our bikes to the grocery store because we were out of milk and we wanted to go for a ride. We each bought a box of our favorite little debbies. I told myself that I would only eat one package and give the rest to a friend later that night. It didn't happen. The kids had some, but I ate 3 packages. I used to be the kind of person that could eat just one or two of something and not think about it anymore. Since trying to quit sugar over the last 2 years, I have a much harder time.

I have done better today. I had a piece of dark chocolate with lunch and a handful of honey roasted peanuts.

Maybe the trick is not to cut it entirely? I've cut back massively, but I still get maybe a gram from my whole grain bread, and I treat myself to one little Dove square (5 grams) as my dessert at night. I haven't craved sugar since starting this, even though I still get a little bit.

I mean, every body is different and with HFCS messing our bodies all up, who knows. But it seems as pure sugar is something in nature, something we naturally use and need, completely elliminating it might not work for everyone.