[utgirl09]

I would say I probably I have an addition to soda . So Wednesday, the start of Lent, I am kicking off my plan to give up refined sugars. So the no cake, cookies, etc. I don't think will be much of a problem. I know I will have the hardest time with the soda. To others who have given up sugar, how far did you go? Did you read every label and avoid any and all items that had it, or did you just stop eating the obvious ones? How long did it take you to feel better as opposed to worse ? Did you find yourself with better skin?

I am really excited to kick this off. I have already started eating better in other areas of my diet, such as experimenting with whole grains and eating more veggies. What keeps me not having my calories in check is soda. I have even bought a camera, because I am going to take a picture of everything I eat at least until Easter.

[Feral]

I feel tons better mostly due to the fact that carbs/sugars are a huge trigger for my binge eating.

For the most part I don't eat white wheats/refined sugars. The first few days are hard, but afterwards you don't have the CRAVINGS.

I still have my diet coke and I use sugar free (be wary of fat free, the usually replace it with some kind of sugar).

You may want to check out the South Beach Diet. That's what I'm doing.

GOOD LUCK! let us know how it goes!!!

[Gracie789]

Giving up sugar was one of the best things in my new lifestyle. I pretty much went cold turkey giving up all junky foods (especially salt & sugar). I'm not super careful checking labels to make sure there is absolutely no sugar, but I eat mostly raw/unprocessed food so if there is any sugar it's very little and natural. It took a few weeks before the cravings stopped and for me it was definitely a period of withdrawal. It's been nearly a year and while I'll still occasionally get a craving, it's never bad and fairly easy to ignore.

As hard as it was at times saying no to soda/junk foods, I'm so happy I stayed strong because I feel soooooo much better. I have more energy, I rarely get cravings, and since those foods were a trigger for my binging that too has been under control. Plus my skin is looking better than ever. I never really had acne, but my skin was never clear. I haven't had a pimple in months and my skin is the clearest since pre-puberty. For the skin alone I would give up sugar forever, lol.

[Jess7286]

I don't do well giving up things, since that's been the failure of my maintenance. What I do use is Splenda and I haven't had diet coke in awhile and I don't crave it, but if I do, I'll have one. I guess I go for the healthier version of the "bad" foods. I check nutritional information only for caloric value and fat grams. To me, carbs, protein and fats are all just calories and I tend to limit my fat instead of anything else.

I would say if you want to "give it all up" it's going to be hard to maintain cause there's going to be temptations. I would go for healthier options.

[Thousandsunny]

I gave up a lot of sugar and all soda and high-fructose corn syrup. As much as those commercials might say "It's just like sugar and is fine, blah blah," I didn't want to trust it. It's in EVERYTHING though! It's in most wheat and whole-grain breads, etc. So I had to search high and low for a bread without it. But, yeah I kicked sugars and such and it's a great idea! It helps a lot with weight loss. Soda was my vice.. I still crave it simply because I love the taste. I don't know what I will give up for lent; I think alcohol, lol. Good luck!

[utgirl09]

One of the reasons I feel I need to give it all up together is when I have it, the sugar is a trigger for me binging on things I don't need to eat when I am not even hungry. I am actually looking forward to this experience. I know I will have the withdrawels, and I know I will have the cravings, but I also know when I get past that I will feel so much better.

For now I think I will just give up the obvious sugars. I cook all my own food, never buy prepared frozen dinners, so I know what is going into what I am eating. Cutting out the junk is the main issue and I am excited to see the results.

i did try giving up sugar for lent one time....and I think I made it halfway through... this was about 6 years ago, and I feel that my sweet tooth has died down a lot. Stay strong and good luck! You can do it!

[Hazel]

I used to love soda, but I once decided to give up drinking it for a while. I started drinking Crystal Light instead. A few months passed, then I had a glass of Coke at a party. It tasted disgusting to me! Way too sugary and sweet.

Hopefully you'll find the same results! Good luck, you can do it!