5 things I learned from quitting sugar

From 17th March to 17th May (the day before my wedding!) I consumed no added sugar. I set myself this challenge for two main reasons - firstly, to see whether it would help my skin, and secondly, I felt like I was addicted to sugar (mostly chocolate) and I wanted to break the cycle.

Skin on day 1 > Skin 7.5 weeks in (and also a new phone!)

Here's what I found:

1. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be: Before these two months I would have some form of sugar daily, so I really thought giving it up would be a huge challenge. I did find the first ten days or so quite difficult - I felt tired and low energy and would automatically think about when I was next getting my choccie hit, but after I got past those ten days I felt much more energised. It became normal and I no longer craved chocolate or biscuits.

   
   

2. It brings consciousness to your habits: Giving up sugar showed me how many of my daily rituals revolved around it. I'd automatically look for something sweet after lunch (and sometimes supper!) and as a little afternoon pick-me-up, even if I didn't 'need' it for energy - it was just part of my day. Imposing this restriction on myself brought awareness to my habits. I was introducing a 'thinking' stage before automatically reaching for my squares of choccie/biscuit(s). This makes the habits easier to break as they're not so instinctive. On a practical level, it meant I ate more fruit as I'd have this after meals if I wanted something sweet, and if I wanted something in the afternoon I'd make myself a decaf mocha using cacao powder.

   
   

3. I lost weight: This was a happy by-product! I lost about 3kg over the two months without changing much else.

   
   

4. My skin changed, but not how I thought it would: I thought giving up sugar would really clear my skin, but it actually didn't have much of an impact on my spots. My skin did get brighter and less puffy though I think. When I was on my honeymoon and eating sugar again my skin went quite mad - watch out for this if you do it.

   
   

5. I've broken the cycle: In July 2023, one of the goals I wrote down was 'to be less reliant on sugar' - and I now am. I still love chocolate and biscuits, but I don't 'need' them after meals or in the afternoon and my attitude around them has changed. I feel free.

If you want to make a change, two months is the ideal amount of time to commit to. Three months seemed a bit scary and endless and one month wouldn't have been enough for it to stick - two was the perfect number.

Please email me or send me a message on Instagram if you'd like to work together on your goals :)