When you're deciding to give up any food you'll have to decide if you're going give it up all at once or slowly taper it out of your diet.  Regardless of which option you choose, there will likely be some withdrawal symptoms.  If you consume large quantities of sugar or have been consuming it for a long period of time, going cold turkey might come with more intense withdrawal symptoms.  It might be best to slowly remove sugar from your diet over a few weeks. If you only consume small amounts of sugar you may be able to go cold turkey with minimal symptoms. If you choose to taper down the amount of sugar you're including in your diet, make sure to be honest about your choices.  Don't indulge in a sweet treat just to have a source of sugar in your day. Letting go of sugar may not always be an easy task.  In addition, finding foods to replace sugar in diet may also be difficult or time consuming.  Start journaling your foods, diet plan, and how you're feeling as you cut sugar out of your diet.  Come up with a strategy and make notes in your journal.  You might start by writing down a food diary to get an idea of how much sugar you consume in any given day or week.  Then you can start making a plan of how to reduce sugar in your diet. Also include different healthy swaps you are thinking about using.  You might need to try a few different things before you find something that works. You can also include notes on your mood or how you're feeling about your progress.  Journaling is a great way to manage any stress related to this task. Like many food addictions, when you give-up the offending food, you may have some side effects.  These symptoms are normal and to be expected. Remember that sugar is essentially a drug. With any drug, quitting can lead to withdrawal and cravings. These will pass but the initial withdrawal phase may be a bit tricky.  How long you experience withdrawal symptoms depends on how much sugar you've been eating each day and for how long you've been consuming sugar.  The more sugar you've been consuming and the longer you've been doing it may mean more intense or long-lasting side effects.  In general, for the first week or two after giving up sugar, you might feel nauseous, have a headache, and feel cranky. Your body has come to rely on its daily sugar boost, and taking that away will have an effect until you get used to it. Journal about your symptoms and write down positive thoughts of giving up sugar to get you through the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.  It'll be worth the discomfort in the end, when your mood levels out and you feel healthier and more energetic than you did when you were addicted to sugar. You might dream of cupcakes, ice cream, and candy for the first few weeks, but rest assured that your cravings will eventually go away. In the meantime, curb them by trying the following:  Dilute sweet beverages.  Mix regular sodas with water or unsweetened seltzer.  Dilute juices and other sweetened drinks with water as well.  Keep doing so until you feel comfortable switching to only water or other sugar-free beverages. Reach for fruit.  If you're craving a sweet treat, trying reaching for sweet fruit.  Good ideas to try include:  pineapple, mango, and bananas as these are slightly more sweet than other fruits. Stick to low-calorie.  If you're really craving something sweet and fruit or other tricks won't do it, go for a calorie-controlled option.  Sticking to a treat that's less than 150 calories is a smart move.  Try buying small, portioned controlled items to help keep you in control. Giving up sugar isn't easy, and it can help to have support from other people who are going through the same thing. Instead of trying to do it all alone, sign up for a group program or support group.  Groups are either in person or online.   You'll be able to share motivational stories and tips for making the process go more smoothly. It's nice to have people with whom you can share your achievements, too! Tell your friends and family what you're up to. The fact that you're giving up sugar may have an impact on other people you regularly eat with.  Explain to them why you're giving it up, what foods you can no longer eat and what foods you can. Ask them to help you on your journey to giving up sugar, and perhaps even join you. Telling others you have set a goal to give up sugar gives you accountability and support. It also lessens the risk that friends and loved ones will offer you sugar-filled items. Birthday parties, holidays, and other special occasions are celebrated with sugary treats, and it can feel next to impossible not to indulge. If you overindulge, that's OK.  Get right back up and start back on your sugar-free diet as soon as you can.  Try journaling about what you ate and why you ate it.  Many times it might be stress or other emotional factors playing a part into why you slipped up. If you can, limit yourself to just one piece or one cookie so you don't end up throwing yourself off too much. Afterward, get right back on your sugar-free diet. You might experience increased cravings for a few days afterward, so you'll have to be extra careful to keep sugar away.
قرر ما إذا كنت ستتوقف فجأة أم بالتدريج. دوّن في مفكرتك. استعد لأعراض الانسحاب. ارسم خطة لتجاوز إحساس التوق. انضم لبرنامج حمية أو مجموعة دعم. استعد لاحتمال الزلل.