What I Learned from 30 Days Without Sugar
After 30 days without added sugar, I learned a lot about my routines, meals, and grocery habits! If you’re considering giving up sugar or you just want to reduce your intake, here are some tips to help you along the way!
We did it! Alex and I stuck with our sugar-free experiment for 4 weeks! If you missed the catalyst for all this, we watched Fed Up, a documentary about the food system and the insane amount of sugar we eat. The move recommended taking a “10-day challenge” of no added sugars, but we decided to take it a step further. I got the I Quit Sugar book and we loosely followed the plan for 4 weeks. We avoided all added sugars, sugar substitutes, honey, agave, etc. We also cut back on fruit and tried to stick to low-sugar fruits like berries and grapefruits.
It was an eye-opening experience. I don’t feel dramatically different, which wasn’t too surprising. I wasn’t eating much sugar when I was doing the Tone It Up bikini series so it wasn’t too hard to give up sweets but it was a learning experience to see how many “regular” foods had added sugars. So here’s what we learned.
It’s really important to check ingredients in packaged foods.
I can’t believe how long it took me to find pasta sauce that didn’t have sugar in it! Everything from naan to frozen burritos had added sugars. It was a good reminder to scour ingredients lists before you buy anything. On the plus side, I was able to find sugar-free alternatives for just about everything. (Click here to see our sugar free grocery list.)
You have to plan ahead.
Obviously, we had to do a lot of grocery shopping but traveling was also interesting. When we went to our family reunion was a little tricky to stay on track but we brought a few things with us that made it easier. Truthfully, if I wasn’t a vegetarian, it would have given me a few more options. (Click here to read more about sugar free traveling.)
You still have to keep other foods in check.
Sometimes it seemed like maybe we just traded in sugar for other unhealthy treats. I mean, technically french fries and tortilla chips are sugar-free but it wasn’t really any better for us. I think I probably ate less healthy foods because I felt like I was missing out on sugar. This was the biggest reason I wanted to end our sugar free experiment. I’m a big believer in “everything in moderation” so I didn’t like having to cut out sugar entirely.
We didn’t lose any weight.
Also, since I’ve had a few people ask “Will you lose weight if you cut out sugar?” let me just say, I didn’t lose any weight. Truthfully though, that wasn’t the goal. I already lost a few pounds on the Tone It Up plan earlier this summer so I wasn’t doing this to shed any pounds. I think if I hadn’t already been eating pretty “clean” then this might have turned out differently.
Overall, I’m glad we did it. It was eye-opening to see how much sugar we ate without realizing it and I found lots of sugar-free recipes I really enjoyed. (I’m in love with these sugar-free chocolate truffles!) If you have any other questions about our sugar-free experiment, leave them in the comments!
Nice work! I think going sugar-free is easier than people think (once you are regularly in the habit of eating that way.) Like I said before, the Whole30 really opened my eyes to how much hidden sugar there was in foods I perceived as ‘healthy’!
I feel like it’s good to just sort of “reset” your tastebuds and know what is in the things you’re eating! Just like Whole 30 π
Wow! That’s a great challenge. Maybe I will try to go sugar free in the future, but right now I’m doing vegetarian couple days of week:) I’m just limiting meat consumption.
I have done several Whole 30s (giving up sugar and all processed food for 30 days), and they have been tough but rewarding. Well done for sticking to it. π
Way to go! That’s so awesome!
I really want to try this someday! But first I have so many other bad eating habits I need to kick.
I think it’s awesome that you guys did this together as a couple! Did Alex have any take aways different from you?
Thanks for sharing this! Sometimes I’ll cut back on unhealthy food for a while, and even if I don’t plan to stick with it long term, that little reset can force me to rethink and adjust my diet for the better.
I think the key is exactly what you said: balance. I know if I were to completely eliminate sugar from my diet then I would end up binge eating an entire Dairy Queen one night. So it’s better for me to have my little piece of dark chocolate each night and keep the DQ scenario at bay ; )
What a challlenge! Were you craving sweets at all?
I should try this! I have to watch sugar anyway, but you’re right about all the hidden sugar most people don’t see. I’m sure I would find it surprising. Thanks for sharing!
It is absolutely amazing all the foods that have sugar in them, and the average person wouldn’t even expect it. For people like us, we kind of know what to expect, but that’s only because we’re interested in this stuff. Interesting that you didn’t lose weight or feel any different though, but hey gotta keep it real π Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth!