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!
It’s CRAZY how much sugar is in EVERYTHING… even when you are actively trying to avoid it! Good for you for sticking to it though!
I was sugar-free for years but it is too difficult when you live far from Whole Foods.
I have a heart condition so I have to limit them amount of sugar I intake which means I’m constantly reading food labels. It’s crazy how much sugar is in eeeeverything! You are so right about that!
I like to think going sugar free would be pretty easy for me. I’m more of a savory fan in general and don’t eat dessert most days. It’s the hidden sugars that would get me, though. I don’t understand how stuff like bread and pasta sauce can have so much added sugar! Guess I need to start paying more attention to that part of the label.
I love this! I think it’s great to experiment here and there with things not only to try new foods and recipes but to learn more about food! It’s why I did a 2 week Palo challenge for myself. I ate less sugar myself and expanded my meals.
I try to keep it low sugar at least at home… I remember when I started looking at it at the grocery store I was shocked at how much sugar (and salt) were added to items. I love a dessert if we go out to dinner though!
You are so right that sugar is in everything! I mean, why is it in salad dressings?
I am glad you guys had such a positive experience!
Thanks for sharing this experience – sugar is definitely one thing I know I could really cut back on even though I do eat quite healthfully already with lots of fresh produce, lean fish and poultry, yogurt, eggs, etc. I think I never thought about it but once I started looking, I realized even my plain Greek yogurt has 7-8g sugar per cup, and all my apple/banana/melon/berry snacks have so much sugar. It’s natural but it adds up to the point where even eating clean and skipping my ice cream dessert one day I’m still at around 150g which is crazy. I guess I’m just more aware now, though it is tough to figure out how to cut it down.
Yeah, it’s crazy how even though I thought I was eating pretty “clean” I was still eating tons of sugar! I do think fruit and stuff are great but my tendency was to reach for an apple instead of carrots or cucumbers, you know? Now I’m trying not to snack on just fruit but also add in veggies!
I really am thinking about doing this – but man do i love my sweets. Thanks for being a great resource, and I’m glad you enjoyed your detox and learned so much!
It was definitely an interesting experience! You learn a lot!
I’m glad this really helped you out Liz and was interesting and eye opening. It sounds like it as a great experience for you.