DallasGirl63's Journal, 24 Sep 22

Eriquiaga1 has a great suggestion 

You could look into Eat Like A Bear (tm). It's worked amazingly well for me. 

Take it one day at a time and come here often for inspiration.  

I feel the same way. You’re not alone 

Why not try being S.M.A.R.T.= set a goal, measure what’s your max for the day/week. Be realistic if you fail for that day/week can you start again. Time how long truly you can try this. Then if all goes well try for longer time and reducing the amount of cookies consumed. Hope this helps 

Reducing sugar is something you have to strive for, but it doesn't mean you have to go cold turkey. I'm now pretty much so low on sugary stuff that I CAN eat my cakes too. Some tips: Stop drinking sugary stuff. That's #1 on the list. No sodas, no teas, no coffee with sugar. That may be the hardest but that's the biggest sugar rush. Remove those from your diet cold turkey. Don't worry about the cookies yet. Whenever you cook -> reduce sugar by 1/4. Are you baking a cake? Instead of 1c of usgar use 3/4c. You'll get used to the less-sugary taste. Trust me, in some months you'll notice a big difference. It will eventually get to a point when your cookies will gross you out because they're so sugary you'll opt to bake your own cookies yourself with the reduced sugar taste. Takes time and patience, but it can be as gradual as you need. Don't give up. :) 

By the way, a good rule of thumb for me is: whenever you get a cake or cookie recipe from the internet, reduce the sugar by at least 1/4c, but eventually by 1/2c. Also very important in my journey: cook things myself. Reduce the store-bought sugary stuff to a minimum. I bake cakes and cookies with my kids almost every Sunday. We do it together as a family, and the results are healthier and much more delicious than the supermarket stuff. I guess what I'm trying to say is... Good news! you don't really have to give up cookies at all, just make a couple adjustments :) 

sugar addiction is so difficult but the moment you learn to live without it you realize you never really needed it 

DallasGirl63, I think you will find you are not alone. You are wise to look at the reasons for why you use food. If you do this, you may notice a pattern. The answers are usually there. Keep asking, 'why?' And smaller, sustainable goals, as apposed to broad, sweeping changes are typically the way to go. Send with ❤ 

It takes a while to kick the sugar. For me fruit helped. 

I hear you DG63, we all struggle at times, all we can do is try our best, I had a crappy Saturday food wise, it was our AFL Grand final, Aussie Rules Football, so I had various foods and over indulged, but Sunday I jumped back on the horse, so to speak, so don't beat yourself up, baby steps and have more good days than bad, stay safe, Dave  

You don’t need to cut sugar to lose weight 

You don't need to eliminate sugar, and definitely not all at once. Start making small changes you can sustain. I'd really encourage you to get away from highly processed foods (eg. those "diet friendly" cookies from a prior entry). Maybe see if you can transition from cookies to dried fruits with no added sugars (dates are like candy...) I saw you were interested in keto, but know that's not the only way to go. Many of us have also had success going whole foods, plant-based rather than low carb. What strategy are you trying right now? 

DG63, you Can do it! It's one small step, one less cookie, one positive thought followed by one positive word of encouragement to yourself. DG63, it's also understanding that the key to life is moderation, I have been in the fitness abd nutrition field for 40 years and through all trends and fads I find that long term success, in any area, is about the small, consistent daily steps we take, reaching out for help when we need it, and knowing it's not about cutting out things we love but rather cutting back. Sugar is so hard, it's in everything and so addictive!. You've gotten so many great suggestions. Trying replacing seasonal fruits with high sugar cookies if you can because after while your tastebuds get accustomed to the natural sweetness of fruit and when higher sugar pastries, cookies, etc are eaten, you'll often find that your tastebuds have changed and that pleasure you once felt won't be the same. Keep going, it seems like so many here are willing to help, you Can do this!  

I have been there and am again. I cold turkey dropped all refined sugar a couple of years ago. The first month is doable, but challenging. And I got to where I did not crave refined sugar period. For the sweet lover I am, that sounded like a foreign statement, but it was true. I lost alot but as I reintroduced refined sugar after two years of not eating, the weight came back to. We can do it. I haven’t tried cold turkey again, but am reducing refined sugar as I can. It is hard, but it is possible. 

It's a constant battle. I have been floating between 155 and 165 for many years and still can't get myself below to what I feel I should be. Will follow you to see if you find the secret! 

I know how you feel. It is my weakness, my friend, my go to … don’t give up. It gets easier. Maybe start slow. Take one cookie away every 2 days. Replace it with a healthy sweet like fruit that has fiber or water. I like cantaloupe or tangerines. It helps but I admit I still nibble on days where there isn’t an alternative. 

Try drizzilious snacks on Amazon or Kroger. They are so good and you feel like you’re cheating but you’re not. Try sugar free pudding with sugar free cool whip and crushed graham crackers on top. Frozen tropical fruit blend with oikos vanilla yogurt. These foods have helped me a lot 

it is hard because you are addicted. it is just as serious and difficult as if you were trying to quit a drug. i would do keto. having bacon, eggs, and Avocado for a delicious totally fulfilling meal made it very easy to kick sugar. then try fasting. the power you wield over your body is astounding. 

You can do it!. I am a stress and emothional eater too. Because of medical issues, including weight gain as a side effect of my meds (including psych meds), my MD has recommended I aim for 4 pounds a month.