How to Cut Sugar Out of Your Diet

It’s 10 a.m. You’re going about your work day. Maybe you’re in a meeting.

Your stomach growls so loud, it shakes the conference table.

Suddenly, if you don’t tear into one of the marshmallow-covered, jelly-filled donuts in the break room, you’ll bite off the head of one of your coworkers!

You had a triple mocha latte and an everything bagel for breakfast.

Why are you so hungry two hours later?

Since you’re here, you probably suspect that carbohydrates and sugar are to blame for these uncontrollable swings in energy and mood.

And you’re ready to find out how to cut sugar out of your diet once and for all.

(This post is not intended as medical advice. You should always ask your doctor before making changes to your diet, especially if you have underlying health conditions.)

What Happens If You Stop Eating Sugar?

Carbohydrates (which include sugars) are quick energy because our bodies know how to process them more easily than any other nutrient.

You feel a sudden burst of motivation and energy. But you burn through carbs so fast, you become lethargic and feel ravenous once again a short time later.

Replacing carbs with longer-lasting nutrients helps you avoid blood sugar spikes and mood swings.

When you eat more carbs than you need at the moment, your body stores the extra energy as fat.

But if you cut your carb intake low enough, your body digs into your fat stores and convert it into the energy you need to get through your day.

You burn fat (and lose weight)! This is known as ketosis, and gives the famous keto diet its name.

But Sugar is Everywhere!

You might be surprised to know that many lunch meats have a high carb count or that bottled sauces, no matter how salty, often contain as much sugar as a piece of candy.

So you can’t just barrel through the store, grabbing items that don’t taste sweet, and expect your health to change.

Become a Nutrition Detective

The nutrition labels printed on food packaging are your best friends.

Pay close attention to them, and they’ll tell you all the food’s secrets.

Look for three numbers at the bottom: Total Carbohydrates, Total Sugars, and Protein.

You want the total carbs and total sugars numbers (either grams per serving or percent of daily value) to be as low as possible, preferably in the single digits.

The protein numbers, on the other hand, should be higher, ideally in the double digits. This way, you replace the simple energy of carbs with the complex, durable energy of proteins.

Between similar items in the store, choose the one with the lowest carbs and the highest protein.

For fresh foods without labels, such as fruit and vegetables, an internet search will show you average carbs per serving and compare items. Try this Complete Keto Diet Food List.

You’re off to a fantastic start with this simple formula. If you’d like to know more about the relationship between carbs, sugar, fiber, and protein, find out here: How to Calculate Net Carbs on Keto.

Change It Up

The bad news is that many of your favorite staples are mostly carbohydrates. The good news is that today, even convenience stores carry scrumptious items you can try instead.

• Bread: Good “protein bread” tastes fantastic and has the same texture as high-carb bread. It’s available in many grocery stores or online. It does tend to be pricier than traditional bread. If you’re a baker, the internet is teeming with free recipes that meet your goals of high protein and low carbs.
• Rice: Swap rice out for riced cauliflower. It’s currently the best alternative. Many recipes are available online, and pre-riced cauliflower is appearing on grocery store shelves in more and more locations.
• Pasta: Though the texture and flavor of traditional pasta seems especially challenging to imitate, low-calorie pasta alternatives are coming closer all the time. Look at what your favorite store has available or find recipes to make mouthwatering pasta at home.
• Sugar substitutes: If you have a sweet tooth, you have a wide range of choices of artificial sweeteners, from natural to man made. It may take some research and trial and error to find one or a combination that works for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Take a look at The 6 Best Sweeteners on a Low-Carb Diet.

Be kind to yourself as you seek out and try different swaps for your favorite carbs. If you don’t like one alternative, give it away or throw it out and try something else.

This process is about you: what you like, how you want to feel, how much you want to spend, and how much you want to cook.

Stick with it. You’ll get there.

Be More Tortoise Than Hare

You’ve made the wise decision to detox from sugar, but you don’t have to go from carb-loaded to carb-free in one day.

In fact, if you take it slow and give yourself time to adjust, the improvements last longer and offer more health benefits.

You’ll win better health the same way the tortoise won the race against the hare.

Try replacing one item at a time. Let’s take a look at a typical meal, breakfast:

Say you like a bagel, a sweet yogurt, and coffee with flavored creamer.

In this case, try having your regular bagel and yogurt, but replace the coffee with sugar-free alternatives such as non-dairy diet creamer with coffee you grind yourself or a rich black tea with sweetener.

Once you’ve gotten used to an alternative beverage you like, switch your sweet yogurt for a natural, high-protein Greek.

Play around with adding low-sugar flavors (crushed berries, spices, sugar-free chocolate syrup, etc.) until you like it. Then move on to replacing the bagel.

By the end of three weeks, you’ll have a low-carb breakfast you relish.

Choose Your Battles

No human being needs as many carbs and sugars as the average American consumes every day. But you’ll be relieved to hear that some carbohydrates are necessary for a balanced diet.

For example, if you consider chocolate an essential part of your everyday diet, try dark chocolates with no added sugar. These products still have double-digit carbs, but the sugar content itself is low.

Insider tip: You can also offset the carbs’ impact a little by choosing a chocolate with high-protein nuts such as almonds or walnuts.

Feel free to establish a “cheat day” once in a while or to indulge on a special occasion (a birthday cake or Thanksgiving meal), especially if you’ve been strict lately.

You may even find that the sugar-packed delicacies that used to haunt your waking hours and proliferate in your dreams eventually have no control over you.

As you start to feel more consistently energetic, you won’t want to break your winning streak for the sake of an all-too-temporary high. You’ll feel transcendent!

Defeat the Monster

It’s time to vanquish the tyrannical carb monster! These practical steps ease you into a low-sugar diet, and you enjoy increased wellness for years to come.

How far you take your new, healthier lifestyle is up to you.

Give yourself time to make adjustments and forgive yourself if you slip up. You can always start again.

Within one week of significantly reduced sugar intake, those mood swings will be a memory you laugh about.

Within two weeks, you may even notice the beginnings of gradual weight loss.

And your coworkers will certainly notice (and thank you) for no longer biting their heads off!