3 Answers

I know,  the sugar demon can be difficult to exorcise but it is doable. I know you may not want to hear this but it WILL take some discipline and a plan on your part. Not to mention true desire to change things up. I would suggest focusing on the sodas first.  If you try to tackle everything at once you are setting yourself up for certain failure.  Cut back by one soda a day for a week and then another soda cut for the 2nd week, no cheating!  Keep doing this till you are at a number per day that you are comfortable with, and 0 would be best!  In the mean time experiment with other kinds of drinks that are sugarless or fruit and vegetable juices. I personally like a big pitcher of brewed, flavored (orange, raspberry, etc.), decaffenated herbal teas with less than a 1/4 cup of sugar in the pitcher. 2 pinches of baking soda in the hot water quells the tannins and takes away any bitterness in the tea. Add the sugar to the hot water, too, to disslove fully, then the tea bags. I steep 20-30 min.  Just sweet enough to be enjoyable yet very nicely quenches thirst, and is good you.  I woudn't change anything about the sweets yet while making the soda changes.  When you feel comfortable that you have soda situation under control, try making the same changes with the  candy, sweets until you are a resonable consumptive level. Find something else to replace the refined sugar and fats in sweets that will satisfy you. Lots of fresh fruit always at hand and or cut up and in the fridge.  I keep a big pot of homemade vegetable stew (thick for hartiness) in my fridge all winter. It's super delicious and believe it or not it's very satisfying and keeps me from wanting to eat something I shouldn't. Just pop a bowl in the mircowave and chow!  I use canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, diced carrot, peeled and cut up winter squash, frozen cut up okra, canned corn, lima beans, peeled eggplant cut up, sometimes spinach, frsh or frozen. All or any mix of these, or some others you might think of in a tomato juice base spiced up with basil, oregano, cumin, bit of cinnamin, thyme, bay leaf, salt pepper.  Cook for 2-3 hrs and then refridgerate.  I make a pot about once a week on my day off and eat some  when I feel the needand desire  to. Always enjoy it...........Use common sense and hang in there, you CAN do it!!  Sorry this was so long, hope it helps.  ;-]

I agree with what MM118 says.The new thing out here is saying not to give it up but swap (Exchange) it for something else. I have been a Coke - a -holic all my life.I recently gave it up for fresh orange juice & I do feel better.

Fresh fruit or even dried fruit is a good exchange for sweets.

Good luck with it.

Drink more water, sounds crazy but it does work.

If you have a sweet addiction, you need medical help. Therapy something. It doesn't sound like you can handle this on your own.

I do not allow anything white, sugar, salt, etc in my home. Use other spices, it's a learn behavior. You have to unlearn, and replace it with another behavior. A healthier one.

Good Luck