Y’all. I almost didn’t share this with you. Let’s talk about the truth about ditching sugar. Because I didn’t want to deep-dive into how much ditching sugar actually sucks…and partially because it means admitting that I’m a sugar addict.
The Truth About Ditching Sugar
I mean…I have sugar in my coffee creamer first thing in the morning (because what mama can live without coffee?!), then I tend to reach for sweeter snacks during the day (even though they’re sweetened with honey, it’s still sugar), and then we love things like BBQ sauce with dinner.
It’s a problem. Like a huge, monster problem.
Because sugar and I, we don’t get along. Sugar makes me breakout (really), it makes my head hurt, causes me to have trouble sleeping, and it makes me crave more of it.
That’s bad.
And I’ve noticed that it affects my kids the same way. On days when they eat a lot of sugar, bedtime is a total mess, they’re wild and crazy (more so than normal), and their dispositions are far less fun (read: cranky).
SO.
Let’s Talk The Truth About Ditching Sugar
Ish and I talked about giving up sugar for the month. Which seemed reasonable, but it’s turning out to be a bit more of a challenge than I originally thought.
Did you know that sugar is in EVERYTHING?! Like, every.single.thing.
And it’s sneaky.
You would not expect sugar to be in things like crackers, oatmeal (pre-packaged), Sriracha, protein powders and bars, bread, tortillas…
I could go on and on. It’s frustrating, perhaps more so when you’re trying to pack lunches and you realize that literally, everything (even if it’s whole-grain or organic or gluten-free) has sugar in it.
Also. The kids weren’t on board. Like not at all.
They thought I was the meanest mom in the world, so we compromised. We’d eat “better” meaning fruit for dessert (not that we’ve ever been a huge dessert after dinner family), only one sugar-laden yogurt (but it’s organic!) in their school lunches, and water bottles instead of juice.
Now, I don’t expect this to be easy. I mean, I heard somewhere that sugar was more addictive than cocaine…and since I’ve never done cocaine, I’ll assume it’s pretty much addictive like sugar. Cool?
So. Once I realized that the ‘healthy’ foods I’d loaded our cart with weren’t so healthy, I had a choice…toss it all (okay not all, the chicken could stay), or slowly get it out of the house (eat it) and wean ourselves off as we eliminate each thing.
That seemed a more solid plan, which so far (we’re on day 5 or so) is working. Yes, the kids still want fruit snacks 
Struggling With Letting Go Of Sugar
Yes, I still want sugary creamer in my coffee, so I am learning to drink more than one sip totally black since I do my best to avoid dairy.
Honestly, I think it’d probably be easier to totally give up. But then…what if this works? What if my skin clears up like magic and my kids are angels and we all start to sleep better?
What.If.
So here’s the new plan: we’re doing this slowly. Like snail’s pace slowly. And if you have kids, and are trying to ditch the sugar but didn’t read every.single.label. at Costco this month, I suggest you do this too.
Slowly eat the snacks and other foods that have sugar in them, no need to rush. As you run out when you go to restock your fridge, pay attention to labels (which honestly is way easier if you leave the kiddos at home), and do your best to restock on sugar-free alternatives.
I don’t mean sugar-free with weird chemical sweeteners, I mean truly sugar-free. Look for sugar alternatives to sweeten things like bananas, dates, and fruits.
Try savory options for breakfast like eggs instead of pancakes or waffles.
Send the kiddos to school with some healthier options like nori (my boys love it) or a small cheese wheel instead of Bunnies or Goldfish.
Make meat and cheese sandwiches instead of peanut butter and jelly.
And, if you can’t live without sugar, that’s totally okay. We probably won’t live without it forever either.
At this rate, I may not make the whole week! Plus learn these tips to stop stress eating! The truth about giving up sugar is it is hard, and it is a process, at least for us in our home.
