I am very much in the pre-operation stages, but I'm trying to make healthier choices now, that way when the time comes it won't be so hard. My question is this: when stopping sugar, which is better- cold turkey, or slowly cutting back?

Thanks for any advice.

For me it was cold turkey. I found that fake sugar/sweet while trying to cut back only made me crave it more. Now I can have the fake stuff and not start thinking about how some chocolate sounds good, lol.

I think either way is fine, but my suggestion is just don't substitute artificial sweeteners to do it. Take it at whatever pace you need to be able to handle it and adjust your tastes for the long term. If that means cutting back on the sugar in your coffee over many months, that's fine. Better to go from two spoons down to one and then to half a spoon of sugar slowly than to start using an artificial sweetener and never kick that habit.

For me, I made the decision to eliminate several things from my diet before taking a few weeks to either eat up or throw away the things I didn't want to have in my house anymore. The key has been not allowing it back in once it was gone.

I am also pre-op. I started the process in July with a surgery date in late December. I happened to find the book Pound of Cure by Dr. Matthew Weiner and it's absolutely been the best nutrition book I've ever purchased (and I've purchased many). Full disclosure, I did not do the 2 week reset portion of the program, but I did start out by increasing my veg and eliminating the stuff that was easiest for me to do right away.

After that, there have been certain stages that I took faster and certain ones I've done slower. But overall, in my opinion, it's an excellent guide for what your healthy diet "should" be most of the time. Higher on veg and plant protein, lower on animal products, mostly free from the vast majority of processed carbs, sugars, and artificial crap. If you're looking for guidance, his books and videos are super informative and rooted in science, not fads.

My preop program wanted me to start right away, and I did. Going cold turkey full throttle was the best thing I ever did. I do occasionally have a sweet now and then, but don’t crave sweets like I used to. That said, you do you. Some people do better going slow.

I quit slowly, just using things up at home and not buying more. Then once that was done, a few weeks later I started introducing a few artificially sweetened things. Unlike a lot of people, Im not anti-fake sugar. But I need a break from sweets for the fake stuff to taste good. I still use moderation even with fake sugars, but I like flavor packets in my water sometimes, a flavored syrup in my coffee as a treat, or a flavored yogurt or pudding. I don't crave fake sweeteners though so I just use them selectively. I don't find they create a craving for real sugar, in fact, they help me walk by sugary things because I know I have my own safe version at home. But keep in mind I never binged sugary foods so it could be different for someone who did have that issue. Sweet things are not a trigger food for me.

I was an equal opportunity savoury & sweet eater. I eliminated most sugar in the weeks after surgery when anything with sugar, artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives tasted extra crazy sweet & was off putting. I haven’t really let it back into my eating. I get my sweet from blueberries every day & the occasional additional serve of fruit.

It can be hard to eliminate it & the alternatives completely. It is added to just about everything in firm or another. I know I have about 5g of added sugar (multigrain crackers I eat) a day & some artificial sweetener (yogurt, protein bar & peanut paste) but that’s it. And none of these things taste sweet. I will have dessert at Christmas but that all I have of traditional sweet food. (I did have a small piece of wedding cake earlier this year.) There is some sugar in the rare G&T I have. None of these things make me crave sweet again. I remember during Covid, when the grocery shelves were bare, I could only buy a box of honey instant rolled oats - it was awful, super sweet & I couldn’t eat it.

Personally, I’d rather eat something with real sugar than artificial sweetener - that stuff is so bad for you.

Good luck.

Edited October 23, 20232 yr by Arabesque

On 10/21/2023 at 11:03 PM, Jessica Marie said:

I am very much in the pre-operation stages, but I'm trying to make healthier choices now, that way when the time comes it won't be so hard. My question is this: when stopping sugar, which is better- cold turkey, or slowly cutting back?

Thanks for any advice.

I feel go with what works best for you. I tend to be an all or nothing type so full out cold turkey for me, but if you have a personality that is more slow but steady do that. Whichever works that you will stick with is what you go with. Either way its healthy choices step by step whether its large steps or small they all get you going down the road to better health! Cut out sugar, low unhealthy fats...low cal...etc!

Edited October 31, 20232 yr by BlondePatriotinCDA