Conquer Sugar Cravings: The 3-Day Sugar Fast That Works
It's a vicious cycle of craving and crashing.
When I was in middle school (ages 11-14), my parents signed me up for an after-school program that bridged the gap between 2:30pm (when school ended) and 6:00pm (when they were able to come get me).
During those hours, all of us kids would play games, hopeful that Mom or Dad would take their time and let us be kids for a little bit longer.
Inside the clubhouse, there were several free pinball machines, a foosball table, billiards, giant Yahtzee!, and a wide array of other multi-player non-video games (it was the 1980’s when this kind of fun was still considered “fun”). Some kids read in the lounge area on big couches, and others played outside when the weather was nice.
There were two girls that I hung out with for a little while - they were “bad girls” that didn’t like to follow rules, talked back to adult supervisors, and caused trouble just for the fun of it. We would sneak out of the clubhouse almost every day and walk three blocks to the nearby candy store (even though we were not allowed to leave without our parents’ permission).
Nerds. Snickers. Starburst. M&Ms. Rolo. Skittles. Twix. Butterfinger. Necco Wafers. Heath.
I was totally addicted.
After I moved out for college, I continued to struggle with this sugar addiction.
I could barely afford to pay for my tuition, books, and rent, but convinced myself that it was okay to buy a bag of bulk malted milk balls and chocolate covered pretzels from the corner store as a “study snack”.
Every time I succumbed to the sugar cravings and went to the corner store for bulk chocolate, I finished the whole bag in the same night and felt totally sick.
But, I did it over and over again.
Even after college, my sugar addiction continued. I just had more money to feed it and bought higher quality confectionaries. Italian cannolis and tiramisu, and Greek baklava were my top three favorites.
Go big or go home right?
The dental bills started to get worse and my weight was going up despite being active and competitive in adult league sports.
At age 27, I weighed 196 lbs and was terrified to cross over the Big Two-Uh-Oh.
I tried a variety of diet fads, joined a local gym, and did aerobics in my living room after eating too much sugar, convinced that I could burn it off before it found its way to my hips.
None of that worked.
Then, one day (I can’t recall the exact source of inspiration) I decided to try a sugar fast. The theory was that if I could fight the sugar cravings for three days straight (without cheating), my body could process the sugar in my blood and the cravings would lessen.
I was desperate for any solution that could keep me from losing control entirely.
Long story short… it worked*.
* Note: see Additional Comments at the bottom of this article…
Get Control of Sugar Cravings with a 3-Day Sugar Fast
How is this possible?
When you eat sugar regularly, your brain and body get used to it, almost like a habit.
Sugar triggers the release of dopamine, a “feel-good” chemical in your brain, which makes you crave more. This is why sugar can feel addictive - it creates a vicious cycle where you eat it, feel good temporarily, then crash and crave more.
When you stop eating sugar for three days, your blood sugar levels stabilize, and your body starts adjusting to using fat and protein for energy instead. At the same time, your brain begins to reset, producing less dopamine in response to sugar. This helps break the cycle of cravings. By the third day, many people notice that their desire for sweets has significantly decreased, making it much easier to stay in control.
It's like getting over a caffeine habit. The first couple of days without caffeine can be brutal… but once your body adjusts, you don’t need it as much anymore.
After those initial three days, healthier foods start tasting better, and the urge to binge on sugar is reduced.
Read more on this topic:
Additional Comments
I’m not perfect and I have never been able to conquer my sugar addiction completely!
I am human, after all!
But… I no longer have the severe uncontrolled cravings, and I only eat a fraction of the sugar that I used to eat.
The 3-day fast method works really well and can be repeated when you need to get back on the wagon after a breakdown, special occasion, or other social event where you might be tempted by irresistible sweets and goodies.
The biggest challenge to staving off sugar cravings is to simply avoid foods that include the ingredients (Goo!) that spike your blood sugar when they are not actually sweet.
Check my Goo Index for a list of these ingredients:
Commercial food producers have been adding sugar substitutes and ‘fake’ sugars into all kinds of food products - from salad dressing to bacon - to get you to eat more of their products.
Read all packaged food labels, and opt out of buying Goo-loaded products to win the battle, even if you can’t win the war.
You got this! 💪😎
Disclaimer: Please be sure to check with your doctor before doing a food fast of any kind, as there may be certain health risks. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist.
I don’t eat as much sugar as I used to but today I took my adult daughter to get coffee and tried a new cinnamon mocha drink. It was so sweet and I couldn’t finish it. I have a hard time with sugar because I use it for my mental health at times. Currently I’m trying to get off this SNRI and it’s so awful. It’s one of the hardest and all I did was go down a dose from 50mg to 25 and I’m so crabby. So sugar seems comforting.
I will say since I don’t eat at often now I absolutely love strawberries. It’s one of my favorite fruit options. Wish I loved greens.
I’m addicted to having something sweet a day. I go on month long sugar free fasts but I’m coming back to sugar . Is there anyway I can alter it once for all? I tried switching my sweet a day with dates. It did go well. Looking for a sustainable yet a permanent solution to this !