Sugar addiction is very real. If you’ve never worked to eliminate added sugar from your diet, you may likely encounter withdrawal symptoms. The first week is reported to be the toughest, with breakthroughs happening after day 8.
I encountered the same when I detoxed from added sugar/sweeteners in 2015. The first 5 days were the worst for me. It was difficult to focus, I was cranky, I had a recurring headache, and was generally quite tired. However, after 21 total days, I didn’t actually want to add a lot of added sugar into my diet because I was feeling SO good – I had better mental clarity and focus, I felt lighter (and was lighter), the skin on my face that had been prone to breakouts was so much clearer, and I was quite happy overall – my entire mood changed.
Today, when I do occasionally eat “unhealthfully” – an extra added amount of sugar, etc – it doesn’t actually feel good to me afterwards, so I am not likely to do it often.
For more info on the not-so-pleasant affects that sugar has on your body, check out this article from Healthline.
You CAN get to this place, too. It takes a good amount of energy on the front end to break the habit/addiction to sugar and added sugar, but the rewards are immense, and totally worth it.
I’m running a “no added sugar” challenge for my clients for the month of September to help support this change. If I can help you to kickstart your changes, reach out to me and let’s have a conversation about it.