Welcome to the 7-Day No Sugar Challenge!
I created this No Sugar Challenge for all of you who tell me you are concerned about your sugar intake. Not just from the sweets you eat but from all the hidden sugar hiding in most of the packaged foods found on store shelves. Well, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. And before you get nervous, know that I’m also gonna tell you all you need to know to be successful on this challenge!
What is The 7-Day No Sugar Challenge? It is 7 days where you remove all sugar from your diet. The goal of this challenge is three-fold. First, it will help you become aware of how much sugar is hiding in your diet. Second, it gives you the opportunity to rest and heal from the damaging grip of sugar addiction. Third, it can help get your body out of fat storing mode so you can start to lose permanent weight.
What you need for the No-Sugar Challenge? The most important thing you can bring to the challenge is you. Start with a promise to do this for 7 days. Then show up and hold yourself accountable. Do the no-sugar challenge with friends who will help keep you to your word. Or write notes that will help keep you on track and leave them as reminders for yourself throughout the house. Or lock up all your sugar and give someone else the key. Just do what it takes to keep yourself moving forward.
What types of sugar is APPROVED on the No-Sugar Challenge? The only approved form of sugar is in FRESH or FROZEN FRUIT. That type of sugar is different to the type of sugar that you’ll find in cookies and cakes. Fruit is filled with natural fiber that slows down the speed in which the sugar is digested. This type of sugar only has a small impact on blood sugar. This means that it is less likely to cause changes in mood, inflammation or weight gain. So go ahead and eat your fruit during the 7-day challenge. Just make sure to stay away from dried fruit and fruit juice as both these options are depleted of fruit’s natural fiber.
What types of sugar are NOT APPROVED on the No-Sugar Challenge? Let’s get the obvious out of the way. No cookies, cakes, candy or ice cream. Well, you knew that anyway. Here are the other forms of sugar to avoid:
- No artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Splenda, Equal or Truvia. This is because studies show that the brain registers artificial sweeteners as sugar. This results in the same disturbance to blood sugar and resulting inflammation and weight gain associated with sugar consumption. Stick with whole leaf stevia.
- No fruit juice, dried fruit or fruit juice concentrates. Once fruit sugar is separated from the fiber naturally found in fruit, it just becomes sugar like any other form of sugar.
- No maple syrup, honey, agave or any other more natural sounding sugar. These are better quality sweeteners, but for this challenge they are still sugar. And hey, this is only 7 days. You can do anything for 7 days, right?
- No hidden sugar. Sugar is hidden in healthy sounding foods like whole grain granola, protein bars, whole grain bread and more. For 7 days, you’ll want to look at food labels and become aware of the sneaky sugar sources in your diet. There are many healthy-sounding foods that contain hidden sugar.
There are so many terms for sugar on a food label that it can get confusing. Did you know that sucralose means Splenda? Or that dextrose is just another word for sugar? Get a Sugar Cheat Sheet by clicking below. This lists some of the sneakiest terms manufactures use to sneak extra sugar in your diet.
Don’t Have 7 full days??
Get all the materials for an ABBREVIATED 5-DAY VERSION of the challenge
This includes menus, cheat sheets & craving crashing tricks! Click below to sign-up for immediate access!
What CAN YOU EAT during the 7-day No Sugar Challenge? Absolutely everything else you normally eat that doesn’t contain sugar. We’re not restricting the diet in any way. The exclusive goal of this challenge is taking a step forward in beating sugar addiction, thereby easing inflammation, improving health and slowing fat storage.
Tips for getting over sugar cravings during the No Sugar Challenge.
- Eat healthier starchy foods like sweet potatoes, green beans, oatmeal or quinoa. Many people rely heavily on sugar for their carbohydrate intake. If you remove sugar from your diet and don’t eat other forms of carbohydrates, you may feel shaky and depleted of energy. Make sure you’re including some healthy forms of carbohydrate in your diet.
- Try eating some protein. Often times we crave sugar when we are protein deficient. If you’re not sure if you’re getting enough protein, try upping your protein to help ease sugar cravings.
- Drink half your body weight in water daily. What does that mean? Someone who weighs 150 pounds will drink 75 ounces of water daily (150 divided by 2). Proper hydration can also help with sugar cravings.
- Supplement with raw apple cider vinegar. There is some evidence that raw apple cider vinegar can help with sugar cravings. Add 2 tsp of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to ¾ of a cup of fresh water. Stir and drink immediately.
- Eat fresh fruit. You don’t have to live without sweet sugar yumminess. Eat fruit that is fresh and in-season. It will be bursting with sweetness and will help ease your need for other types of less desirable sugar.
And the best part of the 7-Day No Sugar Challenge? It’s only a week to change your life for the better. Give it a try today! And of course, let me know how it goes in the comments section below!
This is such a great idea! I’ve been eating a lot healthier, but realize there is still so much sugar in my diet. I really need to get control, so this is a great way to jumpstart that. Thank you!
As a former sugar ADDICT, I can definitely say that awareness is so helpful. Half the sugar I used to eat I didn’t even appreciate.
I have been eating a low-carb diet for many months now and I don’t miss the sugar in my diet. I have felt healthier and have also seen some weight loss as a result. Thanks for putting the facts out there. 🙂
Glad that has been helpful, Heidi. I agree that the hardest part is just deciding to give it up.
The only type of sugar I would miss is honey. I always add a little spoonful to my morning tea. I’m sure going totally sugar free – except for fruit – would really make my body feel so much better!
KP, it really is nice to take a break from sugar from time to time. But I definitely can understand missing honey!
This is a great idea! I always go on 7 days of no desserts but never cut out sugar completely. This would be a difficult but useful challenge for me.
When I first tried to do this, each day I would only ask myself to get through the day without sugar. I told myself I would worry about tomorrow once I got there. That really helped me.
I need to try this! I have such a hard time with sugar- definitely my weakness. Thanks for sharing.
Olivia, I totally understand. Sugar used to be my weakness too!
Ok so I’m joining this challenge but I don’t know why but every time when I finish my workout I crave something sweet so I end up drinking sweet juices and stuff ! that’s gonna be the real challenge haha
Maryam, make sure to have extra protein before you workout. Then give yourself some type of carbohydrate (like a little bit of oatmeal or brown rice) if you feel like your blood sugar is low. That will most likely reduce the juice cravings.
Hi, Great idea, somewhat like detoxification too. I’ll definitely take this challenge with my friends. Thanks for sharing a very informative post.
You’re right about it being like detoxification. This is for sure a sugar detox and excess sugar is one of the more toxic things we eat!
Ooh what a great challenge, but super tough. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to completely cut sugar out. I think I’d have to take it one day at a time, lol.
Yes, try it for one day Rachel! You always start somewhere!
Wow – what a challenge!
I have a sweet tooth – always have from a young child. In fact as a teen, I bought sweets for lunch instead of food – what was I thinking?
I agree with health reports that state sugar is addictive – the more you eat it, the more you want it. I have seen the patterns in mylife. I am improving. I no longer eat sweets and opt for dark chocolate instead. I have also cut sugar from my hot drinks.
Phoenicia, I can’t even tell you how much junk I ate as a kid. It is staggering to think back of the amount of sugar I consumed. It is good to become aware of the sugar in your diet so, like you are doing, you can start to cut back.
Erica, if nothing else, this post should make people aware of the hidden sugars in supposedly ‘healthy’ foods. One thing I have a problem with is sugar added to yogurt. That is so good for you in its natural form but the sugar added ruins the natural goodness.
I knew about the sugar in the juices but didn’t realize that the sweetness in dried fruit is bad sugar.
Lenie, the juice thing is really so tricky. It just seems so wholesome since it is from fruit. It really pains me when I see parents giving glass after glass of juice to little kids and then wondering why they are hyper. Juice has about as much sugar as soda!
Fun! I usually start each new year with a cleanse. No sugar for a month. Glad that’s over, but it did make me feel extra healthy for a while.
Good for you Tara for doing a cleanse. Nice to hear you start the new year that way.
I just went through a similar sugar detox. It was hard, but so worth it!
I think the worst part of a sugar detox is the first few days. It gets easier at that point. And yes, it is so worth it.
What a great challenge! I definitely need to try this, I find myself consuming way too much sugar during the week.. especially in my coffee!
Ha! I know and those sugary coffee drinks are so good! But the sugar does add up.
Erica, you’ve got me signed up! I’ll do it, starting right NOW. Thanks. 🙂
That is great to hear Ramona. Let me know how it goes!
For sure!
This is great! I am going to do this. Thanks for the free printable. I downloaded it. =) I am going to try this with my kids so that it is a family affair. Thanks for sharing.
Ah, this is so great to do with your kids! It is just helpful for them to become aware of sugar because I didn’t think twice about it as a kid (and paid the price later). Let me know how it goes!
Oh boy…this is the perfect opportunity for me to assess just how much sugar I actually eat in a day (when I think I’m eating so well!). I think I’ll give it a whirl! It’s a good thing I love almost every kind of fruit.
I’ll check back to let you know how I fare!
Fruit saved me when I first tried to cut back on sugar. And now that we’re getting close to summer, some of the sweetest fruits are about to be in season!
Okay, I’m in. I don’t eat sugar and stopped using the artificial stuff, but I do like fruit – especially dried fruit – and I’m sure there’s some hidden stuff, so I’m going to give this a try!
Marquita, sounds like you have lots of great habits when it comes to sugar. This shouldn’t be too difficult for you. 🙂
Wow! Good idea. I will definitely try something like this. Currently I try not to buy anything that contains sugar by myself therefore, I don’t consume it much, however if someone offers it to me, I can not say no
Kristina, that is such a great plan to not buy it yourself. That is half of the battle right there!
I think I’ve probably cut my sugar consumption in half since I started reading the No-sugar Chronicles, otherwise known as Erica’s blog. Not sure I’m ready for the 7-day withdrawal but I still appreciate the fact that your posts continue to make me conscious of where sugar lurks and why you should avoid it.
That totally made me laugh Ken. My husband looks at my blog the same way.
On a serious note, being more aware is fabulous. It is never all or nothing. Small adjustments are fabulous.
Eliminating sugar is not good just for weight loss, but also reducing inflammation that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Sugar’s role in disease is really downplayed. I first became conscious of my personal sugar intake when my mother had cancer. Limiting sugar is one of the easiest ways to take control of your health. (though people are certainly often more motivated to do it for weight loss rewards!)
I did the Whole 30 challenge back in March and it was life changing for me. I did 30 days of no sugar and I didn’t think it was possible but I power through. It made a huge difference in my energy, mood, and the way I viewed sugar. I would certainly do this again.
Glad you had such success..that’s great to hear!