“I feel like absolute garbage,” my personal training client exclaimed during a recent training session. “I thought I would feel better giving up sugar. She had mentioned she stopped adding sugar to her coffee, said to no sweets or candy, and threw out her fruit juice. This client was most likely going through the early stages of sugar withdrawals. Let’s do a deeper dive into sugar and talk about the sugar, the withdrawal symptoms, and how to cope.
The average American consumes 22–30 teaspoons (about 88–120 grams) of sugar each day. This is considerably more than the recommended maximum, which is 6 teaspoons (about 24 grams) for females and 9 teaspoons (about 36 grams) for males.
Therefore, if your diet is high in added sugar, reducing your added sugar intake may come with some unpleasant symptoms.
To better prepare you for a detox in sugar, it is important to know some possible side effects of detoxing from sugar. These symptoms include mental and physical:
Mental:
Depressed mood. Some people may feel down when they cut added sugar from their diet. This is partly due to a decrease in dopamine release.
Anxiety. Feelings of anxiousness may be accompanied by nervousness, restlessness, and irritability. You may feel like you have less patience than usual and are on edge.
Changes in sleep patterns. Some people experience changes in their sleep when detoxing from sugar. You might find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night.
Cognitive issues. You may find it difficult to concentrate when you quit sugar. This can cause you to forget things and make it hard to focus on tasks, such as work or school.
Cravings. Along with craving sugar, you may find yourself craving other foods, such as carbs like bread, pasta, and potato chips.
Physical:
Feeling Run Down
Headaches
light-headedness or dizziness
nausea
fatigue
One thing to keep in mind is that when you are coming off sugar, your caloric intake is going to drop as well. And depending on how much sugar you were eating, this may make up a significant amount of daily calories. Because of the large variance from person to person, I recommend working with a knowledgeable coach or professional to not only help mitigate withdrawal symptoms, but keep the client from spinning their wheels. In my time as a nutrition coach, I have seen many people get off sugar and not replace it with healthier options, leading them to under eat markedly. Could this be you?
Are you looking to kick the sugar train? I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started today!