How I Cut My Added-Sugar Intake by 90% and Changed Who I Am
Hint: It wasn’t by sheer self-control.
Last year, I was consuming over 36 grams, or 9 teaspoons, of added sugar a day. Now I consume only 3–4 grams, one teaspoon, on average — as I have for the last four months.
It has not been a herculean effort of self-control and deprivation.
Instead, I altered a few habits, deepened my awareness of what I was ingesting, and discovered delicious alternatives for sugary foods.
Consuming added sugar is a risky business; it contributes to obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. It also racks up calories while providing zero nutritional benefit — calories I wouldn’t call “empty,” considering their effects are far from “empty.”
This year, my goal is to become fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been. Along with working out regularly and nurturing a healthy lifestyle, I had to refine my diet— the added sugar had to go.
Here’s how I did it.
I removed cues that prompted me to consume sugary foods.
Studies show that the mere sight of food, contextual food cues, can make us feel hungry even when we don’t have physiological hunger.
If I open the fridge for water and see a bar of chocolate next to the jug, I’ll break off a few pieces to munch on, even though I’m not hungry.
My apartment was filled with such cues. So I moved the tub of Maltesers and tins of buttery biscuits away from my coffee table and didn’t restock the kitchen shelves with honey-glazed nuts, caramel popcorn, and fruit loops.
It worked. I stopped eating unnecessary sweets and snacks when I wasn’t hungry, trimming down my added sugar intake.
Out of sight, out of mind — indeed.
Tracking my sugar intake boosted my food-awareness.
Recording my sugar consumption for a few days revealed two things:
1. I was consuming much more than I’d initially guessed. The amount of added sugar in food astounded me.
For instance, one two-ounce Snickers bar has a whopping 27 grams of sugar — a little over the entire day’s recommended sugar limit for women.
2. It was sneaking into my diet from unexpected sources, such as condiments, nut butters, granola bars, and oatmeal.
I changed the way I shopped for food.
I began carefully scanning nutrition labels and returning sugar-filled items to their shelves. Added sugar hides behind different names on nutrition labels: agave nectar, honey, fruit juice concentrates, molasses, maple syrup, maltose, and more. No, thank you.
I also used commitment devices: when we make choices in the present to control future actions, binding us to good habits.
I didn’t purchase cookies, flavored yogurt, or brownies to keep at home, so I couldn’t be tempted by them later. Having to make more effort, than just grabbing something from the kitchen to get a sugar fix, made the activity much less enticing.
I kept hunger at bay.
Hunger between meals invariably leads to snacking — possibly sugary snacking.
I eat satiating foods to remain full after meals, clamping down on the urge to snack. These foods include fresh vegetables, plant-based protein, and whole grains.
I’ve also made simple lifestyle changes, such as eating mindfully, to stay satiated, even though I’m practicing calorie restriction:
I found delicious substitutes.
I made a list of items contributing to my sugar overdose and discovered natural, wholesome alternatives for each of them.
Here are some of the dietary changes I’ve made:
- Swapped my breakfast, of flavored-yogurt and honey-drizzled granola, for a bowl of plain yogurt, sprinkled with nuts, powdered dates, and fennel seeds. Dates and fennel seeds provide natural sweetness.
- Sourced locally-produced protein bars, devoid of added sugars and artificial sweeteners, to enjoy with coffees and chais, instead of dense-caloric biscuits.
- Traded sweetened fruit preserves and jams, on bread and smoothies, for sugar-free nut butters, which provide protein and flavor.
- Replaced sugary snacks in my apartment with whole fruits. Fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
- And so on.
I cast votes to be healthy.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear writes that the key to lasting behavior change and intrinsic motivation is to make the desired habit a part of your identity.
“It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.”
He writes that your identity emerges out of your habits, and every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
It was simple; I wanted to decrease my sugar consumption—I wanted to be healthy. So I cast votes in favor of this identity.
Every time I chose nutritious alternatives to sugary foods or worked out, I affirmed my identity.
Shaving off some sugar doesn’t seem arduous anymore — it’s just an extension of who I am.
Final word
Slashing my sugar intake helped me break through a fitness plateau and achieve ab definition after years of working out.
The benefits went beyond improved physical health to include — reduced mental grogginess, smoother skin, strengthened confidence in achieving future goals, and a positive shift in identity.
I’ve achieved progress. I’ve shaped my identity as a person who is healthy. Both are powerful sources of motivation, making my dietary changes sustainable. Plus, I enjoy the creativity of crafting healthy substitutes for sugar-filled fares — I’m hooked.
Of course, I can’t resist freshly baked banana bread or my Mom’s apple pie. So I’ll just go ahead and enjoy a small serving occasionally.
It’s not an all or nothing game.
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