I Quit Sugar for 10 Days and My Body Did Something Unexpected

The love affair with sugar is woven into the fabric of our society. From childhood rewards to comforting snacks, sugar occupies a prominent place in our lives. We celebrate with it, console ourselves with it, and often find ourselves craving it even when we’re not particularly hungry.

Lately, social media has been flooded with ‘no sugar’ transformation, which got me interested in trying it for myself.

Since I love my sweets too much and have never done something like this before, I decided to begin with a 10-day ‘no sugar’ challenge.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this challenge, I want to clarify that this challenge doesn’t include natural sugars found in fruits. We’re talking about refined sugars found in processed foods.

In this article, I take you over how cutting out sugar from my life for 10 days impacted my energy levels, mood, and body weight. I’ll also share tips on how you can adapt this challenge according to your unique needs if you decide to try it for yourself. So, sit tight and read on as we begin the day-by-day breakdown of this challenge.

Days 1-3: The Sugar Withdrawal Struggle

As someone who tries several fitness challenges each year, I know that the first week of a new routine can be the toughest. However, it’d be an understatement to say that I wasn’t prepared for what happens to the body (and mind) when you go cold turkey on sugar.

The first three days were nothing short of brutal. Here’s an overview of my torture experience:

I don’t even have to think about the first withdrawal symptom — headaches; yes, it was that bad. I usually start my day with a cup of coffee, and yes, I enjoy adding a teaspoon (or two) of sugar to my caffeine. By late afternoon, I already have a decent amount of sugar in me.

Whenever you don’t feel well, you think about everything you did differently on that day that could have caused the problems. This time around, I knew exactly what had caused these throbbing headaches — cutting out sugar.

The headaches were a sign of blood sugar level fluctuations and my brain saying, “Hey, where’s my quick energy fix?”

It did not end there. Eliminating sugar from my morning routine led to energy crashes, resulting in fatigue and sluggishness. (1)

I won’t lie; I get a little irritable whenever I’m angry (anyone who says otherwise is lying). However, I discovered a whole new side of myself this time around. I was short-tempered and snappy, which is not my usual charming self.

Plus, like any other restrictive diet, I had to battle constant cravings throughout this initial phase.

All in all, by Day Three, I was asking myself if I should give up this challenge and if all these side effects were worth the trouble.

How To Combat Sugar Withdrawal

Whenever I am facing a challenge, I find ways to fight back. In my experience, these are the best ways to tame the sugar beast during this elimination challenge:

• Hydration: More often than not, people confuse thirst with hunger, which leads to snacking on processed foods that contain a ton of added sugar. I found that drinking a glass of water every half an hour helped with my sugar cravings. (2)
• Protein: Protein can help you feel fuller for longer and stabilize your blood sugar levels, which can be especially helpful for managing cravings. Prioritize eggs, chicken, fish, and other sources of lean protein in your diet.
• Strategic Snacking: Always keep healthy snacks, like almonds, walnuts, and berries at hand. Throw a handful of these snacks into your mouth whenever you crave something sweet.
• Distract Yourself: I have found that cravings usually strike when we are idle. Go for a walk, hit the gym, or do something else to take your mind off sugary snacks.

Remember, every individual’s body is different. What works for me might not necessarily work for you. Experiment with different things until you find how you can power through this no-sugar diet.

Days 4-7: Finding My Rhythm

I started feeling much better on Day Four when the sugar withdrawal fog began to lift. Now by mid-afternoon, I did not feel the blood sugar crash-induced fatigue and drowsiness. My energy levels were stable throughout the day and my productivity and output increased dramatically.

I also witnessed improvement in my sleep. Now, I fell asleep faster and woke up feeling more refreshed, which helped with the erratic mood swings, irritability, and anxiety. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that this also contributed to my overall productivity.

Sample Meal Plan:

Whenever I tell someone about this challenge, they usually ask what I ate during the 10 days. So, here’s a glimpse of my daily diet:

• Breakfast: Omelet with spinach and mushrooms, or Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of nuts.
• Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens and a light vinaigrette, or a hearty lentil soup.
• Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted vegetables, or lean ground beef stir-fry with broccoli and peppers.

Feel free to tweak this diet plan to suit your unique lifestyle and preferences.

Changes & Challenges

As the first week of this no-sugar challenge came to a close, I noticed a major improvement in my overall energy, mood, and sleep. I also felt much sharper and focused, thanks to the stable blood sugar levels.

Ten days is a very short period to achieve significant weight loss. If you are thinking about starting this challenge to shed the spare tire, you’ll have to stick to it for the long term and prioritize a calorie deficit, which involves burning more calories than you consume in a day.

Since I adopted this no-sugar challenge while following a cutting program, it helped speed up my weight loss progress. My clothes started to fit a bit looser around the waist and more snugly around the shoulders and arms, which is always a good sign.

While I did not lose significant weight during these 10 days, I was happy with my body composition progress.

Navigating social situations was the biggest challenge for me during the 10 days. Once you start this challenge, you’ll realize the crazy amount of sugar we consume while eating out. Resisting temptations and politely declining is a skill, and it takes a long time to develop it.

In my opinion, bringing your own food is the best solution to this challenge. Pro tip: pack enough food so that you can share it with others. This makes this entire process more frictionless.

Days 8-10: The Home Stretch and Beyond

The final phase of this challenge made me analyze my dietary choices even more strictly. I read the nutritional facts of every packaged food item to check for red flags. This challenge had initially started as a test of willpower but had now become all about maximizing my health once I had started noticing my body’s response to the absence of refined sugars.

Since my body was adjusting so well to this new routine, I added an evening snack to my meal plan. I ate a handful of almonds or a hard-boiled egg to keep my blood sugar levels stable and avoid cravings.

There were several unexpected benefits of cutting sugars. First, my digestion witnessed a major overhaul.

Consuming an excessive amount of sugar can wreak havoc on your gut microbiome, which can lead to several health issues (3). Eliminating sugar helped reduce the bloating and water tension and I felt lighter and more comfortable.

Experts consider the gut microbiome the second brain of the body. It pays to invest the time and resources in picking food that gels well with your digestion.

This might be a coincidence, but my skin cleared up remarkably. I’m prone to occasional acne breakouts, especially when I consume higher amounts of processed foods. If eliminating sugary foods and beverages can help me tame this, I will seriously consider giving up sugar for good.

Also, my taste buds felt more alive during this 10-day challenge and I could taste everything better. All of a sudden, fruits started tasting sweeter and vegetables more flavourful.

Tangible Results

Let’s talk about results now, because this is why we undertake such demanding challenges:

• Weight Loss: I lost 3 pounds during this challenge, which was a welcome side effect during my cutting program. The best thing was that the weight loss felt sustainable.
• Mood and Energy: Initially, my mood was all over the place. However, things started smoothening out as my body started adapting. My focus sharpened and my sleep quality improved.

Even though the results might not sound like a lot, you must remember that this is a 10-day challenge. Stick to this routine long enough to achieve your weight loss goals.

Many people have reported developing a better relationship with food after they started scrutinizing food labels closely. It can also make you a mindful eater and change your entire outlook on nutrition.

Make no mistake, battling temptations will be tough. However, the more you stick to your plan, the easier it will become.

Looking Ahead

This 10-day challenge over-delivered, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Plus, completing this challenge hits differently when you realize that nothing good comes out of eating refined sugar (besides momentary pleasure).

I’ve decided to do 20 more days of this challenge.

Even after the challenge is completed, I’ll continue to read labels and make food decisions based on the amount of sugar in them. I’ll also begin strategic sweet indulgences to keep things under control while savoring my favorite treats.

Conclusion

I have not met a single individual who regrets cutting out sugar from their diet. Replacing sugar with nutrient-dense whole foods in your diet can improve energy levels, boost sleep quality and quantity, and help develop an overall healthier relationship with food.

Giving up sugar is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. I won’t lie; there were several times when I felt deprived during these 10 days, especially when I saw someone enjoying a slice of cake. However, you must remind yourself why you started this challenge when the going gets hard.

You don’t have to completely eliminate sugar from your diet from Day One, like I did. Start with cutting out sugar from one meal or snack and build on that. Best of luck!

If you have any questions about quitting sugar or need help implementing it into your own routine, post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Gillespie KM, Kemps E, White MJ, Bartlett SE. The Impact of Free Sugar on Human Health-A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2023 Feb 10;15(4):889. doi: 10.3390/nu15040889. PMID: 36839247; PMCID: PMC9966020.
2. McKay, N. J., Belous, I. V., & Temple, J. L. (2018). Increasing water intake influences hunger and food preference, but does not reliably suppress energy intake in adults. Physiology & behavior, 194, 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.04.024
3. Di Rienzi SC, Britton RA. Adaptation of the Gut Microbiota to Modern Dietary Sugars and Sweeteners. Adv Nutr. 2020 May 1;11(3):616-629. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz118. PMID: 31696209; PMCID: PMC7231582.

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