First published on Jun 16, 2025
For the uninitiated, I am taking on a series of 21-day experiments. A brief introduction can be found here.
We all know what is going to happen, right? Sugar, in the modern sense, is probably bad. Very bad. It's in everything and we can't stop eating it. Here in the UK, we are eating three times the recommended amount of sugar[1] and that is taking into account what appears to be a fairly liberal definition of what a "normal" amount is.
I have a sugar problem. A serious one. Every meal ends with sweets, biscuits, or chocolate - often a combination. The afternoon and evening are punctuated by more sweet snacking and most meals include the addition of some sugary sauce.
What's more, I know how hugely it negatively affects me: I sleep poorly, I get huge dips in energy (which of course are 'solved' by another hit of sugar), I have brain fog and I hold a few extra pounds of weight. Beyond these symptoms, I feel a sense of shame. Like a hidden addiction, I don't like people to know or see me snacking away on somewhat ridiculous amounts of sugar (think not a single chocolate bar, but four back-to-back). I feel depressed and miserable about my own lack of self-control. "How can I be a good father and husband when I can't even look after myself?"
So let's deal with it. A nice time-boxed experiment. Why? Well, having an end date, at least initially, keeps me sane. It allows the early urges to be quelled ("just wait a couple of weeks and then we can eat whatever we like!") and it allows for some unscientific observations and conclusions to be drawn as to how a lack of sugar actually makes me feel. If there is clear improvement in areas of my life, I expect the impetus to continue to be stronger. Or maybe nothing changes. Maybe all these symptoms and feelings I have long since blamed on sugar are totally unrelated. At least then I can begin to pursue them further and understand the true root cause.
See you in three weeks.
Welcome back. We made it. 21 days of not wittingly consuming any sugar. Before I write up my own conclusions, here are the most notable points:
A quick note on parameters: For these 21 days, I eliminated all sugar - both added sugars and natural ones. This meant no sweets, biscuits, chocolate, sugary sauces, or drinks, but also no fruit, honey, or anything containing natural sugars.
The first and second points interest me the most. I expected to maybe drop a pound or two, but eight? It goes to show what a scary amount of my calories were from sugary and largely nutritionally devoid rubbish. And now, without these things, I feel a bit lost as to what and how much I should be eating. I can quite honestly say that I think I eat a good amount of fairly normal and healthy foods. The weight continuing to drop suggests otherwise - something else to think about and address.
Energy and mood are solid and, more importantly, feel under my control. Lulls in either are more easily diagnosed as frustration with a work task or some personal disagreement, as opposed to this insulin spectre pulling strings behind the scenes.
I am slightly embarrassed to say this publicly, but I feel proud. Sugar has been an almost impossible-to-conquer "addiction" for many years, and 21 days later, not only have I succeeded in completing the experiment, but I truly feel no real pull to go back. I will no doubt indulge in a sweet treat now and then, but honestly, I think me and sugar are done.