I Used To Drink A Bottle Of Coke A Day – Here’s How I Cut Down on Sugar

To start, I changed the route I was walking to work so I avoided the temptation of the shops and I soon realised how much money I was saving. That kept me going! I was still having sugar but healthier sugar. I snacked on fruit and nuts, split peas and carrots, and I always kept a bottle of water on my desk next to me instead of Coke.

I was full of trepidation at the beginning. I thought: I’m not going to be able to do this, I’m going to get headache after headache and horrible withdrawal symptoms. There were times when I had cravings, but it was never terrible with cold sweats or anything. And after the first 21 days it was actually okay.

My colleagues helped me stick with it – they’ve all been really supportive. And because I was having those conversations with them, I felt I’d be letting them down in a way. That element of responsibility really helped.  

I now have around a pack of sweets a week, if that. I’ve reintroduced occasional treats because I believe in everything in moderation. But a packet of strawberry sweets (my favourites) will now last three or four days, as opposed to when they would go within a couple of hours. I drink mostly mineral water, I don’t put sugar in my tea and generally when I do drink it, it’s herbal tea. I now get my sugar from seasonal fruits and I feel so much better for it. 

Health-wise I feel like I’ve got a lot more energy now over a long period of time, which I need because I’ve started my own business on top of working full-time. If you’re planning to cut down on sugar in 2019, I’d say challenge yourself, but remember you don’t have to go all-in.

I think when you try to go in cold turkey about things you fail, then when you do fail you feel a lot worse about yourself. If you do overindulge in sugar, try to only have it every other day to start. Set yourself a budget and try to stick within that budget. If you have a chocolate bar a day, maybe have one segment each day and make it last the week, rather than eating it all at once.

The reality is that these things take time – that’s something I’ve had to learn – because if you’ve been putting this stuff into your body for however many years, it’s not going to be an instant transformation. But you’ll get there. 

As told to Rachel Moss.