HOW TO HANDLE SUGAR CRAVINGS IN EARLY SOBRIETY

I got this photo from a client the other day with the text “HELP, I can’t stop eating sugar.”

It’s probably one of the questions I get asked most by my clients within their first month of going alcohol-free. 

Listen I get it, we were promised that ditching our alcohol meant that we would magically and instantaneously drop 15 lbs when we stopped pouring our nightly wine glasses. How the hell are we supposed to look like a sober supermodel before summer when all we want to do is eat gallons of ice cream and stuff candy bars in our face? 

I have one simple magical tip for you ladies on this subject.

It’s called grace.

Give yourself grace to eat the sugar because your body is healing itself. Your body is confused. You’re craving sugar for two reasons (1) there is a ton of actual sugar in alcohol. Wine, mixers, you name it they are packed with sugar. (2) There is a dopamine hit that we get when we drink. It’s the learning hormone. It makes us euphoric for a short time and tells us that we want more. You get the same release when you drink wine or eat a candy bar. This is why we are seeking sugar in lieu of alcohol. 

If you’re taking a break from alcohol and you are desperate to eat the sweets – EAT. THE. SWEETS. 

I don’t want you to beat yourself up if you’re craving sugar,  I started doing my alcohol free journey during lockdown when my 11 year old daughter was baking banana bread and cookies and cakes and all of the sugary baked goods almost every single day. And you know what?! I just let myself eat them. If you are finding that you’re craving sugar, let yourself have the treat. Right now we are working on taking a break from alcohol. You do not have to be a hero this month and cut sugar right now. Instead plan out treats that you can have for yourself when you get a sugar cravings.

These hardcore sugar cravings do not last forever. They get more manageable as the days go on. It is a temporary thing I promise you. 

“How long!!!” I hear you shout- well, the answer is different for everyone. I can’t tell you what it’s going to look like for you. I saw gradual shifts overtime. I am now just over two years alcohol free and I don’t get those wild sugar cravings anymore.  

Sure, I still eat ice cream but it’s not 24/7. And the best part is, I feel the strongest and most healthy I have every felt in my entire life. Ditching alcohol and riding the sugar roller coaster meant I learned how to nourish my body and make better healthier choices over time. I learned what to eat to make myself feel fuller and better. If sugar is making you feel better right now as a substitute for alcohol – EAT IT. 

REMEMBER- when you are trying to ditch alcohol you need to remember two things. First, play the long game- healing doesn’t happen over night, it happens gradually day by day. But the rewards are so so worth it. Second, alcohol is the first and most important step to getting yourself healthier and happy. Ditch alcohol first, and THEN you can deal with those pesky sugar cravings. 

They do go, I promise. And you will feel better. So in the meantime smile, treat yourself with grace and have the bloody snickers bar.