Despite what most people think, I—an avid runner and nutrition writer—can’t just eat whatever I want.
I still need to fuel my body and my miles with whole foods, good fats, fruits and veggies, and make sure I’m not eating more than I’m burning.
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But I’d been hearing a lot about the no-sugar craze and some talk about if sugar is really bad for you, and it got me thinking about my diet. The truth is: I have an insane sweet tooth. I eat ice cream every day. I even held a taste test at Runner’s World once. So if anyone could stand to cut back on sugar, I figured it was me.
I gave myself 30 days to see what would happen. But it wasn’t all or nothing—I made a few guidelines on how to cut out sugar from my diet.
No Refined Sugars
Natural sugars, on the other hand, were fine. I would not cut out fruits, and I would still be able to sweeten my (full fat!) plain yogurt with a little bit of honey, for example.
No More Than 8 Grams per Day
My go-to breakfast is the aforementioned yogurt with granola, so I looked for stuff that contained fewer than eight grams of added sugar. If I’m being honest, I made that number up: I’m not a registered dietitian (although I work with them quite a bit). But 8 grams seems like an appropriate amount of sugar, especially if it’s mostly natural.
Finding a granola with so little sugar turned out to be difficult so I ended up making my own and adding a little bit of honey for sweetness.
I Could Still Have Fun
This was about cutting back, not depriving myself and feeling miserable, so if something came up (a birthday party, a nice dinner with dessert), I wouldn’t turn it down. Besides, I’ve learned over the years that it’s easier to form good habits if you’re not so strict with yourself. A total sugar deprivation probably would have lasted until day two. Okay, okay, day 1.5.
Through the experiment, I learned a lot of things—most of which were surprising. Here are the top takeaways based on my experience (and if you’re trying to cut back yourself, check out these seven tips for kicking your sugar addiction.)
1. I felt lighter—at first.
As you might expect, I felt great for the first few days. The key word there is “felt.” A couple of days wasn’t long enough for the change to have had a physical effect or move the needle on the scale. Maybe it would have if I’d been eating nothing but fast food for three meals a day. But I had gotten so excited at the prospect of cutting back on my sweet tooth that it boosted my motivation. At the end of the 30 days, however, I didn’t end up feeling any different.
2. I uncovered a different kind of willpower.
I don’t feel like I lack in the willpower department—I’ve run seven marathons, and I’ve prepared for all of them. I’m not scared of putting in hard work, whether it’s 90 degrees out or in the single digits. But when it comes to my sweet tooth, all bets are off. During Passover, for instance, I won’t touch a crumb of chametz (wheat, corn, rice, beans) because it’s not allowed. But in general, I just can’t say no to a few scoops of ice cream.
This experiment helped me see that I could turn down that 2 p.m. bite of dark chocolate or the nightly bowl of frozen awesomeness, and that did feel good.
[The 2021 Runner’s World Calendar features gorgeous photos, monthly motivation, and tips to inspire your running all year long.]
3. My skin broke out.
You hear stories of people cutting out sugar (or some other “bad” thing), and their skin glows or their hair becomes silky. This did not happen to me. In fact, I broke out in chin acne. To be fair, I’ve been struggling with acne on and off for a while, so my dietary change may not actually have been the cause, but it happened within a week of cutting out most sugar so I’m noting it here.
4 Low-Sugar Items to Add to Your Diet
Fage Plain Greek Yogurt
Contains 6g of sugar per serving.
Woodstock Farms Organic Cashews
Contains 2g of sugar per serving.
Original Ancient Grain Granola
Contains 7g of sugar per serving.
Smucker’s Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
Contain 1g of sugar per serving.
4. I ate more fruit and nuts.
I love fruit. I’m getting better at eating veggies (thanks to my local CSA!). But in order to satisfy my sweet tooth, I turned to fruit. I noticed I was feeling so much fuller due to the fiber content (something I often write about, but it’s always nice to be validated firsthand). Organic cashews (unsalted, roasted) became my staple snack. High in fat, yes, but filling, tasty, and easy to munch on.
5. Sugar is in EVERYTHING.
No, seriously. I thought I knew this when I read this article on deceptively sweet health food. “Hidden sugars” blah, blah. But no, really. Sugar is in everything. (So is gluten, actually.) I learned to read nutrition labels even closer than I had been, which helped me make healthier choices. And that’s a habit I can take with me beyond this month-long experiment.
6. I got creative.
Making a homemade granola is just one example. I realized something my friend has been saying forever: It’s best to just make things yourself. I love making cookies, but they’re packed with sugar. So I took one of my favorite recipes and tweaked it to make it a little healthier. Instead of Nutella, which I normally add to my oatmeal (along with protein-packed peanut butter), I made an avocado-based chocolate spread, sweetened with honey. And for better or worse, I took a few bites of that in place of my ice cream.
7. I actually eat pretty well.
I’m not going to lie. I thought that by dialing back my sugar the weight would fall off and I’d be at my lean and mean racing weight. You’ve read how that happens, right? But I didn’t lose weight. I didn’t gain weight either.
I realized that, despite my sweet tooth and my nightly bowl (okay, okay, scoops straight from the carton) of ice cream, I eat well and don’t have much to “cut out.” Sure, if I wanted to shed ten pounds, I could probably do it. But I’d have to seriously sacrifice by cutting out all sweets and dialing back my caloric intake, which during marathon season, may not be as high as it should be anyway. So, chalk one up for me, for eating a pretty balanced diet and performing pretty well on the road.
Over the years I’ve learned that depriving yourself of certain foods or food groups is the worst thing you can do to your mind and body. I used to cut out carbs. I couldn’t maintain a healthy weight. I was miserable. Once I started eating everything in moderation, my weight stabilized; I was happier, and I stopped feeling like I was missing out on things.
Where am I now, you might ask? I’m not as strict as I was during that month-long experiment. But I am more mindful—or I try to be. I read the labels closely. I ask myself if I really need that square (or two) of chocolate that has (somehow!) made its way onto my desk. I try to make my own versions of foods I like if possible. I try to limit the amount of ice cream in my freezer. And of course, I run a lot.
No, I can’t eat whatever I want, but a sweet treat tastes even sweeter after a good workout.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:44 5K, and 5:33 mile. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, Cooking Light, CNN, Glamour, The Associated Press, and Livestrong.com.
