How I Helped My Fitness Fanatic Win Over Sugars
6 months ago, I stopped eating desserts. Before this, I often indulged in 6 desserts a day - sometimes a dessert every 60 minutes.
Since I quit desserts, friends often ask,
“Why did you do this? How do you stick to it?”
Some even question my sanity.
Here are my thoughts on:
Trials
Why
Effects
Side effects
I spend 1 hour 14 minutes writing this. You need 8 minutes to read this.
The Cultural Role Of Desserts
Over the past 5 to 10 years, my interest in reducing desserts has grown—like it does for many adults aiming to be healthier. But “healthier” can be vague. It’s hard to balance the long-term benefits of avoiding desserts with the short-term joy they bring.
Desserts are fun and culturally significant. Celebrations like birthdays, Christmas, and Diwali often revolve around them. It’s common to gift sweets when visiting friends, instead of savory items.
Growing up, my favorite dessert was gulab jamun — fried dough balls soaked in sugar syrup. In recent years, I’ve become a fan of indulgent cookies like from Levain Bakery cookies and moist cakes like tres leches cake or Hummingbird cake.
Desserts held deep sentimental value for me. Growing up, they were part of many fond memories. My wife and I also share special moments tied to desserts—we remember specific treats from particular dates at different restaurants. For example, we still recall the dessert we ate at Serendipity Cafe in New York City.
My History As A Feasting Foodie
I’m a feasting foodie. Some days, I've eaten at 15 restaurants in just 8 hours. I’ve had over six desserts in a single day, more times than I can count. My wife and I love food touring, often feasting on so many desserts that we’d skip all other food for the rest of the day.
I often joke that my favorite cuisine isn’t Italian, Indian, or Mediterranean—it’s desserts. Two items on my foodie bucket list were about indulging in sweets. First, I wanted to visit a brownie patisserie in Dublin and try all 12 of their brownie flavors at once. Second was to go to an Argentinian bakery in Dublin and eat their 40 dulce de leche-based desserts—all in a single day.
Why I Gave Up Desserts
I’m a fitness enthusiast with clear goals: to be stronger, healthier, more resilient, and to achieve longevity. I also want to look fit and strong.
My fitness approach varies, for example, I go through cutting and bulking phases. Some months, I focus on a calorie deficit, avoiding high-calorie foods like desserts. Other months, I aim for a calorie surplus to build muscle. However, even in surplus phases, I have struggled to gain muscle. Adding more calories can help speed up muscle gain. But adding more calories is tricky if I eat desserts because I would need to cut calories elsewhere to maintain balance.
Despite knowing this, I still enjoyed desserts. My solution was,
“Taste desserts, don’t feast on desserts”.
By savoring small portions, I aimed to enjoy the flavors and make it a social experience with my wife—without overloading on empty calories.
However, I noticed a pattern: both my wife and I experienced digestive discomfort after eating desserts. This made me dig deeper.
One insight was about sugar. Sugar is a level 2 processed food and desserts containing sugars are usually level 4 ultra-processed foods, which can harm gut health, disrupt hormones, and impact overall well-being. It’s not just about what or how much you eat—it’s also about how your body responds. Hormones play a major role, especially insulin, which regulates blood sugar.
I discovered that the total sugar in your blood at any moment is just about a teaspoon—5 grams. If this rises to 7 grams, it increases the risk of diabetes. To put this in perspective, a single dessert can contain 50 grams of sugar.
Another revelation was about fats. Saturated fats were wrongly vilified for years, but current research shows no solid evidence to support those claims. This shifted my perspective on how I view different foods.
I also learned about foie gras, made by overfeeding ducks fast-digesting carbs, causing fatty liver. Similarly, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects people who don’t drink alcohol but consume excess processed carbs. This hit me hard—while I avoid alcohol for health reasons, desserts were having a similar effect on my liver.
Finally, I read about the 3 signs of metabolic syndrome in Outlive. I realized these risks apply even if I’m not overweight. This was eye-opening—poor dietary choices could jeopardize my long-term health.
So, I gave up desserts to support my fitness goals, protect my health, and prioritize longevity.
The Moment I Decided To Quit
One trigger moment came after eating New York Levain cookies. My wife had some flown in from New York to Dublin through a colleague. On a Saturday morning, I woke up and ate several at 6:00 AM. Soon after, I felt intense discomfort in my stomach and gut.
That experience made me reflect: I’ve put so much effort into becoming the best physical version of myself—so why do I treat my body this way?
How I Tried To Cut Back
I experimented with different ways to reduce my dessert intake.
Trial 1: Weekday Rule
I built a habit of eating only measured, clean food on weekdays. This limited desserts to just 2 out of 7 days each week.
I kept exceptions on weekdays for social events like meetups, date night, or dinner with friend, but this worked great and I continue to follow this.
Trial 2: "Taste, Don’t Feast" Rule
I set a rule: “Taste, don’t feast on desserts.” I set a rule to taste desserts without overindulging. I often failed. Once I started eating a cake slice, I couldn’t stop.
Trial 3: No Solo Dessert
One night, I went alone to a dessert cafe after a late-night meet-up. I didn’t enjoy it at all.I realized desserts weren’t enjoyable without my spouse. So, I stopped eating them alone.
Trial 4: Cutting Unloved Desserts
I identified and eliminated desserts I didn’t enjoy, like ice cream and bready items such as pain au chocolat.
I also realized the nuts and fruits in desserts attracted me the most. So, I thought, why eat the rest of the desert when the most exciting parts for me in the desert are the natural fruits and nuts.
Trial 5: Calorie Awareness
I researched the calories and ingredients in desserts, which reduced my cravings.
Trial 6: Learning About Sugar's Effects
I read books and articles on the harms of eating sugar, reinforcing my motivation.
Trial 7: Defining "Taste, Don’t Feast" with AI
I defined portion sizes that worked for me using GenAI tools like ChatGPT. For example,
Cake: A small slice, about the width of two fingers or the size of a standard business card.
Ice Cream/Gelato: A scoop the size of a standard golf ball.
This still didn’t work for me. I ended up feasting on desserts.
Trial 8: Daytime Desserts Only
I learned that insulin response is better during the day, so I stopped eating desserts after 6 p.m.
Trial 9: Total Elimination
Eventually, I quit desserts entirely. No exceptions—not at birthdays, social gatherings, or even a single teaspoon. I also avoid sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices, and dried fruits.
My Only Exceptions
Before I started avoiding desserts, my wife asked me to eat cake on her birthday and anniversary. The only exception I made in last 7 months was around her birthday. She had already chosen the flavors. I ate 2 small spoons. I enjoyed it.
Another time, we went to a buffet at a five-star hotel. I saw a dish called Set Yogurt, an Eastern Indian specialty. It looked appealing, and since I love yogurt, I took some. It was sweet, and I liked it. Then my wife pointed out it was actually a dessert.
I also realized that many savory dishes contain added sugar when eating out. For example, ketchup, caramelized onions, and some pickles have sugar. Ingredients in burgers, hot dogs, Thai dishes, and sweet-and-sour noodles often include added sugar. Because of this, I adjusted my rule. Instead of "no sugar and no desserts," I follow "no desserts" and minimize sugar in savory items. I no longer order sweet-and-sour dishes, even though I enjoy them.
These exceptions didn’t affect my overall resolve but reminded me that I still love sweetness.
How I Satisfy My Sweet Tooth Now
I satisfy my sweet tooth with a fruit bowl of fresh chopped fruit, yogurt, and roasted seeds or nuts. I get my daily dose of sweet from this. I top it with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, or ginger powder, along with a pinch of sea salt.
But I don’t use jaggery, sugar, or fruit juices. I rarely use honey, dates, or dried fruits.
How Quitting Desserts Changed Me
Quitting desserts transformed my health and lifestyle.
Improved Digestion:
My gut feels better. My digestion has improved, and I experience fewer irritable bowel issues.
Guilt-Free “Feasting Foodie”:
I feel less guilty about eating out. Since desserts don’t satisfy hunger like savory foods, I enjoy savory dishes more without worrying about their impact on my body. I am less likely to overeat savory dishes.
Balanced Identity:
My Fitness Fanatic and Feasting Foodie identities feel more connected. I no longer feel an identity crisis between them — avoiding desserts helps me maintain harmony between both.
Reduced Mindless Snacking:
I’m less likely to snack mindlessly at night. Ready-to-eat savory snacks are rare (except for nuts), so I naturally snack less. I’m scared of snacking on nuts because they are very calorific.
Heightened Sweet Sensitivity:
My tongue has become more sensitive to sweetness. Even a drop of sweetener or sugar-based flavoring in food or drinks tastes strong now.
Easier Weight Control:
Managing my weight is easier. Cutting even a few calories on weekdays leads to noticeable weight loss. Avoiding desserts is key for my weight control.
No More Midnight Hunger:
I rarely wake up hungry at night. In the past, weekend desserts caused sudden hunger spikes, leading me to rely on protein shakes, fiber supplements, and vegetables to stay satiated. Sugar from desserts absorbs quickly, triggering late-night hunger. Now, with more savory foods, I don’t face this problem.
Spouse’s Lifestyle Changes:
My wife eats fewer desserts at restaurants or cafes too. We used to enjoy them together, but since I’ve cut back, she has reduced her desserts.
Better Dental Health:My dental health has likely improved. Fewer sweet and acidic foods mean less plaque buildup, reducing the risk of tooth decay.
Unexpected Challenges And Side Effects
Quitting desserts brought some unexpected challenges, both socially and personally.
Social Pressure on My Spouse:
When we meet friends, my wife often ends up eating more dessert than she wants to, even though it’s not good for her. She feels the social pressure to compensate for the fact that I don’t eat any.
I’m considering responding to the host’s question, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?” when we’re invited to their homes. This might help reduce the pressure on her.
Limited Food Exploration:
One downside is that I explore fewer new foods. It’s harder to visit 15 places in 8 hours like I used to with my wife because there aren’t as many spots offering small savory bites. So, our food tours have become more limited.
Mixed Reactions from Friends and Family:
Some friends or family frown upon my choice, but many see it as a significant accomplishment—something they admire, even if they don’t find it practical to give up desserts completely.
Very few have been offended when I didn’t eat the desserts they prepared.
Challenges with Religious Offerings:
In India, temple offerings (prasad) are usually sweet. I can’t refuse, waste, or discard them, so I give them to my family. This means they eat more sweets because of their religious beliefs and my reluctance to eat them.
Books That Shaped My Thinking
Primary
Secondary
What Would Make Me Change My Mind?
I want to think of criteria that will make me reconsider my stance on eating dessert. Do you have any ideas?
Related: