I Didn’t Just Like Sugar—I Was Addicted and Struggled

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2026 marks 37 years since someone first told me, “You change personalities when you eat sugar.” It took those entire 37 before I had the guts to do anything lasting about it.

I didn’t just like sugar—I was addicted. Sugar called the shots for decades. Once a craving hit, resistance was pointless. In the end, an addict always gets what she wants.

I’ve written about the progress and the backslides. A few years ago, during Dry January, I noticed something telling: the missing glass of red wine at the start of dinner had been replaced by dessert at dinners end. I called it “carbo-balancing”—a subconscious attempt to keep my glucose leveled and high-ish. The result? A stubborn 5–10 extra pounds, despite an otherwise healthy diet, and a growing sense that my body wasn’t heading in the right direction.

I say it took guts to cut back because the idea genuinely scared me. Cold turkey wasn’t an option—I would’ve lost my mind. Withdrawal had to be slow. As I reduced sugar, I became acutely aware of its effects: elevated heart rate, and a rush I can feel. Dopamine, right on cue. It took from Dry January to March/April to feel “normalized”—minimal cravings, ok with sweets a few times a week, mind not lost.

It was progress, but by year’s end I’d re-addict myself. Pumpkin pie and whipped cream started it off at Thanksgiving, and we slid right into the Christmas cookies, candy, and eggnog. Yes, yes, yes! Drink the eggnog? Not necessary. Just inject it into my veins.

That cycle ran for three years. But this holiday season, something shifted. I don’t think I re-addicted myself. I enjoyed sweets, just not as many—and I made one firm commitment: no eggnog (liquid sugar – watch out). It’s early, but I feel pretty normal and it’s only January. I may have finally learned how to flatten my glucose curves on more than a temporary basis. It’s been a long way to freedom. I hope it lasts.

Alcohol was never my Dry January nemesis. Sugar was. I used to think it was everyone else’s too. I thought the GLP-1 craze was about controlling blood sugar spikes, but reading Dr. David Kessler’s 2025 book Diet, Drugs and Dopamine, I learned the drugs work largely by inducing nausea—not by stabilizing glucose.

And the book helped me realize something else: there are at least two kinds of over-eaters—those who eat to feel over-full, and those chasing something entirely different. I’ve never been an over-eater, even on Thanksgiving. The only thing I ever overate was sugar.

But not to feel full.

I was chasing the buzz of course—a faster heart rate; a dopamine hit. Not satiety—a high. And it had to stop.

If 2026 is the year you want off the glucose roller coaster, I recommend Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé. It’s a science-backed guide to balancing blood sugar with simple habits and hacks—no strict dieting, no cutting out foods you love. Flatter glucose curves mean fewer cravings, less inflammation, and better energy, mood, sleep, skin, and long-term health. Maybe even fewer wrinkles.

Elevated blood sugar—without diabetes—is common. Pre-diabetes affects an estimated 38% of U.S. adults. Inchauspé’s “glucose hacks” are practical, doable, and one even involves the benefits of drinking vinegar before meals.

To that I say: Hello Shrub.