By Mike, The SugarFreeMan
Founder of SugarDetox.com and the 30-Day Sugar Freedom Challenge

I so wanted to be “normal.”

I wanted to be able to drink normally. I didn’t want to quit. I liked everything about it.

Until I didn’t.

One minute it was one big, fun party and the next I was blacking out and doing things I would regret and have to apologize for.

My work was suffering. My relationships were definitely suffering. And my paycheck just seemed to evaporate.

All I wanted when I searched for help was for you to tell me how to go back to the days when it was fun. To show me how to “drink like everyone else.”

Slowly, I learned it just doesn’t work that way.

I didn’t change without taking years more to try it “my way.” More pain, more embarrassment, and a ton more money.

After 35 years of being both sober and sugar-free, I’ve learned something crucial: the question “Can you quit sugar alone?” is the wrong question. The right question is “Why would you want to?”

This article was review by Dr. Camela McGrath, MD, FACOG. Find more about her here

From One Addiction to Another (My Story)

Fast forward a few years after getting sober, and I finally put down beer and picked up sugar instead.

Six to eight 16-oz Mountain Dews, no ice, a day. Plus candy all day. And tons of ice cream every night.

Substituting one drug for another doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. Slept all the time. My brain was a fog until I’d had two or three Mountain Dews.

It took me another three or four-plus years to quit the sugar.

Just like the drinking, I would make it about a week or so, sometimes even a month, only to return to it with a vengeance and worse results.

The Yo-Yo Pattern That Fascinates Me

I am so curious about the analogy of my experience and the concept of yo-yo dieting-quitting anything and then going back even harder.

I’ll be honest, it fascinates me.

What would cause a person to do something so successfully for a period of time only to abandon what seemed to be working and go back to the very thing they were trying to change? And to then do it more aggressively-like binging?

The answer may be above my pay grade.

But after helping tens of thousands of people quit sugar over 35 years, I’ve seen the pattern enough to recognize what makes the difference between temporary success and lasting freedom.

The only thing I can offer is the real experiences of the folks who have NOT repeated the yo-yo cycle.

The folks who finally put down the sugar and started a completely new life. A new body, new attitude, and according to them-a new brain.

So Can a Person Quit Sugar Alone?

According to the people who have succeeded long-term-not days, but years-the answer is:

Drum roll, please…

Sometimes, but it’s pretty rare and pretty lonely.

Let me unpack that.

Yes, Some People Can (But Here’s the Cost)

Can you physically quit sugar without talking to another human being? Yes. Some do.

These tend to be people who:

• Have rock-solid willpower
• Are highly disciplined
• Don’t have strong emotional-eating habits
• Have supportive families
• Prefer to solve problems alone
• Got lucky with timing and circumstances

But even these people usually had some form of support—whether they realized it or not.

Maybe it was a spouse who didn’t sabotage them.
A friend who checked in.
An online post that made them feel seen.
A faith community.
Anything that kept them from doing it 100% in isolation.

True isolation = extremely low success rates.

Why Going Alone Usually Fails

Here’s the typical timeline when someone tries to quit sugar alone:

Week 1: Motivated. Confident.

Week 2: Withdrawal hits. No one to tell you it’s normal.

Week 3: Stress or emotional triggers hit. Sugar used to be your coping mechanism. No one to help you through it.

Week 4: Social events become overwhelming. You feel alone.

Week 5–6: One slip leads to shame…
Shame leads to giving up…
And you’re back to daily sugar.

This is the repeating pattern for people who try alone.

According to NIH research, social support is one of the strongest predictors of long-term behavior change. It’s not fluff-it’s science.

The Secret Sauce (If There Is One)

If there is a secret sauce, if there is some “magic method” to quitting sugar, it would be a community. It would be the connection to others who want the same thing.

Our society is too drenched in sugar as a part of the culture, and the discussion is too early for the lone wolf type to prevail.

Think about it:

• Sugar is at every celebration
• Sugar is how we show love
• Sugar is the reward for hard work
• Sugar is the comfort for bad days
• Sugar is woven into every holiday
• Sugar is in 80% of packaged foods
• Sugar is normalized, expected, pushed on you constantly

You’re trying to quit something that the entire culture is telling you is normal and fine.

That’s like trying to quit alcohol in a society where beer flows from water fountains and every meal includes wine.

You need people who see it differently. People who understand why you’re doing this. People who validate that this is hard and worth doing.

Why Community Changes Everything

1. Validation That You’re Not Crazy

When everyone around you is eating sugar and telling you “just have one bite,” you start doubting yourself.

Community says: “No, you’re not crazy. Sugar addiction is real. Your struggle is valid.”

2. Perspective When Your Brain Lies to You

Your brain will tell you:

• “One cookie won’t hurt”
• “You deserve this”
• “Start again tomorrow”

Someone outside can say: “That’s addiction talking.”

3. Real-Time Crisis Support

At 9 PM when you’re standing in front of the pantry, you can reach out to someone who gets it.
That moment is where community saves you.

4. Proof That Long-Term Success Is Possible

Seeing people who’ve been sugar-free for years gives you hope.

5. Accountability Without Shame

Someone cares whether you succeed. That matters.

6. Shared Strategies and Solutions

Other people have already navigated the situations you’re struggling with.

7. The End of Isolation

Sugar addiction thrives in isolation.
Community breaks the shame cycle.

Our 30-Day Sugar Detox Challenge provides the community you need to succeed. You’ll connect with thousands of people at all stages of their sugar-free journey. Stop trying to do this alone.

The Stats Don’t Lie (Yo-Yo Dieting and Why It Happens)

Some can quit with just information and willpower, but they are the minority.

The yo-yo diet stats tell the real story.

The statistics are brutal:

• 95% of people gain weight back within 1–5 years
• 66% gain back more weight than they lost
• The average person tries 126 diets in a lifetime
• Less than 2% maintain long-term weight loss

Why?
Because diets are temporary and done alone.

Recovery is something you do with others, permanently, as a lifestyle.

Sugar and Refined Carbs Can Be Tricky

There are a million theories about refined carbs, weight loss, and health.

But none of that matters if you still can’t quit sugar.

What matters most is the experience of people who have succeeded.

Stick with the winners – the ones who’ve lived sugar-free for years.

Build Relationships, Build Community

This isn’t optional. It’s essential.

Here’s what building community actually looks like:

Step 1: Find Your People

Join a sugar-free group, program, or online community.

Step 2: Show Up Consistently

Don’t lurk. Participate.

Step 3: Be Vulnerable

Share your real struggles.

Step 4: Support Others

Helping others strengthens your own recovery.

Step 5: Build Specific Relationships

Find 1–3 people for daily check-ins.

Step 6: Stay Connected Long-Term

Connection prevents relapse.

But I’m an Introvert (This Is For You)

The author is in the 99th percentile for introversion, so this part is personal.

Community does not mean constant socializing.

You just need enough connection to not be alone.

Ways introverts can thrive:

• Read the forum daily but post weekly
• Have one accountability partner
• Prefer writing over calls
• Engage on your own schedule
• Choose the conversations that feel right

Online community works extremely well for introverts because you control your energy and visibility.

Introversion isn’t an excuse to stay stuck.
If doing it alone hasn’t worked, try what does work.

See You in the Winner’s Circle

Join people who decided to stop trying alone.

Some are on day 1. Some are on year 10.

What you’ll find in the community:

• People who understand
• Real talk, no toxic positivity
• Proven long-term strategies
• 24/7 support
• No judgment
• Compassionate accountability
• Living proof at every stage

This is the winner’s circle.

The Choice in Front of You

Can you quit sugar alone?
Maybe – if everything aligns perfectly.

But why make it harder?

The path of trying alone led you here.
The path of community leads to lasting freedom.

The author tried alone for years. It didn’t work.

Don’t waste years repeating the same pattern.

See you in the winner’s circle.

Join our 30-Day Sugar Detox Challenge and become part of a community that understands your struggle and is committed to your success. Introverts welcome – participate at whatever level feels comfortable.

About the Author

Mike Collins, “The SugarFreeMan,” has been sugar-free for over 35 years and is the founder of SugarDetox.com. He has helped tens of thousands of people break free from sugar addiction. As a severe introvert, he understands the resistance to community but credits connection as essential to his long-term success.

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before making major dietary changes, especially if you have underlying health conditions.

FAQ

Q: Can a person quit sugar alone without any support? A: Sometimes, but it’s rare and lonely. While some highly disciplined people succeed alone, most who try fail due to lack of crisis support when cravings hit, no perspective when their addicted brain rationalizes using sugar, absence of accountability, and isolation allowing shame to thrive. Research from NIH shows social support is one of the strongest predictors of successful behavior change. Even people who succeed “alone” usually had some unrecognized support system.

Q: Why do people yo-yo back to sugar after successfully quitting? A: People return to sugar after periods of success because sugar is woven into culture (celebrations, comfort, rewards), they have no one to call during critical craving moments, shame and isolation take over after a slip, there’s no accountability or support system, and 95% of people who diet alone eventually return to previous behaviors. Without community support, temporary success rarely becomes permanent change.

Q: What does community provide that you can’t get quitting sugar alone? A: Community provides: 1) Validation that sugar addiction is real and your struggle matters, 2) Perspective when your addicted brain lies to you, 3) Real-time crisis support during critical craving moments, 4) Living proof through others that long-term success is possible, 5) Accountability without shame, 6) Shared strategies and solutions from people who’ve solved problems you’re facing, and 7) Breaking the isolation where shame and addiction thrive.

Q: How can introverts succeed at quitting sugar if they need community? A: Introverts can succeed through online communities where they can participate on their own schedule, engage through writing instead of real-time interaction, have one accountability partner instead of large groups, be as visible or invisible as they choose, and take breaks when needing alone time. The key is being connected enough to not be isolated while respecting introverted energy needs. You don’t need to be social constantly – just connected enough.

Q: What’s the difference between dieting alone and recovery with community? A: Dieting is something you do alone, temporarily, until reaching a goal – leading to 95% failure rate with people regaining weight. Recovery is something you do with others, permanently, as a lifestyle – leading to sustained success. Diets provide information and meal plans but lack ongoing support, crisis intervention, accountability, and proof of long-term success. Recovery provides all of these through community connection.

Q: What should I look for in a sugar-free community? A: Look for communities with: people who understand because they’re living it too, real talk about struggles (not just toxic positivity), proven strategies from people who’ve succeeded long-term (years, not days), 24/7 support availability, no judgment or shame, accountability with compassion, and living proof of people at every stage showing what’s possible. The community should include both newcomers and long-term success stories.