66 days to cut down sugar: ‘I find myself enjoying the sweetness of my lip balm’

How long does it take to change a habit? It varies, but one paper suggests it takes an average of 66 days. We ask writers to change one thing in their lives within that timeframe … and tell us if it works

Not even a year ago, I would have called myself crazy for giving up sugar, even for 66 days. But the truth is I eat way too much of it and it can’t be good for me.

I’ve eaten cake for breakfast on more than one occasion and can easily finish a packet of biscuits in a day. I have a soft spot for baked goods, kindled by the many bakeries and cafes in my neighbourhood. If I go to bed without eating something sweet I feel as though something’s missing.

Topics

I woke from a coma to find my baby had been born

Atlanta McIntyre hopes to raise awareness of hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition that affects 1 in 100 pregnant women.
BBC News - 9h
‘I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams’: I’m 66 and inherited $500,000. How do I make sure this money lasts?

“Should I buy an investment property? Stocks? CDs?”
MarketWatch - 1d
'I can't get divorced as I can't get my pension valued'

Divorcing teachers say they are living in limbo waiting for pension valuations to be calculated.
BBC News - 2d
‘You’re gonna find this creepy’: my AI-cloned voice was used by the far right. Could I stop it? | Georgina Findlay

It was chilling to hear ‘my voice’ repeating lies – and to discover that deepfake audio is a growing threat to democracy. Georgina Findlay is a writer and presenter at the YouTube channel TLDR ...
The Guardian - 3d
WATCH: Adorable giant pandas enjoy snow day at their new home, the Smithsonian National Zoo

Bao Li and Qing Bao are loving the snow in Washington, D.C., ahead of their public debut. Visitors are invited to meet the bears at the zoo on Jan. 24.
ABC News - 3d
A new start after 60: I was diagnosed with ADHD – and stopped hating myself

After decades of self-doubt and depression, I’ve finally found my place in the world. Jean Ward always wondered if there was something wrong with her, and hated herself for it. The feeling started ...
The Guardian - 4d
Dancer Wayne Sleep: ‘I hid my sexuality from my mother, so it was wonderful to come out and be myself at last’

The dancer and his husband on meeting at a beach bar in Spain, the stresses of working together, and who is the teenager in the relationship. Born in Plymouth in 1948, Wayne Sleep is a dancer and ...
The Guardian - Jan. 2
‘Bizarrely, I enjoyed bungee jumping!’ How Ed Davey became the Tom Cruise of British politics

The Liberal Democrat leader’s summer of stunts ended in the party’s biggest electoral success ever – and managed to push social care up the agenda. His next project? Mastering TikTok. There he was, ...
The Guardian - Jan. 1
In Gaza we were the happiest family I could imagine. Then came the worst days of my life | Fadwa al-Masry

I am an academic, a mother, no threat to anyone. Yet those I love have been injured and killed, and I have endured indescribable hardships. I am a Palestinian mother with a bachelor’s degree in ...
The Guardian - Jan. 1

More from The Guardian

Trump becomes first president to be a sentenced felon but avoids jail time or fines in hush-money trial – live

President-elect claims historic case was ‘despicable charade’; judge says ‘unconditional discharge’ does not ‘reduce the seriousness of the crime’. Trump avoids punishment and calls case ...
The Guardian - 21m
California wildfires live updates: night-time curfew ordered for parts of Los Angeles amid looting

One person arrested for suspected looting; 150,000 LA county residents remain under evacuation orders. After the fire, the insurance battles: new ordeals to come Fleeing the LA fires alone on ...
The Guardian - 9m
Venezuela’s Maduro sworn in amid outrage over alleged election theft

President, who has led country in an increasingly repressive direction since 2013, has failed to provide proof he won vote . Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro , has been sworn in ...
The Guardian - 24m
South Africa police find 26 naked Ethiopians held by suspected traffickers

Three people arrested after group escapes Johannesburg house by breaking a window and burglar bar. South African police have rescued 26 Ethiopians from a suspected human trafficking ring in ...
The Guardian - 5h
Zuckerberg approved Meta’s use of ‘pirated’ books to train AI models, authors claim

Sarah Silverman and others file court case claiming CEO approved use of dataset despite warnings. Business live – latest updates Mark Zuckerberg approved Meta’s use of “pirated” versions of ...
The Guardian - 4h

More in World

California wildfires live updates: night-time curfew ordered for parts of Los Angeles amid looting

One person arrested for suspected looting; 150,000 LA county residents remain under evacuation orders. After the fire, the insurance battles: new ordeals to come Fleeing the LA fires alone on ...
The Guardian - 9m
TikTok ban: government tells supreme court Chinese government could ‘weaponize’ app at any time – live updates

Justices hear arguments after app’s Chinese-based parent company ByteDance asked justices to review case. How would a TikTok ban in US work? TikTok maintains it is not controlled by the ...
The Guardian - 11m
Britain’s First Drug Consumption Center Is Set to Open in Glasgow

Scotland, which has the highest rate of recorded drugs deaths in Europe, is launching a new facility for users to inject illegal drugs under medical supervision.
The New York Times - 14m
Everton in Moyes talks, Sainz hit with six-game ban and FA Cup news: football – live

All the latest before a busy weekend of FA Cup action Email Niall your thoughts | Sign up for Football Daily Here’s the bottom of the final Premier League table last season… . 17th ...
The Guardian - 20m
Trump becomes first president to be a sentenced felon but avoids jail time or fines in hush-money trial – live

President-elect claims historic case was ‘despicable charade’; judge says ‘unconditional discharge’ does not ‘reduce the seriousness of the crime’. Trump avoids punishment and calls case ...
The Guardian - 21m