Not sure I've ever seen David answer here.

The book is clear on this.  Fructose is a problem because your body does not know how to deal with it.  Dextrose, your body knows how to deal with, but it's still the case that high calorie foods will make you overweight if you eat too much.  So, the book says that dextrose based sweets should be a treat, not a staple.  How much you choose to allow is up to you.  The more dextrose based sweets you eat, the more calories you are eating, with obvious results.  However, you should find that unless you continue to eat past being full because you want to 'pig out' on sweets, that if you have a ton of sweets, you will just find you're still full the next day.

Short version - have your eyes open to the fact that what you're eating is not great for you, but it's going to be a ton better for you than if you used sugar, mostly because your appetite control should work, if you listen to it, and stop you from eating too much, or keep you full afterwards for longer than usual.

Everyone is different.  I found my cravings were gone in a few days, but I recently went to the US and found it hard to stay off sugar, and now I am back, I am struggling to reestablish myself, I'm not being AWFUL, but I am finding I want to snack in the day again.  I think the main thing is to just do the best you can, not knock yourself for being less than ideal.  No-one is perfect.  Every day is a new day.  Honestly, I think that never drinking sugar has a huge impact, even if I end up eating a little ( but of course, I am still working towards eating none, I just need to get it all out of the house again, so I have no choice ).

Hi Kirsten,

Unfortnetly females can find it harder! I never really thought I had a sweet tooth until I stopped sugar! I still do get cravings, but it's usually around that time of month and I've read that's perfectly fine (read on Mark's Daily Apple site).  It's more so the hormones that are the problem.  I've been off sugar now for 20 months and foods that weren't sweet before are sweet now so I don't really need any dextrose based stuff, I can get away with berries and cream or if I do make things I cut the dextrose in half which is what you could do just cut down on the amount of dextrose you use.  Your cravings will subside, it may take some time.  If you feel hungry, fill up on fats and proteins.