Friends with Habits
Health & Body
60-Day No Sugar Challenge with a Friend
No sweets, soda or sugary snacks, and a friend to text when a craving hits.
Android today, iPhone next. Free to download and use.
What it is
A no-sugar challenge usually means no added sugar: sweets, desserts, soda, sweetened coffee drinks and sugary snacks are out; whole fruit, plain dairy and unprocessed food stay in. Some people cut sweeteners too. Decide your rules before day one and write them down, because labels are full of edge cases.
Cravings are short and social. They show up with the office cake, the afternoon slump and after dinner. A partner doing the same challenge gives you someone to message instead of opening the cupboard, and someone who understands why you turned down the birthday cake.
Sixty days takes you past the point where cravings are the problem and into the part where social habits are. Use the re-commit at day 30 to adjust any rule that was too strict or too loose.
Before you start. If you have diabetes or another condition affected by what you eat, talk to your doctor before changing your diet.
How to do it
- Write your rules: added sugar is out, and decide in advance about juice, honey, sweeteners and sauces.
- Clear the house of the things you'd reach for first, or ask whoever you live with to keep them out of sight.
- Check in each evening. The day counts if you stuck to the rules you wrote.
- Keep a fallback snack ready for the afternoon and after dinner, the two most common craving times.
Day by day
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Days 1–3
Set it up
Write the rules, clear the cupboard and read the labels on what you eat most. You'll find sugar where you didn't expect it; decide together what to do about it.
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Days 4–20
The novelty wears off
Cravings are often strongest in the first days. Message your partner when one hits and wait ten minutes before deciding. Most of them pass.
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Days 21–48
The long middle
The cravings fade and social pressure takes over: birthdays, dinners out, someone else's dessert. Agree on your answer in advance, and tell your partner when you've made it through one.
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Days 49–60
The finish line
Decide with your partner what you'll keep after the challenge, whether that's no soda or dessert only at weekends, before it ends.
Milestones over 60 days
Day 30: re-commit
On day 30, re-commit together for another 30 days. Change one thing about how you do it, like the time, the route or the rule that was too strict, and keep everything else the same.
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Day 30: review the rules
After a month you know which rules were too loose and which were too strict. Agree on any change with your partner before you re-commit, and write the new version down.
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Day 40: the social season
By now cravings are rarely the problem; invitations are. Plan the next big event, a birthday, a holiday or a dinner out, with your partner before it arrives.
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Day 60: what stays
Pick what you'll keep after the challenge, such as no soda or sweets only at weekends, and tell your partner. A rule you chose is easier to keep than one you drifted into.
Where people quit, and how a partner helps
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The office treat
Cake in the break room is the classic first slip. Say no before you look at it. Telling your partner afterwards turns a moment of resistance into a small win you both count.
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The hidden sugar
Sauces, cereals, granola and coffee drinks catch out people who thought they were on track. Read labels together for the first few days and agree on what counts, so neither of you fails on a technicality.
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The bad-day reward
Sugar is the default reward after a hard day. Pick a different one in advance. A partner checking in at the same time is often what interrupts the habit.
Your 60-day tracker
Print this page, or tick the boxes here. Ticks are saved in this browser only. In the app, you and your partner see each other's check-ins as they happen. One tick a day.
You
Your partner
How to start it in the app
- Create your free account, then install Friends with Habits from Google Play and sign in.
- Tap New Pact and pick “No added sugar” under Health & Body.
- Keep the schedule the template suggests: every day.
- Invite your friend by link, text or email. Once they accept, you both check in each day and see each other's progress.
- A pact in the app runs 30 days. When the first one ends, tap Re-commit for 30 more and your shared streak carries over.
Questions
Does fruit count in a no-sugar challenge?
Usually not. Most no-added-sugar challenges allow whole fruit and cut juice and dried fruit. Decide with your partner before you start and write it down.
Are sweeteners allowed?
It's up to you. Some people allow them to make the switch easier; others cut them to reset their taste. Either works if you both know the rule.
What if I eat sugar by accident?
Check in honestly and keep going. A sauce you didn't check isn't the same as a dessert, and one mistake doesn't end the challenge.
Is 60 days without added sugar harder than 30?
Usually not harder, just different. The first weeks are about cravings; the second month is about social habits and staying alert to hidden sugar. A partner helps most in the second half, when it stops feeling like a challenge.
Is 60 days too long for a first challenge?
Not if you treat it as two 30-day blocks. Re-commit at day 30 and decide then whether to change anything. If you've never done a challenge like this, starting with 30 is fine too.
What happens if one of us misses a day?
Your partner sees it, and the app nudges you both. Check in honestly and pick it back up the next day. People who finish a challenge are rarely the ones who never missed; they're the ones who came back the day after.
What if I don't have a friend doing this challenge?
An accountability partner doesn't need to be a close friend or an expert, only someone who'll notice. A coworker, a sibling or someone from a group chat works. Invite one person; most people say yes to a challenge with an end date.
Do we both need the app?
Yes. Each of you checks in from your own phone, which is the point: you see when your partner has done it today, and they see you. Friends with Habits is on Android via Google Play today, and an iPhone version is next.
Is it free?
Yes. Friends with Habits is free to download and free to use, with no card. A free account tracks a limited number of active habits at a time, which leaves plenty of room for one challenge.
Other lengths
Do it together
Start this challenge with a friend
Free to start. Create your account, pick “No added sugar” in the app and invite the friend who's doing it with you.
Android today, iPhone next. Free to download and use.