We've gone SUGAR-FREE! tribe - Page 3

[farmama]

Has anyone tried vegetable glycerine? i use it primarily for a sweetener because i am completely addicted to sweet things. it's not supposed to affect blood sugar, and it's listed as acceptable in my candida diet book... oh, and NO funny taste. just mildly sweet. http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals....sweeteners.htm

[saratc]

Originally Posted by odd-ducks

I haven't caved. Yet. But, I'm despairing of the approaching holidays. I'm afraid that if I fall off this wagon, there'll be no hoisting myself back on. Once I get going, it's hard for me to hoist anything but Krispy Kremes.

No, you can do it! Or if you've already caved, it's okay. Tomorrow is another day.

I've noticed that if I haven't had enough fats, that I will crave sweets and refined carbohydrates. I don't just mean the soy fats -- I mean butters and a bit of skin with the chicken here and there. The funny thing is, my friend was telling me how her trainer was telling her that if she wanted to be really lean, that she should give up sugar and refined carbohydrates. That the really lean weight-training people do eat fats but not sugar.

If you have not yet given up refined carbohydrates like white bread and white flours, try to at least eat plenty of protein, some fat, and a lot of fibers at the same meal. I've noticed that otherwise, the refined carbohydrates and refined grain products are just as bad as sugar in terms of the effect and end up making you crave sugary stuff.

[odd-ducks]

No, you can do it! Or if you've already caved, it's okay. Tomorrow is another day

Amen to that! That goes for you too, Anna06 Maybe we shouldn't look at it as 'starting all over' if we slip back into old habits once in a while, you know? I mean, I think we're all trying to make a lifestyle change. That's a tall order, and more about the big picture than the Halloween splurge. Making gradual, seemingly small changes (like a real breakfast instead of cereal bars!), that will have big impacts on our health in the long run.

If you have not yet given up refined carbohydrates like white bread and white flours, try to at least eat plenty of protein, some fat, and a lot of fibers at the same meal. I've noticed that otherwise, the refined carbohydrates and refined grain products are just as bad as sugar in terms of the effect and end up making you crave sugary stuff

Amen to that, too! When I began Animus_Silvae's original sugar-free challenge, I cut out flour, white rice, and white potatoes along with sugar. I've stuck with that, and I think it's the only reason I've been able to maintain my sugar-free streak. (That, and eating lots of nuts and other fatty foods ). Because, yeah, it effects me just like sugar. Even whole grain flour, because I just keep eating it until my body gets its sugar fix. And, that eventually, inevitably, leads back into refined flour products and full-on sugar binges.

I'm so grateful for this tribe. The support and suggestions from you other women on this same journey have been, and continue to be, more helpful and inspirational than I could have hoped for.

[Stevie]

I've been sugar free for 7 days today and I miss it; Halloween was way too hard! And I want skittles : 2 more weeks and I won't miss it? I can DO that

DS and I took a run around the block and when he wanted to quit I told him that if he raced me to the house he could play with play dough instead of offering something to eat as a reward... I do have to keep it out of the house; the kids were undersanding when the candy disappeared (DH took it to work) when I explained that it was me; not them I also let them pick out a toy to make up for it. Next time I'll offer time with me playing a game instead

[bright]

Originally Posted by odd-ducks

Amen to that, too! When I began Animus_Silvae's original sugar-free challenge, I cut out flour, white rice, and white potatoes along with sugar. I've stuck with that, and I think it's the only reason I've been able to maintain my sugar-free streak. (That, and eating lots of nuts and other fatty foods ). Because, yeah, it effects me just like sugar. Even whole grain flour, because I just keep eating it until my body gets its sugar fix. And, that eventually, inevitably, leads back into refined flour products and full-on sugar binges.

I agree with this also. I've been off sugar since the beginning of '06. I rarely get cravings. I can look at sweet things and think that they would taste good, and they would. But it's not that uncontrollable physical sugar craving, the I-have-to-have-it shakey feeling.

For me I am SURE that the key has been eliminating all refined flour products, including white rice, white pasta, white bread, potatoes. And eliminating all higher glycemic sweeteners, including sugar, honey, maple syrup.

For sweeteners I will occasionally use stevia or agave, but not frequently. If I want spaghetti I make spaghetti squash, or sometimes kamut pasta. Brown rice in small quantities, other whole grains in small quantities. Ezekiel sprouted grain bread only. The bulk of my diet is vegetables, protein sources like eggs, chicken, some red meat, cheese, nuts, and fruit.

I ate some whole grain unsweetened walnut bread the other day, and for the first time since going off sugar I had strong physical cravings for sweets. At first I didn't know where the cravings were coming from, and then I thought of the bread, andI think they are connected. Back to Ezekiel for me.

Everyone is different, and some people can tolerate a lot more whole grains than I can without craving sugar. But, if you are still craving, I would strongly suggest eliminating these potential trigger foods for a week or so and see how you feel.

And yeah, eat LOTS of fat. Avocados, olive oil, butter, cheese, nuts. I eat these things liberally and I believe that also makes a huge difference in stopping sugar cravings.

Remember those low fat diets from the 80's? The ones that were centred around white pasta and crackers, where you couldn't eat cheese or eggs and had to know the calorie count of every single food under the sun? Yeah. We need to do exactly the opposite of that!

[bright]

So, what is everyone eating?

Personally I usually won't post what I've eaten in a day type of thing, becoz I find it triggers ED stuff.

But if you are comfy doing that, cool! I'd also love to hear people's favourite dishes, and the easy dishes you eat all the time, alternative sweets, new recipes!

[Anna06]

learning

Hey, this thread is really getting good. It's more than giving up sugar for 21 days, it's changing my life style.

Thanks for the words of wisdom odd-ducks, sarate and bright. And I think animus_silvae already figured this out also. Not only NO sugar, no white anything....flour, rice, potatoe.....

I too would benifit from what you all are eating if anyone is interested.

Of course I'm on my way to my friends 2 yo's birthday party :
White cake, white ice cream and cheese pizza oh my !! So I just ate a peanut butter sandwhich on ww bread. But will that hold me over? Will I be strong enough to resist the sugar??? :

[saratc]

Originally Posted by bright

So, what is everyone eating?

DH and I do eat whole grains, but we can't do any white grains at all. And Odd-ducks is right -- the whole grains still make you crave sugar if you eat enough of it. When I find myself thinking that cake looks good, I start cutting down my grains and loading up the protein, fats, and veggies.

So here's what I ate in the last few days. BTW, I eat every 2-3 hours since I find my blood sugar more stable that way (and mood).

Thursday:
Breakfast - Banana
Snack - Handful of cashews
Lunch #1 - Leftover grilled skirt steak, spinach, kim chi, and brown rice
Lunch #2 - Same as lunch #1
Snack - Apple
Dinner - Crockpot chicken, broccoli, brown rice

Friday:
Breakfast - Apple
Snack - Cold chopped liver and onions
Lunch - Leftover crockpot chicken, broccoli, brown rice
Snack - Banana, some cashews
Early dinner - Tofu, shrimp, and veggy stir fry; crispy duck; a tiny bit of white rice -- this was a splurge cause DH and I were too hungry to wait after a home inspection for a house we are moving into.
Snack - Cold chopped liver and onions, a bit of kefir smoothie (milk kefir mixed with strawberries and bananas)

Today
Breakfast - Apple
Snack - Leftover tofu, shrimp, and veggy stir fry
Lunch #1 - Wheat bread with turkey, roast beef, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce.
Lunch #2 - Leftover chicken, cabbage, and brown rice

[odd-ducks]

I've been sugar free for 7 days today and I miss it; Halloween was way too hard! And I want skittles 2 more weeks and I won't miss it? I can DO that

Just wanted to give a quick note of encouragement to you, Stevie. The first couple weeks were the hardest for me. Cravings, mood swings.

Scratch that... not mood swings. My crappy mood was pretty stable, actually.

Really unenthusiastic about life in general, (pitiful, I know). And, I was so tired. Physically tired. I'd been depending on sugar to get through my day far more than I suspected. (And, I suspected it was a major crutch!).

Anyway, it does get better. Honestly, it does. The cravings just sort of faded away. Now, it's all about taming my emotional impulse to pacify with sugar. But, the physical cravings are gone, gone, gone. I've been following an eating style very close to what Bright and Sara described in their pp. (Except, I eat way more than Sara does. An apple for breakfast??? I wish!). The protein and fat are essential. At least, they have been for me. (An added bonus: Like I said, I'm a big eater-- and, I've actually dropped weight eating this way).

I keep trailmix in my car. I fill up on that before I'm faced with tempting sweets and it's helped me through many a potential crisis.

You can do it!

[Stevie]

thank you odd duck
I quit drinking and I quit smoking and never ever crave those things anymore, so if there's a hope that this too shall pass, I will be okay! I also stopped "white" foods and most caffeine last Sat.
Just watched the Dr Oz Oprah episode last week; great encouragemnet that I am on the right track; seems I am doing things right.

[crunchyconmomma]

oh! can i PLEASE join you for support? my last two attempts were a flop. (except for that "i haven't failed, i have found new ways to NOT do things" concept!)
i want to do this without the horrid detox feeling though. one of my flopped attempts was because by midday i was so violently ill i couldn't stand up. i had a preschooler and baby and couldn't even care for them. DH came home to find them just roaming the house with no supervision because i couldn't bear the agony. i would love to be able to check into a clinic and tough it out, but that just isn't going to happen. life, kids and my classes must go on.
so here's something i am dying to know - did you all have horrible detox(es) and if not, what do you think the key to your success was? i am so freaked out about feeling that way again that i haven't been able to get the courage to just quit yet. what remedial steps should a person take to make the smoothest transition? i have been on a very traditional SAD diet again with all the junk thrown into the mix. were you all already on very healthy, whole food routines prior to kicking?
:

[saratc]

Originally Posted by crunchyconmomma

what remedial steps should a person take to make the smoothest transition? i have been on a very traditional SAD diet again with all the junk thrown into the mix. were you all already on very healthy, whole food routines prior to kicking?
:

I didn't have a horrible detox when I quit sugar, but did have a detox that lasted a few months when DH and I threw out all our chemical cleaners and switched to an organic diet. Since that was spurred by a cough that lasted 6 months punctuated by asthma (which my conventional doctor tried to fix and failed), the detox was not so bad in perspective. While my chronic cough and asthma faded away, I got a terrible cold that lasted a couple of weeks. Then for the next few months, I was very fragile, tired and got sick very easily.

Even before the switch to organic and whole foods and getting rid of all the chemicals, DH and I had given up all fast food, anything with HFCS or trans fats, and were steering away from preservatives.

It was after all that that we completely gave up white, refined grains and sugar.

If you are still eating lots of processed foods, giving up sugar may also mean giving up a lot of the coloring, preservatives, and trans fats that they come packaged with. In that case, it may be more than your body can handle and spur a pretty nasty detox.

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by saratc

If you are still eating lots of processed foods, giving up sugar may also mean giving up a lot of the coloring, preservatives, and trans fats that they come packaged with. In that case, it may be more than your body can handle and spur a pretty nasty detox.

This is a MAJOR bonus of giving up sugar. By default, you give up sooooo many other nasties too!

As for what I eat, I try to follow NT/SCD. My husband is on SCD so I am doing my best to eat along side him for support. I'll post some examples later--right now I gotta run!

[crunchyconmomma]

Originally Posted by saratc

I didn't have a horrible detox when I quit sugar, but did have a detox that lasted a few months when DH and I threw out all our chemical cleaners and switched to an organic diet. Since that was spurred by a cough that lasted 6 months punctuated by asthma (which my conventional doctor tried to fix and failed), the detox was not so bad in perspective. While my chronic cough and asthma faded away, I got a terrible cold that lasted a couple of weeks. Then for the next few months, I was very fragile, tired and got sick very easily.

Even before the switch to organic and whole foods and getting rid of all the chemicals, DH and I had given up all fast food, anything with HFCS or trans fats, and were steering away from preservatives.

It was after all that that we completely gave up white, refined grains and sugar.

If you are still eating lots of processed foods, giving up sugar may also mean giving up a lot of the coloring, preservatives, and trans fats that they come packaged with. In that case, it may be more than your body can handle and spur a pretty nasty detox.

oh thank you so much for sharing! that's a really good point that all the other stuff might be a big problem and it might not be just the sugar. but then again, it's also a motivator b/c just like animus said, all the other junk goes out the door when you get rid of the sugar.

wonder how long it would take of eating whole foods but still having sugar included, maybe in muffins to get "off" the chemicals before tackling the sugar obstacle.

anyone else have any experiences to share? please! please!

[sunshinestarr]

Just wanna say that I just discovered date syrup and I'm STOKED!

[crunchyconmomma]

what's date syrup all about? sort of like using honey or maple syrup or brown rice syrup or something?

[sunshinestarr]

I just bought it today. It's 100% dates, and has the consistency of honey.. I had some pancakes today and used it for syrup.. Was really, really yummy. Has a slight molasses taste, but very slight.

I really love dates anyway, though - they're my new candy!

[babygrant]

I'm on day 2 of being sugar free and I've had a splitting headache all day. I popped 3 of ds's smarties but it didn't do anything. I'm suuuuuuuuuuuuper grumpy too. How long does it last???

[odd-ducks]

Ah yes, the headache. I'd almost forgotten about that, babygrant. That was the worst. I'd have to read back over my posts, but I think mine lasted about five or six days. I remember it psyched me out by disappearing around day four... lulled me into a false sense of victory. Came back with a vengeance the next day.

But, it hasn't returned since

I also remember that, due to my foul mood, I wasn't fit for polite society for the first week or two after going sugar free. I totally understand what you're going through!

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by babygrant

I'm on day 2 of being sugar free and I've had a splitting headache all day. I popped 3 of ds's smarties but it didn't do anything. I'm suuuuuuuuuuuuper grumpy too. How long does it last???

ohh...days 4-6 were really hard on me. It DOES get easier, I promise. Still, DO NOT TAKE THIS ADDICTION LIGHTLY! SUGAR IS A DRUG! So be easy on yourself.

Good to see you here, babygrant