We've gone SUGAR-FREE! tribe - Page 4

[Stevie]

I think I actually started last August by making sure I broke a sweat every day; in my case walking with the kids while they rode their bikes; we mostly had given up trans fats, HFCS, and artificials already, but the candy never really left, and I realized that they were nuts every time we went into a store. I dared to answer "no" when we were in line one day and the little one blew a gasket. I knew it was time to just quit.
BUT it was the final really nasty thing; I do think it's tougher to give up everything all at once. I kept my green tea caffeine but gave up the Mocha caffeine with it's splenda
Go slow, one thing at a time to avoid the worst of the withdrawls.

I am definitely feeling better about my mere cravings! And even more determined not to give up what I've accomplished I am so glad I found this tribe... my behavior is getting better every day; I didn't raise my voice to my 3 yr old even once today

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by Stevie

my behavior is getting better every day; I didn't raise my voice to my 3 yr old even once today

oh nice! yes, another thing I am enjoying is much more mood stability....

[dewlady]

I keep seeing this thread and looking at it with a cringe...
i don't wanna give it up!
but here I am.
I have gone off sugar for months at a time, nut always float that line of a little here or a little there and then i am HERE again.
but last night i ate almost a whole pint of ice cream and got food poisoning!
I felt sooo awlful and before i figured out what was going on i made a promise to myself to make some well needed dietary agustments....
it has been a while coming.
so today i was super careful about my food choices and took it easy on my body
with NO SUGAR, or wheat or dairy. just to focus on good foods.
i had some tofu and veggies for breakfast, eggplant/squash curry and hummus with cucumber apple salad for lunch, and radiccio chickpea carrot salad with a grilled sunshine burger (made with brown rice and sunflower seeds) for dinner.
for a snack this afternoon I had a granola bar and fresh squeezed carrot/apple juice.

wow look at all those beautiful things i put in my body instead of to many carbs and poison icecream like i did yesterday!
i am proud of me!

i just thought writing it down would give me the insperation to be concious tomorrow as well....just take it one day at a time for me...

anyway, thanks for the support here.

[odd-ducks]

were you all already on very healthy, whole food routines prior to kicking?

I shopped healthy, but I ate like crap. That is to say, while my kids ate meals of casseroles made with sprouted grain pasta, organic vegetables, and hand-massaged, chakra-balanced, Thai-chi practicing chickens; I ate packages of creme filled sandwich cookies and chocolate bridge mix.

My initial detox wasn't pretty, but it wasn't horrid. Largely due, I believe, to the other women here. Commiseration is a wonderful thing. Also, hearing from others who had already gone sugar-free. (And, apparently survived it-- which at times seemed an unlikely possibility to me).

I was headachey and ill-tempered for the first couple of weeks. My energy totally bottomed out. Cravings were thunderous at first. Then mellowed to a dull roar. Now, they're an occasional squeak. They've been squeaking pretty insistently today. But, it's nothing like the crazed need I used to feel.

Phazing into a no-sugar lifestyle wouldn't have worked for me. I've tried it before, and there are just too many 'healthy' ways to keep that sugar pumping through my system. But, I know it's worked for others.

It really is an ongoing process. If you stumble as you find what works for you, try to keep that in mind. It's easy to get discouraged when you're battling this boogeyman, so try to be compassionate with yourself. Don't let those stumbles derail you.

[odd-ducks]

Nice going, dewlady! That all sounds so yummy.

Can I eat at your house from now on???

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by odd-ducks

Iorganic vegetables, and hand-massaged, chakra-balanced, Thai-chi practicing chickens;

as always, you slay me, odd-ducks!

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by odd-ducks

Nice going, dewlady! That all sounds so yummy.

Can I eat at your house from now on???

no kidding. Have you considered catering? I wonder if you could ship to Canada...

[Anna06]

protein??

For you girls that seem to over come the sugar coated boggie monster.....
do you all eat much protein? TIA

[bright]

Originally Posted by Anna06

For you girls that seem to over come the sugar coated boggie monster.....
do you all eat much protein? TIA

Yes! That for me has been really important. Lots of protein and fat. Chicken and other meats (altho eating meats is a real struggle for me as a former longterm veggie), cheese, eggs, nuts, some beans. I eat protein with *every* meal and most snacks. Makes all the difference.

[bright]

Things I eat regularly:

Eggs - my big egg love right now is scrambled eggs with salsa, mushrooms/red pepper/zucchini, and cheese. I eat 'em with slices of buttered ezekiel. I was heavy into omelettes but now I'm sick of them.

Smoothies - my current fave is yogourt or kefir and coconut milk (equal parts), two bananas, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa - YUM!!

- I make another, was my summer fave, with raw cashews, young coconut water, mango and peaches, vanilla (gotta get it from the health food store, coz most 'pure' vanilla has more sugar than vanilla!!), cinnamon, and orange juice

Spaghetti - Classico sauce with zucchini and mushrooms over spaghetti squash or kamut pasta with cottage cheese, cheddar, and parm

Lentil tacos - I use organic corn tortillas with no flour in them (altho corn can be a trigger as it's high glycemic!), make brown lentils with salsa, guac on top, cheddar, and some sour cream. We had this last night. It's really good.

[bright]

I have a lot of healthy subs for old favourites. A friend came over yesterday and made kraft dinner. Pasta was my very favourite thing to eat, and I used to LOVE mac n' cheese. It smelled so good yesterday! So I ran to the store and bought kamut pasta, cooked it up and added cheese and veggies. I'm pretty indulgent with myself in that I will find ways to satisfy any cravings with healthy no sugar equivalents.

[saratc]

Originally Posted by Anna06

For you girls that seem to over come the sugar coated boggie monster.....
do you all eat much protein? TIA

Lots of protein, fats, fiber-ful foods. Pretty much the only stuff left after cutting out sugar and cutting down carbs. I do eat whole grains, but it's got to be packaged with lots of protein and veggies when it goes down. When I cook a pot roast, DH and I could easily finish about 1.5 lbs of meat for dinner. And I don't skim or trim the fat. I follow the traditional cooking and whole foods way of eating since it's the easiest way to make sure that I am balanced nutritionally and I feel that sugar cravings and cravings in general stem from an imbalance in what you are eating. It's been the first time my weight has been managed since my teens without having to count calories or fat.

[babygrant]

Thanks everyone. I ended up going to bed last night at 8:00 because my head hurt so bad. #1 reason I am going sugar free is because I read that it is supposed to help with thyroid issues. I went off my synthroid a little over a week ago and I'm still gaining weight. It's very depressing. As of today 24 lb weight gain in 4 months So I'm stopping sugar and processed foods. I have almost no clothes that fit me anymore and I don't have the money to buy all new ones nor do I WANT to buy new ones, so I have no choice but to quit the crappy foods and take some supplements that hopefully will help me out.

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by babygrant

Thanks everyone. I ended up going to bed last night at 8:00 because my head hurt so bad. #1 reason I am going sugar free is because I read that it is supposed to help with thyroid issues. I went off my synthroid a little over a week ago and I'm still gaining weight. It's very depressing. As of today 24 lb weight gain in 4 months So I'm stopping sugar and processed foods. I have almost no clothes that fit me anymore and I don't have the money to buy all new ones nor do I WANT to buy new ones, so I have no choice but to quit the crappy foods and take some supplements that hopefully will help me out.

awe, that really SUCKS! I had a similar weight gain once too (when I was vegan of all times). I recently read a short article talking about weight loss as WEIGHT RELEASE. So often we gain weight as protection or when we are holding onto emotional issues--it is really so much more than just a caloric imbalance. So when hoping to reduce body fat, try to visualize a weight release rather than a weight loss (think of the word--nobody wants to "lose" anything! Lost things are what we go looking for...)

This has really helped me as I am waiting to get back to my pre-preg weight!

[PrairieBohemian]

fat is your friend!

Just wanted to add when you go sugar-free you really don't need to fear fat! It is your best protection against cravings (at least for me). uhhhh...maybe we said this like 100 times already.

just wanted to re-emphasise!

[PrairieBohemian]

someone will eventually DDDDC me as the "girl who speaks in exclamations", I am sure. Can I ever post without an "!" ?

[crunchyconmomma]

Originally Posted by odd-ducks

I shopped healthy, but I ate like crap. That is to say, while my kids ate meals of casseroles made with sprouted grain pasta, organic vegetables, and hand-massaged, chakra-balanced, Thai-chi practicing chickens; I ate packages of creme filled sandwich cookies and chocolate bridge mix.

OMG that is so funny and so nice to know i'm not alone!:
so it sounds like we're talking several weeks (months?: ) before you were out of the woods as far as feeling bad and low-energy and not being overwrought with cravings. as sucky as this might be, i guess knowing this sort of thing before going in will be tremendously helpful.

has this pretty much been others' experience - weeks of feeling icky/headachey/crave-y/low-energy before you started to truly feel clear and good?

bright - thanks for the food ideas, they sound great to eat even now before i'm really even quitting the white devil.

babygrant - i am so with you, i can totally commiserate. between separation from my DH when he told me he feels he is really a woman trapped in a man's body and he started taking hormones to grow breasts, the antidpressant i was on that helped me quickly gain 40 pounds (in 4 months), and all the other stress in my life surrounding this stuff, this is very much needed for me to get healthy and start my life again. i too cannot wear any of my old clothes and since the split i have NO money for groceries most of the time, let alone clothes that fit. i am so miserable looking and feeling this way. i would LOVE to have the money to go to an ND who could really help guide me through the process because i think it would mean fewer mistakes along the way, but that's out of the question.

animus - i LOVE that idea of weight RELEASE. my weight is NOT just too much processed food and sugar and so just stop eating those things and that's all. it's emotional/psychological stuff that led me to just stuff myself WITH that crap to avoid the pain.

on oprah last week, one of the women documented mentioned a diet as being so tough because it's just you and the emotions with no food or wine to pad you. how true for me. addressing the pain is key to releasing the weight and the crutch of junk food.

[odd-ducks]

So when hoping to reduce body fat, try to visualize a weight release rather than a weight loss (think of the word--nobody wants to "lose" anything! Lost things are what we go looking for...)

Wow, Animus. This really knocked me out. It's a completely different mindset, isn't it? It feels... peaceful. Like a mutual agreement with one's body of moving on, instead of a fight. Not desperate, impossible, and doomed to failure. Thank you so much for sharing it.

so nice to know i'm not alone!

Nope. You are definitely not alone! And, it was weeks not months, Crunchy. Keep heart!

I'm happy to be in your company, y'all!

[odd-ducks]

one of the women documented mentioned a diet as being so tough because it's just you and the emotions with no food or wine to pad you. how true for me. addressing the pain is key to releasing the weight and the crutch of junk food

.

BTW, Crunchy, for me this was, and is, one of the hardest hurdles of this sugar-free thing. I'm sure all the mommies on this board can relate to not having the time/energy/money/resources/support to handle everything that can hit you during a day. I would deal with the most pressing issues, take care of what I could, and handle those things I couldn't by stuffing them down with sugar at the end of the day. Going sugar free has left me raw and exposed with nothing between me and life. I've had to feel everything, deal with everything, find other, more healthy ways to escape.

Which is exactly how I want to live, but it's scary and really overwhelming at times. (Those are the times I pig out on Larabars and peanut butter ). Anyway, it's good you're not underestimating how tough going without sugar can hit you emotionally. You might just sail right through, but it never hurts to be prepared, right?

[crunchyconmomma]

Originally Posted by odd-ducks

.
Which is exactly how I want to live, but it's scary and really overwhelming at times. (Those are the times I pig out on Larabars and peanut butter ). Anyway, it's good you're not underestimating how tough going without sugar can hit you emotionally. You might just sail right through, but it never hurts to be prepared, right?

you said it. i don't want to live an unfulfilling life. getting to and through the pain that i mask with sugary foods might be hell, but it's a hell worth going through!
and "might just sail right through?" HA! i doubt it! i don't want this to be a lifelong issue of getting on and off the wagon, but i am realistic. i quit smoking and i never look back because of all the greatness of feeling healthier. so it might be a long grueling battle to quit the white devil, but if i can feel as good about that as i do about the smoke, well...it's worth it.