We've gone SUGAR-FREE! tribe - Page 5

[Anna06]

releasing weight

Wow, you guys have a lot of great infor going on here.

I have always just worried about puting a meal on the table. ha That's easy. I have a child that is anaphylaxis to grains and dairy, and nuts. And a child who wants to be a vegetarian. Ha Great mix.

So I am confused at the moment. And I just NEED for things to be easy right now.

I just wanted to say thanks for all the input. I'm really enjoying reading about what works and what doesn't.

I did NOT eat any sugar yesterday, but I had one headache. Maybe it was stress....

[crunchyconmomma]

Originally Posted by Anna06

I did NOT eat any sugar yesterday, but I had one headache. Maybe it was stress....

i bet not. if your're like me and you get it everyday, not having it one day and getting a headache was probably the addiction demons screaming in your head to give them some of that ^%$# sugar, NOW!

oh...one day i will no longer hear those voices. and thinking about that glorious freedom is just furthering me right along those stages of change steps from contemplation to preparation....then YEEHAA!! i wll move onto ACTION!

[Tomsmum]

I want to join the no-sugar tribe - I really do - but i can't - I can't let go

I am woken 4,5,6 times a night by my sons and I just can't see how I would get through the day without a biscuit and chocolate stop....

I would like to start after Christmas. I will be back then

[sphinxie]

Originally Posted by Anna06

I have a child that is anaphylaxis to grains and dairy, and nuts. And a child who wants to be a vegetarian. Ha Great mix.

That does sound really complicated But I could imagine it working. Are you familiar with vegetarian needs?

You could center meals on legumes with veggies, and then for the anaphylaxis child have a side of meat, for the vegetarian child have a side of grains. At least grains and meat are respectively fairly easy to make... just some simple rice or bread for the grains. The vegetarian child just needs enough to provide one particular amino acid that legumes lack, otherwise you wouldn't need grains anyway. And then stuff like eggs and quinoa provide all the essential amino acids, without risk to your anaphylactic child.

I think it could work if you can trust your anaphylactic child to stay away from the grains, but yeah otherwise the vegetarian child had better like quinoa...

[odd-ducks]

Tomsmum, if you can't give it up right now, then you can't. Be at peace with that. I couldn't have done this three months ago, either. I was far too dependent on sugar to prop me up while caring for twin babies alone. Animus' original sugar-free challenge just hit at a time when I felt ready to tackle it. We all have our limits, and we all have the right to our vices and crutches.

We all have the right to physical and emotional health, too. So, start psyching yourself up for the switch to no-sugar throughout this next month. Enjoy your holiday treats, and while you're doing that start preparing yourself (and your pantry) for this wonderful gift you want to give yourself. Consider it your New Year's gift to you. I'm pretty sure we'll all still be here when you come back. Happy holidays, and see you soon!

[sarahariz]

You all are awesome! I'm trying to be sugar free but failing pretty miserably. I am realizing I have to quit cold turkey. One little piece of dark chocolate starts my slide.

I'm really worried about the holidays. Already I'm dying to make all my holiday favorites. I love to bake and I need to find some sort of replacement for that activity. Crafts? Knitting? I totally use sweets as an emotional crutch.

Anyway, I have candida and my dd has horrible tooth decay at 27 mo. So I have to do something.

[Stevie]

You guys are my rock

I was invited to see a movie this evening. I love going to movies but I always always always have either milk duds in my buttered popcorn or skittles, so I have just said no for the past two weeks. But this is a movie that will be gone next week and a friend who I haven't been able to get with in way too long. Tonight works and I've checked my motives; I believe I am in a good place and that I can walk past the candy counter...

I almost spit out my water at the description of kids' meals vs, what you ate odd ducks : SOOOOOO familiar to me! I started slipping down a bad slope when I felt so guilty that I let the kids have sugar too

[Amackin]

Can I join your tribe?

I have been sugar free since 3-3-03. I went "low-carb" during the "craze" and have never turned back.

I never did loose all my weight (my body is just so darn thrifty!) but the health benefits I feel make it worth not even going back!

So can I join? :

[saratc]

Originally Posted by sarahariz

I love to bake and I need to find some sort of replacement for that activity. Crafts? Knitting? I totally use sweets as an emotional crutch.

I love baking too. Now I satisfy myself with new complicated recipes. I learned to cook Indian from scratch this year, and it's really fun to make something I once thought was so complicated. I think from scratch Thai food is next.

Another project right now is toilet training my cats...

[PrairieBohemian]

Originally Posted by saratc

Another project right now is toilet training my cats...

To flush too?

[saratc]

Originally Posted by animus_silvae

To flush too?

DH and I haven't decided yet. We're working on widening the hole in the pan in the toilet and all 4 paws up on the seat.

[odd-ducks]

sugar free since 3-3-03.

Amackin, your sugar-free declaration even rhymes. How cool are you? Way cool enough to join our motley tribe, if you ask me.

But, only if you compose a haiku about it.

Stevie, how was your milk-dudless movie adventure?

Sarahariz, the holidays are stressful enough. Not that I'm trying to discourage you from going cold-turkey. If that's what you want to do, you go! But, if you're worried you won't make it through the holidays, why not use your love of baking to start some new holiday food traditions this year by whipping up some sugar-free/alternative sweetener recipies along with your traditional ones? Kind of a warm-up for a sugar-free new year?

Or, you know, chuck all that crap in the dumpster. Whatever works, right?

[sunshinestarr]

Originally Posted by Amackin

Can I join your tribe?

I have been sugar free since 3-3-03. I went "low-carb" during the "craze" and have never turned back.

I never did loose all my weight (my body is just so darn thrifty!) but the health benefits I feel make it worth not even going back!

So can I join? :

If I can join (I'm not 100% yet then I'm sure you can!

[Anna06]

Here I am again. Day # 2 of the headache from I'm fine until about 5 pm, then it feels like (had to use it, to cute). So crunchyconmomma you were right. If I eat a little sugar will it go away??? Just kidding, but I wondered.

How was the movie with no candy Stevie? Your brave.

Sphinxie thanks for the hug and advice. I got a couple of mags...veggie stuff to help me figure all this out. My 14 ds is interested and I don't want to stand in his way. I have no ideal what his nutritional needs are. sad. I'm interested too, as I feel better eating lighter. Anyway this isn't the place for this. I am also reading the veg/vegan thread here.
But I cook meat everyday for DH and dd, and I know there is value in that also. So I read the NT thread too.

Anyway hanging in there.

[crunchyconmomma]

Originally Posted by Stevie

I started slipping down a bad slope when I felt so guilty that I let the kids have sugar too

you're not alone on that one. i felt so overwhelmed with the upset of the family that i figured i had to let something go, so why not my strict food rules for the kids? i mean, they're kids, they should be kids.

WHAT was that logic?!? they're kids, so i should poison their bodies for their enjoyment? that was the line i was giving myself???? now they are addicted and totally tuned into the crap they see in the stores AND since the split they have had to start daycare, (a government funded daycare that while great care, is gov't/USDA food: ) so it's going to be THAT much more complicated.

so i'm sympathizing with you anna06 - we all have our extreme hurdles i guess. slightly different details but the same problem, getting the right food into our kids and the wrong stuff out of our lives.

[babybugmama]

I've gone sugar free and fallen off too many times to count. Right now I'm in the planning stage again on how to go no sugar. The hardest part is with the holidays coming up. I love baking and all that. So, I'll see what I can figure out with alternative sweeteners. I read about the date syrup and I wonder how that would serve.... Now just to find it.

[farmama]

I'm really worried about the holidays. Already I'm dying to make all my holiday favorites. I love to bake and I need to find some sort of replacement for that activity. Crafts? Knitting? I totally use sweets as an emotional crutch.

Anyway, I have candida and my dd has horrible tooth decay at 27 mo. So I have to do something.

You've pretty much summed up exactly what i'm dealing with right now. Except no dd for me.

the holidays will be really tough, as i too love to bake, and we'll have a bunch of people over in November, then we're going to visit the (large extended) family for a week in December. And their nearest health food store is 45 minutes away. so i may have to bite the white-bread bullet on that one.

for now, i have actually decided to do a cleanse/detox. i too have candida and digestive issues (would share, but tmi in my opinion), so the cleanse i'm starting is pretty much vegetables only +broth and herb tea (could have fruit if not for the candida ) +supplements. it seems like a really good start for me, both to deal with the candida and the crazy sugar madness. i seem fine if i'm just at the house...but as soon as i step foot into the grocery store i'm : because of all the food i can't eat right now. i've read a bunch and talked to someone who said that it was worth it, though, so i'm doing it! (i almost wrote "trying it," but am so inspired by odd-ducks' signature that i'm committing).

[AdoptChina]

any advice on a sugar free diet while avoiding nuts/peanuts/fish/shellfish and a couple fruits/veggies? (food allergies)

[Anna06]

AdoptChina, can you eat dairy? Cheese is great, fills me up. How about soy? If so soynut butter isn't bad. And, of course meat, if your so inclinded. My dd eats deli sliced meat for snacks alot.

Hang in there and keep reading this thread. Because we're all doing this together!

(sorry animus_silvae, didn't mean to steal your !!)

[crunchyconmomma]

AdoptChina - do you have huge struggles with food boredom? you could maybe try a mono-diet type thing for a while. I actually DO get the food boredom aLOT, but i'm thinking it may not be that bad an idea to force myself on a mono(or nearly mono) diet to get my mind OFF the food-obsessive wheel. Maybe I'll eat the same breakfast, same lunch and same dinner, but have three different things for each so it isn't too crazy. Super nutrition packed, of course, like my new favorite dish - sauteed kale and swiss chard.