Day two with no sugar. Will my head explode??

[Running Mommy]

Ok, I have a confession. I'm an addict. Seriously. I am a sugar addict, and I'm convinced that it has a lot to do with my weight issues.
So yesterday morning I was riding with my friend Michelle. She has girth issues as well. We were struggling up a hill when I turned to her and said "thats it! we are going to make a change".
So we decided then and there that when we got back to the house we were going to pull out the Ironman body scan scale and face the facts. We also decided that we needed to give up sugar and processed foods.
I was doing really good until we decided to open the bike shop. As life got crazy my eating habits went into the dumper.
Well the scale doesn't lie, and as a result when I got on it I was up nearly 30 lbs over last year!!! :eek:
So yesterday was my first day with no sugar. I did really well, but I know today at the shop is going to be hard. There are jolly ranchers on the counter (a customer brought them in) and I know the Luna moons will be calling my name.
I just gotta be strong!
So for those of you who cut sugar out of your diet, how did you do it? And how long did it take before the cravings went away?
Also, any tips? I'm going to try the boiled tater trick in place of energy gels for my rides. But anything else?
I'm not a fan of eggs or cheese.
Thanks all. And stay tuned to see if my head explodes! :rolleyes:

[csr1210]

When I ditched sugar, it took me about four days to feel decent. Unfortunately for me, all simple carbohydrates affect me like pure sugar - even some whole grain stuff, so I was eating fairly low carb overall (cooked alot of brocolli, spinach, and greenbeens). All that to say, if you find yourself having serious cravings or blood sugar spikes after a week or two, it might be something besides the more refined sugars setting you off. While I was off the "white stuff" (about 4 years), I felt great and had absolutely no problem maintaining a healthy weight without obsessing about food, but alas, we moved, I got lazy, and am once again a slave to sugar.:rolleyes:

Good for you on taking the plunge! Truly, the first three or four days are the hardest, and then you adjust pretty fast. Later on, if I was craving sweet, I'd just have a little piece of sugar free chocolate for the emotional satisfaction:o. You only overeat stuff with sugar alcohol once!:eek: (well...maybe...twice)

Good luck on kicking the habit -- maybe you will inspire me!
Christy

[greenme]

Hi there,

I don't crave sweets but rather savoury things and have, in the past, been able to cut things out of my diet even if I like them because they made my stomache unhappy.

So what I did was just imagine that there was something gross about that item. So, for example, for those candies, I would imagine that some filthy little kid has hand his hands in there all over them. That would do it for me. Wouldn't be able to touch them no matter what.

How's that?
:)

[GLC1968]

It generally takes me 3 days to get past the sugar cravings...and 4 or 5 to start feeling GOOD. Sugar detox, sucks!

Hang in there!

[teawoman]

I soooooooooo understand what you are saying! This is tough to do. I did it successfully for about 6 months and lost quite a bit of weight. ! Then I fell a bit off the wagon and have been maintaining. :rolleyes: What helped me was eating the sweeter fruits and veggies, like nectarines, carrots, corn, fresh pineapple, bananas. That, and reserving once a week for a treat like a dessert (small hot fudge sundae or something like that). Some weeks I would dream about what the treat was going to be :D, other weeks I'd even forget to get one.:cool: But what was great was that I felt AMAZING!!!!! Very calm and zen and yet energetic. Oh, and the fake sugar stuff did *not* help. It created cravings.

Now I'm trying to do it again and it is *tough*. For me, it took about two weeks before I started feeling the benefits.

p.s. It took me longer than 4 or 5 days to adjust. Maybe a week and a half, during which I griped and complained a whole lot.:D

[ibcycling]

Good for you! I struggle with the same thing so I completely understand the sugar cravings. I don't do well when I just try to cut back on stuff without an actual plan to follow. Here's a couple things that seem to work for me.

South Beach - It's a healthy way to eat, not a "diet". There are 3 phases and phase 1 addresses the sugar craving problem. Phase 1 lasts 2 weeks and is fairly restrictive on what you can and cannot eat but it works wonders for me. Mostly it's a lot of veggies, beans, meats, and cheese. You're not supposed to stay on it longer than 2 weeks and if you are exercising a lot you do need to add more complex-carb foods. When I did P1 I added a fruit and grain on the days I rode and felt fine.

Right now I'm doing a 1 week detox diet from Leanne at www.savingdinner.com I love her menu-mailers and shopping lists so decided to give this a try to give myself a kick-start. I'm also wondering if I have a sensitivity to gluten and hopefully this will help me find out. Even though it's cutting out lots of stuff I love (coffee and chocolate!) it's only for 1 week and I know I can do that. :D I'm on Day 3 and feeling pretty good. Lots of salads and veggies with quite a bit of fruit.

Good luck!

Lora

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I feel your pain. It takes about 5 days when I slide from my normal eating to get back to eating non processed foods. Drink lots of water!

What I looked at was I found that weight watchers (and I think South Beach) has the same glycemic index ideas in that there are foods that are zero points with WW that appear to follow the low glycemic index (GI) scheme. Blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, and lots of veggies are zero. I don't follow the points plan by WW (it kind of reinforces eating processed foods which I don't like) but I adopted the list of zero point foods when I'm starting to get that weird "I gotta eat" hunger.

I think that is my problem today, I have no energy, NONE and I just want to lay in front of a fan. Someone please kick me. Time to put away the s'mores from July 4th!

[bmccasland]

RM - if you're trying to stay away from processed sugar in things, but fresh fruits and vegies are OK... then raw sugar snap peas. For me they meet the crunchy craving, are sweet, but still a vegie! I bring a snack ziplock bag of them to work to munch/crunch on. Almost better than cookies. ;)

[KathiCville]

Another vote for sweet-tasting fruits and veggies! Sugar snap peas, baby carrots, raisins, pineapple, bananas, apples, melon, grapes, berries......Cherry tomatoes make a great snack in the summertime!

I also find that a handful of small cinnamon or honey graham cracker treats can be a good substitute for a candy bar or a piece o'cake---especially if I focus on eating one...at...a...time, not just tossing them down the hatch, LOL!! Setting out just a few, then putting the box AWAY is key! :) ......... Another combo I like is almost-unsweetened granola sprinkled with a little bit of fruit juice---just enough to moisten the granola. Sometimes I toss in a dollop of plain yogurt, too.

Good luck!

[han-grrl]

I completely understand -

the fact is


you need to ride out the wave.

Eat raw crunchy vegetables

chew gum

drink broth and warm tea...

PM me with your questions... :)

[Running Mommy]

I'm riding the wave.... sigh... I'm riding.
Just looking forward to feeling MUCH better!

[han-grrl]

Ok, i'm at home now - i was at work earlier so i had to type quick.

You will find once you cut out the sugar, that you won't need things to be as sweet - your baking, your coffee (or tea)...

Make sure you stay hydrated too.

and keep smiling you're doing great!

[tulip]

When I get sugar-crazy (not often these days, but in the past it was a big problem), I found it useful to brush my teeth when I was having a craving. Who wants to muss up a fresh mouth?

Alternately, I would eat an apple instead. I told myself to eat an apple BEFORE having the sugarsweettreat, but when I finished the apple, I found that I didn't want the sugarsweettreet afterall.

I've also found that eating an apple a day really helps with controlling my weight. It takes the place of sugary sweets for me, and if i don't have one, I miss it.

Oh, and I always have a big Mason jar of ice water with me to drink all day. Drink and fill it back up.

[solobiker]

RM I will join you in the challenge eliminating sugar from my diet. I am going on a 5 day backpacking trip next week so I will start when I return. Good luck to you!!:D

[elk]

it's worth having a look at a glycemic index.....which sugars )carbs) are jolting adn which are long and smooth....for instance watermelon is a jolter...cherries are the lowest (best) fruit on the index.

i need to do the same thing...at LEAST for me...use maple syrup or honey or guava juice instead of white sugar...

The good part is that it tatses so horribly cloying when you step away from it for awhile....

oh....and one other thing....being free from an addiction ALWAYS feels better than indulging it.

[Running Mommy]

I'm not feeling well today. Do you think it could be a withdrawl symptom?
That sounds so odd to me.
I'm not usually a whiny baby looking for excuses. But I feel awful today.
I do have a slight sore throat, so I'm thinking it may be something else. BUt UGH I feel like poop!
And still plugging along. It's hard, but I'm keeping at it.
So far so good.
Thanks all! And to solobiker for joining me! :)

[Mr. Bloom]

So for those of you who cut sugar out of your diet, how did you do it?

Hmmm...well...I started drinking diet coke:rolleyes:;)

Go RM! Go!

[solobiker]

RM I will be feeling your pain in a little over a week. It will be too challenging to backpack with foods without sugar. Hang in there and stay strong!! As for you Mr. Silver keep away from the light...oh I mean keep away from the Diet Coke.

[han-grrl]

You are probably going through a bit of withdrawal. Hang in there. drink water, maybe some tea. I find broth helps too. its soothing.

[teawoman]

Just a p.s. : Sometimes diet items will have more sugar to compensate for fat missing in the taste, so the real deal (in moderation) is sometimes better on the low sugar front.

[han-grrl]

so true teawoman

that is why you really need to read the labels...

and know the other names for sugar - like glucose, high fructose corn syrup, maltose to name a few!!

[pyxichick]

The way I cut out sugar was to read everything I could about how bad it is for your body. The thing that really got me to stay away is the idea that it's really the yeast overgrowth in our bodies that craves the sugar. Once you "starve" the yeast, you no longer crave sugar. Then later, if you want something sweet, ask yourself if it will really feed your body or just feed the yeast and start up the vicious cycle again.

I lost about 5 lbs. without trying, just by not eating sugar/processed foods.

Good Luck!

Kate

[Running Mommy]

thanks all.. still hanging...
I'm trying to eat REAL food. Not so much processed stuff.
It's working so far. Tho I did eat the last sugar free pudding I had in the fridge today...
I also threw away a can of frosting the other day. That is HUGE for me!
I come from one of those families that believes throwing food away is a sin..:p

[han-grrl]

Good for you!

Getting rid of stuff is hard...i hate being wasteful myself...but you are going to be making new and better choices from now on...and setting a wonderful example...

YAY!!

[tulip]

Frosting is not food. So you just threw away old spackling. Good for you.

[Running Mommy]

Head still intact...
Not feeling like I'm losing yet. But feeling MUCH better on my training rides. MUCH better.

[bmccasland]

RM - glad to hear you're feeling better, and your training ride went well.

Brain bits all over the place is not a pretty sight. :D

[solobiker]

Keep going RM!! Like I said I will be starting down your same path next week after my backpacking trip. I am sure I will be asking you for advice:p

[Natural Beauty]

Wow, you guys are doing so well! I just finished a DC while I started reading Mr. Silver entries....haha. My husband brings home the cookies and I end up eating them....hate to waste food blah blah blah. Junk is Junk and starving children shouldn't be eating it anyway so I will dump it. Only about 20lbs of baby weight to go. Can almost fit into my fancy shorts! I'm soooo tired of riding standing up. LOL

I'm going to hit the farmers market on Sunday for some more raw honey and start replacing.

I like to put cranberry emergen-C in my bottle of water.....cranberry extract good for woman parts and no more boring gallon of water.

[LBTC]

RM - I finally had a chance to read this thread! When I saw the subject I sent you butterflies - I wonder if they helped make sure your head didn't explode? It didn't, so they must have! :D

I'm so proud of you! Yay, go, girl, go!!!

I had to kick sugar for awhile myself - but I kicked a lot of other stuff at the same time and I was sick already and it didn't bring any relief, so that doesn't help you at all. However, I haven't had sugar in the house for a couple of years. I use raw agave nectar in the few recipes I actually make that need sweetening. I like the mild flavour. I'll be using it in a batch of sangria tomorrow....:p

Keep posting, keep your will in it, you'll kick this and feel fabulous!!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[solobiker]

Hi there RM, how is it going for you? I have started to cut back on the sugars, luckily I usually don't eat too many to begin with. I am not a cookie or cake fan so I don't eat those at all. For me it is the chocolate which draws me in. I was also drinking juices which has a ton of sugar in it. well this week I only had two mini chocolate bars have not had any soda at all:D. I did have 3 glasses of natural juice. Are you trying to cut back on sugar/sweet items or sugar including what may be in crackers/pretzles..etc. I have found even in the non-processed snack type of foods there is still sugar. I don't think I can cut out all of that from my diet or maybe I could. I stick mainly to whole wheat type of bread/pita pockets. Hope you are doing well.

[Running Mommy]

Still hanging in... Almost a week now.
Oh wait. I was in a jam and had a bottle of gatorade yesterday :eek:
Yesterday afternoon I developed some stomach distress while at the shop. I had to go straight to the bmx track to watch RS race, and I realized that I was really dehydrated. Like BAD. So I decided that even though it's all sugar, I needed to have a bit of gatorade to help replinish everything that was leeching from my poor body. UGH
Didn't help that it was around a hundred degrees and 70+% humidity..:cool:

[tulip]

W-A-T-E-R

Drink water all day long and it will help reduce sugar cravings as well as keep you hydrated.

I do drink gatorade (cut in half with water because it's too sweet) on my rides, but I drink water all day long. I keep a big mason jar filled with ice and water with me all the time.

[deeaimond]

when I crave juice, I got for apple spritzers. There is no sugar added and its fizzy and apply. Its not the fake sweet soda stuff but the german stuff... Apfelschorle or Apfelsaft. I wonder if it comes in other fruit flavours though... or if u can get it easily in the US...

But yes. Cutting out the sugar makes a big difference. I'm glad you're taking this step in your life. And as the Chinese say, 'Jia You' which literally translates into 'add oil'. something like... more power to you!

Don't give in to the sugar monster!!!! I'm right behind ya!

[Melalvai]

It's been a year since this thread was active. How is everyone doing who had been off sugar a year ago?

I quit sugar right before Thanksgiving. I know, bad timing. Here's what happened.

My friend was hospitalized with blood clots the same day I had a doctors appt. She had been on hormones to control endometriosis. I was visiting the doctor because my monthly symptoms are getting out of control (no uterus, but I have all the rest and then some). The doctor had talked me into trying Yaz. That's when I heard about my friend's blood clots.

All hormones raise the risk of blood clots and I asked:
Have I tried EVERYTHING else? (no)
Is my quality of life THAT bad? (only 2 days a month)
What else can I try?

A little web research, actually I knew the answer before I got to google, caffeine & sugar gotta go. If that isn't enough, red meat, dairy, wheat (look at the Endo Diet).

I've been 3 weeks without caffeine or sugar. Every time I start to crave it, I talk to my friend--she's walking with a cane now. She's 26 years old. She'll be on blood thinners for a year.

I'm drinking a LOT of smoothies. I've invented a few, particularly some hot drinks because the only hot drink I can have is tea: apple + walnuts + milk, blended and then heated. Cooked sweet potato + nutmeg + milk, blended & heated. And today, peaches & milk, blended & heated.

Bananas and Naked Juice are my new comfort food. Naked Juice is expensive, so is fresh fruit, coke & oreos are cheaper, but I don't mind the expense. I'm learning a lot about Glycemic Index.

[Bike Chick]

Wow, Mela! That has to be a tough one! You are one heck of a woman!

I hadn't seen this thread until your post. I saw a picture of myself today and realized that my scale is not broken and my dryer isn't shrinking my pants, I'm really overweight and it's time to get serious. I work out (swim, bike, run) and eat healthy but the weight does not change. I need to lose 20 pounds and after reading all these posts I am wondering if it's the carbs that are my enemy.

[arielmoon]

The biggest thing is how your taste buds change over time.

I cut refined sugar out of my life in 1996. I have made other healthy changes since then but that was the start of my health kick. I did spend a few years craving the candy in the dish that was placed in front of my desk but I no longer am tempted by things that are not healthy. They have no business going in my body.

In January I will celebrate my second year as a vegan and it feels great!

[solobiker]

The biggest thing is how your taste buds change over time.

I cut refined sugar out of my life in 1996. I have made other healthy changes since then but that was the start of my health kick. I did spend a few years craving the candy in the dish that was placed in front of my desk but I no longer am tempted by things that are not healthy. They have no business going in my body.

In January I will celebrate my second year as a vegan and it feels great!

That is great!! It is my goal to continue to decrease my intake of refined foods with the ultimate goal of removing them completly. I

[Melalvai]

I hadn't seen this thread until your post. I saw a picture of myself today and realized that my scale is not broken and my dryer isn't shrinking my pants, I'm really overweight and it's time to get serious. I work out (swim, bike, run) and eat healthy but the weight does not change. I need to lose 20 pounds and after reading all these posts I am wondering if it's the carbs that are my enemy.
I nearly reached my "ideal" weight after my bicycle trip (744 miles in 11 days, solo!) in early May, but since then have put back on a full 15 pounds, more than the amount I lost, plus I'm sure I converted a lot of that muscle back to fat. I'm back to teetering on the normal/overweight line on the Wii.

The biggest thing is how your taste buds change over time... I did spend a few years craving the candy in the dish that was placed in front of my desk but I no longer am tempted by things that are not healthy.
I indulged in one coke yesterday, my first since before Thanksgiving. It didn't taste like I remembered at all!

The reason for the "slip" was because the night before there had been a bowl of M&Ms. I surrounded myself with orange and apple slices and a bowl of nuts, but I kept looking at the M&Ms! The M&Ms were LEFT AT OUR HOUSE so I gave them to my daughter, but while she was at school I kept thinking about them. Finally I decided that I would allow myself one handful and a coke, but I made myself wait until right before my bike ride, so that the exercise would mitigate the sugar rush.

I'm trying to replace the sugary snacks with fruit and fruit juice as my treats, so that if I indulge, I'm indulging in fruit juice or an extra banana, rather than viewing coke & snickers as my special treat. With the exception of yesterday, that's worked pretty well.

[tribogota]

I have tried every day for the last 10 days to get through ONE single day without sugar. I don't need to lose weight but I am hypoglycemic so sugar messes with everything in me. Haven't made it through one day yet though...sigh, but I have eaten less, I have been drinking coffee when I crave sugar, takes the craving away, but of course not sleeping as well (duh, maybe I'll go buy decaf today).

[cylegoddess]

I get bad reactions with sugar( immune system crashes - sugar is BAD for me), and shingles.
So, when I gave it up, I thought I would die!! I was working in a candy shop, mind you.:eek:
This is what I did.
Stevia( buy it at health food shops) in tea( I use roobois, as I cant have black tea). It also helps regulate your blood sugar and is so much sweeter than. Plus, since it isnt a' fake' sugar, it doesnt make you crave calories( as the others have shown to do - even MAKE you gain weight).:confused:
I keep apples in the house at all times. And carrots.
Sometimes( very rare) I will have a diet soda, if I am at a party or something and everyone is loading up on cakes and such.

But mostly, I thought of what it does.It cross links your proteins, which MAKES YOU AGE FASTER> wrinkles and all!! No way!!

[Melalvai]

tribogota, you might try cutting back on sugar gradually rather than giving it up all at once.

Or find a friend who has had life threatening health problems that could be yours, but you could reduce your risk or symptoms by cutting back sugar. Then ask her to tell you frequently how bad her life sucks!

I've been amazed at how many foods we automatically make with sugar, that don't need it at all. The wassail I made yesterday without any sweetener was absolutely delicious. It was the same recipe as any other wassail but no brown sugar, or honey, or sugar. Apple cider, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and cloves.