Sugar free February

[twostonetolose]

Hello.

I have seen that there is a thread about sugar free January and I was wondering if anyone fancied joining me for a sugar free February?

I am really good all day and then at five o'clock something happens and I turn into the Cookie Monster and am forced to eat as much as I can as quickly as I can...this evening alone I have eaten one cupcake, two scones and a slice of cake...seriously what is wrong with me!?!?

I am not sure whether it should be carbs or just sugary treats etc...I think carbs may be a step too far.
So my plan is to give this a whirl...please join me for some moral support.

[twostonetolose]

Nobody but me!?!?

[WhatLizzyDid]

Meeee! What's the plan? I'm thinking of cutting refined sugar but still eating fruit

[WhatLizzyDid]

Carbs is definitely a step too far for me!

[teaping]

Ooo me me!! I've been doing low carb / sugar free for Jan and it's worked reasonably well (though I've continued to have weekend wine!) but tonight I have screwed up and eaten some smarties!

I've got 4 days til I've got to try on my wedding dress, what an idiot!!

I'd love to join you for Feb pretty please!

[tryingtogetbacktome]

I'm deffo in!! Alcohol too! Not gonna cut carbs, but deffo sugars. I'm exactly the same, good as good all day then hits 6pm and I'm shovelling all sorts in my mouth.

Let's do it!!!

[user1485196412]

I'm in! Been wanting to do this for ages!

[twostonetolose]

Hi whatlizziedid hi teaping hi tryingtogetbacktome
I think the plan should be no refined sugar and I was going to add no white bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. What do you think?
I think no fizzy drinks might be the hardest bit (as well as the evenings and everything else) as I live on Diet Coke. Any tips for upping the water?
Shall we report back each day to keep us focussed?

[SerialReJoiner]

I'm doing this. I was sugar free for about a year then fell off the wagon spectacularly over Christmas. Am trying to wind my tongue back in! I feel utterly out of control so I'm doing 16:8 as well to remind my stomach who is boss. :)

Added sugar is my goal at the moment. Complex carbohydrates and starches are not the enemy imo.

[twostonetolose]

Hi serialrejoiner How does 16:8 work? Is this only eating between 12 and 8? What about drinking? Think that might be good for me as it would stop me gorging for at least some of the day!!

[Grittzio]

Yes please can I join, I so need to do this, every day I try to be good but it always goes horribly wrong, no refined sugar suits me to start with, with regards water, I try and have a good litre before I leave for school run and work, another litre at work, then another litre between leaving work at 2pm and bedtime. That's my intention anyway and the water intake was working but has dropped to about 1.5 litres a day at the moment.

[twostonetolose]

Hi grittzio. I like the approach to water but I am bloody useless!!!! I'm sure I am chronically dehydrated!!

[SerialReJoiner]

twostone essentially yes, but it doesn't have to be those specific timings; could be you shift it from 8am-4pm for instance. Whatever works best for you. I find that I'm often missing breakfast anyway due to hectic mornings, so it makes sense to just eat a sensible lunch, a healthy snack and a filling dinner. I can and do snack late into the night and then wake up the next morning hungry and wanting a large breakfast. Although I'm not calorie counting or purposely limiting calories, I'm certain I'm eating less this way and dont really feel deprived. I'd much rather eat decent portions for part of the day then small portions the entire day, but that's what works for me. I lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago doing 16:8 + sugar free and have since had a baby so need to sort out my eating habits again.

It's so easy for me to slip back into eating sugary junk. A little biscuit here, a slice of cake there, and before I know it I am expecting/craving/jonesing for a "hit" multiple times a day. Scary. I can't eat sugar like a normal person.

[Buttwing]

Can I join please? I've been sugar free for about three weeks now. I'm eating carbs when I crave them but not very often. I've not eaten bread for a long time and have only drunk water since beginning of January. I'm eating fruit but with nuts which is supposed to stop the spike in blood sugar. Not sure if it's true or not but I like nuts so I'm going with it!

[Buttwing]

Serial that's why I stopped I have literally no control. I cannot have one biscuit I eat the whole packet!

[white66]

Can I join? I'm trying to go sugar free but I'm a terrible evening snacker! Would love to hear meal ideas/good snacks that might stop my snacking? I don't eat any fruit at all, I'm trying but I just don't like any!!!!!!

[SerialReJoiner]

Oh yes. I even fantasise about eating the whole packet.

During my fasting window I fill up on herbal teas like redbush or mint. No sweetening, obviously. It helps pass the time as well as up my water intake. I also drink it in the evenings to stop me snacking.

[Badgerlady]

Steps cautiously into thread...

I'd like to join. I can't help picking at sugary things and it's terrible for my skin. My other downfall is artificially sweetened stuff as well as sugar. Especially Diet Coke and sugar free chewing gum. I know both are very bad for me and I end up quite looking like I am pregnant bloated.

So: no cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate etc OR artifically sweetened equivalents for a month. I'll allow fruit and brown bread/rice (don't drink so that's one thing covered).

[user1485196412]

Argh this sounds tough - but we can do it! Might try the herbal tea in the sugar monster window... I do well until it's toddler tea time then it's downhill ... Actually, I' m kidding myself - post nursery run in the morning is also a potential low point!

[user1485196412]

When I'm organised enough I try to chop carrots/ peppers in advance and put them in neat boxes in the fridge - it helps avoid sugar when I get hangry and need food NOW!

[twostonetolose]

Ok so just had my last jam on toast for breakfast...probably not a great attitude to be squeezing in as much sugar as possible today is it!?!?!?

[Badgerlady]

I decided to start today. I actually had no sugar yesterday evening, but did eat a lot of crisps. Need to make sure sugar habit is not replaced by a salt one! Any ideas for sugar free snacks?

[twostonetolose]

Sugar free jelly (although probably full of junk so not sure), fruit, protein smoothie?

[twostonetolose]

And well done badger for getting ahead of the curve!!

[pasanda]

Can I join too please. I started sugar free yesterday and had the worst headache ever! But.... I didn't cave

For probably about 10 years, I have had a can of diet coke at 10am every single day. I could tell the time by my craving and would get this weird tight feeling in my throat if I didn't have it and it was instantly relieved with that first sip (look at me, writing all past tense!!) Breakfast was toast and marmalade with a huge glass of concentrated juice, snacks always chocolatey and white wine most nights

My problem is the drinks tbh. I don't drink tea or coffee and hate herbal teas so all I am left with is water. Which is fine, but ever so slightly boring!!

And I don't like nuts (apart from dry roasted!). And nuts seem to feature in any diet I read about! Just snack on a handful of nuts to keep those hunger pangs away.....

Anyway, yes, I'm in (although ever so slightly dreading it!!)

[pasanda]

I've also just finished reading 'Clean and Lean Diet' by James Duigan. It all makes perfect sense and has good lists with 3 columns in - Bad, Better, Best. So gives you alternatives to what you might usually eat.

eg Bad - low fat yoghurt. Better - Organic yoghurt with fruit and honey. Best - raw organic yoghurt with nuts.

Some of the 'best' is too extreme for me (I am a fussy bugger) but I will try and do the 'better' list as much as possible.

My friend has been doing his plan for 2 weeks now (she lent me the book) and has lost half a stone and her excema has gone!