to think it's not possible to give up sugar

[enifing]

I have heard people suggest this from time to time. It's not possible with DCs, is it?

We've given up most cereal, but porridge has to have sugar or some sugar substitute.

Stewed fruit can't be fine without sugar.

Home baking, absolute no-no.

How dull would life be? I would probably overdose on salt instead...

I was diagnosed with type 3 diabetes last week. Still too in shock to give much up. Oh and I'm bloody starving all the time now

jobbly I've done the same and feel amazing to. I eat protein and veg pretty much the cave man diet and I've never felt better.

Carry on eating sugar, just don't sit down all day, works a treat! I'm a stone and a half down just through changing my job, and it has stayed off despite my best efforts involving cake and wine!

If you're eating veg you are not zero carb.

Actually I eat no veg. I get trace amounts from eggs but no more than 5g a day. Obviously I'd dispute the idea that it's impossible to be healthy eating this way, although I do understand how very counterintuitive it is.

The 'delightful' Cherry Menlove bangs on about being sugar free which is enough enough to make me want Candy Floss for lunch followed by seaside rock.

Jobbly, no fruit or veg at all? I love fruit but often think I could ditch veg for weeks and not miss it. You're right, it seems counter intuitive....

Are you including salad leaves in your definition of veg?

Cherry menlove. There's a blast from the past. Is she still doing her thing.

Zero carb diets are not healthy.

I know the information I just don't believe it

You don't believe what Myfitnesspal says about the number of calories in sugar? Or are you reading something into my post that I didn't actually write?

Yep I've given up sugar and I've lost over a stone in 4 weeks. No more low blood sugar attacks either...bonus!

If you don't eat fruit and veg what do you eat?

It depends on how much you like sweet things. I don't have a sweet tooth so I found it easy (I also include fruit and milk as sugar so gave that up too for 6 months). But if I had to give up cheese I would have struggled.

Often it's easier to just not have something like porridge and have scrambled eggs instead, rather than try to make it taste the way you want it to. You will never replace the sugar (putting a banana in is just sugar by another form).

I still bake for DC and dh, but am happy not to eat it. I do eat sugar now in the form of some summer soft fruits as I like them and I have recently relaxed and made the decision that 3 months of the year to have peaches, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, blackberries and apricots is fine (I live in kent and the produce is everywhere).

Dh and DC would never give up sugar tho.

Meat, cheese, eggs, some double cream. I drink coffee and water. I honestly feel and look fabulous- better, more stable mood and energy levels, better sleep, improved mental clarity and focus, better muscle tone, more balanced hormones and monthly cycle.

The brain does have a minimum requirement for glucose, it's true, but once you're fat adapted this is synthesised effectively in the liver from protein- you don't need to eat it at all.

Hi MrsKoala, we did BIWI's BC together at the end of last year, although I've nc'end umpteen times since then .

...and the assumption that anyone who knows me would recognise me purely on the description of my unusual diet, here's my before/now pics- approx ten months apart:

That's great jobbly. Well done on your weight lose. I understand the benefits of low carb diet but if your "zero" carb, how you getting fibre? You are also missing out on a lot of important micronutrients by not having fruit and veg. Do you supplement?

Was cutting carbs purely for weight loss?

Jobby in the long term that diet sounds positively dangerous, I am concerned you may have an eating disorder if this is really what you eat. There are micro nutrients in vegetable based foods which you are missing, in the long term your bowel health could compromised. This diet is dangerous, environmentally irresponsible. The human body is very adaptable to surviving on a limited selection of foods for a short period of time but this doesn't mean this is good for long term health.

Primarily for health, not weightloss. Groups of people throughout history have lived solely on animal products and been healthy (such as Inuit populations). Meat is nutritionally balanced (www.diagnosisdiet.com/food/meats/). I dont believe my diet is any less responsible environmentally that a plant based diet. Growing crops destroys ecosystems and has eliminated entire species actually.

This has to be the most controversial thing I've ever said on MN- apologies everyone, I'm very non-confrontational in rl.

I know this isn't about the environment, but the reason the whole eco systems have been destroyed for growing crops is to provide grain/ soya to feed animals. Basically the more meat the worlds population eat the greater the environmental disaster. To create a kilo of meat for human consumption requires many, many kilos of grain etc) If you want a diet that is good for the planet go vegan!

Jobbly Does that mean you have low (no) fibre diet? Has that affected d your bowels at all?

You are right about Inuit's jobbly but I think all it proves is that the human body is highly adaptable. There are certain regions where meat is rarely consumed and they seem to do fine as well ( IMO this isn't good either).

I'm not sure meat is nutritionally balanced. It lacks fibre ( important for disgestive), it may be high in some micro nutrients but it's lacking in others. Which will create problems.

IMO low carbs diets are fine for a short term weight loss strategy but not good long term. I don't believe there is anything magical going on in terms of weight loss either apart from removing a lot of calories.

As an aside, I didn't know that anyone had sugar on porridge! Has never occured to me, hence DS has never had sugar on his porridge either.

We haven't given up all sugar, but do try to avoid obviously sugary things in our house - and never add sugar to food. Certainly not porridge!

The traditional Inuit diet is also very unique and probably includes some foods you don't eat ie raw seal brains, the whole carcasses of seabirds with the products of fermination still on the feathers, kelp, contents of animals/ fishes stomachs. Fascinating stuff but not really relevant to 21st century industrial society

I had/have a real sweet tooth and thought I couldn't give up sugar on porridge but it turned out to be surprisingly easy. I measured how much I was usually having and gradually reduced it every couple of days. I barely noticed the change!

Jobbly - Aren't you in danger of getting scurvy???

DH has diabetes and says that fruit (not fruit juice) is better sugar for him so I try and give the DCs that and have it myself.
They have natural yoghurt and I try to go for sweetener instead of sugar.
We have raisins on porridge, low sugar baked beans, there's a ketchup with less too. St Dalfour jam (though you don't need much jam, DH has homeopathic amounts of jam on his toast).
I tend to bake scones without sugar (banana, or carrot and cheese) or oat and raisin or banana or carrot and cheese muffins.
Cereal and bread aren't great but bread recipes seem to need the sugar to taste/rise OK.