Going sugar free 4 Feb

[Neetalu]

Well I'm a complete and utter slave to all things sweet. I need to kick my habit as it's affecting my mood and energy level. So I'm planning to cut out refined sugar for the whole of Feb....no choc, no sweets, no cake, no biscuits.......the list is endless. (And no sweeteners!)

Anyone feel the same and fancy joining me?

Started a few weeks ago as have been diagnosed as insulin resistant plus fatty liver.

Needed to cut right down otherwise looking at diagnosis of diabetes

I'm doing it gradually; started with cutting out sugar in my tea and now cutting out refined carbs such as bread/pasta/potatoes for breakfast and lunch.

I have also cut out fruit as find that this just makes me hungrier.

Good luck, really good article in latest New Scientist about effect of fructose and glucose

Hi Horsepetal

How are you finding going sugar free?

Are you checking your blood sugars?

Thanks for the article ref. will check it out.

Its fine actually although I haven't completely cut it out, have reduced it quite a bit though and intend to reduce further I may have just had a brownie

Not been testing blood sugars but have noticed appetite decreased due to cutting back carbs.

I would recommend that you cut down gradually and keep progressing it to make it a long term thing rather than going all-out :)

That's good advice I may just try that although I'm very much an all or nothing sort of character and need well defined boundaries.

What does you diet resemble now?

My main meal are very healthy. My problem is the snacking and pigging out in between.

Four weeks in with only a few relapses I have noticed that foods I did not think tasted that sweet,really are.
A banana is now a real treat.
A whiskey and Canada dry tasted waaaay too sweet-cloying almost.
More energy and productivity.Stopped snacking and decreased appetite Can't drop off at 11 like I used to but staying up another hour or so....Whats that about?
Unexpected 6Lb weight loss currently 9 stone and didn't feel like I needed to lose anything.

First week was hell though!
Good luck.

I've done it since 1 Jan. No sugar substitutes like fruit, either and I have completely cut out snacking. I had one diet coke with fish and chips but coke is not a weakness of mine, I probably have one a year. I've had a few cravings, mostly I just keep saying to myself "this too will pass" because cravings move on and when you succumb to them - you just feel worse not better, not sure what I'll do in Feb, I've lost enough weight now but I need to keep it off and in general I find it easier to stay off sugar completely than to attempt to control my intake.

Can I ask what you mean by sugar free? Are you including 'hidden' sugars eg in ketchup? Alcohol? I could get behind the no sweets, biscuits etc, even fruit - but reading the small print on everything sounds like a lot of work.

I have kept alcohol to a minimum - couple of glasses at weekends. I have found that my tolerance of alcohol lowers quite dramatically when I cut down on carbs anyway.

But I personally don't bother reading the labels too much on things like ketchup. Having said that - I have naturally cut down on the types of things (like chips) that would require a dollop of the red stuff anyway

I am not trying to low carb to the extent of Atkins - tried this before and I felt very ill.

But I will have Greek Yoghurt with Apple slices and sprinkling of nuts for breakfast or maybe a few slices bacon with an egg and mushrooms.

So no bread or cereal - its only a small change but with that and cutting out sugar in tea I have noticed that my appetite is a lot 'calmer' during the rest of the day.

I am also avoiding fresh/dried fruit (apart from apple with breakfast) as I find that eating fruit makes me ravenous later on.

If you are going to reduce sugar or carbs for just one meal to begin with then I would recommend doing it with your breakfast and then gradually building from there.

We have a sugar free thread on weight loss chat if you fancy popping over. We started Jan and are just coming out the withdrawals.