A sugar free month - anyone else fancy giving it a go?

[HearMyRoar]

I Have been thinking about giving up sugar for a long time now but haven't really felt ready. I have decided that now is the time and so am aiming for a sugar free month from the 6 january.

I figured starting with a month seemed less scary then giving it up forever and reasonably achievable... I hope :o

Still working out my rules but currently they are:

No sugar
No sugar substitutes
No processed food with any sort of sugar or sugar substitute in

So pretty simple so far. I am not giving up the carbs so still eating rice, bread, etc (I am nowhere near ready for boot camp). Also planning on still eating lots of fruit though probably not juice. All this is open to negotiations and suggestions.

Anyone fancy joining me? Go on....please... Anyone...

[mulberrybag]

Im very close to opening the vodka hiding in the freezer and killing myself slowly with an overdose of chocolate!

[HearMyRoar]

Hi to all the new people and welcome to the thread! :o

mulberry I found my skin started improving around the 2 week mark but I only had a few spots, it's just I never wear makeup so even a few is horrid, plus I looked to pale and ergh (technical term for you there). Definitely have a better colour now.

Though, the best thing I have found is that over the last few days I have been so much more focused. I've got loads done at work and feel sort of rejuvenated. This is despite dd suddenly having an attack of nightmares so sod all sleep for the past week.

I'm also coming to the conclusion that I am mildly lactose intolerant and that potatoes are not my friend. Noticed that I feel much less bloated apart from when I have lots of diary or potatoes, then I get stomach cramps and terrible bubbly belly (another technical term). I'm trying out lactose free milk which does seem to be better but I think I really need to consider giving up potatoes. Oh dear.

[Nettee]

Right I am going to have to quit white flour as well to include white bread and white pasta. See if it makes a difference. I need a time line for that one I think - I can do a week for a start!

I thought my skin had improved but currently it is not very good again.

[MrsFrankTurner]

Nettee: I quit all the white stuff too -I run so need the carbs but go for slow release stuff like Wholemeal pasta etc

Facing first big test today as have a horrid heavy cold I am a feed a cold/starve a fever kinda lass so would usually be curled up on the sofa mainlining hot chocolate & hot, white buttered toast.......not sure sugarless tea and cashew nuts are going to quite hit the spot

[invicta]

I've joust fallen of the wagon, so to speak, due to sickness. Somehow, lettuce ned tomatoes didn't cut the mustard such as biscuits and lucozde. I'll try again tomorrow.

[SomewhatSilly]

I am very pleased to report that I am now under 11st for the first time in years! by about half a pound

How's everyone else getting on? Shall we continue this thread into feb or would we like a shiny new one?

[HearMyRoar]

Yay! Well done somewhat :o

I'm happy to continue this thread unless we want to be month specific. It sort of feels wasteful to finish a thread with 791 posts unused. Though obviously this is completely irrational of me.

[MrsFrankTurner]

Yay well done somewhat that's awesome

I am finding the physical detox wearing -2nd cold of the year in the space of 3 weeks but I'm hoping it's all a good sign that my body is working to get rid of toxins-it also shows how much shit unhealthy food & drink I was shovelling in before!

At "wasteful":-) maybe we should start a thread about the harmful effects of wasteful threads on the well being of mumsnet chat

[SomewhatSilly]

Think we need to attract some new recruits - it's blooming difficult, this no sugar thing!

[gingangoolie1]

Am back with you after a very bad week. Boo. Felt so good before when I was 16 days no sugar / wheat, so lets see if I can find the internal motivation / will power to stick with it this time. The 4lbs I lost is now back on, plus an extra 1lb for good measure.

Somewhatsilly - well done you. Under 11 stone is my goal (12 st 12 at the moment - SHOCK HORROR). Can't believe I have let myself go.

MrsFT - hope you are feeling better ...

[saysa]

This isn't easy is it, and I'm only trying to conquer the obviously sweet stuff so far. Trying to drink water everytime I want something sweet, so I'm drinking more which is a plus...

Somewhatsilly well done you, that's great!

[SomewhatSilly]

Hey gingang, welcome back on the wagon! Do you think you would have a better time just focusing on the sugar first?

[HearMyRoar]

I got complemented today on my amazingly healthy lunch. Felt very smug. I think they thought I was mad though when I said it was healrhy because I had stopped eating anything with sugar in and that only really left healthy stuff. :o

Glad to see you back gingang. It is hard but focus on how good it feels when you are sugar free.

I discovered how to make sugar free custard in the microwave last night so had a big bowl of custard with sultanas and bananas to get me through a huge pudding craving. It was yum! :o

[MrsFrankTurner]

Sugar free custard? Oh please share -I love love love bananas & custard (pmt plus a cold = grumpy & hungry MrsFT!)

[HearMyRoar]

I used this recipe for babies but with an extra egg yolk and a good splash of vanilla essence as I don't have any paste. I put the saltanas and sliced banana in after I'd cooked it a little bit but not completly so they had a blast in thr microwave too and were nice and warm.

[SomewhatSilly]

Ooh, that looks tasty.

Anyone else finding their sensitivity to sweet tastes is increasing? I keep thinking someone's slipped sugar into my coffee because I can now taste the natural sweetness of the milk.

[Dilidali]

zesty, that makes absolute sense, you go!!!

I had a sugar free fast day yesterday, god I'm addicted!!!! I couldn't waste precious calories on sugar, as you do, but I craved it constantly. Hmmmmm.

[Toowittoowoo]

Can I join? Coming to the sugar free party rather late but it has taken me a while to pluck up the courage!

Before I start - what is the general consensus about the odd treat? You see it is my birthday in Feb and DH and DD have been planning my cake for a while so don't feel I can decline. I will however request that it is a small cake so it doesn't hang around looking tempting.

On a similar note has any found any sugar free bakes? I've tried to read the whole thread so sorry if I missed them but someone was mentioning banana bread earlier in the thread and a recipe for that would be great. I don't really buy much sweet stuff but I do bake once a week so if I could find tasty sugar free bakes then I would be sorted.

Also what are the sugar free snacks of choice? I am personally very fond of a hard boiled egg! Nuts give me the fear as we have been trained for years that they are so calorific. Are other people over coming that fear? Dh loves those spicy flavoured seeds and nuts (seed doctor?) But as they are so expensive I have bought some ordinary nuts and seeds from aldi and have challenged hime to come up with his own spice mix. Might work!

[HearMyRoar]

Well, you've convinced me zesty new thread it is!

I definitely think you can make the decision to be a happier or 'better' person to a degree. I like your idea of writing it down so you have it in black and white. I did a sort of self assessment a couple of years ago and did a similar sort of thing. Some things were deciding to do something (or not do something), so I decided I would eat better and also that I would just stop being angry about things that I couldn't change. It was very liberating to stop being stressed when I accidentally broke something or things were crap at work.

I also realised that there were some things about me that I just couldn't change. I would love to be a super sociable person who could make small talk and have loads of friends but I have accepted that I just am not that person and that actually that's OK. Trying to be something I am not and failing was just making me feel shit about myself, I am much happier now I have found peace with myself a bit on that one.

Mmm.. Anyway, back to the sugar business :o

I will have no telling off on this thread, that is the 1st rule of Sugar Free Club. So no feeling bad if you have a moment and scoff loads of chocolate or whatever. Feeling crappy about it will only make it harder and it is difficult enough.

And I think we are all agreed that there are certain situations when saying no to sugar is just not on. This counts as a social obligation rather then a treat in my book. Treats are not good because you can get into the habit of having them at any excuse, just because its Friday or you are feeling a bit rubbish. A social obligation is limited to situations when it would be really rather rude to not have some or it would result in some else being upset. Birthday cake is definitely at the top of the list. Special puddings made by grannies also falls in that category.

[mulberrybag]

I love it " sugar few club" how cool :)
I'm still going, struggled last few days but definitely getting my head around being sugar free as a life choice instead of it just being a one off month. Well done everyone, keep on in there.

[mulberrybag]

Oops..... bloody auto correct...*sugar Free club!

[helloeverything]

Hello, i'd like to join you. I've been sugar free for at least two weeks but im still finding it hard. Im now realising the extent of my addiction. I have to say no to some form of sugar at least six times a day, so i must have been eating it six times a day.
I've been feeling hypo glycaemic, swooning, excessive thirst, and worst of all no weight loss!
I'm figuring i'll have to do something else to lose weight but for now i'm just trying to kick the habit.

[HearMyRoar]

Hi hello I wouldn't worry about losing weight for at least the first few weeks. Just get through the withdrawals and then you will find your appetite settling down. Also I had a lot of water retention in the first couple weeks, it was a bit horrifying but if you just get through this bit it does get better.