I Quit Sugar - anyone up for this?

[Cappster]

I tried quitting sugar during January and it was really good - I lost a few pounds, ate really well, felt very good (after initial detox )

I need to do it again but it would be really good to have a bit of support

Any takers?

It could be, yes! You can also get it in response to too much carbs, caffeine and fat. Of course, googling it means that I found that it could be harmless, or an indicator of one of many life threatening conditions....but that's googling physical health symptoms for you!

How is everyone getting on?

What have you found to be good alternatives when/if you crave sugar/chocolate?

I have fought some strong cravings recently. Popcorn with cinnamon was quite good, and creamy coffee after a meal. Yesterday in desperation I soaked some chia seeds in oat milk (adaptation of recipe in the Sarah Wilson book). It was quite nice actually.

My skin still looks amazing (no spots), which is a big motivation to keep going. But my tummy looks really bloated although my weight is the same. I don't think it's constipation. Perhaps it's the increase in veg? Or maybe I am putting on weight???

I am baking lower sugar stuff for the children and they haven't complained yet :)

Since my relapse last week followed by feeling shit, i've hardly thought twice about eating sugary food. I had a craving once after dinner but have found that leaving the room, doing something different for a minute distracts me and i lose the craving.

mrsrisotto, I'm not sure about calling it relapse because that suggests (a) it's a diet and you have broken a 'rule' and (b) you have failed . I've lived with this sort of shit for many years and I just won't do it any more. So, my approach is to face it head on and give myself a choice; have the sugary stuff and face the consequences (obesity, liver damage, diabetes, pain. in joints, mobility issues, etc) oh, plus deep regret the next day, self loathing yada yada yada. Or, decide to ride out that feeling of intense need to eat sugar (even though not hungry, usually). it's a weird feeling and really hard to face and challenge. Distraction is a short term tool, but it does get easier to instead learn to face it head on and give yourself the choice.

I had cakes on Sunday, I accepted that (and the consequences) and carried on limiting sugar since (until the next challenge).

In best Len goodman voice, I'm starting week SEVEN!

I once did go 7 weeks without chocolate and sugar but it been more than ten years.

My DIL saw a photo of me on fartbook and said I was looking slimmer. I did feel it in that little sundress so that has spurred me on.

I was telling my friend about how I seem to be carrying the weight onmy belly and she mentioned cortisol belly.

www.marilynglenville.com/womens-health-issues/fat-around-the-middle/

Stress certainly makes me reach for sugary treats :-(

Not anymore though!

I've been getting indigestion the last few days. Anyone else?

I wonder if it's my body struggling with the increased fat in my diet.

I usually get indigestion. With sugar.

Hi all, I've just started this plan after having the book for ages and not really getting into it. Was just wondering about potatoes- not much mention of them in the book, are they ok or do they have some sort of weird sugary badness?!

"I usually get indigestion. With sugar."

Dowser, that's interesting because I've noticed that I seem to get what I assume is indigestion after having a cup of tea.

I have a cuppa at tea break and today, afterwards, I was aware of an uncomfortable burny sensation. First thing I'd had porridge/blueberries/raspberries and a cuppa.

Also, Dowser, I read that article link you posted on Friday. Really interesting .

Hmm, just did a google about tea and indigestion and it suggests that caffeine may be an irritant that can cause indigestion, but, to minimise the effect, eat something at the same time as drinking the tea.

Maybe try a weak fruit tea. Do you have milk in your tea. Could the sugar in milk be an irritant.

How about some weak earl grey with a slice of lemon. I started on this when I gave up dairy. I couldn't drink that sludgey brown liquid now. As your palate gets cleaner tastes do change.

I do believe I am feeling leaner. I'm going to put more effort in this week. I had a few chips last night and fish and chips on Sunday, no batter so am going to be a bit more rigid while feeling positive.

I broke a piece of grandsons millionaire shortbread , the choc/ caramel bit. Yuck.

So nose to grindstone this week, wedding just a kick in the pants away!

Well, still going strong here .

A couple of months ago I bought a new bra in the sales; shocking pink lacey thing, but too small in the back so I used an extender to lengthen the bra. Like this : contentinjection.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/fashionable-bra-back-extender.png

Anyway, when I wore it at the weekend I no longer needed the extender!

So, I am definitely losing inches. Also, wore a pair of trousers in works yesterday and spent the day hitching them up . So irritating. Will have to look out a smaller pair .

Dowser, yes I wondered about the milk too.

I adore Earl Grey tea. There's a Tea House locally that sells a loose leaf Earl Grey that is absolutely gorgeous. I always have a pot (and a refill) when I visit (every week). Even though they have twenty or so other types too . I used to have one of their home-made, delicious, and visually stunning cakes too, not any more [a bit sad 'cos I miss them emoticon].

Oh wow mrs Numpty. That's a fantastic result. I'm not in that camp sadly.

I'd love to say weight was falling off me but it's not. I think my metabolism is very low.

Still plugging away though .

Do you know Betty's ?

Betty's Tea Rooms? I've been to the one in York, it's lovely. The one I go to is called Tea Jenny's. Here's a fb link:-

www.facebook.com/pages/Tea-Jennys/144578612277509

It's pretty special.

Dowser, I am glad you're plugging away, I intend to as well, whether I lose weight or not. I (and you) am certain to gain health anyway.

Before anyone clicks on the link, I must warn you that there are pictures of rather delicious cakes therein...

In York right now...eith new phone nightmare :-(

With

try again you at betty's? Too much sugar??

No, no good me going to Betty's . Too many wheat based, cream based , sugar fuelled goodies for me to go and torture myself with.

I could settle for a fat rascal with jam and cream though. In another life maybe.

Sob!

Well, why not as an occasional treat? i've been thinking about this today actually.

One treat I used to indulge in was visiting the Tea House (see link above) for toast and tea. The toast came with their home made jams. I was thinking that it should be ok to do this, not weekly as in the past, but monthly or bi-monthly.

Then I wondered if this was me making excuses to eat sugar, but I don't think it is. It is just making sugar an occasional indulgence rather than an every day thing.

What do you think?

Also, Dowser, you mentioned wheat-based goodies. What's type of thing is that, and why is it to be generally avoided, like sugar?

I don't eat wheat. It bloats me out and causes me to swell up.

Wheat today is not what it was 30 years ago. We used to get 1 four foot high crop a year now we get two 2 feet high crops a year.

It's been so messed about with and our bodies aren't adapted to deal with it causing ibs pain and bloating.

I'd have dark chocolate if having a treat but I have a very addictive personality one piece would lead to two pieces a day and I'd be back to square one.

I'm really putting everything I can into healing my digestion.

I was fb chatting to a friend this week; she's very depressed about the latest dieting 'failure'. Well, we've never actually met in person but got to know each other through a dieting site (minimins which actually folded recently )) back in 2007 and have kept in touch through fb ever since (we also do the same job). She's always been a serial dieter (like me) and we have in turn congratulated and commiserated over our various diets/weight loss/weight gain over the years.

It has been an ongoing, constant, never-ending cycle of losing and gaining weight; feeling euphoric then depressed and despairing in turn.

I feel sad that she's going through this bad patch at the moment; I've been there many times over the years haven't we all. We had a long 'chat' anyway and today I see on fb that she's in a far happier frame of mind and looking forward to her upcoming holiday again.

Diets don't work. I know that. She knows it. You probably know it too. What's the alternative? Being fat? Being uncomfortable? Being tired all the time?

I got off the dieting treadmill a couple of years ago and my research has lead me to believe that changes in thinking hold the key to long term success. I read a really good book called Eating Less (Gillian Riley) and it talks about how our brains work. I use its advice to help me deal with facing sugary foods now.

Its been a struggle for me to understand the concept; but its basically taking personal responsibility for my choices in order to create new neural pathways in my brain (creating better habits) so that the old responses fall unto disuse. There is a lot of research going on now that supports the theories discussed in the book. I think it is the key to me regaining a better relationship with food generally and its about time.

There is a link to her website www.eatingless.com if you want to have a look.

I am just getting ready to visit my favourite Tea House for a lovely pot of Earl Grey and a porridge .

Absentminded I agree about ditching old habits and creating new ones. That is one thing this no added sugar kick has helped me with. Because I couldn't snack on my preferred things, I didn't snack at all (or much much less). I wasn't actually hungry so a healthy alternative wasn't appealing, so I just dealt with the craving and skipped the snack. It wasn't easy at first because there were loads of cues to snack - certain times of day, certain emotions, certain places (cinema!) etc. But over time, those habits/associations have weakened. I don't crave a snack when I get home from work. I don't automatically think 'what's for dessert?' after dinner (apart from restaurants) and I don't snack in the cinema. That's possibly the healthiest change i've seen for me in a long time.