Giving up sugar for January, maybe longer

[GrumpyOldBag]

I have decided to try giving up sugar.

Anyone else tried this?

I am going to continue eating fresh fruit, but not dried or juice.

No processed foods containing sugar.

And obviously no fizzy drinks - but don't drink those anyway.

Anyone tried doing this? Can I have honey on my porridge?

I think dry wine & vodka OK?

Anyone got any advice to share? Thanks

That's great Lucked, and doesn't 2 stone 12 to lose sound so much better than 4! I've started with about 4 to lose too. Not going quite as quickly as yours, but it's coming off nonetheless.

Not sure if I can be bothered with pancakes. My stepson is grown up and doesn't really like them. If I do make the effort I might try sliced banana, perhaps with a tad of cream, that might make a nice dessert?

PS, my weight targets almost go down in my dog weights - my largest lab weighs 4 and a half stones, my middle lab weighs just over 3 stones, and my smallest dog is 1 and a quarter stones. I can barely pick the big one up, and even the little one is heavy if you have to carry her for long. Yet I'm carrying them around in lard every day!

I am loving losing a dog! I also have a 3 year old who I will be weighing tomorrow and she can be my next target although she probably doesn't weigh much less than her brother.

Just saw on another board banna and eggs mashed together to make faux banana pancakes, might give it a go.

I'm going to do pancakes with banana and cream. I have two small children and were just doing pancakes for tea. Passing on the Nutella and maple syrup is going to be hard!

😀😄 Feeling good!! I lost three pounds this week, so 11lbs total now, edging my way to that first stone!!😄😄

We never did pancakes, I've got all the stuff ready to go, but we couldn't be bothered! We may have a go over the weekend. How were yours?

Well done honeyroar!!

I have maintained by 1lb loss from last week, which I'm happy with as it's my period week so always heavier and bloated.

Just got my period too and gone up 2lbs. I knew I was crazy to get on the scales today so bloated!!🙁 Totally taken the pleasure of a good loss away!

Up 1 and also on my period. I had a bad week last week so redoubling my efforts this week.

Honeyroar well done, at least one of us had a god week.

Well it was a good week until I got my period and put two back on! There's clearly something in the air, we're all doing it! It's hacked me off though and I've eaten a small cake in rebellion (which wasn't even nice and will hurt nobody but me!).

Sorry, I've not been on in ages. I've had a rotten head cold which has made me just want to gobble everything in sight (but have somehow managed to resist) and I haven't been able to get on my bike- actually tried it yesterday for the first time in over a week and I ended up coughing all night long. I've been very grumpy and feeling sorry for myself.

Well done to everyone, though- ignoring the period weeks! I'm the same. I either maintain or gain- very depressing!

Despite moaning about my head cold, I'm still managing to lose. I was 1.5lbs down this week hitch put me at exactly halfway to goal. 20lbs down, 20lbs to go. I'm now exactly 1/2 a stone overweight which sounds much more achievable than the 2 stone I started out with.

Well done Noofly 20lbs is amazing!

I am down 2lbs this week, so lost last weeks gain and another pound. 17lbs in total. The trousers I am wearing today are soooo comfortable whereas previously the waist band was tight.

Still not doing regular exercise but the evenings are lighter so I think now would be a good thing me to start.

Wow, well done Noofly and Lucked, you're both doing really well.

I've been flying a lot this week, so haven't been near the scales. I've been across the pond twice this week, home tomorrow, so I will see. I need to try and keep myself off the scales for a day to let the flying bloat go, but I know I won't have the patience!

Hello, I wonder if I could join please? I gave up sugar for Lent and felt really grim for a few days, then things got much better. However at the weekend I got really tired and then had my period, and since then, OMG, terrible cravings, tiredness, hunger, and I ate quite a lot of raw chocolate (no added sugar, but tastes very sweet and has agave in). I need to get back on the wagon and get committed again.

I eat mostly low carb, no wheat, but I've been craving bread and pizza and cake again, and feeling low in mood and energy. Any advice would be welcome! I am doing this for health reasons, because I hate the cravings I get when I'm tired and in the evenings, and because I want to lose about another stone (already lost 9 lbs since Feb, yay!).

Hello Queendork, welcome. I got a lot of tips reading through this thread when I joined it. I can't give you any useful tips as I'm still eating carbs, so not experienced the lows too much.

I do find it gets easier and I lose more weight when I go low GI carbs, but I am not always organised enough for that. I also think combing protein with the carbs puts everything into an even keel.

TBH every day I just breathe a sigh of relief that I am not consuming sugar and crap at the rate I was in the New Year. It has been very freeing.

Weigh in day for me today, one more lb off, making 12lbs in 8 wks, so inching towards that first stone. I'm quite pleased as had a tough week at work, I've been across the Atlantic and back twice, so lots of eating on the plane etc and I've not been able to cook for myself this week.

Well done, honey and lucked, we all seem to be well in the swing of things.

QueenDork- do join us! The more the merrier.

I'm not expecting any sort of weight loss this week. If my pattern holds this will be my maintaining week.

I may have promised DS that I would go Coasteering with him this summer and am in a bit of a panic about my lack of upper arm strength. The description says it's suitable for everyone, but I can't even manage a single proper push up! I've booked a family indoor climbing session on Mother's Day to see just how bad I am and how much work I need to do between now and the end of July!

Glad this is still going. I have had a few lapses. Chocolate chip cookie anyone (stale & the kids didn't; want it)? Too much white toast and marmite today (didn't sleep well last night) but I do find my taste buds have adjusted. Porridge with no added anything for breakfast is now fine. Verging on delicious !!

Hi yes I'm doing this too - as much as it is practical. Have you seen the video blog or read the book on sugar by Dr Robert Lustig? If you read this I think it will give you a lot of encouragement to keep persevering.

The crux of the sugar debate seems to be to avoid added fructose. But eating fructose as part of whole (not processed, dried or juiced fruit & veg) is perfectly fine. So instead of fructose which is half the make-up of normal branded sugar, use glucose sweeteners instead. What you will find is that pure glucose is not as sweet as normal sugar so you may need to add more (eg cup of tea: half tsp normal sugar v whole tsp glucose).

It's too long to explain here, but do look at Dr Lustig / D Gillespie re the sugar debate to understand the critical points as to why all of us should reduce or eliminate consumption of added fructose.

Good luck!

That sounds a tough expedition Noofy, but you've a few months to build up.

I've had a "lucky setback" this week, in that I've had flu the last couple of days, so eaten barely anything and as a consequence the scales are now showing my weight loss as a stone! Only thing that's made me smile, although it may well go on again next week..

Make sure you drink loads and loads of water/herbal tea next week and you might just keep it off!

Lol!

Che sará, if it goes back on it will come off again soon. I'm desperate for my berries and Greek yoghurt, haven't had it for a week, but couldn't face going out.

As predicted, I maintained this week. It's really funny- for three months my pattern without variation (except one week where I gained a pound instead of maintaining) has been lose/lose/maintain, lose/lose/maintain, lose/lose/maintain...

That's pretty good then, isn't it, well done! I once lost about three stones with weight watchers and kept a graph, once you see patterns and know you are still doing fantastic in the big picture it's reassuring, and the level weeks don't worry you.

I'm still without those two bonus lost pounds from having been ill. Today was my first day out of bed, unfortunately my husband seems to have got it. So I mucked out the horses and went to Tescos for loads of fruit, and collapsed back into bed! I think those lost pounds were from out of my nose, all I'm doing is blowing my nose every two seconds! I am perfectly ready for Red Nose Day!

Sorry, I don't half babble!