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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Giving up sugar for January, maybe longer

326 replies

GrumpyOldBag · 04/01/2017 18:17

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

OP posts:
Original poster
GrumpyOldBag · 02/02/2017 16:22

Step away from the Baklava Lucked!!

OP posts:
Noofly · 02/02/2017 16:59

Lucked I am impressed! The planking is killing me- I think it will be a while before I attempt any Russian twists. The thought of baklava is making me drool. I am so so hungry this afternoon.

honey that's a great loss- well done.

I am very hungry just now but it's nearly 5:00 so not worth my having a snack. I don't know why I've been hungry today though maybe it's because I was looking at my Christmas chocolate earlier (this weeken I'm going to start having a small bit each Sat). Maybe just looking at sugar makes me hungry. Grin

Original poster
GrumpyOldBag · 03/02/2017 16:23

bloody hell I've just eaten a brownie.

OP posts:
Original poster
GrumpyOldBag · 03/02/2017 17:14

And now a millionaire shortbread thing.

It seems my capacity for sticking to a healthy eating regime cannot last longer than a month.

FFS. My jeans are still too tight.

OP posts:
Lucked · 03/02/2017 17:31

Start again right away! It was a blip, a mere wrinkle in the grand scheme.

Noofly · 03/02/2017 20:31

Yes, a blip. Start afresh tomorrow. I also cheated for the first time today. I had an overwhelming desire for lemon bread last night so I made some today and had a small slice. That seems to have seen off the cravings and the rest will be eaten by DC/DH.

987flowers · 04/02/2017 07:25

It's hard isn't it if you want to give up all sugar- I've been reading ingredients in my cupboard! I've cut out cakes/biscuits/chocolate but I still want to eat a cheese and salad sandwich with mayo and if I've not made the bread or mayo myself that will contain sugar!
Think I'll have to go down the removing junk sugar route, I cook most things myself but don't have time to make bread every day. I can make my own mayo but I don't want to waste the jar I have in the fridge!

This probably explains why I've had no side effects from cutting back on sugar!

Noofly · 04/02/2017 08:22

FFS! I gained a pound this week! How is that even possible! I knew I shouldn't have had that bit of lemon bread. Sigh.

Back up to 11s 6lb. Sigh.

msrisotto · 04/02/2017 08:33

Oh FINALLY i've lost 1lb! I'm very happy if I can continue 1lb a week for 6 weeks i'll be at target. Shame it's taken a couple of weeks though! Slowly but surely works for me but not that slowly!

honeyroar · 04/02/2017 09:56

Msriaotto, well done. If you're nearly at goal you will probably lose it slower, it always seems to go that way!

No fly, don't focus on it. It certainly wasn't the cake. Weight doesn't always come off how it ought to. I once lost three stones and I kept a graph. Every week of my period (well just before) my weight went up or stayed the same, then the following week (if I'd not gone off track!) it came off really easily. You just have to stop yourself from thinking about it and being negative as it spirals you down and off track (well, it does me anyway!).

987flowers, it is hard. I used a bit of chilli mix yesterday, and on reading the back of that, found loads of sugar. I'm still using bread etc, but have changed to brown, which is meant to be better.

msrisotto · 04/02/2017 10:05

Yes Honeyroar, im exactly the same - in the run up to my period I bloat and stagnate, but as soon as it starts i see a change.

FlyMeToTheSpoon · 04/02/2017 11:27

Some brown bread has lots of sugar in. I looked at all the breads in Tesco and the lowest sugar one I found was 2g sugar per 100g, which I deemed acceptable and have been using it as my cheese on toast base.

This is my 4th week sugar free (no fruit so super strict) and I haven't lost anything. Confused I used to eat a huge amount of chocolate every day (box of chocolate fingers, multipack of snack size chocolates, a chocolate orange) so I don't really understand why I've not lost any. I think my belly is smaller, but all this cheese is giving me acne so my skin isn't glowing or anything. I'll stick to it until the end of the 8 weeks but I was expecting bigger things really.

msrisotto · 04/02/2017 11:46

I'm really surprised you haven't seen a bigger difference flyme. Is everything else the same as before? As in portion sizes, exercise etc

HuckleberryGin · 04/02/2017 12:13

Most Sourdough bread has no sugar. The Polish bakery do a sliced Sourdough which is yummy. Tesco sell it.

I stayed the same this week in the end. Period week.

987flowers · 04/02/2017 13:19

I'll look out for sourdough bread.
I've just found my pitta bread and houmous had no sugar! Result!

FlyMeToTheSpoon · 04/02/2017 14:09

msrisotto Everything is the same as before except previously I didn't eat bread, now I have cheese on toast maybe 3 times a week as a 'treat', but surely cheese on toast is not the same as an entire box of malteasers?! I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week like before, my meals are basically the same; usually brown rice and curries made from scratch. Portion sizes are the same but I seem to be more in touch with my hunger because I stop eating when I'm full now (unheard of previously!)

My theory is that I was such a serious chocolate addict (family bar every night, plus biscuits at work) that my body is in shock and it'll take a while for it to get used to the new regime. I don't crave sugary stuff much now, so that's a good thing.

For breakfast I might swap my peanut butter porridge for a vegetable smoothie this week and see if that has an impact.

honeyroar · 04/02/2017 14:23

Do you think your clothes are looser Flyme? I haven't lost as much weight as I have when Ive done the first two weeks of weight watchers previously, but I feel like my waistbands are looser and my husband says my Jean legs look looser. Everyone looses weight differently, I loose quickly the first couple of weeks then it slows down usually (but I think it's mainly water retention initially). It must be frustrating though. Have you tried someone else's scales too?

Lucked · 06/02/2017 14:12

Another successful week for me with 2.5lbs off so 11lbs in three weeks. Hopefully I can keep this up!

FlyMe I am trying not too have food treats but I am doing a bit of pampering instead.

ASDismynormality · 06/02/2017 14:54

Flyme, have you tried seeing how many calories you are having. Even though you aren't eating any sugar you could be replacing the calories with cheese, nuts etc.

Noofly · 06/02/2017 15:05

Well done, Lucked , that's a great loss!

FlyMeToTheSpoon · 06/02/2017 17:22

No, my clothes don't seem looser, maybe I am eating too many calories. I have avocado quite often, and a big handful of nuts every afternoon. I will start My Fitness Palling too to see if that's what's up.

Thanks for the tips everybody!

honeyroar · 06/02/2017 19:19

That's strange. Have you got much to lose? It's always slower when you're near goal... I can't see how it can't not come off from what you've described. I eat a fair bit of nuts, cheese and fruit too, and I'm not exercising as much as you. Do you keep a food diary?

FlyMeToTheSpoon · 06/02/2017 22:34

No, not much to lose, I'm 10.5st currently and want to get to about 9.5st. I'm not hugely upset about it, I wanted to go sugar free because I was gorging all the time and it's not healthy, but I just don't understand how it's possible that I haven't lost anything! I eat the same savoury foods now as I did before, only before I also had huge amounts of chocolate, 3 sugars in my coffee and sometimes cake for breakfast.

Good idea about the food diary, I will keep one, maybe I'm inadvertantly consuming 2500 calories a day in cheese and nuts.

HuckleberryGin · 07/02/2017 11:55

I seem to have managed 1lb finally. Official weigh in is Friday though. I winder whether I need to keep an eye on calories. Generally I am eating well- when going out at lunch I always avoid chips, even though technically they don't have sugar in.

honeyroar · 07/02/2017 18:37

Yay! Well done Huckleberry. I sometimes wonder whether I'm eating too much. Possibly because I've been "no low fat" brainwashed over the years. I'm eating a lot of cheese, especially halloumi, as I'm veggie, and lots of nuts. I've avoided cream, but having a lot of full fat yoghurt. I'm enjoying what I'm eating though! I will see how Friday's weight loss goes. I'm due on, so not expecting a massive loss whatever.