Giving up sugar and starchy carbs

[DragonOverTheMoon]

Hi 👋

I've recently given up sugar and starchy carbs and lost 4lb. I aim to keep it up as I'm still 5lb over healthy weight and ideally want to lose a stone.

What I've read so far around giving up sugar seems really positive, more energy, better skin blabla but to get to that point means not eating bread or cakes ever again and I almost bought rhubarb yesterday but realised I wouldn't like it stewed without sugar.

Has anyone managed it long term? How is it only eating green veg and berries for F&V? Once you get over the sugar and carb cravings can you have the odd brie and grape baguette?

Hi @dragonoverthemoon

I searched for a thread on this as I have also decided that it would be good to give up sugar. I gave uo alcohol 20 months ago and was massively supported (snd still am) by the sober threads on here.

I went sugar free for most of March and felt soooo good. But, I have gone back tenfold and feel rubbish in just over a week. I have realised that...

1. I'm not great at moderation
2. Sugar is not good for me.

So, the next step is to give it up. But, I have so much resistance to it. A thread with ideas in what to eat instead and some accountability would be great.

I gave up dieting and don't want to go down that route and I had a thread to add on more fruit and veg. So, for me it's not about weight loss per se (although it will be an added benefit) but to stop my binge/starve cycle and feel healthier with more energy.

So, if you're still up for it, a sugar free buddy thread would be great.

I've done periods of it. Currently doing one.

Personally I allow bread but more as a treat and ideally limited to once a week - for example eggs on toast for a weekend breakfast, or a fish finger and brioche bun sandwich for a tea, so it is something to look forward to. So keeping the bread in the freezer. Other ways I have done it is to allow one thin slice of granary toast a day (lovely in winter). Starchy carbs is quite a broad group. What else have you given up?

Sugar I find easier. Avoid processed. Dark chocolate is okay if I have a real craving but limited! If I have to use sugar for cooking - some sauces, or if I really want to sweeten porridge or something then I use coconut sugar which has a lower glycameic index but tastes as sweet as sugar. Agave syrup is similar - tastes incredibly sweet but has less sugar. Cinammom is quite a good false sweetener - the taste tricks the mind, I like it on stewed apples. I also dollop no fat yoghurt on fruit as it is naturally sweet-ish.

I do have grapes, satsumas etc. Just try to keep in moderation. Frozen grapes are good as they keep.

It is very much something you have to train yourself in as once the cravings are gone it is so much easier. I found eating three regular meals a day really helped as I don't get sugar lows. Something like 250 cals for breakfast, 400 for lunch and 500 for dinner, as a base, then snacks, seems to keep me stable and not have cravings.

A caveat though is that I really do think if you have periods that you need 300 cals more a day in the few days before. That is my experience so I will try to eat more carb then, otherwise I totally fall off the wagon.

Yes! I would love a suger free buddy.

I've been eating blueberries and raspberries with natural yoghurt for breakfast over the last week. Yesterday and today I really noticed how much sweeter it tasted. Previously I would have drizzled honey on it. I'm hoping that my tastebuds continue to adjust and I won't want artificial sweet things.

Yes, yoghurt and fruit was a dessert a lot last month. I am dairy free but found oatly greek yoghurt was sugar free (the soya one isn't). I also add in chopped hazelnuts and flaked almonds. In March I also did no alternatives so I didn't have my usual pouring of maple syrup on it. And like you, I got used to it being sweet enough.

I did eat some bread (I'm gluten free) but not much. It was really about the sugar for me. But they definitely worked in unison. The less sugar I ate the less bread/carbs I craved.

I ate a lot of dates and nuts and seeds. The medjool dates tasted like caramel. Lots of fruit and veg and lentils/pulses. Garlic stuffed olives as snack.

So, i think my plan is to up the fats and cut out the sugar. I don't calorie count anymore.

On the drinks department I had mango and apple juice with sparkling water as a treat drink and water/tea/coffee mostly.

I like the frozen grapes idea.

I love medjool dates and frozen grapes.

I have made coconut water ice lollys before, it freezes fine in the ice lolly moulds you can buy but I'm not sure if it has added sugar. I've also seen this diethood.com/frozen-yogurt-bark-berries/ that could go in the freezer for a pudding idea.

Sorry I didn't see the posts earlier about what starchy carbs I've given up. No potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips or carrots. I've got awful sciatica atm and can't exercise so I don't need the calories. Normally I would eat whole foods and exercise to get down a lbs but I can't this time. I am technically overweight and need to shift it!

I haven't eaten sugar for a few years now. I use natvia which doesn't raise insulin levels. I know it's a bit controversial and many advocate not using a sugar substitute.
Some artificial sweeteners raise insulin levels so you need to do your research.
I don't eat it often tbh but find it useful to bake with if I fancy a sweet treat and tbh it's the only way I could remain 'sugar' free long term.

That's interesting girlintheframe

I think I'm going to try to avoid sweeteners for now. I will use maple syrup if I'm desperate.

I avoided loads of sugar yet but am still going to eat what's in the house in moderation as I can't abide waste. We had planned soup and foccacia for guests yesterday and I had one small gf one. I also had biscuits with vg cheese and realised after they had sugar in them. But for the most part I got through the day

@Girlintheframe how do you manage meals out and nights out with friends on such a long term basis? What benefits/are there any benefits to your health have you noticed? I want this sugar free life! Well actually I'd like to eat and drink whatever I want when I want and still be healthy

If I'm eating out I try to sub the carbs with other foods so steak and salad or maybe chicken with extra veg but minus the potatoes, bun less burger etc.

I will have carbs/sugar if I really want to or if it's a celebration meal etc. Usually happens every couple of months. In the beginning I had 'carb' day once a month. It worked for me in that it kept me low carb/sugar free in the long term. I used to eat all the carbs I could on that day, now I'm generally not fussed.

Long term health benefits I've noticed are no more bloating, hunger much more manageable, definitely more energy and mentally 'brighter'. I don't generally drink alcohol either which has meant brighter skin which looks less fatigued, no puffiness and eye bags.

I treat alcohol like carbs/sugar, if I really want them I will have them but I've been doing this so long now that I rarely have an actual desire for sugar. My taste buds have completely changed. I also want foods that fills me and is nutritious now rather than I quick energy hit.

I did this originally because my sugar cravings where insane. I felt physically and mentally awful. I lost 2.5 stone but tbh that was a by product for me. I felt so dreadful with the sugar and out of control.

That's all really interesting and useful girlintheframe, thanks.

I've done not too bad today. No sugary things. I did have some bread but only 2 small slices. I'm not cutting out bread altogether. Just processed sugar at the moment. I know my bread intake will naturally limit itself if I'm not eating sugar.

I have cut out sugar since feb this year. I allowed myself all fruits and various carbs (wholewheat bread etc sugar free). I used no substitute but when carving chocolate I found the Nakd Chocolate on Asda, hated the raspberry flavour one but the plain one did the trick to manage the craving around period time, or when I just felt like eating chocolate, only finished two packs so far, so I didn't really need alot. The sugar is so easy to give up, cravings stop after 3-4 days of hell, wanting a biscuit all the time and feeling depressed. I hoped I had made my own bisuits, but was too lazy or didn't find the ingredients ready so didn't bother. you can make your onw sweet stuff with really soft blackish bananas and mashed dates....cakes biscuits etc. but then a change happens. so far 2 kg has been lost by just cutting out the brown sugar from diet and eating meals only three times a day. have water or any herbal tea in between.

People say use honey bla bla bla, honey is sugar too. So no honey. however the genuine manuka honey, with MGO and UMF 20+ is the one that I do take as it keeps me full and releases the fructose slowly throughout the day....use i particularly when I am fasting these days

I quit sugar to lose wieght 7 kg overweight and because instead of using anti wrinkle creams later, I thought to quit as sugar gives ladies wrinkles I heard?. I don't know if this is true does anyone know if this is real?

in the beginning I craved cheese a bit too much, then heard that the cheese addiction is also something. so allow yourself some cheese in the beginning, but then lower it as you go along. we need something else addicitive while we are coming off the sugar. so remember the 'hell' part, that is true, the beginning to stop sugar is the hardest part
!!!

also I quit tea at the same time, and replaced with milk. then gradually cut the milk to half a cup. thinking to quit milk and just have yoghurt instead? not sure why but heard strange things about milk.!!! not sure what to believe, some people say we need milk for calcium etc.

but if you do have milk it has to be after a meal, so there is no food outside of the three meals. just water and herbal tea if neceesary. I never even craved herbal teas, the three meals was great and kept me going. you have to do three meals, or you wont lose weight. the 6 smaller meals will never help you lose weight because the body can never burn fat, as there is constant food there to burn

@mumznet Yes, I've read that numerous places, I think it's because of the inflammation caused by sugar, it breaks down your collagen and elastin.

@Polecat03 thanks useful to know the reason!

I understand the sugar, but is it useful to avoid starchy carbs too? @allGirlintheframe what do you eat without carbs? Is this only for weight loss or are there other health benefits to reducing carbs? thanks

@mumznet

I quit sugar to lose wieght 7 kg overweight and because instead of using anti wrinkle creams later, I thought to quit as sugar gives ladies wrinkles I heard?. I don't know if this is true does anyone know if this is real?

I didn't have sugar for years. I'm late 40s and have no wrinkles. Not one. I believe it's genetics. My mother has had plenty of sugar over the years and doesn't have wrinkles either. I think you're probably always going to look better with a healthier diet but I think genetics accounts for a lot there.

thanks @WildCoasts. useful to know about genetics. What about fair skin? I mean fair as in 'white' do they wrinkle more because of light skin, or is that not something true? I have noticed myself that some work colleagues who are english (white) are very wrinkled past 40, whereas some asian people indian african etc, don't have wrinkles.

@mumznet

thanks *@WildCoasts*. useful to know about genetics. What about fair skin? I mean fair as in 'white' do they wrinkle more because of light skin, or is that not something true? I have noticed myself that some work colleagues who are english (white) are very wrinkled past 40, whereas some asian people indian african etc, don't have wrinkles.

Speaking for myself, I'm blonde and blue eyed. Very fair. More of a Northern European/Scandinavian background.

@Girlintheframe how long did it take you to loose 2.5 st?

@mumznet i am fairly sure white people have less oil in their skin come compared to darker skins. I believe more oil helps protect against sun damage

I wonder whether it's bones in diets of different cultures that account for wrinkles. Sounds slightly out there and I have no evidence to base this on. I've been reading about bone broth and how it's helpful for body repairs as it has collagen in it. Most Asian countries have bone broth soup, I know my Caribbean friends foods all have on the bone meat, yet some of my white english friends won't eat any meat on a bone so nothing is cooked with bones.

My grandmother is german and 90 and looks great, no wrinkles and she lived on a boat and caught loads of sun. She has eaten a lot of bone broth/stews over the years.

Very interested in giving up sugar but I'm so damn addicted that I csnt.
I'm someone with a lot of willpower too so I don't know why it's so hard for me.
I was looking up this product called killa vanilla yesterday as its meant to curb your cravings but its not cheap and I'm so angry that I can't just do it myself.

@Damnedalways good luck, you may want a sugar substitute in the early days which may help. that can be anything sweet (but healthy) so bananas, sugar frree cereal without sweeteners, manuka honey etc.