Quitting sugar accountability thread

[quittingsugaryay]

I'm quitting sugar for 30 days. I did it before and lost lots of weight, cleared my skin and felt more energetic.
So here are my rules:
*No added sugar (check every label)
*No honey
*I'm allowed to eat fruits but the ones with low glucemic index
*No pasta and no bread.

I'll be using this thread as accountability thread. Everybody is welcome to join.
Thank you x

@quittingsugaryay I saw a nutritionist who went over the NHS diet guidelines for people with diabetes. The nhs diet worked quite well for me but I know a lot of people with GD go much more hardcore. There's a website called women with gestation diabetes uk that has loads of really useful information and ideas. NHS diabetes guidelines here: www.wsh.nhs.uk/CMS-Documents/Patient-leaflets/DiabetesUnit/6392-2-Diabetes-basic-diet-advice-for-newly-diagnosed.pdf

I’ll join too, if I may. I’m doing the Lent thing and giving up chocolate and crisps, but also trying to cut down the carbs and up the protein. Need to lose weight and reduce my blood sugar readings.

Woop, ok, day 1. Largely doing this to help me feel a bit better (and less hungry all the time) but will be interesting to see if I lose any weight.

just off to the gym as well.

cw: 60.3kg
waist size: 80cm

@NotAgainWilson please could you explain the flaxseed coffee as it sounds interesting? Does it not make it thick and lumpy?

It does make it thick and lumpy but I started taking it a few years ago with soya milk (and milk) as part of a plan to avoid using HRT and it does really make a difference. Especially if you are using seeds and nuts to snack between meals to avoid getting your body in famine mode.

The nuts and seeds for the snacking are not a big deal: I have 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds and a single date for elevenses and 10 almonds in the afternoon break. So, just protein (apart of the date) and filling enough to prevent me from heading to the kitchen or vending machine for sugary or salty snacks.

The plan also advises to remove sugars from the diet and to avoid carbs at least for your last meal of the day. So it is great to find a group that is trying to avoid sugar for lent as that is where I fail and end up overeating 🙂🙂🙂🙂

Today’s food plan:

B - scrambled eggs & mushrooms
L - vegetable soup & homemade oatcake
D - Quorn bolognese Konjac pasta

snack of apple and walnuts if necessary

Am feeling tired and sluggish, but determined.

Hope everyone starting today has a good day.

@quittingsugaryay I think a prepack salad is the best I can do today and a smoothie to get more fruit in and instead of the usual crisps I’ll get a fruit pot.

Starting today! Thanks so much.

I’ve had porridge for breakfast. Now to avoid biscuits this morning…..!

Thank you so much! I tried it this morning, just decaf coffee mixed with ground flaxseed, small amount of milk and frothed to mix, then topped up with hot water. Slightly lumpy but not unbearable. I had 2 and that kept me full until lunch! I usually have full fat natural yoghurt topped with raspberries and mixed nuts and seeds but would happily have that for lunch if the coffee can keep me going until then.

I definitely notice my energy is much more stable and less brain fog by avoiding sugar and eating healthy fats and protein throughout the day.

If it helps motivate anyone I cut out out sugar in Jan 2023 and am still low sugar. I have long stopped craving it and I now find it far too sweet.

Since cutting out sugar I lost 15kg and actually got to a body weight that I felt was too low bmi 18.5 (I have since addressed this by upping calories from fat and protein). I actually feel less hungry all day and often have to remind myself to eat.

I also have a lot more energy and this winter have not had a single cold despite everyone else in the house being ill (I normally pick up bugs from my children).

I would recommend no added sugar to anyone. I did also cut upf at the same time so some benefit may be from this too. Personally I feel sugar is addictive and you need to go cold turkey otherwise you just get in a cycle of binging on it.

I cut bread (other the a small amount of rye) pasta, most starchy carbs (I do have some potatoes in my evening meal as backloading carbs helps me with sleep and enables high protein early in the day which is needed to build lean mass). I also do not eat cakes, biscuits or pastries and no longer desire them. I do however eat most fruit other than bananas.

It tastes better if you put the milk in the microwave with the milled flaxseed and the poppy seeds for 45 seconds and then add the water and coffee. It brings a bit of a nutty flavour.

I only have one a day for breakfast as the flaxseed might be a bit intense when it comes to calories 🙂

Thank you for that. That is quite motivating!

Well that's day 2 and the cravings are getting to me this evening so I let myself have two digestives with my tea. I was actually going to have 2 rich tea but we haven't got any so I'll have to get some in.

It's a drop in the ocean compared to what my sugar intake would have been previously. I'm actually having to think about what to have for meals now rather than just eating chocolate and having a can of coke

Managed day 2 without crisps or chocolate, had a huge bowl of chicken and pasta (very little of the latter) for supper, and didn’t reach for the wine. I had fruit for afters!

I had a fairly good day considering I had an hour of pt in the gym and that normally makes me starving all day.

small bowl of rice pops for breakfast (the m&s ones which I think are 1g of sugar per serving), scrambled eggs on one piece of sourdough for lunch and pasta carbonara for dinner. Pretty carby dinner but it was the gousto meal we had in, tried to avoid pasta ones for next week. No snacks or dessert at all, but I am still having Coke Zero so I doubt I’ll lose any cravings for it.

2.5 days in and no chocolate or sweets. I don’t like hot drinks so I’ve had a few glasses of low sugar squash to ease the monotony of relentless water (which I do like, but not when it’s the only option).
Off work today and went to the market to spend muchos money on fruit, veg and fish. Getting through the day with nuts, fruit, the odd oatcake, and £2.50 in the jar so far.

Day 2 here and I am so tired and have a terrible headache. Very impatient and want to feel some benefits soon!

Day 4 today - how is everyone getting on?

I can't believe this but my face actually looks quite different this morning - I can see my jaw bone for the first time in a long time! I thought it had been alcohol causing my bloated face but I've only had 3 drinks since Christmas and that didn't help, maybe reducing sugar is the answer?!

Sugar always bloats me so I can believe it!

I'm sleeping much better, I’ve been naturally waking up at about half seven feeling fully rested vs scrambling out of bed at nearly 9 for work.

Still going! I need to figure out (and buy!) some easy snacks for during the day. I’m eating way too many carbs, but first step for me is no cakes, biscuits, chocolate etc.

Would like to join your accountability thread.

Have not felt good in years.
However, work responsibility (new role), responsibilities at home (they are left to me, but that is for another thread). Gained from emotional eating and not seeing an end to each day. Usually up at 4/5am and then bed at 11/12pm - on a good day.

Most days, I eat until I have pain in my stomach. Then I eat more.
I can eat until I can't stand up. I sit down, and then I eat some more.
On days when I am leaned on heavily for work or home responsibilities, I simply find a box of anything and finish it (whole cakes, packets of biscuits, multipacks of crisps, and can finish whole bottles of condiments without a second thought).

Yet...I function. I smile, I'm excellent at my job and I do what I can for my family and friends, I dress for my 'new' size (anything oversized and can cover my gut).
Work colleagues ask, 'how do you deal with the stress of work? Wow! I need to know what you do!'
I say, 'I don't know. Nothing really, I guess.'
They don't know that I eat until I have to lay on my side when I get home.

Maybe having some place like this, I can anchor myself.

Today, I was up at 05:15.
Weighed myself: 10 stone 4 lbs (teetering on the verge of overweight).
Have always been around 8 stone and a half.
5 foot and 4 inches.
I am a sugar addict and an emotional eater.
I can start with one aspect today, so will start with quitting sugar.

Maybe doing this for lent... 'a period of fasting and regret for one's sins...' is a place to start.

It is raining outside, but a new day has started.
This is my Day 1.

Although I’m sure cutting sugar may help part of how you feel, I strongly recommend you carve out some time for some therapy, as there’s a lot more going on here than just a bit of a sugar addiction. It sounds like there’s other things to work on before you should concentrate on weight/food, and you’ll probably find they become much easier to tackle once you develop some different coping mechanisms and get some help because it sounds like you’re drowning.

you’re not sinning by eating too much. I’ve been there with the eating until it’s uncomfortable and then eating more, and it’s more about punishing yourself and being something else to focus on so you don’t have to think about the real issues.

Thank you for taking the time to comment.🙂
Yes, there is an incredible amount going on.
I do understand why you would write it sounds like I am 'drowning'.
Sinking would be more apt - let myself go a long time ago.
Maybe starting with something I can actually control, like cutting out sugar, is a place to start for me. Maybe lead to doing something more for myself, like therapy.

I’m doing ok on the no sugar, no chocolate and no crisps regime. Keeping busy helps, as does having a cat on your lap as this stops you going into the kitchen for nibbles!