sugar and all that stuff

[slightlysuze]

Beatle just reminded me in another thread that it's not a good idea to overload on sugar when you go AF....thanks Beatle:goodjob:

I'm going to try to stop the chocolate but does anyone know if dried fruit is as bad? I could swap to dried apricots and dates, but is there any point ?????

Oh....and I made it through day 4 AF! I'm not sure about today....got family coming for the weekend and there will be lots of 'it' about! My sister, particularly, will tease me if she thinks I'm on the wagon....so maybe I can fake it with tonic water???? If anyone could send some strengthening vibes I'd be very grateful:H

Happy weekend to everyone.....especially in the UK where we are having a Bank Holiday....so three days off for most people.

SS

[Flip]

sugar and all that stuff

what about trying sugar free lollies? Although I am firmly of the view that if eating sweet stuff stops you from drinking in the early days then you should do it!

[sheshe]

sugar and all that stuff

This is so funny! I was going to do a post on sugar myself. I've been eating no sugar/no processed wheat, etc. diet (or really, just the way we eat now) for a year - you know, the "no white stuff" thing, whole grains, meat, vegetables. Anyway, yesterday I bought some trail mix, thought I'd try a different kind. I was starving, so on the way home I opened the bag and started munching. OOHHH WEE sweet, sweet, sweet! Looked at the nutrition info and it was almost PURE SUGAR. But I couldn't stop and ate quite a bit!

Today I feel HUNGOVER! Had absolutely no alcohol; but I've got a headache, am naseous, and really just feel rather crappy! It must be the sugar, because that's the only thing I had that was different than normal. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

[Guest]

sugar and all that stuff

Hi slightlysuze.

What do you mean, "I`m not sure about today".........less of your nonsense Girl, and let`s see you posting that you got your Day 5 !!!! LOL......only kidding, but the tonic water sounds good to me........don`t allow the opinion of others cause you to be back at Day 1.........is so not worth it!!!

When I first went AF (almost a month now), I missed the wine like crazy, so had to have a sugary quick-fix........opted for chocolate, but worried about the calories, so then hit on the ice-lollies.......very little kals if you get the ones that are just ice.......no Mivvi or Mars Bar ones allowed........d`ya hear!!!! LOL Hard boiled sweets(although not particularly healthy) are good also, as they take a while to get through.

I found the sugar craving abated rather quickly though........lasted about 10 days, so think this will probably only be a short-term problem for you.

But wait!!!!.......it gets better!!! LOL.........have lost my appetite completely now and have to remind myself to eat.........good in the respect that I still have a lot of wine weight to lose, but am being careful of this, as we all need to eat well to be well.

Hope this helps.

Love and strength to you,

Starlight Impress x

[Flip]

sugar and all that stuff

After nine months, I'm still waiting for my appetite to go - I don't think it's going to happen................ sob.......... sob.....

[vinophile]

sugar and all that stuff

Dear SS,
I'd love to go completely sugar free, white flour free and of course AF but right now my priority is not to drink. I've decided that if I really crave something sweet,and I definately notice that I crave more sweets now tht I'm not drinking, I eat it. I've heard that cutting out sugar and refined flour helps with the cravings so that might be next week's goal.

As far a drinking at the party....what about bringing along some Af beer or wine. I attended a party and drank an AF Becks beer. It was really good!!!No one even noticed that it was AF as the bottles look the same.

Perhaps an even better .....adopt the attitude that nobody is going to coerce you into drinking if you don't want to drink. Dig your heels in and get stubborn!!!

Good Luck!!!!!
Janet

[beatle]

sugar and all that stuff

Well, Flip, I also did say that you gotta do what you gotta do, and that means if you need the chocolate and crisps to stay away from the booze, you just gotta do it. But it's OK to question if you really need it, too. Because it will make things harder in the long run with all that hypoglycemic stuff (I'm not getting into it now). I don't know much about the dried fruit-- I'm sure it is better than refined sugar, though.

About faking it for the family. I too worried about this, but found it is very easy to fake it. Actually, people are paying much less attention to what and how much you drink than you think. Yes tonic water/club soda with lime will fool anyone -- you just need to make it for yourself clandenstinely (is that a word?) which is also much easier than I thought it would be. Wine with dinner is also easy to fake, just say you are thirsty and drink water, but let them pour you a glass, just don't touch it (ha ha that is SO easy isn't it?)

[n2itiv]

sugar and all that stuff

Dried fruit is cool.

When choosing "good" foods think unprocessed instead of processed. The closer the food comes from nature, the better, as the nutrients are still intact. Fruit = good carbs; while white flour and white sugar gives nothing to fuel the body and sets you up for cravings.

[lushy]

sugar and all that stuff

Be careful with the dried fruit if cutting back on sugar is your desire. I completely understand the "need" for sugar when you cut back on the booze, but dried fruit is so concentrated in sugar that you are better off eating the real stuff; the water and fiber content of the real stuff will fill you up faster, whereas the dried fruit will not. While some sources of sugar are considered healthier than others, the reality is that our body sees all forms of sugar as the same. The insulin response is still the same whether you are eating sugar or something healthier like honey. Dried fruit can contain more grams of sugar than cereal bars and even some candy bars. I used to put fruit leather in my daughter's lunch until I realized how concentrated it was in sugar. I have now found different things to put in there. But again, if you love them and it's going to keep you from drinking, then go for it.

[Determinator]

sugar and all that stuff

Shehe, surgar hangover is no joke! I get that as well. I'm normally a healthy garlic flavored guy and am quite picky about what I cook for Dx and I. I also get quite sick now if I pig out on potato chips...sour stomach and that same hung over feeling. Processed food is poison! Good info on the fresh vs dried fruit Lushy. SS, some good natural chocolate in mods (oh dear) is fine, although "real" foods are the way to train yourself if possible. I really like apple with peanut butter. ok, it's pretty high calorie but pretty healthy.

[happycamper68]

sugar and all that stuff

Lush what do you out in lunchbox now. HELP!

[beatle]

sugar and all that stuff

Determinator-- I am also partial to apple+peanutbutter. Everyone else seems to think that's disgusting, though.

And, yes Lushy, I could use some advice in the lunchbox department as well.

[Cinders]

sugar and all that stuff

I have to chime in with the concerns about dried fruit replacing sugar. While refined sugar is definitely worse for you, dried fruit is very concentrated.

Think about it, as you pop several pieces of dried apricots in your mouth, would you have been able to eat that many fresh ones?

Orange juice is the same thing, it is good for you, but it is the quantity. A little bit is good, a large glass is like eating three or four oranges. (Again, could you do that?)

Lushy's advice is good. Sugar is sugar. Take your fruit whole and fresh. Your body will appreciate you for it.

Fresh berries are a good source of some sugar and can keep your mouth busy. Melons, like honey dew and cantelope are also good forms of vitamins with lower sugar amounts but still satisfying.

But in the end, if eating chocolate keeps you from drinking, I think quitting the chocolate is easier than the booze!!

Best of luck,
Cindi

[slightlysuze]

sugar and all that stuff

Thanks everyone....great advice about sugar, :thanks: I think it might have been an intuitive thing because I always hated the combination of chocolate and alcohol (could never bear those liquer chocs) and when I'd had some choc this time it helped me feel 'yuck' about having a glass of wine. I've only been using the 'good' choc.....dark, 80% cocoa stuff, no milk in it...the sort of thing that is being touted as full of antioxidants recently! BUT I realise that it isn't top class nutrition. I've got about 4 squares left of it....and I haven't wanted any today. If I still don't want any tomorrow it'll go in the bin.

I'm not going to be mean about it though...I think it helped....this is Day 6 AF...I'm amazed! Even with the family here this weekend I haven't had a single drink and I even said casually that I was trying to lose some weight so not drinking.....no one has really commented on it!!! Just out to go to some live music now......we went last night too and I didn't even FIND the beer tent!:H

Thanks everyone......this place is helping me so much :h

[lushy]

sugar and all that stuff

I have been doing the apple/peanut butter, celery with peanut butter and a couple of raisins (yes, it is dried fruit, but I put only 3-4 on there). My daughter does not have the biggest sweet tooth either so I am able to get away with garbanzo beans and that type of thing. And fruit leather is not a bad thing for kids, if they are not getting a lot of sugar in other areas, but for someone trying to cut down or quit booze it could potentially trigger more cravings....