The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I’ve heard you can just do that cold pack with warm sox just on your feet before bed - would take less energy :wink:! Hope you start feeling better soon and like I always nag about, if your carb intake is low and you’re peeing a lot - more salt! It really matters with headaches and lethargy (if any isn’t due to the nasty virus).

[satz123]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Day 5 begins.
Guess what ? Took the organic honey with lemon and feeling back to normal today - energy back - cough abated ......

Fruit & L-Glutamine helping with any sugar cravings.
Intermittent fasting too - 16/8

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

How great that you feel better, Satz! I agree that L-glutamine helps --- our brain loves it as much as it loves sugar!

I've always preferred eating within about an 8 hour window. Even as a kid, I tried to skip breakfast if I could sneak past my mom. I ate that way for several years in college and the beginning of grad school and then started forcing myself to eat breakfast because in my program, we were beat over the head with the importance of eating first thing in the morning and then 3-5 times per day, with snacks. What a load of bad science!! I am so much happier now following my body's natural rhythms, eating when I'm hungry in the morning or midday. It still is breaking the fast, no matter what time you do it!!

[JackieM]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Satz-
I promise you will continue to feel better by staying away from sugar and excess carbs. I started eating a ketogenic diet in May (on a whim) and I have never felt better. I have lost 30 pounds and a lot of my brain fog. I feel that my blood sugar/insulin have stabilized and I no longer have the urge to mindlessly binge eat. I do some intermittent fasting but mostly just eat when I am hungry. Sometimes I can go most of the day without eating or even thinking of food. For the first time in my life I feel in tune with what is going on in my body.
One thing I recommend is watching your electrolytes. During the first month of cutting sugar and carbs I did experience some bouts of not feeling well. Cutting carbs causes your body to release its glycogen stores and I found it important to supplement with electrolytes. I think cutting out processed foods also caused a severe reduction in my sodium levels. I still carry electrolyte packets in my purse in case I start to feel crappy. They seem to do the trick.

NS-
Do you use any sugar alcohols or abstain from sweeteners completely?

[satz123]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

What a load of bad science!! I am so much happier now following my body's natural rhythms, eating when I'm hungry in the morning or midday. It still is breaking the fast, no matter what time you do it!!

I too have cut that timed breakfast thing and have it about 12 noon now.
No caveman ever jumped out of bed, looked at the clock & decided it was breakfast time. Nor was he afraid not to eat breakfast first thing in case his blood sugar dropped. FFS that's the food industry - Mr Kellogg et al telling us that rubbish.

He ate when he had food until he was full including FAT :egad: on the meat.
Our basic make-up hasn't changed.

[satz123]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Day 7 - had a mishap, was hungry and ate a slice of chocolate biscuit cake made by the chef in work and left for us.
I believe it's not the worst thing ever : homemade with best ingredients : diabetic chocolate : gluten free biscuits etc.
One thing I noticed though. In the past i'd have gone for it and had a total binge. I didn't :yay:
Even when I had to open a large box of chocolates for everyone & they were close by - I did not have any.

Progress .........

Day 7 back on track and off work (temptation) for a week :hyper:

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

To me one of the greatest outcomes is regaining control over how much of anything I choose to consume, @satz123. Just like with alcohol, binging on food makes me feel gross and out of control. Part of it for me is that sweet stuff now tastes too sweet and I only want a little bit anyway. I occasionally have a sweet at a birthday party or if someone makes a gluten free treat for me and I don't want to be totally rude. Maybe I would think wine tastes bad now, too, but don't see any point in running that particular experiment!

I'm really glad you feel like you're making progress! I did want to mention that the scale might not be your friend as a monitor. Changes in your waist circumference might far outpace changes in body mass.

[satz123]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I did want to mention that the scale might not be your friend as a monitor. Changes in your waist circumference might far outpace changes in body mass.

Thank feck for that NS !!!

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hi, [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION], How are you feeling? I hope you're gaining energy and enthusiasm. Those are the 2 things I like best about not sedating myself with sugar and junk carbs every day. Of course, I like the lower blood sugar, too, but I can't feel that. I know things continue to be tough with your son so I hope you're feeling good about this part of your life at least. xx, NS

[satz123]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Yes NS feeling very good. Lost 4lbs.
Feel in control now of the sugar
Allow in protein bars if I need to - ones with 0.6 grms of carbs but no processed crap apart from that.
Eating fruit - oranges mainly.

Energy has returned and a kind of calmness
oooooommmmmmm

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Maybe some people who are comfortably AF would be interested in kicking what is for many of us another addiction in the coming year. I think DoggyGirl started this tread as a New Year's challenge several years ago.

I recently watched a video about carbohydrate addiction, using alcohol addiction as model.

It all sounds very familiar to me!! As I look at biological family members who have never consumed alcohol, they certainly use sugar/carbs similarly. It doesn't necessarily show up as diabetes, as it did for me (likely exacerbated by that nasty wine habit), or outright obestity, but the behaviors definitely are there. And I certainly exhibited them until I "found" wine sometime in my 30s.

The video makes it clear why eating sweets is a powerful tool for not drinking and in many cases should be used in the short run but just like with alcohol, a long term addiction just is not what we want.

[Mr Vervill]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I might have to examine my sugar intake, and cut it out in the coming year. I have not read through this thread yet, might give it a read. Any quick pointers, NS? Thanks in advance.

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Any quick pointers, NS? Thanks in advance.

Get enough salt when you cut carbs or you’ll feel AWFUL! It isn’t quite as dramatic as with booze, but it is amazing how much better you can feel without it. Good luck :smile:!

[Mr Vervill]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Thanks, NS. Good video, btw. Going to have to watch the next few parts.

[NoSugar]

Re: The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

The other parts are interesting, too, Mr V, although not focused on the addictive aspect. The next one, which hasn't been released yet, is going to deal with how a person needs to learn to meet his or her emotional needs in a healthier manner once the addictive substance or action is given up. I'll be interested to hear what he has to say but suspect it will be much like what we talk about around here.

It kind of bugs me how he sort of "approves" of drinking (but at least he promotes complete abstinence for addicts).

Best wishes to you for a more savory than sweet 2019 :wink:!