The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

[paulywogg]

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

NS,thanks for sharing Doggygirls thread! What an amazing transformation she looks 20 years younger and so happy in the after pic! Wonder how/where she is these days? Would be nice to know

[Ginger999]

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

I'd love to know what DG is up to these days. NS, do you stay in touch?

Out last night for a birthday celebration. I drank my lemon water while everyone enjoyed their beer. I'm past feeling sorry for myself that I can't partake. It's poison to my brain/body! My attempt to moderate last year sealed that deal!

However, I did have two bites of hubby's piece of homemade German chocolate cake. It was way too sweet but yummy none the less!

Just keep on keeping on and if the choice is sugar to avoid alcohol, well then by all means, choose sugar! IMHO anyway!

[JackieM]

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

[MENTION=24314]Moffit[/MENTION] I have looked at the Atkins snacks and decided against buying them also. I don't remember the exact ingredients but I don't think they are something that would be considered nutritious. Also, I tend to be a binger. I am afraid of indulging in something sweet and not being able to stop. Good on you for leaving them on the shelf. My favorite website for lchf recipes is gnom-gnom.com. [MENTION=20929]Ginger999[/MENTION]-so glad you see being af as a positive thing. Alcohol is poison. I am grateful every day that I choose not to damage myself with it any longer. The smell of alcohol alone now nauseates me. I find it much more rewarding/interesting to focus on positive health changes. I am currently going to occupational therapy for tennis elbow. It is extremely painful but it has also gotten me to a better self care regimen. I am getting back on track with stretching, yoga and foam rolling. Incorporating those things into my day has helped me physically and mentally.
Keep up the positive changes!

[Moffit]

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

Yes, [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION] I think cold turkey is the key.
[MENTION=18464]JackieM[/MENTION] I think the reason I even went to look at those treats is that I was hungry. A dangerous place for me to be, when out of the house. I looked at them and thought..."don't kid yourself about eating just one." Thankfully, I walked away.

One is the loneliest number.

Stay strong!

[satz123]

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

Well - January was a wash-out.
My new start date is February 1.
MrS is on board too so there will no sugar treats here for me to eat. My excuse of buying treats is for him & YS - NEVER for me
The trigger in the evening after dinner is a hot drink of tea ..... so going to remove that & see :egad:
Apple with nut butter will be my new evening snack.

No nicotine : no alcohol : no sugar.
Sex will be the last one - though not much there to give up :haha:

[NoSugar]

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

Crack me up, [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION]. I'm apparently on the "no dopamine rewards" train as well :egad:!

I like a square of 88%+ dark choc as a ritual after dinner treat. An apple w/ nut butter is my main First Meal of the day most days, anytime from ~9 am if I'm hungry through ~1 pm if I'm not. It is Break-fast but not breakfast, as we generally define it.

I'm with my son and his family. They eat "better" than I do. I'm STARVING!!!! And it is too cold out (-20F) to go to the grocery store. In fact, the one near their house is closed due to the weather. You could come here and take care of their sons for a week to jump start your February program :wink:!

[NoSugar]

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

I'd love to know what DG is up to these days. NS, do you stay in touch?
Out last night for a birthday celebration. I drank my lemon water while everyone enjoyed their beer. I'm past feeling sorry for myself that I can't partake. It's poison to my brain/body! My attempt to moderate last year sealed that deal!
However, I did have two bites of hubby's piece of homemade German chocolate cake. It was way too sweet but yummy none the less!
Just keep on keeping on and if the choice is sugar to avoid alcohol, well then by all means, choose sugar! IMHO anyway!

I only knew DG here on MWO, Ginger. I read back on a lot of her posts -- she was a huge asset to this place when she was actively involved. I think at some point she gave up eating low carb but I would bet $ that she is still AF.
It is great to get past the self-pity, isn't it? There are so many things that would be worse. And, we are increasing our odds of avoiding many of those worse things by not drinking and eating right!
I just wrote in the NN that if you're going to do one, a sweet treat is better than a drink! At this point, sweet stuff doesn't even taste all that great so I'm not inclined to have more than a couple bites. I'm really grateful for that change. Maybe a couple mouthfuls of wine would suffice, too, but I see no reason to run that experiment. We are not missing out on anything that matters by not drinking.

@Moffit I have looked at the Atkins snacks and decided against buying them also.

Good call in my opinion. Part of this for me has been eating differently and not relying on easy to eat commercial foods as much as possible. For "emergencies" away from home, I rely on nuts for the most part. It doesn't take many to take the edge of hunger and they never make me feel awful (and ultimately hungrier) like a sweet snack often does.

[satz123]

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

For "emergencies" away from home, I rely on nuts for the most part. It doesn't take many to take the edge of hunger and they never make me feel awful (and ultimately hungrier) like a sweet snack often does.

I :heart: nuts !
So that switch will not be a problem.
But ever the addict and with a tendency for 'all or nothing' - I eat too many when I start.

[Moffit]

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

Haha [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION] you made me laugh.

Thanks [MENTION=18725]NoSugar[/MENTION] for the keeping nuts on hand idea. I will keep a packet in my purse for those"I NEED FOOD NOW" moments.

As for over eating them [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION] try unsalted, they are less addictive.

Day 10 NS/AF for me. Hanging in there.

[NoSugar]

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

I was just about to write what [MENTION=24314]Moffit[/MENTION] did - unsalted, raw nuts are not very more-ish at all.

[satz123]

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

I was just about to write what [MENTION=24314]Moffit[/MENTION] did - unsalted, raw nuts are not very more-ish at all.

That's all I eat [MENTION=18725]NoSugar[/MENTION] / [MENTION=24314]Moffit[/MENTION] raw nuts. Pecans being a particular favourite.

[Ginger999]

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

I eat a lot of nuts! Have to get that protein somewhere, right?I've noticed since I've cleaned up my diet that I'm not suffering from low blood sugar in the afternoon. I sure don't miss that. I hate feeling that way. Here's to another clean eating day!

[Moffit]

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

Better than sweets [MENTION=9094]satz123[/MENTION] , even if you do tend to eat too many. Stay strong, you can do this! :happy2:

[JackieM]

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

[MENTION=20929]Ginger999[/MENTION]-I don't seem to have the blood sugar issue anymore either. I used to get shaky and irritable if I did not eat every few hours. Since upping my fat intake I can go longer periods of time without eating. When I do get hungry, it is more gradual and not that horrible "I will eat anything right now" feeling.
Macadamia nuts have become one of my favorite foods. I buy the larger bags from Costco and process them into nut butter. A spoonful of unsweetened nut butter is like dessert to me now.

[NoSugar]

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

Having no sugar highs and the even worse lows is the BEST, isn't it @Ginger999? It makes such a difference in overall well-being and mood. When I was a kid, I hated having cereal or donuts or waffles etc. for breakfast because even though I had no idea what was going on, I knew I felt AWFUL a couple hours later. I'm sure this is what led me to be a lifelong breakfast skipper whenever I could get away with it. When I do eat breakfast upon waking now, it is always LCHF so I don't have to worry about a subsequent crash. I also used to get home from work at 5:30 and graze on every starchy food imaginable from the cupboard while I attempted to make dinner (this was before the days wine played that role :eek-new:...). Either way, I was too full to eat much of the food I made. It was such a ridiculous cycle.

@JackieM, I also make nut butter but usually use 50% macadamias, 25% almonds, and 25% cashews, with sometimes other nuts thrown in if I have them. I agree a big spoonful is a great treat and very filling.
@satz123, I challenge you to eat raw, unsalted macadamia nuts and just TRY to eat more than 6 or 8 :egad:. I max out on them pretty quickly. The protein plus high fat content makes them quite filling.

Thank goodness it has warmed up and we have acquired more food around here!!!