The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

[Moffit]

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

[MENTION=20929]Ginger999[/MENTION] That's so strange I had huge sugar cravings last night too! After eating 10 olives, 3 baby belle cheese balls and 4 baby pickles, knowing what I really wanted was about a half a box of cookies, I called it a night and went upstairs to bed to read. (luckily, I have no sweets in the house or they would have been devoured!)

Today IS a new day. Keep at it

[satz123]

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

Doing ok here too.
No sugar - as in cookies, cakes, sweets, chocolate since February 1st..
Have had some wholewheat bread & a good quality protein bar each evening (0.06 net carbs)
So I'm happy I'm breaking the cycle of munching anything sweet each time I see it.
Randomly I'm now addicted to easy peel mandarin oranges :haha:
I will get more strict on myself in a few weeks. :thumbs:

[NoSugar]

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

It is great to hear about your success, @satz123! If mandarin oranges are now your 'vice' :haha:, I'd say you are doing pretty well!

And sorry you had bad days [MENTION=20191]Pavati[/MENTION] and @Ginger999 :hug:. Not letting a mistake spiral out of control is the main thing, I think. Plus, at some point it becomes easier to choose feeling good over the long term instead of in the moment.

I've grazed through savory foods like that, too, @Moffit, until I realize that I'm emotionally hungry, not actually hungry. And emotional hunger is never satisfied with cheese and olives! So, eating probably isn't the answer - going to bed like you did, stretching, taking a walk, chatting with a friend are generally better ways to give ourselves what we really need.

I'm visiting my parents who just cannot hold the thought that NoSugar doesn't want to eat sugar!! My mom offered me a Pepsi with dinner :eek-new: and my dad tried to get me to have some ice cream and the cookies he made for dessert. I know that sharing food he loves is one of the ways he shows love but... I have to gently remind him each time (usually several times each visit) that I really can't eat that stuff even though I know it tastes really good. Thank goodness neither of them drink alcohol!!!

[Soft Focus]

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

Heya. I think it’s time for me to take the plunge & join in here!

I’ve really been struggling with my energy levels/motivation through the long dark winter months and it seems my way of coping with that has been increasingly just to shovel as much sweeet, sugary food unto myself as is possible. I found myself picking up a packet of biscuits on the way back from the airport one of the days this week and shoving it in my handbag, just exactly the way I used to do with a bottle of wine. The ‘compulsive’ nature felt too familiar. I’ve been a cycle the last couple of weeks of eating really badly in the evening, deciding that I won’t do the same the next day, then finding myself doing exactly the same thing the following night.

So I’m hoping joining forces with you lovely people will help. Day 4 today, although i know technically the load of orange juice I’ve been drinking to help with a bout of the cold isn’t exactly low sugar, it’s not been the packet-of-biscuits-for-dinner emotional eating that has been the main issue.

[NoSugar]

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

Great to see you, [MENTION=20807]Soft Focus[/MENTION]! The similarity in behaviors is shocking, isn’t it? The other thing for me was, when my willpower would break (as it almost always eventually does), I’d desperately consume even more sweet/carby treats or alcohol the rest of the day or evening, swearing to myself that absolutely for sure tomorrow and forever after I would be “good”.

I hope you’re starting to get over your cold! Vitamin C does help with that (especially in combination with zinc). Getting rid of cakes and cookies is a great first step in all of this anyway. Going cold turkey with sugar is BRUTAL. It helps to give your body the chance to ramp up the metabolic machinery to burn fat.

The main thing in my opinion is to avoid everything that you consume more of than you planned or that make you feel guilty. All the best, xx

[NoSugar]

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

Here’s a good, clear infographic explaining why all calories are not the same to our bodies:
A Calorie is Not a Calorie | Robert Lustig Website

[Ginger999]

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

That is a great visual/information packed site. Thanks, [MENTION=18725]NoSugar[/MENTION]!

[NoSugar]

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

[MENTION=19596]Slo[/MENTION] told me about a great BubbleHour interview: Guest Sarah Roberts 2/12 by The Bubble Hour | Self Help Podcasts

That lead me to her websites:
Sarah Talks Food — Sarah Talks Food
Sobriety Starts HERE

Her story is SO familar to me -- apparently "good" childhood but lifelong addictive tendencies. She went from sugar to alcohol and back to sugar again.
She finally realized that to stop ALL of it, she had to get past the issues she was trying to stuff up with food and alcohol in the first place.

She has a program to help people change how they eat - not to diet but to make mindful choices for overall health and well-being instead of the quick, very short reward.

Thanks, Slo!!

[Ginger999]

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

Her story is SO familar to me -- apparently "good" childhood but lifelong addictive tendencies. She went from sugar to alcohol and back to sugar again.

[MENTION=18725]NoSugar[/MENTION], this sounds just like me too. Sadly, I fell off the sugar wagon today. I will definitely check the site/links out. I'm sick of this silliness!

[NoSugar]

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

Another great resource which seems to be available w/o a subscription (although I highly recommend the $ service): The complete guide to sugar – Diet Doctor
I hope you all are meeting your goals! NS

[NoSugar]

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

Here’s a clear discussion of disordered eating and the role of low-fat, high carb(sugar) diets: Jessica Turton - 'Low-Carbohydrate Diets & Disordered Eating' - YouTube

[Ginger999]

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

Loved the link to Sarah Roberts talks. I'll check these out too!

[Ginger999]

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

Here’s a clear discussion of disordered eating and the role of low-fat, high carb(sugar) diets: Jessica Turton - 'Low-Carbohydrate Diets & Disordered Eating' - YouTube

Very good video, NS. I can sure see how being able to eat meat would make this easier. And I can also see how I got myself into the "eating every couple hours" routine. There just isn't enough fat calories in my vegan diet. I need to figure this out!

[NoSugar]

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

The Diet Doctor website has advice for vegetarians and vegans, [MENTION=20929]Ginger999[/MENTION]. That video pretty much reflects my experience in my teenage years - I did not have a classic eating disorder but my attempts to 'improve myself' by following the pervasive advice to 'eat less, eat low fat, and move more' certainly led me in to a disordered eating pattern totally unlike I had behaved before then. It seems so ironic that I now eat a lot more calories and move less than before but have a stable healthy body weight and am not mentally controlled by food. Like many things in life, I sure wish I knew then what I do now!!

[Ginger999]

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

[MENTION=18725]NoSugar[/MENTION], I saved the diet doc link but forgot about it. I'll go check it out too. Thanks!