The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

[allankay]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Lifechange, keep yourself busy. You are most likely to cave in is when you have nothing to do.

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hi, Friends

Giving up sugar is trickier than getting off AL in many ways, I admit. For one thing, you have to eat; you can't abstain completely and most processed foods have sugar in them. Socially, it sometimes is even more awkward to turn down a special dessert than a drink.

We are hard-wired to "like" the taste sweet - most likely because for the most part things that are sweet are not acutely poisonous so that taste meant that the substance was a safe source of energy. That is a good deal when food is scarce as it was throughout human history until recently. Our bodies are not biochemically designed to deal with abundance; we are designed to get every bit of energy into ourselves as possible so we can live long enough and be physically able to reproduce. That's nature's goal.

Processed foods are engineered to cause cravings and and the inability to stop consuming them (sounds like an addiction but unlike AL, there seem to be various degrees of addiction). Addictive properties are especially true for those foods containing the following: sugar, salt, wheat and other grains, and potatoes (e.g. chips); and fat. Any of those substances alone is not very palatable and would not be overeaten; the carefully designed combinations are what get us.

Like with AL, a tolerance develops whereby the good effects of the foods takes a greater and greater dose. With AL, we can (simply ) stop drinking it and never again set off the cycle. Ok, maybe it isn't simple but it can be done .

Anything sweet is always going to be pleasant and the desire for it is natural. I think the trick is to lower your tolerance so that it doesn't take much to satisfy you. Giving up all sources of sugar and "sweet" for 30 days should do the trick but frankly, I doubt that it would take that long and that wasn't my experience. I was pretty much used to it physically in a couple weeks with the only challenges psychologically being things that I would have tried to turn down anyway due to not wanting to gain weight (e.g. cake, cookies).

I eat fruit - just not tons of it and I don't drink juice or any other naturally or artificially sweetened beverages. For the most part, there are internal brakes on how much fruit you can consume. Think for example of trying to eat the 6 or 8 oranges that are needed to obtain a glass of orange juice. You would probably eat only 1 orange. The possible exception would be dried fruits (which often are sweetened such as cranberries or cherries and some just naturally contain tons of concentrated sugar such as dates and figs).

Once you've gotten your tolerance back to the "human normal", it is possible to enjoy something like a couple figs or a bowl of berries with cream as a very sweet-tasting special treat or dessert. Last night I had that feeling that I wanted something sweet and had a few pieces of unsweetened dried mango. It sounds crazy but whatever sugar was naturally in there was enough to satisfy the desire.

Sweet things aren't acutely poisonous but the data are pretty good that it is at the root of many of the chronic diseases that are killing us.

Good luck with your SF challenges! :h NS

[free at last]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hi all, quick flyby to let you know I am still working on removing excess sugar from my diet. Had a bad week -- those business class flights where the meal travel includes a scrumptous brownie with caramel sauce was just too much for me. That then set me on a path of extra sugar for several days. But, I'm back to no desserts, muffins, croissants and starting to feel good. Will read posts and write a proper note when I can.

Thanks, NS and Londerer for all your advice!

[Londoner]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Bone broth really seems to be a great remedy for me, which must mean my sugar cravings are related to my nutritional status. When deficient in whole, nutritious foods I crave sugar more.

So, a nice glass of bone broth has helped massively today, and will help me focus on abstaining from a sugar binge.

[Dottie Belle]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I am almost afraid to ask what bone broth is?????

I am tapering and doing pretty darn good..gave away all the Halloween candy at the doggie event.folks love free candy...better them than me..

dottie

[Londoner]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

You literally put some bones in a slow cooker with some onions, carrots and celery and cook for a day or 2.

The liquids which you drain off is full of easy to assimilate vitamins and minerals and other goodies too which are great for your gut health, joints and skin.

Pretty amazing stuff imo.

[skullbabyland]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hey gang. I messed up and went on a drunk on Monday night And, as always happens when I get drunk, I spent the following hungover day eating total junk.

I'm not beating myself up, it's time to get back on the horse- but that makes today Day 1 for both AF and SF.

[Londoner]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hey skull. Great frame of mind. Straight back on it and that lapse wont affect you one bit

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

It's great that you came right back SBL and Londoner is right, you have an excellent attitude. The mistake doesn't take away what you gained from your long AF and SF streaks.

Do you know what led you astray so you can avoid it next time around?

Glad you are here and on the NN roll call, also!

[Suesue]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

I've given up smoking since 1jan off alcohol now too. I don't want yo give up sugar too!! Kinda think I'm giving up everything. Yep can relate to this all or nothing personality. I think it's addictive personality. Boo hoo. Well I'm enjoying my chocolate these days too much and yes diabetes runs in my family.
I don't want to give up everything!! Was out for din with a Friend tonight no drink. She was v supportive didn't drink. I'm not going out these days much. Stayimg in my mams tonight cos my housemate is 40 tonight we were good friends but she quit the lease early and relations have been frosty since. She was my best buddy but I felt let down. I'm not staying there tonight cos she's having a friend over and they're going to have fun celebrating her bday. I can't be in the apt for that. Just feel left out feel isolated different. Had a little cry this evening cos I had a stressful day was tempted to drink not cos I wanted to drink I just didn't want to feel stressed and guess I always had wine as my crutch. Feeling sorry for myself. Wish I was a normal drinker. I do not want to taste wine thought makes me I'll. I just hate feeling I'm different cos I have this problem that means I can't fit in as well. I have to make decisions that make me feel isolated. I know I can't drink again though and I'm sure of that decision. Just feel sad. I'm 60 days off today. I know it's the right decision but it's hard. Esp with the emotions it's hard work. I'm going to keep trucking. Feelings of crapiness guilt and a feeling of general uselessness that I'm battling,g sober. Sigh. Hate this self pitying crap. Poor me. God I just want to tell myself to cop on. Being sober means no hiding from fears and anxiety no release. But bring sober means no fun sometimes that's how I feel although my mood has been so much better overall since I gave up. This is just a self rant to help me understand my feelings sorry for rant feel a bit better now.

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Hey Londoner and Skull!!--
happy to see the gang back together.. Hi Allan and Nosugar and Free and Byrdie!

This isn't always an easy journey-- and it is so important for us to jump right back in. I've been fortunate not to have to struggle with the al at this point in time--but the sugar, damn! Today I have been "white knuckling" it-- I felt so crappy the past few days, and I keep proving to myself that I can't moderate with sugar. So I'm giving the 30 days another try. I know I need a new game plan-- I wanted to post it yesterday but didn't get around to figuring it out. I go between not wanting to be too strict, as I usually fight against a strict plan-- but wanting to be clear and accountable. I will post tonight after the kids go to bed-- I think I'm ok with not eating sugar for the rest of today. I just have to go out once more to buy toilet paper and I will NOT buy chocolate!

[allankay]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Lifechange, I am with you.

Felt low on energy all day. So decided to go to buy something sweet to give me a boost. Sugar, like an energy drink stimulates my brain and provides energy (at least in the short term). Luckily for me, my favourite treat was sold out and I dint feel life putting 1,000 calories into my body for anything less.

So with a bit of luck day 2 completed.

AK

[NoSugar]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Would a handful of nuts with a few pieces of dried fruit do the trick? The protein and fat in the nuts give you the longer term satiety while the dried fruit would give you the quick energy boost you're looking for.

[lifechange]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Made it home with some nice relaxing bath salts!

Nosugar, nuts and dried fruit are usually great for me-- but what fascinated me about the last video you posted, was the scientist whose job it is to concoct the perfect addictive mixture of sugar, salt, fat = peanut m&m's, along with thousands of other processed foods. The fact being that once you start on the roller coaster it takes abstinence and hard core will power to get off again. At this point, fruit and nuts unfortunately don't do much for me!!! I know it will become easier but damn! The study with the rats was also so disturbing!-- actually the whole thing freaked me out and really f****** pissed me off. It made me so angry, these ass holes earning trillions of dollars and unwilling to face the music-- what was with this stupid spokeswoman defending the sugar industry? I've been looking at regular labels here now, and it's really true that sugar often isn't listed next to carbs, calories and fat-- gram or percentage wise. GRRRRR.. Aside from the obvious junk food, I've been avoiding processed foods for years and the kids know all of the synonyms for sugar... and I still have problems. When I think of all the low income families, who can't afford "organic", or people who haven't been educated or haven't known it's necessary to translate labels--- or people who just don't have the time or interest? It still should be possible to easily see what it is you're buying, or? I'm so interested in any other disturbing videos/articles you come across!!

Allan, I'm super happy they didn't have your favourite 1000 calorie dessert/treat-- Thank goodness!

[skullbabyland]

The Sugar Free Challenge - Who is in??

Thanks for the encouragement, guys