No sugar diet?

L

ly22

New Member
Hi,
Next week I wanted to try and eat really well. I'm going back to school soon and wanted to look a little better, and also because I always eat lots of carbs (and I don't mean fruit!) so I wanted to see if I'll feel better without them.
But I'm really not sure what to eat, since most of my diet is starchy/sugary foods, like pizza and chocolate. I'm not a huge fan of fruits and veggies, but I do like a few. So, any suggestions on how to make this transfer into clean eating would be great!
 
Hello,

I have been eating a sugar free diet since the beginning of May with only 2-3 planned indulgances. The disclaimer first :p I am not a nutritionist and as we pretty much all agree what works for one person doesn't always work for another. With that said let me give you some tips that have helped me.

Maybe first I should tell you I was so addicted to sugar and on such a viscious cycle of craving it so badly every few hours then eating it and then crashing from the sugar and feeling tired and horrible. Then I would feel better and the whole cycle would start again. I felt so unhealthy. So my encouragement is if I can do it so can you! I would have sworn I couldn't live a day without sugar let alone go for weeks. The good news is once you get past a certain point the cravings diminish and it becomes so much easier.

Here are some things that have helped me:

1) Make sure you are eating enough protein, including and especially animal meats and fish. Cottege cheese and eggs are good too for quick sources.

2) Eat tons of vegetables and fruits. Fresh is best but just make sure you get more than you think you need. The vitamins and minerals are key to reducing the cravings. My nutritionist that Im working with who has helped me with this process really thinks potassium is key. So I also eat alot of tomatoes and potatoes along with the regular veggies and salads etc.

2) Don't use anything with artifical sweetners it will only make the cravings worse. I eat fruit when I really need something sweet and it works great.

3) Eat frequently. Don't let yourself get to a point where you are starving and will eat anything.

4) Have quick easy snack foods on hand when you need something fast. I may have a small handful of raw nuts, some cheese, cottege cheese, piece of fruit, carrot sticks or other raw cut up vegetables or I keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge all the time.

5) Drink lots of water. If you need something with some taste try the herbal teas there are some really nice flavors to pick from.

6) Vegetable juice (like low sodium V8) is really great. It has tons of vitamins and minerals, lots of potatssium and very few calories. You can have a huge glass! I make mine really cold with lots of ice and add lemon juice. I didn't think I would like it but now I love it!

7)If possible get all the sugar stuff out of your house. If not at least get it out of your eyesight :)

8) Don't beat yourself up if you have something. I have planned a few times to eat something with sugar. I just made it things that I really really loved so it would be worthwhile.

9) Try to get your carbs more from vegetables and fruits then from grains if you crave alot of carbohydrates. Im not saying to eliminate grains just keep the portions small and your fruit and veggie portions huge.

This is what has helped me to do what I thought was nearly impossible. Im so thankful I did because I feel sooo much healthier. Im losing weight (even though my diet includes butter and other fats). I have tons more energy. I can workout much more consistantly and my workouts are more fun and more productive. I could go on and on hehe but I won't. I just hope this helps. If you have any more questions or I can help in any way just ask or even email me. Good luck!

Alison :)
 
Alison....

A few questions about when you first started-
1. Did you feel tired the first few days when you started? Today I tried to lay off the sweets, and I have a small headache. I'm not sure if it's because I just ate bacon for breakfast though, which really isn't much to start a day off with.

2. How long before the sugar cravings subside?

3. After I come home from the gym, I just crave something sweet, like chocolate or cake- did you ever have this problem, and of so, how did you stop it?

Thanks so much!
 
RE: Alison....

Hi :)

1.) Yes the first week especially your body will go thru withdrawls very much like you would have if you stopped drinking caffeine or something else addictive. You could get headaches, body aches, irritiablity, fatigue etc. It's not easy I know but stick with it and this all will go away. Also I can't emphasize enough to make sure you are eating really healthy. Get alot of protein vegetables and fruits. Breakfast is so important because it will set you up for the day. I love having smoothies and you can incorporate yogart, cottege cheese or protein powder (without sweetners) into them along with the fruit etc. I find starting with a smoothie helps me feel great and eat well all day.

2. As far as when the cravings will subside depends on a few things since it's very individual. Most importantly the better you eat (meaning whole nutritious foods) the better you will feel. But it is a very gradual process that just doesn't go away magically overnight. I found that the changes were very small and gradual. Like one day I would just realize that I had not struggled as much or that it was easier to resist a dessert someone was having near me. Week by week it would get easier and easier. Even after a few months there are times when I do still struggle with cravings but not nearly as often and it's not nearly as hard to deal with them.

3.) I myself don't notice cravings after I workout but that doesn't mean you don't have that. I think it is always helpful no matter what your diet to eat at least a small snack or meal not too long after workouts. I notice alot of people on this forum who say that has helped them. Also it might be the time of day..late afternoon and nighttime were the hardest for me. One thing my nutritionist helped me look at was what my sweet cravings were for. I noticed that most of what I craved was not only sweet but contained fat (ice cream, chocolate, cookies etc). One thing that helped me was to take fish oil capsules to get the good fats and to eat fish (especially salmon) at least once a week. This helped tremendously for me.

Give yourself a huge pat on the back for just getting through the day or first few days..it really is the hardest part and you will see huge benefits very soon! I'm cheering you on :-jumpy



Alison
 
Great Advice, Allison!

Thanks so much!

You are right on!

I am a recovering sugar addict -- yes, I have backslides, but have made quantum leaps in watching my sugar intake.
 
Just wanted to add this worked for me. My allergist took me off all processed food, white flour, coffee, refined and fake sugars etc. It improved my health dramatically and I also lost quite a bit of weight. I felt terrible the first few weeks of withdrawal (moody, headaches) but it goes away and you feel so much better in the long run it is worth it! Good luck. :)
 
Go to this website:

www.sugarbusters.com

It is full of information about how to eliminate sugar from your diet as well as foods high in the glycemic index that also raise your blood sugar and produce sugar highs and lows.

The book, "Sugar Busters" was written by four guys in New Orleans (three doctors, one businessman) and it is easy to follow and you won't go hungry.

Check it out.

Marlene
 
Question for Alison..??..

What does your typical diet look like for the day? You mention smoothies for breakfast...do you have any recipes to pass along? You have GREAT recommendations!
 
Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

Another wonderful resource on sugar addiction/sensitivity (I prefer sensitivity myself) is Kathleen DesMaisons. She has written amazing books which have helped me get rid of the sugar in my diet. "Potatoes not Prozac", "The Sugar addict's total recovery program" and she is coming out with a new book soon "Your last diet ever". She has a great website www.radiantrecovery.com. I can't believe how wonderful I feel without it. I truly feel "radiant"!
Check out her site and get the books at the library. They can be lifechanging!
 
RE: Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

In my personal opinion sugar addiction is the concoction of a bunch of quacks trying to sell more books. The studies they quote are either fundamentally flawed or based on people who are diabetic. Of course people who are diabetic have difficulty processing sugar. Otherwise they would not be diabetic.
People have lost weight when they eliminate sugar and wheat from their diet. Of course, when suddenly a significant portion of the food one eats is off limits you will eat less and loose weight.
I am not saying that people should eat sugar by the pound at the expense at everything else. Foods with a lot of sugar tend to have a lot of calories. People think low fat, I can eat lots. Sugar calories end up on your behind just like fat calories but it is not an addiction! People who replace sugary food with fruit or vegetables loose weight because fruit and vegetables have fewer calories. An apple is 100 calories where a slice of cake can be 300 calories. I firmly believe that a healthy diet should be based on lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grain foods and high quality protein. All the stuff your mother told you.
An addiction is when you cannot function with out that substance and getting that substance interferes with your ability to lead a productive life. If you are a real addict there are underlying problems that need to be worked on. Junkies and alcoholics are addicts, not people who put lots of sugar in their coffee. No one hits rock bottom in their quest to get more sugar.
I an not saying that I am perfect and that I always eat right. I have weight to loose and it comes off when I eat less and exercise more. I have as much difficulty reaching for the apple when that chocolate cake looks so darn good. But that is not because I am an addict, I just really like chocolate.
I do not like that the word addiction is being thrown around and every one can be labeled an addict. It negates the seriousness of the issue.
 
RE: Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

I'm at work and unable to respond in as great a detail as I would like, but I must say to mmdyck that until you've walked a mile in my shoes, please don't say that one cannot be addicted to sugar. You obviously have no idea what sugar can do to a person who is sensitive to it. Yes, most people can put sugar in their coffee without hitting rock bottom, but a person with true sugar sensitivity cannot. You have not seen the incredibly severe mood change that happens to me when I have sugar. It's like I'm a different person. Until I was able to pinpoint what caused such drastic mood changes, and personality differences, I thought I was going insane. And I cannot eat sugar in moderation, just like an alcoholic cannot drink in moderation; he or she must stay away from it altogether. I've tried having just one cookie, or just one portion of ice cream, and it just doesn't work. It's like an alcoholic trying to have just one drink. I still struggle all the time to stay away from the stuff, and I am not always successful, and I pay the price, and so do those around me. No one would say to an alcholic that they just need willpower, yet people seem to think that it is a simple matter for someone with sugar sensitivity to just not eat it. So, please, if you read something here written by someone who has experienced something that you fortunately have not experienced, don't say that they are wrong. Open your mind to the possibility that there may be things in the world that you have not heard of or experienced, and don't dismiss new ideas out of hand.

Veronica
 
RE: Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

The exception does not make the rule. The books like Sugar busters are trying to convince everybody that they are addicted to sugar. If you are sensitive to sugar that is one thing. Being addicted to sugar is another issue entirely. Being addicted means you can not function with out a substance. From what your saying, you can not function with sugar and that is entirely different. Alcoholics can not drink even one drink because once they start drinking they can not stop themselves. From what I understand in your note one cookie makes you irritable and gives you mood swings. If you are addicted to sugar you could not have just one cookie, you would eat the whole bag of cookies.
 
RE: Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-24-01 AT 02:54PM (Est)[/font][p]I wasn't clear. I cannot stop at one cookie, or one portion of ice cream. Most people can see a plate of cookies, and eat one or none at all. I would eat every cookie on that plate, whether I am hungry or not. So, yes it is an addiction. But, hey, if you say I am not addicted, I must not be.
 
Hi ly22,

I think your best bet is not to consider the changes that you make a "diet" but a lifestyle change. Perhaps eliminating all sugary/starchy foods from your diet may be too drastic a change. Instead you should try to replace as many of your starchy/sugary food choices as possible with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts,and lean proteins (lean meats and low-fat dairy products).

The sugary snacks and refined starches (white bread, plain pasta,white rice..) should be more the exception rather than the rule. (I think that the food guide pyramid is an easy to understand visual aid for helping you make better food choices).

Overall, I think you should make gradual changes in your eating habits. In most people's mind a "diet" ia a temporary change; and, if you deprive yourself too much you are likely to abandon the diet.

Also, do what works for you. While eliminating all sugar may be the way to go for some people, you may be okay just being moderate in your intake.

Good Luck and Hope this helps,
YasDB
 
RE: Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

Veronica
I congratulate you on controlling what you eat.
However, the sugar busters books (and books like it) are trying to convince those of us who put sugar in our coffee that we have a problem as well and it minimises the severity of your problem. The authors are trying to sell thier books to the masses and convince ALL of us who have sugar in our coffee and a cookie with our lunch that we have to modify our behavior.
It is like trying to convince Italians of the French that because they have a glass of wine at dinner every night that they are alcoholics.
Books like sugar busters fail to recognise that people who have sugar addictions are the minority and tries to sell its cure to all of society. By not recognising that thier books are applicable to a minority they insult the people that thier books can help. But they have to sell books so they tell all of us that we have to stop eating sugar. Every one is a sugar addict, every one should eat the same way. You accuse me of the same thing as what the sugar busters do every day. Place addicts in the same category as every one else.
I have the same problem with other kinds of foods, so I have to stop buying it or I will eat the whole package at one sitting. It must be very difficult for you because sugar is everywhere.
 
RE: Check out Kathleen DesMaisons on Sugar addiction

I was sitting here trying to think of a way to respond to that post as well but you did it perfectly Veronica :) I have been dealing with the same problems with sugar for years, exactly the way you describe. Sugar is addictive in the same way alcohol is. Some people can take it or leave it or moderate their use, others cannot. Im not at all trying to belittle alcoholism or to say that sugar addiction is as destructive. However the cravings for sugar are biological and the results for those sensitive to it can be awful. Under your definition of addiction Mmdyck, caffiene or nicotine would not be considered addictive either because those using it aren't "junkies or alcoholics" and they don't hit rock bottom. But I know there are many people out there that can tell you that giving up those substances has been the hardest thing they ever had to do. Sugar for those sensitive or addicted to it is the same way.

Whether the problem is with alcohol, drugs, smoking, sugar, caffiene, eating disorders or obseity etc.. so many of us have challenges to overcome, battles to fight. I am in awe of so many people here who are successful at overcoming such difficult things and are living healthy happy lives because of their willingness to fight to get and stay healthy. :)

This is not meant to be argumentative at all. I really hope nothing Ive said is offensive but I did feel like I should say something.

Alison
 
You would find DesMaisons work fascinating!

She began her career in counseling alcoholics and the link between alcoholism and sugar are what led her to write her books. You really need to read what she has to say before judging her ideas. I hope this thread hasn't switched the focus of my post. I was not talking about "Sugar Busters". I did not find much in Sugar Busters to help me. But DesMaisons work has changed my life and many others.

If you feel you cannot control your sugar intake it may not be because you lack self control or are weak. It may be physiological not psychological. That's what I have found.
 
>Overall, I think you should make
>gradual changes in your eating
>habits. In most people's mind
>a "diet" ia a temporary
>change; and, if you deprive
>yourself too much you are
>likely to abandon the diet.

If you were to read DesMaisons books you would find that is what she is ALL ABOUT. Some of us CANNOT eat "just one cookie" we eat the whole bag. And it's not because we're weak people. It's because physiologically our bodies are sensitive to sugar. Not everyone is the same, so if not being able to control your eating is your problem, check out DesMaisons books and her website. You may find the answer you have been longing for.
 
Have you read "The Schwarzbein Principle"?

After reading this post, I really want to put forward my humble opinion.

I just finished reading the book, "The Schwarzbein Principle", written by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein.

Dr. Schwarzbein explains that everything we put into our bodies affects our insulin level. Our bodies can only absorb so much insulin and, after too much sugar has entered our bodies, it becomes fat - it is explains in detail, and is very easy to understand. (Sugar comes in many forms, flour, alcohol, etc.)

She advocates eating natural fats & proteins and watching our carbo intake. Not eliminating carbos at all - just choosing natural carbos rather than "manmade" carbos (don't eat low-fat rice cakes, anything you can't pick, gather, milk etc). She has worked with many diabetics that have been able to forego their insulin shots through this eating plan (it is not a diet).

I read this book on my vacation & went shopping today to stock up on her recommendations. I have a husband & 3 children who are not so keen on this type of program (no cookies, sugar, etc?). I'll let you know.

I am quite fit and still haven't been able to lose 10 lbs. This type of program seems to go against everything I have always believed in (low-fat, low-fat, low-fat, deprivation, etc). In fact, I don't even like butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc and never have. But I always thought eggs in any form were unhealthy (not so - and I do like them).

I really recommend this book. Even if you don't totally agree with it, please use it as a comparison to those listed above.

Sandra
 
RE: Sugar Busters

I have been reading this thread with much interest since weight control issues and food plans have been so much a part of my adult life.

In defense of Sugar Busters, it is NOT out there to convince "everybody" that sugar is evil and should be avoided by "everyone." However, lots of overweight people do have problems with controlling their intake of sugary foods (i.e., not being able to have one cookie, one scoop of ice cream, etc.) plus taking in sugar for some makes their insulin levels swing from highs to lows that affect their moods and how they physically feel.

I have for years tried every food plan out there, starting with Stillman and Scarsdale diets. I tried high carb, low fat. All of these produced some initial results but eventually I regained the weight. I have been losing and putting on the same 20 pounds for years.

Last January I picked up the Sugar Busters book and started to apply many of its principles to my eating plan in mid March. Four months later I lost those 20 pounds, feel fine and try to avoid as much sugar as I can still (not always successfully, but I have reduced my desire for those sugary treats). You can naysay Sugar Busters (and food plans similar) all you want but my personal experience has been positive with it.

If anyone out there reading this has weight to lose and knows they cannot eat one cookie I urge you to read this book and tailor its plan to fit your own needs. I did. It worked. However, if sugary foods is not an issue for you then this plan may not be what you need. But I will wager that the majority of people who are overweight do have problems controlling their sugar intake to some extent. Sugar Busters makes an excellent case against using refined products such as white bread and pastry products (using whole grains instead), eating lean protein and plenty of vegetables as well as fruits and teaching people that there are vast quantities of sugar hidden in some of the foods eaten everyday. This does not seem unhealthy to me.
 
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