Okay. I was just reading Jen's post about diabetes and the inspiring words of wisdom everyone shared. I also just happen to be working on a grant proposal about childhood obesity - one of several I've written in the past several months about obesity - and it brought home the diabetes and other sugar-related health concerns.
I have always been more low-fat than low-carb oriented. And I believe that you can lose weight either way. Nevertheless, I have given up most of the whites because they are nutritionally empty, but decided that I wanted to maintain a little candy in my life. And I'm still not convinced that it's a weight-control-killer to have some once a week or so.
But - I am biting the bullet and confessing that I cannot stop eating it once I start. I have relied on only buying a limited amount and sharing it. And that's not a bad strategy. But in the past week or so, it's turned into buying a larger amount and not being able to stop buying it for several days in a row. And it's really, really pathetic. I often can't wait to get to the check-out stand and, from there, to the car, where I break open the package before I turn the car on, and the package never lasts until I get home. It is absolutely like I imagine seeking a cocaine fix would be.
So, I'm not saying that I will give up sugar for life - and I am not even going to worry about natural sugar in whole fruits and vegetables - but I will give up candy for the next fourteen days.
FOURTEEN DAYS! If I write it, I will be accountable for it. Tomorrow is DAY ONE.
What a smart idea, like you I often will break into the candy before I even start the car. Worse yet, I will buy home treats and car treats so that I still have more for when I get home.
So for the next 14 days I'm with you! No more candy and processed sugar. Tomorrow is Day 1, I can only imagine the headache I'm going to have by tomorrow afternoon.
Good Luck!
LaurieDawn, I know exactly where you are coming from. I'm on the cusp of diabetes and know that I need to get rid of sugar but boy oh boy, sugar is like a drug; an addiction. If I eat it, I just want more. I have been able to cut it out of my system but as soon as I allow myself into the temptations, I get sucked right back in.
I'm with you on this. No process sugar, candy, sweets (cakes, cookies, etc.) for the next 14 days. I guess in a way it's like detox to clean out our systems.
IM with you!!! 14 days starting tomorrow!!! Tuesday the 11th until 25th!!!! I will be thinking of you girls when I get the urge to splurge!!!! Lets do this together!!
It's hard to do, but I KNOW you can do it! I gave up sugar about 5 months ago and you won't believe how different you will feel. I truly believe that sugar is addicting and I know I'm an addict. I seriously treat sugar like an alcoholic treats alcohol....I don't touch the stuff. My sister's birthday party was last night and they had a huge strawberry cheesecake. It looked so good, but I know the effects it has on me...so I passed on it and had some sf hot cocoa instead. My father has non-insulin dependent diabetes and I am determined not to become a diabetic. Sugar is evil and I'm staying away from it!
It will make a huge difference in your life. The first 4 days will be the absolute hardest!!
Once you get the white things and sugar out, then you will be surprised at the natural sweetness of other foods, like milk. Who knew that plain milk has sweetness?
You might want to read a book by Kathleen DesMaisons called "The Sugar Addicts Recovery" (or something like that). I read it a few years ago and it is what got me moving forward onto a new outlook on eating and dieting.
I am a carb addict. Those of you who are borderline diabetic should really consider all carbs, not just sugar. I know from testing that all carbs affect your blood sugar. It's a hard addiction but limiting my carbs, not only helped me lose weight but also helped improve my skin, my mood. Those sugar highs aren't worth the lows when you come down!
Feedback: You (me, and most of us) can't stop eating candy once we start.
What's your reaction to this fact? Take the info you now have and run with it.
Personally I only eat low-glycemic, no sugar added sweets, such as dark chocolate sweetened with sugar alcohol (don't eat alot or it will bother your stomach), or no sugar added ice creams. And I don't get a craving afterwards since my blood sugar never spiked! I only eat these items once or twice a week.
I am so excited, Ash and Mamac, that I'm not doing this on my own! And I am inspired by everyone else who has done it successfully and is now supporting me through it. I don't usually crave sugar until evening, fortunately, so even though I'm thinking about it more than I normally would be because of my resolution, I have not been tempted by it yet. I am excited at the prospect of coming here tomorrow and reporting my first successful day, so I am counting on that to help me stay on the right course.
I actually backed into giving up sugar. It didn't start out being a conscious choice but as I went low added sugar it seems as easy to start going to no added sugar. That is the key. Then, the natural sugars that exist in the whole foods can be monitored based on how you "react" to them. For example, I hadn't eaten kernel corn in quite a few months and I was running low on groceries and it was the lone can in the cupboard. Well, I had a hard time not piling more and more onto my plate. THAT was the moment that I just sat there looking at my plate going "What just happened here?"
Now, my goal is avoid all foods that cause that kind of physical craving. You know the weird thing is that there were people, used to call them "health nuts", who were saying that white sugar was addicting like a drug back in the 1930s!!! Hello, where have we all been??? I know where I was, hand stuck in the candy bag, cookie jar or eating that last piece of pizza (don't want to have just one slice as a leftover, right?) YIKES!!
Well, I am with you girlfriend on this. I am staring down the barrel of the diabetes gun and it doesn't look pretty. Blue is absolutely correct. My mom is diabetic and after one of her many meetings with her dietician she said, "I always thought all I had to worry about was sugar but I also have to count carbs." She wasn't even sure what a carb was! She was told to only have 30 grams of carb a day! I asked her, are you on a low carb diet then? She said, I don't know! Sounds like it to me!
We can do it. Keep this thread going. I know there are a lot of us who will lend you support and need other's support.
Hey y'all! I started a Sugar Free Thread to keep our support going! I know there will be times when I am tempted and need to go talk it out rather than put that crap in my face.
The thread is titled "the 100 lb Club Sugar Free Thread"
Giving up sugar
We're routing for you!
I gave up sugar about 5 months ago and you won't believe how different you will feel. I truly believe that sugar is addicting and I know I'm an addict. I seriously treat sugar like an alcoholic treats alcohol....I don't touch the stuff. My sister's birthday party was last night and they had a huge strawberry cheesecake. It looked so good, but I know the effects it has on me...so I passed on it and had some sf hot cocoa instead. My father has non-insulin dependent diabetes and I am determined not to become a diabetic. Sugar is evil and I'm staying away from it!
You are definitely not alone, LaurieDawn!
