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I mean really really really really REALLY love sugar!!!
Believe me, plenty of us who gave up sugar also really, really, really, really, REALLY loved sugar and thought at one time that they simply could not live without it also.
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My question is this: Does eating fruit help or hinder you in your sugar battle? And what, if anything, do you ever do for "dessert", and what really helps you stay away from sugar?
When I was in the losing portion of my journey (I am maintaining now), I pretty much completely cut out fruit too, that's just how determined I was to lose the weight. I WAS TAKING NO CHANCES. I was fearful for my life. I knew that fruit was a food I could easily overeat. Another once I start food, it's hard to stop. So for me, while I was losing, I saved fruit strictly for the times I was at a social function. I also knew that I could get much more volume with veggies, so that's what I did.
Now that I'm in maintenance though, I do eat fruit.
So, nope fruit didn't help me a bit.
Dessert? Well, why does it have to be something sweet???? I changed what I think of as a snack, a treat or whatever you want to call it. My snacks were/are cucumber salad, tomato/onion/cucumber salad, a veggie egg white omlette, a partially frozen no fat/no sugar yogurt, a veggie platter with salsa, 20 calorie hot chocolate.
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what really helps you stay away from sugar?
Knowing that is is poison to me. Wanting to be the best me possible. Wanting to be thin, trim, fit, healthy, active, happy, energetic, lively, confident and have a really, big spectacular wardrobe of size 2's and 4's. And once you get past the initial temporary discomfort, you no longer desire it the same way. It just becomes something that you no longer partake in.
Though I should mention now that I'm in maintenance I have added it back in in small quantities under controlled circumstances, but am re-thinking this as well, because I am now in the process of detoxing from it once again after allowing some in a few days ago. MISTAKE.
Anyway, have you heard one person here who has given up sugar say that they regret doing so? Have you? How many have you heard say that it was the *answer* for them? Why not give it a shot? Isn't it worth the chance that this may be your *answer* as well? I love WarMaidens idea of giving it up for 30 days no matter what and than after that you can re-assess.
Oh and dried fruit has been mentioned. For me personally, that is just as poisonous to me as cookies. A couple of years ago, I had a very bad shall we say incident with dried mango. Dried fruit is out of the question for me. It's condensed, water removed, concentrated. highly caloric, unbelievably sweet, and once I start I can't stop. I would sooner eat a piece of cake than a piece of dried fruit.
I urge you not to fear this decision, but embrace it, and look forward to it. Because being free from sugar is not a hardship, but a blessing.