Welcome, Barbara! :) I agree with Dani and Amarantha--more whole foods as much as possible, and also, the sad truth is read every label. It's truly amazing how sugar can be found in the most unlikely places.

I've been doing really well with really getting my heart rate up with my workouts. Love those "Firm" videos! Yesterday was a bit strange food-wise though. One of those days where I wanted to eat constantly, so I know my calories wereup. Water intake has been excellent though.

This is Day 194. :D

Yo!
 

Congrats on Day 194, E!!! That is fantastic!!! :cheer:

I've been wanting to eat a lot, too. Posted a really weird food journal tonight in the land far far away. Too much cheese! :)

I'm finishing Day 75!

:?: My weight's still up, still I'm not going to get bent out of shape. It could be anything. It'd be nice to see those numbers going down though.

Welcome, Barbara! Everyone here does the sugar-free thing differently, what works for someone might not work for somone else. For me, I only eliminated desserts, but decided to allow myself to have a dessert on special occasions. I had my first indulgence on Easter, since I began on January 1, and it didn't trigger a binge, so I think I'm able to handle a once in a rare while treat. I think the key is knowing yourself, studying your eating patterns. I looked at what I was eating, saw I was eating 3+ desserts/candies and candy bars/pints of Ben & Jerry's a day, and knew that was a problem. Sugar in my spaghetti sauce was not the same trigger, but for some people, it is.

Congrats, Eydie and Amarantha!

Hi guys, sorry I haven't been posting. Really, no time and I have three other threads calling for me! ;) But, I like this one, because I know that getting the sugar to a manageable level in my life is all important. After giving it up totally for Lent (I got through it but for one week) I kind of went off the deep end again and I realize that I can't take the all-or-nothing aspect in my life. I also don't want to be further restricting myself to only eating things I make. That said, it's really just a mindset because I also want to keep the sugar to an absolute minimum, because like Eydie, if I don't the madness resumes. Amarantha, look at you! Look at the weight you have lost! You are really amazing and I take my hat off to you! We all have to find what works for us for different aspects of our lives. I used to be a heavy smoker and I could never just cut down as some people can. I had to cut it out totally and wanted to. With the sugar, I realize now that I want to have a bit, or at least allow myself to sometimes say yes, even though normally I'll say no. I am a vegetarian and that is quite a restriction on me already, but it's also all the more reason to stay away from sugar, if you consider the macrobiotic aspects of it, right Eydie. We were reading the same book.

Well, ok, just wanted to say heh and I'm with you somewhat and will try to continue to be more of a participant in this thread than I have been recently. Take care all! :wave:

Dinna worrit thyself, E, it is likely water or some such thing!!! The number will come down ... it always does and you have been so faithful to your plan, it will have no choice but to come down.

I think my streak of a loss a week may end this week as I've been eating somewhat more but am still on program and dedicated to total refined sugar abstinence. Had a lot of dairy again today as it is so portable for me on long workdays.

Redballoon, you will find what works for you, never fear. I know what you mean about the "madness" returning if you don't keep sugar to a minimum ... for me, that minimum has to be absolutely none (except as we've discussed the fructose in fruit and the lactose in milk) ... without a shadow of a doubt, for me, the cupcakes, candy, food cravings and excess weight will start up again if I compromise.

But as Gypsy says, we are all different. Some have to go the abstinence route and some don't. :)

Thanks for the congrats, Gypsy! :wave:

Finishing Day 76! I posted another weird menu on the journal in the land far away ... it's weird but it's "legal" ... going hiking in the morning and then working all weekend.

Thanks for this idea, Amarantha!!!! :D I found some frozen cherries and will be stocking up on them, because frozen cherries are sublime! I haven't cooked with them, made smoothies or anything, I'm talking just shaking them into a little dish and eating them like candy. Wonderful! My new favorite thing. As a matter of fact, if I were out in the world and wanted a treat, I'd just buy a bag of frozen cherries! Honestly, try it, they're like little nuggets of sorbet!

Got to share this: as I was looking at the frozen fruit selection, I picked up a bag of raspberries and looked at the ingredients list and it said "sugar added to maintain integrity". I know what it means but I thought it was a curious turn of phrase. I was saying in my head all day "I don't need sugar to maintain MY integrity!" :lol:

Hi, E! I sent thee another pm in response to thy response! :lol:

I also eat the frozen cherries one at a time now and then. Usually I don't post those bites in my menu journal in the land far far away ... the treats just give me a little lift. To me, they taste like the frozen cherry bonbons I used to get at the amusement park when little ... sans chocolate, of course. I suppose one could dip them in high cocoa low sugar chocolate (legal in SB in small amounts), but who needs it? :)

You are lucky to have some, though, E, as they are very hard to find here now. You'd think frozen ones would be available all year but they don't seem to be.

:lol: re the "integrity" ... in addition, there's irony in the thought that a naturally sweet and nutritious berry would be improved by the addition of refined sugar.

I won't start ranting, but the proliferation of sugar in just about EVERYTHING edible (and inedible ... they have brown sugar bodywash, they "sugar" their legs to remove hair, they ... oh well) makes me crazy.

Since I'm out of the cherries, I bought some blueberries. My menu for today was high in cals but all "legal" and I had THREE sweet blueberry items (but totally sugar free and low glycemic ... although I don't know the GI value of blueberries ... can't find it, however, it is "legal" in SB, so that's good enough for me). I had the "cobbler" thing with blueberries for breakfast, a blueberry "ice cream" made in the Magic Blender with frozen blueberries and a little unsweetened soymilk and a blueberry smoothie with frozen blueberries and a cup of the soymilk.

I can't imagine any sweet binge with refined sugar glop (or cupcakes) could be any better than I had today. :)

This is the end of my 77th day. On to the 12th week.

It just gets easier and easier.

Testimony
 

Hi all and Amarantha thank you so much for the invite :).

Ok just a back history on me - I was in an other forum and it vanished yesterday on us. I loved being a part of a forum and I am looking forward to getting to know you all. I am doing the Southbeach way of life. I started it in beginning of February so it has been two months now - and I have lost 28.6 pounds in total (ticker likes to round up i see :) - ). I did my detox period (phase I on that plan) it is suppose to be two week i did it for three - I have alot of weight to lose -- I started this program at 265 pounds now i am 236.6 - and still 106 pounds to lose. Though on the South beach we are allowed to have sugar in phase 2 in limited amounts -- I have personal choosen to avoid refined sugars completly now. Oh because I was changing my life I decided to totally change it and two weeks ago I also quit smoking - and thank god with the upset this weekend I still managed to stay quit - though the stress of upset had me thinking about it-- and then good news even is -- I did't gain when I quit smoking -- maybe I made history even lol cause I lost weight still that week :).

Oh there are sugar free chocolates out there -- I found a place very local to me actually that has all natural ingrediations it in their dark chocolate no additives or preserations in them and they are sweeted by natural pure pepperiment -- and it tastes lovely.

I love this new way of life eating -- and I have found it easy to follow and I am not feeling that I am missing anything - which is great. I also limit spendia in my diet as well. I will bake with splendia but I really wont use it for much else. (and I don't bake that often - but there is a very nice wholewheat blue muffin that i make now (I hope i have the recipe printed out still since the forum that I got the recipe in is gone now). But I have most of it in my head anyway -- i know the stuff that goes in it lol might have to guess at how much of each now lol.

I only eat heathly carbs now -- I won't even eat enriched whole wheat -- it has to say whole wheat grains on the package or it isn't for me :). And though I do eat my good carbs -- I do still watch how much of them I have - even though I am on phase II I am still adding new ones slowly -- making sure that I get a craving that I remove that one for the list for now - etc. And I still don't even have carbs at every meal yet. This is working for me -- doing it this way at the moment - for I do have alot of weight to lose. lol So in same ways I am kind phase 1.5 heheheheh as we joking called it :).

K that is about it for now then :)

Dove

Welcome Dove! :) Nice to meet you!

How's everyone doing? I'm happy to say that I've successfully completed Day 200 of being sugar-free; I'm so amazed. If I can do it, anybody can do it--believe me. :o

Howdy, Dove!!!! It's so great to have another no refined sugar devotee amongst us!!! Hope you keep coming back even though I believe your original forum is back!!! As I posted on your thread awhile back, SBD Phase II and the plan I am on (Sugar Busters) are quite similar. We all represent a number of approaches here, I think.

CONGRATULATIONS TO :queen: E for 200 DAYS O' SUGAR FREE!!!! :cheer: Have a nice, green :cb: on me, E!!! (As a good Sugar Buster, I can't sanction the use o' high glycemic ripe bananas, but green ones are safe!)!!! :lol:

E, I responded to thy pm on the land far far ...

Congratulations Eydie, 200 days is some accomplishment! :cp:

Eydie, Congrats! 200 days wow what an accomplishment! Cudos for you!
I have been good, no real sugar here. A little sweet from some apricots and yoplait yogurt with aspartame. Today I got a protein shake that has pieces of chocolate, pretty good, although I am not sure what kind of sweetener it has yet.

Amarantha, where is the journal for the Land far far?

Thanks everybody! :) Onto Day 202 now. Hmmmm...I wonder if I'll ever stop counting? At some point I will, Maybe after a year. If I can get to a year, I know I'll be okay. And no, that's not to say that I'll be 'cured' and can start having sugar again--I know I can't go back to that.

Had good luck making fruit-sweetened scones last week. I made blueberry-walnut. I have some more fruit juice concentrate, I think I'll try a different flavor this week. I'm thinking cashew-carob chip? ;)