Well I will start tomorrow then. Will have to find a way not to eat all the junk in the house
With your porridge you could try some grated apple (skin on) and cinnamon. At least you are getting some fibre with the sugar from the apple (which is better) rather than the straight sugar from the honey. It's yummy too.
Are you avoiding fructose - it'd probably help. It's hard, but if you can cut out fruit, except maybe pears, then the cravings will go quicker (and that counts honey out too). I foudn that after a couple of weeks I coudl eat fruit again without the sugar cravings.
I found eating lots helped - stay full. and plenty of protein helps too to cut the cravings. But, basically, you need to be very tough with yourself and don't reward one or two days of good behaviour.
That's a good idea. I have a couple of pears, so I'll have some with yoghurt. I'll try grating that on porridge and see how that tastes. I've been adding brown sugar or caramel sauce, so there will be some taste adjustment.
Ok, I thought I'd just post what helped me here instead of PMing. I used sugar like a drug, the same as you L&B. It's as addictive as cocaine so getting off if is a challenge. In drug rehab I'm told patients are given meds to reduce the withdrawal symptoms.
For sugar withdrawal panadeine was recommended by my councillor and it helped with the irritability and headaches. Used at maximum dose for the first 3 days and them gradually reduced over a week and it really helped with the side effects of sugar withdrawal. The other side of getting off it is making sure that you have enough of each and every food group every day so your body is getting what it needs and this reduces or eliminates cravings.
This also helps to stabilize mood and I found learning this type of self care hard but empowering. I had to call in with my food list for the day to show I was taking care of myself.
It's become a way of life. If I have sugar e.g a piece of cake, it takes me 2-3 days to feel normal again and to get through the Brain fog, irrational thoughts, crying, mood swings, intolerant, bossy and argumentative attitude, impatience and self esteem issues. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar?
Happy to provide more tips and ideas if anyone would like more info.
The good thing is that being off sugar is a life enhancing experience! Everything's better off sugar!
Interesting about Panadeine! I alsways wished there was some kind of methadone like thing that you could take to get off sugar.
I think for me it's really more like what L&B said - I use it as medication. I get upset, I reach for chocolate. I get angry, chocolate. Hell, one of the kids screams or misbehaves I instantly go to eat something sugary.
I quit sugar a couple of months ago. The mistake I made was to keep eating fruit and dried fruit. It was the dried fruit that led to my lapse. I fell off the wagon in early June but really need to get back on it! Will start in a couple of days (going away tomorrow but back on Fri).
Thanks for the advice in the thread. I really want to kick sugar (as well as grains and processed foods). I totally LOVE the idea of having such a negative physical and emotional reaction to a piece of cake
I got off sugar, almost 2 years ago. I didn't find it too hard once I had my head around why I wanted to do it and understood where sugar hides in all sorts of foods. It made such a huge difference to my clarity, moods, energy and weight. I was pretty strong about avoiding all sugar at all costs at first and very quickly I was pleased to find that food tasted so much more enjoyable and that the idea of sugar or a food with sugar in it was quite off putting. It became easier and easier.
I am not pretty relaxed about sugar. I avoid it generally because I want too but I don't worry too much about having some. Sometimes I feel myself slipping back into the sugar fold so I reign in my habits again but it is not hard. So after the initial hurdle of giving up I feel pretty happy about the amount I eat and feel in control of it. Best part is I can completely justify - and enjoy - a few pieces of 85% chocolate every now and again
What helped me in the early days was lots of water and lots of nuts. I overdosed on savoury foods and then balanced myself out when the cravings were less.
Good luck to all on the journey and don't forget to check the labels of all the food you consume!
Kaz - dried fruit is the worst! It is pretty much concentrated sugar. The theory in balance and eating naturally is that your body can theoretically cope with the sugar from one apricot, maybe the two you might eat in a sitting because they fill you up and satisfy you. The problem comes in that you would usually eat many more than one or two dried apricots in a sitting and therefore you are eating the sugar of all of those apricots without getting as full and satisfied as you would if you ate the piece of fruit. I hope that makes sense.
I've been sugar free for fourteen months. I now find anything remotely sweet unpalatable. I have started having the odd bite of an apple and it's sweetness overload.
You can do it! The first week is the hardest. You have to rewire your brain to not turn to sugar to fix tiredness and emotional issues. I also cut out caffeine at the same time, so needless to say I was very tired at first. But then it was like clouds parting, and people started telling me how good my skin looked and how well I looked. I was always scrawny thin, but a no-sugar-diet made me eat healthy foods in a good volume and made me look really fit. I heard someone say it's the balancing diet, because overweight people loose weight and underweight gain weight.
Nourish yourself with some great homemade soups, expensive cheeses and yogurt, and small amounts of honey if you need.
I also caved and bought a sugar free chocolate bar one day for $8!!!! It was nice, but I ended up chucking it out because the cocao gave me a headache lol!
I have gone through the cupboard this morning and am pleasantly surprised that my staple lunch (crackers, cream cheese and sliced meat) is all sugar free, but my hopes for starting with some cereal have gone. Weet-bix has sugar, who knew? Tonight I will soak oats in milk overnight so I can have some creamy porridge in the morning. I'm used to them sweet though with honey so not sure how well that will go. Maybe if I make them with coconut milk?
I am day dreaming about fudge and marshmallow, so the inner junkie is speaking loudly. I thought I'd add vanilla to the porridge to help with flavour as I'm not having sugar. Turns out the vanilla extract is made in corn syrup! I checked after I'd poured it in. So that's an accidental sugar fix. It means I'll have to make my own vanilla extract after all. Happily I have a bottle of Absolut vodka unopened, so I'll track down some vanilla beans and make my own.
I have a heap of avocados, so they'll do for lunch on crackers and I'll make some dip. I'm not allowed nuts, so I'll need to get other protein fixes.
Great to hear others' success stories! Did you find really going hard on the water helped too? I think maybe I go for sugar when I'm just thirsty...
So far so good, but I did have some sultanas as a band aid solution to being really hungry and not at home (and about to be close to convenience stores).
It seems easier this time... last time all I could think about was bread and jam!
I bought some posh yoghurt and tart apples for dessert... and I will NOT feel bad for eating lots of cheese this week!
I went to thhe shops and bought some sugar free chocolate bars. Ohhhh no they are terrible. I feel sick.
MissLizzy just be careful with yoghurt too it is generally full of sugar. While it's better than a chocolate bar it'll still keep your body responding to the sugar and it will take longer to detox.
Just about to reach for some crisps. Not ideal but will stop me from feeling too ripped off.
Lol maybe thats part of it. the bars make you feel sick so you stop wanting chocolate bars
I'll jump on the wagon. Im happy to cut all sugar bar my morning coffee, and no white flour from tomorrow.might make the kids do this too they seem to have huge amounts of candy from goodness knows where. Tonight we'll eat it all and feel sick and start fresh tomorrow
Sent from my Galaxy with the barefoot princess covering me in kisses, so please forgive the mistakes
I've been off sugar for almost a year now. I still eat honey and fruit and I couldn't have coped without them at first. I've cut them both way back now too and I don't enjoy things overly sweet anymore. I found honey butter caramel was a life saver to start with.
I really don't think I could have done it while still eating grains and starches though as those foods just keep feeding the candida so it keeps being strong enough to call out for more sugar and make you cave in. Gotta get those candida numbers right down. When I had terrible cravings it helped me to picture my evil little sugar demons wilting away and crying out for sugar. It made me more determined not to just give it to them and let those stupid little bacteria keep running my life and ruining my health.
Eating LOTS of good fats helps. Keeps you full of good stuff And I found I really turned a corner when I made a conscious effort to eat plenty of fermented vegetables every day. The cravings really went down when I added a bunch of sauerkraut to my breakfast.
Lunch was a grazing plate of tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, sauerkraut and avocado with crackers. Now the sugar banshee is screaming at me about the chocolate biscuits and caramel sauce in the pantry. Must not give in!
Making curried egg dip so I have a go to protein source. I need to make more chicken soup too.
I think it depends on how you define "no sugar". Just reading these posts makes it clear that people have different ideas about what it actually means....
I think it would be helpful if people defined the parameters of what is/isnt "acceptable".
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