welcome to the club Kori. It will take about a week, but then things should settle down for you. For me, I do not add any honey or maple syrup. If I want something sweet I will add dates. I made a millet breakfast cereal this morning and it called for honey and I replaced it with dates. Yummy.
I have to admit - part of me wants to join because I'm sure it could help me lose the last 7-8 lbs I'd like to lose, but I'm a little intimidated and scared. I guess that only goes to reinforce that I probably am, in fact, at least somewhat addicted to sugar.
Seriously contemplating.... Here are a few questions on whether or not these would be considered "RS" (and may either sway my decision or force me to "adjust" the rules) - Peanut butter (If it has no sugar added prob OK, right??) Jelly? (Sugar free or whole fruit kind OK?) - Various carb-things ie frozen waffles, cereal (I just eat Go Lean) or Banana bread flavored bagels (which honestly is more like cake so I think I know the answer to that one) And what criteria do you use to determine if it is RS vs. carby? Grams of sugar? - Greek yogurt (Ones with fruit can have lotsa sugar but is fruit sugar OK) - Flavored coffee creamer - I think that would need to go... As would Nutella. Frick!
I think I can totally do this assuming it doesn't elimate my entire diet LOL. Honestly the hardest part will not to eat random bites from wife's treats. (The bites have also enabled me to get a bite but not have a whole piece/cookie, etc)
Here's the thing - you set your own "rules". For me, I don't binge or overeat or go crazy on things like Greek yogurt or Peanut Butter and Jelly. I'm eliminating TRULY "recreational" sugar - ice cream, candy, cookies, etc. For some people, like John, Chocolate Gu even has to go. But that doesn't mean I am going to toss the Clif bars I have sometimes before a long bike that happen to have "chocolate" in the name. I don't have issues there. But then again, John also isn't giving up beer or buffalo wings, because that doesn't cause him to go off the deep end, if he eats that.
I think the sugar ban is more about identifying where YOUR weaknesses and problems lie and addressing those for you, individually. No one sets the rules but you.
As for the "carb-y" thing - again, I'm not eliminating carb stuff. I am trying not to think of this as a "diet" just as a way to eliminate things that don't add value to my diet. I eat Go Lean as well, and I hardly consider it junk food or something I need to avoid to be healthy.
I have the rules pretty clearly defined in my head for me, so that's when I got rolling with it. Decide what will/won't work for you.
But yeah, I gave Nutella the boot, too. THAT hurt. :-)
I'm at the end of my first week and it's getting easier. I still crave something sweet and I'm trying REALLY hard not to substitute a ton of fruit and almond butter to satisfy that craving... but it HAS gotten easier!
I have been so inspired by you all. I tried in the beginning and had one good day, one bad day, one good day.....etc. for about a week. Then I totally overindulged on my birthday (I think i ONLY ate recreational sugar that day) and have been really good since (about a week).
I need to find more dried non-sugared fruit to snack on. It is the evening time when I am on the computer trying to catch up on things before going to bed that is the worst.
Hey Jess, I just noticed you and John are doing Quassy! That's awesome! I'm racing the Oly (4th year in a row!) but we'll be there Sunday too. We have pro Malaika Homo staying with us again this year. I prob won't be able to do any of the team meetings, etc. but I'll be there cheering for you guys!
OK, so if I do the RSB (Recreational Sugar Boot) then I will agree to the terms set forth below:
PB OK (3g sugar) sugar-free/reduced sugar jelly Creamer and Nutella go bye-bye Greek yogurt OK No cake, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, at all Carbie-things OK (ie waffles, bagels) OK ONLY before Sat. long bike
@Woody - apples with unsweetened almond butter are my "treat" right now. And I LOVE ripe pears. And bananas. And fresh pineapple. So... I guess what I'm saying is that when I'm craving something sweet, I'm trying my hardest not to give in to that craving during this first week to 10 days. My rule for myself is after that period, any fruit is o.k. I wanted to take my time to allow my insulin levels to stabilize and see what happened from there... does that make sense? Sorry 'bout that... I confuse myself sometimes! ;-)
@Stephanie - THAT was EXACTLY what I would do. EXACTLY. I would be awesome for a day or two and then go crazy and totally overindulge! This is the first time that I've been able to kick it and stick to it. This thread has inspired ME!
@Kim - YES!!! That is awesome!!!! Awesome that you will be at Quassy and SO awesome that you've set your RULES!!! WHOO!!!
Wow Kori! You learn well young grasshopper... Kori nailed it... I am certainly not the arbiter of all this, but Kori did nail exactly how I think f it. So before I gave up gluten (different topic all together) my breakfast for 99% of weekdays last yr was the following because it certainly fit into my "code":
Kashi Go Lean cereal (massive bowl) that I would add the following into: Cinnamon, a sliced banana, raisins, walnuts, and a squeeze of honey and skim milk.
Before long training rides and races last yr I would eat a bagel (or 2) with regular Peanut Butter and regular jelly or jam, and maybe a squeeze of honey.
Any kind of Yogurt is cool with me but Greek Yogurt is better, and fruit on the bottom is fine with me.
Any gu's, gels, stinger waffles, Powerbars, chomps, etc. were totally fine before, during, or immediately after workouts (as long as they weren't chocolate flavored or have chocolate chips in them because it was also all a mental game for me and yes I admit that I am weird). But none of these things were "okay to eat" simply as an afternoon snack as far as my "code" went.
Frozen waffles for me were okay, but I rarely ever eat them so kind of a moot point for me, but if I did I would put some jelly on them or a dab of honey (and not syrup). Doesn't really make sense, but it made sense to me.
Sorry, but I can't imagine Nutella (or marshmallow fluff) being on anybody's "okay to eat" list if they are serious about giving up recreational sugar.
If you're a "moderator", you may be fine giving up nothing. But if you think you are a moderator but deep down know you sometimes have trouble "moderating" I challenge you to go cold turkey for 30 days and see if you actually miss any of that stuff. You might be surprised. You're welcome to try and adopt my "code" or come up with your own... There will be nobody spying on you, it's really on your honor, but for me a moment of weakness comes with the days of pain that will follow.
I want to get skinny for the hilly at IMUSA and I'm well ahead of where I was last yr at this time, but still have a ways to go.
What a thread... I started to type my response and by the time I hit submit, 5 other people had posted and responded and re-posted! AWESOME!!!!
@Woody-- come on in, the water's fine... @Steph-- once you make it 2 weeks it gets easy, after 30 days, you don't even think about it at all... @Kim-- Awesome. And those sound like totally reasonable and simple to understand and follow rules. @Jess-- I'm proud of you for formally taking the plunge...
Day 1 off to a good start til I started reading some of the labels on stuff in my cabinet... Nature valley protein bars, Kind bars, Breakfast to Go nut/granola/fruit mixes all have 6+ grams of sugar. Me thinks I needs to go shopping. Need to get some nuts. Those are pretty quick and easy when I need snacks in between meetings at work. Does anyone have any recos for bars that don't have added sugar?
x2. LOVE Larabars. They ARE higher in sugar (~17g), but there are only five to six ingredients for each flavor, and NO soy products in them. The sugar content is what occurs naturally in the dates and other fruit/fruit juice concentrate ingredients. Looking at the ingredient lists for Nature's Valley and Kind Bars, I saw high fructose corn syrup (Nature's Valley) and soy products (both).... so, I think that - even though the Larabar might be higher in total sugar content - you're putting something better into your body! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Blueberry Muffin! I get mine at Target.
I grabbed handfuls of nuts over and over last week. It definitely helped!
Cool, I like Larabars too and if there is no added sugar and it just comes from the fruit, then they are "legal". Don't want the EN RSP (Recreational Sugar Police) knocking down my door.
X4 on Larabars with an added tip- if you like chocolate the try the "jocalat" bars by Larabars. They come in regular chocolate, chocolate mint, and chocolate coffee. My personal favorite(I actually crave them) is a chocolate mint with some of my own peanut butter on the top That's the closest I can get to a recees peanut butter cup since going gluten free. Bonus tip- I order them from "allstarhealth.com": they are a buck/bar and always $5.00 for shipping.
X4 on Larabars with an added tip- if you like chocolate the try the "jocalat" bars by Larabars. They come in regular chocolate, chocolate mint, and chocolate coffee. My personal favorite(I actually crave them) is a chocolate mint with some of my own peanut butter on the top That's the closest I can get to a recees peanut butter cup since going gluten free. Bonus tip- I order them from "allstarhealth.com": they are a buck/bar and always $5.00 for shipping.
I love that on the nights that I work until 5pm my hubby takes it upon himself to cook for us. I usually have recipes picked that he can choose from that do not have sugar/honey/maple syrup in them as sweeteners, but I was away this past weekend for a fitness conference, and did not get the menu selected for the week, which brings me to tonights dinner.
Salmon steaks with dijon mustard glaze (some sugar in that I think, but minimal), squash (lightly bathed in maple syrup and some spices), tomateos baked in a corn meal/almond flour dusting. I could tell there was honey on the squash on my first bite. Damn it. Ugh. I am been sugared!!! My streak has been broken. Trying to resist eating the whole squash. Oh so very yummy.
I guess I could consider this my valentines candy for the tomorrow. Hope everyone else is doing well.
"Allow me to summarize a couple of things that the PLoS One study clarifies. Perhaps most important, as a number of scientists have been insisting in recent years, all calories are not created equal. By definition, all calories give off the same amount of energy when burned, but your body treats sugar calories differently, and that difference is damaging.
And as Lustig lucidly wrote in “Fat Chance,” his compelling 2012 book that looked at the causes of our diet-induced health crisis, it’s become clear that obesity itself is not the cause of our dramatic upswing in chronic disease. Rather, it’s metabolic syndrome, which can strike those of “normal” weight as well as those who are obese. Metabolic syndrome is a result of insulin resistance, which appears to be a direct result of consumption of added sugars. This explains why there’s little argument from scientific quarters about the “obesity won’t kill you” studies; technically, they’re correct, because obesity is a marker for metabolic syndrome, not a cause."
One month sugar free today! (OK, a chocolate chip or 2 may have fallen into my mouth while baking) but I have passed up cupcakes, cookies, ice cream cake and even my own home-baked cookies so yeaaahhhh me!
John- Hasn't been really hard for the most part. I get a little twinge when I pass by the cake or whatever, but mentally it is better than the debate in my head before going sugar-free. (Rationalizing, guilt, should I, shouldn't I?) I think it is def. harder for me once I start. ie 1 chocolate heart = 7 chocolate hearts so not starting at all is a good thing!
I have been reading this thread with casual interest as sweets do not interest me. (It can take me month or more to finish a chocolate bar) It is great to see the success that all of you have had in avoiding the recreational sugar. Your commitment is inspiring.
I went on an allergen free diet starting Oct 13, 2012. I gave up gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, peanuts, and sugar. I started juicing daily. I did this in an attempt to alleviate stupid injuries I seemed to be getting. Everyone says "wow, you must feel great!". Honestly, I feel little difference. I already ate pretty healthy. However Valentines week for some reason, I started eating sugar again. it was all around at work. Now I can not get off it, and now I see the difference. I get occassional headaches, and I get tired in the afternoons, which I had not been getting. Any tips on how to get back off it?!
I started the sugar free diet in about mid-January. I took on extra "table sugar", but kept the small amount of honey, agave, etc. that I use on occasion. I did great for a few weeks, felt like I was seeing some benefits. Life got pretty busy in mid-February and I have been staying on top of lots of fruits and veggies, but" sugar free" has gone out the window with less time to cook and more emotional eating. I honestly eat a pretty healthy diet, but I feel like extra calories are sneaking in getting hungry between meals when I'm stuck with only Luna bars or other less healthy snacks around (Luna bars are gone now). Life will continue to be stressful for the next month, but right now I've caught up on sleep and have stocked up on nuts and dried fruits. So, here it is, my renewed pledge to start sugar free again in hopes of getting as healthy as possible before starting training in earnest in a couple months!
@Leah - I found it helpful to set a "Start Date" for myself on a Saturday, when I knew John would be around to keep tabs on me for a couple of days. I told him that I was giving up sugar - and then I told everyone else I know that I'd given up Recreational Sugar (which was followed by stares of confusion and a lot of, "you're crazier than I thought" type comments). So now I'm accountable to EVERYONE I know, including my yoga instructor who likes to hand out York Peppermint Patties at the end of class... At this point, I'd have to make a serious effort to get something sweet. There's nothing in our house besides fruit and some of our kids' foods that I can't eat anyway b/c most of it has gluten (yep... chocolate chip cookies). On one hand, I'm lucky that I don't go to work every day and get tempted by things brought into the office (or in my case, the clinic), but on the other hand, staying home with kids often means there's a long stretch of the day where I'm at home and just LOOKING for something to stuff in my mouth.
I drink unsweetened herbal tea a LOT. I LOVE Traditional Medicinals Echinacea and their Throat Coat, too. I usually use one bag of each together. Something about the two of them tastes sweet to me even without the added honey, and that feeling of something warm filling up my belly leaves me satiated. Apples with unsweetened almond butter are still a big afternoon treat for me when my kids are having a snack. And I definitely love nuts more now than I ever did before!
@ Larry - Wow - a bar of chocolate lasting a month! THAT'S amazing!!! What IS your vice???
Comments
- Peanut butter (If it has no sugar added prob OK, right??) Jelly? (Sugar free or whole fruit kind OK?)
- Various carb-things ie frozen waffles, cereal (I just eat Go Lean) or Banana bread flavored bagels (which honestly is more like cake so I think I know the answer to that one) And what criteria do you use to determine if it is RS vs. carby? Grams of sugar?
- Greek yogurt (Ones with fruit can have lotsa sugar but is fruit sugar OK)
- Flavored coffee creamer - I think that would need to go... As would Nutella.
I think I can totally do this assuming it doesn't elimate my entire diet LOL. Honestly the hardest part will not to eat random bites from wife's treats. (The bites have also enabled me to get a bite but not have a whole piece/cookie, etc)
Kim,
Here's the thing - you set your own "rules". For me, I don't binge or overeat or go crazy on things like Greek yogurt or Peanut Butter and Jelly. I'm eliminating TRULY "recreational" sugar - ice cream, candy, cookies, etc. For some people, like John, Chocolate Gu even has to go. But that doesn't mean I am going to toss the Clif bars I have sometimes before a long bike that happen to have "chocolate" in the name. I don't have issues there. But then again, John also isn't giving up beer or buffalo wings, because that doesn't cause him to go off the deep end, if he eats that.
I think the sugar ban is more about identifying where YOUR weaknesses and problems lie and addressing those for you, individually. No one sets the rules but you.
As for the "carb-y" thing - again, I'm not eliminating carb stuff. I am trying not to think of this as a "diet" just as a way to eliminate things that don't add value to my diet. I eat Go Lean as well, and I hardly consider it junk food or something I need to avoid to be healthy.
I have the rules pretty clearly defined in my head for me, so that's when I got rolling with it. Decide what will/won't work for you.
But yeah, I gave Nutella the boot, too. THAT hurt. :-)
I'm at the end of my first week and it's getting easier. I still crave something sweet and I'm trying REALLY hard not to substitute a ton of fruit and almond butter to satisfy that craving... but it HAS gotten easier!
"I'm trying REALLY hard not to substitute a ton of fruit and almond butter to satisfy that craving..."
Did you meant o say that you ARE substituting a ton of fruit and almond butter?
I need to find more dried non-sugared fruit to snack on. It is the evening time when I am on the computer trying to catch up on things before going to bed that is the worst.
Diet Coke doesn't count, does it?
OK, so if I do the RSB (Recreational Sugar Boot) then I will agree to the terms set forth below:
PB OK (3g sugar) sugar-free/reduced sugar jelly
Creamer and Nutella go bye-bye
Greek yogurt OK
No cake, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, at all
Carbie-things OK (ie waffles, bagels) OK ONLY before Sat. long bike
@Kim - YES!!! That is awesome!!!! Awesome that you will be at Quassy and SO awesome that you've set your RULES!!! WHOO!!!
Kashi Go Lean cereal (massive bowl) that I would add the following into: Cinnamon, a sliced banana, raisins, walnuts, and a squeeze of honey and skim milk.
Before long training rides and races last yr I would eat a bagel (or 2) with regular Peanut Butter and regular jelly or jam, and maybe a squeeze of honey.
Any kind of Yogurt is cool with me but Greek Yogurt is better, and fruit on the bottom is fine with me.
Any gu's, gels, stinger waffles, Powerbars, chomps, etc. were totally fine before, during, or immediately after workouts (as long as they weren't chocolate flavored or have chocolate chips in them because it was also all a mental game for me and yes I admit that I am weird). But none of these things were "okay to eat" simply as an afternoon snack as far as my "code" went.
Frozen waffles for me were okay, but I rarely ever eat them so kind of a moot point for me, but if I did I would put some jelly on them or a dab of honey (and not syrup). Doesn't really make sense, but it made sense to me.
Sorry, but I can't imagine Nutella (or marshmallow fluff) being on anybody's "okay to eat" list if they are serious about giving up recreational sugar.
If you're a "moderator", you may be fine giving up nothing. But if you think you are a moderator but deep down know you sometimes have trouble "moderating" I challenge you to go cold turkey for 30 days and see if you actually miss any of that stuff. You might be surprised. You're welcome to try and adopt my "code" or come up with your own... There will be nobody spying on you, it's really on your honor, but for me a moment of weakness comes with the days of pain that will follow.
I want to get skinny for the hilly at IMUSA and I'm well ahead of where I was last yr at this time, but still have a ways to go.
@Woody-- come on in, the water's fine...
@Steph-- once you make it 2 weeks it gets easy, after 30 days, you don't even think about it at all...
@Kim-- Awesome. And those sound like totally reasonable and simple to understand and follow rules.
@Jess-- I'm proud of you for formally taking the plunge...
x2. LOVE Larabars. They ARE higher in sugar (~17g), but there are only five to six ingredients for each flavor, and NO soy products in them. The sugar content is what occurs naturally in the dates and other fruit/fruit juice concentrate ingredients. Looking at the ingredient lists for Nature's Valley and Kind Bars, I saw high fructose corn syrup (Nature's Valley) and soy products (both).... so, I think that - even though the Larabar might be higher in total sugar content - you're putting something better into your body! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Blueberry Muffin! I get mine at Target.
I grabbed handfuls of nuts over and over last week. It definitely helped!
I love that on the nights that I work until 5pm my hubby takes it upon himself to cook for us. I usually have recipes picked that he can choose from that do not have sugar/honey/maple syrup in them as sweeteners, but I was away this past weekend for a fitness conference, and did not get the menu selected for the week, which brings me to tonights dinner.
Salmon steaks with dijon mustard glaze (some sugar in that I think, but minimal), squash (lightly bathed in maple syrup and some spices), tomateos baked in a corn meal/almond flour dusting. I could tell there was honey on the squash on my first bite. Damn it. Ugh. I am been sugared!!! My streak has been broken. Trying to resist eating the whole squash. Oh so very yummy.
I guess I could consider this my valentines candy for the tomorrow. Hope everyone else is doing well.
*End of patting self on the back*
I have been reading this thread with casual interest as sweets do not interest me. (It can take me month or more to finish a chocolate bar) It is great to see the success that all of you have had in avoiding the recreational sugar. Your commitment is inspiring.
--Larry
I drink unsweetened herbal tea a LOT. I LOVE Traditional Medicinals Echinacea and their Throat Coat, too. I usually use one bag of each together. Something about the two of them tastes sweet to me even without the added honey, and that feeling of something warm filling up my belly leaves me satiated. Apples with unsweetened almond butter are still a big afternoon treat for me when my kids are having a snack. And I definitely love nuts more now than I ever did before!
@ Larry - Wow - a bar of chocolate lasting a month! THAT'S amazing!!! What IS your vice???
@Claire - that's awesome! Keep at it!