Sugar Free Army

Day Three of no processed sugar..

2012-04-11T14:36:38-08:00

..and looking for others like me! I have been gluten free since 2009, and also semi-dairy free since then as well (I usually have coffee with a splash of half and half in the morning, and that has/had sugar in it too).

All my life I’ve been a sugar fiend..but not just any sugar, its baked goods that got me! Chocolate chip cookies? I on them. Brownise? All of them are mine and you better get outta the way!

Since going GF I of course significantly curbed my sugar intake by eatin more whole foods and staying away from the GF cookies and breads.
Well, lately, it was becoming harder and harder to stay away, and they were making up the primary foods in my diet. I won’t go into horrible detail but suffice it to say I started to get symptoms of having ingested wheat.. bloating, pain, etc. I didn’t see the connection until I started to research GF and sugar addiction, and the connections therein.

I quickly realized that the possibility that my sugar addiction was causing my symptoms was pretty high, and with my husband’s support I decided to stop consuming all processed foods of any kind and stick to a whole foods diet.
I already gave up gluten, so I knew what I could accomplish if I put my mind to it, and besides, I’d do anything to stop the pain I was experiencing..along with the fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia. :(

So, after enduring a bloated, crampy and exhausting easter, I stopped all processed foods on Monday 4/9 and started on what I call my
“cleansing” diet.. basically brown rice, steamed veggies, and some small amounts of protein like eggs to help my body clean out all the ickies.

I also started to keep a diary of how I was feeling becuase along with all teh above mentioned symptoms, I also had a roaring migraine.

AFter day one was over, I did realize a few things: what am I going to do about my caffeine addiction ? I have coffe every day, one 12 oz serving, with sugar and cream. Now that I don’t have sugar, coffee is out of the question, but I just can’t possibly stop that too at this time becuase the side effects are going to be pretty horrific (I’ve been drinking coffe since I was 14). I do eventually want to stop, but I think I need to tackle sugar first. So, I replaced my coffee with a Red Bull (sugar free) these past three days, but I really need an alternative. I am looking at trying tea.. though I really can’t stand it unless it has.. sugar and cream :(

So far though, I am so happy that my tummy is sans pain and bloating that I really am not craving sugar at all.. I added blueberries as my “dessert” and ate some pecans and that seemed to do the trick, and today I added grapes to my brown rice and kale and it was heaven. So fruit is limited to a few choices but at least its in there, which may be what is helping me get through it.

I am hoping that by reading other’s journeys and seeing their challenges and the ideas they have perhaps I can also feel not so alone in this.

Right now my challenge is managing this migraine I’ve had for three days… ugh. :(

oh and here is a list of what I am avoiding like the plague besides sugar:
all dairy
soy
corn
wheat/gluten/barley/rye
oats
and all products that contain these…
so yea… lol.. its not easy sometimes.

Any words of wisdom or support are welcome :)

In Need of Some Stop-The-Sweet Support

2012-02-24T15:01:57-08:00

Hi guys!

For the past 2 months I’ve been seeing a nutritionist who has been great, except I still have a big problem—sweets. I’m completely dairy free and gluten free, but I’ve seen a horrible trend: when I’m sad/anxious/depressed/tired I crave, and I mean CRAVE, sweets. Not just any sweets though, mainly chocolate brownies. And although my nutritionist gave me a great paleo brownie recipe, I can’t make it b/c I’ll eat the whole tray in one sitting. Terrible.

So after talking with her today she sent me a few sites about beating sugar addiction and I happened across this one, saw this forum and though “great! if I can find a support community I might just be able to do this!” So here I am.

I know that the first few days are the hardest .. are there any tips/advice that you can give on how to make it through the cravings? When do you finally start feeling better? I remember quitting coffee cold turkey and that was a month of pure hell. I’m keeping fingers crossed this won’t be as bad.

Also, does this mean raw honey is out of the question? And fruit? Raw honey?—> i make hot cocoa from unprocessed cocoa, coconut milk and raw honey. If honey is out, then I know no more hot cocoa. Fruit?—> I usually mix almond butter with strawberries or blueberries and put berries and/or apple in my paleo oatmeal mix in the morning. Again, if fruit is a no-no, then so be it.

Thanks so much for listening to me go on.

Cheers.

Are these withdrawal symptoms?

2011-05-15T09:12:15-08:00

Hi everybody,

I’ve been off sugar for a week and, to be honest, I’m feeling pretty tired and depressed. Is this a normal way to feel at the beginning?

Thanks,
Hope

New here, not new to sugar free

2012-04-15T14:26:45-08:00

Hi,

FIrst, thanks for this awesome forum and website. I love how straight-forward it is!

I just want to write my story as an introduction…

I am 99.9% sugar free. I am also completely grain free and don’t eat very much fruit at all (granny smith apples and sometimes a little frozen fruit here and there. I eat a “paleo” or “primal” diet and that feels great.

On the .1% occasions where I fall off the wagon, I typically have a terrible fight with my husband. Isn’t this strange? The really crazy thing is he will say something like, “you seem totally off. i can’t tell what it is, but you’re not yourself.” It is like I’m an alcoholic and he can tell I’ve had a drink. It is wild. And, I don’t admit I’ve had sugar b/c it will only freak him out more b/c he knows that when I have sugar I become completely irrational toward him. I do, it is nuts. Like, I start to pick him apart and the tiniest miscommunication will lead to a huge fight b/c I become irrational. I am not a child…I’m in my 40s. You’d think I’d have control, but I don’t. I lose all logic!

For about 10 years I’ve struggled with whether I should leave him b/c I get so mad at him. BUT, the ONLY time I truly feel that way is if I’ve had sugar. I’ll add that it happens more so if I’ve had it on the second half of my menstrual cycle. This very situation happened this weekend. I had a Starbuck’s decaf mocha latte Friday morning and by Saturday night we weren’t talking with each other. I didn’t see my husband until later Friday evening and by Saturday morning he was saying, “Something feels off…you aren’t yourself.” Of course, by Saturday night we weren’t speaking b/c we had the tiniest miscommunication and I got really sarcastic with him and hurt him.

So, that’s my story. I don’t know why I sometimes think I can have a “treat” that has sugar in it. I am beginning to believe that sugar is no different from alcohol for some people. You just can’t have any, period, or else…

Interested in other’s thoughts on this.

Warmly and with gratitude. :)

kerry

Hit By A Truck

2011-11-05T20:24:29-08:00

I was not a heavy sugar user. We have eaten whole organic foods for over 30 years but we often have home made cookies, cobblers, honey in herb tea and corn chips…I also like artisan breads. Never ate any to excess. Never drank sodas or sweet drinks.

Last week my fasting blood sugar was 122 so I knew I needed to get off all glycemic foods. This is my 5th day and I am so sick I cant work. Extreme headaches - horrible nausea - agitation - muscle pain - weakness so I can even do a mile of my 4 mile morning walks. Just today I started craving sugar.

To be this sick sugar or glycemic foods must have been total poison to my body. Can you really BE THIS SICK from small amounts of sugar.

Seriously addicted

2011-12-28T21:38:30-08:00

Wow. Trying to cut out sugar as of today.

I am feeling…. Sore and cranky and HUNGRY. I want to cry and I’m feeling really anxious and Terrible. I feel almost as if I’m in mourning of my favourite “drug” of choice. It’s very sad!!!! (another symptom, depression). How am I so sad over food?! It’s kind of silly really but it’s the truth. I’m having visions of myself binge eating with all the usual suspects. Pancakes with syrup, peanut butter marshmallow squares, and my fave: fudge!!!!!!!!!!!! I can almost taste it these cravings are so bad.

Someone please tell me this will get better!!!!!!!!

No half off Easter candy

2012-04-08T22:13:54-08:00

Hi everyone.
So glad I found this site and forum. I relate to all the stories I’ve read so far. I’ve been preparing myself mentally for my sweet escape for several months now, as I’ve reached a crossroads where this issue is concerned. My plan has been to go sugar-free as of tomorrow, the day after Easter. Now that tomorrow is, well, !tomorrow!, instead of some far off future date, my resolve is wavering.

I want my life back, something I know is possible if I drop the sweets. I’ve gone several months without in the past and felt clearer, more confident and happier than I ever remember. I think I’m scared to stop because I’m scared of the (inevitable) fall off the wagon again, into the nearest and largest vat of ice cream. I’m a positive, empowered, spiritual person, but when it comes to sugar I feel victimized and powerless.

Right now I’m committing to one day, tomorrow, without sugar. I feel that’s all I can manage at the moment. I’m sure the tremendous amount of Easter cake I ate earlier isn’t doing my mood or my brain power any favors.

I’m inspired by the support and success I see others sharing in this community. Doing my best to stay hopeful, fear I’m sounding hopeless instead. Yikes!

Thanks for reading,
BellaD

Afraid to not start

2012-01-16T19:43:58-08:00

This has been going on for too long: the binging (a pint of ice cream and 4 brownies late afternoon is ‘normal’), telling myself, “this is the last time!”, then doing it all again the next day. And the next day. I’ve noticed this problem of mine and have been trying to quit (key word: trying, aka failing) for over 2 years. I’ve made it at most 7 or 8 days relatively sugar-free (maybe 4 times in 2 years, and they were great times) but then fallen back down deeper into sugar hell. But I can’t not be confident this time, things will be different. I mean that’s all I’ve got is willpower. And now this forum, so thanks for who’s here.

I like this game ‘you vs. sugar’. Today I lost. Tomorrow I win. Anybody ever read ‘The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program’? The book suggests a potato at night to increase serotonin levels throughout the following day. Supposedly elevating serotonin levels increase impulse control. I did that for maybe a month, but then stopped when I realized I wasn’t even trying to stop eating sugar anymore. I wonder if it really helps at all. Seemed like it, but then again might have been placebo, not potatoes. Kind of scary to me to intentionally alter my brain chemistry, though. Although, what the heck scars is all this sugar leaving? Hopefully more like waves than scars. I get scared of long-term damages I’m inflicting by following craving for sugar rather than intelligence that says run like heck away.

So here we go: No sugar starts now. Because it’s not like there’s really going to be a better time. But I’m in pretty deep: like I said, a pint of ice cream and four brownies was my early dinner. Maybe I should ween off, but maybe that’s not an option because, like Guns ‘N’ Roses sang (I think about heroin), “i used to do a little but a little wouldn’t do / so a little got more and more / i just keep trying to get a little better / a little better than before.” (Mr. Brownstone)

I have been addicted to and quit cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, caffeine/coffee, chewing tobacco (gross), Adderall, various combinations of these (ie: beer red bull adderall tobacco). Things are better now. I meditate: that helped make everything else far less appealing. But sugar is proving to be the toughest thing to shake, mostly because a) it’s so socially acceptable and readily available and, b) i can’t just not eat like i can just not take drugs, and c) i keep thinking a little won’t hurt. But I’m wrong. This has been going on for too long. So wish me luck. Good luck to all of you. Stay strong!

Whole Food Avocado “pudding”

2012-04-11T14:43:23-08:00

1 large very ripe avocado
2 medium very ripe bananas
1 tsp cocoa powder
sprikle of cinnamon
chopped pecans to sprinkle on

Peel fruits, mix them well and then puree them until they are smooth along with cocoa powder. Serve in cups and sprinkle in pecans. Enjoy!!

Note- if you can tolerate a natural sweetener, you can add honey or maple syrup to this depending on how sweet the bananas are to begin with.

Introduction

2012-04-04T09:58:02-08:00

Hello, I’m new here and wanted to intorduce myself. I’m a 40 year old female and i’m a sugar addict. As far back as I can remember i have always been addicted to sugar and grains (mostly gluten type). Sadly, this issue is an all or nothing with me. If I eating these things, i’m eating all of them all of the time. If i’m not eating them, i’m eating healthy vegies, nuts, etc blood sugar balancing foods. When I eat healthy, especially getting enough fats in my diet, things are really good in my life. I’m not emotional, i’m not OCDish, i’m not paranoid, i’m not achy, etc. Oddly, when i’m off the sugar and grains and then eat a dessert of some sort, it has absolutly no effect on me. This makes me sad as I can’t “enjoy” the high from it. Anyway eventually something happens and I always go back to the bad stuff. Even when I was diagnoised with a gluten sensitivity, I switched to gluten free products but lathered them with honey, sugar, etc sending me into getting my high by any means possible. So sad I know. I want to accomplish so much in my life, but this addiction holds me back. And honestly friends, family, and society all encourage consuming such ridicious amounds of this drug. I’m hoping to find encouragement and balance at this forum and give some as well. Any advise appreciated. Thanks for listening.