No Sugar New Year Challenge (Page 3)

Okay, a dumb clarification.

So, if a McDonald's burger is allowed (if not recommended), that means sandwiches are okay?  Even if you are not POSITIVE the bread doesn't have sugar high up in the ingredients list?

So, does toast (with a good bread that doesn't have HFCS) count as an okay snack?  Or since neanderthal man couldn't make bread like that can you not have it?

Also, if I am not doing anything interesting for the holidays can I save my holiday mulligan for some other time?

That's how I feel too.  I figure it is worth trying.

My starting weight: 161.5

Considering I have to wear a shiny bridesmaid's dress in May, any loss will be helpful. 

So I read this thread last night and pondered trying this challenge.  Just thinking about giving up sugar brought up feelings of anxiety and nervousness.  Whatever will I do if I'm stressed, need comfort, am tired  or I'm bored?  Upon realizing that I have these feelings about all my sweet snacks I realized that I do need this challenge.  My name is Dee and I'm a sugar addict. I would like to join this challenge.

Dooohhh!!! Even my computer has feelings of anxiety about this challenge.  My internet connection dropped off when I first tried to submit this.

Again, Neanderthal Rule is just for snacks!!

Secondly, is it possible you can get a sandwich from the deli or a restaurant and they use a bread where the second or third ingredient is a sugar... sure, but we're splitting hairs at that point.  If you are buying the bread, than check the ingredients.  Follow the diet to the best of your ability.  Again, be honest with yourself. 

Thirdly, everyone who signs up gets ONE MULLIGAN, free slip-up, whatever you want to call it.  You can use it whenever you'd like - Day 1 or Day 60.  I choose to use mine for Christmas. 

Fourthly - before this comes up - Drunk binging is a ding (X)!!  Being drunk or stoned and muching out is no excuse!!!  

All great questions, btw.

DeputyDawg ... you come to the right place!! 

If you have a major sugar craving you can always eat raisins or drink a large glass of orange juice.  The sugar from that is more than what's in most junk foods.  The difference is they are natural sugars and will be processed properly by your body.  Make sure it's 100% OJ

I've been looking at stuff I normally eat and found a conundrum.

Question about salad dressings:

Most all has some sugar in it. If you use one that is low fat the sugar moves up in the list of ingredients or you can use high fat dressing with no or very little sugar.

The dressing I use mostly Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger has only 35 calories for 2 tablespoons with sugar grams of only 4 so it is 16 calories of sugar..not much, but sugar is listed third.

Regular Italian: 2 tbsp is 80 calories with 2 grams of sugar but 8 grams of fat; High Fructose Corn Syrup is listed 4th but 70 calories of fat?

Newman's Own Light Cranberry Walnut: 70 calories for 2 tablespoons, 7 grams of sugar or 28 calories from sugar; sugar is listed 2nd

Kraft Carb Well: 120 calories for 2 tbsp and 0 is from sugar but 120 is fat calories; soybean oil is listed first. No sugar or less than .5 of gram but lots and lots of fat

I eat tons of salad once or twice a day and can't imagine picking a higher fat and calorie dressing to avoid 4 grams of sugar.

I have been following this thread the last two days. I am very interested.

In 2005/early 2006, I went on a clean eating diet of mostly veggies/protein and carbs only really around workouts. I lost more than 20 pounds following this diet.

Then I started doing triathlons, was so confused about what to eat, and over the last 2 years, have gained those 20 pounds back (though admittedly I am in great shape and I am holding more muscle than prior to 2006).

A few weeks ago I dropped meat from diet because it just didn't seem appetizing to me anymore. I still eat dairy, eggs and fish. I want to eat more and more "clean" instead of just using this mostly veggie diet as a crutch to eat lots of sugar

I know this kind of diet works - and I do better having the support of others "watching" me.

So I am in, but with one caveat.

I will not compete for the prize, because I am going on my first non-race vacation in the last 2 years on the 31st of December for one week. I feel that it is unfair to my family/friends to impose them to constant obsessing over what I eat. I will be actually attending a bowl game, a wedding and living on a boat for a few days. I will not be able to eat my own foods.

Can I still play for the period listed with a "waiver" from the 31st-7th? I will still try to eat sensibly, avoid dessert and sugars, and like I said, I obviously am not competing for the prize, but would like the support for the rest of the challenge period.

I was thinking about that last night, too.  I'm not sure I'm willing to eat lots more fat for the sake of cutting out a few grams of sugar.  Especially because I eat salad with other things, so the overall sugar content is pretty low.

This is a dilemma.  However it's an illusory dilemma.  Fat free products are often double the sugar!  So how fat free are they really?  This is a "use your own discretion" case here.  If sugar is a top three ingredient, but the overall grams are minimal (like the 5 grams you mentioned) and you are only having a tablespoon or two a day ... if you honestly feel like that is not cheating... then, well, it's not. 

There is going to be a lot of grey area.  If it's a bordeline item like salad dressing, and it's a small amount, and you truly feel like it is not going to significantly add to your sugar intake ... then eat it.  If it's a junk food or snack of any kind... then you are fooling yourself.

An example of fooling yourself is Ice Cream.  I love Ice Cream, but it is clearly a junk food, is listed specidifcally at the beginning of this thread as a junk food; however, I have an ice cream where sugar (believe it or not) is the fourth ingredient.  If I convince myself that it's okay to eat that ... that's not being honest.  Small condiment items used sparingly, and if you feel okay about it, then I'm okay with it.  Again, there's gonna be grey area, but 98% of the time it should be black or white, so long as we keep the grey to an extreme minimum, then we'll be fine.

Hope that answers your question

Make those co-workers eat crow by proving them wrong!! Quitting sugar is like quitting cigarettes.  The first 5-7 days are torture ... after that, it's smoooth sailing   And a smaller waist line, more energy, faster training times, increased libido (okay I made up the last one )

This may sound really boring, but I try stick with balsamic vinegar and throw in a few raisins for sweetness.  I find that most of the packaged salad dressing are full of sugar or tons of sodium. I've also squeezed lemon on salad and then threw on some Mrs. Dash seasoning and it's not too bad.  Granted, nothing tastes as good as those yummy dressings though! 

to answer Shelly123:  you can still play, and play for the prize (if you want).  Life is not perfect and this this diet is not.  You can eat any regular foods free of guilt!! The example I keep using is, if you go to someone house and they serve yams with marshmallows on top - just scape off the marshmallows.  This diet is specifically designed so you don't have to obsess!!  If you're eating a breakfast meal, lunch or dinner at someone's elses house or at a restaurant -- just eat.  You can even eat a desert (but you will get dinged for the desert).  If you are going to buy something or eat something yourself (which should be 90%+ of the time) read the ingredients label.  If sugar is top three, find a similar product that is more natural.  They exist -- and taste great. 

I realize breakfast will be the toughest when not eating at home ... stick with eggs, bacon, english muffins (they're safe!) ... if they only have pancakes then have two and put some natural preserve on them ... that'll be okay.  If you eat four pancakes and pour syrup on them - that's a ding.  Understand?  In other words, if you are eating at a restaurant, eating at a friends, if you go on vacation - be sensible!!  If you eat as healthy as possible given the food presented, and don't eat any junk food -- then don't ding yourself.  This is also under the condition that you don't eat out every single day!!  Chances are you may rack up more dings then usual on vacation, so then try to be EXTRA good the weeks before and the weeks after!!  Or, perhaps while on vacation you can train -- there's a gym or a strip where you can run after you eat... 

Be creative, be honest, be as fair as possible while being realistic.  Your conscious should tell you what's a true ding and what's not    And if you're not sure, just post it here. 

I was asking about using bread (in the form of say, PB on toast) as a SNACK.  Hence why I asked how far the neanderthal rule applies...make sense?

Sick way is a good way, too, to look at it.  But hey, putting our bodies through the pain and stress of triathlon is sick  

And the pain should only last 5 or 7 days.  I'm gonna be such a rotten SOB

Hey guys, not sure if you have seen these:

http://www.waldenfarms.com/

Dressings that are calorie free, sugar free and supposedly all natural.

I used these all the time when I ate clean before. A few are really awesome.

I have found them at a few of the local supermarkets, in the refrigerated dressing section.

Well just consider bread with PB a small meal not a snack.  Then your safe   Be creative.  Just make sure it's natural PB or a PB that doesn't have sugar in the top three like Skippy ... buy one of the natural PB's.  They taste better IMO

This is exactly what I'm talking about!! Changing what brands we eat to eat healthier and cleaner!!  Thank You!

Natural PB is all I use!

If you can't make the jump to natural peanut butter, try "Simply Jif ". Sugar is not in the top 3 ingredients like regular Jif, it has less sodium, and I do like it better than regular peanut butter.

I try to use the one you have to stir/refrigerate.  But if I'm traveling I'll snag the one that I THINK is skippy...anyway, it's one of those namebrands...ingredients still just says "peanuts" but yet you don't have to refrigerate it.  Scary, I know...but hey....whatever works!

I use Skippy Natural, the no stir kind.  I just looked (I have a jar at work) and saw four ingredients on the ingredient list.  Of course, #2 is sugar, but it is only 3 grams/serving which isn't really bad.