Fall 12-Week No-Sugar Challenge 2009 (Page 9)

Oops!  I meant "lose."  And I just noticed it, and apparently you only have 30 minutes to edit.  Dagnabbit!

That's fantastic!!  I hope all goes well.

Hi!  I'm new to BT.  I just found this thread and I have to say it is very impressive!  I know I am way too late to join, but thought I would add to the discussion (if you don't mind!!).  I gave up sugar in September 2008 when I was 205 (I'm 5'9").  By May I was down to 160.  I had a headache for about the first 4 or 5 weeks (partial caffeine withdrawal as I drank a ton of mountain dew each day), was having trouble sleeping and was generally a grouch!  After that initial period, I started sleeping better and my energy level skyrocketed!  I have read a few pages on here (and will read the rest) but I have noted that some of you have felt this as well.  Even after a year of no sugar, I still feel that energy high- I started exercising regularly and competed in my first triathlon (just last week).  I had a couple slip ups, but they left me with really bad stomach aches because of the sugar (they were all last fall).  It has gotten to the point where it is easy to say no when someone offers a piece of cake, soda, or anything like that.

You all seem to be doing great (from the little I have read)!  Don't give this up regardless of how you do in this competition.  Continue on with the no sugar!  Down with sugar!  Down with sugar!

Good luck with your continued efforts!

Well, I'm off to my grandma's for a couple of days.  Another big challenge!  I'll be back online Thursday.  Wish me luck!

Thanks for the post-sugar perspective and the encouragement. Were you doing anything else other than the no sugar thing when you lost weight? I guess it's the scientist in me, but I've been wondering what the effect of eliminating sugar would be, absent any other changes (calorie deficit, extra exercise, etc.).

I've noticed I'm less wound up in the evening (I used to finish off the day with sugar) but that hasn't really translated into better sleep yet! I hope to see that effect. The headaches are almost gone (I only started ~2 weeks ago) -- I thought they might be due to caffeine withdrawal too, but it turns out chocolate doesn't have enough caffeine to be the problem. Getting the headaches has been something of an eye-opener -- like much of this challenge. I'm also looking forward to my next blood test -- my glucose was borderline on the last one and I really hope to see that go down (anyone have any experience with that?).

Thanks everyone for this challenge and the support :-) I've read through the previous two challenges too -- was getting a little desperate! It was really helpful.

I have a question, and I think I already know the answer but want to hear someone say it for certain.  What about Agave Nectar?  I saw Mudhava flavorings (pictured below) at my grocer, and the ingredients are "Pure organic agave nectar, organic natural flavoring".  I'm guessing Agave is going to be right there with Corn Syrup, and thus banned, but don't know.  Thanks!

\

Definitely a no.  BUT, once the challenge is over agave is a great all natural sweetener when used in moderation!!  Great for baking and has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar.

Hi bluegreen,

When I first started (and for about 6 weeks or so) it was all no sugar and eating less in general (smaller portions) and no exercise.  I would say that I lost about 10 pounds doing that.  My exercising began when the Wii we got our kids for Xmas came in mid November, so we hooked up the Wii with the Wii Fit in our bedroom (hidden from our kids) and I did stuff on that through the winter.  I started walking and then running around February.  I lost about 20 up to January and then the rest after that (and won $300 doing the biggest Loser at work).  I couldn't run a mile without walking until around mid-late March, then things really took off once I started back on my bike regularly.

Stick with it and keep up the good work!

Wow, I am amazed.  For whatever cosmic reason, yesterday was the day for all junk food to be in the work lunchroom.  Ice cream, sheet cake, cheesecake, 6 types of cookies, 2 flavors of brownies (frosted, of course), and so on.  A month ago that would have been deadly.   I would have justified it as just 1 of these, and 1 or 2 of those, and so on.  Now, I looked at it, then grabbed 2 fresh picked apples and a handful of grapes.  Surprised me how easy it was to walk away from all that junk.  Thanks for this challenge!

Hi all, I've been away from BT mostly for the last few days but I've been on a no sugar roll! Still not happy overall with my eating but it's better than it's been and I keep trying.

AWESOMEJOB!!!!!

It definitely takes some tweaking to get it all down, doesn't it?  It seems like when you give up sugar you find yourself substituting with something else.  I gotta tell you though, it only gets easier (unless you're like me and decide to change up your whole day so your body/eating habits start saying WTF?!)

Wow!  It sounds like everyone is doing great!!!!  Could this possibly be the best NO-Sugar Challenge in history?!?  I'm so proud!!!!!

I can also happily say that the trip to grandma's was a success this time.  This one was much easier as we ate in the whole time, and have visited many times before on my no-sugar mission, so they are pretty used to my neurotic label reading and "special needs".  I did gain a lb. or two from all the wine and beef stew, but I don't feel too bad about that since it was all good home-made stuff.  Now that I am back, I will go back to logging everything I eat, too, which really helps me get back on track.

This thing does definitely get easier.  I think it is a real learning process and I think I am further along in my nutrition goals this time around than I was in the last challenge.  Good stuff!

Thanks everybody and keep up the good work!

Great job.

Not less than 15 minutes ago I was guilted into eating a small piece of a celebratory 25 years of service cake here at work. The good news/bad news is it didn't even taste that good !

I'll log the ding.

Isn't it amazing when that happens? (the not tasting good part ~ not the peer pressure part )  It's usually a bit shocking for me but amazing nonetheless!!

I had a great sprint tri today!  I exceeded my time goal by more than 3 1/2 minutes and felt great doing it!  I think a big part of why I felt so good was the huge improvement in my nutrition over the past month.  I really hope I can keep this up when the challenge ends.  Races like today's are good incentive for sure! 

The post-race food included Brunswick stew - excellent!  I just had that with a bananna and a few mixed nuts and seeds.  And for a treat, I made buckwheat pancakes (at home so as to be sure that sugar was low enough on the ingredient list) that I ate w/butter but no syrup.  Yummy!

Thanks, guys, for joining me in this journey.  The accountability that is required by this group undertaking is fabulous for me.

Way to go Karla!!! Shows there's hope for all of us .

Awesome, Karla!! Congrats!  Thanks for leading us down the path with you!!

Congrats that is awesome!!!!  I am so thankful you started this up again.  Kelly and I had been crying to each other about needing the accountability after the last one ended.  However, now I am truly finding each day to be easier and easier and I actually feel like this time I will be able to better stick with it.  BTW, have I told you all that I have pretty much given up on catsup?  Yup, you heard that right!!  The girl who used to be able to drink catsup out of the bottle has given it up.  I figured that instead of crying over what I can't have (since I can't find the low sugar stuff here) I am finding substitutions that are more healthy anyway (like salsa on my eggs!)  It is great to hear that you you feel such a difference during your race 'cuz (like you said) that makes it even more of an incentive to stick with the healthy habits we pick up!!

Great job! Way to lead us by example!

Finally got around to post some dings and weigh in. If my co-worker comes through for me I will have a p90x workout plan to start this week. My training has been awful, but I'm ready to kick it into overdrive.

Keep up the great work folks!

tim(no-sugar challenge veteran)dude

sorry you guys!!! I've slipped a few times, and have been keeping track in binder off to write them now. All in all, doing GREAT!!! I haven't weighed myself in little while, but last time I checked I was done about 4 pounds. Feeling faster, and my clothes are loser. 13 pounds total now? WOOT!

Nice job, Rachel.  13 pounds is impressive!!

Ay, I have had a tough week.  My husband and I went out on Saturday to celebrate our anniversary and I had my piece of cake...it was delicious.  I've been good since, but man, I have so wanted some sugar this week.  It's actually a little discouraging because I would really love to get to a point where I can splurge every now and then without going back to craving sugar!!  It's also been windy and cold here the past few days, so I've been wanting comfort food.  I'm hoping it's more due to that than the cake on Saturday.

Where do you guys see yourself after this challenge is over?  Last time I kept all the "hidden " sugar out of the diet, but went back to almost daily "splurges".  This time I would really like to get to a point where a splurge is just that...a splurge, not a daily habit.

(BTW...come visit my blog this weekend...there might be a giveaway!!)