Fall 12-Week No-Sugar Challenge 2009

The Spring No-Sugar Challenge was a great experience for me, and now that summer is coming to an end, and life should be calming down a bit, I would like to do it again!  Anyone interested?

A study released last week by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that money (big surprise) is the best motivator for losing weight.  So the winner of this contest will win a $50.00 Gift Certificate to REI (http://www.rei.com/).

We'll be using pretty much the same rules that Dream Chaser and TryTryTry established, but please read carefully as I have incorporated some of the things that were ruled on along the way. 

Here are the rules (plagiarized, with DC's and TryTryTry’s  permission):

Only participants with a sweet tooth are allowed to enter.  If you don't have a problem with sweets, please do not enter. 

Please at some point, and only once, post your starting weight.  You must post your weight before the official start date.  There is a chance this contest may end in a tie, and the tie breaker will be the biggest weight loss percentage.

The official Start Date is Tuesday September 1st Midnight.  No Exceptions.  Sorry, but if you have not posted your desire to join by midnight, Sunday March 1st you cannot join.  Sorry.   The contest will end on Monday November 23rd at 12 midnight.  Tie-breaker weights must be posted before midnight that night. 

I had a friend who was enormous.  6' 7" tall, and an unbelievably huge belly.  He moved out of state, than 6 months later visited and his gut was completely gone!  We all asked him what diet he was on.  He simply said he cut out added sugars.

The Rules: 

a.) No added sugars: fructose, corn-syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, evaporated cane juice etc...  If you read the ingredients on an item, and one of the first three ingredients is sugar (or any form of sugar including honey, molasses, maple syrup, or other forms of sugar) it's banned.  No Junk Food.  Junk food defined as any processed snack.  There are exceptions and I will list them below, along with examples of what can be eaten and what can't. 

b.) If you relapse/ cheat/ screw-up ... its okay.  Not the end of the world.  But you must report it.  Every time you cheat - you must post it in this thread and an "X" will be marked next to your name on an excel spreadsheet.   The person with the lowest number of "X's" on Nov 23rd midnight is the winner.  If there is a tie, then weight loss percentage will be the tie-breaker.

c.) We are going on the Honor System here people.  Us triathlete's are very honest people so I don't see this as being a problem.  Like the famous phrase goes: "You can quit and no one will care if you do.  But you'll know."  Just the same, if you cheat - it will be on you and you will know.  And I'm a firm believer in Karma

Please read these rules again.

What you Cannot eat: 

1.) No junk food - NO SODA.  Junk food defined as: Dorito's, potato chips, pretzels, ring dings, candy, cookies, Lifesavers, licorice, lifesavers, buttered popcorn, anything nutritionally void and/or full of artificial or unhealthy ingredients... use common sense.  Also no muffins, no cakes, pastries, etc...  We all know what junk food is  

2.) No added or refined sugars.  No sugar in your coffee.  If an item has ingredients, and sugar is in the top three ingredients - it's banned.  If sugar or a form of sugar is ingredient number four ...it is allowed.

3.) No Chocolate!!  Yes, NO CHOCOLATE.  Sure this will be a deal-breaker or often slip-up item for many ... but no chocolate of any kind is allowed.  This will be so damn hard for me especially!

4.) Artificial Sweetners - splenda, sucralose, sacchrin, etc.. they are NOT allowed.  No you cannot have diet soda or sugar-free snacks.  They are unhealthy and they are a crutch and they will lead you back to the real thing - studies have proven it.  If you want to get healthy and lose weight, let's get honest.  Let's get really honest.  Artificial Sugar is just as bad, if not worse for our bodies.  Every packet of sweet and low is a slip!! 

What you Can eat:

1.) Don't fret, there is lots you can eat, like:  Natural Sugar.  Any natural fruit - apples, strawberries (no sweetened whipped cream on them though!) raisins, raw nuts (no honey-roasted), bananas, cherries, etc...   You also can eat popcorn, but without the artificial butter.  If you want to melt your own natural butter, that's fine and allowed.  But the artificial butter is not allowed.    

2.) Exceptions List: Training Aids are allowed.  An hour before training - During Training - and Up to an Hour after training you are allowed to use any training-specific foods, meaning YES you CAN drink Gatorade, Infinit, gels, any Powerbar, Hammer nutrition products etc...  You can have a chocolate Powerbar, you can have a chocolate protein shake - but only one hour before - during - or one hour after training.  That's the window, and it has to be a training specific nutrition food.  And Please Use your Discretion.  Example: If you normally eat a Snickers on your long ride, than you eat one.  If you normally don't, and now want to start - you're fooling yourself. 

3.) We all get one Holiday Free Pass (mulligan).  That's right, we all get ONE FREE SLIP.  And by one free pass I mean one slice of cherry pie, or one piece of cake, one bite of a chocolate rabbit.  Not an entire night of eating.  One snack. 

4.)  Birthday Cake Exception.  I'm superstitious. I admit it.  If you go to a birthday party, or it is your birthday - Yes, you can have one regular-sized piece of cake, regardless of what kind of cake it is.  You will not be dinged.  This is allowed.  If you'd like you can include Weddings and Anniversary parties, so long as the person is close to you.  Use your discretion.

When in doubt, use the Neanderthal man rule.  Ask yourself this question:  Could Neanderthal man eat this snack?  If the answer is YES, then you can eat it.  If the answer is NO, then it's banned.   If you still are unsure, post it here and we will vote as to whether it is allowed. 

If you wish to enter please think about it for a while and see if you are really ready to commit to a plan like this. 

Here's a quick rehash:  You must post "Yes" I want to join.  Then, before September 1st midnight, you must post your weight.  A spreadsheet accessible in this thread will post your name/ username and your weight.  Any and every time you slip-up you must post it in this thread and an "X" will be placed next to your name.  The BT'er with the fewest "X's" on the finish date of November 23rd, midnight is the winner.  No honey in your tea, no sugar in your coffee, no candy bars, no artificial goodies of any kind.

If you know a BT friend who might be interested tell them about this contest as, again, it starts promptly in 16 days.  This is challenge is a huge commitment and undertaking.  It will not interfere with your normal square meal intake during the day.  You can eat all the meats, veggies, fish, potatoes, sandwiches you want ... and you can eat any processed food you want... so long as a form of sugar is not in the first three ingredients listed.  Example: Total cereal - second ingredient is Sugar.  You cannot eat it!  Thomas's English muffins, corn syrup is the fifth ingredient so YOU CAN eat it!  Also, note that many catsups, peanut butters, breads, and many other common items have sugar in the top 3 ingredients but are also available with no sugar added or at least sugar low enough on the ingredient list that they are allowed.

Please post any questions you may have.