The FastDay Forum

Um, chromium picolate has reported awful side effects, life threatening, so just take care Karen honey x

Thanks. I actually have never needed it but know some people find it helpful to get through those early days.

I did manage to resist the lovely cafeteria cake yesterday. I haven't been so strict about cutting all sugar--that wasn't really my intention (perhaps I chose the wrong title). I still have stevia or sucralose in some drinks. Maybe I need to read up on this more. I thought it would be enough to just give up obvious sweets like cakes, cookies, etc. hmmm.

You are probably better off just giving up the obvious like you're doing - unless you start substituting something else, you're just cutting out things that aren't adding to your nutrition. That should be enough to cut your calories and keep them at a maintain rather than slight increase level.

MaryAnn i think youve done brilliantly if youve got down to the weight you wanna be..it's only natural to put some on when you go on holiday..you have 4:3'd diligently and even given ADF a go respect for all that!
I hope the work stresses pass x x

Inspired by Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar story and finding my cravings are stronger for sweet treats Which I understand goes with the territory when we have lost weight and our body/cells conspire to get us to regain. I have purchased Sarah's book with recipes 'I quit Sugar for Life' and I am going to really delve into trialling the recipes over the next couple of weeks see what I can do about minimising my sugar intakes and therefore hopefully m cravings

As to chromium it is in dark chocolate isn't it? That is what comforts me when I have the odd piece of dark Aldi choc on some non fast evenings. Please ... And I said minimalise

I have a love-hate relationship with sugar..........
When I'm out of control I can sink family-size bars of chocolate, chocolatey puddings, cake, biscuits - whatever I can get my hands on.........I would like to say that will never happen again but I can never be sure.....
I am currently sugar-free in the main because I am strictly logging my calories on MyFitnessPal and anything sugary is just too high to be worth it.
A friend's mum got me off sugar in tea when I went for a sleepover aged about 6 and I've never missed it.
At my lowest point with bingeing I went to Overeaters Anonymous and found the philosophy of 3 meals a day with nothing in between really helped me and also the Serenity Prayer - "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference". After all, I don't think anyone binges for no good reason do they (I was having a terrible time at work back then).
I find the less I have sugar the less I miss it - I had some cake at a birthday party recently and couldn't finish it - it was just too sickly (and my head was saying there was no nutrition in it and it wasn't worth the calories).
Good luck to anyone trying to kick the sugar - my advice is to kick artificial sweeteners at the same time - they're made of nasty stuff and won't help your liver in it's fat-burning attempts!

[Debs]

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... gar-poison

Hi MaryAnne, didn't know if you might have seen this article. I have just bought some chromium picolate to trial, to see if it can tame my sugar cravings. Fingers crossed. I did some research on it and the side effects are extremely rare so I should be ok.

Will be interested to hear whether the chromium helps Debs!

I have to confess to breaking the rules twice this weekend. I'm not too worried about it though, because both times were incredibly small servings, and sometimes I think showing restraint is harder than giving up totally.

(once was a chocolate; the other was a big bite (i.e., a standard Japanese serving) of tiramisu)

Doesn't sound too bad to me MaryAnn - agree that stopping after a small amount can be more difficult than not starting. Hope the reduced sugar intake continues well.

[Debs]

Would having small amounts occasionally be better than going cold turkey? I am never sure; I just know that if I go carb free (veg not included in carb free) that I get massive cravings and it is my undoing.
I'll keep you posted Sassy1! That and chimp taming I hope will do it!

@MaryAnn I have craved sugar since I was a small child. I used to spend all if my pocket money on follies and was a personal slave to my older bothers for sweets money! I have gone sugar free on every diet I have ever done...the most drastic being South Beach Diet, no carbs of any kind for the first 2 weeks, I always had to restart after 1.5 weeks, as I would crave carbs and go mad so I never got into stage 2. I have also used Stevia for the last 14 years, prefer the drops from health food shop to the powder from supermarket. I have been taking Chromium for about 6 weeks and have NEVER craved sugar less, ever. I also, but rarely, buy sugar free Stevie chocolate. I do eat chocolate protein bars as a low carb, sweet treat, plus I don't eat much protein being a vego. I would also have a good look at why u have regained. Reaching a goal is arriving at the destination for some of us, then we feel we are there and don't know what to do now. Good luck.

[Debs]

So the chromium is working for you @GMH? Fingers crossed then for me

@Debs I don't know if it's the Chromium, but I think it might be.