The FastDay Forum

Since reaching my goal weight last December, I haven't managed to maintain. Right now I'm about 4kg above goal weight (though this is right after a holiday so I'm hoping at least one of those kgs is easy-on easy-off). I'm still fasting 3 times a week, and even gave ADF a go for awhile. The good news is that my weight does usually slowly come down… until the next holiday.

Anyway, the thing I struggle with is non-fast days. When I first started this WOE, I did quite well. I had a reduced appetite and was making healthier choices--something a lot of people here report. Then sometime afterward this changed. Non-fast days became melt-downs of returning to bad habits. The thing is, I don't think I'm particularly hungry. I think maybe I'm a little depressed (work stuff).

I'm sort of realizing that it's my sweet tooth that is the problem. The more I have the more I want (I think this is more psychological than physiological, though obviously physiology contributes). So… to finally get to the point… I've decided to try to go sugar-free for a month. I'm not going to be fanatical about it--that is, I'm not going to read every label to make sure there is no added sugar. I've more or less cut out processed food, so that's not a big issue. The problem is sweets--cakes, cookies, chocolates, etc.

I think a few people here have tried this. I'm wondering about people's experiences with trying to quit added sugar.

I have a family member who went 'sugar-free'. It was odd as there appear to be several definitions of 'sugar-free' or even 'no added sugar'. (There's a photograph going around that a journalist snapped of a 'no added sugar' label on a sugar cane drink.)

Some people seem to cut out processed food and start making more home-made items. However, some of these recipes seem to replace added cane/beet sugar with rice syrup, agave syrup, maple syrup, date syrup etc. which are judged to be more whole food and therefore acceptable albeit they're still added sugar.

We're not a sugar-free household but we're mindful of the amount and forms of sugar that we consume and the foods with which we combine them. DH initially found it quite difficult but our palates have adapted over time and he now can't tolerate some of the foods that he used to consume on a daily basis. (Eg, Frosties - he grew up eating them every day and continued as an adult. He stopped eating them a while ago but recently his mother had 'bought them specially' when we were staying and he took a bowl and all but gagged as he couldn't believe how sweet they were.)

One quite successful strategy that I've seen is for people to start moving 'up' their chocolate cocoa solid percentage if they are fond of chocolate. Generally, the more cocoa solid content, the less sugar. DH used to eat milk chocolate but now prefers dark (albeit, still no more than 60%, it would take a long time for him to adapt to something like 80%+ as some sugar-free people do - even 90%).

I've drastically reduced the quantity of sugars and artificial sweeteners which I injest by virtually removing processed foods from my diet and strictly limiting the amount of sugary fruits and alcohol which I consume. I have about an eighth of a teaspoon of honey in home made salad dressing a couple of times a week and my husband and I will share a bar of 80 or 90% dark chocolate over the week every so often. I haven't eaten bread for months and limit other starchy carbohydrates.

I find that even unsweetened almond or coconut milks taste incredibly sweet to me and I've started to cut down on the amount of such milk which I take in coffee.

I'm not sure if this has affected weight loss, as I'm losing very slowly, but I do feel healthier

Hi. I did it for a month, and although I did not keep up with being sugar-free after that, it is very rare that I knowingly and deliberately have something that would fail the test e.g. cake, restaurant dessert. I did read the labels, but sometimes had a ready meal if the sugar appeared very low down the ingredient list. For me it did not trigger sugar craving and devouring of doughnuts etc. I also recommend working your way up through the dark chocolates. Aldi Moser Roth at 85 %, Lindt do a 99 %, or just mainline with cocoa powder stirred into plain yoghurt!

Aldi Moser Roth at 85 %, Lindt do a 99 %, or just mainline with cocoa powder stirred into plain yoghurt!

Ooh, we've just this month had an Aldi open nearby to us, @barbarita so I shall look out for that, so thank you for the product recommendation.

I recently bought cocoa nibs (both raw and lightly roasted) for some florentine recipes: they're an intense chocolate hit as long as people don't find the crunch unsettling (as opposed to the usual smooth mouthfeel of chocolate).

After my month is up, I was thinking about adding back dark chocolate. 70% is popular in Japan, and I can probably get higher via amazon. I like the idea of cocoa in plain yoghurt.

I picked a tough day to start. The cafeteria have a lovely chocolate mousse cake today, and there's sure to be nice treats at teatime as well. I might skip it!

Good luck with it MaryAnn, hope it is the trigger your body needs I understand your frustration with where you are at with regard to your weight loss/gain in maintenance, and admire you for trying the sugar free route.

Best wishes.

[carieoates]

Good luck MaryAnn.
Is it harder when you have to rely on cafeteria food for your meals. You've done so well, was just looking back to find your before and after pics!. Maybe a little look at these will remind you just how far you've come.
Could your body just be wanting to stay at this weight. Seeing as you run so much maybe it's happy here.
Anyhow that's my two penneths worth, good luck and enoy that chocloate when you allow yourself some.

@Maryann Congratulations on the weight lost
you've already done a great job.
Good luck with your trial I'm hoping for success for you.
As you know I like many had a wobble after xmas then in April I gave up the sugar in my drinks from that day till this I've never added it back, but my already sweet tooth has become a problem, don't know if there's a connection there or not, I've always preferred the dark chocolate yes @Silverdarling Moser Roth especially
Having also stopped buying processed foods as in ready meals etc about 15yrs or so ago and making everything from scratch, yes I'm a little disappointed that the cake and biscuits keep calling from the kitchen because obviously I've still got a long way to go with my fasting journey, yes I'm thankfully whittling some off again now. Since retirement my OH has gained a sweet tooth he never had before and insists on those chock covered bickies being in the fridge therefore I've got to be stronger, must do better.

Good luck Maryann@Maryann I think its a great idea! I wonder if after a month of cutting out sugaryness you're sweettoothness will reduce. I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Last year I gave up chocolate for about 3 months. I managed it without any problems and didn't crave it as much as I thought I would. I don't even eat it that much now, come to think of it. I just eat a little when I fancy it but, like you, when I start eating it...I seem to crave more! We just need to find a way to enjoy the niceties of yummy food...but without the excesses! Easier said than done, eh.

On an end note. I have to say, I think you've done extremely well Maryann. To continue with 4:3 for so long is a great achievement.

Good luck on your quest! Can't wait to hear how you get on...

[Debs]

Good luck MaryAnne, I hope you manage it as I have seriously struggled with the sugar thing and also have a bad sweet tooth.
I'll be interested in your progress. Deb

You can do this, yes you can MaryAnn!
The trick is to have NOTHING that contains ANY kind of sweetness type thing for at least a week, that includes fruit of any kind or form; I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson and also Zoe Harcombe are very good on info for this.
It's getting over the mad cravings into the quiet backwaters of no need!
Good luck m'dear :0)

Interesting MaryAnn!

I have a similar story to you, I've been 'maintaining' since the begining of the year (and even for the last year really) but above my goal weight, and I've also found that although I had the feeling fuller effect at the beginning of fasting now I feel that I must eat sweet things on non fast days - not because of hunger but for some other reason. I've tried mixing it up with 16/8 and ADF, both helped for a couple of weeks then I was back to craving sweet things.

Funnily enough reading around yesterday I fell upon an article about giving up sugar, it's been on my radar for a couple of years since a close friend did it, and I was planning to give it a go. The only thing is I'm writing my dissertation like a crazy person as I have to hand it in in two weeks, so I'm not planning to start until after that, I just can't handle thinking about anything else right now.

The article suggested cutting out different types of sugar in stages, so first you cut out all sugar in drinks, then after two weeks you tackle sugary snacks etc, until you get to a point where you have cut out most sugars, and you don't crave it anymore. I'm thinking of doing that but I don't know if cold turkey is easier? Did you succumb to temptation today?

I tried this earlier this year, and it backfired horribly for me.

It led to months and months of sugar bingeing. I'm only just now (4 or 5 months later) settling down again and not eating as much sugar.

I've always had a sweet tooth, and thought it would be good to see if cutting out sugar (I didn't sub in honey, syrups , dried fruits etc, but did still eat fresh fruit) balanced me out a bit. Instead, the bit of me that hates rules and restrictions seemed to kick in. Or something. I still don't have it figured out.

I am currently sugar free apart from fructose in fruit. Have even given up bananas. Better to go completely cold turkey and use a chromium picolate supplement to get you started. Takes about a week to kick in. This is my second time SF and after a month you will be sensitive to sugar and even smell it . I agree about cacao nibs. Chocolately and crunchy!