Friday, September 05, 2008

Time to do something drastic!

Alright ladies. Here's the scoop. I have been running, lifting weights, and eating better for the last few weeks. Nothing is working. I have a cruise with my hubby in a few weeks, which I am so excited about, but I want to lose a few more pounds. I can't do this on my own. I want to cut out sugar for the next month. Anyone else up for that? I still want to keep each other on track with our other health goals, but that is a huge one for me.

I also need ideas for what to eat. Polliwog, I know you have done this before. Please chime in.

Comment if you are up to committing to 30 days with no sugar. We will talk about the specifics when we hear from more people. I am starting this today (no last minute binge!) but you can all join me on Monday. (or now if you would like)

The best I ever felt was when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to go off sugar for the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy. I did it then, I can do it now!

Any other ideas? What has worked for you? I have been working hard, but I need to do something different!

P.S. I ate oatmeal (with cinnamon) for breakfast. Woo hoo! What's your tricks?

11 comments:

e. said...

(besides the mini fun sized sneaky lunch snacks) - my rule is that if it comes in a package I don't eat it. That way I have to make any junk I might want to eat and I'm usually too lazy for that. This also cuts out: chips, crackers and most other processed foods. (I just pretend that the rice, pasta, and breads that I eat were delivered fresh to my door.)

It has helped me a lot - I've dropped 20 lbs in 3 months and I don't have insulin resistance anymore.

Tall Girl Running said...

Something you may already be doing (but is definitely worth a shot if you're not): don't eat again after dinner. Give yourself at least three hours after your last meal before you go to bed. If you get really hungry and can't stand it, eat a piece of fruit or vegetable or drink a big glass of water. Your stomach will feel satiated temporarily and once you go to sleep, you won't be bothered by hunger.

I've done this before when I've felt I've need to kick-start my metabolism into dropping a few pounds and it's really worked well. It is a difficult habit to break, however, if you're used to having those bedtime snacks. It's a conscious effort but it does get easier after a few days! Have a good-sized, healthy breakfast in the morning and then repeat the process again that night.

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Load up on fruit to counteract the sugar cravings. When I cut out sugar I also let myself have "other" treats for the first two weeks while my body (and my mind) gets over the shock. I'm up for trying 30 days without sugar. Count me in starting Monday. I need time to prepare.

amydear said...

Hmm, you're sorely tempting me, although I just decided to try and be happy with my current body and stop obsessing about everything. I did sugar-free for two weeks once. I just love dark chocolate and ice cream, so those things are hard to give up. My "tricks" include things like
- only fruits and vegetables after 8pm
- no "treats" until 4pm
- eating dried fruit and nuts (they really fill you up)
- drinking only 1-2 sodas a week - diet only
-eating homemade granola (yum!) for breakfast or snacks
- finding a low-sugar treat you really like. I did graham crackers and milk.
- buying some nice food to substitute for the sugary sweets. Favorite fruits, cheeses, a nice bread, etc. It's amazing how good homemade bread with no sugar jam can taste.

I'll let you know if I'm in by Monday. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I'm working on eliminating highly refined foods from my diet (breads, pasta's, etc)...white sugar included. Just started this week and man do I feel great! I'm not totally there yet. I think I can swing it full time by Monday.

I eat most of my food before 2:00 and a balanced dinner around 5-6:00. If I need a snack I go for a handful of raw almonds.

Also, the more I eat high quality foods, the less I crave sugar for the energy boost it provides. I never thought I'd be going the organic and wholesome grain route but here I am. Bring on the quinoa!

Charity said...

In all the way...having some medical stuff happen this month, a perfect month to go sugarless...

Thanks for the motivation.

Charity

Polliwog said...

All right, I really should do this. The only problem is the hormones with nursing might push me over the edge. If I commit, I want to really commit, so like Amydear I will chime in by Monday.

The things that worked for me when I did it for 8 months (?!) were:

* (like Gina and Amydear) Letting myself buy some special foods that would feel like treats (things I didn't always have) like hummus and pita chips; fresh shrimp; whatever tempted me and wasn't a treat, I went for it. That helped me get through the first two weeks.

*I didn't make my goal list too long--going off sugar was enough. I didn't want to set myself up for failure.

*Telling everyone I knew about what I was doing. The longer it went, the more people asked me about it and the more it became my badge of honor. Too bad I moved. :)

*The book, The Sugar Solution, is fantastic. It outlines all the health advantages to limiting your sugar intake. This provided some serious and research-founded motivation.

My new breakfast has been oatmeal with a little peanut butter and bananas. The protein keeps me full for hours (thanks for the tip, Talli).

I also cut out jam, maple syrup and juices, though I would allow myself honey on occasion (a treat for me was toast with some peanut butter and a little honey. MMM)

I'm going to pull out my book and read up. I will be back to report.

mylittlegems said...

I lost a ton of weight before my husband came home after being gone for 3 months, and I've gained some back! ugh. BUT I KNOW what has worked for me in the past and what worked a few weeks ago so I am RESTARTING today. A few things are: eat 5 small meals w fruits or veg. and protein, count/record calories and all food even a small bite, interval training- running long and hard never helped me lose weight-but shorter runs w/ bursts of speed (the body for life way) really helped me lose lbs, make it fun, have a small treat once in a while so you don't feel deprived. I mostly eliminate "white stuff" -try to eat almost all whole grains-but not all sugar- I have to have a small treat once in a while... oh and not eating after a certain time at night. For me it is 7 p.m. ...hope those ideas help- when I do those things (plus weight training) I totally lose lots of lbs! have fun on the cruise!

Jessica said...

ummm, I am eating ice cream as I read this! But that's my trick--no treats during the week-only on the weekends and the only treat I really like is ice cream. 1 bowl of ice cream on the weekend and I am pretty good to go.

Anonymous said...

I'M TOTALLY IN! It's high-time I do something drastic myself! Thanks for the motivation!! :)

Polliwog said...

Okay, I am IN. I'm hoping for an added bonus of helping my nursing and COLICKY baby. :)