48 hours into no refined sugar products

[AutoMechanic]

I cut all refined sugar a good while back. I used to eat a lot of sweets, and I started having bad elbow pain when I'd lift weights. I'd read that refined sugar caused inflammation, and so I dropped like a bad habit, cold turkey. No withdrawals or anything, and most of all, every bit of my elbow pain was 200% gone. Sugar is basically poison to your body.

Probably why my legs and knees hurt constantly after a long work day. My knee was hurting all day Friday, yesterday and till earlier today.

 

[Doc8404]

Once in awhile I will accidentally get a sweet tea when I order unsweet.
Once off sugar you will not believe how sweet it is and it will make you cringe. That bad.

Same with salt for me.
I don’t add salt when I cook.
So when we order out, it is usually a bad experience

 

[aquariuscsm]

Same with salt for me.
I don’t add salt when I cook.
So when we order out, it is usually a bad experience

Same here. I never add a lot of salt. But if any, I only use a tiny bit of sea salt so it's not too bland.

 

[Doc8404]

Same here. I never add a lot of salt. But if any, I only use a tiny bit of sea salt so it's not too bland.

I do too. And celery salt.

 

[GON]

Thanks for all the very kind replies. They are all awesome and helpful.

Now 72 hours no refined sugar. Had a headache yesterday afternoon and evening. Watched the 1951 version of a Christmas Carol with my Wife last night. Great time to eat ice cream- which I passed.

My "battle buddy", the great guy that I work next to, brought me in a box of Krispy Creams this morning as a thank you for working on his car. I am taking a pass.... first time in my life I turned down a freshly made donut.

 

[supton]

Several years ago I gave up sugar while chasing a digestive problem. After 6 weeks I gave up and started adding sugar back into my coffee--but ever since, I've just had no real desire like I used to. Rarely do ice cream or cake, and pretty much don't miss it. I do half teaspoon sugar in my coffee, and a tablespoon (sometimes two) in my morning oatmeal, and that's about it.

Now giving up on bagels and pasta, that'll be vastly harder. Maybe for dinner I could give up, but I have to say, whatever sugar spike white bread might do is a very nice thing about mid-morning.

Been adding more salt to things lately though. It does make a difference. Not sure if I want to keep that up or not.

 

[#18FAN]

Thanks for all the very kind replies. They are all awesome and helpful.

Now 72 hours no refined sugar. Had a headache yesterday afternoon and evening. Watched the 1951 version of a Christmas Carol with my Wife last night. Great time to eat ice cream- which I passed.

My "battle buddy", the great guy that I work next to, brought me in a box of Krispy Creams this morning as a thank you for working on his car. I am taking a pass.... first time in my life I turned down a freshly made donut.

View attachment 80950

That box or other items is daily at work
They don't ask me ever if I'm in they know the answer. Keep it up it gets easier to pass over time. If start really working out could be different story can be used as a post workout carb.

 

[vavavroom]

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit eating sugar!"
He'll get over it in 3 days. Right.

Image linked from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sugar-how-bad-are-sweets-for-your-kids/

 

[PandaBear]

IMO Chinese isn’t as bad as some other things assuming that you avoid the fried carbs, noodles, and rice. Yes it has a lot of salt and fat and whatnot. Some sauces are sweet-ish. But if you err on the meat and vegetables end of things, you can actually do pretty good between broccoli, peppers, onions, garlic, etc.

Depends on your definition of "Chinese Food". The day to day genuine one are relatively low in fat and sugar but the "Panda Express" type American Chinese is likely fried meat with batter + sugar-based glaze food that adds a lot of unhealthy stuff to your diet.

So, which kind of Chinese food are you eating?

Regarding to all the added sugar, fat, salt, MSG in our diet: it is to make cheap food taste better, so if you are on a diet trying to cut them out I'd suggest go up in quality to buy something that has real flavors, this will make your life much easier. If you are cooking instead of buying takeout, just the same price will get you better quality stuff to begin with.

Chicken for example, if you are getting fresh quality free range chicken instead of pre-pack freezer stuff, you should have so much flavor that you only need to salt it, or at most add oil / ginger / green onion to it and it would be flavoring the rest of your food, no need for soy sauce, BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, rub, etc.

Same for coffee and tea, get quality beans and leaves, and you will never need sugar and cream again.

 

[JHZR2]

Depends on your definition of "Chinese Food". The day to day genuine one are relatively low in fat and sugar but the "Panda Express" type American Chinese is likely fried meat with batter + sugar-based glaze food that adds a lot of unhealthy stuff to your diet.

So, which kind of Chinese food are you eating?

Regarding to all the added sugar, fat, salt, MSG in our diet: it is to make cheap food taste better, so if you are on a diet trying to cut them out I'd suggest go up in quality to buy something that has real flavors, this will make your life much easier. If you are cooking instead of buying takeout, just the same price will get you better quality stuff to begin with.

Chicken for example, if you are getting fresh quality free range chicken instead of pre-pack freezer stuff, you should have so much flavor that you only need to salt it, or at most add oil / ginger / green onion to it and it would be flavoring the rest of your food, no need for soy sauce, BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, rub, etc.

Same for coffee and tea, get quality beans and leaves, and you will never need sugar and cream again.

Id never touch mall food or Panda Express type places. As noted, avoid the rice, noodles, carby fried stuff... Look for meat and vegetables.

I couldnt say what is truly authentic, but there are enough places around that at least I know what tastes good and doesnt seem to have too much sugar or excessive sauces.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Hey GON, How goes the withdrawal effort? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[GON]

Hey GON, How goes the withdrawal effort? Inquiring minds want to know.

WT44,

Thanks for asking. About 120 hours into the fast. Headaches decreased considerably. Feeling relieved more than anything not having the huge unconscious craving. It is still there, but I have been able to resist. I am eating starches/ processed food, so I know many of those foods turn to sugar. But I have not had anything that I am aware of that had refined sugar as a ingredient.

Really glad I am working at doing this. Simply feeling better. Placebo effect... who knows, but I do think I feel better.

 

[alarmguy]

I eliminated junk food from my diet for good some years ago. It was a slow process and not really intended other then I knew its not good for you.
Present day proof is I have beat the family diabetes and heart disease (no operation needed or intervention) which took my dads life and my brother has both.
Anyway, over the years I really got into eating right and enjoy eating right.
So there is no junk food in my life anymore, no fast food, no fried food, no drinks with sugar, nothing high in fat, in fact I feel sick if I eat garbage now. With that said, of course I do have ONE "anything goes" night a week but even now, I dont take much advantage of that one night anymore because I acquired a distaste for low quality food, one exception is a good pizza every few months and even then, at one time my favorite food isnt my favorite anymore.

My new diet is = water, fish, poultry, broccoli, fruit, nuts, true whole grain/whole wheat products (shredded wheat included) and yogurt. Sure I might have another type of snack now and then but, get this, I was just at my cardiologist yesterday, he thinks Im in a good place and really doesnt want my lipids (cholesterol) to go lower including my LDL which is depending on what you read bordering too low other publications say its not.
Anyway, I REALLY got into eating right, feel much better, the human being is an interesting creature and corporations have got into their heads, can make them buy or eat anything for maximum profit, way more so in our connected society.

My HDL (good cholesterol) was always low, I now have the time in my life to address that as well. I joined OrangeTheory right after Nov 10 2021 two times a week, group coached, 1 hour intense sessions. Im astounded the increase in my good cholesterol in just 4 weeks... and my LDL almost but not quite clinically considered low.
A little background, I underwent a stress test followed up with a cardiac cauterization in early 2021. I have minor plaque in my arteries and currently not impeding blood flow. Chances are I have many other things to worry about other then my heart. )
In another series of tests (CBC) my blood sugar is always below 100 over the same period of time, one year it was borderline low but most 85 to 95.

My proof = (LOL it almost looks like a UOA!!)

PS, I love donuts, but Dunkin Donuts! LOVE them but I dont eat them anymore and I may still admire them when I look at them *LOL* but its easy to say no now. I got so used to a low fat diet that even if some time ago I had one (and who can eat just one?) besides the instant satisfaction a little while later it felt like lead in my stomach.

 

[benjy]

its GREAT to hear that many are taking control of their health BUT one look at the general public shows MANY more need to do the same!! nutritional people often note disease follows insulin levels which is rarely checked + its noted that you can have decent glucose levels + even A-1-C while having unhealthy high insulin controlling those #'s. lots of good info on line but you gotta sort out the bull + since healthy people dont contribute to big profits its NOT actually promoted while many unhealthy things are. to all keep up the good work as i have learned health is WEALTH!!

 

[Wrenchturner44]

@ AlarmGuy, and Benji....well said.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I like it! I've also been slowly weening myself off added sugar. The hardest, for me, was going from coffee that was white and sweet to black and bitter. It took about 3 weeks of doubt, but now I cannot imagine adding sugar to my coffee or tea.

Slow ween is the key word. Practically everything has sugar in it. The 100% Cold Turkey pullback from sugar is dang near impossible, even if you tried. Maybe in extreme circumstances.

I have only had two sodas this week, in a pinch.. lessening consumption of Red Bull, sugar addiction is real.. had some eggs in a pita roll, actual hardboiled eggs will be next. Processed and packaged foods all over the place. Making effort to only eat twice a day, and eat less.

The result, while working ~50 hours of constantly active work a week with reduced oxygen intake and working out and being up early and sleep schedule all screwed up, is I am down 15 pounds in two weeks. Still perfecting diet..

 

[aquariuscsm]

It's funny how others have mentioned, once you get off the refined sugars, anytime you taste them thereafter it'll make you feel sick to your stomach. The utter thought of eating sweets makes me want to hurl.

 

[alarmguy]

It's funny how others have mentioned, once you get off the refined sugars, anytime you taste them thereafter it'll make you feel sick to your stomach.

Worse is eating something high in fat, you will feel gross a little while later and sometimes the next day after you are used to eating low fat, less processed real food like grilled (not fried) fish, poultry and lots of fruit and vegetables.

Sugar and salt is much the same though, but that is instant gross and at times inedible now. I really used to like having a Coke once or twice a week, now it taste like what it really is, drinking corn syrup. Salty foods, can now sometimes ruin a meal, it just taste like garbage. My wife and I can tell the quality of food now and when garbage food is covered up with salt.

An example would be pasta sauce when out to dinner, you know right away if its a real sauce or one to satisfy the publics love of salt. Lots of salt can use cheap ingredients, same goes for sugar added stuff and yeah, fatty stuff. Its kind of fun now, once you are back to basic foods you remember what real stuff taste like and can critique the food you eat with accuracy instead of relying on what corporations get you used too and "sell" you on.

As a nation we are a mess when it comes to nutrition. It really is about companies using whatever it takes to make you want to eat it and keep coming back, its like a death race for them, as long as people keep demanding it they will keep pouring it on and compete with each other to make you want their food at any cost. They are in your head and why a Western Diet is killing people all around the world as it spreads into their country. Corporate Food for maximum Shareholder Profit. In fact, that is the job of a corporation with publicly traded stock, maximum profit.

Good news is, there are people, like even in this thread that demand better and you can selectively chose better in some places and some menu's. By demanding better you are actually getting higher quality food, yeah, sometimes it may cost more and, so?

I taught this stuff to myself over a 10+ year period reading books, wanting to avoid the dreaded family history of heart disease and diabetes. Before that I did eat a fair amount of fruit though also ate a lot of ice cream and other garbage and ate much like everyday Americans did except maybe less fast food.

I have found out there is no such thing as "going on a diet" if people are going on a diet which we will hear so much of as the New Year rolls around both from everyday people and the NEWS MEDIA... well to me its all B.S. EVERY FREAKING NEW YEAR, same old gym ads, some old news stories about losing that holiday weight, some old garbage about what diet works! The diet that ALWAYS works is eating real food two times a day with no snacking in-between. Replace an ice cream treat with a great tasting Yasso Yogurt Bar. (chose the lower fat ones but they are all respectable) Or a no sugar added activia yogurt. Bring and Eat an apple if you driving and going out to dinner before you get there or after dinner. No more fast food, fried food, only real food.

No one in the Untied States of America needs to go on a diet!
All they need to do is stop eating junk food and have two heathly meals a day, their weight will drop like a rock down to their proper BMI.
A diet as we call it, on the other hand is nothing more then a B.S. excuse people tell themselves to keep doing what they always do, lose a few pounds and then put it right back on a few months later, it makes them feel good.
Think about that? why a diet? Ummm... why not change the way you eat and get the junk food out of your life? That IS the real commitment, a diet is BS.
(boy I type a lot in this forum*LOL*, and Im not the greatest typist but learning) (Im kind of passionate about this subject watching it kill family members, its hard to sometimes get over genetics if that is a factor in your life but your odds greatly improve and so does quality of life)

BTW- I did/ate bad things in my life for a long time too and only wish I could go back in time with what I have learned and start over, its something not taught in schools in a meaningful way, same as handling finances isnt properly taught in schools... think about that, and what industries have the greatest most powerful lobbying interests in Washington? Banks, Medical, Food. (please no political discussions, just a statement)

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Worse is eating something high in fat, you will feel gross a little while later and sometimes the next day after you are used to eating low fat, less processed real food like grilled (not fried) fish, poultry and lots of fruit and vegetables.

Sugar and salt is much the same though, but that is instant gross and at times inedible now. I really used to like having a Coke once or twice a week, now it taste like what it really is, drinking corn syrup. Salty foods, can now sometimes ruin a meal, it just taste like garbage. My wife and I can tell the quality of food now and when garbage food is covered up with salt.

An example would be pasta sauce when out to dinner, you know right away if its a real sauce or one to satisfy the publics love of salt. Lots of salt can use cheap ingredients, same goes for sugar added stuff and yeah, fatty stuff. Its kind of fun now, once you are back to basic foods you remember what real stuff taste like and can critique the food you eat with accuracy instead of relying on what corporations get you used too and "sell" you on.

As a nation we are a mess when it comes to nutrition. It really is about companies using whatever it takes to make you want to eat it and keep coming back, its like a death race for them, as long as people keep demanding it they will keep pouring it on and compete with each other to make you want their food at any cost. They are in your head and why a Western Diet is killing people all around the world as it spreads into their country. Corporate Food for maximum Shareholder Profit. In fact, that is the job of a corporation with publicly traded stock, maximum profit.

Good news is, there are people, like even in this thread that demand better and you can selectively chose better in some places and some menu's. By demanding better you are actually getting higher quality food, yeah, sometimes it may cost more and, so?

I taught this stuff to myself over a 10+ year period reading books, wanting to avoid the dreaded family history of heart disease and diabetes. Before that I did eat a fair amount of fruit though also ate a lot of ice cream and other garbage and ate much like everyday Americans did except maybe less fast food.

I have found out there is no such thing as "going on a diet" if people are going on a diet which we will hear so much of as the New Year rolls around both from everyday people and the NEWS MEDIA... well to me its all B.S. EVERY FREAKING NEW YEAR, same old gym ads, some old news stories about losing that holiday weight, some old garbage about what diet works! The diet that ALWAYS works is eating real food two times a day with no snacking in-between. Replace an ice cream treat with a great tasting Yasso Yogurt Bar. (chose the lower fat ones but they are all respectable) Or a no sugar added activia yogurt. Bring and Eat an apple if you driving and going out to dinner before you get there or after dinner. No more fast food, fried food, only real food.

No one in the Untied States of America needs to go on a diet!
All they need to do is stop eating junk food and have two heathly meals a day, their weight will drop like a rock down to their proper BMI.
A diet as we call it, on the other hand is nothing more then a B.S. excuse people tell themselves to keep doing what they always do, lose a few pounds and then put it right back on a few months later, it makes them feel good.
Think about that? why a diet? Ummm... why not change the way you eat and get the junk food out of your life? That IS the real commitment, a diet is BS.
(boy I type a lot in this forum*LOL*, and Im not the greatest typist but learning) (Im kind of passionate about this subject watching it kill family members, its hard to sometimes get over genetics if that is a factor in your life but your odds greatly improve and so does quality of life)

BTW- I did/ate bad things in my life for a long time too and only wish I could go back in time with what I have learned and start over, its something not taught in schools in a meaningful way, same as handling finances isnt properly taught in schools... think about that, and what industries have the greatest most powerful lobbying interests in Washington? Banks, Medical, Food. (please no political discussions, just a statement)

I really like this post.

 

[#18FAN]

Worse is eating something high in fat, you will feel gross a little while later and sometimes the next day after you are used to eating low fat, less processed real food like grilled (not fried) fish, poultry and lots of fruit and vegetables.

Sugar and salt is much the same though, but that is instant gross and at times inedible now. I really used to like having a Coke once or twice a week, now it taste like what it really is, drinking corn syrup. Salty foods, can now sometimes ruin a meal, it just taste like garbage. My wife and I can tell the quality of food now and when garbage food is covered up with salt.

An example would be pasta sauce when out to dinner, you know right away if its a real sauce or one to satisfy the publics love of salt. Lots of salt can use cheap ingredients, same goes for sugar added stuff and yeah, fatty stuff. Its kind of fun now, once you are back to basic foods you remember what real stuff taste like and can critique the food you eat with accuracy instead of relying on what corporations get you used too and "sell" you on.

As a nation we are a mess when it comes to nutrition. It really is about companies using whatever it takes to make you want to eat it and keep coming back, its like a death race for them, as long as people keep demanding it they will keep pouring it on and compete with each other to make you want their food at any cost. They are in your head and why a Western Diet is killing people all around the world as it spreads into their country. Corporate Food for maximum Shareholder Profit. In fact, that is the job of a corporation with publicly traded stock, maximum profit.

Good news is, there are people, like even in this thread that demand better and you can selectively chose better in some places and some menu's. By demanding better you are actually getting higher quality food, yeah, sometimes it may cost more and, so?

I taught this stuff to myself over a 10+ year period reading books, wanting to avoid the dreaded family history of heart disease and diabetes. Before that I did eat a fair amount of fruit though also ate a lot of ice cream and other garbage and ate much like everyday Americans did except maybe less fast food.

I have found out there is no such thing as "going on a diet" if people are going on a diet which we will hear so much of as the New Year rolls around both from everyday people and the NEWS MEDIA... well to me its all B.S. EVERY FREAKING NEW YEAR, same old gym ads, some old news stories about losing that holiday weight, some old garbage about what diet works! The diet that ALWAYS works is eating real food two times a day with no snacking in-between. Replace an ice cream treat with a great tasting Yasso Yogurt Bar. (chose the lower fat ones but they are all respectable) Or a no sugar added activia yogurt. Bring and Eat an apple if you driving and going out to dinner before you get there or after dinner. No more fast food, fried food, only real food.

No one in the Untied States of America needs to go on a diet!
All they need to do is stop eating junk food and have two heathly meals a day, their weight will drop like a rock down to their proper BMI.
A diet as we call it, on the other hand is nothing more then a B.S. excuse people tell themselves to keep doing what they always do, lose a few pounds and then put it right back on a few months later, it makes them feel good.
Think about that? why a diet? Ummm... why not change the way you eat and get the junk food out of your life? That IS the real commitment, a diet is BS.
(boy I type a lot in this forum*LOL*, and Im not the greatest typist but learning) (Im kind of passionate about this subject watching it kill family members, its hard to sometimes get over genetics if that is a factor in your life but your odds greatly improve and so does quality of life)

BTW- I did/ate bad things in my life for a long time too and only wish I could go back in time with what I have learned and start over, its something not taught in schools in a meaningful way, same as handling finances isnt properly taught in schools... think about that, and what industries have the greatest most powerful lobbying interests in Washington? Banks, Medical, Food. (please no political discussions, just a statement)

But I eat 3 meals a day other than that it's good info.