My No Sugar Year

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:03 pm

New Thread, Same Person.

Since I joined in 2008, I've started several Check In threads. This afternoon I went back and read them.

Some posts were about sticking to Vanilla S(I'm gonna complete a 21 day challenge!). Some posts had tweaks (a desert a day!). Sometimes I would make declarations ( I've conquered my afternoon snack habit!).

Reading my No S history left me feeling a bit melancholy. I'm someone who likes to set goals and conquer them. How can it be that 6 years have passed and I'm still trying to get these 3 little rules to stick?

As I re-read my posts, I noticed a common denominator. Whenever I stumble, some form of sugar is involved. Through the years, I've switched from the white stuff, to honey or agave, finally to the sugar substitutes, like stevia. No matter the form, it triggers my downfall.

All the red days on my HabitCal involve sugar. When I have failures in a No S Challenge (like the one I'm doing for April), the foods involve sugar.

If I want to succeed as a No S'er, I know what I need to do. I have to kick sugar to the curb. Not just for 5 N days a week. I need to commit to a long enough time period to make a real change.

No sugar for a year.

I know this seems contrary to the "Embrace Moderation" guidelines of our group (I even started an old blog with that title). As much as I tried, I can't seem to moderate my sugar intake. I know that I'm better off without it. After 12 months, I'll see how I'm doing and re-evaluate.

I guess the moderation portion will be that I will eliminate foods with added sugar. Fruit will still be part of my diet.

With as many starts and stops as I've had, I will be cautiously optimistic. I will commit to maintaining this blog. I will write about the good stuff as well as the bad.

It's only 365 days, how hard could it be?

Diligence · Post by **Diligence** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:11 pm

Lori, it's great that you've been able to find a trigger and have resolved to do something about it. I hope this year without sugar will be a fantastic modification for you as you seek to nourish your body and life a full, contented life.

I'm looking forward to reading how the year goes for you.

I'm mostly off sugar right now myself because I'm trying to tackle some health issues. I'm not reading most labels, but most of my foods are the unseasoned, single-ingredient variety right now.

Again, best wishes to you with the new mod!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:56 pm

You can do it, Lori! You are a woman of steel will and fast legs.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 2:15 pm

Thanks for the support my No S friends!

I spent over an hour at Whole Foods, reading labels. If any product has any form of sugar, even a tiny bit, it's off limits. If there is no sugar added, I can put it in my mouth.

I was happy to find a product called Chia Pod. They look like pudding cups and are very tasty. The one I tried was Vanilla Bean. Ingredients are chia, coconut water and vanilla. They also have Mango, Blueberry and Banana. They'll be an S Day staple.

I've got a very busy week. I'm out of town for work Monday, for 2 nights. Then I leave on Friday for Las Vegas, for a half marathon on Saturday.

Las Vegas will be my first big test. I know the city pretty well. That means I know where all the good sugar is!

Time to go to a kettle bell class. Back later...

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 3:38 pm

Good Luck, and I mean it, good luck finding stuff with no sugar in it. I have learned how destructive sugar is from many sources - some medical and some from friends who have issues and must avoid it.

It seems like a losing battle but I will certainly be interested in what you find. I was happy to get some fresh fruit cups at Aldis that have no sugar at all, just natural juices. Peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail, etc. I do buy the sugar free puddings and jellos, coffee creamer, pancake syrup, etc. that type of thing. However, I am probably getting something worse to make up for the sugar.

I never use actual sugar, as in teaspoons of the white stuff in cereal or coffee or tea or anything like that, It is the insidious nature of the industry where sugar is in items that one would never imagine - that is what is so hard to decipher.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:21 pm

Hi SR,
I'm going to have to be a sugar detective, especially when I eat out.

Tonight is our weekly dinner out. It's a regular eating spot for us, I usually order a big salad with chicken. Tonight I'm switching it up because I don't want to bring my own salad dressing. I'm going to have to navigate alot of landmines this year!

My husband is very skeptical about this project. We've been together for almost 30 years, he's witnessed many of my "projects".

Here is part of our conversation this morning...

HIM: "You're not eating sugar? What does that even mean?"
ME: "It's simple, if any form of sugar is added, I don't eat it"
HIM: "What about fruit?"
ME: "I'll eat fresh fruit"
HIM: "What about applesauce and jam?"
ME: "If it's made from just fruit, I guess I could eat it."
HIM: "What about wine?"
ME: "I can have wine, it's just fermented grapes"
HIM: "You'll never be able to do this"

I can't do it? Them's fightin' words! Now I'm more determined than ever!

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:27 pm

walkerlori wrote:Hi SR,
I'm going to have to be a sugar detective, especially when I eat out.

Tonight is our weekly dinner out. It's a regular eating spot for us, I usually order a big salad with chicken. Tonight I'm switching it up because I don't want to bring my own salad dressing. I'm going to have to navigate alot of landmines this year!

My husband is very skeptical about this project. We've been together for almost 30 years, he's witnessed many of my "projects".

Here is part of our conversation this morning...

HIM: "You're not eating sugar? What does that even mean?"
ME: "It's simple, if any form of sugar is added, I don't eat it"
HIM: "What about fruit?"
ME: "I'll eat fresh fruit"
HIM: "What about applesauce and jam?"
ME: "If it's made from just fruit, I guess I could eat it."
HIM: "What about wine?"
ME: "I can have wine, it's just fermented grapes"
HIM: "You'll never be able to do this"

I can't do it? Them's fightin' words! Now I'm more determined than ever!

Rut Roh, he will regret saying that

I only use flavored vinegars on my nightly salads, perhaps the restaurant would have one you would like. The current one I am using is red wine/garlic and I just checked, it has no sugar. Just finished a pomegranate one, will have to check it out when I get a new bottle. I have even used plain cider vinegar in diners or community centers where I am meeting with a group for a volunteer duty - if that is all they had available.

I always say that the quickest way to ruin a good salad is with a bad dressing.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:42 pm

SR....Rut Roh....HA!!!!

I'm working out of town until Wednesday. It's easier for me to stick to No S when I'm away from home. I haven't been obsessing about sugar today because I'm out of my routine.

I found a very tasty salad dressing made by Tessamaes. No sugar in any of them!

Day 2 is coming to a successful, no sugar end.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:14 pm

Two more tasty items with no sugar...

The Mixed Almonds at Starbucks. Three different types of almonds with no sugar!
Artisiana Coconut Butter. I really like the single serve packets, they're great when I have a sugar craving.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Wed Apr 16, 2014 5:18 am

I'll be very interested in following your check in. Sugar is, by far, my biggest downfall. When I stick with eating naturally sweetened foods, or foods sweetened with stevia, it does help. I'll be interested to see what other sugar free products you find. How do you use the coconut butter?

MerryKat · Post by **MerryKat** » Wed Apr 16, 2014 12:44 pm

Whew!! No sugar is a big task, but I know you can do this.

I understand the sugar slippery slope - I cannot have even a little sugar and it starts a craving!!!

I had not thought about sweetners triggering it. Mmmm, going to have to look into that one.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:32 pm

Good to hear from you MerryKat and Clarinetgal!

Clarinetgal, I just take a spoonful of coconut butter and eat it! It's delish!

Today I screwed up and didn't even realize it until the food was consumed. I love these raw flax crackers made in Santa Fe. I usually have a couple at lunch time. I didn't even think to check the ingredients. When I did I see raw agave in the list. Dang it!

Live and learn I guess. I'm going to miss those crackers

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 6:48 am

Good to know, WalkerLori, about the coconut butter. I'll have to try that. I like coconut butter in smoothies! Yes, live and learn, with the crackers.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:40 am

I realize that I don't have a sweet tooth.
I have 24 sweet teeth!
Quitting sugar is hard.

I'm heading to Las Vegas this morning.

Must...Not...Eat...Sugar.

Be back on Monday for the recap.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:47 am

Lori,
I have 28 teeth....even with my wisdom teeth pulled. Did you get some extras pulled?

BTW, your new picture is amazing. You look like a sleek cheetah-running-machine.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:22 pm

Thanks for the compliment Autoeats! I'm happy to report that I have all my teeth, I hoping that a couple must be savory instead of sweet!

I had a fun time at the race in Las Vegas. It was in honor of the Mustang car's 50th anniversary. It was held on the Las Vegas motor speedway. I love when races are in places I would normally not run. The medal was cool too, it resembled the mustang symbol on the cars.

While I was away, I had time to do the final tweaks on my No Sugar year. It must be fate to start now, a memoir was just published called Year of No Sugar by Eve Schaub. How freaky is that? The big difference is her whole family abstained from sugar. My husband would lock me up in the loony bin if I suggested he join me.

I'm reading the book now and am going to incorporate one of her rules. Once a month I will have one dessert. I'm curious to see if my sugar tolerance diminishes as the months pass. Since I usually can't go more than 48 hours without something sweet, 12 desserts a year seems like a herculean task. I'm up for the challenge.

Also, for simplicity's sake, my official No Sugar Year will run from Easter 2014 to Easter 2015. Choosing Easter seems logical, with all the chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps. I'm happy to report that none were shoved in my mouth.

To recap...
-If there is no added sugar, I can consume it.
-Once a month, one dessert is allowed.

MJ7910 · Post by **MJ7910** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:59 pm

I see what you are wanting to do and i know you are expecting someone to say "why!" sounds like you know this is your downfall. it is mine too. but i would suggest going easy on yourself. maybe work on cutting back or not deliberately buying stuff like candy with lots of sugar. i know it would be hard for me and i would have a rebellious side that would come out probably in a few weeks. i hope it goes well for you. that being said, be nice to yourself. it doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:35 pm

Thanks for the comments MJ7910

I know this sounds (heck it is!) radical. I'm 56 years old and frankly, I'm sick of trying to control my sugar intake. I've done just about all the tweaks I can try, portion control, just on S days (I always break that one), only desserts made with honey, or stevia, etc. Blah, blah,blah.....

What I'm hoping to accomplish with a year long commitment is to put sweets and sugar stuff back where they belong, as a treat. On S days, where they'll stay.

My husband asked me if I'm still on this "No Sugar kick". I said yep, so far, so good. He shook his head and said "Life's too short". HA!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:44 am

Can an entire Costco-sized cake count as your monthly dessert? Hahahahah

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:11 pm

AutoEats...That's what my husband said! "If a whole cake fits on a plate, can you eat the whole thing!"

I made a tasty no sugar topping for my breakfast yogurt. Let's Do Organic has a bag of toasted coconut flakes that rock! I mixed in slivered almonds and chopped macadamia nuts and topped plain greek yogurt. For a little sweetness, I added some berries.

Delish!

minimizer · Post by **minimizer** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:32 pm

I like to pour some plain canned coconut milk over frozen blueberries for a weekend treat. It has no added sugar but it still is sweet enough and rich enough to feel like a sort of 'dessert' and doesn't cause sugar cravings.
(I use canned Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk--contains only coconut milk and water.)

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:48 pm

Hi minimizer...I love Trader Joe's Coconut Cream! It's super thick and rich.I whip it with vanilla extract and use it as a topping.

I'm giving myself a week or so to adjust to this No Sugar project. Once I feel stable, I'm adding the remaining No S rules. No Snacks and No Seconds will be coming back soon.

My mind has been ping ponging between "This No Sugar thing is easy!" to "This No Sugar thing is hard!". I gave up wheat a few years ago, the thought pattern is the same. I know I have to endure these mental tug of wars to get to the other side.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:00 am

I'm making a big a$$ salad for dinner. I put in arugula, apple, blue cheese, smoked turkey and avocado. The dressing is olive oil, vinegar and lemon. I top the salad with some uncured bacon.

The salad was terrific. All was well until I looked at the back of my uncured, organic, super expensive from Whole Foods, bacon package.

Brown sugar is in the list of ingredients.

AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
I repeat...AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

I checked the carb count before I bought it. Since there was 0 carbs, I didn't even think about sugar.

I know there is a paleo bacon I can get from mail order. It has no sugar. But do I want to send away for bacon?

One more time...AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

MerryKat · Post by **MerryKat** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:48 am

Oh NO!!! That is just plain rude!! Sugar in uncured bacon?!?!?!?!?

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:27 pm

Lori, it must not have had much brown sugar in it....because obviously that is pure carbohydrate and would have registered on the nutritional label. Either they are lying or it's just trace amounts.....

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:57 pm

AutoEats...thanks for the comment, I feel better now.

I need to learn not sweat the small (sugar) stuff. If not, I'm going to go crazy! And then I'll give up.

Sugar crept into my food again today. I'm not going to dwell on it. Instead I will pick myself up and continue on.

Today is one of those "This is really hard "days. I know it will pass...

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:06 pm

My mom always told me that, "This too shall pass"

For me, snacking is not an option. For you, sugar is just not an option. That black and white boundary helps me. It helps me everday, and especially on the hard days.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:49 pm

Hi Autoeats...Yep, for me, Sugar is not an option. At least for the next 12 months...

Today has been one week since I started this project. Although I've had a couple slips, overall, I'm off to a good start.

I survived Easter without any sugar.
Wednesday was my birthday. No celebratory cake (just some celebratory wine!).

Eliminating sugar is still mentally challenging. If I didn't start this thread, I may have thrown in the towel. Instead, onward to week 2....

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 9:26 pm

Happy belated birthday!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:56 am

Yes, happy birthday!

It's a great experiment to forgo sugar. Some slip ups will be nearly inevitable as there is so much hidden sugar in food. Will read your thread with interest.

Diligence · Post by **Diligence** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 4:52 pm

Lori, I'm so impressed with your diligence and perseverance with your no-sugar mod. Happy birthday! Keep up the great work!

Jill d · Post by **Jill d** » Thu May 01, 2014 3:06 am

I took inspiration from your thread here and have started a 6 week no-sugar challenge for myself. I'm just starting with the obvious sugars, sweets, bready things, yogurts, etc. Thanks for the idea! It is going to be challenging for me. (I will be having one piece of cake at my son's birthday in May.)

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sat May 17, 2014 5:22 pm

Hi Everybody!

Thanks for the b-day greetings, I love this place!

Jill d...I hope you're having good luck with your no sugar challenge. I've had several false starts. After some trial and errors, I think I've formulated my gameplan.

Wine seems to trigger sugar cravings. Although I enjoy my pre-dinner glass of Pinot Noir, I'm going to switch to Perrier for a month or so. After 4 weeks, I'll see if I can bring it back (I hope so).

I've been reading about sugar alcohols, like xylitol. Since they don't cause an insulin spike, I experimented with a couple of desserts made with them. I also experimented with stevia. After a couple weeks, I've decided that they need to be eliminated. I don't think they triggered cravings, they just seem too close to sugar to be permitted. Sugar alcohols and stevia are kicked to the curb.

I also need to be careful with fruit. I was noticing that my fruit consumption was increasing. The more fruit I eat, the more I wrestle with sugar cravings.

On a different topic, I completed another half marathon 2 weeks ago. I have another one in June, in Las Vegas. And I'm still a regular at my local russian kettlebell studio. I may be taking time to get this no sugar thing down but my exercise is solid!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat May 17, 2014 5:28 pm

Thanks for update, Lori!

Keep on keepin' on!

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sat May 17, 2014 6:09 pm

Have a terrific weekend Autoeats!

I do need to update more often. I have this old clunky laptop with lots of wires. When I work out of town, I leave it at home. I have a work iPad but don't use it for personal stuff.

From now on I'm going to find space in my luggage to pack my dinosaur computer. Then I'll be able to contribute more frequently.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sun May 18, 2014 5:42 am

It sounds like you're doing great!

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sun May 18, 2014 2:07 pm

Thanks Clarinetgal

Now that the No Sweets rule is solid, this week I'm adding back the 2 remaining No S pillars, No Snacks and No Seconds. I don't anticipate any problems with compliance, sugar stuff was the only time I broke these rules. I'm not tempted to snack on turkey or have a second helping of kale!

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Tue May 20, 2014 11:15 am

I just read Michael Ruhlman's blog post On Seeing "Fed Up". In it he wrote that 80% of the 600,000 items in our grocery stores contain sugar.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue May 20, 2014 11:28 am

thanks for posting that link wosnes. I'll check out the film.

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Tue May 20, 2014 1:41 pm

Diligence wrote:Lori, I'm so impressed with your diligence and perseverance with your no-sugar mod. Happy birthday! Keep up the great work!

I am impressed as well. Also, learning a lot. Thanks for sharing your No Sugar Journey with us.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 4:53 pm

Thanks for the kind words my No S friends!

The No Sugar project is going well. I've had a couple shaky days but mostly I've been sugar-free.

My biggest surprise is for me, sugar and snacking go together. I pretty much knew this but now I can confirm it. If it's not sweet, I don't snack.

I'm thinking of going back to my original blog "Keep Calm and No S on". I can't think of enough sugar topics to keep this one going! At first I thought I would write a daily food log but quite frankly, my meals aren't that interesting!

I'm going to search the archives and see if I can retrieve it....