21 Day Sugar Detox

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Dbow0207
Dbow0207 Posts: 220 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm thinking about starting this on Monday

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  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    While I don't mind plans that cut sweets and other added sugars for a while, to get cravings under control your list is unnecessarily restrictive, and not terribly logical imho. It's not going to be low carb (because it allows fruit, and unlimited vegetables), but then it cuts GREAT foods that aren't really sugary, or have a high glycemic impact/load, like legumes. Legumes are GREAT when you're working on your blood sugar levels and trying to master your cravings.

    My point: the list doesn't make any real logical sense.

    By all means, eliminate, or strictly limit foods with added sugars, and things like fruit juice, and heavily refined carbs (white breads with lots of sugar or HFCS) for a few weeks to get your cravings under control, but your list just doesn't make sense to me.

    If you decide to do this kind of thing, look at a few other 2 week lists, like the South Beach phase 1 list.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,561 Member
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    Elimination diets usually have the highest failure rate (95% of people who attempt them fail) because they are a complete switch to previous behavior and strictly limits other foods that aren't bad to have (fruits here). Reduction alone just helps. Just eat more whole foods and reduce some of the processed foods.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Looks like an overly restrictive and unnecessary plan. What happens on day 22?

    Day 22 is binge day.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I understand the need for some people to restrict to get a handle on their sugar intake. That list is unnecessarily prohibitive on some pretty random things, though.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
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    On Day 22 you become superhuman. Your superhuman powers are taken away when you eat any of the "no" foods. ;)
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Yeah. no.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,624 Member
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    randomtai wrote: »
    Yeah. no.

    This.
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  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
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    So, here's my take.

    I find that when I quit eating added sugars completely, it only takes me a couple of days to quit craving them completely. By about day four, a grapefruit tastes like delicious candy and I'm happy.

    The minute someone offers me a cookie and I decide to eat it since I can fit it into my calorie goals? All bets are off and I start fiending for sugar again.

    Unless you're never going to eat any of the foods on the forbidden list again, this isn't going to change anything for you long term.

    It's way easier just to enjoy sugary foods in moderation, as it fits into your calorie and macronutrient goals.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    edited April 2015
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    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    So, here's my take.

    I find that when I quit eating added sugars completely, it only takes me a couple of days to quit craving them completely. By about day four, a grapefruit tastes like delicious candy and I'm happy.

    The minute someone offers me a cookie and I decide to eat it since I can fit it into my calorie goals? All bets are off and I start fiending for sugar again.

    Unless you're never going to eat any of the foods on the forbidden list again, this isn't going to change anything for you long term.

    It's way easier just to enjoy sugary foods in moderation, as it fits into your calorie and macronutrient goals.

    I agree with this. If you're not going to avoid the "forbidden" foods forever, then there's no point. But giving up added sugars (for me this is any type of cookies, cakes, candy), can help if you're craving them constantly. At least it does for me, so I chose to give up those foods entirely. And like the above poster, it really only takes me a couple of days for the cravings to disappear. But this has nothing to do with weight loss and everything to do with how I feel when I eat those foods (ie. migraines, joint pain, and even hives).

    Ask yourself - what is your goal in giving up these foods? What do you think is going to happen on day 22? Are you doing this for weight loss? Or is there another reason? (ie. food allergies or something else?)

    ETA: What is the problem here with dairy? And why, if butter is "forbidden" is ghee ok? Seriously... just ask yourself what here makes sense rather than following a list that has zero scientific explanation. (mini rant over)

  • jddnw
    jddnw Posts: 319 Member
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    Sugar is not a toxin and your body does not require detoxification from it. If you want to cut back on or eliminate sugar, that's great. I limit sugar too because it is concentrated, empty calories. But the whole "detox" thing is a bunch of woo.
  • Hovercat
    Hovercat Posts: 43 Member
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    I don't see anything wrong with it. Lots of people already eat that way, myself included (however cream and cheese has stayed with me because yum) so this 21 day plan is my 520ish day plan and going strong. Half the "do not eat" list is common sense but people get scared when they think of no sugar and then make up all sorts of crap on why it's unattainable instead of actually giving it a go and realizing it's really not that hard.
  • Nezz123
    Nezz123 Posts: 35 Member
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    Looks good to me! PeachyPlum is right in that you might crave sugar like mad at first, but then you won't and whole fruits and stuff will start to taste great! It's true that our bodies need a little sugar (it's what fuels our nervous system!), but most Americans get way too much! Minimizing pastries and breads that break down into sugars when you digest them pretty much quitting sugary drinks altogether is a smart move! It's not too extreme. Your body can get the sugar it needs from fruit and nutrient-dense carbs like quinoa, couscous, and brown rice. That's not to say you can never have another brownie ever again, but a 21 Day sugar-rehab program sounds smart to me! It'll accelerate your weight loss plus....training yourself to cut down on sugar reduces your cancer risk AND the rate at which your cells age. (Sugar, although necessary in small doses, is a mutagen and does speed up mitosis.) I agree that detoxing on lemon juice and celery for life is kind of crazy, but once in a while, weaning off sugar/booze/bread can be a nice way to clean the slate physically and psychologically. Every once in a while, we just gotta hit "reset" you know?
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    Hovercat wrote: »
    I don't see anything wrong with it. Lots of people already eat that way, myself included (however cream and cheese has stayed with me because yum) so this 21 day plan is my 520ish day plan and going strong. Half the "do not eat" list is common sense but people get scared when they think of no sugar and then make up all sorts of crap on why it's unattainable instead of actually giving it a go and realizing it's really not that hard.

    So you don't eat fruit at all? Honest question.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,561 Member
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    Hovercat wrote: »
    I don't see anything wrong with it. Lots of people already eat that way, myself included (however cream and cheese has stayed with me because yum) so this 21 day plan is my 520ish day plan and going strong. Half the "do not eat" list is common sense but people get scared when they think of no sugar and then make up all sorts of crap on why it's unattainable instead of actually giving it a go and realizing it's really not that hard.
    But that's a subjective point of view rather than an objective point of view. I view enjoyment of life around the cultural foods I eat with my family. Some have refined sugar as well as HFCS. So I have a some, but accounted for and well within control. To NOT enjoy it may make me avoid more family get togethers (which some people I know do) and to me that's sad.
    Same with sex. To tell someone "hey no sex just give it a go" FOREVER won't fly well with many many people. Some will do just fine without it, but I'm betting it's just a minority of people.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Hovercat
    Hovercat Posts: 43 Member
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    I eat maybe 5 raspberries if they're on sale but other than that, nope. No fruit in 17+ months. (I have no idea how to directly reply, boards confuse me)
  • Hovercat
    Hovercat Posts: 43 Member
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    As for not enjoying stuff with family, my family as well as some friends have seen how well it's worked out for me and now eat as I do so I'm not missing out on anything. My life doesn't revolve around food.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
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    Hovercat wrote: »
    I eat maybe 5 raspberries if they're on sale but other than that, nope. No fruit in 17+ months. (I have no idea how to directly reply, boards confuse me)

    A cup of raspberries (which I just finished eating) had a nice 8 grams of fiber though, and only 64 calories! They're tasty too. Why give that up? I have PCOS and I don't have to give this stuff up.

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