Sugar Detox - Exercising through the Withdrawals
Options
Replies
-
I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.
0 -
Depending on age/activity level/gender 1200 calories would be a fairly common recommendation from the guided calculator on MFP for losing 1lb/week.
I'd look at your macros. It sounds like you want workouts as part of your plan and you need energy to do them.
Make sure you're getting your carbs just make sure they're complex carbs. Basically anything "white" you probably want to avoid. Eat whole grains, beans, oats, there's lots more - do some web searches. Sugar detox is about keeping your blood sugars from looking like a roller coaster and complex carbs will give you consistent energy without the spikes. Research glycemic index for more info.
Do 5 small meals versus 3 larger ones. I like to do fruit or granola bars between breakfast/lunch then between lunch/dinner. This will also contribute to slow and steady blood sugar levels, and energy levels.
You're going to have to do a little trial and error with your macros. If you're doing moderate exercise I'd start with trying to hit MFP default macros. If you're trying to do more aggressive exercise and muscle gains like bodybuilding for example you'll need to increase your protein macro percentage from MFP defaults quite a bit, like double.
Try to never fall too short of your calories and macros either. I've had busy days working in the yard and such, and I worked out, and I was short like 500 or 600 calories on the day and the next days I was so exhausted I barely got out of bed. If you're trying to get in good workouts falling really short on calories is counter productive.
Some days it's going to be normal to feel lower than others. You need to learn to listen to your body and figure out if you should just go through the motions of a workout and get through it or bail on it all together. If you're just a little low energy and you've been working out a few months I'd push through the workout. If you're sore from doing some new athletic thing don't necessarily push through another workout. Rest and recovery are important components if you're trying to push yourself to new fitness milestones.
0 -
Hmm definitely thought majority of replies here would be much less condescending. Not a very supportive community.0
-
I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.
Wow, you hit the trifecta - a master cleanse recommendation, glycemic index references, and sugar detox all in one post. You sure you don't want to go double or nothing and recommend the OP watch Fed Up?
0 -
I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.
sugar is not a toxin, so why would you want to flush it out of your system?
and why would you recommend a green apple to some detoxing from sugar?????
I don't really feel the need to defend my decision to stop eating junk. I have a huge addiction to sugar (candy, sweets, cookies, etc.) and that is clearly a problem. So yeah, I'm detoxing.0 -
I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.
sugar is not a toxin, so why would you want to flush it out of your system?
and why would you recommend a green apple to some detoxing from sugar?????
I don't really feel the need to defend my decision to stop eating junk. I have a huge addiction to sugar (candy, sweets, cookies, etc.) and that is clearly a problem. So yeah, I'm detoxing.
Well factually, it's not needed. People aren't going to be supportive of quackery on this site.
0 -
Alluminati wrote: »Alluminati wrote: »OP, I think you're tired from eating so little.
Possibly very true, I'm not used to this but that is the direction myfitnesspal gave me.
Here are my "goals"
Nutritional Goals
Goals
Net Calories Consumed* / Day 1,200 cal/day
Carbs / Day 150.0 g
Fat / Day 40.0 g
Protein / Day 60.0 g
Fitness Goals
Goals
Calories Burned / Week 830 cal/week
Workouts / Week 5 Workouts
Minutes / Workout 30 mins
Your Diet Profile Target
Calories Burned
From Normal Daily Activity 2,060 cal/day
Net Calories Consumed*
Your Daily Goal 1,200 cal/day
Daily Calorie Deficit 860 calories
Projected Weight Loss 1.7 lbs/week
How are you measuring your activity burns? MFP already has the deficit built in so you should be netting 1200 a day. MFP also tends to exaggerate exercise burns, so perhaps eat half of your exercise calories back and see how you feel. Like Hornsby said, you cannot be eating zero sugars unless you're just eating meat.
Unless you have a medical issue with sugar, there really is no reason to "detox". If you wish to cut back on sugar as a personal choice, then have at it. But I don't think your withdrawals are coming from the lack of sugar itself. More like you might be burning yourself out from not eating enough to fuel your workouts.
Fair enough, yeah, it's a personal choice. Huge sweet tooth to the point that I gained 20 lbs from lack of self-control.
0 -
Projected Weight Loss 1.7 lbs/week
With only 20 lbs you are looking to lose, I think you have your projected weight loss goal per week set too high. When you're that close to your goal weight, the 0.5/lb a week setting is recommended.
Read through the information on this page:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.
Wow, you hit the trifecta - a master cleanse recommendation, glycemic index references, and sugar detox all in one post. You sure you don't want to go double or nothing and recommend the OP watch Fed Up?
"But wait, there's MORE!"0 -
martyqueen52 wrote: »Hello!
I have started a sugar detox that I expect to last 30 days (if not more if I am happy at the end!) I am on day 3 and I am so exhausted I feel like I could fall over. I also am trying to lose 20 lbs by eating 1200 calories a day and doing at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. You know, that whole shebang.
Today though, I feel too beat to exercise. My question is - do I push through the fatigue and get 30 in? Has anyone else experienced withdrawal symptoms from sugar? Thanks!
1200 calories, 5 days a week exercise..... what are you? An 80lb. teenage girl? You need to eat more.
Like previous posters said, unless you're eating ALL meat, you're consuming sugar. Your body doesn't need to detox at all. It does that on it's own.
It's interesting that both of you who posted this are guys. Any sense in justifying that women need to eat less than men in general? I agree that 1200 is pretty low but I have done a ton of research on calorie deficits to lose weight and 1200 seems to be the range recommended, albeit nothing lower than that.
I'm wondering if the 1200 number recommended is after exercise. Meaning, if I burn 300 calories in a day, I should really be eating 1500. But I wish myfitnesspal "goals" would just say that haha.
OP - I am a 5'2 female and netted 1500 cals/day to lose 1 lb/week and then netted close to 1700 cals/day to lose just under a half pound per week when I got closer to my goal weight. With only 20 lbs to lose you should have your goals set to lose no more than 1 lb/week, and MFP is designed such that you do eat at least a portion of your exercise calories back....because if you eat 1200 and exercise and burn 300, then yes, you are only netting 900 cals which is far too low.
Do yourself a favor, read the stickies at the top of the Getting Started Forum, but especially this one:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
0 -
Alluminati wrote: »Alluminati wrote: »OP, I think you're tired from eating so little.
Possibly very true, I'm not used to this but that is the direction myfitnesspal gave me.
Here are my "goals"
Nutritional Goals
Goals
Net Calories Consumed* / Day 1,200 cal/day
Carbs / Day 150.0 g
Fat / Day 40.0 g
Protein / Day 60.0 g
Fitness Goals
Goals
Calories Burned / Week 830 cal/week
Workouts / Week 5 Workouts
Minutes / Workout 30 mins
Your Diet Profile Target
Calories Burned
From Normal Daily Activity 2,060 cal/day
Net Calories Consumed*
Your Daily Goal 1,200 cal/day
Daily Calorie Deficit 860 calories
Projected Weight Loss 1.7 lbs/week
How are you measuring your activity burns? MFP already has the deficit built in so you should be netting 1200 a day. MFP also tends to exaggerate exercise burns, so perhaps eat half of your exercise calories back and see how you feel. Like Hornsby said, you cannot be eating zero sugars unless you're just eating meat.
Unless you have a medical issue with sugar, there really is no reason to "detox". If you wish to cut back on sugar as a personal choice, then have at it. But I don't think your withdrawals are coming from the lack of sugar itself. More like you might be burning yourself out from not eating enough to fuel your workouts.
Fair enough, yeah, it's a personal choice. Huge sweet tooth to the point that I gained 20 lbs from lack of self-control.
There you go. You said it. It's lack of self control, not an addiction, and not the fault of the sugar.
Also, not allowing myths to continue to propagate is not the same as being unsupportive. In fact, correcting false views based on junk science is more supportive than just blindly allowing a person to believe in the woo.0 -
I need to just put all sugar on my Bingo cards, I would have a black out Bingo every single day!! LOL,
0 -
Hmm definitely thought majority of replies here would be much less condescending. Not a very supportive community.
First of all, no one here has been condescending towards you. This conversation takes pace on MFP literally every day, and it gets frustrating dispelling all of the misinformation surrounding sugar every. Single. Day. And then people come in with even more bizarre misinformation (like the poster above who garnered a couple eye rolls), which is frustrating because it confuses people, such as yourself, who are new to health and fitness and who need to learn the facts rather than a bunch of woo from a couple of crazy journalists and bloggers out there who want to get page hits.
Secondly, there is absolutely no reason to "detox" from sugar. You are demonizing a food without completely understanding what it is and how the body processes it. Sugar is the latest "evil" food in the diet industry, and detox is a pretty-sounding buzzword to make you feel like you're doing something useful. Short of going to rehab for a severe drug addiction, there really is no such thing as a detox. Your liver and kidneys do your body's detoxing for you just fine.
You would probably be best-served by STOPPING the food demonizing, learning about macronutrients and how they affect body composition, trying to hit your calorie and macronutrient goals for the day, and learning how to control your portions so that you can include treats that you enjoy during your day to avoid binging on them later on. There is nothing wrong with incorporating sugary foods into a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
Mental health is important, too.0 -
martyqueen52 wrote: »Hello!
I have started a sugar detox that I expect to last 30 days (if not more if I am happy at the end!) I am on day 3 and I am so exhausted I feel like I could fall over. I also am trying to lose 20 lbs by eating 1200 calories a day and doing at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. You know, that whole shebang.
Today though, I feel too beat to exercise. My question is - do I push through the fatigue and get 30 in? Has anyone else experienced withdrawal symptoms from sugar? Thanks!
1200 calories, 5 days a week exercise..... what are you? An 80lb. teenage girl? You need to eat more.
Like previous posters said, unless you're eating ALL meat, you're consuming sugar. Your body doesn't need to detox at all. It does that on it's own.
It's interesting that both of you who posted this are guys. Any sense in justifying that women need to eat less than men in general? I agree that 1200 is pretty low but I have done a ton of research on calorie deficits to lose weight and 1200 seems to be the range recommended, albeit nothing lower than that.
I'm wondering if the 1200 number recommended is after exercise. Meaning, if I burn 300 calories in a day, I should really be eating 1500. But I wish myfitnesspal "goals" would just say that haha.
It has nothing to do with men or women replying. In your "research" did you even run your numbers? You're 5'7 , 150....well within a normal weight range. By your stats and admitted workout schedule, you're TDEE is around 2100-2200 cals. If you're only eating 1200 calories your eating at TDEE -44%, if you eat your exercise cals back to 1500 you're at TDEE -30%. That is the reason you feel like you could fall over.....you're not properly fueling.
I'd be interested in where you found TDEE -30% to TDEE -45% is recommended for someone within a healthy weight range. My 6 year old eats about 1000-1200 calories a day.
literally, MFP spat that number out0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »martyqueen52 wrote: »Hello!
I have started a sugar detox that I expect to last 30 days (if not more if I am happy at the end!) I am on day 3 and I am so exhausted I feel like I could fall over. I also am trying to lose 20 lbs by eating 1200 calories a day and doing at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. You know, that whole shebang.
Today though, I feel too beat to exercise. My question is - do I push through the fatigue and get 30 in? Has anyone else experienced withdrawal symptoms from sugar? Thanks!
1200 calories, 5 days a week exercise..... what are you? An 80lb. teenage girl? You need to eat more.
Like previous posters said, unless you're eating ALL meat, you're consuming sugar. Your body doesn't need to detox at all. It does that on it's own.
It's interesting that both of you who posted this are guys. Any sense in justifying that women need to eat less than men in general? I agree that 1200 is pretty low but I have done a ton of research on calorie deficits to lose weight and 1200 seems to be the range recommended, albeit nothing lower than that.
I'm wondering if the 1200 number recommended is after exercise. Meaning, if I burn 300 calories in a day, I should really be eating 1500. But I wish myfitnesspal "goals" would just say that haha.
OP - I am a 5'2 female and netted 1500 cals/day to lose 1 lb/week and then netted close to 1700 cals/day to lose just under a half pound per week when I got closer to my goal weight. With only 20 lbs to lose you should have your goals set to lose no more than 1 lb/week, and MFP is designed such that you do eat at least a portion of your exercise calories back....because if you eat 1200 and exercise and burn 300, then yes, you are only netting 900 cals which is far too low.
Do yourself a favor, read the stickies at the top of the Getting Started Forum, but especially this one:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
Got it - super helpful, thank you!0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »What is your weight loss "speed" set to? 2Lbs a week? with 20LBs to lose...that's probably not going to happen. And probably not enough calories. What's your height/weight/age?
As for the fatigue from reducing sugar (and probably therefore carbs), increasing fats can help. But you might just have to wait that out. Folks often feel awful when they reduce added sugars and therefore carbs. If you're not trying to be "low carb" add some fruits, and some beans.
But again: my eyes are drawn to that 1200 calorie figure and wondering if that's much too aggressive.
Sorry - to clarify, I'm not trying to lose 20 lbs in 30 days, just do a 30 day sugar detox. I'm hoping to lose 20 in 80 days. 5'7/150/23
Good tip about fats, I will definitely incorporate more! I assume you mean avocados, coconut oil, etc. The 1200 calorie goal is what myfitnesspal gave me after I entered my goals =/
I plugged your stats into the goals tool. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided
With only 20 pounds to lose, you should shoot for just losing 0.5 pound per week. More aggressive goals will cause suffering. 0.5 pound per week gives you 1,590 calories per day. You're 5'7" like me. 1,200 is for shorter women.
0 -
So now natural sugar is bad now??I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.0 -
Depending on age/activity level/gender 1200 calories would be a fairly common recommendation from the guided calculator on MFP for losing 1lb/week.
I'd look at your macros. It sounds like you want workouts as part of your plan and you need energy to do them.
Make sure you're getting your carbs just make sure they're complex carbs. Basically anything "white" you probably want to avoid. Eat whole grains, beans, oats, there's lots more - do some web searches. Sugar detox is about keeping your blood sugars from looking like a roller coaster and complex carbs will give you consistent energy without the spikes. Research glycemic index for more info.
Do 5 small meals versus 3 larger ones. I like to do fruit or granola bars between breakfast/lunch then between lunch/dinner. This will also contribute to slow and steady blood sugar levels, and energy levels.
You're going to have to do a little trial and error with your macros. If you're doing moderate exercise I'd start with trying to hit MFP default macros. If you're trying to do more aggressive exercise and muscle gains like bodybuilding for example you'll need to increase your protein macro percentage from MFP defaults quite a bit, like double.
Try to never fall too short of your calories and macros either. I've had busy days working in the yard and such, and I worked out, and I was short like 500 or 600 calories on the day and the next days I was so exhausted I barely got out of bed. If you're trying to get in good workouts falling really short on calories is counter productive.
Some days it's going to be normal to feel lower than others. You need to learn to listen to your body and figure out if you should just go through the motions of a workout and get through it or bail on it all together. If you're just a little low energy and you've been working out a few months I'd push through the workout. If you're sore from doing some new athletic thing don't necessarily push through another workout. Rest and recovery are important components if you're trying to push yourself to new fitness milestones.
Macros are a completely new concept to me so I definitely need to brush up on that research.
Thanks for the tips! (And for not assuming I'm crazy for that 1200 number)0 -
So now natural sugar is bad now??I totally did feel fatigue coming off sugar. The good news is...it won't last. Are you eating a green apple every day. It really helps to balance blood sugar and makes the cravings back off. Make sure you are drinking lots of water...it helps if there is some lemon, a dash of cinnamon and Cayenne pepper in it (I know, sounds gross but it really does work and you get use to the taste...even start to crave it. It will help you flush all that sugar out of your system. When you eat fruit, make sure it is low on the glycemic index...green apples and berries are the best. Bananas and pineapple the worst. If you eat very sugary fruit, do it early in the morning so your body has time to burn it off. You may also want to switch to almond milk because cows milk has a great deal of natural sugar.
Everyone knows that overly processed almond juice is much healthier than dairy... /s0 -
martyqueen52 wrote: »Hello!
I have started a sugar detox that I expect to last 30 days (if not more if I am happy at the end!) I am on day 3 and I am so exhausted I feel like I could fall over. I also am trying to lose 20 lbs by eating 1200 calories a day and doing at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. You know, that whole shebang.
Today though, I feel too beat to exercise. My question is - do I push through the fatigue and get 30 in? Has anyone else experienced withdrawal symptoms from sugar? Thanks!
1200 calories, 5 days a week exercise..... what are you? An 80lb. teenage girl? You need to eat more.
Like previous posters said, unless you're eating ALL meat, you're consuming sugar. Your body doesn't need to detox at all. It does that on it's own.
It's interesting that both of you who posted this are guys. Any sense in justifying that women need to eat less than men in general? I agree that 1200 is pretty low but I have done a ton of research on calorie deficits to lose weight and 1200 seems to be the range recommended, albeit nothing lower than that.
I'm wondering if the 1200 number recommended is after exercise. Meaning, if I burn 300 calories in a day, I should really be eating 1500. But I wish myfitnesspal "goals" would just say that haha.
It has nothing to do with men or women replying. In your "research" did you even run your numbers? You're 5'7 , 150....well within a normal weight range. By your stats and admitted workout schedule, you're TDEE is around 2100-2200 cals. If you're only eating 1200 calories your eating at TDEE -44%, if you eat your exercise cals back to 1500 you're at TDEE -30%. That is the reason you feel like you could fall over.....you're not properly fueling.
I'd be interested in where you found TDEE -30% to TDEE -45% is recommended for someone within a healthy weight range. My 6 year old eats about 1000-1200 calories a day.
literally, MFP spat that number out
Because you put the numbers in there.
With only 20 pounds to lose, half a pound a week would be a healthy weight loss.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 402 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 998 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions