After just one week on low-sugar...

helengetshealthy

Cutting out added sugar (and by proxy, refined carbohydrates and processed foods) for one week so far, I'm down about 2lbs but MOST IMPORTANTLY - I've had my first period in approximately 10 months. Huge deal for me, and I have found it much easier to cut down on carbs by focusing on sugar instead.

Has anyone else done low-sugar, and have you had results? So far it is much more manageable than I anticipated!

KnitOrMiss

I'm on a low carb diet, per my endo's recommendation, not just low sugar, but I started in January. I've lost 20 pounds, more inches than that, and about 3 pants sizes. I've shrunk out of my undergarments and lost more than 1/2 a shoe size. For me, it's about about health gains and fat loss! Not to mention the energy. Just be careful to watch your sodium. Carbs tend to hold sodium in to process themselves, and dropping carbs, you lose sodium naturally. Water, too.

So up your water, and depending on how low your carbs are (anything under 100 grams of carbs daily is low carb), make sure to up your sodium. If you feel crummy at all, tired, rundown, get muscle cramps, add in sodium. Most adapting to low carb have to aim for 5000 mg a day minimum due to water losses facilitating sodium losses.

And fats are crucial to our hormonal creation and balance, so if you're upping your fats to coincide with dropping your sugars/carbs down (which is what you SHOULD DO), naturally, you're going to get some hormonal boosts there! Congrats.

BigBrunette

helengetshealthy wrote: »

Cutting out added sugar (and by proxy, refined carbohydrates and processed foods) for one week so far, I'm down about 2lbs

Same here. After one week of cutting out refined sugar, I've lost exactly two pounds. That small, early success is helping me to keep going. Good luck to you!

alfiedn

I've significantly cut sugar as well and my energy level is so much higher! I saw a lot of weight loss at first, but now that I can balance my diet more easily (upped my fats so I didn't feel so ravenous), I am not naturally losing quite as much. Which is ok because I don't have a ton to lose. I'm much more interested in controlling my hormones and feeling good than I am in losing weight.

It took me about a month to settle into my new lifestyle and I still have some "growing pains" about giving up some foods I miss (hello, pasta, talking to you!), but I just keep reminding myself how good I feel now vs. how hungry I am when I do eat sugar now. I see a difference when I have a bad eating day vs. when I have a great eating week. Keeps me going!

KnitOrMiss

I breathe I'm hungry has a pasta substitute recipe that is egg based (like an egg noodle) that I've been dying to try... Maybe tonight!

I wonder if the hormonal benefits we get aren't so much just low carbing and low carbing and upping fats? Hormones require fats for proper production and balance.... Hmm...

MarziPanda95

I didn't cut sugar at all. I cut carbs, but only slightly, just so that I could get enough protein. I've dropped 67lbs and my hormones are completely normal now A lot of improvement comes just from weight loss!

KnitOrMiss

Personally, I think the weight loss is more the outward sign that we're getting things right on the inside!

helengetshealthy

It is so cool and motivating to hear all the success from you ladies - I wish I'd done this sooner! I'm working on educating myself more about sugar and carbs, I feel so good about this

KnitOrMiss

I used to think that all the time, "I wish I knew this in my 20's or 20 years ago, then I'd never have gotten here."

Truth is, I've emerged stronger after a divorce, I love myself now in ways I didn't before, and I'm learning so much about myself, and I never would have been able to do those things the way I have done them now if I hadn't gotten up to 319 pounds at 34 years old (5'4") and all that... So I'm thankful for all the hell I went through, because now I know how to fully appreciate the good I'm accomplishing now... Just a thought there.