Sugar Detox

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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I think what the OP means is maybe refined/added sugar. The kind that's addictive and found in fruit juices, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake... I've been on a sugar detox a few times (I ate fruit to curb any cravings and avoid sugar crashes). Takes 2 weeks before you don't crave it anymore, but it is totally worth it.

    for the love of everything that is holy…NO

    you can eat ALL the sugar and be in a calorie deficit and lose weight …

    sugar is not evil ….

    look up twinkie diet if you do not believe me…
    I read this as "light up a twinkie"
    Damn, now I want a fire roasted twinkie.

    in for twinkie lighting...
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Anyone else start with trying to detox your body from sugar? I am starting day three of detox and I am suffering headaches, shaking hands, crankiness and generally want to curl up in a corner and make the world go away.

    I did first two days strict, not even fruit or juices but I woke up this morning and couldn't handle it so I drank 8oz of fresh orange juice. I am feeling a little better now, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that.

    I guess I am just rambling, but I would love to find others in this situation.

    Your body literally runs on sugar, and if you consume no sugar your body will simply manufacture sugar from the other things (protein, fats, starches) you consume.

    So it's literally impossible to detox from sugar. The concept makes no sense.
  • Mav3rick54
    Mav3rick54 Posts: 180 Member
    Eat real fruit, skip the fruit juice and your body will still detox off the fake stuff and the cravings will stop.You also gotta cut out white grain/bread and pasta. The stuff turns to sugar as soon as you eat it and your body reacts the same. Eat WHOLE grains. It took about 4 days for me and the weight loss process has been so much easier now that the cravings are gone. Good Luck!

    Couple of curiosity questions?
    What does the body need to "detox" from and why?
    Sugar comes from plants (sugarcain, sugar beets or in some cases the date palm), so when you refer to the "fake stuff" what are you referring to?
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    I am going to go out on a limb and blame Krinkles the clown.......people now fear sugar:


    758_136_ucp.jpg
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Eat real fruit, skip the fruit juice and your body will still detox off the fake stuff and the cravings will stop.You also gotta cut out white grain/bread and pasta. The stuff turns to sugar as soon as you eat it and your body reacts the same. Eat WHOLE grains. It took about 4 days for me and the weight loss process has been so much easier now that the cravings are gone. Good Luck!

    Biochemistry, where art thou?
    Everywhere.
  • tattoo06
    tattoo06 Posts: 19 Member
    I recently went on a 30 day sugar fast but didn't have any of the withdrawal symptoms that you speak of. I originally saw a fast a couple did on the morning news so I figured I would give it a try. My problem is that I used to eat a lot of sweets and drink a lot of teas. I can't speak for anyone else and everyone's body is different but in the first two weeks I was down 7.5lbs and after the 30 days I was down a total of 22lbs. It was hard for the first week but after that it became easy. My body honestly feels so much better. I get sugar in other foods that I eat but the sweets and other obvious choices were doing me in. I continued it for another 30 days with having my cheat days once a week and Im at a total of 39lbs of weight loss. I was at 47 until I started putting too much sugar back into my diet. Im not a nutritionist but I know this kick started my weight loss for sure. In some of my cravings it was also a mind thing. I got the sugar free cookies from murrays, sugar free syrup, and my favorite is the sugar free jello chocolate pudding. Some of them have the "sugar water" additive but I just know they work for my cravings. Good luck in whatever you do. Just an fyi, but I continued my at least 2 miles a day of cardio. If I would have cut out fast food who knows how much I would have lost.
  • jacques57
    jacques57 Posts: 2,129 Member
    The DETOX from sugar comes from a Dr. Mark Hyman, one of many wellness talking heads on PBS fund-raising shows. He made the claim that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. He outlined a "detox" from sugar that takes 10 days "to get the hormones back into regular behaviors." I have long thought I was addicted to sugars. This idea of sugar addiction came out of a book called "Sugar blues" and also from my Overeaters Anonymous meeting testimonies.

    SO I am trying the Dr. Hyman 10-day detox. Mostly a smoothy of seeds/blueberries/cranberries/coconut butter/unsweetened almond milk/lemon juice for breakfast, and chicken, turkey, tofu, and veggies for dinner and lunch. I dropped 5 lbs in a week (255 to 250), and noticed the sugar cravings reduced but were not gone. Posters can ridicule a lack of scientific evidence for a sugar addiction (sugar is sugar is sugar) but I know a monkey on my back when I feel one.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    I recently went on a 30 day sugar fast but didn't have any of the withdrawal symptoms that you speak of. I originally saw a fast a couple did on the morning news so I figured I would give it a try. My problem is that I used to eat a lot of sweets and drink a lot of teas. I can't speak for anyone else and everyone's body is different but in the first two weeks I was down 7.5lbs and after the 30 days I was down a total of 22lbs. It was hard for the first week but after that it became easy. My body honestly feels so much better. I get sugar in other foods that I eat but the sweets and other obvious choices were doing me in. I continued it for another 30 days with having my cheat days once a week and Im at a total of 39lbs of weight loss. I was at 47 until I started putting too much sugar back into my diet. Im not a nutritionist but I know this kick started my weight loss for sure. In some of my cravings it was also a mind thing. I got the sugar free cookies from murrays, sugar free syrup, and my favorite is the sugar free jello chocolate pudding. Some of them have the "sugar water" additive but I just know they work for my cravings. Good luck in whatever you do. Just an fyi, but I continued my at least 2 miles a day of cardio. If I would have cut out fast food who knows how much I would have lost.
    It wasn't cutting sugar in general that made you lose 22lbs, it was being in a calorie deficit from all the treats and tea you stopped ingesting. :grumble:
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    The DETOX from sugar comes from a Dr. Mark Hyman, one of many wellness talking heads on PBS fund-raising shows. He made the claim that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. He outlined a "detox" from sugar that takes 10 days "to get the hormones back into regular behaviors." I have long thought I was addicted to sugars. This idea of sugar addiction came out of a book called "Sugar blues" and also from my Overeaters Anonymous meeting testimonies.

    SO I am trying the Dr. Hyman 10-day detox. Mostly a smoothy of seeds/blueberries/cranberries/coconut butter/unsweetened almond milk/lemon juice for breakfast, and chicken, turkey, tofu, and veggies for dinner and lunch. I dropped 5 lbs in a week (255 to 250), and noticed the sugar cravings reduced but were not gone. Posters can ridicule a lack of scientific evidence for a sugar addiction (sugar is sugar is sugar) but I know a monkey on my back when I feel one.
    Read what I just said above.
  • JessG11
    JessG11 Posts: 345 Member
    I'm trying to completely cut out refined sugars for a while so that I can eventually add "treats" back in from time to time and learn some self control. But I'm eating four servings of fruit a day and it has really helped me (as of now: banana, orange, strawberries). Would I love to tear into a bag of reese peanut butter cups??? Of course, but I've had years of eating peanut butter cups. The oranges I've been eating lately have really been satisfying my sweet tooth...as much as an orange can.

    I know there are some people on MFP that are against cutting out something, but for myself, I have no self control and truly believe in sugar addiction. I love sweets. And I can't eat just one cookie here and there. I want to eat it all. I will skip meals to eat sweets. I would also feel the need to eat sweets daily.

    My doctor said it best: you can eat snickers bars only and lose weight if you stay in your calorie range, but you'll feel like crap. Just a few days of no refined sugars (except in a few teaspoons of peanut butter) has made a difference in how I feel for sure. I just feel better, less crappy. So I have the motivation to keep going. Good luck to you!


    **Let me edit and add: when I say refined sugars I mean desserts, sweets, white sugar in my coffee, cokes, ice creams, etc. A bag of chips can sit in my pantry untouched but a bag of m&ms will be gone in a heartbeat. If I eat one sweet thing, I'll immediately want another.
  • HmSkillit
    HmSkillit Posts: 7 Member
    Whenever I detox from refined sugar, I have cravings for about a week, then I'm good from there. I would never cut out fresh fruit. There's a lot more than sugar in fruit, your body needs it all. Eating healthy does not require you to be miserable. Weight loss is best done slowly, while learning good habits. Make the right choices, control portions. There's a reason that so many people eat 5-6 small meals throughout a day, and that's because keeping your blood sugar at a good level keeps the hunger & cravings at bay. You have to eat to lose weight. It's a fact.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Anyone else start with trying to detox your body from sugar?

    Not on purpose. I leave the detoxing to my liver and kidneys.
    I think what the OP means is maybe refined/added sugar. The kind that's addictive and found in fruit juices, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake... I've been on a sugar detox a few times (I ate fruit to curb any cravings and avoid sugar crashes). Takes 2 weeks before you don't crave it anymore, but it is totally worth it.

    for the love of everything that is holy…NO

    you can eat ALL the sugar and be in a calorie deficit and lose weight …

    sugar is not evil ….

    look up twinkie diet if you do not believe me…
    I read this as "light up a twinkie"
    Damn, now I want a fire roasted twinkie.
    large_2x.jpg
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    People make me really really REALLY sad
  • I have not had any added sugar in two weeks. I get my sugar rush from fruits. My first week was hard......This week has been great!!!!!!
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    When you say 'Sugar' you need to be much more specific .. 'Sugar' is a generic term for a whole bunch of substances [/pedantic mode]
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Anyone else start with trying to detox your body from sugar?

    Not on purpose. I leave the detoxing to my liver and kidneys.
    I think what the OP means is maybe refined/added sugar. The kind that's addictive and found in fruit juices, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake... I've been on a sugar detox a few times (I ate fruit to curb any cravings and avoid sugar crashes). Takes 2 weeks before you don't crave it anymore, but it is totally worth it.

    for the love of everything that is holy…NO

    you can eat ALL the sugar and be in a calorie deficit and lose weight …

    sugar is not evil ….

    look up twinkie diet if you do not believe me…
    I read this as "light up a twinkie"
    Damn, now I want a fire roasted twinkie.
    large_2x.jpg
    You made my day :smooched:
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    In for science and critical thinking.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Damn - I thought this was like a 'juice detox', where you had loads of sugary stuff to 'detox' :).

    Seeing that most carbs will be converted in to a glucose (a sugar!), I wouldn't be wanting to try and 'detox' from them :?.

    If your body finds it toxic, you've got massive issues.
  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    Anyone else start with trying to detox your body from sugar? I am starting day three of detox and I am suffering headaches, shaking hands, crankiness and generally want to curl up in a corner and make the world go away.

    I did first two days strict, not even fruit or juices but I woke up this morning and couldn't handle it so I drank 8oz of fresh orange juice. I am feeling a little better now, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that.

    I guess I am just rambling, but I would love to find others in this situation.

    I have done sugar fasts in the past, maybe 3 or 4 times in the past few years. For me, this meant that fruit was ok, whole grains ok, but processed/refined foods were not.

    I did not do this as a "detox" as I think the concept of detoxing is BS. I did it because I was eating a ton of junk food and wanted to step away from the candy jar for a bit and reset my day-to-day cravings. It worked out quite well for me. There are some junk foods I used to love that I don't like anymore (Reece's cups used to be a weakness of mine, but now I find them gross). There are others I do still enjoy from time-to-time but they are treated as treats instead of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also have PCOS and mild IR, so there was extra incentive for me to want to stay away from having a whole lot of refined sugars.

    My advice is just make sure you are eating enough.

    ETA for grammar.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    People make me really really REALLY sad

    ^^This. Go ahead, stop eating sugar. More ice cream for me!!!
  • MrsRatfire
    MrsRatfire Posts: 102
    Hello- I am on day 11 of tracking. The first 7 days, I committed myself not to a diet, but to the very action of reporting all of my food and portions into the tracker. The food diary permits you to add two more categories- I added "Before Bedtime" and "Overnight Eating". Part of this is I have a disorder that does not allow me to fast over night. But I digress!

    Once I hit day 7, on day 8, everything was working. I am hitting the calorie goal- or close & I am off any foods I want to be off of. I have to keep my system supported so that I can handle the fast over night. My metabolic shake is really working: 1/2 cup almond milk (unsweetened), fruit- a cup or less (I keep a variety of frozen fruits in freezer-unsweetened), scoop of whey protein powder- using NOW Isolate, bit of water and 2 or 3 table spoons of chia seeds. I also put some Tuia sugar substitute in to sweeten them up.

    These make you so very full and add sugar (fruit)- in balance -for body support- I do not crave anything using these. I have one overnight when I wake up in the middle of the night, and I either have the second one for breakfast or lunch- depending on if I am hungry or not in the morning. No shakes have EVER worked for me- I considered them a waste of calories over real food- but I finally found one that really works for me! I was hesitant to try them because of the added calories, but I decided to go with it. I have really dropped off of calories using these. Seems almost too good to be true.

    Chia seeds expand in size with hydration- so I do not pre-make the shake. I just leave the fruit in the blender cup to thaw a bit and put it all together when I want it.

    In week one, be habitual of recording, but I would give myself free of charge- week one. Eat anything- just create the habit of recording. After a week, at least for me, I just started dropping down on consumption. If you are hungry all of the time, I really recommend you try two shakes a day. You will be surprised how your appetite will drop.

    Many people use one from Breakfast and one at mid-day between lunch and dinner. I have one over night instead.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    Anyone else start with trying to detox your body from sugar? I am starting day three of detox and I am suffering headaches, shaking hands, crankiness and generally want to curl up in a corner and make the world go away.

    I did first two days strict, not even fruit or juices but I woke up this morning and couldn't handle it so I drank 8oz of fresh orange juice. I am feeling a little better now, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that.

    I guess I am just rambling, but I would love to find others in this situation.

    Straight orange juice is like the worst thing you can drink if you're trying to eat less sugar. It's practically pure sugar. Next time, eat a piece of fruit, say, an apple.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I think what the OP means is maybe refined/added sugar. The kind that's addictive and found in fruit juices, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake... I've been on a sugar detox a few times (I ate fruit to curb any cravings and avoid sugar crashes). Takes 2 weeks before you don't crave it anymore, but it is totally worth it.

    for the love of everything that is holy…NO

    you can eat ALL the sugar and be in a calorie deficit and lose weight …

    sugar is not evil ….

    look up twinkie diet if you do not believe me…


    Actually, sugar is not good for you. Here's a well-known lecture, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." The speaker is Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

    You also might want to Google "The Men Who Made Us Fat."
  • pcgunter
    pcgunter Posts: 63 Member
    Sugar can be very evil! If you eat tons of sugar but still have a calorie deficit, yes, you will lose weight. However, sugar is toxic to the body and can cause many severe health problems. It's always a good idea to limit your sugar intake. Telling someone it doesn't matter how much sugar they consume is not a great piece of advice!

    I say this only because i'm in pretty good shape and i'm considered to be in my normal weight range - yet i'm prediabetic and i've got high blood pressure. I have both of these conditions partially because even though i keep my calorie intake in check I still consume waay too much sugar. There are many people who would probably lose weight and better their health just by reducing the amount of sugar they consume.
  • PRguez
    PRguez Posts: 61 Member
    No good.

    :noway:

    you take baby steps; you just don't cut something all together... of course you feel like that.

    and sugar is essential like many other things; what it is not is crap food. Sugar cravings? go for something sweet & healthier that processed foods like fruit or a bit of dark chocolate (which is good for you)
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    Sugar can be very evil! If you eat tons of sugar but still have a calorie deficit, yes, you will lose weight. However, sugar is toxic to the body and can cause many severe health problems. It's always a good idea to limit your sugar intake. Telling someone it doesn't matter how much sugar they consume is not a great piece of advice!

    I say this only because i'm in pretty good shape and i'm considered to be in my normal weight range - yet i'm prediabetic and i've got high blood pressure. I have both of these conditions partially because even though i keep my calorie intake in check I still consume waay too much sugar. There are many people who would probably lose weight and better their health just by reducing the amount of sugar they consume.

    I agree. I'm not completely eliminating processed sugar as that might be too hard, but I'm sure as heck trying to eat less of it in all forms.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I think what the OP means is maybe refined/added sugar. The kind that's addictive and found in fruit juices, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake... I've been on a sugar detox a few times (I ate fruit to curb any cravings and avoid sugar crashes). Takes 2 weeks before you don't crave it anymore, but it is totally worth it.

    for the love of everything that is holy…NO

    you can eat ALL the sugar and be in a calorie deficit and lose weight …

    sugar is not evil ….

    look up twinkie diet if you do not believe me…


    Actually, sugar is not good for you. Here's a well-known lecture, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." The speaker is Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

    You also might want to Google "The Men Who Made Us Fat."

    Dr LOLstig? So if sugar is not good, is hypoglycemia good?
  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    Sugar can be very evil! If you eat tons of sugar but still have a calorie deficit, yes, you will lose weight. However, sugar is toxic to the body and can cause many severe health problems. It's always a good idea to limit your sugar intake. Telling someone it doesn't matter how much sugar they consume is not a great piece of advice!

    I say this only because i'm in pretty good shape and i'm considered to be in my normal weight range - yet i'm prediabetic and i've got high blood pressure. I have both of these conditions partially because even though i keep my calorie intake in check I still consume waay too much sugar. There are many people who would probably lose weight and better their health just by reducing the amount of sugar they consume.

    Nobody is saying to eat all the sugar. Just that you can have it in moderation. I think everyone would agree that a diet of all twinkies would be a disaster, but if you have room in your daily calories/macros for a twinkie, and that's what you want, go on and enjoy it.
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    I know there are some people on MFP that are against cutting out something, but for myself, I have no self control and truly believe in sugar addiction. I love sweets. And I can't eat just one cookie here and there. I want to eat it all. I will skip meals to eat sweets. I would also feel the need to eat sweets daily.

    **Let me edit and add: when I say refined sugars I mean desserts, sweets, white sugar in my coffee, cokes, ice creams, etc. A bag of chips can sit in my pantry untouched but a bag of m&ms will be gone in a heartbeat. If I eat one sweet thing, I'll immediately want another.

    We are very similar in this regard.

    As I've gotten to know so many people on this wonderful site, I've come to learn that there are generally three kinds of people when it comes to the refined, processed, sugary stuff: 1.) Those who don't particularly like it and just ignore it by default; 2.) Those who have eaten too much of it in the past but just need to learn to moderate with it, and when they do they have no trouble keeping it at reasonable levels; 3.) Those who have tried to eat at moderate levels for years but find themselves voraciously attacking an entire bag of m&ms if given the opportunity.

    With salty snacks, fried foods, and cheesy stuff I fall into category #2.

    With the sweets (and I'd add white bread and pasta), I fall into category #3.

    This is a hugely unpopular thing to say on these boards, but the solution I found for MYSELF (and I will quickly qualify this by saying this is not for everyone and is a highly personal choice), was to abstain completely from the sweet foods that triggered *me* into overeating. I'm not talking about all sugar - I still ate fruit, honey, maple syrup, jams, and even a little artificial sweetener in yogurt for example. But I stopped eating cookies, cake, cupcakes, ice cream, chocolate bars, sourdough bread, pasta, and many other foods that I just could not control myself with.

    I did this in January of 2012 and I continue to do so. For me, it was probably the single most important thing I did in terms of finally losing my 65 lbs and regaining my sanity. I don't miss it one bit. The only time I feel a little squeeze is during the holidays. But I'd much rather forego some pumpkin pie to keep my inner peace.

    I have found that some people get very offended when I tell them I did this. I think they believe that if I would just be "stronger", "not so lazy", "more self controlled", and so forth, then I wouldn't have this problem. I disagree. As someone who is on her 801st day of logging every single bite that goes into her mouth, and built up a running regimen from a couch potato to doing 4 miles at almost 7mph now, I am ANYTHING but lazy and not self-controlled. It was a chemical and emotional issue and I dealt with it the way that worked for me.

    I mention this because there may be others who have the same problem as me, and I wanted to share my story in case it inspired them to consider it as well. But again - it is NOT a solution for everyone and shouldn't be taken lightly. It's a big sacrifice.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I think what the OP means is maybe refined/added sugar. The kind that's addictive and found in fruit juices, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake... I've been on a sugar detox a few times (I ate fruit to curb any cravings and avoid sugar crashes). Takes 2 weeks before you don't crave it anymore, but it is totally worth it.

    for the love of everything that is holy…NO

    you can eat ALL the sugar and be in a calorie deficit and lose weight …

    sugar is not evil ….

    look up twinkie diet if you do not believe me…


    Actually, sugar is not good for you. Here's a well-known lecture, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." The speaker is Robert H. Lustig, M.D.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

    You also might want to Google "The Men Who Made Us Fat."

    You say it like it's the first time we've heard of Lustig. :huh: