Giving up sugar and white flour forever.

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  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    @skullshank

    http://www.nutralegacy.com/blog/general-healthcare/top-10-dangers-of-artificial-sweeteners/

    http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners
    Personal opinion only here... but making ´never´ and ´none´ statements do not really belong in a health and nutrition forum. There just is no health benefit to completely eliminating normal food types.

    Health is not an extreme sport, you do not get healthier by making radical choices. All things in moderation.

    Since when did sugar become a normal food type? Starch is, and I am just limiting white wheat, not whole grains. No "normal" food types are eliminated.

    And thank you
    CyberEd312
    Need2Exerc1se
    abear007

    I know I lack self-control, and I know discipline is like a muscle...the more you use it the stronger it gets. Why must this be so difficult? I don't know what else to do.

    So a blog and a site trying to sell "Natrual Health and Organic Living" are the citations? That second link even says "Do NOT drink tap water"...smh.
  • rmatheson58
    rmatheson58 Posts: 5
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    YES! In fact the whole issue with diet,exercise,fat,calories is all crap. It's all about sugar and processed food. If you change your diet to only eat sugar free foods that you cook at home and you will lose weight. Good luck
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    YES! In fact the whole issue with diet,exercise,fat,calories is all crap. It's all about sugar and processed food. If you change your diet to only eat sugar free foods that you cook at home and you will lose weight. Good luck
    please don't ever post this nonsense again. it's generally not helpful to anyone.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    I cut all carbs waaaaaay back. I feel better, I don't get as hungry, and it makes weight loss relatively easy.

    But to completely eliminate a food "forever", which essentially means being in a constant state of anxiety over failure? What happens when you go out to dinner, or are a houseguest, or really want pie, or go on a loooong hike and the trail mix has m-and-ms in it, or the only food being served is pizza? That seems to me like a terrible way to live. YMMV of course.

    "There are no good and bad foods, only good and bad people" :bigsmile:
  • naz1234
    naz1234 Posts: 18 Member
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    Cracks me up so many people get emotional over somebody's choice to do without something.

    if you don't want to eat or have something ever again then just don't eat it. build your lifestyle around it and carry on.

    It's your life, enjoy it as you see fit.


    SO TRUE CAMO, AM FINDING COMMUNITY IN GENERAL ON MFP IS BECOMING A REALLY HARD PLACE TO BE- full of judgement and direction devoid of empathy and support.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
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    Hell no! Because cake.

    +1


    I have a grain mill and unbleached sugar ... but I still have a big honking 5 gallon pail of unbleached white flour.
  • CarveH20
    CarveH20 Posts: 24
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    give up? Nobody likes a quitter. Seriously though - reducing is barely practical. Giving up would be nearly impossible.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
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    give up flour *and* sugar!? :sad: :sad: :sad:
  • shireeniebeanie
    shireeniebeanie Posts: 293 Member
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    @skullshank

    http://www.nutralegacy.com/blog/general-healthcare/top-10-dangers-of-artificial-sweeteners/

    http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners
    Personal opinion only here... but making ´never´ and ´none´ statements do not really belong in a health and nutrition forum. There just is no health benefit to completely eliminating normal food types.

    Health is not an extreme sport, you do not get healthier by making radical choices. All things in moderation.
    Since when did sugar become a normal food type? Starch is, and I am just limiting white wheat, not whole grains. No "normal" food types are eliminated.

    And thank you
    CyberEd312
    Need2Exerc1se
    abear007

    I know I lack self-control, and I know discipline is like a muscle...the more you use it the stronger it gets. Why must this be so difficult? I don't know what else to do.
    So a blog and a site trying to sell "Natrual Health and Organic Living" are the citations? That second link even says "Do NOT drink tap water"...smh.
    Perhaps people don't really understand what sources worthy of citing and how the scientific method works. (shrug) Sadly, bamboozling people into thinking any outrageous thing is easier than teaching them how to think for themselves.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    Nope.

    Pass the gelato.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    YES! In fact the whole issue with diet,exercise,fat,calories is all crap. It's all about sugar and processed food. If you change your diet to only eat sugar free foods that you cook at home and you will lose weight. Good luck
    please don't ever post this nonsense again. it's generally not helpful to anyone.

    ^QFT my brain hurts
  • gamesandgains
    gamesandgains Posts: 640 Member
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    OP - Want a tip? If this is something you want to do, then try it for 30 days. See how you like it then decide if it's for you. You will always have people who are opposed to what you want to do. In this case I'm one of them. There's no need to do this when you maintain a balanced diet. However, that's just my opinion and I don't know if this would actually benefit you as an individual. Maybe it does wonders for you. All I know is it wouldn't benefit me.

    Try it. If you hate it, then stop. Live and learn.
  • lizzynewm
    lizzynewm Posts: 199 Member
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    this is so sad! please don't give up sugar and white flour! think of all the amazing croissants and tiramisus and crappy pizzas and birthday cakes that you will have to miss out on on special occasions. it might be the pastry student in me talking, but life just isn't the same without such amazing indulgences. you can limit these things in your diet (i don't have much white flour or sugar on a day to day basis, but i certainly don't restrict myself from it) but deciding to completely cut them out is, i believe, a little extreme.

    if you believe you can do it, and you want to, there is no harm in it. substituting white flour and sugar for less processed foods is possible and quite a hefty goal if you're looking to be a "clean eater". however, it's gonna make your life unnecessarily difficult, and i don't think most people would want to restrain themselves from some of life's most delicious deliciousnesses.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    Wow, some of these responses make it sound like it's the hardest thing ever, along with "homemade everything"... Honestly, I did it about a year ago (started 3 years ago, but it took a while) and it was the best decision I ever made. I almost everything from scratch (it's actually quite easy...) read every single label, etc. The less ingredients in something and the simpler it is, then the better. And honestly, I've never felt better - my skin cleared up, I stopped getting migraines, I sleep better, and I have way more energy and less anxiety. And when I do "cheat" (I don't even call it that...) I regret it the next morning when I wake up with a migraine. Oh, and I lost those stubborn last 10 pounds and then some by giving up white sugar/flour.

    If I want something sweet then I have fruit. If I want a treat, then I bake with maple syrup, but even that is only for special occasions... it can be done and once you get the hang of it, you'll never look back.

    Also, why is veganism considered extreme?
  • jakedner
    jakedner Posts: 186 Member
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    Check out Sarah Wilson's "I Quit Sugar"... She has an 8 week program that eases you into giving up that stuff. The book makes it really simple and fairly painless. Plus she has lots of pretty pictures :)
    I've been cutting it out for a while and while it was hard at first--- I'm starting to feel amazing!

    One of her first tips is to not label it as giving it up FOREVER. Just a day at a time and see how it goes... so much of it is mental.

    If you're going to wean off sugar, this is the way to go. Being a sugar addict, I haven't quite mastered giving it up completely, but the programs that help you step off of it gradually are way easier. A friend just told me about Tosca Reno's ebook called "Strike Sugar". She also does a strike sugar challenge. I'm going to look into both. You may also want to look into "The Wheat Belly Diet" by William Davis. I have another friend that lost 25 pounds following that and many of her health issues are no longer issues... Educate yourself and try different things. You'll find the eating plan that works for you.

    White flour and sugar are in so much, it is very extreme to give them up. I strive to decrease them and look for natural sugar and whole grain, wheat or other flour options, whenever possible.

    Best wishes whatever you decide to do!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    The less ingredients in something and the simpler it is, then the better.

    Why? I cook with a small number of ingredients more often than not, because of time, but sometimes I make more complicated foods, like a tagine with lots of ingredients or, yes, a fruit pie or maybe a homemade pizza (I'm thinking about doing one with whole wheat crust soon, based on a discussion in another thread), and I see no reason why simply using more ingredients would make the food worse.
    And honestly, I've never felt better - my skin cleared up, I stopped getting migraines, I sleep better, and I have way more energy and less anxiety.

    Lots of people get these results without having to give up anything. Others never had the problems. Thus, the idea that people in general benefit from never eating innocuous (yes, really, in moderation they are) foods like flour and sugar isn't accurate. Might some? Sure, although I think many of them probably never truly tried moderation or limiting consumption. But so long as they are just making a personal choice and not making pronouncements about what is necessary for good health, that's fine with me.

    As I understand the OP's concerns, she thinks she will binge. My suspicion is that not dealing with a binging issue and just not eating something is likely to result in (a) cravings and eventually a binge, or (b) a binge if one happens to eat the food on rare occasion (or is offered it on a special occasion, as you will be), because now it's become a forbidden item. But I admit I don't binge, so am not an expert. I'd think that working on the underlying binging issue would be more the issue than deciding that you will never eat sugar or flour again, as the food is unlikely to be the actual culprit.

    Anyway, it seems hard to me just because it seems pointless, and restrictions that lack good reason are generally hard to stick with, IME. I suppose if you really believed in it that wouldn't be the case, but that's why I don't think veganism is necessarily all that tough or extreme (I don't buy into the ethical argument but I understand why others would) or, of course, giving up foods that one is actually allergic to or has a negative reaction to, but something like this seems different.

    Also, I always think it's odd when people claim giving up something isn't a big deal but then post asking how to do it. Just don't eat it if you don't want to. I tried giving up grains and added sugar for a bit to see if I felt different (I did not), and it wasn't any kind of big thing. I'd say rather than focusing on forever the advice to just try it for a period of time if you really think it would help is good. I wouldn't demonize it, though, but just think of it as experimenting with what makes you feel better.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    The less ingredients in something and the simpler it is, then the better.

    Why? I cook with a small number of ingredients more often than not, because of time, but sometimes I make more complicated foods, like a tagine with lots of ingredients or, yes, a fruit pie or maybe a homemade pizza (I'm thinking about doing one with whole wheat crust soon, based on a discussion in another thread), and I see no reason why simply using more ingredients would make the food worse.
    And honestly, I've never felt better - my skin cleared up, I stopped getting migraines, I sleep better, and I have way more energy and less anxiety.

    Lots of people get these results without having to give up anything. Others never had the problems. Thus, the idea that people in general benefit from never eating innocuous (yes, really, in moderation they are) foods like flour and sugar isn't accurate. Might some? Sure, although I think many of them probably never truly tried moderation or limiting consumption. But so long as they are just making a personal choice and not making pronouncements about what is necessary for good health, that's fine with me.

    As I understand the OP's concerns, she thinks she will binge. My suspicion is that not dealing with a binging issue and just not eating something is likely to result in (a) cravings and eventually a binge, or (b) a binge if one happens to eat the food on rare occasion (or is offered it on a special occasion, as you will be), because now it's become a forbidden item. But I admit I don't binge, so am not an expert. I'd think that working on the underlying binging issue would be more the issue than deciding that you will never eat sugar or flour again, as the food is unlikely to be the actual culprit.

    Anyway, it seems hard to me just because it seems pointless, and restrictions that lack good reason are generally hard to stick with, IME. I suppose if you really believed in it that wouldn't be the case, but that's why I don't think veganism is necessarily all that tough or extreme (I don't buy into the ethical argument but I understand why others would) or, of course, giving up foods that one is actually allergic to or has a negative reaction too, but something like this seems different.

    Also, I always think it's odd when people claim giving up something isn't a big deal but then post asking how to do it. Just don't eat it if you don't want to. I tried giving up grains and added sugar for a bit to see if I felt different (I did not), and it wasn't any kind of big thing. I'd say rather than focusing on forever the advise to just try it for a period of time if you really think it would help is good. I wouldn't demonize it, though, but just think of it as experimenting with what makes you feel better.

    Wow, way to take things out of context. My "simpler the better" comment was in regards to packaged foods. Someone asked the OP if she was willing to read every single label for the rest of her life. Personally, I don't think a long line of ingredients is all that healthy on a PACKAGED food item. It's also not difficult to do if you know how to read. I wasn't talking about home cooked meals at all...but whatever, you clearly seem to have a problem with the fact that I personally benefited from giving up white sugar and white flour. I really don't know how that affects you, but if you feel the need to take issue with that, then it's your problem, not mine. Good luck with your attitude.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    So what are you going to eat if you're giving up sugar and white flour?

    Sugar is in pretty much everything: fruits, vegetables, alcohol, lots of foods in the grocery store have sugar.

    So if you're giving up cane sugar then does that mean you're going to substitute with brown sugar, or honey, or fake sugar? :huh:

    I only said cane sugar, and I will of course eat fruit and all. :) Brown sugar is white cane sugar before the molasses is taken out. I would use probably honey or 100% maple syrup. Fake sugars can be worse for you than the real stuff. ;)

    Organic sugar has the same calorie content, but many times it is completely worth it to purchase fair trade! Reading up on how big sugar companies gets their sugar makes me think going without it can also be for ethical reasons. http://equalitywalk2.blogspot.com/2014/05/where-does-your-sugar-come-from.html Just fuel for thought.

    OP interesting blog. Here in the US you could impact this issue by not buying blueberries(Maine, New Jersey), tomatoes(southern Virginia and Maryland), blue crab meat packaged and picked (coastal North Carolina, southern Maryland) and on and on. Many of the foods you consume are picked and or harvested by folks living below a livable wage. Or you can recognize many of the foods enjoyed are harvested by people who are day laborers. It seems you would have very limited food options in the end if you boycott foods like sugar due to someone making very little money to hack away the sugar cane. pick the fruit, or you can seek alternatives. Good luck.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Giving up meat and animal products entirely if one is vegan makes total sense, as it's for ethical reasons. Not ethical reasons I personally agree with in full, but reasons that make the complete prohibition logical.

    I simply don't see any reason why it would be necessary to give up sugar (presumably added sugar and other sweeteners?) and white flour entirely, such that I couldn't eat a pie on Thanksgiving, have some pizza once a year, whatever. If you think you are eating too much of something, why wouldn't you just cut down or eat it only when you thought the calories were worth it? I honestly don't understand the overwhelming desire to cut out broad categories of foods. Makes way more sense to me to just focus on the foods you want to eat more of.


    I generally agree with this ^

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