Phase 1 - no sugars

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  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    juliet3455 wrote: »
    -- Massive snip --

    Faced with a wall of links like that I'm starting to see the attraction of the "cut out sugar" approach.

    Take out 125 grams per day of carbohydrate, mainly sugars, from your normal intake and see how that goes.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    I can understand your choice. It may not be that sugar is "evil" per-se, but some people feel it's easy to slip out of newly formed habits without a rigid structure and a clear list of do's and don'ts, which "easier" diets lack. That's why I'm one of the few people who are not against fad diets for those who thrive on them unless there are health issues involved. Give it a try and see if you like it. For restaurants and events, most of these will give you an option with meat. Just eat the meat and leave the starch, or order a predominantly meat dish like ribs, steak, bbq, grilled chicken...etc.
  • Gianfranco_R
    Gianfranco_R Posts: 1,297 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    nvsmomketo wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Hello, well what a bunch of negative people we have here!
    Express your concerns by all means but realise its not you who is taking this journey and any one who is embarking on any diet is worthy of support!

    I to have struggled for over 30 years with all the crap that has been pushed out by the diet industry and do gooder like some comments here. I have finally found a diet style that works for me and I would guess it will work for you, Low Carb High Fat or Keto diet.

    Your journey is yours alone so if this is what works for you, do it, seek all sorts of medical advice on the diet of choice and do research on it as I have done. I am still trying to get my percentages right for me and my Doctor is helping me with that. The funny thing is both he and his wife are also doing this Keto diet after seeing what changes I am making and both are reporting the same results. Be aware that many Doctors are also old school trained and will try to negatively impact you on this journey, if this is what you want to do then find a Doctor who will give you a chance and go for it. Some will say its Atkins and yes it is but with much more refinement and up to date research that supports it!

    I can recommend a book that I am reading called Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore and Dr Westman, a good point of reference for research on the diet. Also look up Stephanie Person on you tube, 47 year old woman with so much energy and only 10% body fat, she has busted knees and hips so no cardio just weights and diet, great source of inspiration and info too.

    I am a type 2 diabetic and my blood sugar was so out of control and that is why I started the diet but the other benefits far exceed my wildest dreams, energy once I got used to being in a state of ketosis and clarity, sharper brain and eye sight are but a few. I spent years thinking I will always be fat ( Worked in a Gym) and never loose the extra weight I carried but now I am on my way.

    Good luck with your journey!
    Regards Peter

    Disagreement isn't negativity, and I think some people are a bit surprised by the restrictions of the diet, which is why I asked if it was SBD. If it is, I think the idea of this being a long-term diet phase compared to the two-week induction period (which seems to throw the body into ketosis, I'm not that familiar with SBD and am just scanning the site) that might be throwing people off.

    ETA: And the restrictions, they would make sense for someone very low carb trying to get into ketosis, but would seem unnecessarily restrictive as part of a simply calorie-focused diet plan.

    I don't know. I think name calling of "derp" and "ignorant" is fairly negative. JMO.

    I'm not going to speak for cwolfman, but I don't think he was referring to actual, real low carb diets as ignorance and derp, but the portrayal of "carbs being bad" in the media and on the internet that leads to people to willy-nilly eliminate carbs without taking the time to learn about low carb dieting, macro ratios, practices, how carbs impact their bodies, etc.

    Since the information the OP posted is very restrictive and there's no clarification as to what the program is, I think people are assuming that it's a restrictive, food-demonizing fad diet based on the "sugar/carbs bad" mantra that is popular now. As I said, I suspect that the restriction is due to the induction period and not the actual foods, if the diet the OP is doing is what I think.

    maybe you are right. Yet surely it is annoying for low-carb users to see such words associated with their way of eating. Don't you realize that, @Olivia ?

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    nvsmomketo wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Hello, well what a bunch of negative people we have here!
    Express your concerns by all means but realise its not you who is taking this journey and any one who is embarking on any diet is worthy of support!

    I to have struggled for over 30 years with all the crap that has been pushed out by the diet industry and do gooder like some comments here. I have finally found a diet style that works for me and I would guess it will work for you, Low Carb High Fat or Keto diet.

    Your journey is yours alone so if this is what works for you, do it, seek all sorts of medical advice on the diet of choice and do research on it as I have done. I am still trying to get my percentages right for me and my Doctor is helping me with that. The funny thing is both he and his wife are also doing this Keto diet after seeing what changes I am making and both are reporting the same results. Be aware that many Doctors are also old school trained and will try to negatively impact you on this journey, if this is what you want to do then find a Doctor who will give you a chance and go for it. Some will say its Atkins and yes it is but with much more refinement and up to date research that supports it!

    I can recommend a book that I am reading called Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore and Dr Westman, a good point of reference for research on the diet. Also look up Stephanie Person on you tube, 47 year old woman with so much energy and only 10% body fat, she has busted knees and hips so no cardio just weights and diet, great source of inspiration and info too.

    I am a type 2 diabetic and my blood sugar was so out of control and that is why I started the diet but the other benefits far exceed my wildest dreams, energy once I got used to being in a state of ketosis and clarity, sharper brain and eye sight are but a few. I spent years thinking I will always be fat ( Worked in a Gym) and never loose the extra weight I carried but now I am on my way.

    Good luck with your journey!
    Regards Peter

    Disagreement isn't negativity, and I think some people are a bit surprised by the restrictions of the diet, which is why I asked if it was SBD. If it is, I think the idea of this being a long-term diet phase compared to the two-week induction period (which seems to throw the body into ketosis, I'm not that familiar with SBD and am just scanning the site) that might be throwing people off.

    ETA: And the restrictions, they would make sense for someone very low carb trying to get into ketosis, but would seem unnecessarily restrictive as part of a simply calorie-focused diet plan.

    I don't know. I think name calling of "derp" and "ignorant" is fairly negative. JMO.

    I'm not going to speak for cwolfman, but I don't think he was referring to actual, real low carb diets as ignorance and derp, but the portrayal of "carbs being bad" in the media and on the internet that leads to people to willy-nilly eliminate carbs without taking the time to learn about low carb dieting, macro ratios, practices, how carbs impact their bodies, etc.

    Since the information the OP posted is very restrictive and there's no clarification as to what the program is, I think people are assuming that it's a restrictive, food-demonizing fad diet based on the "sugar/carbs bad" mantra that is popular now. As I said, I suspect that the restriction is due to the induction period and not the actual foods, if the diet the OP is doing is what I think.

    maybe you are right. Yet surely it is annoying for low-carb users to see such words associated with their way of eating. Don't you realize that, @Olivia ?

    It's not being associated with low carbs diets, but rather some of the logic in the threads on MFP. It was a generalized comment that you are taking out of proportion. Low carb diets are an effective tool for weight loss/weight management. If they OP finds it as a viable solution to achieve her goals, then great.

    But if you take a step back and evaluate the situation, you might see a different perspective such as; the OP has tried many restrictive diets and failed every time. She found another restrictive diet. Ever hear of the definition of insanity... trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It's possible the OP actually struggles with restrictive diets. I know I do. I know when I restrict foods, I binge. When I learned to moderate my intake, make healthier decisions and stay within my calorie limits I succeeded. Do you know what else happened on the way? I dropped my carbs from 60% down to 40-45% because I saw the benefits of the increased protein and how beneficial protein was to achieving my ultimate physique. Do I still eat Klondike bars, absolutely, but only if they fit within my goals or if I want to make the conscience decision to go over, knowing it will slow my progress. When do I intentionally go over... birthdays, parties, etc... Knowing the OP's past, it might be beneficial to start by doing calorie counting, then work on lowering carbs and increasing proteins and then working on more nutrient dense foods (more fruits/veggies/whole foods).

  • katiadef
    katiadef Posts: 17 Member
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    Phase 1 - day 4
    When I first saw the huge amount of reactions - mainly negative critics - i was somewhat disappointed. Now I think it's really funny. Because I am achieving one of the main goals of my low carb diet: energy. For such a long time I woke up in the moment feeling like I wanted to go back to bed immediately. In the evenings I was just a couch potatoe, drain of energy.
    Now, after just a dew days I wake up feeling full of energy and with a good mood (maybe some of you grumpy people should try this too
  • Sweetgirl10
    Sweetgirl10 Posts: 13 Member
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    That is amazing! So simple & obvious but so revealing!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Congrats. It sounds like this is a good fit for you. :)
  • forgivensins
    forgivensins Posts: 90 Member
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    I've 'reduced' sugar intake by cutting out processed foods with lots of sugar including juices, cereals, flavored oatmeal etc. but no fruit? More power to you my friend. I cannot sacrifice nutritional value over a little sugar.
  • lorim68
    lorim68 Posts: 16 Member
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    Years ago, I did South Beach, which was designed by a cardiologist. The first phase is essentially proteins and vegetables. Vegetables do have sugar but with very low glycemic index. There is a science behind what happens to people who have insulin resistance where their insulin spikes and shortly thereafter they crave sugar. The OP is not far off the mark in how to curve carbohydrate cravings. It definitely worked for me. I couldn't go that restrictive any more, but when I did, I had tremendous success. His first phase only lasts a couple of weeks. Then you introduce other healthier carbs (whole grains and fruits), and you discover what has an impact on you. More than two weeks of that though, and you definitely get bored. I loved after two weeks how much I savored a piece of fruit!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    I'm still waiting for the link to the sugar test.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    I'm still waiting to find out what happens after Phase 1? Oh the suspense!
  • katiadef
    katiadef Posts: 17 Member
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    lorim68 wrote: »
    Years ago, I did South Beach, which was designed by a cardiologist. The first phase is essentially proteins and vegetables. Vegetables do have sugar but with very low glycemic index. There is a science behind what happens to people who have insulin resistance where their insulin spikes and shortly thereafter they crave sugar. The OP is not far off the mark in how to curve carbohydrate cravings. It definitely worked for me. I couldn't go that restrictive any more, but when I did, I had tremendous success. His first phase only lasts a couple of weeks. Then you introduce other healthier carbs (whole grains and fruits), and you discover what has an impact on you. More than two weeks of that though, and you definitely get bored. I loved after two weeks how much I savored a piece of fruit!

    My diet is very similar to what you did. Only this first phase lasts 3 weeks in my case. Luckily there are lots of types of vegetables this time of year. Though I will be happy to eat some fruit again.
  • katiadef
    katiadef Posts: 17 Member
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    I'm still waiting for the link to the sugar test.

    Do you speak Dutch? Because if you don't the link is no good to you.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
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    katiadef wrote: »
    After trying various 'easier' ways and failing horribly, i came across a blog on reducing one's daily sugar intake. I did the sugartest and came out totally shocked.
    So today I started my phase 1, no sugars whatsoever: no sweets, no fruit, no bread, no pasta, no alcohol. Luckily I like veggies, schrimp, fish, chicken. I love to eat great salads and stir fries. So that is the easy part.
    Now the difficult part, how to eat at work, in a restaurant, at a party and avoidibg the prohibited food. Usually you get lots of pasta, rice, potatoes and bread and only little vegetables. For work tomorow I prepared a lunchbox. Hope I won't forget it at 4 in the morning.
    Have a good night ...

    I sneak some celery and carrots or par cooked broccoli hiding in my purse and just order a salad or openface meat sandwich. Ditch the bread, and mix the yummies from the sandwich with my veggies and there is a great, healthy meal. Good luck :)
  • katiadef
    katiadef Posts: 17 Member
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    Phase 1 - day 6
    Today I couldn't resist an urge ... So I gave in. Although I wanted to weigh myself only once a week, i felt like I had really lost some weight already. Bracing myself for the typical disppointment, i couldn't believe my eyes, 3 kilos had gone in 5 days. I have to admit in re-enforces the good mood I had since the start.
    There has been a lot of noise on counting calories in this thread. Well good people. I do this of course using this app. But differently than with other diets, i have no hunger cravings, i have plenty of energy, and I have trouble eating to my full allowed calorie count because my meals fill me.
    I am realistic enough to know that this pace won't last - I would be worried if it did - but it is motivating.
    Had a delicious dinner of grilled salmon with asparagus and mousseline sauce.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    I totally get cutting back on junk and I think most people do too...but it seem most low carbers fail to recognize that there are a lot of very nutritious and healthy foods that also happen to be carbs and that carbs aren't the devil. Yeah, fruit has some sugar...and lot of other kick *kitten* antioxidants and other micro-nutrients.

    Not sure what your sample was but I find most low carbers are very familiar with carb contents and other nutrient properties - Atkins phase 1 is based on 20g of net carbs with 12-15g from a list of foundation vegetables - this is about a pound a day of veg.

    I'm basing it on the way people discuss these things on these boards..."I'm addicted to carbs...so gotta low carb"...then when it gets discussed, it's just cookies and cakes and chips and whatnot...I've never hear of anyone "addicted" to black beans or going off the rails because they had an apple...or jonesing for some oats...so there are a ton of people trying to low carb around here who know about jack *kitten*...they lump all carbs together...i mean really...there are like a gazillion extremely ignorant threads on the matter.

    I'm also basing it on the people I see day in and day out at the gym who get on bored with some fad every couple of weeks...they don't actually know anything about nutrition...they just heard carbs were evil and the reason everyone is fat...so better cut carbs...

    Personally, I am not a carb hater. I am type 2 diabetic and it has been suggested to me by my trainer and my nutritionist to "limit" my carbs. I allow myself 60-70 carbs a day in order to repair my body so I am less insulin resistant. I still love my 5 bean salad, I just watch my portions. I use quinoa instead of rice and sarataki noodles instead of semolina pasta. I eat smart and I am doing great, but I understand your point about the big todo about carbs. I know there are good carbs and others that one should keep out of their bodies. I fuel my workouts with sound, whole foods. It is nice to see someone else out there that does not believe all carbs are evil. :)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    katiadef wrote: »
    I'm still waiting for the link to the sugar test.

    Do you speak Dutch? Because if you don't the link is no good to you.

    Google translate might make a reasonable stab at it ?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    katiadef wrote: »
    I'm still waiting for the link to the sugar test.

    Do you speak Dutch? Because if you don't the link is no good to you.

    If Google can't translate it ... I have coworkers that can.
  • katiadef
    katiadef Posts: 17 Member
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    katiadef wrote: »
    I'm still waiting for the link to the sugar test.

    Do you speak Dutch? Because if you don't the link is no good to you.

    If Google can't translate it ... I have coworkers that can.

    Www.standaard.be/suikertest

  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    edited July 2015
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    katiadef wrote: »
    katiadef wrote: »
    I'm still waiting for the link to the sugar test.

    Do you speak Dutch? Because if you don't the link is no good to you.

    If Google can't translate it ... I have coworkers that can.

    Www.standaard.be/suikertest

    Hm, supposedly I eat the equivalent of 7 lumps of sugar a day, which is right in the middle of the 5-10 lump limit suggested by the WHO.

    ETA: Although some of the questions are based per day and some are based per week, so it's hard for me to answer appropriately since Saturdays tend to be rather crazy.