no sugar diet

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  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I'm still going...
    It's been about a month.
    I stopped weighing myself because it was starting to stress me out. Now I'm just focused on how I feel and I feel awesome! My macros are 50F : 30P : 20C most days. I try to keep sugar under about 15g per day.
    Try upping your proteins a bit?

    Mine have always been 30F 40P 30C. Protein seems to be the key for me.

    great job with the sugar. I bet you're feeling grand!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I'm still going...
    It's been about a month.
    I stopped weighing myself because it was starting to stress me out. Now I'm just focused on how I feel and I feel awesome! My macros are 50F : 30P : 20C most days. I try to keep sugar under about 15g per day.

    I'm so happy for you! I just had a moment to look at some topics I posted on a while ago, and was pleased to see you are feeling so well! How much do you still have to lose? I know how it feels when it seems like the scale is against you. Don't give up - the weight will come off!

    Do you feel as though your thought processes are different now? That's what I experienced after sugar detox. It's like there's now a wall around that awful place in my brain that felt dark and panicked and out of control. EVERYTHING in my life feels different when I'm off sugar. I feel like a whole person!

    I don't want to sway you from what's working, but at some point do you think you might add some fruit back to your diet? I'm able to eat limited amounts without a problem. I believe that the phytonutrients, plant sterols, vitamins and minerals I get from fruit are vital to my health.

    I wish you continued success! (I'm the one that got the whole unfortunate mice debate started - sorry - I didn't foresee that!)
    This is a very interesting post.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
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    I'm still going...
    It's been about a month.
    I stopped weighing myself because it was starting to stress me out. Now I'm just focused on how I feel and I feel awesome! My macros are 50F : 30P : 20C most days. I try to keep sugar under about 15g per day.

    I'm so happy for you! I just had a moment to look at some topics I posted on a while ago, and was pleased to see you are feeling so well! How much do you still have to lose? I know how it feels when it seems like the scale is against you. Don't give up - the weight will come off!

    Do you feel as though your thought processes are different now? That's what I experienced after sugar detox. It's like there's now a wall around that awful place in my brain that felt dark and panicked and out of control. EVERYTHING in my life feels different when I'm off sugar. I feel like a whole person!

    I don't want to sway you from what's working, but at some point do you think you might add some fruit back to your diet? I'm able to eat limited amounts without a problem. I believe that the phytonutrients, plant sterols, vitamins and minerals I get from fruit are vital to my health.

    I wish you continued success! (I'm the one that got the whole unfortunate mice debate started - sorry - I didn't foresee that!)

    Thanks so much for the encouragement! That's a great description with walling off that part of your brain -- it's exactly how I feel. When I see people eating something I used to love (chocolate chip cookie, gummy Swedish fish, apple crumble with ice cream, etc.) I usually think 'wow, that looks amazing" but I don't have that insane MUST EAT IT NOW craving. Nor do I feel sorry for myself for not being "allowed" to have it, which is how I felt the first few weeks while I was going through sugar detox. There have been a few times that I've said I would treat myself with one of the above but then when it came down to it I just didn't think it was worth it. In the future that will change and I'll allow myself the occasional cookie or piece of cake.

    I did get frustrated with the scale because for the first two or three weeks I was losing steadily and then the next time I weighed myself I had gained 3lbs in one week. It was so depressing I almost chucked the whole thing. I had finally gotten below 175 and then suddenly I was right back at 177. I almost started crying on the scale at the gym.

    But...now I've just decided to keep going and trust that it will all start to come off. The fact is that I LOVE how I feel off sugar. I love how food tastes and I love feeling in control of what I'm eating.

    And yes, will definitely be adding fruit back in! I'm just waiting to hit up the Farmer's Market and it's on! (Not going to settle for any of that plastic wrapped stuff)!
  • Masharitos
    Masharitos Posts: 106
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    I'm at about week 3. 65/30/5. It wasn't difficult for me because I've gradually stopped eating processed foods, carbs, and have started using Truvia, which is only partially digested in your large intestine. Now, I'm trying Stevia (which is really nasty on it's own, but not bad with coffee). I didn't get keto flu, lucky me! And have felt great since day 2. I saw an immediate difference in waist line. Initial water weight was 7lbs in the first week. I'm at about 10-11 down, but I'm more about monitoring BF. I've made cookies (less than 1 net carb each) and bread with zero carbs. I'm actually enjoying this. I have to get really creative with my cooking/baking in order to not exceed 10g per day, which is my limit. If you're interested in some low/no carb recipes, check out my recent posts. This is definitely not a diet thing for me. I've changed my attitude toward food a year and a half ago and I'm down 61lbs.
  • gogophers
    gogophers Posts: 190 Member
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    To those who have asked what the "no sugar" diet is...I'm not doing any particular diet per se. Like most people on MFP, I am not looking for a diet; I'm looking for a lifestyle change and to be as healthy as I possibly can so that I can enjoy this wonderful world for as long as possible. So I'll just tell you what I'm doing and how it is working for me. I'm 7 days in and I feel amazing.

    I read a lot about South Beach Diet, Whole30 (which is basically "Paleo") and the 21 Day Sugar Detox. Finally, I just decided to keep it simple and eliminate sugar. All of it. Processed, natural, added, artificial, etc. And that's it. I end up getting about 12 or 15g of sugar a day from what occurs in veggies, but that's all. I cut out most dairy -- including yogurt and milk -- as it contains sugar as well. What has been really important to me has been NOT looking for substitutions for the things that I love (cookies, cake, candy, etc.). To eliminate those crutches and to not try and "Low Carb" or "Paleo-fy" the baked goods, pizza, muffins, etc. It's about walking away from those treats and making sure that they don't have power over me.

    In this respect, what I'm doing is probably most similar to the Whole30 except that I am eating limited whole grains (only Ezekiel bread or brown rice). And so I've adapted a little bit from each program and ended up with the following:

    From Whole30:
    ** Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels (and your Success Guide FAQ), because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
    ** No Paleo-ifying dessert or junk food choices! We call this “Sex With Your Pants On” (SWYPO). Do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” desserts or junk food – no Paleo pancakes, pizza, brownies or ice cream. Trying to replicate junk food with “technically approved” ingredients misses the point of the Whole30 entirely. No baking with coconut flour, almond flour, applesauce instead of fat, etc.

    From 21 Day Sugar Detox:
    ** Giving up chocolate, alcohol, dairy, sweet potatoes.
    ** On 21DSD you are allowed one green apple or banana a day but I have eliminated those as well.

    From South Beach Diet:
    ** Only eating veggies with a low GI
    ** Eating good whole grains in limited amounts
    ** South Beach allows artificial sweeteners and sugar free candy but that defeats the purpose therefore I've cut them out.

    For the first four or five days the cravings were AWFUL. Then yesterday (Day 7) I finally felt amazing. I had tons of energy and was never hungry. I had a cup of black coffee as a treat (I normally "have" to have cream) and could taste the cherry and chocolate flavors of it. I had a cup of tea at night and could taste cinnamon, vanilla and hibiscus. It was as if my nose and taste buds have been heightened.

    The added bonus is that I have lost 5 pounds so far. I know that most people will say that this is water weight and that it's too dramatic to sustain, but anyone who has seen me here on MFP will know that I have tried for two years to lose weight. I've counted calories, tracked fat, ate my exercise calories, cycled calories, worked out 5x week for 500+ calories each time and NOTHING has made the scale budge. I finally realized that the only thing I had never tried was actually cutting out sugar. I had always allowed myself treats as long as they fit into my allotted calories or eaten sugar free treats.

    So, for whatever, reason this seems to be working for me for now. Sorry for the long post, just figured others might want to hear the options!
    :flowerforyou:

    Wow, I've been on the paleo diet for a year and never realized there were these fake foods for the paleo diet. I thought the whole premise of the diet is to only eat things that the hunter-gatherers would have eaten. How could "cavemen" make any sort of "pancake", etc...? I think that's different from Atkins and similar "fake foods" because the premise of the diet is totally different.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
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    To those who have asked what the "no sugar" diet is...I'm not doing any particular diet per se. Like most people on MFP, I am not looking for a diet; I'm looking for a lifestyle change and to be as healthy as I possibly can so that I can enjoy this wonderful world for as long as possible. So I'll just tell you what I'm doing and how it is working for me. I'm 7 days in and I feel amazing.

    I read a lot about South Beach Diet, Whole30 (which is basically "Paleo") and the 21 Day Sugar Detox. Finally, I just decided to keep it simple and eliminate sugar. All of it. Processed, natural, added, artificial, etc. And that's it. I end up getting about 12 or 15g of sugar a day from what occurs in veggies, but that's all. I cut out most dairy -- including yogurt and milk -- as it contains sugar as well. What has been really important to me has been NOT looking for substitutions for the things that I love (cookies, cake, candy, etc.). To eliminate those crutches and to not try and "Low Carb" or "Paleo-fy" the baked goods, pizza, muffins, etc. It's about walking away from those treats and making sure that they don't have power over me.

    In this respect, what I'm doing is probably most similar to the Whole30 except that I am eating limited whole grains (only Ezekiel bread or brown rice). And so I've adapted a little bit from each program and ended up with the following:

    From Whole30:
    ** Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels (and your Success Guide FAQ), because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
    ** No Paleo-ifying dessert or junk food choices! We call this “Sex With Your Pants On” (SWYPO). Do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” desserts or junk food – no Paleo pancakes, pizza, brownies or ice cream. Trying to replicate junk food with “technically approved” ingredients misses the point of the Whole30 entirely. No baking with coconut flour, almond flour, applesauce instead of fat, etc.

    From 21 Day Sugar Detox:
    ** Giving up chocolate, alcohol, dairy, sweet potatoes.
    ** On 21DSD you are allowed one green apple or banana a day but I have eliminated those as well.

    From South Beach Diet:
    ** Only eating veggies with a low GI
    ** Eating good whole grains in limited amounts
    ** South Beach allows artificial sweeteners and sugar free candy but that defeats the purpose therefore I've cut them out.

    For the first four or five days the cravings were AWFUL. Then yesterday (Day 7) I finally felt amazing. I had tons of energy and was never hungry. I had a cup of black coffee as a treat (I normally "have" to have cream) and could taste the cherry and chocolate flavors of it. I had a cup of tea at night and could taste cinnamon, vanilla and hibiscus. It was as if my nose and taste buds have been heightened.

    The added bonus is that I have lost 5 pounds so far. I know that most people will say that this is water weight and that it's too dramatic to sustain, but anyone who has seen me here on MFP will know that I have tried for two years to lose weight. I've counted calories, tracked fat, ate my exercise calories, cycled calories, worked out 5x week for 500+ calories each time and NOTHING has made the scale budge. I finally realized that the only thing I had never tried was actually cutting out sugar. I had always allowed myself treats as long as they fit into my allotted calories or eaten sugar free treats.

    So, for whatever, reason this seems to be working for me for now. Sorry for the long post, just figured others might want to hear the options!
    :flowerforyou:

    Wow, I've been on the paleo diet for a year and never realized there were these fake foods for the paleo diet. I thought the whole premise of the diet is to only eat things that the hunter-gatherers would have eaten. How could "cavemen" make any sort of "pancake", etc...? I think that's different from Atkins and similar "fake foods" because the premise of the diet is totally different.

    I am not saying there's fake food for the Paleo diet -- it's just that a lot of people once they switch then go ahead and "Paleo-fy" regular treats. They'll make pancakes with coconut flour, or banana bread with almond flour, or cookies with honey and almond flour, or chocolate cupcakes with coconut flour and maple syrup. There's nothing wrong with any of that, and "technically" all the ingredients are "safe." It's just that for me I wanted to cut my addiction to the cookies, pancakes, cake, cupcakes, etc. themselves. To not lean on that crutch. And then to add them in -- the REAL versions -- in moderation as a very sparse treat maybe once or twice a month. I'd rather have a real cookie, with butter and sugar and chunks of melty chocolate-y goodness, once a month than a whole week's worth of Paleo cookies.

    I feel the same way about low carb treats and how people make low carb pizza, "pasta," cookies, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love layers of zucchini and portobello mushrooms with marinara sauce but I don't tell myself it's lasagna. It's just its own dish and it's delicious!
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    I'm doing no sugar...I do eat fresh fruit, No fat..like oils I do eat lean meats, and no starches Low carb...& no starchy veggies, noodles, pasta or breads. I Have lost a good amount of weight this way
  • hummingbirdxss
    hummingbirdxss Posts: 87 Member
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    Just wondering if anyone's tried the 'no sugar diet'.

    Heard its a great way to lose weight along with the obvious health benefits of not having processed sugars.

    Tempted to try it as I recently saw a male friend on Friday who started it 2 weeks ago and has already lost 10kilograms in 2 weeks, with exercise, but it makes the weight come off super quick! After seeing him I wonder if it is a good way to lose weight quickly. There is sugar in EVERYTHING, so you'd have to be incredibly strict with the way in which you cut it out and keep it out....

    Have a friend whose getting married in June and thought it is a good way to quickly lose weight prior to the wedding and again for myself getting married in October.

    But in the long run, can it be sustained?

    Cutting sugar means cutting carbs. The weight your friend lost is mostly water weight. Carbs are stored in the body as glycogen in the liver and muscles, and glycogen requires 4 times its weight in water for storage. When you cut carbs, your glycogen storage drops, and you lose a lot of initial water weight. As far as fat loss is concerned, cutting sugar has no effect, beyond cutting calories.

    Really ? Water weight ? I've been low carb since 4/6/12, lost 24 pounds and overall 19.75 inches. If that's all water weight...I must have been a walking water balloon !! :laugh: :laugh:
  • gogophers
    gogophers Posts: 190 Member
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    I am not saying there's fake food for the Paleo diet -- it's just that a lot of people once they switch then go ahead and "Paleo-fy" regular treats. They'll make pancakes with coconut flour, or banana bread with almond flour, or cookies with honey and almond flour, or chocolate cupcakes with coconut flour and maple syrup. There's nothing wrong with any of that, and "technically" all the ingredients are "safe." It's just that for me I wanted to cut my addiction to the cookies, pancakes, cake, cupcakes, etc. themselves. To not lean on that crutch. And then to add them in -- the REAL versions -- in moderation as a very sparse treat maybe once or twice a month. I'd rather have a real cookie, with butter and sugar and chunks of melty chocolate-y goodness, once a month than a whole week's worth of Paleo cookies.

    I feel the same way about low carb treats and how people make low carb pizza, "pasta," cookies, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love layers of zucchini and portobello mushrooms with marinara sauce but I don't tell myself it's lasagna. It's just its own dish and it's delicious!

    Yeah, I've been looking it up a little bit now. I didn't even know about the "paleofied" foods and have never heard of almond flour or coconut flour. Maybe that's a good thing :smile: . My indicator so far has been "if it requires any sort of fire at all in order to make it edible, it's not allowed (except for my 'cheat' which is coffee)".

    I definitely agree with you on eating one real cookie as opposed to several "fake" ones.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
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    I'm doing no sugar...I do eat fresh fruit, No fat..like oils I do eat lean meats, and no starches Low carb...& no starchy veggies, noodles, pasta or breads. I Have lost a good amount of weight this way

    "A good amount of weight" is right! Congratulations and well done :drinker:
  • honeybfly002
    honeybfly002 Posts: 35
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    Full fledged sugar addict here. I'm an all or nothing type of gal. I have to stay away from the processed stuff otherwise I'll just binge. I'm learning to reach for fruit instead but it's so difficult to retrain the brain and body..slow and steady wins the race!
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I do "no sugar". For example many bean canning companies sugar beans. I read the label and buy the one without sugar (Bush's black beans for example have no added sugar). I do eat bread with sugar because the yeast needs something to eat, but I buy bread that is high in fiber, no high fructose corn syrup and low in refined flours. You have to be careful because a lot of people just switch to everything being processed as sugar free without trying to concentrate on healthy eating choices. I do not eat potatoes because I discovered they are a trigger food for me. I always like to slather them with butter or eat them fried. I eat fruit and lactose. Occasionally I will add artificial sweetener to a recipe, like a smoothie, but for the most part I don't cook things with sugars or sweeteners. I eat dark chocolate everyday.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I am not saying there's fake food for the Paleo diet -- it's just that a lot of people once they switch then go ahead and "Paleo-fy" regular treats. They'll make pancakes with coconut flour, or banana bread with almond flour, or cookies with honey and almond flour, or chocolate cupcakes with coconut flour and maple syrup. There's nothing wrong with any of that, and "technically" all the ingredients are "safe." It's just that for me I wanted to cut my addiction to the cookies, pancakes, cake, cupcakes, etc. themselves. To not lean on that crutch. And then to add them in -- the REAL versions -- in moderation as a very sparse treat maybe once or twice a month. I'd rather have a real cookie, with butter and sugar and chunks of melty chocolate-y goodness, once a month than a whole week's worth of Paleo cookies.

    I feel the same way about low carb treats and how people make low carb pizza, "pasta," cookies, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love layers of zucchini and portobello mushrooms with marinara sauce but I don't tell myself it's lasagna. It's just its own dish and it's delicious!

    Yes EXACTLY! Don't do "sugar free" or "gluten free" and continue to choose junk foods. I have to learn how to make choices based upon how they will fuel me not based upon the initial dopamine burst they give me.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
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    WOW...OMG...after 30 days of going without sugar I just had a bowl of blackberries and strawberries with fresh whipped coconut cream. I was literally moaning while I ate them they were SO GOOD!!!!! Now I understand why people who are doing sugar detox or Paleo see fruit as a dessert. I don't think a cookie or even a piece of molten chocolate cake could compare to what I just ate. MMMMMM
  • Masharitos
    Masharitos Posts: 106
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    I'm on Keto, more restricted (I think) than paleo and atkins. I consider fake foods being those with added chemicals and whatnot. Those atkins bars especially. The food I make is absolutely real, using real ingredients. One of my cookies is 100% more filling than a regular flour cookie, as is my bread. It's also more satisfying to know that I'm still consuming something healthy as a treat. And it's still a treat, which means I wont be eating a dozen of them.

    I need to do some reading. I'm curious, when it comes to "cavemen", the difference between primal and paleo.
  • taintedsilver
    taintedsilver Posts: 9
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    Bump, sugar junkie. Need to wean myself off it

    Sugar junkie here too ^^; I love fruit hehe

    And Twizzlers. .______.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    OK, here is a quote from Veg News Oct. 2011: "Cravings for stimulant foods occur in individuals who are nutritionally deficient at the cellular level. If cells are truly fed, the craving for stimulants goes away... We're talking about neurotransmitters - dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Beans, peas, and lentils give you many of these; they provide the nutrients that can eliminate the desire for stimulant foods. In addition, they boost leptin sensitivity -- leptin is a chemical that tells your body your satisfied - and they do it without fat or veterinary hormones and antibiotics."

    Hope that helps!
    :drinker:
  • Virtuous31wife
    Virtuous31wife Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello! :) I started the no sugar detox about a month and a half ago and lost 18 pounds off of it, with very little exercising! I lost a lot in my stomach, so I think sugar is definitely the reason I hold fat in my stomach. At first I was so strict and wouldn't eat any sugar at all, except from certain fruits (which my doctor said was ok to eat) But then I changed it from having no sugar except from certain fruits, to now I try to keep it under 15 grams a day. I have 4 kids so it's almost impossible for me avoid sugar completely. I'd have to cook everything from scratch to do so and I don't have time for that! I use to put ketchup on everything I ate (I mean I used a LOT everyday!) and I would use flavored coffee creamer once or twice a day and would pour it in. So when I stopped using those things, I think it is what helped me lose weight at first! Now I use sugar free creamer with Slenda cause I just can't do the whole black coffee thing, and I allow myself ketchup at least once or twice a week and then I measure how much a use (no more then 2 tbsp) My question is, is it absolutely necessary to cut out all fruits and vegetables when doing the no sugar diet? Cause they have natural sugars, and isn't that ok sugar? I eat lots of fruit a day (apples, Kiwi, peaches, oranges, and plums) and I still lost 18 pounds. So I was just wondering..... :) Since last Jan. I have lost a total of 29 pounds, but I lost at first by just jogging every day, now I am losing weight from the no sugar detox and I'm now walking/jogging everyday again! I want to lose 50 more pounds! :)
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
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    When I became borderline diabetic and also have gluten allergy my doc recomended the South Beach which is targeted to take out sugar and carbs. My weight loss was dramatic at first 13 lbs in 2 weeks and 23lbs after a month.Subsequently I went to a nutritionist who ended up tweaking the diet to something I could manage for the long haul. After 18 months I reached my goal wt (179lb loss). My sugars are low, and I learned to do without all that sugar in my life.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
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    Hello! :) I started the no sugar detox about a month and a half ago and lost 18 pounds off of it, with very little exercising! I lost a lot in my stomach, so I think sugar is definitely the reason I hold fat in my stomach. At first I was so strict and wouldn't eat any sugar at all, except from certain fruits (which my doctor said was ok to eat) But then I changed it from having no sugar except from certain fruits, to now I try to keep it under 15 grams a day. I have 4 kids so it's almost impossible for me avoid sugar completely. I'd have to cook everything from scratch to do so and I don't have time for that! I use to put ketchup on everything I ate (I mean I used a LOT everyday!) and I would use flavored coffee creamer once or twice a day and would pour it in. So when I stopped using those things, I think it is what helped me lose weight at first! Now I use sugar free creamer with Slenda cause I just can't do the whole black coffee thing, and I allow myself ketchup at least once or twice a week and then I measure how much a use (no more then 2 tbsp) My question is, is it absolutely necessary to cut out all fruits and vegetables when doing the no sugar diet? Cause they have natural sugars, and isn't that ok sugar? I eat lots of fruit a day (apples, Kiwi, peaches, oranges, and plums) and I still lost 18 pounds. So I was just wondering..... :) Since last Jan. I have lost a total of 29 pounds, but I lost at first by just jogging every day, now I am losing weight from the no sugar detox and I'm now walking/jogging everyday again! I want to lose 50 more pounds! :)

    It sounds like we are doing exactly the same thing! I did a sugar detox shortly over a month ago and dropped about 10lbs almost immediately. Then I went up 3lbs and haven't weighed myself since, because I freaked out over the gain and I am trying to focus on how I feel. I also feel like I've lost weight in my stomach and hips -- my jeans feel looser too.

    I'm curious how you limit your sugar to 15g and still eat fruit? I find from just veggies alone that I reach about 12 or 15g per day. I limit my fruit a lot -- I didn't eat any for the first two weeks, and still only eat about one piece every two days at most.

    I would say, do whatever works for you! If you are still eating fruit and still losing, then there's no problem.

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