Tomorrow starts my new life without sugar...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

I've been getting more and more motivated lately to get thsi weight off. and I know I can do it. No soda, no sweets. Just water, juice for the kidneys, and I'll have yogurt as sweets. I know there's sugar in it, but there are many nutritional benefits. Wish me luck. Oh, I'm also going to start working out. Please send me good vibes and luck because I'm going to need it...Also any random encouragement in the next month to keep me going would be majorly appreciated too.
Duckie

[brainshrub]

1. You and me both!

[nini]

2. Me too.

I went and bought lots of fruit and veggies today and am starting tomorrow. I too am ready to get back in shape.

Good Luck and I'm with ya!

[Kolesar]

3. Stay active!

Spend your free time walking around or gardening or something mildly active instead of sitting in front of this stupid PC.

edit: Good Luck!

[4morewars]

4. Fit for Life

It's a book, by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, it's worth a look !!

[midnight armadillo]

24. Try Clarence Bass instead

No offense, but I found "Fit for Life" to be a bunch of pseudoscience, anti-medicine blather and nonsense.

I'd suggest Clarence Bass' excellent book, Lean for Life instead. This guy is the real deal.

I found after quitting sweets and soda that my sweet tooth sort of reset and my tolerance for sweet things drastically dropped. I can't even drink soda any more.

Never lost my taste for ice cream tho :-)

[4morewars]

30. Thanks...

I will !!

[populistmom]

5. You CAN do it

Giving up sugar and white flour in my diet a year ago changed my body and made me feel so much more energetic. It's made me much healthier, physically and emotionally.

[VelmaD]

6. You can do it!

If you ever need any encouragement just ask.

I've lost about 125 pounds in the last two years and I know how hard it can be to stay motivated. I never would have been able to do it without support. Feel free to pm me any time you need someone to cheerlead for ya. :)

[pagerbear]

18. Congratulations Velma!

[latebloomer]

7. Me too! Started last Wednesday!

Still putting honey in my tea but no more ice cream, cake or cookies! t's bad for your health and i wanna get rid of this belly before it gets warm out. It gets easier every day, like any addiction. Fruit is a good substitute.

[stanwyck]

8. You're going to do great!

I can tell from your post. You sound very positive and ready to make changes. Wishing you the best.
I cut out sugar for two weeks and lost my craving for sweets. Really. I can't believe it, either. I used to have such a sweet tooth. I've lost 10 lbs in 4 weeks. I switched gyms in December and have been going more and working out with a trainer twice a week. Makes a big difference. I'm close to my goal weight. Once you start seeing changes, you really get hooked.

[Melsky]

9. I've quit sugar too

Get plain yogurt and put frozen strawberries and some milk in a blender. It's very satisfying. Much better than those store bought yogurts.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. Thanks guys...you're so sweet!!

I knew I could count on you guys to help!
Duckie

[camero]

11. Splenda is your friend

It'll reduce your cravings for sugar. Lots of stuff is sweetened with it now. Stevia works too.

[RebelOne]

23. Yes, I agree. That stuff is wonderful.

Sugar without the guilt.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

27. Splenda [chlorinated sugar] is your friend?

Maybe not. You may want to check this out--
http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm

[pippin]

31. Stevia is beter and safer

see
http://www.cookingwithstevia.com/stevia_faq.html

Minimize carb intake. Worked wonders for me . Lost weight and I feel a lot better than I used to.

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

12. Mrs. UBP & I started South Beach diet in January..

The Phase I part of the diet required that we cut out sugar and carbs as completely as possible for two to three weeks (they call it Phase I; I called it "Sugar Detox.") I found myself feeling quite a bit better in general; less bloated, less 'weighted down' is the best way to describe it. Once this period was over we gradually introduced some small amounts of sugar (via fruits, yogurt) and 'good' carbs back into the diet.

I'm not always faithful to the letter of the diet, but I've set a loose goal to drop 80 pounds in a year, and when last I weighed in at the doctor's 17 of 'em were gone. I figure that's a good start, anyway.

Keep at it, Duckie! Once you get over the first obstacle and see some small results (e.g. that favorite pair of pants fits again) you'll find it motivates you to keep on going. Best of luck!

PS: what Camero said about Splenda - twice.

[phoebe]

13. good alternative to sugar is Stevia NOT Splenda which is as bad

as aspartame.

Another tasty drink is lemonade = real lemons + water + maple sugar (grade b)= EXCELLENT source of b vitamins - make sure to get organic maple syrup and make sure it's not heat treated. Delicious and cuts down your "cravings" for food as well as a good rehydrator after exercise (like gatorade) AND good for detoxing.

It's actually a lot easier to cut out sugar than it seems. Maybe 2-4 days of feeling fluey and cruddy with headaches and feeling "cold" (to combat this try fresh ginger root in hot water with little honey - will warm you right up and settles your tummy). Eat small meals and often. Pamper yourself in other ways until you feel better. Yea...
let's hear it for YRDuckie takin' charge!!

[southerngirlwriter]

14. I've been on no-sugar, low-carb for about a month....

....the first four or five days are a living hell. Addiction and withdrawal aren't pretty.

However, I woke up on the fifth or sixth day feeling great! And I've lost almost 20 pounds in a month!! :D

You can do it if you want it bad enough!! Good luck!!

[Lars39]

15. Consider making your own yogurt so you can cut the sugar even more.

:)

[RamblingRose]

16. I'm a sugar addict, but not to sound stupid, how does that affect your

weight? Fortunately, weight has never been a factor for me, at least not yet. I weigh about 105 lbs, and am 5'1. I know I need to eat better, and keep promising to do so, and get more exercise. Do I need to give up sugar in my coffee, granola bars, frosted mini wheats? Or is it the cakes and cookies that are the problems. I thought it was carbohydrates to stay away from if you wanted to lose weight. I'm so confused! My biggest concern is heart disease, which is why I know I need to eat better!

[Liberal Christian]

21. Sugar IS a carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are the sugars in fruits and vegetables and the starches in foods like potatoes, grains, rice, beans. In vegetables, whole grains, beans and, to some extent, fruit, there are nutritional benefits that outweigh the sugars. In simple sugars -- white sugar, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, etc -- there is almost no nutritional benefit.

So, yes ... cakes and cookies are problems. But so can be sugar in coffee, sugary cereals, soda, etc.

It would seem to me that if you are 5'1" and 105 lb, you don't need to worry about weight so much, but it would be a good idea to balance your diet so that you're getting enough nutrients.

[pagerbear]

17. We'll do it together, YRD!

I've been considering giving up recreational sugar for Lent. Not that I usually do that sort of thing for Lent, but the timing seemed right (and allowed me to finish the stuff in my house before Ash Wednesday).

[commander bunnypants]

19. Good vibes and Karma

I have beed refined sugar free for 15 years. It is not hard at all.

Let us know...

DDQM

[cryfordawn]

20. Good Luck!!!

As this can be very tough. Good luck and hope it works out for you.

[nuxvomica]

22. Limit your sugar to the post-workout meal

That's when you're body really needs the glucose so that can be your one time of day when you get sweets. That way, you won't feel like you're denying yourself plus it acts as a reward for working out.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

26. Thanks, That's a great idea!

I'm still going to eat natural sugars, like those in fruits. The apple juice that has become a staple in my diet will stay because it's so good for my kidneys.
Duckie

[bearfan454]

25. I lost 80 pounds from no sugar.

You will do good. Watch the deceptive labels. Even if it says 0 grams of sugar if the ingredients say fructose, corn syrup, or dextrose, that is sugar too.

[Lindsey]

29. I'm pleased to see so many people promoting stevia

it truly is THE WAY to go. I had to give up sugar, flour, wheat, and too many other things to mention because of food allergies. I also discovered 2 1/2 years ago that I'm truly a carbohydrate addict (which makes sense since I'm a recovering alcoholic). It's impossible to me to have just a few chips for example. There's a wonderful book out by a married couple, both doctors-(The Hellers) about carb addiction. You can have carbs if you limit them to once per day and mix them with protein, salads, etc. I don't mean to be a downer but fruit juice actually can be bad because a lot of it is full of sugar. If you're serious, you may want to educate yourself so you don't get totally bummed because you're depriving yourself and still not loosing the weight. Good luck and I hope I don't sound like I'm lecturing....it's just that I've been there.

[curlyred]

28. try yogurt sweetened with Splenda

Splenda is the best-tasting sweetener I've ever tried. I know there are several brands of soda and yogurt on the market that use it.

[GhostThatWalks]

32. my dad did it

if he can do it so can you. good luck.

[GhostThatWalks]

33. oh yeah i forgot to say.

try this new no-sugar sweetner. it's called splinda and is quiet good in cearials like non-sweetned corn flakes and stuff like that.

[VOX]

34. Go get 'em, YRD! You can do this!

You're inspiring me, too -- I've gained a few lbs. over the holidays and winter. Spring and summer are coming, so it's time to dunk the extra pounds.

Think twice about everything you ingest, 'cause there's sugar in darn near everything.

I know you'll see results pretty quickly -- a couple of years ago, I stopped drinking juices and sodas, and lost 10 lbs. very quickly, even before getting down to exercise.

Hang in there, keep your confidence up, and keep reminding yourself that you're doing something nice for *you*!