tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Decided on Friday to cut back heavily on my sugar intake, having read some stuff about how our sugar consumption has increased dramatically, due to sugar hidden in food where it may not be apparent.

**** me, it is like coming off heroin! I quit smoking in my mid 20's having enjoyed the habit for about 10 years, quitting nicotine and the habit of sparking up a tab was a walk in the park compared to this.

I feel sick, I feel dizzy, my head aches, my limbs ache in a flu-like way, I am irritable I have little or no energy, it is difficult to concentrate and remain focused on work and I feel drowsy to the point of being able to sleep in the middle of the day.

I have been warned to expect this to continue for perhaps a couple of weeks. Today has been better than any of the preceding sugar-free days. Seriously unexpected consequences - but hoping to feel better for it in the long term!

Anyone else given this a go? I cant help thinking how much worse this could be had I been in the habit of drinking fizzy drinks or eating a lot of confectionery.

dpb

I think that's mostly imaginary tbh.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

definitely not imaginary - it may be coincidental that my choice has coincided with some sort of viral ailment, but Saturday - Monday were not much fun at all.

Turbohot

There was a TV programme on this Sugar intake lately that talked about the hidden amount of sugar in readymade edibles/drinkables. They showed a man in his early 30's, not really very weighty but somewhat chunky and tall with it. His BMI was not exactly critical but his waistline was critical in medical terms. With his previous sugar intake he was at the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. He was asked to adapt healthier options, which he did. He even exercised hard as per instructions, to burn his excess calories. But he carried on drinking 2-3 pints of beer almost every night. Even After altering his lifestyle to great extent, he lost no weight at all, whereas other participants lost quite a bit. To his own disappointment he stayed at the risk. Beer was to blame.

I control my sugar intake by cooking nearly all food myself from scratch, buying ready meals only very occasionally and drinking sucralose based sweetener in my hot drinks. Luckily, I don't have a sweet tooth, I don't like alcohol and fizzy drinks but a very occasional can of coca cola, so that also helps. I have a lot of sweets left from Christmas, but I don't even feel like touching them. It's good to have a mental block against some evil but supposedly charming stuff like sweets. otherwise, you could be fatter than what you already are.

dpb

exercise

Turbohot

I forgot to mention, I do. Only to stay healthy, not to become like a Kate Moss or Kate Middleton, like.

But the exercises alone won't help. Generally speaking, you do need to eat right and stop drinking too much. A lot of men drink too much beer. Alcohol is a massive culprit for hidden excessive sugar amount in it. No point cutting sugar in food but then making the excess up with the alcohol intake.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

I'm not overweight by the way - I am 6ft tall and 12st 3lbs currently with 32" waist - built like a racing snake!

I admit I don't take enough exercise, my job is home-based, and involves sitting on my **** for long periods of time, need to make some small changes there too.

Jamz3k

I did the same over January TT. Found it very hard but have continued on this month with a reduction in my sugar intake. I miss sugar in my tea/coffee most of all though. Went out for dinner with a lovely lady on Saturday and got chocolate fudge cake and ice cream for dessert, it was like eating pure cocaine, much more enjoyable than when I ate sweet things day in day out.

Turbohot

Good on you Excessive sugar consumption is unnecessary and strains your pancreas to work harder. Excessive sugar will be stored by your liver which is not great either. So, the best thing is to cut down regardless of one being fat or slim. Cut down on beers as well, though. That's if you genuinely want to avoid sugar and be healthier as a result. That's what I'm trying to say.

I'm not fat, either tbh. I'm not like some super fit racing snake either. I'm just regular and ok for my height at 9 stone. I went up to 10 Stone and that was unacceptable for my little body frame. Anyway.

wayne9t9

How much were you on? A bag a day? You must have been mainlining Tate & Lyle to get those kinds of withdrawals.

Turbohot

Christ, I've never felt like that about sugar! I wonder if you were massively overdoing it obliviously in past before you totally gave up.

Try sucralose based sweetener in your coffee/tea. .49p for 100 tabs in Aldi. 1 tab a drink. That's a reasonable replacement for sugar in your hot drinks. Works for me.

dpb

I don't think you can taste the tea , in builders tea anyway with more than 1 teaspoon sugar. And pretend sugar is even worse

Turbohot

if you're talking about that Sucralose sweetener, it's not. I haven't heard of adverse effects from that. But if you can do without that, jolly good. I never suggested Aspartame based sweetener, if that's what you're thinking.

And yes, builder's tea would give you a builder's lardy bum as well, if you fancy it that much.

warrenm2

Few things on Trust me, I'm a doctor about this. First switch to stevia rather than saccharine, apparently the latter effects your gut bacteria badly meaning you can end up gaining weight!

Secondly there are new tests coming out to test your food reactions. These are non obvious. The doc who was tested ended up being fine with bread but pizza was bad for her (blood sugar spike), ice cream,cola and croissants were ok, but tomato soup, sushi and grapes were bad http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...es-4-episode-4 Interesting stuff

Turbohot

I like programmes like these.

I've tried Stevia. It tastes minging, that's the problem.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Tea and coffee always had two sugars, which translates on average to 12-16 tea-spoons of sugar in a day. This would usually be accompanied by something from the biscuit box or something with chocolate on or in plus the cumulative content in other foods.

Not doing lines of Tate & Lyle, but intake was above what I was comfortable with, so has to go downwards.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Been there. Going cold turkey on the soft drinks and no sugar in my tea (used to drink 4-5 tins of coke a day and lots of cups of tea with 2 spoons of sugar) turned me into zombie by mid afternoon. You do get over it though after a month or so.

It is an addiction. Eating in general is an addiction too; given that I do have addict-like tendencies I have gone through stages where I can't stop eating. Thankfully I've always kept most of the weight off, although its got harder as I've got older.

Dave Y

iTrader: (52)

I had chronic diarrhoea for 18 months.The cause was sugar free gum contained sweetener.I had the doctors baffled.So I avoid sweetener and sugar where possible but its bloody difficult.

legb4rsk

You need to get watching this:

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week4/sugar-free-farm

They suffered very bad withdrawal symptoms.A very good program & more episodes coming.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Lovely, your **** must have been raw!

hodgy0_2

I have similar issues re working from home (luckily never had a sweet tooth so don't really have a problem with sugar)

For keeping up the exercise, running is really good - mainly because it is soooo time efficient and requires only a pair of running shoes

So run straight from the front door and back - 30 mins and you will have had a good work out

I try and do that at least 3 times a week (and am currently training for half marathon so do a long run at the weekend)

dpb

6 miles ?

hodgy0_2

no, probably 9 or 10 :-(

dpb

I meant for the 30 mins really

hodgy0_2

lol, I wish

no I am firmly in the hour mark for a 10K

Dave Y

iTrader: (52)

[QUOTE=urban;11792085]Lovely, your **** must have been raw![/QUOTE

yes all because of the sweetener they use in sugar free gum.

daviee

TT to be fair your height to weight ration is low so why worry, back to if it isn't broke don't fix it. Few years back eggs and black pudding were the work of the devil now they are superfoods. may be 10 years time they will be health issues with sugar free products, and sugar based products will be the future. I believe that heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas needs within moderation a work out.

Turbohot

The sweetener used in fancy chewing gums is aspartame. I haven't seen one sugar fee chewing gum that didn't contain that. People that intake nicotine replacement gums e.g. Nicorette gums also report terrible stomach disturbances.