# Help me kick the sugar thing!!



## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

I am having a super hard time with sugar lately. I had some PPD (I didn't take such good care of myself this last pregnancy) went on zoloft (am currently weaning off) I feel much better, but i've gained 40lbs since starting the zoloft (not good postpartum!). I've been on a sugar binge for the past 9 mos. eating it everyday! Any advice on how I can get off this rollercoaster?
Things I can eat to help the cravings go away? I am taking a high quality liquid multi and a mega dose of fish oil everyday.

I feel so out of control its like my brain turns off and the sugar just jumps into my mouth









Thanks!


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## kalisis (Jan 10, 2005)

subbing in-I need help with the sugar thing too.







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## Naiad (Jul 1, 2005)

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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

I don't really have any info about what you can eat to make the cravings go away, but there is another thread about this "anybody else have a sugar addiction?" (sorry, I don't know how to do links). A few people have talked about what works for them, I'm dealing with the same thing ...


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

The only thing that worked for me was going cold turkey. I can't do moderation when it comes to sugar. Doesn't work. Quit it cold turkey. The first few days might be hard but it will get easier faster.


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## MamaE (May 1, 2004)

Hey, mama. Right there with ya. I struggle with sugar daily. I was part of the sugar-free threads that floated around here in spring and early summer, but we eventually disbanded. I'm back on sugar and I know many of the mamas that participated in the thread had a hard time staying clean as well. So, you are not alone - it's hard! Not impossible, I hope, but certainly a tremendous challenge.

I agree with ShannonCC, quitting cold turkey was the best way for me. Although it didn't work long term, so who knows? For now, I just try to stay away from some of the sugars that seem the least nutritive. Here's what I will use: maple syrup and maple sugar (hideously expensive), honey, & agave nectar, occasionally blackstrap molasses though I try to avoid any form of cane sugar b/c I read it's more addictive. Maple syrup, maple sugar, and molasses all have some mineral content (iron and calcium). Honey is supposed to be medicinal and agave syrup is a diabetic approved sweetener, at least in small amounts. Still, I've found that baked goods with these sweeteners are still addictive and I know they aren't helping me in the long run. Sigh. I also avoid refined grains - I only bake with 100% whole grain, so that helps, but still...

My strategy for now is this: baby steps. Avoid the big no-nos and hopefully come around over time... Right now I am looking into the link between cravings and high cortisol levels. Stress and lack of sleep (both of which I suffer from) increase cortisol levels which in turn fuels carb cravings and weight gain, particularly around the middle. The solution? More sleep, less stress. ha! If only it were that easy! I'll be lurking...

ETA: Check out Potatoes not Prozac, a great diet/craving/mood book. Also could your protein intake be too low? I've read that can cause cravings.


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## Chanley (Nov 19, 2001)

I fall on and off the sugar wagon so often that I just need to get padded pants.

I go cold turkey.

For the first two days, I dang near will eat anythign with sugar. So i better make sure there is none in the house and no baking supplies. If I cant bake it and dont have it, I cannot eat it. I am honestly like a sugar crack head. I will eat the craziest things for a sugar fix if I am not careful.

When it gets really bad, I get an apple with peanut butter. That satisfies me. Fruit is my crutch for coming off of sugar.

I NEVER skip meals going off of sugar and get plenty of good fats and protein. after a few days, I am just as happy having a cup of unsweetened tea or cold water rather than sweet fruit.


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## plantmama (Jun 24, 2005)

Make sure you're full when you go grocery shopping- really full. Then don't buy anything sweet. This has worked for me, but dh doesn't like sweets so won't buy them anyway. If there is nothing in the house I have been known to eat spoonfuls of honey, random pieces of old chocolate from the baking shelf, and yougurt w/ maple syrup. I have never tried to go off maple syrup and honey (my parents make m.s. and we always have a lot for oatmeal)...
It is so hard, I've eaten about ten mini mint chocolate cookies today and ice cream so obviously I really don't have any answers, just can relate, and would love to quit. For me quiting smoking was so much easier than this, not encouraging I know, sorry.
good luck
-plantmama


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaE*
I try to avoid any form of cane sugar b/c I read it's more addictive.

Just curious where you read that? Is it online?

I have some agave syryp in my tea some days. And sometimes I squeeze some lime in a cup of water and add some agave for a really tart limeade







I'm going totally by my gut here and my gut says that honey and maple syryp would be bad for me. If I can imagine myself eating it by the spoonful then I'm not having it in the house :LOL So far the agave is working well and doesn't trigger anything (but I am using it in really tiny amounts too).

Peanut butter/cinamon/oatmeal/raisin balls hit the sweet spot for me







Once a month I get a bar of unsweetened (baker's) chocolate and melt it over date rolls







The rest of the month I eat the date rolls plain. I limit the chocolate because even though it has no sugar, I do seem to be in a bit of danger from it (going with my gut again).

I quit cold turkey and was completely off the stuff for three months. Then told myself I could have a dessert at a restaurant (you know how big and sugary they are!) and *immediately* fell into a binging pattern that took me over a week to crawl out of. I felt like crap that whole time but still couldn't stop what I was putting in my mouth most days. I think I just have to not have it again. I've already got some creative non-sugary treat ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas, because I don't want to fall into that again. A few minutes of sweet taste in my mouth is not worth all the baggage that comes with it.


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## Naiad (Jul 1, 2005)

I tried to go cold turkey, and did well all day - I ate my whole grains, my fruits and veggies... then at about 8 pm I ate a donut







. And I don't even really like them.


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Ahhhh sugar...oh soooo SOUR! I wish it would just go away. I've done the cold turkey thing too and did great with it for a while, but like most people, sugar has been creeping it's way back into my diet more and more lately. I do know why though and it's because I've been lazy when it comes to cooking and have not been planning ahead and making the effort to have foods ready. Having a 3 year old who has been experiencing life through the eyes of his sugar addicted cousins with those neat shaped, colorful candies and pink bubble gum doesn't help much either. BUT, what does get me back on track is educating myself and reading stuff that really teaches me about sugar's negative impact. The hardest part in understanding and accepting that foods are bad is that it can take years for them to truly show their impact. Although if you start eating healthier and get rid of sugar for the most part, it will take you hours to realize how much better your body is without it. Try to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Cut up veggies to snack on throughout the day, make granola with oats, mashed bananas and peanut butter. Find a good whole wheat recipe for pancakes and top with blueberries that you have lightly heated to make them pop (they taste sweeter this way and can help you over that sugar need). Throw out all sugar laden products....just don't have them in your house and you won't be tempted. Most importantly, remember why you want to be healthier and think of it as a quest to conquer the evil sugar empire that stalks us at every turn!


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## abclan (Apr 18, 2005)

Oh sugar . . . your yummy ways are killing me softly . . .

I think I may have to do the cold turkey thing. I just can't let it go. I am pretty addictive and have given up a lot of things I used to do - smoking being the biggest. I am proud of that but sugar is hard, man!

I go on the prowl for it, kwim?

I seem to eat less of it when I get more regular exercise and knit a lot. Knitting keeps my fingers (and mind) outof the cookie jar.


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## MamaE (May 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShannonCC*
Just curious where you read that? Is it online?

Oh, crud. I was just hoping no one would ask! I don't recall, but I think maybe Sugar Blues by William Dufty?

Can I just bow down to you now ShannonCC? I so admire what you are doing and I can SO relate to a teensy misstep leading to days (or in my case, weeks) of bingeing. Say something to get me back off sugar, please!

I should add, re: the cane sugar, I won't buy it to bake with, but lately (in my sugar-driven bingeing madness) I'm eating an awfully lot of it in the form of ice cream.







:

It's such a horrible place to be in - b/c of my sugar intake, food rules my life right now. When I am off sugar (I was off all forms for 7 weeks, or did I mention that? I just can't let it go, darnit - I have to prove I'm capable :LOL ) Anyway, when off sugar, my cravings go away and food becomes very secondary in my life. I eat (mostly) only when hungry. Sugar fuels such madness. Ah, the evil!


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## ishtarmaia (May 30, 2004)

O.K., FWIW, I have some ideas. First off, I have a friend that is a nutritional counselor and he says that sugar shuts down your nervous system, effectively cutting off your feelings, so maybe we should all ask ourselves, what is it we are feeling that we don't want to feel and are trying to cover up with sugar? It IS just another emotional cover-up addiction like alcohol or marijuana or sex---pick your poison.

I'm not saying I have it licked completely (no pun intended), but through my process of weaning off for longer and longer periods of time, my body has become more sensitive to it to the point where if I eat 2 cookies, I get a yeast infection. I really see it as a blessing myself. The consequences are too much too handle, therefore I am dissuaded.









Things got a lot easier for me (resisting the evil) when I started doing yoga. Something about being more aware and IN my body helped me to have more willpower to resist, but I know it doesn't work that way for everyone, as I have a best friend who has been a hardcore yoga practitioner for 5 years and has a BAD sugar addiction, but she is getting stronger and resisting more often. It has been a process for her as well.

I also think that we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves. It's not easy to make such momentous changes in our lives. Let's face it, we all grew up sugar addicts. My mom never allowed my sister and I to have sugar at home, so when we went to my grandma's, we would eat so much candy and junk that we would come home and vomit. SUGAR IS CRACK!!! There is no denying that, and it's just as hard to kick as alcohol or cigarettes or any other addiction. We need to be compassionate with ourselves, and praise ourselves every time we have a victory in our process, and not expect that just because we know we shouldn't be eating it, we can stop right away. At least that has been true in my experience. It has been a very gradual process with two steps forward and one step back, for sure!

AS far as suggestions go, I started weaning off with the help of sugars that enter the bloodstream more slowly like brown rice syrup and barley malt. These sugars consist of maltose, whereas cane sugar (in all its forms), honey and maple syrup are all sucrose, the kind that floods into the bloodstream with the quickness causing the infamous "sugar highs and lows".

And last but definitely not least, HIT UP THE STEVIA!!! It has been one of my greatest allies in the fight against the white death and all it's darker "more natural" forms. I bake with it, put it in my tea, sweeten my unsweetened soymilk with it, I even put some in the peanut butter--YUM!! The great thing about stevia is that it doesn't affect your blood sugar AT ALL!! It is a sweet-tasting herb, not a true sugar. It has none of sugar's negative effects, but all the sweetness you could ever desire! Look for it in the supplement section of your local HFS. (The FDA won't allow it to be sold as a sweetener because then it might actually compete with Nutrasweet, Splenda and all the other poison chemical artificial sweeteners, but that is for another thread







)

Good luck to everyone. Don't give up; if you fall off the wagon, you're only human. You can always jump back on at the next stop.


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

MamaE :LOL Thanks for making me laugh







And hey, don't give up on those 7 weeks! Jump back on that wagon. I love what ishtarmaia said about that









ishtarmaia, I'm prone to yeast infections too. Certain periods of my life I got tons of them. What fun! Not. I seem to be in a non-prone stage right now, don't know why. Thank goodness my sugar binge the other week didn't give me one. I don't know why but I'm not complaining! And thanks for writing your post, it has lots of great info. I didn't know that about rice syryp and barley malt. I'll have to look into it. Right now I'm using agave in very small amounts (mostly in tea) and it seems to be ok with me.


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Ah, forgot one thing. Yesterday was hard and I didn't know why. I was SO craving sweets. I didn't give in to temptation but I stuffed my face with tons of stuff trying to satisfy something I couldn't put a finger on. Then today I get my period







Maybe yesterday would have been easier if I had actually looked at a calendar :LOL

My advice to everyone would be don't start your sugar free journey when you are PMSing


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Here's a great article about why we crave carbs (sugar) and how our bodies process foods to keep us fuller longer. I think most of us fail to eat properly during the day, therefore leading to carb/sugar fixes and cravings.

http://www.sissel-online.com/article/simple_sugars.php

I already feel like I'll have a better week this week without sugar because of you guys. This is a therapeutic and very supportive thread! We should check back in regularly to report on our successes.

I went sugar free for about a month and when I started having little nibbles again here and there, I could so tell a difference! That stuff is NOT supposed to be so abundant in our foods and our bodies...it's just bad. The hard part is trying to convince a 3 year old that those candies and treats his friends and cousins are eating are not good for him. Sometimes I just want to live in the woods with only the "right" kinds of foods at our disposal!!


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dswmom*
http://www.sissel-online.com/article/simple_sugars.php

to live in the woods with only the "right" kinds of foods at our disposal!!


Thanks for the article! I would also like to move away from sugar! I'm trying to find balance in our lives as far as sugar goes. We went without it for 3 years. The kids felt deprived, though. They binged whenever they got the chance. I don't want it to be the forbidden fruit, kwim?!

I've been on a sugar binge for the past 9 mos. Eating ice cream 6 out of 7 days a week! Its not good. I'm going to try to go without it today! I tried eating watermelon last night after dinner instead. Then dh went to the store







thats all it took. He called on the cell to ask if I needed anything. Yup! how about a pint of B & J? It sure was yummy!
I was really mad at myself after!
Oh well, today is a new day.


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## ishtarmaia (May 30, 2004)

It is actually SCARY how many foods have sugar in them when you start looking at labels. Canned chipolte peppers, pasta sauce, crackers--for gosh sakes, is nothing sacred from the clutches of the white death?







But part of that is our dependence on processed and packaged foods, too. Eating sugar free requires a lot of vigilance and more whole food choices in my experience.

Man, it IS hard with the kiddos. Mine go to their grandparents to spend the night about twice a month and when they come back, it seems their IQ's have dropped, and from what I've been reading lately about sugar and it's effects on children's abilities to learn, I'm not doubting it. If I had even a HALFWAY decent relationship with my MIL, there might be a chance for compromise, but she hates my guts







so I just have to deal with it and realize that it is part of the kids' learning process to have their experience with sugar. I wish I could run away to the forest, too. I always thought I would NEVER let my kids get cracked out on the white death, but then reality set in: We live in AMERICA! :LOL . They are 5 & 7 and both in school this year (YAY!!), so they are being exposed to even more stuff than ever before. They go to a really awesome Montessori school that promotes good nutrition for the kids and asks parents not to pack candy and sugary snacks in lunches, but it seems a lot of folks just don't understand. I actually passed on an article from Ode magazine to one of the teachers yesterday as I thought it might be helpful for some parents. It's called "You Do What You Eat" and talks about how food affects behavior in everyone, from prisoners to school children and includes studies that prove healthy food reduces aggression. Very informative.

How's everyone doing today? I'm sugar free (so far







)! Sending you all the sweetness you need in your lives WITHOUT sugar!







Have a great day!


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## mamajessica (Sep 15, 2004)

Subbing...
Hi, my name is Jessica, and I too am a sugar junkie. It is very bad, as noted by the contents of my trash bags.
I am trying to cut back again, it's embarrasing how much sugar I consume. My family jokes about it, even when I'm not around








The stuff IS crack! I give it up every year for lent (I was raised Catholic, but really only participate in Lent and major holidays). I feel great then and it's not even hard after the first few days, but I can't seem to motivate now. No More Candy!!!! That must be my motto, or else I will be in serious trouble







My body cannot take it much longer.


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## MamaE (May 1, 2004)

Hey all. It's 3 PM where I'm at and I've been sugar-free all day long.







Late afternoon (right now) is the hardest time of day for me - the time when I usually binge like there's no tomorrow on whatever sweets I can find. Not today!

Thanks for all the motivation on this thread. It's great! All you sugar-free mamas (and wannabes) are inspiring me to try again. We can do it!

I think I can get through the rest of today, but I know tomorrow will be tough. I'll be back to check in.


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## ishtarmaia (May 30, 2004)

Alright MamaE, I'm so proud of you!














I made it through the day today, too--WHEW!!! I was even having some nasty cravings (I think I'm PMSing), but I settled for salty instead of sweet.







Hope everyone else had a good day.

Love to all,


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

MamaE, you can do it









The first few days are the hardest and then it will get easier. Stick with it


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourangels*
I'm trying to find balance in our lives as far as sugar goes. We went without it for 3 years. The kids felt deprived, though. They binged whenever they got the chance. I don't want it to be the forbidden fruit, kwim?!

I try to find balance for my *kids*. I think I've accepted that for me it's all or nothing but maybe they have hope. I don't forbid them from eating it but I talk talk talk about sugar, how you can't eat it alone, how it's not good to eat lots, but how, for most people, it IS ok to have some as long as you don't go overboard. So far it's working. Neither of them binges on sugar. My dd does have blood sugar issues though so I wonder if it's just a matter of time for her. But I hope I'm raising her with a good attitude so maybe she won't end up like me even if she inherited the same bad sugar genes.

For the record, I ate all the sugar I wanted as a kid. My mom was binging on chocolate often and we lived in a two family house with Grandma who has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know. You didn't go to Grandma's without getting ice cream, candy, cake or something. Needless to say, we went down to her apartment daily, :LOL There's got to be a good middle ground between forbidding it and eating it every day.


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## MidnightCafe (Oct 27, 2003)

Something I learned while pregnant was that if you're craving sweets, it can be a signal that your body needs protein.

I know that I crave sugar more when I'm hungry - not like starving hungry, but the kind of hungry you get when you haven't been eating well all day or you've been eating mostly carbs (even the homemade whole wheat bread variety of carbs).

And I crave sweets when I'm tired.

If I can make myself do it, a brisk walk wakes me up better than a sugar fix in the middle of the afternoon. And the sweets craving goes away because my body has gotten the feel-good hormones it needs from walking.

Interesting that sugar doesn't make you feel better but that it shuts off your emotions instead. I hadn't heard that before. So, if I'm feeling tired & grumpy, sugar won't actually work as a pick-me-up...it'll just turn off my tired grumpy feelings. I guess that's why a brisk walk works better. It pumps me full of good feelings so I don't need to turn off the yucky ones. Hmm....


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## MidnightCafe (Oct 27, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShannonCC*
I try to find balance for my *kids*. I think I've accepted that for me it's all or nothing but maybe they have hope. I don't forbid them from eating it but I talk talk talk about sugar, how you can't eat it alone, how it's not good to eat lots, but how, for most people, it IS ok to have some as long as you don't go overboard.

Thanks for this piece of advice! My 3yr old has recently (in the last 2 weeks) learned about candy from her oh-so-sweet 9yr old neighbors who think it's fun to give her candy. And she's crazy for it. She will beg for me to let her eat more candy. I need to have this talk with her...


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaE*
Anyway, when off sugar, my cravings go away and food becomes very secondary in my life. I eat (mostly) only when hungry. Sugar fuels such madness. Ah, the evil!

I can totally relate to this.

Can I join the support group? :LOL

ShannonCC, you inspired me to go cold turkey on the other thread, thanks







. I know it sounds silly, but I honestly never even considered just giving it up - I wanted to be able to strike a balance. But, geez, I'm 27 and I haven't been able to yet, who am I fooling? :LOL

So today is day 3 for me sugar-free and it's been surprisingly easy. I'm a little crabby and felt a little dizzy and loopy yesterday before lunch, but in general I feel good. I know, I know only three days .. but still. It's just not an option to eat it .. that's how I think of it and it makes it easier. I'm not compelled to binge at all if eating sugar isn't an option ... so far :LOL .

DH said he thought he read something about bitters helping with sugar cravings so I figured it was worth a try. During those hard times (3-4:00 in the afternoon and 7-8:00 at night) I took a couple dropperfuls of yellow dock tincture and drank a big glass of water or herbal tea and it seemed to help.







FWIW

Here's to another sugar-free day!


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## mamajessica (Sep 15, 2004)

MidnightCafe said:


> And I crave sweets when I'm tired.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

My sugar intake has been dwindling since Wed. I am feeling a strong urge right now to dip into the cookie jar and eat some Newman's ginger snaps (they ARE organic :LOL), yeah, yeah, I know that organic does not necessarily equate to good for you, particularly if the organic ingredients are side by side the ole cane sugar, white death, crack stuff!

Just wanted to pass on to you ladies something that has helped me in this battle...reading. The more I read about how bad it is for my body, the easier it is for me to walk right past sugar laden foods in the store. Like my dh said, "you can't unread what you have read". And if you are motivated to be healthier then getting knowledgable can be your best defense.

I like what a pp mentioned too about taking a walk...exercise is so vital in keeping us strong and helping us fight those urges...also, if we are eating more whole foods and natural ingredients, then our bodies won't crave sweet stuff soooo much. Sugar begets sugar.

STAY TOUGH!! I'm rooting for you all (and myself too!)


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

:LOL I'm with you all as well...major sugar junkie as well. I'm on day 7--yeah! A whole week. I haven't gone that long since I met my husband 7 years ago (he's a sugar fean and got me back on after my getting off...grrr.) I agree that cold turky works the best for me as well. Not a drop. I eliminate everything from salad dressings to ketchup to anything processed that might contain sugar. Brown rice syrup is a good sugar alternative as well, but it is best to develop different tastes that do not revolve around sweet--like sour, tangy, salty, etc... I also have to have meat 1-2 times a day when I go off of sugar and I give myself an ear massage whenever I have an intense craving.

I agree with the pp-----read, read, read! Try going on www.mercola.com and look at some of the articles on sugar. That's what helped me this time; if anything it will scare the bejeebers out of you! Helps me thinking that eating suar is more harmful than smoking--just imagine poison!

Uh, two days ago I got up to make breakfast to find a gigantic box of krispy kream doughnuts on the counter (hubby gets them free because he knows the people who close the gas station in the town where he works.). Oh my gosh!!!! It was so hard not to have a couple. I did have to open the cover that afternoon to smell them, but I refrained--I'm so proud! Normally I would have had one that would have lead to an all day sugar binge. I couldn't let them get in the way of all the hard work and progress I've made already.

Keep plugging alone everyone!


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## MamaE (May 1, 2004)

Day 2. Hooray! So far, so good. No major cravings. Then again, I'm coming off months of bingeing, so who can feel deprived after all the indulgence? :LOL

Some friends are coming for dinner tonight and bringing cheesecakes - the bite size ones. I don't feel even slightly tempted, but how rude is it not to eat them??

Hope everyone is doing well. Stay strong for the weekend!

E


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

heldt123 .. an ear massage? What's up with that? That sounds neat ...

MamaE .. I don't think it's rude at all not to eat them. I've been thinking about this, too. I know people are going to think it's weird that I'm refusing EVERYTHING with sugar, but I'm just trying to think of it as an allergy. Sugar causes compulsive poisoning of my body with tons of nutritionally devoid substances .. how's that?

Feeling good, good luck everyone


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## jraohc (Nov 5, 2004)

:


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

Well, since I started this thread I should probably join in.

Hi, my name is Angel and I am a sugaraholic. As of right now I have been sugar free for 24 hours. I am having serious cravings. This is the hardest part of the day for me. So far so good...I just need to make it another 30 minutes or so until bed. Tomorrow is a new day...

Thanks to everyone who has joined this thread. Its nice to know I'm not alone.


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sarahverlinda*
heldt123 .. an ear massage? What's up with that? That sounds neat ...

I read about that in an article somewhere--probably from mercola's site. Suposedly there is a pressure point in your ears that helps with cravings. I have no idea if that is true or not, but it feels good and has helped me even it only works in a distraction sense.







I just start massaging the whole outer ear for as long as it feels comfotable.








Motivation for the day:
76 reasons to not eat sugar
http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/4/sugar_dangers.htm


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## mamajessica (Sep 15, 2004)

Wow Jamie, thanks for the link. I need to work harder at cutting back the sugar. I still haven't eaten candy (I even went to Trader Joes and resisted :LOL ), but haven't completely removed it. Also, maybe we all should consider taking some probiotics, if you aren't already, to help repair our guts from sugar damage.







mamas


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

I'm so proud!! I just spent the afternoon at a friends house. They made blueberry pies w/ the kids and then everyone ate ice cream and pie. I had a cup of peppermint tea w/ a 1/2 tsp of raw honey!! I can't believe I did it! I'm almost through day 2 w/ out any sugar, I can't beleive it!


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Yeah Angel!

Here's another really great article if anyone needs some more motivation!







That's a really awesome website too! Click on home and then go to site directory and click on Nutrition for Babies--check out that awesome waterbirth photo.
http://www.livrite.com/sugar1.htm

Those krispy kream doughnuts are now petrifing (sp?) on my counter and I haven't eaten one!!! Muuh..ha...ha..ha...


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## mamajessica (Sep 15, 2004)

Checking in. Great job sugar free mama's. Today is my planned sugar free completely day. It's going great so far, but I have far to go. Maybe we need a "resisting sugar" smilie


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

I use equal or splenda (havn't used sugar for 6 years) Right now I am doing south beach so i don't have any sugar craving at all. I find that not having sweets leads to not craving sweets. My sweet treat everyday is a fruit/tofu smoothy.


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

How's everyone's weekend going? This is day 5 for me. No sugar, honey, maple syrup ... nothing







. I feel really good. I haven't had any crazy cravings that I haven't been able to get past. I have been eating fruit, I know someone said they even gave that up .. but that's one thing I think I'd be able to strike a balance with and not binge on. I can feel my natural hunger cravings slowly coming back. Keep up the good work!


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *heldt123*
Yeah Angel!

Here's another really great article if anyone needs some more motivation!







That's a really awesome website too! Click on home and then go to site directory and click on Nutrition for Babies--check out that awesome waterbirth photo.
http://www.livrite.com/sugar1.htm

Those krispy kream doughnuts are now petrifing (sp?) on my counter and I haven't eaten one!!! Muuh..ha...ha..ha...

Thanks for the encouragement!

I can't believe you resisted doughnuts! Why don't you just throw them away??!!


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourangels*
Thanks for the encouragement!

I can't believe you resisted doughnuts! Why don't you just throw them away??!!

I get to throw them out today cuz they are hard! Hubby wanted to eat them and wouldn't let me toss them, but I don't think he realized how long a box of doughnuts lasts when I'm not eating them.







: I feel very empowered at having not indulged; now I feel like I can resist anything!









All right Sarah--5 days, yeah!


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

:














You guys are awesome


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Got this book from a yard sale this weekend, heard Dr. Perricone, a dermatologist, speak on Oprah about ways to help you look and feel younger through diet, and so far his book is reitterating all I've learned about getting healthier. He did comment on sugar and thought these comments could serve as a motivator and help you all endure your quest to become sugar free:

"We have to understand and accept this simple but painful fact of life: Sugar can be toxic. Ingesting sugar causes a rise in blood sugar, resulting in a burst of inflammatory chemicals that spread throughout our bodies. Even worse, from a dermatological point of view, is that sugar can permanently attach to the collagen present in our skin and other parts of our body."

"Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen, resulting in wrinkles."

"-basically, sugar contributes to the deterioration of every bodily function."

Now go eat some walnuts and a grapefruit!


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

It's been a week! I almost can't believe it ... me, the sugar addict, huh? Anyway .. what do you all snack on? Or do you not snack







. Everytime I'm a little hungry and I don't want to make something I grab a piece of fruit but it's starting to taste like too much fruit sugar even ... I just don't want to do that all day. I don't want to start eating a lot of bread either (toast and peanut butter). I guess I could cut up vegetables and snack on that .. hmm, any other savory snack ideas?


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## UUMom (Nov 14, 2002)

A TBLS a day of cod liver oil-- or coconut oil, if you don't want to do cod liver oil- helps wonders. At least it did for me.

I am not sure i was addicted, but since I've done the oil, I don't even like the taste of sugar. Birthday parties and ice cream cones do nothing for me. My kids love to go to a specific summer place for ice cream (it closes in early Sept., and not once did i even feel the urge to have even a lick. It didn't take any will power at all. I just don't have a taste for it.

I wish i could say the same for thinking about mashed potatoes and butter.


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Yeah Sarah!!!
















We snack on cheese sticks, carrots with "dressing to dip" as my little man says and cucumbers and lots of different fruits. I try to eat a handful of blueberries a day (powerful antioxidant and helps suppress aging too







). We also are a little nutty around here







---walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, peanuts, cashews, pistachios (all unsalted with no additives...as natural a state as you can get them in is best). I actually did just read that it's even better to buy nuts with the shell because it of course means they are freshest when you finally eat them. Makes sense!

Sesame sticks too.

Oh, how could I forget one of my most favorite snacks/meal partners??? LARABARS. Ever heard of them? They are fantastic and the most basic ingredients...they are even sweet tasting because of the dates added. Total thumbs up to the creators of that snack bar. They did it right in my opinion.


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## MoonJelly (Sep 10, 2004)

subbing


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Two weeks today! I can't believe it!
















Feeling sooo much better and not craving/thinking about food all day, sweet or not.


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

This really is an inspirational thread









I meant to chime in a few days ago. These aren't really snacks I guess, but things that help me when I'm wanting "sweets".

The first is flavored sparkling water. I don't know quite why (maybe it reminds me of soda? Not that I was drinking soda anyway . . .) but it does the trick most of the time when I'm wanting something sweet. I get Poland Spring brand lime (my fav) or lemon. Haven't liked their other flavors so far. It's just water, "Natural flavor" and carbonation. I also had Aquafina flavored sparkling water and it was REALLY good but I can't find it again around here. And their sparkling water looks really similar to their flavored water which has artificial sweetener so you have to read the labels carefully (if you care - I usually avoid artificial sweeteners).

Also, this week I was craving chocolate something bad. I have a bar of unsweetened (baker's) chocolate in the kitchen and every day I eat piece or two with a date (just chew it all up at the same time). I wanted to get date rolls and then you cover the (unsweetened) rolls with the (unsweetened) chocolate and that is so delicious







Unfortunately the store was out of rolls. Probably good anyway. Everytime I make the chocolate covered date rolls the kids snarf them down. If I'm not craving chocolate but just want sweet then date rolls or dates on their own are yummy








They might be a bit intense for those of you who can't handle too much fruit sugar, but fruit isn't a problem for me.

Oh, I'm also drinking V-8. Not sure if that has anything to do with anything :LOL but it hits the spot for a snack. Replacing the sweet with salt maybe?


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Mmmm, sparkling water :LOL . Seriously, that does sound really good right now. It's funny, not having eaten sugar for over a week really makes fruit taste too sweet to me. Tart apples are Ok, and elderberries are Ok (they're in season where I am right now, they're slightly bitter) but I couldn't even finish a peach







yesterday because it was too sweet (that's unheard of for me). V8 is a good idea. I'm thinking I just need to develop more of a taste for different flavors - salty, sour, bitter.

heldt123
Two weeks!







Cheers!


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

I'd check the V-8 juice ingredients...isn't sugar added to that too? For some reason I remember it was. Maybe not anymore.

Good work everyone!!


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## Naiad (Jul 1, 2005)

Wow- way to go everyone!
Just the inspiration I need to be sugar-free starting tomorrow. I had my last cookie to celebrate and I'm going out to get stevia first thing in the a.m..


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## ediesmom (Nov 19, 2001)

I AM ADDICTED TO SUGAR!!!!!!

But I want to share a little secret with all you mamas who also love the cookies!

There is this herb called GYMNEMA that, when swished around in your mouth, kills all the sweet receptors (temporarily....about 30 minutes)

The first time I 'tested' it, I popped some sweet little raisins in my mouth and they tasted like cardboard pellets! It does the same for donuts, too!

Now, I'm not saying I use it as often as I should, but it does the job when I want it to.

Might help for some of you who struggle with sugar, like ME!

ediesmom


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ediesmom*
There is this herb called GYMNEMA that, when swished around in your mouth, kills all the sweet receptors (temporarily....about 30 minutes)

ediesmom, where did you hear of this? What form does it come in, tincture? Where do you get it?


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## ediesmom (Nov 19, 2001)

I am a type 1 diabetic, so I was doing research on supplements to support blood sugars and I kept running across this herb. It kept saying that the taste thing was a side effect. IMO a very useful one. Its main purpose is to block sugar receptors in your cells, also a very good thing.

I have had to watch my sugars for lows since I have been taking it, so its doing something.

oops.
Its a tincure(but comes in pill form, but you can't swish a pill). I ordered it from HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST in NJ


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

REally quick before i run out to go shopping but no sugar in V-8. You got me all nervous and I checked the ingredients on my can :LOL Lots of salt though so if that's a problem for someone then watch out.

Oh, I just realized there are different varieites of V-8. I can only vouch for the regular one not having sugar (there's also lemon flavored, low sodium, no sodium and the spicy one).


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## Dakota's Mom (Apr 8, 2003)

Man, I need to join this group too. I can not resist sugar. And I'm a diabetic. I have been using nutrasweet and stuff like that but now I'm having problems with my legs that I think might be related. Today I bought some stevia to see if I can use that instead. I don't know how it will work, but I'm desperate enough to try anything at this point. My legs have always given me problems. But I've drank diet cokes and other diet drinks for years. The other day I read an article that said that nutrasweet can cause MS like symptoms. That's what I've been feeling like lately. My legs feel heavier and heavier and they ache all night long. I gave up anything with nutrasweet in it for about a week and was feeling better. Then my husband brought home a diet coke for me. The achy feeling came right back as soon as I drank it. So I am going to try to stop all artificial sweetners for now and use the stevia instead. I bought the kind that comes in little packets since I thought it would be easier to carry with me. What kind has anyone else used and did it take the sweet cravings away?

Kathi


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Hi Kathi, you are right, artificial sweeteners are really bad. My grandpa used to have a lot and he would get really bad headaches and memory loss when he had it.

I haven't used stevia, but have heard that it is good. I have had really good luck with brown rice syrup and dates. Hope you can get rid up your bad symptoms! When I have time there are a couple yummy recipes I need to share. I highly recommend the book "I can't believe this has no sugar." I made these granola bars and had them sitting on top of the fridge. My husband, who normally freaks at the thought of something sugar free, ate a bunch of it the other night. He was talking today about how great it was and told me that I should make some more. I told him it was sugar free and he said, "Really? I never would have guessed." They are a bit too sweet for me now that I'm getting over the sugar cravings, but it is something I can make for the whole family. He liked the sugar free banana bread as well.

Shannon, you make a great point about reading the ingredients. I had to do a pantry search and found sugar in everything from pasta sauce to peanut butter, bread, salad dressing and more. Every little bit counts! I think eliminating ever source possible has helped me a lot this time around because before I would only eliminate the obvious sources, i.e. candy, ice cream, etc...and always ended up binging right back on everything.


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Ok, shopping today I picked up my V-8 and saw they had the low sodium there so I checked. It has sugar!!! Yowch! So yeah, watch the varieties. The regular old V-8 does *not* have sugar in it. Plenty of salt though







so if anyone needs to watch their salt consumption it's probably not a good choice.

heldt123, yeah, they put it in everything







Lucky for us :LOL my dd and I have other ingredients we shouldn't eat so I've been reading labels for years and it's become second nature. I finally gave up on finding a good spaghetti sauce that fits my requirements so we just make our own. The brand of bread we buy does have honey in it but I think that's my only *regular* sweetener consumption right now (and I don't even eat it every day - maybe every other). We get the natural peanut butter too so no sugar there









Kathi, ouch! Well, that's a clear sign not to eat the stuff, huh? I do have artificial sweeteners every now and then but mostly try to avoid them since a number of women in my family are allergic. I don't think they are health food but I do think some people are more sensitive than others. It looks like you are definitely on that list! What do you need sweet for? I mean, are you looking for something to use in coffee, or a way to get past a daily donut snack, or what? (knowing what you eat now will help us know what to suggest).


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Oh, and Jamie (went back and saw your name, :LOL) today I was buying salsa and guess what? Most of them had sugar in them







: I finally found one variety of one brand that didn't (the other varieties of the same brand *did*!). It really is in places you'd never think to look.


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Sugar, sugar everywhere; yep, it's even in pickles!!!







I was putting one on my son's plate the other day, looked at the ingredients just because I look at everything now, and there it was. I was so mad.

Another note on artificial sweeteners--they are dangerous. My brother in law used to drink diet cokes all the time and is a runner. His chiropractor gave him several articles that showed him clear evidence that he needs to stay away from it. He was having terrible leg pains. No more diet cokes or artificial sweeteners for him and his leg pains are gone.

DAKOTA'S MOM--Since you are having sugar cravings, it's my understanding that if your body is craving sugar its actually a carbohydrate craving, which means you may be eating too many carbohydrates. Here's a great article on simple and complex carbs and how to balance your diet.

http://www.sissel-online.com/article/simple_sugars.php


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## Dakota's Mom (Apr 8, 2003)

I think I just want sugary things because the doc says no. I eat for comfort a lot. Things are not well on my job or in my marriage so I need a lot of comfort these days. However, I have a three year old so I need to be healthier also. I used nutrasweet in coffee and lattes. That's what I plan on using the stevia for. I can do pretty well on the sugar issue for weeks at a time, but then a craving will set in. Like yesterday was my birthday and I was alone all day. So I was craving big time. Hate to see what the day did to my blood sugar. Obviously I didn't bother to check it. Today is back to normal again. I'm feeling okay.

Part of the problem is that my husband does most of the cooking. He won't eat what I cook. He's a major junk food junkie. So we don't eat real well in general. When I do cook it is usually something pretty healthy. He just stirs it around on his plate and then throws it in the garbage. Then he spends the rest of the night eating chips and stuff like that. I need to eat better if I'm gonna be around to raise this little guy. And I don't want him developing bad eating habits. So far, because of all his allergies it's been easy to say no you can't have that. He knows that certain foods will make him sick. But daddy is no help. They went to Washington yesterday and daddy bought him Goldfish crackers for a snack and a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. This for a kid who is allergic to wheat and dairy. Other than cooking sepaerately for the two of us, I don't know what we're going to do.

Please post those sugar free recipes. Maybe DH will eat them.

Kathi


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Kathi, sorry you're having problems. It goes without saying that healthy eating is harder when you have a lot of stress in your life.

Stevia works in coffee, but be very careful with the amounts. If you use a little bit, it's sweet, if you use too much it tastes nasty, :LOL Put in way less than you'd think and adjust upward.

I'd say cook seperately for you and dh rather than eat crap with him. Or maybe find a way to make his favorites healthier? We eat a lot of "normal" food around here :LOL I mean, we have spaghetti, it's just homemade sauce and whole wheat noodles. We eat tacos (made with chicken and beans) or stir fry with lots of veggies. We just find ways to make the recipes fit what we need. It's hard sometimes and some recipes just won't work (try making lasagna without dairy or soy, :LOL!) but most of the time it works out.


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dakota's Mom*
I eat for comfort a lot.
Kathi

I do too. I don't know if this is true for you or not, but almost invariably when I eat for comfort it's sugar. So just recently I completely cut it out. I don't know what the future holds but for now it's been great and surprisingly easy. For me, if eating sugar isn't an option I tend to just find something else to do besides eat. Dh still eats sugar, though not much. But even if he is I haven't had a problem with saying no. FWIW

I'm sorry you're having a hard time ... I'd continue to cook good stuff for yourself and just have some "junk" around if your dh must have it.


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Did you know that Grey Poupon has sugar in it?







: WTH? sigh


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Granola Bars
2-1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sesame seeds (I did not use, eew)
1/8 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds (I use 1/4 c roasted)
1/2 cup raw wheat germ (I used roasted)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, premoistened with 1-1/2 tsp water and 1-1/2 tsp vegetable oil (found unsweetened coconut at health food store)
1/4 cup chopped pecans (didn't have, didn't use)
1 cup chopped and packed raisins, dates, dried figs in any combination (I used all dates, yum!)
2 Tbs vegetable oil
Generous 3/4 cup brown rice syrup (found in health food store)

Preheat oven 275 and oil a 13 X 9" pan--generously because they do stick!
Mix all ingredients with a fork and press into pan with wet fingers.
Bake about 31 minutes or until the bottom shows just a hint of color--they get crispy as they cool--don't let them become golden.
Remove and cool on wire rack. Cut and store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer. I cut while they are still warm because they don't cut well when cool. And I've found that they don't cut into bar shapes very well, they break into chunks and can get crumbly, but it doesn't really matter, they still taste good!
Original recipe from "The I Can't Believe This Has No Sugar Cookbook" by Deborah E. Buhr


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Kathi, my hubby is a junk food fean as well. His main food groups are: doughnuts, pop, candy, pizza, and Little Debbie snacks!























Just in the past week I've had to resist Bear Tracks ice cream, Twinkies, candy bars, and pizza.









Oh, and we do eat separate meals quite often.


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

subbing...... another addict here! i'm making good progress & have cut out most refined sugars and white foods. it's soooooo hard. i've been to two whole foods lately & neither had date rolls (i've had a bar of unsweetened chocolate to coat the rolls with ready to go for weeks) so i'm still looking. thankfully dh is on board with the changes & is very supportive. it helps that i told him i'd be less likely to be so moody the less sugar i ate









i'm very impressed with all of the cold turkey!!!


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Bobica, do they have dates? You can just chew up a date and a bit of chocolate at the same time. It's not quite as effective as the date roll but still yummy. The date roll works so well because the sweet of the ground up date hits you so fast, while the whole date has to be chewed more to get to the sweet so you are getting bitter chocolate while you are waiting (if that made any sense, :LOL). You can also chew up a handful of raisins with a piece of the chocolate. The other day when I ran out of dates, I found I could put a glob of fruit spread (the kind with no added sugar) on the chocolate and eat it like that







The date roll really is the best though.

I still have 1/4 of a bar of baker's chocolate in my kitchen. Just sitting there







That would not be the case if it was sugared chocolate. I have been eating a piece or two a day and that's it and I haven't even had any for a few days. The difference blows me away. If it were sugared chocolate, I'd have a piece and then end up eating the entire bar in one sitting and probably end up at the store for more







: Unsweetened chocolate and fruit gets me the taste and covers the chocolate craving but doesn't set off a binge. Wow. Just . . . . wow!


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

I've got a recipe for chocolate dipped pecan dates if anyone's interested....lmk


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

hey shannon! they do have dates but i think putting the effort into melting the chocolate & dipping the rolls, etc. would make me appreciate (aka slow down) a little more, kwim? thanks for the great ideas!!!


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## sarahariz (Aug 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *heldt123*
I've got a recipe for chocolate dipped pecan dates if anyone's interested....lmk

I am! I quit sugar and white flour for about a week a month ago, and I felt so good.... but I got back on again by first eating honey, then I made chocolate cookies, and you know the rest of the story! It is so hard to resist... but I do better if I go cold turkey.

Is anyone else trying to go off of white flour-or processed flour in general? I have heard that it basically "turns into" sugar when you digest it. Oh, I just was reading in the "Simple Sugar" article that someone else posted the link to that that is the case.


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sarahariz*
Is anyone else trying to go off of white flour-or processed flour in general?

I'd like to .. I ate an entire loaf of French bread today







: .. kind of defeats the purpose of giving up sugar, huh? That'll be my next step I think. I want to be sure that I'm good on the no sugar thing before I add another challenge. I'd just like to cut way back on white flour, like only if someone serves it to me, and limit whole wheat flour to a reasonably small percentage of my diet ... oops, babe's awake ..


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Yeah, post the pecan date roll recipe please









Bobica, I haven't made the chocolate dates in awhile because it was a lot of effort for my kids to go and snarf them down in 2 minutes, :LOL But nice to know they liked them









I mostly don't eat white flour. I'm not religious about it and don't mind it occasionally, but in the house we have whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice, etc. I've been eating whole grains for years, I was just chowing down sugar with it







:


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hi ladies. I have been sugar-free for the most part since the spring of 2003. I have had small pieces of cake or ice cream maybe 10 times in thoe 2 1/2 years. I found it to be very hard in the beginning, but it's not hard anymore. I don't crave breads or pasta even. (I'm grain free too.)

I love stevia. Try it, but make sure to look for the Kal brand. I've tried 2 or 3 others and they all tasted like Kool-aid. The Kal brand comes with a teeny tiny spoon. It is about the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar. Definitely beware.

My chiro suggested more good fats to stop carb cravings. It seems to work.

I just had something decadent today. My son and I had a "whipped cream party."







: We made whipped cream sweetened with stevia and ate it off of a spoon. I dipped almonds in it as well for added protein.







Cream has no lactose, so it was entirely sugar-free. Hard to believe.


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## heldt123 (Aug 5, 2004)

Mmmm....that whipped cream thing sounds good! My hubby and I used to love whipped cream for, um, yeah, eating with a spoon.









Anyway, we are pretty much white flour free except for tortillas. I like the whole wheat ones, but no one else does. I'm going to start making my own soon. We have whole grains most of the time. And now that I'm sugar free, that eliminates most of the rest from cakes, cookies, etc...

Here's that Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Date recipe: I haven't tried it yet, but it lookes good!

20 large pitted dates
approx 1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup water
2 oz (2 squares) Baker's All-Natural Unsweetened Chocolate
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs date sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup

Stuff pecan pieces into the dates, enlarging holes as necessary.
Combine water, chocolate, and oil in a medium sauce pan and stir constantly over medium heat until melted
Add date sugar and continue to stir for 1 minute
Add rice syrup and stir until it gets gooy, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for about 2 minutes.
Use a metal spoon and dip each date into the chocolate mix until coated and lay on wax paper to cool.
After all dates are coated, spoon any excess chocolate over cooling dates. As they cool, roll each date between your palms until chocolate is smooth and entire date is covered. Wrap with plastic wrap, twisting ends and freeze until ready to serve. Thaw about 15 minutes before serving.


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## Niamh (Jan 17, 2005)

:


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## carla72 (Aug 6, 2005)

add me to the sugar tribe...or the no sugar tripe. I have POCOS so I CAN'T eat sugar...but I do. I gave up sugar for lent last year. I felt great. But Easter cam e and I was right back into sugar(felt horrid). I was really good the 4 years I was ttc my dd. While I was pregnant I ate a lot of sugar. So now she is 15 months and I want off the stuff again. So I am starting as of now!! That means back to making everything from scratch b/c almost anything packaged has sugar (not to mention all the other bad stuff)
good luck to all.


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *carla72*
add me to the sugar tribe...or the no sugar tripe. I have POCOS so I CAN'T eat sugar...but I do. I gave up sugar for lent last year. I felt great. But Easter cam e and I was right back into sugar(felt horrid). I was really good the 4 years I was ttc my dd. While I was pregnant I ate a lot of sugar. So now she is 15 months and I want off the stuff again. So I am starting as of now!! That means back to making everything from scratch b/c almost anything packaged has sugar (not to mention all the other bad stuff)
good luck to all.









Woo hoo ... great! Good luck. It's been three weeks for me now and I feel really good ... my next challenge is going to be white flour ...

Hey, I'm ignorant, what's POCOS?


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## akmeg (May 4, 2004)

Hi, I should join as well! Carla, I have PCOS as well and my dd is 3yrs and I'd love to be having another some time soon, so I've been cutting out sugar for the past month! I also live in Canada, so HI!!!

I'm actually working on a Candida cleanse so I've cut out dairy, sugar, dried fruit, flour or any refined carbs, vinegar, mushrooms, and a few other random things! I've been doing really well for a month now, and my biggest cheat was this weekend when I had a few muffins that I had made with freshly ground wheat flour, applesauce, apples, honey, and molasses! So I don't feel too bad about it!

So anyways, I'm reading this thread with interest! When I need a sweet fix I usually have a smoothie with frozen bananas and blueberries, coconut milk, and rice milk. It's super sweet and probably not the greatest for my candida, but it doesn't seem to bother my system too much.


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## Niamh (Jan 17, 2005)

Just wanted to say that Heldt's granola recipe is









So yummy!


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## carla72 (Aug 6, 2005)

Hi Megan....small world. We are starting to ttc again as well. thats part of the reason I am getting back on track.

POCOS is poly cystic ovary syndrome. messes up your whole system. Sugar is a big enemy as with any white protucts etc.

Having a harder time cutting out the sugar this time. My mother lives on the same street as us. And wow can she bake!! and she always sends some over. I love to bake too but don't because I know I will eat it. She isn't trying to sabbatoge me she just knows hubby loves sweets and is always sending it over for him.
I just need more willpower


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## ShannonCC (Apr 11, 2002)

Carla, can you have a talk with your mom about not bringing the stuff over?

I'm having a hard time the last few days







I haven't given in to anything sugar (despite very much wanting to) but I'm binging on other things. Maybe it's not a full blown binge like sugar would inspire, but it's still me stuffing my mouth for no apparent reason, looking for something that's not there. I'm 100% certain it's related to my cycle. I hate hormones


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShannonCC*
I'm having a hard time the last few days







I haven't given in to anything sugar (despite very much wanting to) but I'm binging on other things. Maybe it's not a full blown binge like sugar would inspire, but it's still me stuffing my mouth for no apparent reason, looking for something that's not there. I'm 100% certain it's related to my cycle. I hate hormones









Oh yeah, me too. I'm not sure if it's related to my cycle though .. I'm about mid-cycle probably, but this is the first month I've been charting since AF returned postpartum so I'm still not positive what's going on ... anyway ..

yeah, this is the first time (the past couple days or so) since I gave up sugar that it's been really hard for me to not just start dipping into the honey jar .







. I just started working at this coffee shop too that has ice cream and Torani's syrups for coffee drinks and stuff .. I've been ok so far.

The other day I pretty much just ate bread and fruit all day and now I have a raging yeast infection ... that's the only thing I can attribute to it.. It's so weird because I've only gotten one other yeast infection in my life and now I GIVE UP sugar and I get one







: Could I be more sensitive to it already or is it just a coincidence? Who knows.. good night, I'm gonna have some yellow dock tincture and some water and go to bed ..


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## akmeg (May 4, 2004)

Hey Sarah,
Sorry about the yeast infection! Those are awful! It sounds like you probably have a bit of systemic candida overgrowth, because bread and fruit are totally triggers for out of control yeast! That always used to make me wonder too, how I could be eating delicious, healthy homemade bread and still get totally sick and get yeast infections. Have you tried cutting out grains and fruit as well? Yeast really enjoys feeding on both of those. Fruit is super sugary, especially dried fruit or juice.

I'm trying to limit my fruit to one or two servings a day (which is sometimes hard since it's really my only sugar treat for the day!). I also have been trying to eat whole grains rather than flour products, especially not bread because of the yeast. And you know what I miss the most? It's not necessarily the cookies and sweet treats, I just want a yummy big slice of homemade bread!!! I could eat a whole loaf! (I'd be sick in bed for the rest of the day, but it might be worth it!







)

Anyways, just a few things you might want to consider. Good luck, you can live without the honey jar!!


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sarahverlinda*
It's so weird because I've only gotten one other yeast infection in my life and now I GIVE UP sugar and I get one







: Could I be more sensitive to it already or is it just a coincidence? Who knows.. good night, I'm gonna have some yellow dock tincture and some water and go to bed ..









Your yeast is making its last stand. Stick with it. I was sick for two months on my candida diet but came out better for it.


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *akmeg*
Hey Sarah,
Sorry about the yeast infection! Those are awful! It sounds like you probably have a bit of systemic candida overgrowth, because bread and fruit are totally triggers for out of control yeast! That always used to make me wonder too, how I could be eating delicious, healthy homemade bread and still get totally sick and get yeast infections. Have you tried cutting out grains and fruit as well? Yeast really enjoys feeding on both of those. Fruit is super sugary, especially dried fruit or juice.

I'm trying to limit my fruit to one or two servings a day (which is sometimes hard since it's really my only sugar treat for the day!). I also have been trying to eat whole grains rather than flour products, especially not bread because of the yeast. And you know what I miss the most? It's not necessarily the cookies and sweet treats, I just want a yummy big slice of homemade bread!!! I could eat a whole loaf! (I'd be sick in bed for the rest of the day, but it might be worth it!







)

Anyways, just a few things you might want to consider. Good luck, you can live without the honey jar!!

Yeah, I'm gonna start trying to limit my flour and fruit ... candida cleanses sound so extreme to me ... you get all my respect for doing it but I don't know if I'm cut out for it .. although, I never thought I'd be able to give up sugar either so who knows ...


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## aliah79 (Mar 29, 2005)

Hi! I just wanted to say you ladies are inspiring! I also have PCOS...and when diagnosed we went low-carb/sugar-free, lost 30lbs each and I got pg. I was diagnosed with GD with my first pregnancy, and I knew I would be because I can't process sugar and I followed a very strict diet and my blood sugar was always under control. Bad birth experience, and went off the wagon eating junk food. We did eat better as time went on, but not as good as we had been during the pregnancy. When my son was 10 months old, I got pg with #2. We had just recommitted ourselves to the diet and I had lost 4lbs the first week, when I found out I was pg. So I kept eating well and my mw ok'd a sugary treat once a week, we didn't do the GTT test, just testing my fasting blood sugar every day with the glucometer. Was always ok. Another bad brith experience. 3 weeks post partum now and I've been eating nothing but sugar and junk... I'm ready to kick it though. I feel so horrible and get heartburn from the sugar, and my hubby gets reflux. But I crave something sweet, and it's hard with a 20 month old and a 3 week old to get time to make something healthy.

So any ideas of things I could make ahead of time that are healthy and I can eat one handed? Breakfast is especially hard, I usually don't eat until noon, and nursing two, that isn't good for milk supply or my blood sugar... The recipe posted for the granola bars looks excellent...

Also, I am a diet soda junkie... we usually buy splenda sweetened drinks. When I was young, my mom only allowed me to drink diet sodas and around 14 I started getting migraines whenever I had one. I didn't drink them for the longest time, but did drink regular soda and gained a ton of weight, and I've been back on diet sodas for 3-4 years now with no headaches. I could probably limit my intake to one a day, if I could drink my iced tea, but I use Splenda in that... Any ideas on how to sweeten my tea in a healthier way? Stevia? It's just so expensive and we're on a bare bones budget... I do drink a lot of water though, but sometimes I need some taste...

Thanks


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## sarahariz (Aug 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aliah79*
So any ideas of things I could make ahead of time that are healthy and I can eat one handed? Breakfast is especially hard, I usually don't eat until noon, and nursing two, that isn't good for milk supply or my blood sugar... The recipe posted for the granola bars looks excellent...


I agree, breakfast is the hardest meal. I wake up starving, it seems!


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aliah79*
So any ideas of things I could make ahead of time that are healthy and I can eat one handed? Breakfast is especially hard, I usually don't eat until noon, and nursing two, that isn't good for milk supply or my blood sugar... The recipe posted for the granola bars looks excellent...

My first thought is a frittata (not a long-term storage thing, but you could make one or two and munch on them for two days or so). You could make it the night before and cut it into pieces and just grab a piece throughout the day. You can pack a lot of veggies in them, plus you have the protein in the eggs ... potatoes are good in them for carbs. You could probably make a smoothie the night or day before and store it in the fridge as well. Yogurt, fruit, milk ... you can put all kinds of things in them.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aliah79*
Any ideas on how to sweeten my tea in a healthier way?

You could try a little honey, your body may deal with that better.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aliah79*
I do drink a lot of water though, but sometimes I need some taste...

How about lemon or lime water? Would that do it for you?

Good luck!


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## EmilyGFab (Jun 25, 2005)

Try licorice tea! It is naturally sweet! (Though, I think you should not drink this while pregnant.)

Emily


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

I fell off the wagon this week







I had just 4 bites of something w/ sugar in it on Monday (Canadian Thanksgiving). Then had a cookie on Wed. Then yesterday I baked a cake w/ rapadura and ate tons! It is so awful how just a few bites can set off a downward spiral. I am amazed at how much more food I consume when sugar is part of the equation.

I'm going to be super aware today and get right back on that wagon!
How is everyone else doing?


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourangels*
I fell off the wagon this week







I had just 4 bites of something w/ sugar in it on Monday (Canadian Thanksgiving). Then had a cookie on Wed. Then yesterday I baked a cake w/ rapadura and ate tons! It is so awful how just a few bites can set off a downward spiral. I am amazed at how much more food I consume when sugar is part of the equation.

I'm going to be super aware today and get right back on that wagon!
How is everyone else doing?

I'm doing pretty well, I still haven't had sugar but last weekend we went on a little road trip and ended up eating lots of crap ... yk, gas station cheese pretzels and stuff







. I felt kind of silly standing in the gas station studying all the labels of junk food just to make sure it didn't have a little bit of high fructose corn syrup







, but I did draw the line .. even though it was a bit arbitrary. Anyway, this morning is the first morning I don't feel like crap since then. I'm feeling renewed in my no-sugar conviction since flu season is coming up and the way I ate sugar I know that it lowered my immunity.

As far as falling off the wagon ... just take it a day at a time .. it's been less than a week, right? .. you'll do fine .. no sugar today, then no sugar tomorrow ..back on the wagon in no time!


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sarahverlinda*

As far as falling off the wagon ... just take it a day at a time .. it's been less than a week, right? .. you'll do fine .. no sugar today, then no sugar tomorrow ..back on the wagon in no time!









Thanks for the encouragement!! Its just like being an alcoholic...one day at a time!


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## Millie Ivy (Dec 8, 2001)

I so need this thread right now! I am starting today with the no sugar thing once more. For me and the kids. I get yeast infections really easily and my kids are super sensitive to sugar, we already dole it out stingily around here,lots of honey, maple syrup though. And when the kids go to there dads house the crap he gives them hits hard. We went almost completely sugar free today, plus a pot of relaxing tea, and the normal "day after returning from dads house evil insanity" was almost nil. Seriously, the kids went around town with me for almost 3 hours and were little angels, I mean we always have fun, and of course I think my kids are the most awesome kids ever, but I was amazed at what a great day they had. And they BOTH napped easily when we got home!!! I love no sugar and I love that tea!


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## carla72 (Aug 6, 2005)

I feel great now that I am sugar free again. Its like I am an all or nothing person. Since I re-gave up the sugar I got back into a lot of other healthy habits I have slacked on.
Hope everyone is doing well without the sugar.


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bella Babe*
I get yeast infections really easily and my kids are super sensitive to sugar, we already dole it out stingily around here,lots of honey, maple syrup though.

Do you use probiotics? Eating lots of yogurt (with no added sugar) and/or drinking Kefir (again, with no added sugar) can really help get the good bacteria back into your body and may help alleviate yeast infections.

And I think MOST kids are sensitive to sugar if parents really pay attention to what they are consuming. The problem is, so many foods contain sugar or a sweetener that acts just like sugar that pretty soon, their sugar-high temperament seems normal. I notice a huge difference in my son after he eats birthday cake and ice cream---you'd think someone slipped him some speed.

Good luck everyone and here's hoping you can beat the sugar addiction!
Missy


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *carla72*
I feel great now that I am sugar free again. Its like I am an all or nothing person. Since I re-gave up the sugar I got back into a lot of other healthy habits I have slacked on.
Hope everyone is doing well without the sugar.

I think I'm the same way .. I started walking most days as soon as I gave up sugar and I'm paying more attention to nutrition in general ...


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## fourangels (Jun 23, 2004)

Check in time...who made it through Halloween?

I didn't







Halloween is also DD's birthday so I was double teamed. I've indulged a few times since then as well. I'm trying to be vigilant, hopefully tomorrow will bring more will power!


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

ugh, not even close. i ate so many mini butterfinger bars i am turning into one







: on the bright side, i'm completely sugar-free today, so i'm back on the right track (4 days later







: )

how's everyone else faring???


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## dswmom (Nov 17, 2002)

Couldn't escape the candy either...Although I did throw all that we had left over in the trash and tossed out half of my son's loot (he has no idea--only 3 and this is his first time trick or treating). Seems wasteful, I know, but I'd rather the trash have it then our bodies. Plus, I noticed a huge difference in how I felt after I indulged and I didn't like it.

Good luck gals!


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## carla72 (Aug 6, 2005)

I didn't make it either. and dd had her first taste of chocolate







I was fightinga cold and had been winning till halloween. I think the sugar knocked my immune system down a notch...I have ti full out now. Back to sugar free.
good luck to all


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## aliah79 (Mar 29, 2005)

We took my 21 month old trick or treating... I definitely indulged, but my theory is the more I eat at a time, the faster it will be out of the house right?









We haven't been sugar free in a long time, but will be recommiting ourselves soon. DHwas down to 280 at one point, but he's back up to 330








He feels horrible and wants to get a bike to start exercising. I'm 5lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, but I have 85lbs more to go. Tandem nursing and being a mom to a 21 month old and a 6 week old helps a lot LOL.... Money has been so tight lately that we've been eating like crap - lots of rice, pasta, tater tots, etc. But things are looking up soon...


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## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fourangels*
Check in time...who made it through Halloween?


No way,







. Actually, I've been on a trip for the past two weeks and was doing fine but then a friend we were staying with took out this extra special carrot honey and asked if I wanted to taste it and I said yes because it seemed rude not to and I thought a tiny taste of honey wouldn't make any difference .. yeah, right ... the next morning I was scavenging for sugar like crazy. I had some halloween candy too, and some Oreos, and a donut







:. But I'm back home now .. so back on track. I'm thinking of giving up bread too, I can get into addiction mode with that too.


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