David Gillespie - Off the wagon.

04 Sep 2009 6:36 AM

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Message # 215831

Deleted user

I feel like a total failure guys.. After 3 almost flawless weeks of minimal fructose and maximum nutritious food (and the glowing, vibrant, confident energy that comes with it) I have just had a week of complete glutony.

In my three 'golden weeks' hunger was rare and easily satisfied... but now is a different story!

I have managed to stick to my resolve to avoid high sugar/fructose foods, but I feel as through I just cant fill up! Its behavioural I guess... But does anyone have any suggestions, tips? (other than the usual: Brush your teeth, go for a walk etc?)

Does anyone else get this? Has anyone else started so well then 'relapsed?'

Hayley.

06 Sep 2009 5:48 PM

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Reply # 216429 on 215831

Deleted user

Oh Hayley, I am with you. I fall off constantly, The first time I read David's book I went 5 weeks no problem. Them Whammo. Next time it was 3 weeks, then 6 , then 6 again. The moment one little sugary thing goes in your mouth, the cravings are back like a wild animal.

Don't cut yourself up. Realise that you are not alone . We are sugar alcoholics and it is an addiction. The thing that gets me back fastest now is to realise how sluggish I feel when I eat sweet things and remember that great feeling of euphoria when I cut them out.

Trying re-reading David's Raisin Hell series on addiction. And also give yourself credit that you have made a start.

I keep some nuts at my desk, that helps. Winter is a tough time too, because I want to just stay inside and stay warm, but now that the warmer weather is here it is getting easier.

Keep going. Karen

07 Sep 2009 4:18 AM

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Reply # 216509 on 215831

Deleted user

Karen thank you so much for your empathy and support, knowing I am not alone makes all the difference! x

09 Sep 2009 12:10 AM

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Reply # 217036 on 215831

Anonymous

Hayley ... what she said ... :-) (great tips Karen)

The only thing I would add is that since writing the book I've had a lot of feedback from readers and one clear message keeps coming through ... Men find this easier to do than woman ... I don't know why but I suspect that it is to do with oestrogen's interaction with the apetite hormones. I'm seeing what I can dig up and I'll post anything worthwhile that I find.

Cheers

David.

18 Nov 2009 6:56 PM

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Reply # 246701 on 215831

Deleted user

Hi Hayley and all,

Would love to hear how you are going, the good and the bad. It is so frustrating to do so well then fall back on old habits but one day I am sure it will stick for you :)

I am actually reading Slash from guns n roses autobiography at the moment and he was a heroin addict - the comparisons between sugar and heroin are scary! He gets some fantastic news so celebrates with a big heroin blowout, gets bad news so its a great excuse to indulge in a big heroin binge and when he gets off the stuff he thinks 'hey I can handle myself now, so Ill just have a little from time to time.' Exactly like me with sugar!

Im only on day 3 (I went 4 weeks last year but old habits appeared) and hoping that by getting on here regularly it will keep me focused. The fructose message is still very unknown and hard to sell to people (think they just don't want to know) but eventually the tide will change and I think we will see 'fructose free' products on our shelves and meals in our restaurants to make our choice easier.

Take care!

24 Nov 2009 10:55 PM

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Reply # 249133 on 215831

David Gillespie

Ladies, Men seem to be able to simply commence going cold turkey and after a rough week or two seem to be through withdrawal. Some women report the same experience, but they appear to be in the minority. Most women appear to struggle with sugar cravings for months before they are free of the withdrawal period. Some women have emailed and said that they have found it easier to slowly reduce their sugar rather than suddenly stopping. In this way they gradually reduce their desire for it. If you can do that and actually continuously reduce your sugar then by all means do it. I couldn’t. I had to stop cold. Slowly reducing sugar intake may result in a much longer withdrawal period than simply stopping. But if you cant just stop, then it will work just as well. The only caution I would add here if you are doing the slow withdrawal is, don’t kid yourself. Make sure you are actually reducing your sugar intake consistently. Don’t just have one more for the road, or you’ll find that little by little your sugar intake creeps back up. The best way to make sure of this is to keep a sugar diary. Note how much and where you have sugar before you start and set yourself a weekly target of eliminating a few of those sugar sources or amounts (and not adding more in). Is that any help at all? Cheers David.

18 Dec 2010 12:40 AM

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Reply # 482251 on 215831

Deleted user

Hi, I have been a sugar free zone for around 5 months now and have only started shifting weight in the last fortnight. I weigh monthly so as not to obsess. I went cold turkey to stop and found emailing a friend my daily food plan really helped me to focus on what I eat and when. I noticed that I have had to keep this whole sugar thing simple for me so I can stick to it. I have distilled the "rules" for me to "if the sugars on the label for stuff starts with a 3 then I will eat it and if it starts with an 8 for dairy then I will eat it". I try not to become too obsessed with it because it does my head in. However in saying that I have got to be willing to not eat things that I notice set off the cravings or compulsive behaviour so I can no longer graze on nuts because I cant stop, I eat two pieces of fruit a day, and as christmas is coming I am about to try eating party food. Last night I had dinner out and had desert which had sugar in it and today I was exceedingly agitated. To me this means I have let the tiger off the chain and will have to be vigilant about the sugar to get back on my version of the wagon. I am very grateful for finally after many years struggling with eating sugar or not and generally eating low sugar anyway to "get" the addiction concept. I also find that sharing with other people who have the same experiences with food really helps me and have found that Overeaters Anonymous has been a wonderful support. Hope this helps. Have a happyChristmas.

09 Jan 2011 6:44 PM

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Reply # 492384 on 215831

Deleted user

Hi folks, it seems to me that slipping back into our old habits is something we may need to do as part of the learning experience. Speaking for myself, I had been totally sugar free until we had the opening of our eldest daughter first art exhibition on the week-end, so being a celebration and such a special event for her and all her arty friends, I had one lovely glass of pink bubbly and some sweet nibbles from the groaning table of luscious goodies made by family and friends. I then suffered the worst nights sleep I’ve had in weeks, hot and cold over and over again and worst of all this morning all the muscle and joint pain that I’d forgotten about has returned with a vengence. So….the bledding obvious is that I cannot have sugar, lesson learned.

12 Jan 2011 9:19 PM

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Reply # 494725 on 492384

Deleted user

Sheree White wrote:
Hi folks, it seems to me that slipping back into our old habits is something we may need to do as part of the learning experience. Speaking for myself, I had been totally sugar free until we had the opening of our eldest daughter first art exhibition on the week-end, so being a celebration and such a special event for her and all her arty friends, I had one lovely glass of pink bubbly and some sweet nibbles from the groaning table of luscious goodies made by family and friends. I then suffered the worst nights sleep I’ve had in weeks, hot and cold over and over again and worst of all this morning all the muscle and joint pain that I’d forgotten about has returned with a vengence. So….the bledding obvious is that I cannot have sugar, lesson learned.

Isn't it great that we feel so bad. Did you enjoy the sweet nibbles? I had some chocolate and it didn't taste like I remember and half an hour later I felt so sick I threw up. That makes you think twice before you'd do that again.

I spent two weeks away over xmas and put on minimal weight (from over eating not sweet things) and after a week home I have lost it and another half Kg which wouldn't budge.

I love it.

Last modified: 12 Jan 2011 9:19 PM | Deleted user

13 Jan 2011 5:19 PM

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Reply # 495373 on 215831

Deleted user

Hayley, I wonder if this 4th week is 'that week'? I find I'll suddenly be ravenous for a few days and then Auntie Flo arrives.
I've learned to have safe sweets and nibbles around for that week - lots of nuts, dextrose chocolate crackles (keep them in the freezer) which give me the illusion of tucking into a chocolate bar, some shortbread,
even a few grapes (I limit myself to 5 a day, but find the sweet hit really helps put a lid on the cravings.
Basically as long as I have lots of FF foods around I can manage without touching anything sugary. So far I've usually put on about half a kilo during that week, which always vanishes by the next week, so I've stopped worrying about how much I'm eating and started listening to my body.