I began to read The Sweet Poison Quit Plan on the 16th of July and finished it early in the morning of the 17th. I think I may have put it down on one occasion when I made coffee and had a pee. Upon finishing it, I turfed all the fructose laden foods from my home and started the sugar free life.
In two months I have reduced my weight from 105.4 kg to 97.4kg, and my waistline has shrunk from 109 to 101cm. I have nothing new to add to my weekly comment here and intend now to perhaps post a comment on a monthly basis. So, a precis follows!
What I have found is that I am not just fructose free, but largely I ingest no other sugars except for that which is naturally in the food I eat. I started off eating dextrose, malt and glucose as substitutes for fructose. But as time went on, I simply lost my sweet tooth. I now buy no sugar in any form and, like a reformed smoker who no longer thinks about tobacco, I no longer think about sugar.
Food is good and there is truly great variety to be had without the need for sugar. I have not pursued the low carbohydrate path either. My night time snack may be potato chips (Smith's original has very little sugar), or it may be crackers (SAO or Sakata original) with a topping of brie and sliced tomato or cucumber. I mentioned in an earlier post that I now eat the sort of food my mother would have prepared as I was growing up in the 60s, and it is good. Very little pre packaged foods means a much lower grocery bill (down by almost 40%) and I make a lot less kitchen garbage due to the lack of cardboard and drink cartons and plastic bottles.(Incidentally, I still go to Maccas on occasion for a Big Mac and chips).
I have not found it particularly difficult to go sugar free. I stopped taking substitutes because it was a blasted nuisance to buy them. Most people who are used to food preparation will be able to effect the necessary changes through experimentation. For instance, I tried to make tomato sauce from the many sugar free recipes. None were particularly satisfactory and all seemed to be poor substitutes. Now, I merely puree fresh tomato. Served with a steak and crushed horseradish sauce (not horseradish cream) it is truly delicious.
The main point of eliminating sugar (fructose) from your diet is to enable you to live a longer, healthier life with a much reduced potential for becoming personally involved with the major killers in our society. I do not want to keel over because of a stroke, or heart attack....I don't want to tempt fate by eating sugar and developing diabetes...and as a fan of Paddle Pops, Tim Tams, Cadbury's chocolate, Coca Cola etc, I was a definite candidate.
Weight loss is a wonderful side effect of going sugar free. I look in the mirror now and am proud of what I see. I look good, I feel good, I eat whatever I want without consideration of is calorific value (bearing in mind of course that I no longer want, or need sugar) and as far as calorie counting, dieting, feelings of failure etc. are concerned they are no longer a feature of my life. Ergo, I am no longer on the depressive weight loss merry-go-round which is great for the weight loss companies, but a complete tragedy for Mr and Mrs Fat Bugger in the 'burbs.
Eat happily, eat plenty and forget weight loss. Just eliminate sugar and sooner or later you will lose weight, and you will live a better life emotionally and physically and you will deal the death industry a blow...because they won't get you money for a lot longer and, as a result, the Grim Reaper may have reason to become even more grim.
Finally, as I have lost weight the opressive humidity and heat of Darwin remains the same, but I no longer feel so uncomfortable, I no longer need to change my shirt twice a day because I don't sweat so much. The added benefit is that I no longer need to sleep in airconditioning and I expect therefore a significant reduction in my power bill.
David F
