Hi. I should have written this ages ago. I'm Minuet, in my 40s, live in Tas, and I've been fructose free since 22 Aug. I was 50-60 kilos overweight. (I've basically been overweight since I was about 8.) In 2007 I lost 30 kilos doing low fat and lots and lots (and lots) of exercise, stalled in October, then gave up over Xmas and basically put 20 kilos back on before Winter. I was well and truly addicted to fructose without realising it. Every diet I've tried over the years (and I've tried a LOT) has left me obsessed with eating. I would wake up planning my meals and devote hours to working out what to eat, when to eat it, how much to eat, how much I could get away with eating, preparing food, finding food that fitted the criteria (low fat, low carb (lasted about 30 hours on that one, couldn't handle the dizzies), low calorie...). Then I exercised. Exercise when you are massively overweight is almost impossible. You feel like you are using every bit of strength merely to walk and yet you're constantly being told to run. But I walked miles every day, even joined a gym, went 4 or 5 times a week, where I was eventually told the reason I'd lost virtually nothing for 2 months was because I wasn't trying hard enough! I certainly didn't have to try hard to regain most of it. I'd almost become resigned to being this weight forever when I heard David on the radio.

I bought Sweet Poison Quit Plan and joined the site. It took me 3 months to actually read the book. I couldn't face the thought of giving up chocolate. And of course the withdrawal - that was going to be horrific. After all everything I'd tried was hard to do or didn't work like the advertising said. I even tried a hypnosis thing that depended upon you eating until you got a full signal from your body. I never ever got that signal. (I could eat a large baked dinner,  20  mins later polish  off the leftover spuds, 20  mins later open  the TimTams, and never stopped at just 2. Logically I knew I couldn't be hungry, but my  body was telling me I was starving it!) So of course I assumed cutting out sugar was going to be impossible, and probably wouldn't work anyway.

I finally read the book, and actually started going sugar free before I'd even finished reading. Sort of decided I could keep putting it off until I'd eaten every favourite food in the world - so just decided one night that was it and the next day, no fructose. Well apart from pears. For the first couple of weeks I'd find myself hanging out for that fresh pear each day like an addict looking for a fix. Some days I only needed half a pear though. I did make the dextrose shortbread and chocolate brownies on about day four, and a batch of chocolate mousse at the end of the first week (I froze it in small takeaway containers so I could take it to work for recess). I had a headache for a week or so, but nothing worse than the ones I'd been having for the last year with high blood pressure, and mostly fixable with a dose of Coke Zero. But something amazing was happening. I'd  crave something sweet, especially about 4ish, but 1 piece of shortbread would satisfy. On day 2 I bought my usual large serve of fish and chips and ate every  bite – and  was soooo  uncomfortable for the next 3 hours. I can't remember the last time I felt like I had overeaten.

I decided  right from  the start that if I was going to  give up  sugar then  there was no way I was going to  limit  fats  or anything else at the same time or I'd end up  feeling deprived and quitting. Time enough  for that after withdrawal.  In the last  3  months I've been  caring for my  mother, had my  mother spend time in  hospital, moved her to  a home and  buried her.  Add to  that  financial  woes and  Xmas and normally I'd have been inhaling blocks of chocolate etc, and stacking on  more weight.  I've also  eaten a LOT of take away – KFC, Maccas, Fish and chips,  chicken  and chips. I've avoided  mayo and  salads in most cases. I've also  done virtually no exercise apart from  mowing the lawn  once a week or so.

And so  far, in  19 weeks, I've lost... (drumroll)  18 kilos. *happy dance*

Well done

I have followed David F and done basically the same from Day 1.  I also didn't panic when weight stalled at 8kg off when I would like it to be 10.  But I thought I was living life so well and people still thought I was loosing so I believe my body needed the time for the skin etc to catch up.  Over Xmas I didn't panic but did my best and didn't eat chocolate etc stayed savory and put on a tiny bit in 3 weeks but when I came home and didn't over eat, it came off and seemed to kick start a bit more off.  I have dropped 1kg in a week.

My family is now starting to read labels and buy things under 3g/100 and so they are changing their diets even though they are not trying.  My husband is trying but has never read the book just listened to me and said he hasn't lost much but was surprised after being away and eaty heartily that he had  put on less than 1 kg when over xmas he can put on 3kg or more.  My husband dosen't like waste and will eat leftovers rather than throw them out but me - the dog is getting fat. 

Like most I could open a bookstore just with diet and exercise books, tapes, weight watches etc even think slim and wouln't you know it.  They book for $30 is the one that works.  After 6 months it realy is now a life style and there is no excuse for me to waver or if I do eg. wedding or something, it is so simple to just go right back the next day.

Good luck to everyone. 

Minuet S wrote:

Hi. I should have written this ages ago. I'm Minuet, in my 40s, live in Tas, and I've been fructose free since 22 Aug. I was 50-60 kilos overweight. (I've basically been overweight since I was about 8.) In 2007 I lost 30 kilos doing low fat and lots and lots (and lots) of exercise, stalled in October, then gave up over Xmas and basically put 20 kilos back on before Winter. I was well and truly addicted to fructose without realising it. Every diet I've tried over the years (and I've tried a LOT) has left me obsessed with eating. I would wake up planning my meals and devote hours to working out what to eat, when to eat it, how much to eat, how much I could get away with eating, preparing food, finding food that fitted the criteria (low fat, low carb (lasted about 30 hours on that one, couldn't handle the dizzies), low calorie...). Then I exercised. Exercise when you are massively overweight is almost impossible. You feel like you are using every bit of strength merely to walk and yet you're constantly being told to run. But I walked miles every day, even joined a gym, went 4 or 5 times a week, where I was eventually told the reason I'd lost virtually nothing for 2 months was because I wasn't trying hard enough! I certainly didn't have to try hard to regain most of it. I'd almost become resigned to being this weight forever when I heard David on the radio.

I bought Sweet Poison Quit Plan and joined the site. It took me 3 months to actually read the book. I couldn't face the thought of giving up chocolate. And of course the withdrawal - that was going to be horrific. After all everything I'd tried was hard to do or didn't work like the advertising said. I even tried a hypnosis thing that depended upon you eating until you got a full signal from your body. I never ever got that signal. (I could eat a large baked dinner,  20  mins later polish  off the leftover spuds, 20  mins later open  the TimTams, and never stopped at just 2. Logically I knew I couldn't be hungry, but my  body was telling me I was starving it!) So of course I assumed cutting out sugar was going to be impossible, and probably wouldn't work anyway.

I finally read the book, and actually started going sugar free before I'd even finished reading. Sort of decided I could keep putting it off until I'd eaten every favourite food in the world - so just decided one night that was it and the next day, no fructose. Well apart from pears. For the first couple of weeks I'd find myself hanging out for that fresh pear each day like an addict looking for a fix. Some days I only needed half a pear though. I did make the dextrose shortbread and chocolate brownies on about day four, and a batch of chocolate mousse at the end of the first week (I froze it in small takeaway containers so I could take it to work for recess). I had a headache for a week or so, but nothing worse than the ones I'd been having for the last year with high blood pressure, and mostly fixable with a dose of Coke Zero. But something amazing was happening. I'd  crave something sweet, especially about 4ish, but 1 piece of shortbread would satisfy. On day 2 I bought my usual large serve of fish and chips and ate every  bite – and  was soooo  uncomfortable for the next 3 hours. I can't remember the last time I felt like I had overeaten.

I decided  right from  the start that if I was going to  give up  sugar then  there was no way I was going to  limit  fats  or anything else at the same time or I'd end up  feeling deprived and quitting. Time enough  for that after withdrawal.  In the last  3  months I've been  caring for my  mother, had my  mother spend time in  hospital, moved her to  a home and  buried her.  Add to  that  financial  woes and  Xmas and normally I'd have been inhaling blocks of chocolate etc, and stacking on  more weight.  I've also  eaten a LOT of take away – KFC, Maccas, Fish and chips,  chicken  and chips. I've avoided  mayo and  salads in most cases. I've also  done virtually no exercise apart from  mowing the lawn  once a week or so.

And so  far, in  19 weeks, I've lost... (drumroll)  18 kilos. *happy dance*