Hi everyone

My name is Nadine and I am/was a great big chocoholic and sugar addict.  I lost 27kg about 5 years ago with low fat and calorie counting and this is how I've maintained it as well.  But I'm always wanting to eat more and I'm never very satisfied. 

Each afternoon I usually eat a dark chocolate bar and it would be very satisfying and energising and I'm going to miss it!  My weight maintenance after 2 years turned into yo-yo dieting initially with a very short string, but recently the string became longer and I'm on my way back from having put on almost 10kg from heavy overeating.

My aims of going fructose free is to not be so hungry and to not always be thinking about food.  And also to try to dodge future health issues as I'm 48 years old.  

I've had issues with food ever since my first diet at age 14, ironically I started dieting at the weight I am now.  The other day I heard David speak at a QLD Health Bariatrics conference.  I'm not sure the others at the conference got the message judging by what everyone went out and ate at the breaks!

I figure that I'm one of those skinny fat people.  I'm currently 58kg, gradually trying to get back to 55kg or even 53kg like I used to be.  My maintenance calories at 53kg were 2000 plus eating back exercise calories, so some days I used to eat up to 2700 calories, and a lot of it in sugar.  So I really should be a lot fatter than I am.  Currently I'm eating 1500 calories plus free vegetables and I've been losing about 0.4kg a week with just an hour of walking a day.

So I thought I'd do a little experiment.  Next week I'll continue to calorie count and be fructose free, like I've done for 3 or 4 days now.  Not sure how many weeks I'll do this for, but then I'll try eating whatever I want (still recording calories to see how many I eat) and staying fructose free.  It's the scientist in me wanting to prove something (well, I'm a physio). 

Do you think I would gain or still lose when I do that?  What have your experiences been in the changeover initial period?  And have you eaten a lot more in volume or is it self-limiting?  Honestly I can eat and eat and eat and eat so I'm a bit afraid of what I'll do when it's open slather!!!

Tonight we're going out to an Indian restaurant and I've been searching for info on sugar in Indian food.  But I'll go easy anyway as I'm still calorie counting.

Already I feel my taste buds have changed as this morning I had rolled oats and banana and a touch of vanilla with no sugar and thought it was sweet.  No withdrawal symptoms either except a headache yesterday from no caffeine (the dark chocolate was my only source of caffeine).  I've also given up artificial sweeteners which I have had in soft drinks for the whole of my adult life. 

Cheers

Nadine

 

Welcome, Nadine....I thnk you will do well on this regime. I still have a lot more weight to lose, but it's taken me almost 7-9 months before the apetite control kicked in. I was eating more carbs etc to compensate for the sugar, so after my initial 6.6 kilo loss, put back on almost 4 kilos, so started on my present regime of cutting right back on portion sizes & carbs, bread & potatoes are my bad things, but I've just identified pasta as another, so will have to cut back on that,too, especially at dinnertime. I didn't have any noticeable withdrawal symptoms, just was hungry all the time. I'm 9 kilos lost now, and still losing a little at a time. I find my weight fluctuates, I'll go down, almost a kilo, then put, say 400 grams back on, then another 200 grams, then I'll go down another kilo, it's really strange how it works with me. I know it's stored fluids, but still find it strange, it's like 3 steps forward, 2 steps back then 3 steps forward again, the 1 step back etc etc etc......Weird. I had brekky this morning at about 10am, and am only just feeling peckish now, at 2.45......I'll eat now, & that will last until dinner at 6.30-ish.  then maybe a few nuts, then nothing.  although I find if I go to bed hungry, I can't sleep, so sometimes will make cocoa with dextrose on milk and have a small piece of low fat cheese as well.  I tend to nap in front of the TV, & sometimes wake up at about 12,30 or even 1.30am, then switch everything off & go to bed!!

So don't expect anything too amazing to happen, it's better that it's a slow process, as you know you will keep it going for the rest of your life if you do it slow. Just accept it as a part of your new life & relax & let the process happen. As it will, but don't stress over it, as it then won't work!!  Get the drift?  Yes, I'm the amateur psychologist, there are a lot of us on here   lol.....Good luck with it all, Nadine, I'm sure it will all work itself out.

Spreading the Love
Silver Angel  

SMILE   
 

Hello again

Still haven't had withdrawals, but as for cravings yes I think so. 

I have been still sticking to my weight loss calories and recording my calories.  It's actually an easy way of keeping count of the sugar as well, on the automated diary.  So after a week of the new regime I lost 0.3kg which is about what I'd been losing in the previous weeks.  I just need to lose a couple more kgs to get totally back into my winter clothes, then I'll stop recording!

I have been rather hungry, particularly going to bed.  I do tend to eat most of my food early in the day unlike what I used to do ie save it all up for the evening when I knew I'd be hungry.

Today, on reading more on the Sweet Poison forum, I realise I've been eating too much of the wrong fruit.  I just thought 2 pieces of any old fruit was ok.  Didn't know bananas and apples are supposed to be occasional treats.  Uh oh!  Oh well, live and learn.

 

Hi Nadine,

Two pieces of fruit, per day, are fine because of the high fibre in them. We've gotta remember that sugar is highly processed and has no fibre in it so its fructose is pure danger.

David's second book shows that there is scientific evidence that we can eat up to 2 pieces of fruit a day, safely (see the Quit Plan, p. 52 and p. 109). The cautions in the book and website, are for people who are going through sugar withdrawal in the first few weeks, when anything sugary is a danger. Actually I agree with others who have written in, that even too much glucose sets off my sugar cravings. I'm ok with any fruit, in fact it softens my sugar cravings.

Try having a cup of warm milk before bed. No fructose in it, and it will help you sleep. I know hunger pains keep me awake, so I drink some milk if I'm hungry.

Best wishes.