Cutting back on sugar

[WickedJoe]

I now fast intermittently everyday for a minimum of 12 hours (usually 14-16 hours).

Funny thing is i used to do this naturally and just eat 1 meal a day. I found i was more productive like this and could focus/work for 16 hrs a day if i want with no drugs but coffee. I only changed cause I had read so many damn times that you should eat more meals throughout the day, so then i slowed down gained some weight (who knows if more meals helped cause it).

But one thing you guys should know by now is that scientists/MDs still don't know too much about health and nutrition. The whole low-fat diet bullshit that was pushed on us for decades has devastated people's health.

 

[SeoReborn]

IIRC intermittent fasting already has its own thread.

My schedule follows yours. Dinner at around 7-8 PM, fast until 1 PM'ish (depends on when I train). I'll then eat and go train an hour or so later.


I start every morning by drinking 0,75 l (25 oz) water to get myself hydrated, and then I drink coffee.

I've tried the coconut oil/MCT/butter coffee, but frankly I can't be arsed to blend and shit and honestly it doesn't taste very good either.

I've tried the whole-day fasting as well, but it fucks up my training. IF as described above works with a training schedule.

IF is much more convenient than the 24 hour fasts. I do my morning swim in a fasted state.

I used to do the coconut oil/butter coffee in the morning, but have switched to tea with just coconut oil because coffee raises insulin which is not conducive to fasting benefits.

Blending is not a hassle, I just use this frother:

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aerolatte-56AL3SAT-Satin-Edition/dp/B0002KZUNK/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1432585989&sr=8-11&keywords=frother+aerolatte"]Aerolatte Satin Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home[/ame]

 

[SeoReborn]

Funny thing is i used to do this naturally and just eat 1 meal a day. I found i was more productive like this and could focus/work for 16 hrs a day if i want with no drugs but coffee. I only changed cause I had read so many damn times that you should eat more meals throughout the day, so then i slowed down gained some weight (who knows if more meals helped cause it).

But one thing you guys should know by now is that scientists/MDs still don't know too much about health and nutrition. The whole low-fat diet bullshit that was pushed on us for decades has devastated people's health.

Same here mate. I remember many years ago, i went on a student work program abroad for 3 months. In that 3 months I became toned without effort. If I pinched my belly, it was literally like pinching the back of my hands, just skin, no fat.

When I came back home, I wanted to keep it and so followed the advice of low fat, eating mostly vegetables and unrefined carbs. Not long after the body fat came back (not obese, but just not toned).

Now thinking back, out of convenience, I was eating just vegetables and meat, no carbs. I also fasted 16+ hours a day for convenience too. At that time I could not continue with that lifestyle since i was told it was the atkins diet and i'll get an heart attack which is all just bullshit.

 

[jazbit]

Tried. Failed. Can't drink coffee w/o sugar.

 

[ZuzanaDesigns]

I started cutting back my sugar and caffeine intake a couple months ago and feel great. First couple weeks it was tough but after that it got easier. I feel like I have much more energy now during the day and for my workouts. I also feel more clear mentally.

 

[poonpossum]

I have tried twice now and will try again until it sticks. It's fucking hard though. I get through about a week and then just go insane, everyone annoys me no matter who they are, and I work in a really remote, tight knit environment.

Whenever I exercise during my normal diet of not soft drink or anything too ridiculous, but still not making an effort to take note of labels, I feel fantastic and can go forever.

When I try to exercise or run in a sugar deficient state, my body screams at me, I feel like shit, it's super hard and annoying and it doesn't make me happy.

I'm back at it again for round 3 as of tomorrow, as I can now cook for myself again.

 

[joe_brannaman]

I've tried to cut back several times it was next to impossible. You body adapts to sugar over time and sort of builds it's metabolism around sugar intake so when you cut back it just sends your body into shock. It's extremely difficult to break out of it. I think you really have to weane off of it slowly - work on one at a time. E.g. I used to consume a lot of coke. Like I'd drink a gallon of it a day. Drinking coke became linked to my thirst response, every time I'm thirsty I'd run out to get some coke.

So what I did was I told myself, if I'm thirsty I will first drink a full glass of water and then drink coke if I'm still thirsty after. This helped me reduce how much coke I drank. When out and about I switched from drinking coke to ice tea (it still has sugar but not as much as coke). I will then move from ice tea to bottle water with a touch of fruit.

You have to work at your sugar addiction by gradually lowering your sugar intake. If you do cold turkey your body is going to hate you for it and you're going to feel like you're dying for 4 weeks straight after going cold turkey and then your digestive system and metabolism is going to work out that it needs to burn fat for energy and not rely on sugar intake.

 

[Member8200]

Didn't try it, but upon reading some articles about cutting back sugar, the results was great. It was tough, the body changed and became healthier in 3 months after the process.

 

[richcookies]

I have tried twice now and will try again until it sticks. It's fucking hard though. I get through about a week and then just go insane, everyone annoys me no matter who they are, and I work in a really remote, tight knit environment.

Whenever I exercise during my normal diet of not soft drink or anything too ridiculous, but still not making an effort to take note of labels, I feel fantastic and can go forever.

When I try to exercise or run in a sugar deficient state, my body screams at me, I feel like shit, it's super hard and annoying and it doesn't make me happy.

I'm back at it again for round 3 as of tomorrow, as I can now cook for myself again.

You might be missing the point entirely. Your body naturally produces sugar. To replace refined sugar or sweeteners, try eating sweet fresh fruits. The difference is that the refined sugar has chemical added to it, and that is the cause of the addiction. You have to realize you have the power to change, the question is do you want to. Willing to and want to, are two different things. Unfortunately, we humans only change when confronted with bad news. One of my best friend was just diagnosed with throat cancer, due to smoking and getting high. Now he wants to quit doing those stuff.

 

[geofferson]

Try swapping out pop and energy drinks for Kombucha - GT's is a good start!

 

[wezcountry]

Yep. It's tough, but worth it.

After you spend a few months without added sugar, things like carrots start to taste mildly sweet. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes start to taste like candy.

Definitely my experience.

One thing I noticed when I cut the sugar last year was how much food contains sugar. This led me to reduce practically all processed food from my diet.

 

[JakeStratham]

Definitely my experience.

One thing I noticed when I cut the sugar last year was how much food contains sugar. This led me to reduce practically all processed food from my diet.

Here's something else to consider: the body becomes less able to process junk as we grow older.

When I was young, I could put down a tub of red vines with no problem. These days, no way. Doing so comes at a steep price.

Example: over the weekend, I ate a large bag of plain M&Ms. It was a stupid thing to do, like engaging in an alcohol-driven, ill-advised one-night stand. Fun in the moment, but you feel like crap later.

What was I thinking?! lol