thank you everyone for your input and encouragement! i am on day 12 now (hooray!) and still not a bit of craving for sugar. the weird thing, though, is that i've pretty much lost my craving for food altogether. nothing sounds good to me anymore. i wonder if sugar was increasing my appetite in general? does that make any sense at all? lol i don't know..but food just sounds..yuck to me lately. i don't know what's going on. i feel hunger pains like normal, but when i think about
eating, i just don't want to. i make myself eat, of course, but i just don't enjoy it much anymore.
except for popcorn, oddly enough. i've been having weird cravings for popcorn and have no idea why! so weird.
anyway!
miriam-i cut out caffeine awhile ago and did notice it lessened my gerd issues. i've also been off of glueten these past couple of weeks and have noticed a definite improvement digestively speaking. i've never been officially diagnosed with a gluten allergy, but it does run in my family so i wouldn't be surprised if i have a bit of one myself. i know what you mean about
the gluten free bread, too. i tried that ezekial bread once and ugh! it was just..not right! lol also, i notice i feel worse when i have a lot of breaded carb based foods, too. along with not having sugar, i've also cut out all "white" stuff-except for potatoes. i can't seem to totally give up potatoes lol. i have cut back to only having them twice a week, though, so that's better than nothing.
lucy-i know just what you mean! i think i have an addictive personality, too. (still trying to quit smoking..i have cut way down, though, so at least that's something) i am the same way with sugar-i can't just have a little bite..i have to eat a ton of it to feel satisfied. i'd like to get to the point where i can have just a little like on holidays and special occasions but i am so afraid that if i have even a little, i will fall off the wagon. my birthday is coming up and every year i always have a german chocolate cake 'cause it's my favorite hmmmmm but i am terrified to have any! i'm thinking of making one from scratch using xylitol in place of sugar. i've used it for baking before and it works really well. i'm trying to stay strong!!
aimee-i have heard that aspertaime and the like can cause problems in people with fibro. i had the same problem with crystal light myself! i bought some of those "on the go" packs awhile back and used them for a couple of days and started to feel absolutely horrible! as soon as i stopped drinking them, i started to feel better so i figured it must be the fake sugar stuff. oddly enough, though, i've been allowing myself to have sugar free pudding and jello for dessert in the evening and haven't really noticed a difference-maybe because i'm only having a little bit?
jeannie-my doctor told me about
carbs and inflammation a couple of years ago, too. (i didn't listen at the time, though..lol) i have also read that people of northern european descent have a harder time with carbs and sugar..i wonder if there's truth to that? i am of irish/scottish ancestery and i definitely feel worse when i load up on the carbs.
denise-i'm just trying to be healthier, too. i realized i was getting like NO good food in my diet at all (my diet has been terrible for the last couple of years) and i really wanted to get more veggies and protein in my diet, so i figured if i cut sugar out maybe there'd be more room in my stomach for the good stuff lol i want to lose weight too (i've slowly gained 60 lbs in 6 years-ugh!!!!) but i keep telling myself to focus on good health, not weight. when i focus on weight i start feeling bad about
myself and then i want to eat bad foods. good luck to you on changing your eating habits, too!!! you can do it!
donnaeil-haha-i know what you mean. i'd rather exercise, too, but i had gotten to the point where i felt so awful i just had no energy for exercise. i was hoping that cutting out sugar would increase my energy enough so that i could exercise again and it does seem to be helping. i've been walking every day and doing my yoga stretches in the evening and i've also joined my local Y. i really want to start swimming again, but am waiting to go until my new swimsuit comes in from amazon. hopefully i'll be joining you in the swimming club soon!
patsie-i'm starting to think sugar is highly addictive, too. a few years ago, i worked in a bakery and would eat the baked goods..and then i wanted more..and more..and more..until i was eating sugar every day a couple of times a day. this went on until a couple of weeks ago when i quit "cold turkey". i definitely think my body became addicted to sugar!
marlee-good for you on the baby steps! i have tried that before, but something about
sugar just makes me want more and more and more and i can't do just a little. i try to have just a little, but it always turns into a LOT! that's wonderful if the baby steps work for you-i wish it worked for me!
meggie-my hubby has commented on my increased energy, too, which is an added bonus. i actually had a rough day last week where i realized-hey, i feel better, i have more energy, but yet i still don't feel ALL better and 100%. i got really depressed because i realized no matter what dietary and exercise changes i make, i will never be totally fibro free and i will still have to deal with some pain and some fatigue for the rest of my life. oh man, i was a mess when i was confronted with this. i think in the back of my mind i was holding on to that wishful thinking that if i kicked sugar and white flour i would magically be all better. (silly, isn't it?) after talking it out with my hubby though i realized i just have to deal with it and do the best i can. i may not be all better, but i AM better, and that's something to feel good about
!
thanks again everyone. you are all so awesome! i don't know if i will be able to stick with this forever-i'm sure temptation will come knocking on my door eventually and i don't know if i'm strong enough to fight it-but one day at a time, right? for now, i'm sugar free and all i can do is keep on keeping on!