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How cutting out refined sugar changed one woman's life
How one woman cut out refined sugar, lost weight and went on to run marathons.
Thu, Jan 26 2012 at 1:55 PM
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Photo: boegh/flickr
Starting next Monday, I am hosting a Sugar Detox Challenge. Participants will be giving up refined sweeteners and white flour for two weeks (and many will give up all sweeteners, too). While preparing for it, I was reminded of a 2010 interview I did with a woman named Jennifer who turned her life around. Sometimes just one change, like taking out refined sugar, can change your life. Here's the interview.
Jennifer, you cut refined sugar from your diet three years ago. What lead you to make that decision?
Basically, I was sick of feeling like crap about myself. I was tired all the time, I was 30 pounds heavier, I never worked out because I just didn’t have the drive for it. I was eating what I thought was “healthy;” granola bars, protein bars, bagels. I was always what I would call a “sugar-addict” — I was just eating the junk 24-7. I finally decided I would give not eating sugar a try, even for a little while, to see if I felt a difference.
What was the hardest part about giving up sugar?
Pressure. Especially at birthday parties. People will always pressure you; I’m not sure if it’s a self-conscious thing that you’re doing something so epic? I sometimes feel like a jerk when I’m at a sibling/friend/nephew/niece’s birthday party and I don’t eat cake. But it’s been three years, most people have given up pressuring me to “just eat a piece already.”
How did you feel the first few weeks?
The first week was utter garbage. I wanted cookies and brownies SO badly. Sugar is so far ingrained into our blood streams between the refined sugar/corn syrup/random “extrin”s, as I call them — of course we crave it. It’s in basically every single processed food, right down to turkey meat and spaghetti sauces. But I lost 10 pounds within the first couple of weeks just by saying goodbye to dessert. I wasn’t even hardcore yet back then — I was still eating processed foods like boxed dinners and frozen meals.
The first week was utter garbage. I wanted cookies and brownies SO badly. Sugar is so far ingrained into our blood streams between the refined sugar/corn syrup/random “extrin”s, as I call them — of course we crave it. It’s in basically every single processed food, right down to turkey meat and spaghetti sauces. But I lost 10 pounds within the first couple of weeks just by saying goodbye to dessert. I wasn’t even hardcore yet back then — I was still eating processed foods like boxed dinners and frozen meals.
How did you persevere and deal with sugar cravings?
Bananas were and remain my go-to food. Aside from being a fantastic post-workout recovery food, they are high enough in natural sugar to switch my brain off of sugar crave over-drive. I also like Lindt’s 90 percent Cocoa Supreme Dark chocolate; less than a gram of sugar per square, and a good source of iron. Once you get the sugar out of your system, that super-dark chocolate tastes amazing.
What difference has it made in how you feel?
I feel … great. Much more energy than I used to have. As I said, I started with just nixing dessert. Which branched into not buying frozen meals, and instead cooking my own meals and freezing them. Which branched into shopping the perimeter of the grocery store (produce, meat, dairy), with stops in the center aisles only for pasta and oatmeal. Once my energy levels were so high, and my moods started stabilizing, and my body started responding by shedding the extra weight… I thought, “OK, what next?” So I started training for a 5K. Then a half-marathon. Then a 25K (15.53 miles). Right now I’m a team leader for a run camp here in Michigan, training for the very first Kalamazoo Marathon in May of 2010! (P.S.: first person from every state to register gets free registry and a free pair of shoes! Google it up!) I recently started playing with buying/eating all organic food; it’s expensive, but worth it to eat chemical/pesticide-free foods! I’ve noticed that between the foods I buy, the daily multi-vitamin I take, and the exercise I do … I hardly EVER get sick. You know, it’s exciting that a whole world of opportunities has opened up to me, and all I had to do was change the way I eat. I just feel so confident.
What are your favorite sugar-free treats?
Favorites are bananas, pineapple and mango. Of course, those all have natural-occurring sugar, but they also have a host of vital nutrients. I also like SUPER dark chocolate, 85 percent or higher. Lindt and Green & Black are favorites! Just stay away from artificial sweeteners. I used to make the mistake filling up on “sugar-free” candies and ice creams, because they were sugar-free. But they aren’t really danger-free; they are full of chemicals, and send a signal to your brain similar to sugar … they’ll royally screw your body over.
Favorites are bananas, pineapple and mango. Of course, those all have natural-occurring sugar, but they also have a host of vital nutrients. I also like SUPER dark chocolate, 85 percent or higher. Lindt and Green & Black are favorites! Just stay away from artificial sweeteners. I used to make the mistake filling up on “sugar-free” candies and ice creams, because they were sugar-free. But they aren’t really danger-free; they are full of chemicals, and send a signal to your brain similar to sugar … they’ll royally screw your body over.
Any last thoughts for those doing a sugar free week?
Be prepared for it to suck at first. Be prepared for people to judge you. Be prepared to fall at least once (maybe a few times). But also be prepared to feel great. Be prepared to lose weight. Be prepared to expand your world. Be prepared to finally have a grip on your own life, instead of the food you eat having a grip on it.
Be prepared for it to suck at first. Be prepared for people to judge you. Be prepared to fall at least once (maybe a few times). But also be prepared to feel great. Be prepared to lose weight. Be prepared to expand your world. Be prepared to finally have a grip on your own life, instead of the food you eat having a grip on it.
I find Jennifer's story inspiring. What about you? Have you made a dietary change that then changed your life for the better?
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I have MS and my exercising is limited, however I love snickers and cappachino. Will this no sugar help me lose weight also.
Definitely--getting refined sugar out of your diet makes it harder to get too many calories from calorie dense foods. (foods that contain a lot of calories in a small package--like Snickers and drinking your calories in fancy coffee drinks) In fact, a healthy diet makes a bigger difference in weight loss efforts than exercise. Have you talked to your doctor about the appropriate number of calories to consume per day with your condition and limited mobility?
I read about a hundred blog posts a week and i tend to only comment on a couple of of them, this is 1 of them.
I removed gluten from my diet and have never felt better: More energy and great mood. Then a year later I removed dairy: My lungs feel clearer and bigger than ever, breathing is easier. I haven't had the will to remove sugar, i love it, but maybe I should....
I gave up high fructose syrup - not as hard core as all sugar but still difficult. This was a couple of years ago. I had to read everything to see if it was something I could buy and eat. Back then, it was in almost every bread and snack food. I found I didn't need as much sugar to sweeten things and it became easy to turn down sweets. I just don't crave them the way I used to.
Sugar is sugar and your the body does not distinguish table sugar from sugar in fruit. Just don't be a gluton, duh. It's quite simple. Don't give up the joys in life. It's quite simple - balance, variety, and moderation.
natural is always better
A reasonable amount of ANY sugar will not hurt you. There is no evidence that processed sugar is worse than fruit sugar. Of course you must do what you have to to get healthy and if the only way you can do it is to convince yourself processed sugar is bad then go for it. But I have yet to find any scientific evidence of that being true. Is there some actual evidence of this somewhere? Empirically tested and all?
Watch the Video "The Bitter Truth". The Dr. addresses the idea that natural sugar is in fact the same refined sugar but less dangerous. The key difference is that natural sugar in fruit comes with fiber and nutrients that slow down it's processing in the body. The other key point is that sugar in it's various forms is being added to all processed food in huge amounts even things you don't suspect ( applesauce, bread, fruit drinks, peanut butter ) .