Anyone tried cutting out added/refined sugar?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Has anyone tried cutting out all possible added/refined sugars? I was thinking of giving it a try for a month and seeing how I felt afterwards. It may not be perfect but I think I could cut it down a lot since I have sweet tooth. For anyone who has done / is doing this, did you notice a big difference? Did you have cheat days? I feel like it might be a good way to trim up some belly fat in addition to a normal gym schedule and healthy diet.

[jwslam]

I've tried and I usually give up by day 2, often before that LOL

I've heard the biggest hurdle is the 3-7 day mark... I'll let you know if I ever get there.

That said, I've pretty much cut all pop out of my life unless it's included in a meal or something; then the Asian in me can't resist. I don't feel that this has made a significant impact on my body though.

[Dumbass17]

I've done it twice, using the Whole30 Program. (basis of the program is 30 days of no unnatural/added sugars, no legumes, no booze whatsoever, no dairy, no wheat)
The first time I made 29 days but then I really wanted a cocktail so justified it haha.
Second time I made it 21 days.

It's difficult but you feel great and will lose alot of belly fat, so it's rewarding.
After a week, normal food starts to taste really good. Like strawberries and raspberries start to taste amazing. I think will all the added sugar in everything (it's in EVERYTHING) it really desensitizes a person's sweet tooth

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by jwslam
I've tried and I usually give up by day 2, often before that LOL

I've heard the biggest hurdle is the 3-7 day mark... I'll let you know if I ever get there.

That said, I've pretty much cut all pop out of my life unless it's included in a meal or something; then the Asian in me can't resist. I don't feel that this has made a significant impact on my body though.

Haha that might be me too, but I want to at least try. I haven't had pop in over a decade, I cut that out a long time ago and never really drank a lot of it to begin with. I drink water and black coffee 99% of the time. The only flavored beverage I drink is lemon Perrier which has zero sugar and apparently is "flavored naturally". I tried to look up exactly how they flavor it with lemon extract or whatever but couldn't find out.

Might be tough to do in April with Easter and Cadburry Mini Egg season haha.




Originally posted by Dumbass17
I've done it twice, using the Whole30 Program. (basis of the program is 30 days of no unnatural/added sugars, no legumes, no booze whatsoever, no dairy, no wheat)
The first time I made 29 days but then I really wanted a cocktail so justified it haha.
Second time I made it 21 days.

It's difficult but you feel great and will lose alot of belly fat, so it's rewarding.
After a week, normal food starts to taste really good. Like strawberries and raspberries start to taste amazing. I think will all the added sugar in everything (it's in EVERYTHING) it really desensitizes a person's sweet tooth

What's wrong with wheat and legumes? I typically eat organic lentil soups and similar things.

Good to hear it make a noticeable difference for you though. I'm in good shape now and I eat quite healthy for most meals, but I'm also a snacker - which I think is why I can't get rid of that last little bit of belly padding I still have hiding what I hope is the rest of a 6-pack :rofl: I have pretty good will power, I am confident I can do it, but I just wanted to see if I will really notice it or not.

[bigbadboss101]

Sugar is highly addicting. Cutting out sugar from desserts and drinks is a great thing. Not easy as I too have a sweet tooth. Processed food have lot of added sugar and added other things you don't want as well. When I did cut sugar and bread/wheat I slim down nicely. Keep in mind calorie in vs out is key in losing weight or fat.

Wheat can be controversial. Some say even for people who are not celiac there is a degree of intolerance. I love bread and pasta but they are simple carb and I feel hungry soon after eating. Then you end up eating more.

May be try it for a month or two. Cut added sugar, refined/processed food. I think you will feel more energetic. There was a couple weeks when had almost no added sugar, caffeine, dairy, wheat and that felt great. I don't need to cut all those, but some of the items.

[A790]

The first week is the hardest. After that, it's all downhill :)

[carson blocks]

I cut out most items with added sugar for about 5-6 months now, and have lost a little over 40lbs. I still have the occasional diet soda with aspartame, and greek yogurt a couple times a week, but generally if something has more than 5g sugar per serving, it's off my list. The first couple weeks were rough, but sugar doesn't even look appealing anymore, where I''d crave those foods like a sugar junky before. Zero cheats as far as snack foods / sweets, even through Christmas as I'm not even tempted anymore. My guilty sugary cheat foods are fruit and raisins (tree candy).

[Thaco]

i did it for a year (Keto diet + beer (not giving up my beer)), i dropped 70 lbs in the first 6 months (started at 240), i felt great, a lot more energy, much more positive, but then my wife got laid off, and its a very expensive diet so we had no choice but to give it up... now that she is back working its been incredibly difficult to get back into, still trying though... dat sugar is like crack.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Cool thanks guys, sounds like a lot of success stories. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, given how sugar works. I lost ~40lbs about 8 years ago now so I have maintained a very healthy weight for quite a while now, but that last little bit of belly fat seems to stick around with whatever I'm doing currently. I figure this might be a good thing to try in addition to the rest of my routine to make a dent in it. If fruit is OK, I am hoping it won't actually be that hard, because it's easy to get a sweet fix from fruit.

[88CRX]

Rapid fat loss (no sugars OR carbs) there was a thread on here a couple years back.… it fucking works but holy hell you’ll hate yourself for the first week haha. Your body will make you hate your life getting off the junk food.

[craigcd]

Nothing helps a stressful day like sugar rush. I also struggle to make it more than a week without giving in. :D

I would guess this would be a similar urge to other addictions but on a smaller scale. I usually go for 5-6 days then somehow candy makes its way into the house via a kids birthday party or something. Its all downhill from there!

If my ability to stop eating candy is any proof of my ability to overcome addiction its a good thing I dont have any other vices.

[A790]

Originally posted by 88CRX
Rapid fat loss (no sugars OR carbs) there was a thread on here a couple years back.… it fucking works but holy hell you’ll hate yourself for the first week haha. Your body will make you hate your life getting off the junk food.
RFL is a shit "diet" and really is only something you ought to do for a week or two.

YMMV, but I've found it much easier (and more consistent) to stick to IIFYM and caloric restriction. Still doing IF as well.

[MM99lude]

I started eating differently about a year back. The "program" came recommended from a buddy of mine, who had real success with this "diet", who was already in great shape, but couldn't figure out why he was tired all the time.

He pretty much told me to cut out, sugar (including natural), bread and dairy. After a bunch of googling I figured out it was essentially what they call the Slow Carb Diet.

I have done it for the last 8 months - lost 25 pounds. 195lb down to 170lb. I personally love it, because I typically eat a lot of beans, lean proteins and veggies anyway - so it was just a matter of cutting out dairy and sugar. This "program" doesn't limit quantity of food. I eat like an animal.

Saturday's are cheat days - and when I say cheat days, I mean like eat whatever the hell you want. Pizza, burgers, nacho's, ice cream, whatever. Your body/metabolism needs it for a bit of shock and you mind needs it, to prevent you from going insane.

First month was the most difficult for me - but now when I eat sugar I actually feel terrible. It is not an expensive way of eating, but is sure takes a lot prep and forethought.

[bigbadboss101]

Originally posted by A790

RFL is a shit "diet" and really is only something you ought to do for a week or two.

YMMV, but I've found it much easier (and more consistent) to stick to IIFYM and caloric restriction. Still doing IF as well.

Interesting you mentioned IIFYM and Intermittent fasting. Both I found out on Facebook and then googled for more info.
With IF there are some nice health benefit and also can save people time. In the old days they say eat 6+ balance meals but with IF you basically skip either breakfast or dinner. Or if you do eat both they will be meals close together. Many people on FB had nice results doing IF.

IIFYM is interesting too and many people are doing well. Some say if it fits your macro you can eat donuts, pizza, fried chicken too. I don't know if I would go that far.

Keto is very restrictive. One would hit 40g of carb in no time in one day. Lot of people lost a lot of fat. Whether that is healthy is another question.

[J-hop]

The whole IIFYM pop tart donut debate is kind of a red herring.

Basically you set macros c/f/p and calories and then fit your food to meet those targets. You can't just go eat pizza and donuts willy nilly as people sometimes think as you have to modify the rest of your meal plan to accommodate that.

every single marketed "diet" is doing nothing more than playing with macros and calories.

Intermittent fasting is generally for people (like myself) that binge and restricts your eating to a short period so you can't physically exceed your targets very easily.

The single most effective way to lose fat is to figure out your daily targets and meal plan accordingly.

You'll realize as I did that you take in way too many calories (usually in the form of carbs) and probably not a very good macro balance.

Losing fat is actually pretty simple but it definitely is not easy at all. Especially sticking with it...

[Thaco]

Originally posted by A790

RFL is a shit "diet" and really is only something you ought to do for a week or two.

YMMV, but I've found it much easier (and more consistent) to stick to IIFYM and caloric restriction. Still doing IF as well. funny thing is, calories are a bullshit measurement with no scientific basis.... no 2 "calories" are equal.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Thaco
funny thing is, calories are a bullshit measurement with no scientific basis.... no 2 "calories" are equal.

Calories do have scientific basis though. There are other processes you need to consider like insulin response and metabolic damage. But at the end of the day if you aren't Michael phelps and eat 10,000 calories a day of any diet under the sun you will get fat. 10,000 calories worth of lettuce will absolutely make you fat (among other things)

[Thaco]

Originally posted by J-hop


Calories do have scientific basis though. There are other processes you need to consider like insulin response and metabolic damage. But at the end of the day if you aren't Michael phelps and eat 10,000 calories a day of any diet under the sun you will get fat. 10,000 calories worth of lettuce will absolutely make you fat (among other things) so burning 1 calorie of donut and 1 calorie of lettuce is the same?

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Thaco
so burning 1 calorie of donut and 1 calorie of lettuce is the same?

A calorie is a physical measurement by definition. Insulin response and micros aside there is little difference. Calories are a huge component of dieting. If you don't manage them you absolutely won't lose weight. If you went on a diet and lost weight sit down and do a calorie count between what you ate before and what you ate on the diet and they will be quite different. 3500cal is the rough estimate per pound of body fat. And it is actually fairly accurate based on my empirical evidence from dieting down myself. 99% of the fat loss diets have you decrease calories and increase the ratio of your calories that are proteins to reduce muscle wastage.

[J-hop]

Keto is in its own category though. I don't fully understand the theory behind ketones. I attempted it for 2 months but couldn't maintain the same levels of activity (when I was trying to get into powerlifting) so I gave it up.

[A790]

Originally posted by Thaco
so burning 1 calorie of donut and 1 calorie of lettuce is the same?
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

Remember, we're not talking nutritional value here: just energy. In that context, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

[mazdavirgin]

:dunno: J-Hop's right... Calories consumed vs calories burned is all that matters if we are talking about weight loss. Ain't no magic fat people in a famine or concentration camp.

People have lost weight on twinkie and McDonalds diets. How? Through sheer calorie restriction. This shit ain't magic and it's a well established science in pretty much all sports where weight matters. You can control your weight easily if you simply count calories.

People try all sorts of confusing complex diets but frankly you can eat whatever the hell you want as long as you're in a caloric deficit.

[beyond_ban]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin
:dunno: J-Hop's right... Calories consumed vs calories burned is all that matters if we are talking about weight loss. Ain't no magic fat people in a famine or concentration camp.

People have lost weight on twinkie and McDonalds diets. How? Through sheer calorie restriction. This shit ain't magic and it's a well established science in pretty much all sports where weight matters. You can control your weight easily if you simply count calories.

People try all sorts of confusing complex diets but frankly you can eat whatever the hell you want as long as you're in a caloric deficit.

Exactly, that's the reason some people also add cardio into the mix; it increases the caloric deficit that they are running, or it can be used to make up for an "overdose" of calories within a day.

[timdog]

Originally posted by Dumbass17
I've done it twice, using the Whole30 Program. (basis of the program is 30 days of no unnatural/added sugars, no legumes, no booze whatsoever, no dairy, no wheat)
The first time I made 29 days but then I really wanted a cocktail so justified it haha.
Second time I made it 21 days.

It's difficult but you feel great and will lose alot of belly fat, so it's rewarding.
After a week, normal food starts to taste really good. Like strawberries and raspberries start to taste amazing. I think will all the added sugar in everything (it's in EVERYTHING) it really desensitizes a person's sweet tooth

i've done whole30 as well, and i'm currently halfway through another whole30 cycle right now. it's a good reset. unlike some other diets, it has good long term benefits (at least for me). as you mention, it made me crave sugar less and made things like fruit taste better. i had a dairy queen blizzard on day 31 last time and it tasted too fucking sweet, and those are typically my Achilles heel. I also found not drinking alcohol for 30 days was a nice reset as well, becuase I got in the habit of having a beer every night, and after whole30 I was in a better mindset of treating beer like a treat for 1-2 nights per week.

for a good 4-6 months after completing my first whole30 i continued the diet 90% of the time and lost an additional 10 pounds over those following few months. the best part is that it was really easy, it didnt feel like work. it's how i wanted to eat, and then i would just treat myself to beer or carbs or dinner out 1-2 times per week. it was really sustainable. then i went on a couple long vacations and then had another kid and it all fell apart. but doing it every 6-12 months is a pretty good plan that i will probably try to stick to.

the worst part is that if you have a pretty bad diet to begin with, the first 7 days or so are hell. your body goes into wtf mode and i had headaches every day, and mood swings. kinda goes to show how fucked sugar is.

[jwslam]

Originally posted by timdog
the worst part is that if you have a pretty bad diet to begin with, the first 7 days or so are hell. your body goes into wtf mode and i had headaches every day, and mood swings. kinda goes to show how fucked sugar is.
Any tips on how to survive this part? My will power is pretty weak!

[Thaco]

Originally posted by jwslam

Any tips on how to survive this part? My will power is pretty weak! its really shitty but you just have to power through it, not sure you can do any one specific thing to help you out.

[A790]

Originally posted by jwslam

Any tips on how to survive this part? My will power is pretty weak!
Phase out sugar gradually.

[carson blocks]

Originally posted by jwslam

Any tips on how to survive this part? My will power is pretty weak!

It wasn't THAT bad for me. Taper off the first couple days instead of stopping cold turkey. Coffee and the occasional Advil if needed.

[tonytiger55]

I cut it out a few weeks back.
The first week is the hardest. It's amazing how many things have 'sugar added' to everyday stuff.
I got a few headaches.
I stuck with natural sugars like fruit. Over all..im feeling a lot better. The cravings go away after a while.

One thing I really noticed was when I used to order a tea or a coffee (Two milk two sugars). I found Timmy's sugar really sweet. Even with one sugar.
So one day I ordered tea without sugar and added two sugar cubes when I got to my desk. It tasted a lot different. :eek:

[Thaco]

Originally posted by tonytiger55
I cut it out a few weeks back.
The first week is the hardest. It's amazing how many things have 'sugar added' to everyday stuff.
I got a few headaches.
I stuck with natural sugars like fruit. Over all..im feeling a lot better. The cravings go away after a while.

One thing I really noticed was when I used to order a tea or a coffee (Two milk two sugars). I found Timmy's sugar really sweet. Even with one sugar.
So one day I ordered tea without sugar and added two sugar cubes when I got to my desk. It tasted a lot different. :eek: yeah i noticed that too, i used to take 3 sweetners, i am down to 1 now, i cant do zero, that crap is way too bitter.

[J-hop]

My mom told me one day when I was about 18 after I dumped a nice scoop of sugar into my coffee and was going for the milk that "if you can't drink it straight maybe coffee isn't for you"

Been straight black coffee ever since then. Great motivation!

[Darkane]

Originally posted by tonytiger55
I cut it out a few weeks back.
The first week is the hardest. It's amazing how many things have 'sugar added' to everyday stuff.
I got a few headaches.
I stuck with natural sugars like fruit. Over all..im feeling a lot better. The cravings go away after a while.

One thing I really noticed was when I used to order a tea or a coffee (Two milk two sugars). I found Timmy's sugar really sweet. Even with one sugar.
So one day I ordered tea without sugar and added two sugar cubes when I got to my desk. It tasted a lot different. :eek:

There isn't anything wrong with Tim's sugar. "Single" varies per size.

A large single is 15g sugar which = 3.75 teaspoons.

I cringe when people order triples or even double/double.

Edit: a large triple/triple has 400 calories.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Darkane


There isn't anything wrong with Tim's sugar. "Single" varies per size.

A large single is 15g sugar which = 3.75 teaspoons.

I cringe when people order triples or even double/double.

Edit: a large triple/triple has 400 calories.

That is insane when you think about it. A large double double is 280 cal which is a little more than 10% of the average males daily calorie requirements. In just one drink!

[spike98]

I've been on keto since Jan 9th. Lost about 15lbs so far however i suspect much more than that in fat as i have been doing SL 5x5 as well.

I still crave it but i curb the cravings with a diet soda once and a while. Overall its made a noticable improvement to how i feel and look.

[tonytiger55]

Originally posted by Darkane


There isn't anything wrong with Tim's sugar. "Single" varies per size.

A large single is 15g sugar which = 3.75 teaspoons.

I cringe when people order triples or even double/double.

Edit: a large triple/triple has 400 calories.

That is interesting. I did not know that.

I did a googles and found the following article at the top of the search: Tim Horton Sugar Proportions (https://mrjasonto.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/tim-hortons-and-proportions-when-half-sugar-isnt-really-half-at-all/)

So a sugar cube is 4 grams (I reading off the packet at my desk). The sugar added to a small tea/coffee at Timmys is 7 grams. :eek:

Makes one think eh?
:nut:

[timdog]

Originally posted by jwslam

Any tips on how to survive this part? My will power is pretty weak!

I eat alot of sweet potatoes, which are technically carbs/starch but they are approved on Whole30. they arent sugar, but they do help since they are sweet and give your body that quicker access to glucose.
i'll eat fruit if i'm totally dying, or in a moment of desperation i will throw 1-2 dates down the hatch which is pure sugar but technically approved. (wrap them in proscuitto and bake them for 10 minutes and holy fuck they are good)

the weekends are always the hardest of course. i've even canceled on plans i had with a buddy to go for beer just because i knew i would a) be tempted to drink beer and b) even if i maintained will power i'd probably be a moody bitch to be around. sad days.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by J-hop
My mom told me one day when I was about 18 after I dumped a nice scoop of sugar into my coffee and was going for the milk that "if you can't drink it straight maybe coffee isn't for you"

Been straight black coffee ever since then. Great motivation! i know coffee isnt for me, i hate it, but its free, and its not water.

[asp integra]

I was reading up on something similar to cutting out sugar, more about cutting out carbs in general. 2 summers ago I was making alot of chicken on the bbq with roasted veggies. That summer without doing anything else I lost a good 10-15 without even trying. I would have a breakfast shake (which I still do every day) but I would have left over chicken and veggies for lunch and then do a protein and veggies for dinner. I was eating so few carbs but didn't even give it much thought. Now that the weather is turning around and summer isn't far away Im going to have to start this up again.

[Darkane]

Originally posted by asp integra
I was reading up on something similar to cutting out sugar, more about cutting out carbs in general. 2 summers ago I was making alot of chicken on the bbq with roasted veggies. That summer without doing anything else I lost a good 10-15 without even trying. I would have a breakfast shake (which I still do every day) but I would have left over chicken and veggies for lunch and then do a protein and veggies for dinner. I was eating so few carbs but didn't even give it much thought. Now that the weather is turning around and summer isn't far away Im going to have to start this up again.

Agreed. Not only that, a diet low in carbs can reduce inflammation which should make a person feel much better and aid old injuries.

If a person is training hard for a sport or event, don't cut carbs so much, but limit them to pre/post training.

[timdog]

Tim Ferriss has interviewed this doctor, Dom D'Agostino, a few times on his podcast and this guy makes some suggestions that the ketogenic diet (which is essentially complete carb restriction) can cure/prevent cancer and various other diseases.

a pretty bold statement and not one that most people are taking seriously, however this is a guy who is doing legit scientific studies and he has at least some valid findings that support some of the claims.

sort of tangential but thought I'd mention it.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Thaco
i know coffee isnt for me, i hate it, but its free, and its not water.

I think it's something you have to just do and eventually you acquire a taste. Now coffee with any sugar in it tastes like syrup to me.

[Darkane]

Originally posted by timdog
Tim Ferriss has interviewed this doctor, Dom D'Agostino, a few times on his podcast and this guy makes some suggestions that the ketogenic diet (which is essentially complete carb restriction) can cure/prevent cancer and various other diseases.

a pretty bold statement and not one that most people are taking seriously, however this is a guy who is doing legit scientific studies and he has at least some valid findings that support some of the claims.

sort of tangential but thought I'd mention it.

Wow, I'll have to look into that.

I read some articles referencing low carb diets for back pain and rehabilitation from big time injury. I'll see if I can find any.

I've been low carb on/off for 10+ years now and I can truly say it has major benefits. I can also say it can develop insane eating habits that aren't healthy or proper.

Eg: major cheat meals. These create eating disorders, maybe not in everyone however.

[riander5]

Originally posted by timdog
Tim Ferriss has interviewed this doctor, Dom D'Agostino, a few times on his podcast and this guy makes some suggestions that the ketogenic diet (which is essentially complete carb restriction) can cure/prevent cancer and various other diseases.

a pretty bold statement and not one that most people are taking seriously, however this is a guy who is doing legit scientific studies and he has at least some valid findings that support some of the claims.

sort of tangential but thought I'd mention it.

Lets order some of those Ketones dom talks about. Im too lazy/undisciplined to go carb free for 4 days to get into Keto... I want a kickstart :D

[Mitsu3000gt]

So with these diets like whole30 cutting out most carbs, what are considered healthy carbs that you can eat? I've got to believe the body needs some carbs to function properly. I was also really surprised that you can't eat lentils or quinoa which are generally considered very healthy things to eat, and I eat a lot of them currently. Also don't whole grains help lower cholesterol and are generally good for heart health?

[riander5]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So with these diets like whole30 cutting out most carbs, what are considered healthy carbs that you can eat? I've got to believe the body needs some carbs to function properly. I was also really surprised that you can't eat lentils or quinoa which are generally considered very healthy things to eat, and I eat a lot of them currently. Also don't whole grains help lower cholesterol and are generally good for heart health?

Legumes irritate alot of peoples guts. Id imagine thats why they cut them out

[Thaco]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So with these diets like whole30 cutting out most carbs, what are considered healthy carbs that you can eat? I've got to believe the body needs some carbs to function properly. I was also really surprised that you can't eat lentils or quinoa which are generally considered very healthy things to eat, and I eat a lot of them currently. Also don't whole grains help lower cholesterol and are generally good for heart health? with keto basically you take the carbs and subtract any of the sub items under it, fibre, sugar alcohols, (not sugar) etc... thats your net carbs, and you want to keep it around 20 or so per day, less if you can.

this is the site my wife often referenced, seems to be a good resource for keto
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/

[stevelou]

I've been playing with the high fat low carb "Keto" for a while with some major cheat breaks since Nov. Than being said I'm down 24 lbs from 248 to 224. I've started this week with Keto coupled with intermittent fasting and am seeing/feeling awesome so far.

[mazdavirgin]

:dunno: Any diet where you have a whole bunch of people peeing onto sticks like prego's and avoiding eating fruit because of carbs is IMHO lunacy.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Interesting, thanks guys. Damn this is going to be hard haha - not so much the sugars, and I already hardly ever eat dairy, but I think I eat quite a bit of carbs. At least it says you can eat as much fruit as you want. I also don't want to shed any muscle, so hopefully that is doable.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Interesting, thanks guys. Damn this is going to be hard haha - not so much the sugars, and I already hardly ever eat dairy, but I think I eat quite a bit of carbs. At least it says you can eat as much fruit as you want.

The biggest thing I would focus on is not picking up a fad diet that may or may not have you shedding fat but rather work on rehabilitating your eating habits.

If you're like me you probably had bad eating habits in your teens and moving into your late twenties/early 30s you no longer have the same activity levels and metabolism to sustain that. So you've developed a ton of bad eating habits and are paying for them now.

You always hear that most people come off diets and gain it all back. You hear it a lot because it's true. The people that do the best long term are those that don't have a name for their way of eating. You also don't want to be that guy who goes out with friends and orders a burger but tells them to give it to you without the bun, sauce or fries because you're worried you'll fall out of ketosis or something like that. That is too hard to sustain for the average person who isn't or doesn't want to be neurotic about how they eat.

I wish you all the best but if you are already saying it sounds hard you are most likely going to be back in the same position a few months from now.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by J-hop


The biggest thing I would focus on is not picking up a fad diet that may or may not have you shedding fat but rather work on rehabilitating your eating habits.

If you're like me you probably had bad eating habits in your teens and moving into your late twenties/early 30s you no longer have the same activity levels and metabolism to sustain that. So you've developed a ton of bad eating habits and are paying for them now.

You always hear that most people come off diets and gain it all back. You hear it a lot because it's true. The people that do the best long term are those that don't have a name for their way of eating. You also don't want to be that guy who goes out with friends and orders a burger but tells them to give it to you without the bun, sauce or fries because you're worried you'll fall out of ketosis or something like that. That is too hard to sustain for the average person who isn't or doesn't want to be neurotic about how they eat.

I wish you all the best but if you are already saying it sounds hard you are most likely going to be back in the same position a few months from now.

I've actually been pretty healthy overall. Very inactive/unhealthy in my teens, and in my early 20's I decided to do something about it. I lost ~40 lbs going from ~190 --> ~150 (I'm 5'10") basically with 2-3hr gym visits 6-7 days a week and overall healthy eating for about 6 months. Then I did 5X5 to build muscle until I was about 165lbs and my weight hasn't changed in ~8 years. I am strictly looking for something to get rid of the little bit of belly fat I have that seems to never go away, maybe "cutting" is a better term. I don't want to do anything too crazy, but if I can get rid of it I'm pretty sure I can keep it off based on my history. I also have good will power so as long as the diet isn't super ridiculous, I can probably follow it pretty easily. As it is I don't drink pop, I drink coffee black, I don't buy anything with fake sugars in it, etc. I think meal prep will be the biggest hurdle to something like these diets.

[J-hop]

You are doing better than me man! You sound a lot more motivated and experienced than the average person. So many people fail (like myself), thought you might have been one of those guys thinking of dropping from 30 to 10% body fat on a "unique" diet, those cases almost always turn out poorly.

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
I am strictly looking for something to get rid of the little bit of belly fat I have that seems to never go away, maybe "cutting" is a better term. I don't want to do anything too crazy, but if I can get rid of it I'm pretty sure I can keep it off based on my history. I also have good will power so as long as the diet isn't super ridiculous, I can probably follow it pretty easily. As it is I don't drink pop, I drink coffee black, I don't buy anything with fake sugars in it, etc. I think meal prep will be the biggest hurdle to something like these diets.

IMHO if you're trying to cut it's probably best to just keep it really simple. Figure out how many calories you're consuming by looking at the labels of everything you eat for a week, weigh things as needed and tabulate up the amount of calories you're consuming. Drop accordingly from there. Usually you want to keep things around 1800 or so and aim to drop about 1lbs a week. Generally you can sustain that without strength loses as long as you keep protein intake high and from experience make sure you're getting enough fat or you will feel miserable. Generally I find this way easier to pull off rather than chasing whatever random diet and it's far less annoying since you can still eat whatever the hell as long as you stay within your limits.

[timdog]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin


IMHO if you're trying to cut it's probably best to just keep it really simple. Figure out how many calories you're consuming by looking at the labels of everything you eat for a week, weigh things as needed and tabulate up the amount of calories you're consuming. Drop accordingly from there. Usually you want to keep things around 1800 or so and aim to drop about 1lbs a week. Generally you can sustain that without strength loses as long as you keep protein intake high and from experience make sure you're getting enough fat or you will feel miserable. Generally I find this way easier to pull off rather than chasing whatever random diet and it's far less annoying since you can still eat whatever the hell as long as you stay within your limits.

to each their own. for me, this is much more work.

[Mitsu3000gt]

So what if you did Whole 30 + grains? I enjoy eating oatmeal, quinoa, etc. which is all very healthy as far as I know. I don't really care about "resetting" my body, I just want a guideline for cutting sugar/carbs down significantly or anything else that will help with stubborn belly fat. I feel like continued exercise plus eating even healthier (with more attention to snacking and portion control) would achieve a similar result. Is that an accurate statement or no?

[Thaco]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So what if you did Whole 30 + grains? I enjoy eating oatmeal, quinoa, etc. which is all very healthy as far as I know. I don't really care about "resetting" my body, I just want a guideline for cutting sugar/carbs down significantly or anything else that will help with stubborn belly fat. I feel like continued exercise plus eating even healthier (with more attention to snacking and portion control) would achieve a similar result. Is that an accurate statement or no? From what i understand the point of the whole keto and cutting our sugars and carbs is to train your body to attack the fat cells, if they're still chewing on carbs it wont be nearly as effective.

I noticed a huge difference if i was 100% on plan, even 1 cheat a week was a setback.

[Darkane]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So what if you did Whole 30 + grains? I enjoy eating oatmeal, quinoa, etc. which is all very healthy as far as I know. I don't really care about "resetting" my body, I just want a guideline for cutting sugar/carbs down significantly or anything else that will help with stubborn belly fat. I feel like continued exercise plus eating even healthier (with more attention to snacking and portion control) would achieve a similar result. Is that an accurate statement or no?

I would honestly do the diet as written. It seems everyone wants to change something because they "enjoy it".

Once the diet is done reintroduce your healthy carbs pre/post workout.

The leaner you are the better your insulin sensitivity is. That means your body will be more efficient at putting carbs ---> converted to glucose in your blood to muscle and not fat.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin
:dunno: Any diet where you have a whole bunch of people peeing onto sticks like prego's and avoiding eating fruit because of carbs is IMHO lunacy.

Only the uninformed KETOers pee on sticks.

I do a lazy Keto just eating stuff I know is low carb and not caring about the ketones in my pee, weighing all my food or worrying about the minuscule carbs found in tomatoes.

I lost about 25 lbs (187 -> 162) in less than 3 months and have kept it off for the past 6 months.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Darkane


I would honestly do the diet as written. It seems everyone wants to change something because they "enjoy it".

Once the diet is done reintroduce your healthy carbs pre/post workout.

The leaner you are the better your insulin sensitivity is. That means your body will be more efficient at putting carbs ---> converted to glucose in your blood to muscle and not fat.

I think I will give it a try. If I fail then I fail, but at least I gave it a shot. I'm really going to struggle with my breakfasts, as I am a get up 10 min before I need to leave and throw something easy into my bag kind of person. And you can't have oatmeal. Downtown there is enough things to eat that should be diet 'approved', since I buy every day. Dinners won't be hard. Fruit & nuts for snacks is alright.

Over the last week, I've been eating really low carbs and (almost) zero added sugar, and I weighed myself this morning 3lb lower than I always am. I'm not trying to lose much weight though of course, just shed some stubborn residual fat. In fact it would be nice if my weight stayed the same with proportionate muscle increases.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I'm down ~7 lbs and look noticeably better from end of March just from eating better overall, and cutting virtually all added sugar out of my diet. I don't snack unless it's fruit/nuts and have oatmeal for breakfast. I used to eat a Cliff bar for breakfast most days and I stopped doing that too. Making antibiotic-free chicken breast and veggies for supper about every other day, and eating more fish variety (trout). Had 2 cheat days around Easter. No other changes in my routine really, still going to the gym ~3-4 times per week. Kind of glad I didn't cut out all carbs to be honest, I'm quite pleased with the results given how little effort it is to do what I'm doing. I'm definitely eating less calories overall (not counting them, just pretty well eating as much as I want of healthy foods), which is no doubt a contributing factor.

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah, healthy foods tend to be more filling and less calorie dense than the unhealthy stuff.

I always like when someone makes what they feel are "small" changes, because those kind of changes are the ones you are more likely to stick to longer term.

[craigcd]

Originally posted by craigcd
Nothing helps a stressful day like sugar rush. I also struggle to make it more than a week without giving in. :D

I would guess this would be a similar urge to other addictions but on a smaller scale. I usually go for 5-6 days then somehow candy makes its way into the house via a kids birthday party or something. Its all downhill from there!

If my ability to stop eating candy is any proof of my ability to overcome addiction its a good thing I dont have any other vices.

I stopped eating added sugar as of my original post date. I am about 4 weeks in at this point and have been rather strict. First couple days were a bit tough, after that wasn't to bad. All the Easter junk/sugar wasn't actually to hard to avoid either.

Likely down 5-10 lbs but didn't really have much to lose. Likely keep on going for a bit, however at my current level of commitment I would say it definitley isn't sustainable haha

[msommers]

The GF has had us on a couple different diets over the last year, the latest being from an app called Sweat. Apparently some Aussie dieticians put it together. In some ways it's nice because they given you a grocery list for the upcoming week, on the other hand it's been a pain in the ass as every single meal/snack (5/day) throughout the week is different. I love leftovers and mass cooking so it's been quite the compromise to stick with it since January.

It's basically a meal plan composed of a lot of greek yoghurt, cucumber, salad and various types of beans (more yes but essentially). Fish occasionally and red meat once a week. I think it's been giving her digestive issues though so this Keto plan might be a good suggestion. Is the Whole30 plan basically laid out for you?

Have a really bad sweet tooth as well but I was at a point in my life where I couldn't tolerate sweets. I've managed to 'mostly' cut coffee as I found it was making me crash in the afternoons without another, which then led to a shitty sleep. Also think coffee was causing digestive issues and also joint stiffness (in my head maybe?).

[theken]

I'm doing a ketosis style diet now, I'm eating meat, protein shakes, and tonnes of vegetables. I don't see how anyone can think it's unhealthy. I eat 4 cups of greens a day and chicken and beef. Seems like a liveable lifestyle to me. I don't eat fruit to begin with, Just watermelon in the summer, and if I have bread, rice, pasta, any carb really I get an upset stomach and shit for the whole next day. So I avoid that anyways. I don't weigh myself, I pissed on a keto stick 4 days in to see if I had any ketones yet, and other than that eat healthy. Hoping to get back to pre back injury weight by the end of summer.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by msommers
. Is the Whole30 plan basically laid out for you?


Yup - lots of shopping lists and "allowable" food lists. You can actually eat quite a bit. The only hard part is zero carbs and zero legumes, which removes a lot of variety and also otherwise very healthy foods from your diet. The more I read about it, I decided it wasn't for me, especially since I get a lot of my nutrients from foods that contain some amount carbs. I've also had no problem losing weight eating low carbs instead of no carbs, and I'm fairly convinced I'm healthier (and happier) than the alternative.

If you want full Whole30 meal plans with recipes, it seemed like you had to pay for them, but I imagine there are free ones kicking around somewhere too.

Here's a couple lists:

https://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list.pdf

https://whole30.com/downloads/book-shopping-list.pdf

[riander5]

Originally posted by theken
I'm doing a ketosis style diet now, I'm eating meat, protein shakes, and tonnes of vegetables. I don't see how anyone can think it's unhealthy. I eat 4 cups of greens a day and chicken and beef. Seems like a liveable lifestyle to me. I don't eat fruit to begin with, Just watermelon in the summer, and if I have bread, rice, pasta, any carb really I get an upset stomach and shit for the whole next day. So I avoid that anyways. I don't weigh myself, I pissed on a keto stick 4 days in to see if I had any ketones yet, and other than that eat healthy. Hoping to get back to pre back injury weight by the end of summer.

Would love to do Keto but playing sports you are just gassed and have no energy

[spike98]

Originally posted by riander5


Would love to do Keto but playing sports you are just gassed and have no energy

Honestly, Id try it. I had ZERO effect on my energy levels at the Gym or doing sports.

[stevelou]

Originally posted by riander5


Would love to do Keto but playing sports you are just gassed and have no energy

I was going thru the "keto flu" which for me was absolutely horrible and I was completely unprepared for the symptoms (no energy/legit flu like symptoms/weak) as well as the shits....:cry:

I did manage to go out for a 5 k run on day 3 when the symptoms had subsided and was able to increase my min per km by 30 seconds and didn't have the usual lactic acid build up in my legs that I would normally get when trying for a better time.

Note if you are going to try it make sure you have electrolytes readily available ie magnesium, potassium and sodium (Himalayan pink salt is what I was using) I found out about this way to late and paid for it.

[riander5]

Originally posted by stevelou


I was going thru the "keto flu" which for me was absolutely horrible and I was completely unprepared for the symptoms (no energy/legit flu like symptoms/weak) as well as the shits....:cry:

I did manage to go out for a 5 k run on day 3 when the symptoms had subsided and was able to increase my min per km by 30 seconds and didn't have the usual lactic acid build up in my legs that I would normally get when trying for a better time.

Note if you are going to try it make sure you have electrolytes readily available ie magnesium, potassium and sodium (Himalayan pink salt is what I was using) I found out about this way to late and paid for it.

Yea mostly was speaking to playing hockey, any HIIT sport you just can't do.

Strength in the gym and steady state exrecise seemed pretty unaffected for me when i did it.

[spike98]

Originally posted by stevelou


I was going thru the "keto flu" which for me was absolutely horrible and I was completely unprepared for the symptoms (no energy/legit flu like symptoms/weak) as well as the shits....:cry:

I did manage to go out for a 5 k run on day 3 when the symptoms had subsided and was able to increase my min per km by 30 seconds and didn't have the usual lactic acid build up in my legs that I would normally get when trying for a better time.

Note if you are going to try it make sure you have electrolytes readily available ie magnesium, potassium and sodium (Himalayan pink salt is what I was using) I found out about this way to late and paid for it.

MCT for the flu and no-sugar metamucil for me are essentials.

The wife got the keto flu for almost a full week until she started with MCT in her shakes.

[rx7boi]

I lost some weight doing keto as well but it made my breath terrible.

It was tough in the beginning and you'd always feel tired.