No sugar, no bread, no booze?

jebba · May 5, 2007

A friend of mine has been doing this bootcamp thing for about 4 months now, and appears to be in excellent shape. She said her fitness instructor has her foregoing sugar, bread and alcohol. She says bread was the hardest thing to give up. 
I'm thinking of going the same route and seeing how I feel. Instead of giving up all bread, however, I am going to give up white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc, and still allow myself whole wheat bread and brown rice and other heathy carbs. 
I'm curious what you think of the plan. My goal is to have more energy, feel healthier, and maybe lose the remaining 6 pounds of pregnancy weight I have. To be honest, I think giving up the booze will bum me out the most. I abstained for the whole pregnancy, and am very careful about indulging now since I am nursing, but I adore the occasional gin and tonic. 
What would be hardest for you to give up?

Buxtehude · May 6, 2007

I'm glad you're throwing in whole grains! 
The hardest thing for me to give up would be wine. 
Actually, I HAVE given that up for the time being, because it saps me of motivation. 
I'm curious about how this will work for you.

merigayle · May 6, 2007

Years ago i gave up alcohol and one of the reasons was to lose weight. BUT i was young and drinking a lot. I do not miss it one bit <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> It has been many many years since i have had a drink. I drank sprakling apple juice at my wedding <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> 
My coach put me on a reduced carb diet in the fall. i ate fruits and some whole grains, but nothing refined. i think if you take out refined products like white bread, white pasta, refined sugar, etc, you will feel a lot better.

sierra · May 6, 2007

I have been off sugar and white flour, rice, pasta etc, for about 2 mos now. I do feel better and have dropped some weight also. I do have the occasional beer though, but not often. 
It s been a good plan for me, even with a beer now and then.

triciaflower · May 9, 2007

What is it about refined sugars that makes a person feel bad? 
I'm trying to cut down myself. But could someone explain what goes on in the body when one eats it? I want to understand this better. 
I am a sugar addict. I would have a hard time giving it up completely! I can't stand sugar substitutes.. aspartame give me a headache, and I don't really like the taste of splenda. It's a good thing I like my coffee black!

sistergoldenhair · May 9, 2007

The hardest thing for me is either good restaurant bread or white rice. I don't care much for pasta, but LOVE warm crusty rolls dipped in oilve oil, or white rice in sushi and Chinese dishes. 
I've seen so much evidence (theories?) about why white sugar in all its forms (white flour, white rice, refined pasta, table sugar and anything containing it, HFCS, etc.) is EVIL:
<ul><li>Those "refined sugar" foods contain energy in calories, but few if any nutrients like amno acids, fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals found in whole foods. It's entirely possible to get the same energy from foods with nutrients, even in natural sugar-containing foods like fruits.</li>
<li>It can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar due to rapid absorption, which effects energy levels, metabolism, and appetite. Some people are sensitive to this and feel lousy after eating refined carbs/sugar.</li>
<li>For someone at risk for developing diabetes, avoiding these so easily absorbed foods can prevent or manage the condition by keeping blood glucose levels even and not too high, but it really is more important to keep an eye on portions and consume "sugary" foods with proteins, fiber, or fats to slow absorption rather than avoid them entirely.</li>
<li>It is "addicting" like a drug, leading to cravings and overeating. Your classic sweet tooth. This is OK if the person can limit intake to a small satisfying sweet treat.</li>
<li>For people who are not active, and this can include the casual exerciser with a desk job, consuming a high-carb diet tends to lead to fat storage. All those extra glucose molecules that aren't being used for physical activity go right into the fat stores vs. being oxidized for energy the way they want to be in an athlete's body.</li>
<li>Some forms are said to depress liver and immune system function. I don't know much about this theory, which is more predominant in the alternative health community.</li>
</ul>
Personally I think it's individual. Even though there are compelling reasons to avoid these foods, the "sugar-free" eating plan is also another version of the "eliminate an entire food group" type of calorie-restricting diet. Eliminating and not replacing ANY one category of food calories will result in weight loss due to a negative energy balance. 
However, if a person is sensitive to it physically or behaviorally, it's probably smart to limit or eliminate the stuff. For me, limiting these kinds of foods is a great reminder to emphasize whole, nutrient-rich foods as my main source of calories. 
Plus, I have sweet tooth tendencies. <img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif">

jtc · May 18, 2007

SGH really hit a lot of it on the head. I want to expand a little more on the insulin part of theconcept. 
Ever have a big meal of pasta or a couple of samwhiches? How did you feel afterwards, tired, wanting to take a nap? 
Have you ever had that feeling where you are so hungry that you get the shakes and feel like you might want to pass out? 
Ever wonder why diabetics are typically overweight? 
It all has to do with insulin. If you can control your insulin levels, you can control your weight and how you feel. 
Look into the zone diet. Out of all the "Fad" diets, this makes the most sense. Reading the box, "mastering the zone" really spells this out. 
take a look at zoneliving.com (work safe) 
j

sistergoldenhair · May 18, 2007

That's great the Zone diet has worked so well for you, jtc. It sounds like you feel great! 
I think for an average casual 3 x/week exerciser or typical sedentary person Zone is a good balance for many. One diet doesn't fit all unfortunately. An athlete would need more carbs. Right now I am not running too much and am eating fewer carbs/no sugar and feel SO good and even energy-wise, but if I were marathon training I'd be bonking, and would have to at least increase complex carbs as well as use sugars to fuel long workouts. Also Zone, like all reducing diets, does involve some calorie deficit which is truly what causes weight loss. 
Just a general PSA: "Glycemic index" or GI is the latest buzzword in fad diets. The principles of not consuming rapidly absorbing sugars by themselves can absolutely apply to people with diabetes, prediabetes, hypoglycemia, and those who are "sugar sensitive." A prominent reason people lose on the GI is they eliminate sugars, which are the leading source of calories in the American diet. GI diets also reduce caloric intake. 
The glycemic index itself isn't based on the best science -- did you know sugar concentrations can vary in the same fruits and veggies based on ripeness, for example? And when the GI was created, absorption was only measured for 2 hours per food, when glucose levels can be affected longer than that after eating. The portions of food weren't necessarily standardized to be "equal amounts" between foods, and no consideration was taken for how rapidly something would be absorbed when consumed with fats, fiber, or proteins -- all slow absorption rates (which I think is part of why Zone may help some people with their energy levels and not feeling too hungry). 
We can see general relative absorption rates per food through the GI and take it as a guideline, not hard and fast accuracy. It's very hard except with a standard dose of glucose (which we wouldn't eat on its own) to completely accurately assess absorption.

jtc · May 19, 2007

Actually the Zone can be tailored to elite athletes. The way it works is to first determine what your LBM (lean body mass) is. This is simply done by taking your current weight and multiply it by your body fat %. This gives you the lean body mass. Once you have that number, you determine the lifestyle that you live, whether it be sedentary or active or elite. there is a muliplier for each style. you would multiply your lbm by a factor between .5 and 1.0. The lower end is for those with sedentary lifestyle and 1.0 is for those that are use weights 5 days a week or use workout 2x's a day. 
This number determines the amount of protein that your body requires. so let me use me as and round the numbers. i weigh 200 lbs w/20% BF. My lbm is 160. I am fairly active and workout about 1.5 hrs a week. my factor is .7. I multiply that number by 160 and i get 112, this is the amount of protein that i should take in during a given day. 
Now to make it easier, the zone uses blocks. each block contains 7 grams of protein (this is = to 1oz of chicken). So by dividing 112 by 7 i can find out how many blocks of protein i need in a day, that number is 16. 
so the zone says eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. snacks should consist of 1 block so that will leave me 14 blocks left. divide that by 3 and i get 4-5 blocks of protein at each meal. so a 4 oz piece of chicken or turkey. 
Once you know how much protein you can figure out the rest. you eat an equal amount of blocks for carbs and fat. 
1 block of carbs is 9 grams 
1 block of fat = 1.5 
this might seem difficult at first but after a week you get the hang of it. the idea is to see how you feel after 4-6 hours of eating. this tells you how you need to regulate what you eat, if you feel really tired after eating a meal, than you added too much carbs, if you are really hungry, than you ate too little. 
only 25% of your carb intake at a given meal should come from breads and grains. the rest is from 'good carbs', fruits and veggies. there are some fruits and veggies that aren't as good as others, but you get the concept. 
SGH is right, not every diet is right for everyone, but the important thing is balance between your protein, carbs and fats. 
j 
ps sorry so long, but i think it is important to know the concept

sistergoldenhair · May 20, 2007

I never knew exactly how it worked, jtc. You bring up a good point about how it can be complicated at first, but get easier. *Every* dietary change has a learning curve, so hopefully that wouldn't deter a person from trying something different that might really help them, whether it be Zone or Weight Watchers or counting calories. It's worth the effort to learn if the results are positive and beneficial.

jtc · May 21, 2007

i agree that you need to find whats right for you. you asked what affect it would have on an elite athlete or someone that is training for a marathon. I just played a hockey tonight. I ate lunch at 1:30 which was as follows: <div style="text-align:left;">Lunch: Tofu Dip and Veggies</div>
 <div style="text-align:left;">Ingredients 6 ounces firm tofu 1 ounce reduced-fat Swiss cheese, grated ½ cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 1/3 teaspoons olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons Lipton’s dry onion soup mix (substitute spices of your choice, to taste*) 1 medium green pepper, washed cored, seeded, and cut in wedges 2 cups broccoli florets</div>
 <div style="text-align:left;">For Dessert Kiwi</div>
 <div style="text-align:left;">Instructions: Drain tofu. Put tofu, cheese, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, and onion soup mix in a blender. Blend until smooth. (For best flavor, refrigerate the dip at least 2 hours or overnight.) Place dip in a bowl in the center of a large plate. Arrange pepper strips and broccoli around bowl for dipping. Serve kiwi for dessert.</div>
 <div style="text-align:left;">At 5:15 I had a no sugar added applesuace (9 grams of carbs) and 1 cheese stick (6 grams of protein) and i felt great throughout the game. never once thought, man i could use something to eat. i am going to work out in a bit as well.</div>
 <div style="text-align:left;">for me this is the first time ever where I am really happy about the way i am eating and how it makes me feel. I used to feel hungry all the time. When I was marathon training, i was always hungry and couldn't get enough food. I never lost weight! now i never feel hungry and i have a lot of energy. tonight was just a reminder of that</div>
 <div style="text-align:left;">j</div>

GaRebelRunner · May 23, 2007

I eat lots of white bread, pasta and rice. How do you give it up? I just can't imagine food tasting right if I have to give up those three items. 
And when I say a lot, I can sit down in front of a football game with a loaf of really fresh Sunbeam white bread and coke and eat 2/3 of the loaf if not the entire thing by the time the game is over. It depends how fresh the bread tastes. 
Theoretically I'm not overweight although I wouldn't mind losing about 10 pounds.

sistergoldenhair · May 23, 2007

I occasionally eat rice with sushi, and the only "bread" I eat is when I go to Subway. I more or less just stopped. I found replacements that were less processed, higher in fiber, lower in carbs, whatever. (My main objective was to consume less processed food.) 
I'm not really a bread or pasta person, though, so it wasn't that hard. To me bread is just a vehicle for peanut butter or turkey!

jtc · May 23, 2007

GAR, 
I love pasta, but after a couple of weeks of eating healthy and feeling really good about how i was feeling, i didn't miss it. Occassionally i will have whole wheat pasta but not a full plate like i used to. if i eat bread its whole grain. the one thing i don;t miss is the feeling after, the OMG i need a nap feeling. 
I used to feel like taking a nap at around 3pm everyday and forget weekends, i wanted to just curl up on the couch and sleep. I don't get that feeling anymore, and trust me napping for me was considered a staple <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> 
don't get me wrong, i still pig out every once in a while, but those aren;t as frequent as they used to be 
give it 2 weeks, replace the refined carbs and sugars with fruits and veggies, see how you feel. What do you have to lose? 
j

fatmantrying · May 28, 2007

I didn't. I switched to the whole grain versions and never looked back. Don't miss the refined versions at all. 
I'm a firm believer in the key to sustained weight loss is you need to lose weight eating what you are going to eat every day for the rest of your life. 
I went to whats often called a <a href="http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_diet.html" target="_blank">Mediterranean Lifestyle</a> and I love what I eat now more than ever. And believe me, that's saying something... I was raised by some hardcore kick ass southern cooks.

Flounder · Jun 6, 2007

Ooohhh the humanity of it all !!!

drgenie · Jun 13, 2007

Fatman, interesting that you mention the Mediterranean lifestyle, I have heard a lot about that and think I would like that too. Is there something good on the Net to read about it? I couldn't find much.

fatmantrying · Jun 14, 2007

I hear ya! It's surprising how random the info is. 
It really is a very simple concept once you understand the basics.. the link to Oldways the basics are.. <ul><li>Make olive oil your primary source of dietary fat</li>
<li>Incorporate an abundance of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, breads, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds</li>
<li>Eat low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry weekly</li>
<li>Eat low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt daily</li>
<li>Drink a moderate amount of wine (one to two glasses per day for men, one glass per day for women)</li>
</ul>
Think of it as eating like peasants. And, you can really break this down to work with almost an cultures food. 
Meat is a side dish because it's not something that was affordable. You had the random chicken you could catch and kill and you could fish. You had an abundant garden and grew a large majority of what you ate. 
Download the pyramid from <a href="http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_pyramid.html" target="_blank">http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_pyramid.html</a> and it will maybe make more sense. 
While your there, check out the Asian and Latin American pyramids. You'll see the similarities. 
Think Italian... fresh veggies/produce with whole wheat/grain pasta... Asian... stir fries with brown rice, refried beans (EVOO) with corn tortillas/spinach enchiladas... Cajun/Creole... red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo... all foods of the peasants. Greek, Indian, etc, etc... 
A lot of these dishes are made today with butter and other fats that aren't really good for you. Use olive oil or canola. 
I have a nice big smoker and I will cook six whole chickens and then debone and shred them up. I'll then freeze them in small portions 4 to 6 oz portions and then I can add that to pretty much anything. Anybody could do this with rotisserie chicken. Buy a couple of them and shred them up and freeze for later use. 
The only time you really throw a slab of "meat" on a plate is when it's fish. 
I started about 3 years ago and it takes awhile to get used to but as I said, I'm a foodie and I think the options and flavor are better than the hardcore Southern Food I grew up on. 
Mario Batali made an interesting comment on his show once... he said Americans have ruined meat balls... just because you can afford to make them out of 100% meat doesn't mean you should... Meatballs are all about the blend of meat and bread crumbs and spices... texture and taste. I think we do that with our diet day in and day out. 
It really is a lifestyle. Although I haven't mastered this part yet... Lunch is typically the bigger meal. Dinner can take hours... some cheese and fruit and bread and wine... <a href="http://www.onhealth.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56058" target="_blank">http://www.onhealth.com/script/main/...ticlekey=56058</a> <a href="http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/content/Nutrition/mediterranean.asp" target="_blank">http://www.womensheartfoundation.org...iterranean.asp</a> 
Some recipe examples... <a href="http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes.htm" target="_blank">http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes.htm</a> 
I'll stop... I could go on for hours. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> I'm a dedicated convert!

No sugar, no bread, no booze?

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