M2A! November Week2: 3 Months Without Sugar
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Both Liz and I are border line hypoglycemic which means we are extra sensitive to simple carbohydrates. Too many cookies and we crash. This brings on dizziness, headaches, short tempers and sometimes even nausea. But this doesn’t mean we can’t eat those cookies in moderation or have a delicious doughnut now and again. It just demands that we take extra care of ourselves and keep the food balance in abundance.
But one day, about 4 months ago, I got the idea of knocking out ALL sugar and white flour in my diet. I wanted to know exactly WHAT would happen if my body stopped getting these boosts of buoyancy and instead stuck to a steady flow of energy. So I proceeded to cut out the simple carbs and take note of the effects. Here’s what happened:
- After 1 week: At this point I didn’t see any major changes other than the lack of extreme ups and downs. STRUGGLES: The first week was by far the hardest in terms of cravings. Almost like trying to quit smoking cigarettes, every evening after dinner I would have done anything for just one cookie. Pitiful, I know.
- By the end of week 2: Now is when I first stated noticing a real change. I felt much calmer and had a little sharper focus. The best way to explain it was that I just seemed to have a little clearer head. Struggles: The cravings still came on occasion, but were much lighter and easier to manage.
- The end of month 1: By now I had completely rid myself of the aftereffects that sugar brings to the table. I was very focused and felt incredibly even emotionally. Very little phased me and my ADHD seemed to disappear. Struggles: This was around the time my energy level really started to take a dive. Instead of my usual ‘always tapping my toes’ kind of buoyancy, I was slow and steady. Good for focus, but bad for many other things.
- By the 6 week mark: At the halfway point I was INCREDIBLY focused. I could put my mind on one specific thing and truly give it my FULL, UNDIVIDED attention. The only other time I’ve experienced this kind of sensation was when I tried Ritalin for a short time. Struggles: By this time my energy level was next to nothing. Even walking up the stairs was a struggle. It felt like my muscles were barely alive. And even though I could focus extremely well, I had very little multitasking capabilities. When I was used to being able to do 5 things at once, I was now easily overwhelmed with the slightest interruption of thought.
- After 2 months: Right around this time I went ahead and added one heaping teaspoon of brown sugar to my breakfast oatmeal. This might sound like a lot, but it was the only simple carb for the whole day. I did this to continue the experimenting. The fact was, I could tell my body was WAY TOO LOW on carbs and I needed to add something to find a better balance. Within a few days I started noticing my energy levels coming back a little and I just felt a little happier. Struggles: After 2 months of going sugar free, I was starting to get depressed. I couldn’t sleep (I’d wake up at 3 or 4 am every morning and couldn’t go back to sleep.) My muscles felt aged, like I was 30 going on 80. I just didn’t feel ‘right’.
- 2 1/2 months into the experiment: OK, so at this point I was not ACTUALLY going sugar free anymore, but I was still learning of its effects none the less. By now I was doing a little better and sometimes felt like I had the best of both worlds (Strong focus as well as energy and even emotional state.) But I never seemed to get back to the ‘uber even’ state that month 1 gave me. Struggles: I seemed to lose the benefits of the non sugar diet without gaining the benefits that simple cabs used to give me. I was kind of in a bad state of limbo.
- The end of the experiment, month 3: By now I was feeling pretty crappy. I was tired all the time, had little motivation, and oddly little appetite. My emotions were generally of the unhappy kind. I just wasn’t myself AT ALL. Struggles: Did I mention I fest like CRAP?! I had also lost about 5 pounds, which is unheard of for me. I’m a ‘skinny fellow’ to put it lightly (OK, that was SO not planned!) Up to this point I had weighed the same for the last 15 years! Not even a pound difference.
At this point I decided to try and ease my way back to my old diet which included some light desserts and white flour on occasion. I figured it couldn’t hurt and I could learn even more as I took note of the road back to normal.
- Week 1: Within a few days I started feeling happy again. My energy levels were also rebounding as I started to get my bounce back in my step. Struggles: I did start to feel like I was losing some of the ‘ninja’ focus that I previously experienced. But I didn’t care at this point.
- Week2: I pretty much had all my energy back by now. Exercise was MUCH more enjoyable and I started running up steps again instead of dragging my lower limbs the whole way. Sure, my focus wasn’t as strong on one thing at a time, but I could once again handle the daily influx of challenges that my consulting business, as well as life in general, brought about. I just felt much more like myself. Even Liz commented that I seemed more like…ME. She very much preferred this.
- Weeks 3 and 4: Pretty much the same, but with more intensity. Even more energy and a better all around mindset. But the cool thing is that I haven’t lost much more of my single tasking focus. It’s like I lost my energy, but gained my ‘ultra focus’ through this experiment. But after coming back ‘online’ with the sugar I’ve gained back ALL my energy without losing ALL of this enhanced focus.
If I could do it all over again, what would I have done differently?
Looking back, I realize that I should have added more complex carbs as I reduced the simple ones. This would have most likely alleviated much of the negative symptoms.
What did I learn from this whole experiment?
- Much of our ‘ADHD’ is greatly affected, if not caused by our sugar intake. As the simple carbs left my system, like I said, I felt the same sensation as being on an ADHD medication.
- Get past the first week and you’ve broken your major sugar cravings for as long as you stay off the stuff.
- If we’re physically active as well as have a high metabolism, our muscles NEED some simple carbs to burn for energy. I know this is not any kind of revelation or anything, but MAN did this become apparent to me.
- I need some simple carbs to feel content. Maybe if I had added some more complex carbs I would have been fine, but once I added back a little bit of sugar, my mood was MUCH better.
I learned many other odds and ends, but the fact of the matter is, I do MUCH better with some sugar in my diet. Not only because of all the things mentioned, but even the simple fact that a good dessert after a nice dinner makes my life that much more enjoyable. Not to say that we should eat junk food just because it tastes good, but that eating a healthy balanced diet should, for me, include some indulgences now and again.
The fire place analogy.
There’s one last point I want to touch on. All of us our different. Our metabolisms all ‘burn’ at a different temperature and with varying intensities.
I like to look at our metabolisms like fires in a fireplace. If we put just the right amount and kind of wood on the fire, we can expect a good clean burn. But if we put too much or the wood is not good for burning, we will smother the flames and slow the burn. Also, if we add too little, we may see a flare up at first, but as the flames lose their fuel, so too will they lose their heat. Just a thought…
So what’s your take on all of this?
What has been your experience with simple carbs and its effect on your mindset and energy levels? Do you struggle in this area? If you were me, what would you have done differently during those 3 months?
ALSO, if you like what you’re reading, don’t hesitate to share it!
24 Responses to “M2A! November Week2: 3 Months Without Sugar”
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Man…I ate like a dozen doughnuts just reading this post
..not really. Wanted to though!
I’ve got questions more than answers to yours. I’m thinking I should try this as well. As a recovering alcoholic, I have increased my sugar/carb intake a thousand fold I’m sure, obviously to replace those that I was getting from the alcohol. It would be nice to find that balance that I need.
So, did you go back 100% to your original diet? Using the fireplace analogy (which I like) and your experience, how long do you think you SHOULD have completely cut out your carbs?
I’m not asking my questions right. I’ll leave those there and if someone can help me untangle them, that would be great.
-Scott
That’s an interesting experiment, Eric! I didn’t know sugar could have such an impact on our bodies.
I do know a lot of kids these days get way too much sugar in their diets, causing them to fly around all the time, unfocused and easily distracted.
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I have done something very similar a few times, the anti-candida diet. No sugar, no carbs, no starch and heaps of protien. Sounds like hell and in fact was EXTREMELY hard to start but surprisingly ok after a couple of weeks. It is not something you can do for long but it made me feel amazingly clear. It was awesome for meditation and helped me to blis out way faster. I could just hit the cushion and Bing! straight into the uber-zone. I also lost weight. VERY hard to concentrate though, which is not my strong point anyway – also a bit of an ADHD head case.
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I definitely applaud you for sticking to your guns so long. What you were gong through is usually only safe for about 2-4 weeks, where you should definitely start adding more complex carbs.
There are numerous diets taking out the refined and processed sugars we are all used to and crave and replacing them gradually with more complex carbs until a balance is found. Not only is it great to get off the refined sugar, the benefits are tremendous if you do it write and add those other sugars, as our bodies need carbos to survive. If you are feeling better without the adhd i think it would be worth it to go through the withdrawls.
Sugar’s pretty evil, but we all love it just the same. I’m a big guy at six foot three. My height always helps me hide any extra wait. I have the constant look of being slender, even when I know better. Whenever I need to drop a few pounds, or simply feel better, I drop sugar from my diet (in its entirety) for two weeks. It works every time. I feel better, and food tastes better too.
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I am a sugar addict. In my household, we refer to white bread as ‘cocaine’. I found this out when I quit all ‘added’ and refined sugars the year after I moved out on my own. It was dreadful, and would have been impossible if it weren’t for the fact that I had to walk 2 miles through mushy woodland to the store and carry all of those flimsy plastic bags by hand. I know, it sounds like one of those ‘when I was your age’ stories, but this isn’t the 50s, it’s Scotland. It did me a bit of good, but the changes were quite imperfect didn’t stick when I moved in with my husband, who then was not the least bit interested in health.
A year ago he was far more receptive and we gave it another go. No white flour, no white pasta, no white rice, no added sugars, replacing white sugar when necessary with other natural ‘sweeteners’ or molasses, and better planning (e.g. low GL breakfast on days I don’t have time to exercise, but medium-high GL breakfast when I’m going on a run straight afterwards) and the effects have been astonishing. Great mood, high energy, easier to exercise, better sleep, I need less simple carbs to get the same effect, and a year in I’m not so ‘addicted’ anymore that I can’t treat myself to some baguette (hard drugs!) once in a while. In the beginning, though, making sure we were still getting our energy needs met was the key.
Hey Eric,
I haven’t tried a sugar free lifestyle except when on a diet
Going without sugar didn’t make a lot of difference. I guess this could be since we use jaggery a lot as a sweetener and not sugar.
Getting rid of white flour – that’s seems as good as fasting. Wheat and rice are a must for us everyday.
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@Scott: I’ve pretty much gone completely back to my old diet. As far as what I should have done, I think the mistake was to not at complex carbs as I took away the simple ones. But based on the fireplace analogy, simple carbs, when used in moderation and combined with the right ‘other’ foods (like protein and fat) can be a great way to have strong energy. I don’t get some of the same qualities from complex carbs as I do from simple, so it’s hard to say if adding them would have made all the difference.
I can imagine that getting off all the alcohol would really leave your body craving carbs. And so it’s easy to just fill that void with ‘junk food’. Are you thinking about cutting back a bit or finding a good balance? Or do you already have a pretty go thing going?
@Hugo: “I do know a lot of kids these days get way too much sugar in their diets, causing them to fly around all the time, unfocused and easily distracted.”
And it’s one of the biggest problems in our classrooms and homes when it comes to discipline problems and focus on school work.
@Seamus: I can imagine this would really help in meditation. Sometimes it was all I could do NOT to over focused on one thing. I never tried meditating or anything during that time, but I bet it would have been a pretty cool experience.
@Holly: “If you are feeling better without the adhd i think it would be worth it to go through the withdrawals.”
I’d have to agree that it was worth the effort. Thanks for sharing. You raised some great points!
@Sean: “I feel better, and food tastes better too.”
Aint that the truth! Eating a bunch of junk food tends to overwhelm our taste buds and we lose our sensitivity to taste. I’m glad you’ve found something that works!
@Emma: We use the term crack. And I’ll say I’m ‘jacked up on sugar’ when I’ve had too much.
Thanks for sharing. Great story and great info.
@Avani-Mehta: I hear you about the white flower issue. I know that it’s a staple food for many. If it works, then that’s great. And there are certainly many foods that just taste better with a little simple carb action.
Eric.
Hi Eric,
I have just been diagnosed with hypoglycemia – it explains sysmptoms that I have struggled with for years (and I am only 35!). I am slowly weaning myself off the white stuff (flour, sugar) and removing dairy from my diet. I am trying to add in more complex carbs.
From what I have read (and there is alot on hypoglycemia on the web) it can take a year or more to get that fine balance in your diet. I am more than willing to do whatever it takes for however long it takes if it means that I am going to be well…
Good on you for giving it a red hot go and working out what works for you! It was very interesting to read!
Thanks for sharing your experiement Eric. As you note in your observations the addition of more complex carbs would have helped. I find with most diet changes moderation is the way to go. Any drastic changes I’ve made have usually backfired on me.
I look forward to reading more.
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Eric – Finding a balance would be extra nice. No, at this point I have nothing going.
This sugar/caffeine issue came on like a snake in the grass. Just sort of snuck up on me while I was trying to avoid the alcohol. Now, it’s a bit difficult to pry it away. It truly is a craving like no other for me. I will do something though as my sleep is a bit deprived but my weight is not
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Hi Eric – I’ve tried the “eliminate the white foods” off and on over the years. Although I did feel better and would lose a few pounds, I couldn’t stay on it. Now I monitor the amount of sugar I eat (sugar is in everything), and do cut down on white flour products. I try to eat whole wheat bread and brown rice which is healthier, and eat sugar in moderation.
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@Neats: “From what I have read (and there is alot on hypoglycemia on the web) it can take a year or more to get that fine balance in your diet.”
Oh, I definitely believe that! I was amazed at how long it takes our bodies to adjust to the changes in carb intake.
I hope you find the right balance. I’m sure you will, as it sounds like you’re dedicated to the task. Good for you!
@Neil: The complex carb thing was a definite issue. If/when I do it again I’ll now to supplement more as the simple carbs go.
@Scott: This is also common with those who quit smoking. Only they often turn to other habits like chewing massive amounts of gum. Take it one step at a time. The important issue is the one you’re dealing with right now and that what’s most important.
@Barbara: I’m with you. I need at least SOME simple carbs. Only in moderation, though. Brown rice and whole grains are certainly a staple in my diet. Eric.
Eric, I’m borderline hypoglycemic myself (if not full blown by now), and it’s taken a long time and a lot of experimenting to learn what works for me. I’m still trying to improve and learn about my situation so I’ll share what I know :
1) I crash hard when I eat too much. Like I have an overwhelming desire to sleep, and if I don’t, the insulin haze prevents me from focusing properly for hours. I crash after eating quite often, despite trying to manage my diet.
2) I crash hard when I eat too little. I do a lot of thinking on my job, and it feels like the lack of glucose (really the only thing the brain runs off) makes me feel like I’m in a mental fog.
3) I don’t consume any sugar (that I know of – I’m sure when I eat out, there are sauces and condiments that have sugar)
I’ve eaten pretty much whole foods the last 8 years or so.
3) I’ve tried the following diets : ‘normal’ (junk food, since my body always burned it off), the Zone, various paleolithic diets, ovo-lacto vegetarian (for 3 years), an alkaline diet … I’m generally have good discipline when it comes to diet since I eat for utilitarian purposes and less for pleasure. By far, the diet that I think messed me up the most was vegetarian – it drove my body deeper into hypoglycemia, but I was too stubborn to admit it at the time because I thought it was ‘healthy’. I stuck on it for philosophical reasons rather than practical – I lost mad weight on it including a lot of muscle mass.
4) At this point, I eat high protein – high fat – low carbs. I was reluctant to try this at first, until I met a former pro athlete who was on it. Dude ate 5 whole raw eggs for breakfast before working out. (if anything, my implementation is more Zone/paleolithic like than anything)
I’m at the point where I admit that I don’t know enough about my own body that I’m willing to try anything, and then see what works. I don’t know if this diet is for everyone, but I train hard .: I do Crossfit, although there are brief stretches where I can only fit jogging in due to lack of access to equipment. So I’m confident I can burn it all off. (my normal metabolism is pretty high)
Anyway, I really don’t think of my diet as a ‘diet’ per se – all I did was make sure I didn’t eat processed carbs and started eating fattier foods. I eat a lot of veggies and some fruit as my carb source.
4a) The exception is this : if I’m about to work out, or if I’m recovering from a hard workout, then some form of carbs are a must. I stick to oatmeal, bananas for pre-work out., and if I’m craving hard, then noodles post work out
I think that craving has more to do with recovery than anything else – I normally consume so little carbs that I don’t feel I have a glucose store for my brain to run on.
4b) I’ve found cottage cheese and whole eggs to be one of the cheapest protein sources available. I don’t even like cottage cheese (4% fat), but I’ll eat it b/c it works so well.
Oh yeah, and munching on some form of raw vegetables for every meal seems to work wonders. I only noticed this by trial and error – I find celery and cucumbers work best b/c they’re practical and easily accessible. I really don’t know why this works (b/c cooked veggies doesn’t seem to do the trick). It might be a digestion thing.
4c) I eat every 2-3 hours. I eat smaller portions, but continually throughout the day to keep the blood glucose levels up. If I let it drop, I feel like ass.
4d) I drink coffee now. At first I was against it, but you know, that stuff works wonders. I’ve read conflicting studies on its effects on blood-glucose, especially long term effects. But really, coffee works well to maintain focus. (Also, I can switch diet habits fairly quickly, so I don’t fear getting addicted to it)
5) I take ALA, and cinnamon, as I’ve read both have positive effects on blood-glucose levels. Wiki these if you’re not familiar with the supplements.
To be perfectly honest, I’ve noticed no difference on ALA. AFter reading about cinnamon verum, I had high hopes.
Cinnamon is a maybe – a slight-modest improvement at best., and even then, I don’t know if it’s placebo.
But they’re both pretty cheap so I take them ‘just in case’.
Look, I’m no nutrition expert but I probably read far more on the topic than most laypersons would. I’m open to any ideas on managing hypoglycemia.
I like understanding the theory behind a diet, and not just follow ABC steps without trying to understand what’s going on. I don’t think following dogma works well either – at the end of the day, I just only care about what works best for me.
Experimenting – and having the discipline to stick with a plan – is key for figuring out what works for you.
Would love to hear what other people think, especially other hypoglycemics.
Interesting read. I’m actually surprised you started feeling bad after a while. The closer I get to the “paleo diet” (meat, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts…), the better I feel and the better my various health symptoms are. Human beings didn’t evolve eating flour or sugar, so there’s no reason a lack of them should make us feel poor. It’s the opposite, really. A lot of the “diseases of civilization” didn’t start showing up in the fossil record until we became agrarian and started eating grains regularly.
There are plenty of complex carbs simply in fruits and veggies. When I gave up sugar (note, I didn’t stick to this… love my desserts too much), I soon noticed that fruits tasted awesome and after a week or two, I stopped craving sugar.
But, as so many do, I went out to eat and had a restaurant dessert and fell down that slippery slope back to a dessert a day, heh.
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I’m ADHD and just read a book on this exact subject. I’m considering changing my diet to see if I could actually get off medication.
I admire how you changed your plan without feeling like you failed.
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@zenbastard: WOW! That’s by far the longest comment I’ve ever read, and it’s packed with great stuff! I can relate to so much of what you’re saying. There’s such a balancing act going on with our sugar levels (especially those with hypoglycemia) that it can be a daunting task to keep up.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with us/me. I look forward to more of your insight/thoughts in the future! By the way, very interesting name!
@Lindsay: Great points! I guess my body was SO used to the white stuff that it just ‘shocked’ it a little. Whatever it was, there just wasn’t the right balance going on in my diet.
I do eat a lot of nut, by the way. My lunch has almost always consisted of trail mix (almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds and grain sweetened chocolate chips) for the last 5 years or so.
@Tess: Thanks, Tess. I would definitely give it a shot. You may find it to be a wonderful experience. Just make sure you find a good balance that you can stick to. Eric.
Hi Eric,
Thanks for sharing the findings of your personal sugar free experiment!
I did a complete sugar free trial for a few months about 10 years ago. My findings were much like yours, some loss of energy plus gain in focus. If I ever need to loose weight, I just go on a strict no sugar regime for a little while.
Now I avoid white sugar and white flour as much as possible, but have learned I can have the occasional treat if I stick to the following rules:
Choose natural sweetness (honey, raisins) or unrefined sugar over refined sugar.
Only eat sweet foods after (or in conjunction with) complex carbs, fat and/or protein.
Choose sweet treats that contain oats to slow absorption of the sugar, this is probably why flapjacks & granola bars are my favourite treats
I found that the longer I have gone without sugar, the less of a taste I have for it (e.g. crave it less, and can taste the natural sweetness in foods much more, require much less in a sweet food, e.g. oatmeal).
Recently, I had a complete lapse in judgement and decided to eat some cake (on an empty stomach) before going to my weekly Capoeira class, figuring that the sugar would give me a nice energy boost. BIG MISTAKE! Just five minutes into the class I was at the point of exhaustion, and suffered from muscle aches and pains that were so bad I was more or less a spectator by the end of the class (whereas normally, my stamina is good and nothing hurts!). Just a cautionary tale about what sugar can do to a sensitive individual!
Good luck managing your sugar balance
@PeaceCat: Thanks for sharing you thoughts. Everything you mentioned is exactly what I’ve found. I never new about the Oats thing, though. I eat oatmeal every morning, so it’s not for the lack of consumption. I knew that mixing sugar with certain other foods helped slow down its ingestion, but the oats thing is a new one. Thanks for turning me on to the idea.
I’ve made that mistake many times before (eating sugar on an empty stomach.) And as you, seriously suffered the consequences. Eric.