OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Thank you for the mayo recipe Jimmie.

[jimmie 48]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

YIKES!!! NO GUM!!! What do you suggest for less than fresh breath?

drink plenty of water and use mouth rinse.
along with brushing several times a day.

[shari_dawn]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Before I go shopping tomorrow can anyone think of any other 'staples' I should have or ingredients for every day things or even recipes? I want to do this and do it right! I adore those of you who gave me the italian recipe and the mayo recipe. Those are going to be big helpers!

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Before I go shopping tomorrow can anyone think of any other 'staples' I should have or ingredients for every day things or even recipes? I want to do this and do it right! I adore those of you who gave me the italian recipe and the mayo recipe. Those are going to be big helpers!

Hello Shari,
Since we won't be snacking on sweet desserts it will open up a whole new variety of healthy eating. Depending on what rung you are on, here are some of my favorites.
Berries
nuts & seeds
cantalope
guacamole (recipe)
salsa (recipe)
parmesian cheese
Dorrito pork rinds (recipe)
Crunchy chicken breast fingers(recipe)
Italian meatballs in oragnic fire roasted tomatoes (recipe)
Speghetti squash
artichoke parmesian dip(recipe)
artichokes
raw veggies
radishes
sardines
tuna
canned chicken breast
horseradish
liquid smoke
olives
avacados
cheese crackers & Tostada shells (recipe)
That's just off the top of my head. If there's anything there you like, I'll pass on recipes, okay?
Anyone else have suggestions for Shari?

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

OPERATION "SWEET CRAVINGS"

CHALLENGERS

Adena
Alexa
asoprano1432
Elsey
guekjian
Hopejoy
Julirama
Porcelain
Seasands
Sherri

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Challengers,
I am so pleased to see our list of challengers getting longer. Fantastic.
Now would be a good time to prepare for the 32 days without sweets. Time to clean out all temptation from your car, kitchen cupboards, freezer, fridge, pantry and wherever else you have stashed your sweetness. Begin familiarizing yourself(if you havn't already) with reading food lables for ingrediants. Look for hidden sugars that will come in the form of-
sugar
brown sugar
sucrose
fructose
corn syrup
glucose
corn sugar
dextrose
lactose
maltose
honey
invert sugar
concentrated fruit juice
sorbitol
xyletol
mannitol
barley sugar
malt extract
malt
monosodiumglutamate (MSG)
high fructose
corn syrup
mollasses
Watch for hidden sugars in dried spices and seasoning packets if you use them. Also Morton Lite Salt has Dextrose in it. I use sea salt.
If anyone can add more to the list, please do.
Lets all share what it is you're wanting to accomplish by doing this challenge. Also what it is you are doing, mentally, physically or spiritually to prepare for this challenge. Kind of like a Pre Challenge Introduction.
I'll go first!
When I cut out sweetners 30 days ago, I was frustrated with the control that sweetners had over me and my cravings. I wanted to be in control of them! Being the Chronic Sugar Addict that I am. The only way I new was to quit them completely. So that's what I did.
The toughest part for me was in the beginning.
First) I had to cut out sweetners in my decaf coffee. So I switched to decaf herb teas. More flavorful! a great way to wake up with a great antioxidant cup of green tea. Also wonderful way to relax in the evening with a cup of chamomile tea. Worked for me!
Second) I was a sugar free gum chewer and SF hard candy person. When I had a sweet craving, in they would go. I was still feeding my addiction. Bringing on more cravings. The habit of reaching for them the first week was tough. I remember grabbing a peice of gum a getting ready to stick in my mouth and stopped myself. So the habit of stopping the "ritual" of getting the gum to chew was a difficult one. That's why I warn to remove the temptations.
Third) I enjoy having hot flaxmeal cereal and flaxmeal muffins. When I tried both of them without the sweetners. I thought, okay, I can do this. As time went by, I actually like them without sweetners now. I really enjoy the natural tastes of foods. Without getting drownded out by sweetness. Your tastebuds will become very keen to taste. Awesome!
Those are just a few things that stand out the most for me. After the first week, I wasn't even thinking about eating sweets. The cravings were just simply gone. It is an amazing transition.
By the way, for those that don't know, I am a Type 2 Diabetic and control my Diabetes by this WOE alone. When I weighed 374 pounds I was controlling it with two types of insulin. 48 days into Atkins and choosing foods lower on the GI (glycemic index) my Diabetes disappeared. No longer requiring medication to treat it. I continue to get my lab work done every 12 weeks and continue to have excellent A1c results. I'm looking forward to going back in April at the end of this challenge because I havn't eaten any sweetners since my last visit. I'll be able to share with you those results.
I look forward to hearing from all of you.
Sherri

[hopejoy]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Hi Sherrie,
Wow! Morton Lite Salt has Dextrose in it????? that's all I use! I'm crushed! It's a good source of potassium... (pouting...) this is going to be very very hard... going to go check the ingredients list on the mayo jar and have a good cry... I think I'm going to freak out soon. Sugar is everywhere... how do we know if it's in the meat? I've heard that some grocery stores soak their chickens in sugar water before roasting them... how do we know which one's do and which ones don't? Seriously feeling completely overwhelmed... it's a good thing I'm going on vacation, I'm going to need time to process all this info and shop for the right stuff... perhaps learn some new recipes. I can see that I've been unknowingly feeding the dragon... so it just never dies... no wonder I have all these sugar cravings. I keep teasing my body with little bits of it here and there without even knowing what I'm doing. (this actually makes me a little mad... why does everything have to have sugar in it?!!!)

Well, thanks for all this information Sherrie... I don't really like it... ha ha! but I need it! I just figured mayo was fine since it's on the list of acceptable foods...
I appreciate all the thought and time you've put into this for us... I may be kicking and screaming... but I know it's for my own good... and it's great that we're all in this together... I just wish I was going to be able to be online... if all else fails I'll go to the library if I am dying and need some input... (I'll be oot starting tomorrow...) I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow... My dh and ds are going to roll their eyes at me this weekend!
liz

[elsy]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Good morning all. First of all, I want to tell Sherri that she is doing a fabulous job hosting this challenge. WOW! It hasn't even started and look at all you've done already. That's amazing. That really takes a lot of dedication, hard work, committment, and love for the rest of us. THANK YOU DEAR!


Second, YES! I do want all of the recepies. Everything sounds so delicious.

Third, I got some homework to do this weekend. Gotta clean up those cupboard. Boy that's gonna be a challenge itself.

Fourth, o.k. here are my reasons for doing this challenge:

I also want to get rid of my addiciton for sugar of course. I cannot eat cucumbers unless they have lemon juice and splenda. I cannot eat pumpkin unless it has splenda, I haven't tried the hot cereal yet but just the thought of eating it without a sweetner makes me wanna gag. Seriously.

I want to get past this stall and this yoyo cycle I have began to experience since October. I've gone from 186 to 196, then 196 to 187, then 187 to 191. What the heck?

This is way too much already. I gotta try one more thing and this is it.

[ValidRouge]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

I don't have much time to post these days, so I probably won't be a real active participant, but more of a silent participant.

I need this. I've *mostly* cut out all this stuff. Every once in a while I like to go back and flirt with the forbidden. Stress has really been a biggie for me and I find myself thinking constantly of adding sweetners back. That's just a stepping stone to the real stuff. So, I need to be ever vigilant about getting this stuff OUT of my body. I am going to give away the fortune I have spent in DaVinci Syrups. I am also going to be even more vigilant about the fine print of ingredients.

Because of the stresses in my world right now, I need to reduce the temptations as much as possible so that I have the best possible chance at success.

Thanks, Sherri and Adena.

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

OPERATION "SWEET CRAVINGS"

CHALLENGERS

Adena
Alexa
asoprano1432
Elsey
guekjian
Hopejoy
Julirama
Porcelain
Seasands
Sherri
ValidRouge

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Good Morning Liz, Elsey and Joy.

Liz, I was crushed too when I found the dextrose in the low sodium salt.
As you expressed. manufacturers are putting forms of sugars in everything these days. One of the reasons I begin with fresh wholesome foods to prepare my meals. If we put the responsibility into manufacturers to prepare our meals, We're really putting our health at risk. I'm hoping this challenge will make us all aware of just how much sugar there is in our foods.
Another reason why I've given everyone one pass key to continue the challenge if they accidently consume sugar without realizing it, because of all the hidden sugars out there.
With all of us in this challenge together, we'll help each other get through it.
Elsey, this is going to be fun! We will be sharing ideas and recipes along the way. I love your reasons for "Stopping Sweets" I find it a ticket to goal without the cravings and yoyo weight. It wakes us up to how much sugar is still actually creeping into our WOE without realizing it. Happy cupboard cleaning.
Joy, Thank you for joining us here. Great to hear you have already cut "most" of the stuff out. I've never actually tasted Divinci syrup. Does this come in a variety of flavors or is this pancake syrup? I'm clueless on that one. I understand your situation about not being able to check in often. As long as you check in once a week or have something to share with us, that would be great. Again, welcome to the challenge.
Thank you all for joining this challenge. I wasn't sure how much interest there would be. I have been planning this challenge for a long time. Just wasn't sure when it would be a good time to present it. Thanks to Adena and her encouragement, I found that there's no better time that the present. Thanks Adena
I'll be sending out reminders Saturday. Good Luck Ladies!
Sherri

[Porcelain]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

I think this is the perfect time for this challenge. I have been noticing on the board a lot of struggling lately, even from the veterans. I think we all need this. How amazing is it going to be to break this? As you know, my A&P teacher talks about nutrition and sugars and such and he said something about the way Splenda was made, I think he said it was chlorinated or something and he said that nothing has shown up in tests but he said "I don't know, that just doesn't sound right to me." He won't use it at all.

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Hello Porcelain,
Yes, splenda is processed with chlorine. Example- My DD eats a 1/2 a grapefruit everyday. she likes it with sweetner on top. When she use to put splenda on top, there was a chemicle reaction from the citris in the grapefruit and the splenda, it would sizzle. Now that she puts healthy, natural Xylitol ( derived from birch) on it. There's no chemical reaction when sprinkled on top.
Sherri

[Sherri]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Challengers,
One more thing I wanted everyone to check for hidden sugars in was all your vitamins and supplements.
Sherri

[ValidRouge]

Re: OPERATION "NO SWEETS" CHALLENGE

Challengers,
One more thing I wanted everyone to check for hidden sugars in was all your vitamins and supplements.
Sherri

Oh, boy, don't I know about that!!!

I found this out over a year ago....but be VERY LEERY of "unsweetened" iced tea. If you didn't brew it yourself, it might come from a mix. One of Lipton's machines uses a "tea extract" that has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it as a "stabilizer"! In fact, you'll need to watch everything. I once found Barney's coffee Winter blend actually has powdered sugar in their coffee grounds!!!!!