hey there.
I started doing the balanced bites 21 day sugar detox today. Just wondering if there are any other diabetics doing it or have completed it. I'm anxious to see how drastically my blood sugars will improve. :)
Thanks, Hannah
Are you T1 or T2? I have heard about this. I was considering doing this too. Perhaps we can do a tag team effort to encourage each other....
I am type 1. Which are you? I have been struggling to gain blood sugar control and thought it would be something good to try. I started yesterday and it went really well. :) They send out daily supportive emails and there is a facebook group so you can interact with other people doing it too. If you want to do it too, I'll tag team with you!
As someone who hasn't eaten sugar for 18 years due to an eating disorder I think it depends on why you are deciding to cut sugar out of your diet. Sugar is physiologically addictive and for many of us emotionally addictive to one degree or another. My experience and that of many other people with sugar addiction has been that the best way to eliminate both the physical and psychological addiction is to just stop it, not to detox gradually. Sugar cravings will persist both from the physical and emotional point of view if you continue to "feed" it even a little bit. Most people I know that have successfully stopped sugar (and I have worked with many people with eating disorders) do so by stopping it entirely and even reading labels to make sure you aren't getting it in unexpected foods. After 30 days the physical addiction is gone and the emotional one is greatly reduced. Are you paying someone for this "detox?"This is just my opinion based on my own and many other people's experience. If your way works, great. If you complete it and find you go back to sugar use (or abuse) somewhere down the line you might try totally cutting it out instead. People ask me how I have gone 18 years without sugar. My answer is "18 days is very hard, 18 years is easy". With support you can get through the first 30 days and then be sugar free (if that is your goal).
Wow, I really appreciate your response. Congratulations on your success, you are a great inspiration. I have struggled with binge eating on sugary foods recently and it's making blood sugar control very difficult. I tried to eat only a small amount each day to limit myself without being deprived but over Christmas it failed. So now I am trying the cold turkey approach and hoping to eliminate both physical and emotional (mostly emotional) cravings. On this detox I am being very careful about the foods I'm eating a checking all the labels for added sugars. I have not decided what my plan will be after the 21 days are complete. My main goal is better blood sugar control without turning myself into a robot having to follow the same schedule of eating and exercise everyday. I am 20 and a college student so the more flexibility I can have while still being healthy is my main concern. I would love any advice you have for my post-detox plan!
Thanks again, Hannah
Oh good! I wasn't sure if the 21 day detox was gradual or complete.
My suggestion is actually to do the exact opposite of "turning yourself into a robot having to follow the same schedule of eating and exercise everyday". On the modern insulins there is no need to always eat at the same time, and with I:C ratios no need to always eat the same foods. Part of my recovery continues to include that I have to enjoy what I eat. I don't feel at all deprived. I love what I eat and for me it works to spend time cooking so I have interesting dishes that are still reasonably low carb (and vegetarian which makes it harder). When I first got into recovery my "abstinence" was simple: I ate three meals a day, nothing in between, no sugar at all and otherwise ate whatever I wanted. The "whatever I wanted" hasn't been possible with D as I gain weight very easily so have to watch my carbs. But that makes it all the more important that I enjoy what I eat! I also try to remember that many things other than foods can be "treats". I used to have a sticker on my fridge that says "there's no love in here". Finally support is great, so if you like and can continue with this program to connect to others that's great. Other possibilities are the groups on here or OA which now has online meetings as well as live
First of all congratulations on your detox. I think you are wise to think about after the 21 days as that's where most people lose it. They can be very strict for a short amount of time and then feel deprived and splurge. You might notice me disagreeing when people on here talk about "needing a treat". Finding a middle ground carb wise you can live with and different foods you really like is the way to stop from pinging back and forth between indulgence and deprivation. For me that middle ground can't include any sugar at all, but I don't miss it. When I was in Guatemala and they put sugar in my drink by mistake it tasted awful to me!
Thank you for all your advice! I truly appreciate it. I agree with what you say about enjoying what you eat and how important it is. I love to cook too and am excited to learn lots of new low carb recipes on this detox. I am working on eating three meals a day with no snacks. I think once I can get there the resisting sugar will be easier. At least that's what I'm hoping. You seem so confident and comfortable with your diet choices. Thanks for being such a great example.
Thank you, Hannah. I suffered for many years with an eating disorder before I got recovery. I was very grateful for the 13 years recovery I had when diagnosed with Type 1. Diabetes can definitely make eating difficult. But in some ways it makes it easier too. I don't go through the torment other members talk about, fore instance during the holidays - it just is not an option for me and I don't miss it. I never over treat lows and end up rollercoastering. I just take my usual "dose" of glucose tablets which for me are "medicine" not sweets.
"One day at a time" as the saying goes, you'll get there too! Happy New Year!
I see what you mean, diabetes provides more of an incentive to make healthy food choices. That's a good way to look at it. Happy New Year to you too!
Tag team sounds fun...I am definately Type 2. I just feel my body being very sluggish and I suffer from high BG levels. Let me look up the diet.