Sugar Withdrawal.

[Cap]

I recently changed to a “healthy Eating plan” to try and rid me of some unwanted kilos. After 2 days I was experiencing permanent headaches, unable to sleep, feeling of numbness in my arms and legs and was having an itching sensation all over my body these symptoms lasted for 4 days in total.

At first I thought it was potentially eating something I was allergic too as the plan required a lot more fish than I normally eat as well as more onion and beans. However after some research I found a couple of websites talking about sugar withdrawal symptoms which matched the difficulties I was having to a tee.

Has anyone else changed their diet and experienced sugar withdrawal symptoms? Or do you think its more of a myth and just covers up other issues?

 

[Sigh RolleyEyes]

Sugar withdrawal is a real phenomenom (couldn't say, of course, whether that's the only reason for what you've described). I've just completed a week of a new years resolution to eat well which includes eating no grains and no sugar and without wanting to overstate it, it's unpleasant for about a week. I find day 1 not a problem but days 2-5 you feel like you've got a bit of hangover at times coupled with bouts of 'down in the dumpiness' and periods of lethargy and then gradually feeling better to now i'm feeling pretty good. I've heard it takes 2-3 weeks for your body to fully adjust to a healthier diet.

Anyway, good luck with it!

 

[Lach72]

I've found that a bout of healthy eating often leads to feeling crappy.

Almost flu like symptoms sometimes as your body starts to get rid of the crap built up.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I detox with Adkins (no carbs) usually once a year for about 2 weeks to rid my body of built up toxins. Usually around day 2 or 3 I start to get a headache and feelings of fatigue due to the sugar withdrawal. I usually take a Panadol if I need relief. Fruit helps me too, as it contains natural sugar (unrefined) and gives you energy.
Then from around day 4 onwards I'm over the sugar withdrawal and start to feel better as the the body begins to detox.

 

[_JC_]

I detox with Adkins (no carbs) usually once a year for about 2 weeks to rid my body of built up toxins.

Can you explain how this works? Sounds a bit psuedo-sciency.

In regard to the OP, sugar withdrawal is real. I think it was Princeton who did a test with rats and found withdrawal symptoms in them after binging on sugar.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Can you explain how this works? Sounds a bit psuedo-sciency.

In regard to the OP, sugar withdrawal is real. I think it was Princeton who did a test with rats and found withdrawal symptoms in them after binging on sugar.

For 2 weeks I don't eat any carbs, so no cereal, pasta, bread, flour, wheat, pastries, rice, sweets, and any other refined food. No soft drink, booze, coffee, tea, or anything else with sugar or caffeine in it.
My intake for those 2 weeks usually includes eggs, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fresh juice, and lots of water.
During the 2 weeks the body will rid itself of toxins that have been up over time from refined foods. At the same time, due to the lack of carbo intake it will instead burn fat. I typically lose between 2-4 kilos in that fortnight, which is not a lot, but then I'm not overweight anyway. I do it more for the toxin cleansing and the recharged sensation that I feel at the end of it.

Note that this approach (I believe it best resembles the Atkins diet) is not or doesn't work for everyone. Certain diets work better with certain people (based on blood type, genetics, other factors) and this one works for me. So it may not be appropriate for your body.
I read a book a few years ago where it recommended the most appropriate diet for you based on blood type and some other factors. I can't recall the name of the book but if I do I'll let you know.

Lately I've been seeing a heap of ads for the Gabriel Method, some dude who went from being the size of a house to a rake in a few months. It's based around turning on/off the "fat switch" inside us, although I'm not sure of his approach but I'd be keen to know.
http://www.gabrielmethod.com.au/

 

[Play by Numbers]

I live my life in a state of interrupted sugar withdrawal.

Buzz, sugar coma, the crash, withdrawal, buzz........

Ah the life of a snacks junkie.

I rarely if at all eat fast food though and if not eating out (generally very nice food) prepare delicious and relatively healthy meals.

Delicious snacks are delicious though.

 

[Docker Clint]

Can you explain how this works? Sounds a bit psuedo-sciency.

It is pseudoscience. If toxins built up like the marketing leads people to believe, we'd puff up and explode. Your liver and kidneys work continuously to breakdown the crap that the average person throws at their system on a continuous basis.

I had a look at one of these detox packs and funny enough, they suggest a certain diet while taking these pills. Is it a healthy diet or the pills doing the job? Hrm, I have this rock that keeps away tigers.

All a "detox" is, is giving your body a rest from an unhealthy lifestyle and hey presto, you feel better.. something that can be achieved without the pills and potions. What's the point of a "detox" if you're just going to get back on the piss and Maccas? Which I've seen people do.

There are some chemicals that do deposit in the body but they cant be removed by any potions anyway but thats another story.

After a few years in the fitness industry, I've discovered its easier to sell supplements to people if the marketing sounds good. If you tell them they dont need it and they can save their money, they dont want to hear about it.

 

[raskolnikov]

Sugar? What's that?(diabetic here)

 

[mdc]

I can't give you any scientific reasons, but I've certainly experienced it as well. Mine have been a lot shorter than the one's described so far though, usually lasting between 36 and 48 hours.

Caffeine withdrawal tends to be more prolonged and brutal though, which is why I now avoid it. Withdrawing from caffeine, that is.

 

[Hoffy95]

It is pseudoscience. If toxins built up like the marketing leads people to believe, we'd puff up and explode. Your liver and kidneys work continuously to breakdown the crap that the average person throws at their system on a continuous basis.

I had a look at one of these detox packs and funny enough, they suggest a certain diet while taking these pills. Is it a healthy diet or the pills doing the job? Hrm, I have this rock that keeps away tigers.

All a "detox" is, is giving your body a rest from an unhealthy lifestyle and hey presto, you feel better.. something that can be achieved without the pills and potions. What's the point of a "detox" if you're just going to get back on the piss and Maccas? Which I've seen people do.

There are some chemicals that do deposit in the body but they cant be removed by any potions anyway but thats another story.

After a few years in the fitness industry, I've discovered its easier to sell supplements to people if the marketing sounds good. If you tell them they dont need it and they can save their money, they dont want to hear about it.

Exactly. Those that 'detox' are those that lead an unhealthy lifestyle (otherwise there'd be no reason to undertake it), so of course one is going to feel a lot better after a few weeks of giving up all the shit and switching for healthy alternatives.

The 'detox' process is just a placebo to actually motivate people to follow through with it.

 

[Jafa]

For 2 weeks I don't eat any carbs, so no cereal, pasta, bread, flour, wheat, pastries, rice, sweets, and any other refined food. No soft drink, booze, coffee, tea, or anything else with sugar or caffeine in it.

Alot of that stuff is just shit anyway and probably should be avoided at all times (not just for the occasional cleanout)

Just eat whole foods. If it's baked, fried, combined or comes in a wrapper or can leave it be.

 

[Cap]

I found it amazing the things that contain sugar that you really don't realise, thing like Corn Syrup can be found in all sorts of food products.

I think i'm going to stop using pre made sauces for now as well as the continued reduction in carbohydrates which I was clearly eating too much of.

bloody sugar...I thought it was my friend

@mdc - there is no way I will ever give up caffeine. Its needed too much.

 

[sherrin_footy]

For 2 weeks I don't eat any carbs, so no cereal, pasta, bread, flour, wheat, pastries, rice, sweets, and any other refined food. No soft drink, booze, coffee, tea, or anything else with sugar or caffeine in it.
My intake for those 2 weeks usually includes eggs, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fresh juice, and lots of water.
During the 2 weeks the body will rid itself of toxins that have been up over time from refined foods. At the same time, due to the lack of carbo intake it will instead burn fat. I typically lose between 2-4 kilos in that fortnight, which is not a lot, but then I'm not overweight anyway. I do it more for the toxin cleansing and the recharged sensation that I feel at the end of it.

Fair amount of rubbish in this post.
First of all, the three highlighted foods, vegetables, nuts, and fresh juice all consist of carbs (esepcially fruit juice!). Therefore, no, you are not undertaking 2 weeks of no carbs like you said in your opening statement.

There is a lot of talk about carbs in the media etc, unfortunately it's a lot of false information such as eating carbs after 7pm will go directly to fat because it's close to bed time etc etc. Carbs aren't the enemy.

IF YOU DID go 2 weeks without eating ANY direct sources of carbs then your body will enter something called ketosis. It is when, due to the lack of carbohydrates available for energy, the body will release ketones in the blood, triggering the use of more fat for fuel. Won't go into too much depth regarding this.

Losing the 2 - 4kgs as you said is not fat. I can honestly say the large majority of that will just be water. All people who undertake a keto diet experience large WEIGHT LOSS (not necessarily FAT loss) in the first week or two. For the most, it keeps them happy and motivated and they continue the diet. Once you reintroduce carbs, you will regain the water weight.

Like above posters, i think the whole 'detox' thing is a load of crap

 

[Rod Stroker]

Alot of that stuff is just shit anyway and probably should be avoided at all times (not just for the occasional cleanout)

What's the point of living if you can't eat food you enjoy?

 

[Rod Stroker]

Fair amount of rubbish in this post.
First of all, the three highlighted foods, vegetables, nuts, and fresh juice all consist of carbs (esepcially fruit juice!). Therefore, no, you are not undertaking 2 weeks of no carbs like you said in your opening statement.

There is a lot of talk about carbs in the media etc, unfortunately it's a lot of false information such as eating carbs after 7pm will go directly to fat because it's close to bed time etc etc. Carbs aren't the enemy.

IF YOU DID go 2 weeks without eating ANY direct sources of carbs then your body will enter something called ketosis. It is when, due to the lack of carbohydrates available for energy, the body will release ketones in the blood, triggering the use of more fat for fuel. Won't go into too much depth regarding this.

Losing the 2 - 4kgs as you said is not fat. I can honestly say the large majority of that will just be water. All people who undertake a keto diet experience large WEIGHT LOSS (not necessarily FAT loss) in the first week or two. For the most, it keeps them happy and motivated and they continue the diet. Once you reintroduce carbs, you will regain the water weight.

Like above posters, i think the whole 'detox' thing is a load of crap

Thanks Dr Phil

Not all nuts, vegetables and juices have carbs.

As I said before, not at all diets are for everyone, certain approaches work better with certain people. I know what works for my body because of the positive reaction it invokes.

 

[mdc]

Not all nuts, vegetables and juices have carbs.

Of course they do. Feel free to name some counter-examples if you like.

 

[Faithful Hawk]

Thanks Dr Phil

Not all nuts, vegetables and juices have carbs.

As I said before, not at all diets are for everyone, certain approaches work better with certain people. I know what works for my body because of the positive reaction it invokes.

Yes all nuts do contain Carbs please see below:

Nuts and Seeds Carb Chart

Nuts and Seeds are both good and bad for dieters. They are intense little packets of protein, but some are quite rich in carbs as well. Choose wisely!

All counts are given for 2 Tbsp of nuts, and are effective carb counts. The fiber values have been removed already. The best way to eat nuts is to pour out the portion into a serving dish and put the rest away. That way you feel full with what you have, without being lured by the rest of the container.

Almonds - 1.4g
Cashews - 5g
Chestnuts - 24.2g
Coconut - 0.7g
Hazelnuts - 1.2g
Macadamia Nuts - 0.9g
Peanut Butter - 4.3g
Peanuts - 1.8g
Pecans - 0.6g
Pine Nuts - 1.7g
Pistachio Nuts - 3.1g
Pumpkin Seeds - 2.4g
Sunflower Seeds - 1.5g
Walnuts - 1.1g

 

[sherrin_footy]

Thanks Dr Phil

Not all nuts, vegetables and juices have carbs.

As I said before, not at all diets are for everyone, certain approaches work better with certain people. I know what works for my body because of the positive reaction it invokes.

I don't think i have to reply to the bolded, as above posters did so for me.

Bottom line, dieting to lose weight is simple.

If you eat less energy (calories) than you expend, then the law of thermodynamics says you will lose weight.

 

[St 07]

Fairly relevant but definitely not thread worthy:

When I was about 6 - 5 years younger I used to have pretty shocking acne just as I nearly finished high-school. Tried everything back then but couldn't get the healthy eating/skin cleaning system in check.

Come to now and luckily those days are over. Drinking a bit over 3 litres of water, eating a bit better (or maybe just not as badly), alot of sports, labouring in the sun etc have kept me clear of that situation for a long while. Not the best skin in the world but pretty good for what I'd ever think i'd have.

So I assumed that I had ''turned the clock'' and gotten out of that hormonal stage. And after my holiday recently I went on the biggest sugar/junk binge I have ever been on. From bags of skittles, litres of coke, iceypoles, chocolate...migoreng...lol

And checking in out the mirror just now I've just blown every good ticket I had with the olde facial skin. It's shocking. I guess it just shows you can never really grow complacent with things like this? even half a decade later and after you've forgotten it.

 

[Cap]

Well for the record removing all the crap and having the withdrawals have been worth it

6 kgs in 4 weeks so far.

 

[eastcoastcrow]

I recently changed to a “healthy Eating plan” to try and rid me of some unwanted kilos. After 2 days I was experiencing permanent headaches, unable to sleep, feeling of numbness in my arms and legs and was having an itching sensation all over my body these symptoms lasted for 4 days in total.

At first I thought it was potentially eating something I was allergic too as the plan required a lot more fish than I normally eat as well as more onion and beans. However after some research I found a couple of websites talking about sugar withdrawal symptoms which matched the difficulties I was having to a tee.

Has anyone else changed their diet and experienced sugar withdrawal symptoms? Or do you think its more of a myth and just covers up other issues?

I have (finger crossed) eliminated Red Bull from my diet, sadly I was having about 2-3 a day for about 2 years. Although it was the sugar free you can imagine what harmful effects it has on the body.

I heard from doctors that the trick with withdrawals is to slowly reduce the quantity as opposed to going cold turkey. ( all related to up regulation of receptors - google to find out)

Another interesting note on losing weight is that I still eat take out but the "reasonably healthy kind" ie. no KFC etc, but from restaurants and basically eat half a a main course and you will be surprised that I managed to shed kilos with this practice. Mind you I was eating healthy brekky - cereal - low GI and low kj content with skim with subway for lunch.

 

[eastcoastcrow]

Well for the record removing all the crap and having the withdrawals have been worth it

6 kgs in 4 weeks so far.

Could you please expand on what you removed?

Just for my own interest.

Thanks

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

A question for you then sherrin (or whomever would like to help). Sorry it's a story....

I'm 183cm, now 130kg....nearly 30. The highest I reached (when I gave up on doctors) was 143kg. Always been heavy, even when elite fitness (<6% body fat) I was 92kg.

I live a mostly sedentary lifestyle, mostly due to osteo-arthritis, and some other medical issues. For 2-3 years the treatment involved courses of a cortisone-based medication which resulted in rapid weight gain (3-5kg the first week of treatment, 2kg per week thereafter). At the completion of a course I 'crashed' and was almost unable to move, gradually recovering to the point where I could get around during the day, just nothing strenuous or long period of time.

.....

I've been keeping a diary of my food intake for the last 4 months or so now. For two months, I maintained my 'diet' - basically eating as little as possible and surviving on water. Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Rice/Pasta. Certainly healthier products than anyone else I know. I was averaging around 5000 kilojoules a day.

My weight stayed almost constant...I dropped a kilo or two along the way.

After a month, I went to see a dietician, who amongst other things found dangerously high levels of water in my blood (her comparison was steroid abusers and chemotherapy patients IIRC) I reduced my water intake - dropping from approximately 4L a day, to about 1L. I dropped 6kg the first week, and 2kg each the next three weeks.

Then for two weeks it stagnated, then after a fight (almost literally) with my doctor over the accuracy of my diary, I decided to prove a point, I'd eat as much as he believed I "had to" to maintain a weight of 130kg (14000 kilojoules).

To date I haven't got close (apart from Xmas day) - but my weight is steadily dropping about 2kg a week.

===============
One answer was my body was basically starving itself, and converting any sustenance it could into fat (hence the huge water retention). Now I'm eating normally (HUGE) amounts of food, it's no longer holding onto everything, and is releasing some for energy consumption (or something).

So is it right? Have I been starving myself (literally) fat? Can I really eat myself thin? Or will I hit a limit whereby I need to alter my (healthy) diet?

 

[eastcoastcrow]

I have a large fresh squeezed juice daily of orange, watermelon, beetroot celery etc is this healthy in terms of me wanting to lose weight.

I figured its all natural with fruit and veg but my goal is to lose weight?

Advise?