Jump to content

Re-intro Struggles - Sugar


MissDivergent

Recommended Posts

My husband and I decided to reintro sugar first, on it's own day. I realize that it's not really thought of as needing it's own day, but we did it anyway.

 

All I did was have 2 small organic unbleached sugar cubes in my morning coffee (large travel mug, hence the 2, could have gone with one though), some high quality organic dark chocolate and a lil of the organic sugar on top of some baked apples with dinner. It honestly wasn't great. I wasn't impressed with the chocolate, which I was looking forward to the most, and I didn't even finish it.

 

I've learned that within an hour or so, I get a headache from it. But even bigger problem, today I went to the grocery store to do some shopping, and my cravings were pretty insane. I wanted pizza, I wanted fried chicken, I wanted chocolate crossiants, I wanted cake and everything I saw (I didn't buy any of that fyi). During whole30, I really didn't have any cravings at all. Also, during whole30, if I saw something that I normally would have loved, my mouth didn't even water. I have no cravings. Today, I really struggled to bypass all that. I was trying to work out excuses in my mind for eating some of that. I feel like I screwed up everything by eating sugar.

 

Another thing I noticed was that I got pretty hangry today. I was hungry at the store and getting pissy and bickering with my husband (totally typical behavior prior to whole30). I am pretty sure on Whole30 I never got hangry, even when I did start getting hungry. I got so hangry, that we bought a rotisserie chicken from the deli. I thought it would be safe for dinner. I even asked them what they put on it. They said it was just lemon and spices (although there was a language barrier happening, I live in Kuwait). So we went ahead and bought it. Just finished dinner about 30 minutes ago and both my husband and I are having serious stomach pains, so clearly there was something non-compliant going on in that chicken. Super dissapointed.

 

I have no problem giving up sugar, so I'm not grieving the loss, but I am disappointed that I feel like I have already reversed some of the effects.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't get headaches from sugar, but I get super moody, hangry, and I get the cravings too. It takes me about 2.5 weeks to get over it, every single time I have sugar. Gluten does something similar...although that usually makes me crave all manners of junk food. Sugar typically just makes me want more sugar. Also when I have diet soda now (I used to drink 2-4 per day) I will get hungry much earlier than normal, and I have mild headaches for 2-3 days after. I wish I wasn't grieving the loss of these things like you, but I still am! Oh and don't worry about reversing the positive effects. It's just temporary, and reintro is a very good learning process so it's kind of a necessary evil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yah, I'm sure I will probably start grieving the loss of some foods. I have a feeling I will react poorly to dairy, and that will be a sad day. But with sugar, I think I am ok. I did want a little sweetness in my coffee, but not at this expense. But during Whole30, I really had no issues turning down sugar, even when having frosting on my fingers it didn't bother me.

 

I will miss cupcakes though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also tried reintro for sugar on its own day and it sent me into binge city! I foundi was planning reintro of other foods based on my cravings. For example, I thought...hmm I'm going to a pumpkin farm today, I guess today is gluten day! Then ate half a dozen cider donuts that day! Dairy day was a pint of ice cream and half a brick of cheese. I just really see how dangerous it is for me and know when I do my next W30, I want to plan for 60 days from the start.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Another thing I noticed was that I got pretty hangry today. I was hungry at the store and getting pissy and bickering with my husband (totally typical behavior prior to whole30). I am pretty sure on Whole30 I never got hangry, even when I did start getting hungry. I got so hangry, that we bought a rotisserie chicken from the deli. I thought it would be safe for dinner. I even asked them what they put on it. They said it was just lemon and spices (although there was a language barrier happening, I live in Kuwait). So we went ahead and bought it. Just finished dinner about 30 minutes ago and both my husband and I are having serious stomach pains, so clearly there was something non-compliant going on in that chicken. Super dissapointed.

 

Yeah, "spices" can be a red-flag for gluten, unfortunately. Sorry you ended up with stomach pains.

I've been riding my own bike since after my Whole30 ended in late June, but pretty much following Whole30 principles most times, aside from some GOOD chocolate, wine and non-gluten grains here and there.  I went out to dinner with friends last week and had gluten-free jambalaya.  I was crazy hungry woman shortly after I got home. I swear it was from eating the white rice in the jambalaya; I haven't had any rice since before my Whole30.  For me, the white rice worked like eating sugar, in making me feel ravenously hungry shortly afterward.  Didn't love that feeling.

It's a reminder of the impact certain foods can have on us.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, "spices" can be a red-flag for gluten, unfortunately. Sorry you ended up with stomach pains.

I've been riding my own bike since after my Whole30 ended in late June, but pretty much following Whole30 principles most times, aside from some GOOD chocolate, wine and non-gluten grains here and there.  I went out to dinner with friends last week and had gluten-free jambalaya.  I was crazy hungry woman shortly after I got home. I swear it was from eating the white rice in the jambalaya; I haven't had any rice since before my Whole30.  For me, the white rice worked like eating sugar, in making me feel ravenously hungry shortly afterward.  Didn't love that feeling.

It's a reminder of the impact certain foods can have on us.  

 

I don't know if i'm just good at not eating things I haven't planned, but I haven't noticed sugar/rice/bread having any of those effects on me. I've spent so long sticking to an eating plan and not deviating for the most part, that I just eat what I have and don't think about having anything else.

 

I do get a bit foggy with bread, or sugar (honey), but didn't notice anything else!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know sugar has that effect on me - the intense cravings.   I did an anti-inflammation diet and it was no sugar/sweeteners for 2 months.    And I felt FABULOUS.    My doctor said I could have some honey again and I was like okay, one spoonful.

 

And 10 minutes later all I could think about is how badly I wanted more.   But I should stick to 1 spoonful a day, so I did, for a while.   Only I thought about it 800 times a day.   Is it tomorrow yet?   Can I have just a 1/4 spoonful?   How about now?   I feel like my brain turns into an annoying 2 year old when it's on sugar.    And then my one spoonful a day turned into 3, maybe 4.   And one really stressful day I sat there and ate the whole jar over the course of the evening.

 

At which point I decided to do this Whole30 because it had to stop.   I'm doing it with a big group of friends and started a week earlier than they did because I had to get my brain off the sugar again ASAP.  

 

I just don't want to spend my life rationing out sweets and arguing with myself.   It's insanity.

 

And it seems to be pretty much all forms of sugar for me.   Molasses doesn't seem to be quite as bad.   Stevia I kind of hate the aftertaste of, so I'm not entirely sure.  Artificial sweeteners give me headaches, so I haven't tried those in probably a decade.   But cane sugar, honey, maple syrup... no bueno in terms of cravings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I wish more natural sugars were better for us...but I've experienced the same thing. For me, the aftermath of honey/pure maple syrup/stevia is no different than eating a bag of oreos. It's not fair! :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I wish more natural sugars were better for us...but I've experienced the same thing. For me, the aftermath of honey/pure maple syrup/stevia is no different than eating a bag of oreos. It's not fair! :angry:

 

I will say that the one thing that helps is that if I'm having rare sugary treats - to eat it directly after an actual meal with protein/fiber.  (haha, the whole dessert idea)  It slows down the absorption a bit.    What REALLY gets me into trouble is if I just have sugar alone as a snack.   

 

I know better than to think I'm never going to eat anything sugary again.   There's a restaurant we go to once a year in Whistler that has a flourless chocolate cake (gluten free) with goat cheese on top and it's amazing and I plan on having that next year when we go as well, after dinner.   But it's not too bad because, well, I can't get it anywhere else and don't have leftovers and we can't afford to eat at that place more than once a trip anyway and we only go once a year.    I'm limited on that no matter how much I want more, so it works out.  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finished the Whole30 on Oct 15.  Since then I have only introduced some vanilla flavored coconut milk creamer in my coffee and some red wine.  ..Plus I have had a couple of whiskey/diet coke drinks.. not a lot and when I did have it I didn't finish.  It just doesn't feel right anymore.   I'm thinking all these things have in common is sugar.  Which leads me to why I'm writing today...   the only bad thing I've noticed is my BMs.  While I was compliant I had the best morning eliminations EVER!   And now its seems I'm back to the same old struggles. 

 

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this..   ??  Not something I really like to talk about but our guts are so important.  I really want to figure out how to keep mine healthy. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

quite eye opening and I'm wondering if anyone else has been in a similar position. I completed a whole 29 (don't ask!) in April and I felt great. I have tried some sugary bits (e.g. today when my boss brought in a home baked gluten dairy free cake for someone's birthday) and it makes me feel HORRIBLE now. Big headache and like I'm going to be sick. I didn't react this badly to sugar before the whole30 and I have a similar reaction with alcohol now too. has anyone else experienced this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

This is pretty common, @foursimplewords - please try a quick google before posting new threads. I found this one below that discusses sugar reintro causing headaches as well as the one that I've merged your thread with. I googled "Whole30 sugar reintro"

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...