Sugardude's Diet Puzzle

[SUGARDUDE]

Things are great !! 

Since I was last posted I changed up my eating and exercise because I noticed that I was losing muscle.  I'm lifting weights 3 times a week and doing HIIT cardio twice a week. (I'm now up to 32 minutes with speed 20 second speed bursts every two minutes.

My diet is approximately 2100 calories a day.   I allowed a cheat day on the weekend. I've got three more weeks on the meds and then I'll start to fade them out.

I'm down to 197.5.

[SUGARDUDE]

191....Good times !!

[SUGARDUDE]

I've been fading out the meds and I'm doing great. At first there were terrible cravings but now I'm not getting them at all.  Of course I am still sugar sensitive so unless it's a cheat day, I'm avoiding the sugary snacks.  I've even been able to successfully incorporate small amounts of fruit back into the diet.  Most of my carbs come from Ezekiel whole grain bread.

I'm still in the low 190's.  I had my body fat tested at 15.9 which is in the healthy range.

I'm eating 5-6 small meals a day totaling just under 2100 calories.  Cheat days are awesome.

So while not hormetic, I do feel there has been an element of deconditioning or at least behavior modification in general.

[Todd Becker]

Sugardude,

It's good to hear this update from you! Besides your success in dropping pounds and getting to a good bodyfat percentage, I'm more impressed that you've been able to start fading out your meds, and incorporating small amounts of sweetness via cheat days.  Despite your disclaimer, I think what you are doing is in fact a very good example of hormetism, because it embodies two key principles:  gradualism and oscillation.  Gradualism in fading out the meds at a rate that was tolerable and allowed you to adapt.  And oscillation by incorporating a cheat day, which is an excellent concept, both physiologically and psychologically speaking.

Todd

[Llanero]

Wow, I read this entire thread.  I like how Sugardude is so open about his experiences, hope we get an update soon.

[SUGARDUDE]

Okay.....so I'm actually trying to gain muscle now so i have increased calories and I'm working out with weights 4-5 days a week.

As for the sugar issue I can only say that things are much better than when I started.  I'm not taking Phentermine at this time.  I still get craving but they come at night only.  I'm in a routine that works up until about the time I get home from work.  I have had a little success losing the night cravings by using a strong caffiene laden fat burner before my lunchtime workouts.

My weight has stabilized between 195-200 and I'm getting somewhat muscular for the first time in my life. I actually feel good about taking my shirt off at the pool.

I'm going to spend a few more weeks actually trying to bulk and see how it goes.  Fat come along with the bulking so at some point I'm going to go back in to weight loss mode again.  Next time I'm going to try to get my bodyfat down to 12%.  The last time I had it checked it was 15.9% and I'm certain it's higher now.

I am following the bodybuilder's eating regimen of 6 small meals a day.  I do get a sweet fix 3 times a day drinking a artificially sweetened chocolate whey protein isolate shake.  I love them.  Drinking them does not cause me to binge.  I'm also eating bread 4 times a day.........it's Ezekiel bread which is 100% whole grain with no sugar.  

I'm shooting for 2400-2500 calories a day right now.  My occasional nighttime binges have me overshooting it on those days but I'm okay with that since I'm not gaining weight really fast and i like the way I look.

So I haven't truly solved the sugar issue but just through changing my everyday habits (with a little help) I've experienced major improvement in the control area.

[SUGARDUDE]

It's been awhile so let me update.

After going off the Phentermine I purposely increased my calories so that I could gain muscle from working out with weights.  It worked but I gained fat too and the sugar cravings did not get under control.

Last October I went for another go around with Phentermine.  I dropped my weight all the way to 186.5.  However, as time went on, the nighttime sugar cravings came on despite the meds.

I have been managing to keep my weight under 200 since going off the meds in late December.

I'm now back to using something I tried briefly back when this thread began.  Gymnema Sylvestre.  It truly is amazing stuff.  What I am doing is after using it after dinner and then immediately trying some sort of sweet food (cookie, cake, ice cream...whatever).  after I eat a very modest amount......I'm done.  I no longer feel the need to continue.  If I get another craving later in the night,  I do the same thing again, but that is the exception rather than the rule so far.

So essentially I have found the holy grail of controlling my  sugar consumption fests.  It's very exciting.  What will be more interesting to see is the long term effect it has relative to my cravings.since I am pairing the food I normally crave with a sense of taste which is dull in comparison.





 

[Todd Becker]

Sugardude,

Thanks for the update...I always hoped you would return, having authored one of the longest and most interesting personal "journals" on this forum site!  

I'm very interested in your positive experience with Gymnema Sylvestre.  Since I'm not familiar with it, I did a little searching.  Apparently, G.S. blocks the sweetness or sugar receptors in the tongue, halting the psychological triggers of sugar cravings.  But the benefit of G.S. goes beyond that.  It also stabilizes blood glucose, enhances insulin action, and has an anti-diabetic effect.  Quite a remarkable substance.

As an herbal extract, G.S. is not a single compound but rather a complex of several compounds.  It may be useful as a natural alternative to other blood sugar control drugs like Metformin, though it does not act by the same mechanisms.  So those who are pre-diabetic or diabetic might find it useful, but should look into possible interactions with other medications.

I do have one question for you:  Since you are suppressing the sweetness of foods, do you find less pleasure in eating, or do you find that other aspects of eating -- other flavors, textures and aromas -- are enough to keep you satisfied?  My impression is that all of us have a "pleasure budget" -- we need  a certain amount of pleasure in our lives, and that getting less of one type may need to be balanced by more of another type to maintain pleasure homeostasis, else we are driven to overindulge or binge to get what we are missing.

Your thoughts?

[SUGARDUDE]

I do have one question for you:  Since you are suppressing the sweetness of foods, do you find less pleasure in eating, or do you find that other aspects of eating -- other flavors, textures and aromas -- are enough to keep you satisfied?  My impression is that all of us have a "pleasure budget" -- we need  a certain amount of pleasure in our lives, and that getting less of one type may need to be balanced by more of another type to maintain pleasure homeostasis, else we are driven to overindulge or binge to get what we are missing.

Your thoughts?

I do not find any less pleasure in eating food other than sweets.  I still get a modicum of pleasure in eating a cookie (like I just did 2 minutes ago) or a spoon-full of ice cream even though the sweetness is greatly reduced.  Part of the pleasure is the texture. Now instead  of eating 15 cookies and then moving on to whatever else I can find in the cupboard, I'm done after the one cookie or single spoon-full of ice cream.  The thought of eating more is simply gone.  Yes, I am smiling.

I don't think I am shorting myself on the pleasure budget at all.  If anything I was conditioned to go waaaaay over budget. I'm likely just breaking the chain of stimulus reinforcement response that I have fostered for over 40 years.  If I'm right, the cravings may eventually diminish om their own, but knowing how strong intermittent reinforcement is (like a slot machine), I'm better off just pairing the Gymnema with all trigger foods for a much as possible.

In any event, with my program of diet and exercise, I expect the roadblocks have been removed as it pertains to weight-loss.  I just went through a whole weekend without a sugar binge.  For me that is extraordinary.

[SUGARDUDE]

Hey, remember me?    The gymnema ultimately did not work out.   However, I'm on a new amino acid supplementation regimen that seems to be working quite well in regards to killing the sugar cravings.  I'm on the 7th day of this and I must say it's been quite painless.

The supplements I'm using are Tyrosine, Glutamine, DL Phenylalinine, and 5-HTP.

I read about this strategy in a book called the Diet Cure by Julia Ross.

[Todd Becker]

Sugardude,

I certainly do remember you...nice to hear back from you!

I'd be interested to know more details.  Has your new combo of supplements helped you to cut back on eating and lose weight--or is it mainly about killing cravings and preventing bingeing?   Also, I'm interested in your thoughts about why this combination seems to work so well.  5-HTP is known as a serotonin precursor, so perhaps it is replenishing serotonin?

What are your thoughts?

Todd

[SUGARDUDE]

Todd,

So far, the aminos are helping me with cutting back on eating and killing the sugar cravings.  But the focus is killing the sugar cravings.

In the book, there is a checklist of symptoms that any particular individual might have such as cravings for sweets, emotional pain,  difficulty sleeping, and many more.  The symptoms ate then matched up with whatever amino acid your body may  need to remedy the symptom. 

I started out with mixed results with just a couple of the aminos.  Finally, I just went with every one whereby sugar cravings was a symptom.  You have to experiment with the types and the dosage.  The book provides a schedule for the various aminos.  The author claims that after a few months, you can taper them off.

The Tyrosine is supposed to help with mental focus and gives you sort of the mental buzz that one gets from a stimulant,  but far much less than say Cocaine or Phentermine.  The DL Phenylalinine helps with physical and emotional pain and is supposed to be excellent at hitting rid of the emotional eating.  The author claims that Glutamine alone can get rid of the sugar cravings.  Although I have not found that to be the case, it does work in a pinch for an immediate reduction of a nagging craving.  As you said,  the 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin.  It is supposed to help with the nighttime cravings.

I am currently on a diet of approximately 2000 calories which has plenty of fat and carbohydrates,  but no sweets other than a daily banana.   I have found that I am not addicted to sugar per se, but to the sensation of sweetness.  So i have cut out the artificial sweeteners and the Stevia.  The weight is coming off just like it would on any other calorie restricted diet.  So far 6 pounds.

The hope is that this regimen will allow me to stay with it.  Since I am now satisfied after eating a meal, I might finally get there.

[SUGARDUDE]

I should also add that after each meal I've been eating a half square of unsweetened baking chocolate.  At first it was kind of gross, but now I look forward to it.

[SUGARDUDE]

14 days with no proceesed sugar !!     

This is only the second time I've been able to achieve this in the last 7 years or so.   This time was far much easier than the last.   Also, last time I completely fell apart on day 15.   No such worry here.

Gonna keep doing what I'm doing for the forseeable future.   I've dropped 8 pounds in the process so far.

[Todd Becker]

That's great news, Sugardude.    Keep us posted on how this works.  Others may be able to learn from your success.    -- Todd