Fighting to lose weight is an impossible battle to win. But you already know that.

Instead of fighting to achieve short-term weight-loss goals, put your energy into lifelong missions.

Short-term Goals vs Lifelong Goals

Short-term goals:  “Lose 20 pounds before summer”, “fit into that dress for the wedding”.

These battles are very hard to win. You’ll drain out all your will power and commit to so many sacrifices that one of two things will happen: 

1. After a few months you fail, get your weight back, plus the heavy weight of frustration.
   
2. You achieve your goal, enjoy the summer or the wedding and after you get your weight back, you lose all your confidence.

Lifelong Goals: A good looking and healthy body all year.

That’s a lifelong process. Focus on personal development and healthy habits to improve your well-being step by step.

Easy and achievable steps.

It’s Not About Sacrificing

I’ve tried to quit smoking several times and it never lasted longer than 3 months. It was too hard: too many sacrifices and not enough will power.

Even if I could quit for longer than 3 months, what was the point if I would eventually fail again?

For more than 10 years I thought that I didn’t have enough will power to quit smoking. I stopped trying, but my smoking habit was causing my health to deteriorate day by day.

It’s About Choosing

One day everything changed. I found a different purpose: I didn’t want to be a smoker for all my life and I didn’t want to continue smoking against my will. Cigarettes couldn’t control my life: I decided that I would never smoke again.

Instead of specific goals I set a new personal achievement. Instead of focusing on sacrifices to achieve my goals, I decided to change my habits and quit smoking. 

I made a decision that day: I choose a life without smoking. 

You can’t sacrifice something that you don’t want in your life.

That same day I started cold turkey. It was hard, but my focus was on: I don’t want to smoke again. 

From that day until today, it has been 3 years and I’ve never smoked a cigarette again. More about how I quit smoking here.

From Sacrifices to Life Choices

Fighting for “lose 20 pounds before summer” or “get into that dress for the wedding” are lost battles. You’ll eventually fail and feel miserable. If you win, it will certainly be temporary, as you will soon get your weight back and feel miserable again.

Sacrifices make us feel horrible. Sacrificing to achieve something doesn’t last longer because no one can sacrifice something for a long period of time.

On the contrary: Choosing fruit over donuts for breakfast is taking action, is a step towards our life long goal, and is empowering. 

Sacrifices feel like we’re losing out on the good stuff of life.

Life Choices: Give us the power to set a course for our life.

I wasn’t sacrificing cigarettes; I chose to not smoke again.

Cigarettes aren’t in control of my life anymore, I’m leading now.

I’m not sacrificing donuts, instead I’m choosing fruit salad for breakfast because it gives me more energy, and no bloated sensation, so I feel much better.

Cravings and desires will not control my life. I choose the food that will give me the results I’m looking for.  Donuts taste good, but having donuts will not allow me to achieve the body and the wellbeing I desire.

Think Big and Start Small

Thinking big: Instead of aiming for those 20 pounds off for summer, go for: I want to look great all year around, or, I would like to have more energy every day, or, I don’t want to make more food sacrifices.

Take a moment, set your goal, and find your lifelong achievement. 

I’m passionate  about writing but I don’t aim to write a book, or write for a magazine. Of course I would love to accomplish that, but instead I aim to improve my writing every day. If I do that, one day I will eventually publish my first book or publish an article in a magazine.

Improving my writing is my Thinking Big long-term goal that will last as long as I live. Every writer can always improve her/his writing.

On the other hand, writing a book is a small goal. Everybody can write a book, the same way everybody can lose 20 pounds. Much more fulfilling is becoming a better writer and keeping your body healthy and feeling good about it.  

Starting Small: To improve my writing I don’t have to make sacrifices, instead I have to start with small and doable actions: writing every day, reading books and magazines daily, so as a consequence of those actions, my writing will improve and I will eventually get invited to publish in magazines or publish a book.

Easy and Doable steps: 

Walking/Jogging: If you’re not doing any exercise, start with daily 15 minute walks. If you already do some jogging, do a daily quick jog 3 times a week. Make it fun: take some music with you, an audio book or your favorite podcast. Walking guide here and a running guide here.

Meditation: Creating new habits brings some struggle and some resistance to change. Meditation is proven to be very helpful to reduce anxiety and to reduce the cluttering of emotions in our head. I use an app called Headspace. It’s totally free and you can find it here.

Get rid of processed food at home: When we choose to get a healthier life and a life without fighting for weight loss, we commit to avoiding trash-fast-processed food. As much as our cravings dislike this idea, we are now behind the wheel of ourselves and we know this trash food will not help us at all to achieve our goal. A home free of trash food is a home free of temptations. 

Home cooking: In preparing our own food we get to pick fresh ingredients and avoid bad stuff like added sugar and too much salt. Home cooking strengthens family bonds and gathers friends together.  Experiment with new recipes or make a batch on the weekend and freeze it for the rest of the week. I’ve shared more than 250 recipes here.

Journaling: Quit smoking, become a better writer, improve our health and get the body we want. All these life-goals share a common solution: personal development. By improving ourselves we can make better choices that will help us to achieve our goals. Journaling is a great way to understand our emotions, fears, hidden ghosts and monsters in the basement of our head. By journaling we can get rid of all that mixed pile of paper and clear our head. Journaling is very liberating.

Choose Home Food: Restaurants make food so we can indulge ourselves, but it doesn’t necessarily improve our health. Invest time in preparing your own food and have as much home food in a week as you can. Start with preparing your breakfast or dinner. Once a week I always have a dinner out to enjoy food that I don’t make at home.

Reduce Added Sugar: In the last 30 years the Food Industry has been adding more and more sugar to food because studies have shown how we easily get addicted to sugar and how much our brain loves sweet food. Added sugar is the number one cause of obesity. Quitting sugar is as hard as quitting smoking, but by far the hardest step is taking the decision to stop consuming high-sugar foods and drinks. 

I’ve created a 20 No-Sugar Days challenge to help you get rid of added sugar. 

Quitting added sugar is by far the most effective step to lose weight, regain energy, reduce headaches and get rid of that bloated sensation. 

Check the 20 No-Sugar Days challenge. It’s 100% Free.

Simple Actions Repeated Become Habits

These are simple and doable steps that anybody can do. Don’t start all of them at the same time. Always go for actions that you can repeat daily or 2 or 3 times a week.

These steps are not a formula to lose weight or a new diet. These are simple actions that will improve your wellbeing and help you achieve your life goals.

Habits: The Key To Achieving Lifelong Goals

Only the actions you repeat will become habits. Science says it takes 30 days for actions to become habits. Start small, and incorporate actions that are doable. 

It’s not about genius, talent or intelligence – habits are the key to success.

Results may take time to show, but if you’re persistent and patient, you’ll get them.

How To Start?

1.Set your lifelong purpose:

I would like to have a better looking body, get rid of extra weight, become a better writer, stop food bingeing. Remember, it’s not about losing 20 pounds before summer or writing a book; it’s a life decision. Pick yours and make it for life.

2. Once you have your purpose take the decision to start:

Take the decision to start. There’s no way back. You might get off track, but your direction will never change. You will always know the direction to sail. 

3. Strengths you need: patience and persistence

Forget genius, talent, intelligence, IQ and slow metabolism. All you need is patience and persistence. You can’t change genius, talent or intelligence but you can always improve patience and persistence by simply continuing your new habits.

Patience: As much effort as you put into these and other habits, the results don’t happen overnight. Take the steps and be patient about the results.

Persistence: There will be tough days when walking, journaling or eating healthy is the last thing you want to do, but be persistent. It is better to walk for 10 minutes that not to do any walking.

Once you have the habits, push it a little bit further. Instead of writing one page a day, go for 2 pages. Push forward your walking from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Persistence is always more important than intensity.

Conclusion

The problem is not lack of willpower: We will never have enough willpower to handle daily sacrifices.

Make choices instead of sacrifices: Sacrifices make us feel horrible, with no self-esteem and a feeling of losing all the good stuff in life. Making choices is empowering and give us a direction, so we know where we are going.

Think Big: Set lifelong achievements instead of short-term goals: Decide what you want in your life, set your course and sail in that direction. 

Start small – easy and doable steps: Walking/jogging, cooking your own food, avoiding added sugar, journaling, meditation, reading. Start with one and include it in your daily routines.

From actions to habits – It takes 30 days for to actions become habits. Invest your time and energy to create and stick with your new healthy habits.

The solution is habits: As you continue taking actions, results will show up.

Before starting – Set your lifelong goal; take the decision to start; be persistent and patient; and the results will show up. 

Persistence and patience: The two most important qualities you will need. Work on them.

Thanks for reading. I always like to know about your comments, questions, likes and dislikes. Please enter your comments/thoughts in the section below.

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Today, it’s one year since I started intermittent fasting.

My mental focus has improved, I’m less anxious, and in the first two months I lost 13 pounds (6 kilos) of fat.

Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it’s just a way of controlling when you eat and when you take a break from food. 

Why Fasting?

It all started with an article I read on Collective Evolution. This article really caught my attention, especially this argument

“When you start saving all the energy used to digest food, it starts getting diverted to other places like brain function and healing. I’m not sure how to verify this scientifically, but all I can say it that I felt it for sure!”

Before fasting, I was eating three meals plus a couple of snacks a day so, most of the time, my body was digesting something.

I was curious to see what would happen if I changed my lifelong eating pattern and went for extended periods without food. 

It’s now been a year since I started intermittent fasting. I cheated a few times but, in general, I was very consistent and, best of all, I plan to continue. Why? 

Because it’s a habit now. I’m used to it and it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. In fact, it’s the opposite, I feel like not eating is the best way to start my mornings.

So, I skip breakfast, and that’s it. That’s what I’ve been doing for a year. My fast lasts from dinner until lunchtime next day. So, if I finish dinner at 10 p.m. I will fast until 12 p.m. (sometimes longer) next day.

Why Intermittent Fasting?

There are many different fasting patterns. I picked intermittent fasting because it seemed the easiest to me. I was already quite familiar with it because in the past, I used to skip breakfast and have a midmorning snack instead. 

Plus, you don’t usually have morning social breakfasts or any other social occasions where you would “have” to eat – like a dinner party. 

My mornings are usually spent sat and working in front of my computer. Although, after a while, as some friends commented “you don’t move so you need less energy” I started to add some exercise into the mix, I’ll talk about that later.

Update: My weight loss plan using Intermittent Fasting is now available here.

What Happens When You Fast?

1. Your Cravings Kick-in

This is the hard part of this story. Your first task is to deal with cravings.

I quickly understood that I wasn’t feeling hunger; what I was feeling were cravings for added sugar and wheat (bread and cereals). 

I didn’t feel hungry for carrots. I only wanted a piece of bread with ham. I was suffering from withdrawal from a long-term habit: eating bread almost every morning. 

During the first two months, I cheated and had coffee or tea. Then I realized that fasting gives you so much energy that you don’t need uppers like caffeine. So, after eight years, I ditched my daily caffeine habit. It wasn’t easy, but that’s another story!

Dealing with Cravings: It’s a process of not reacting to your emotions. Not reacting doesn’t mean ignoring. Instead, you take a breath and observe and acknowledge the emotions inside you. Don’t let your mind trick you into giving in to your emotions.  

I recently published an article about how to deal with emotions and How to Stop Sugar Cravings.

Cravings generate a lot of emotions, and our minds play a lot of tricks on us. It’s not easy but dealing with your emotions and training your mind are probably the two most important skills you need to develop to improve your well-being. 

2. Less Anxiety

Cravings come and go in waves, just like sleepiness. Once you ride out the wave, the cravings will go away and suddenly there’s a beautiful inner peace combined with a vibrant energy. 

I have felt this level of peace only twice before: right after having an orgasm and just before falling asleep, and in the last ten minutes of the meditation part of my yoga classes. 

This inner peace took me by surprise, but it was a beautiful surprise. 

It seems like my inner voice has changed from a hysterical diva to a monk!

Cravings beaten, I feel good and nothing can wreck my mood. That is, until the next wave of cravings come along. But now you know you can do it and you’re highly motivated to continue the ride.

3. More Mental Focus

As my inner voice become calmer, and the noise in my head quietens down, I found I was able to stay focused for much longer.  

Before starting fasting, my normal attention span was very short. Sometimes only few seconds, and other times just a few minutes. I often found that while working on one project, ideas and thoughts about other projects would jump into my mind, distracting me from what I was supposed to be doing. 

With my morning fasts, I can focus better and for longer on what I’m doing.  My work productivity has improved, and so too has my work realization. I feel like I make better use of my morning hours in terms of greater productivity, better mood, and feeling calmer.

This increased mental focus was what gave me the motivation to continue with my intermittent fasting routine.

4. More Energy

During the first two months of fasting, tea and coffee gave me a lot of energy, but it felt different to the usual burst you get from caffeine. This energy didn’t go away after a couple of hours or before my next caffeinated drink. 

I was curious to discover how much of this energy was from the coffee, and how much was caused by fasting. To find out, I decided to ditch the coffee.

Quick note: Tea and coffee are known to suppress your appetite. It’s a shortcut for many, myself included. During the first two months of fasting I used tea and coffee to suppress hunger during fasting. 

Many people and doctors say that coffee and tea are allowed during a fast. 

But while using caffeine might help you to deal with hunger and cravings, it can make your addiction worse, and it’s not a sustainable solution for cravings.

Quitting an eight year daily habit (drinking coffee) wasn’t easy. I was so sleepy for the first few days that I could barely concentrate. You really feel how this substance affects your emotions and your mind when you first give it up. But, that’s a story that might go into another article so drop me a comment if you would like me to share it with you and subscribe for my newsletter for new post updates.

I no longer have caffeine running through my veins but now I wake up feeling a vibrant energy. I’ve started to wake up earlier, before my alarm clock sounds, and I have extra time to do the things I need to do each morning – such as make breakfast for my girlfriend or clean the flat.

Thanks to fasting and no coffee, I have a high level of energy with no jitters.  I’m more focused and have no headaches at the end of the day. Around 11 p.m. I’m off to bed, tired but happy, and ready for a good night’s sleep.

5. I Lost Weight

I measure 5.5 foot (1,70m) tall, and one year ago my weight was 155 pounds (70 kilos). I was not looking to lose weight, but after two months of fasting, I’ve lost 13 pounds (6 kilos) of fat – without really trying!

When you fast, you burn energy, and if you extend your fast you start burning fat.

The key to burning fat is keeping your insulin levels low. While fasting, your insulin levels are low, and it’s only when you eat that your insulin levels spike, and that stops you from burning fat.

As time passes, depending on your diet and your activity levels, you will use all your quick-access energy called glycogen (glucose stored in the liver) and you start burning fat.

The only way to lose weight is to have low insulin levels. Every time your insulin levels are high you’ll be in “energy storing mode” and your body stores that energy in the form of fat.

It’s well documented that when you give insulin (oral or intravenous) to patients, they will gain weight.

Insulin is a hormone that triggers the body to store energy, and energy is stored in our body as fat. That’s why weight gain and obesity are the result of a hormonal imbalance and not a caloric imbalance, but I will explain that in another article.

Before fasting, I weighed 70 kilos, and I lost around 6 kilos during the first two months. Today, I keep my weight at 63 kilos without counting or cutting calories, and only by fasting. Sometimes, if I overeat, I extend my fasting period to allow my body to cleanse and to burn the excess.

I’m working on a detailed article on how to lose weight with fasting and will publish it soon. Stay tuned or subscribe to our newsletter to get an email when the article is published.

6. More Organized

After a week of intermittent fasting I found myself organizing my room, my desk and my kitchen. I found an urge to have a clean, tidy, and organized environment. I don’t know what science has to say about this but my guess is that as your mind becomes more calm and peaceful, you find the need to unclutter your space and your life.

7. New Better Habits

We all know that bad habits tend to encourage more bad habits. If you order a pizza, you’ll probably order a coke and have a dessert too! One bad habit triggers another, and then another. 

The opposite is also true. If you exercise, you are less likely to go for a fast-junk-high-in-sugar-food straight after.

When fasting, because I’m in a happy, calm mood, I don’t want to wreck it with chocolate, bread, or any kind of processed fast food. 

Why? Because I’ve done that, and I know that I’d rather feel good all day than have the short-term jolt of pleasure that junk food will deliver.  

As you soon as you eat junk food, your inner peace vanishes. I never thought that junk food would negatively affect your mood, but it actually has a huge impact. More about that in the next section.

To maintain my happy mood, I focus to staying on track and searching for new healthy habits like ditching caffeine, reducing my alcohol intake, avoiding meat, and enjoying sugar-free treats.

8.  What You Eat Affects Your Mood

When you break your fast it’s highly recommended that you go for easy-to-digest foods like fruit. The longer you fast, the more important this step becomes. Because of this, my breakfast, when I break my fast, has been always fruit. 

An hour after, I cook my lunch which is usually vegetables or fish as I’ve been avoiding meat lately. 

I’ve come to realize that meat takes a long time to digest, draining all my energy. Two hours after eating meat I feel sleepy, foggy headed, and all my inner peace has gone.

One day, I decided to swap my usual meat lunch for a raw salad. I got a bunch of vegetables, and some nuts, and seeds. I seasoned it a little salt and olive oil. Tasty!

Digestion was much easier, my energy levels remained high, and my inner peace continued. And best of all? No hunger. 

I didn’t know that food could affect my mood. I did some research and learned that what you eat doesn’t just affect your body, but your brain too. I found a very interesting video showing how fruit and vegetables makes you happier. (video here)

As I tried different foods, I noticed that they affected my emotions very differently. 

1. High sugar foods make me feel bloated, sleepy and tired
2. Meat makes me stressed and impatient
3. Fruits gives me energy and elevates my mood
4. Cheese makes me bloated and tired
5. Veggie meals are easy to digest and don’t make me feel bloated

This motivated me to avoid certain foods like: high sugar foods, bread, white rice, pasta, and any processed food. 

Today, I occasionally eat fish but very rarely eat meat. I try to eat at least one raw meal a day.

I avoid and rarely go to standard grocery stores. Instead, I do most of my shopping in fruit, vegetable, and fish markets.

In the beginning, I did miss some specific foods like burgers, bread, etc. Processed foods are engineered for overconsumption, creating cravings and addictions. 

As I stopped eating processed food and allowed my body to cleanse itself, my cravings become weaker, and those fatty-sugary desires went away.

The combination of intermittent fasting and my new diet has left me feeling great!

9. Exercise While Fasting

“If you don’t eat you don’t have energy.” That’s not true. When you fast, you start to use glycogen for fuel, which is basically sugar stored in your liver and is very quick and easy to access. You burn that source of energy in about two hours if you exercise, and 24 hours if you are sedentary all day.

After glycogen, the next source of energy is fat, assuming you don’t eat anything or elevate your insulin levels.

As you start to burn fat you get into a state called ketosis, where your body produces ketones. Ketones are used for energy. Ketones are now very popular due to the famous Ketogenic diet. 

The ketogenic diet has some good aspects, but in general, it’s just another diet that will make you feel miserable after six months. You may even gain weight after having lost it in the first place when you go back to eating normally. When I share my thoughts about the ketogenic diet I will update here. Subscribe to my newsletter and receive on your email post notifications.

Ketones give you the energy to continue running, working out, or playing any sort of sport.

I’ve experimented with doing two hours of intense sport after ten hours of fasting, and I felt very good, having high concentration and energy levels. If I work out in the morning (my fasting window) I always do so in a fasted state.

Many professional and elite athletes work out while fasted, and have their meals after exercise.

Final Thoughts

Update: My weight loss plan using Intermittent Fasting is now available here.

What I like the most about intermittent fasting is that it is not a diet. Instead, it’s a pattern of eating. As you eat less your body burns fat and you heal. You also improve your mood and mental focus. These positive changes have greatly helped me to start other habits that have really improved my mental and physical well-being.

Fasting is natural and provides your body with the perfect way to heal and burn fat, so why not use it? It’s as simple as skipping one meal. Interested in fasting? Have you tried it? Email me or make a comment below; I’d love to hear from you! 

Whether Thanksgiving is a late lunch or a dinner, I’ve always found two challenges every Thanksgiving:

• One: Meaningful conversations
• Two: Simple Recipes with easy instructions, and less than eight ingredients

The Thanksgiving Challenge 

One: The conversation 

I do love family gatherings, and Thanksgiving for me is THE family gathering of the year. I don’t know about your Thanksgiving, but mine involves gathering around 13 people at my parent’s place, which is more than even at Christmas. And some of these folks I only see on this day of the year.

This makes Thanksgiving a unique opportunity to catch up, but sometimes also makes it hard to start or engage in a meaningful conversation.

It’s very frustrating because you want to listen and share, but instead, you end up having meaningless conversations about nothing in particular.

Meaningful Conversation 

Sharing our stories and listening to the stories of others makes Thanksgiving a much more enjoyable and meaningful experience.

Our shyness and our introversion can make us feel vulnerable to others, and instead of feeling comfortable, we get stressed and anxious.

When conversations end and silence starts, we find it easier to come up with a task to do and we go to the kitchen or grab our phone – anything to avoid the awkwardness of saying nothing.

But, you know what? There are simple questions you can use to kick start and spark a beautiful conversation that will unite you with your family and friends.

Try these simple questions for starting a wonderful conversation:

1. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?
2. What’s your happiest childhood Thanksgiving memory?
3. What do you enjoy most about the Thanksgiving holiday?
4. What’s the one experience for which you are most thankful this year?
5. What’s the one thing you’ve learned this year for which you are most thankful?

Two: Recipes

Why is it that almost all Thanksgiving recipes have 12 ingredients and dozens of instruction steps? Some are so complex, you need to be a top chef to even attempt them!

Why are there no vegetarian ideas for this holiday? What about recipes for those who are abroad, or who are spending Thanksgiving with just one other person?

Easy and Simple Recipes with 7 or Fewer Ingredients

To answer all these questions, I’ve published:

(click the title or the image for the recipes)

For those of you who love videos, I’ve published three video recipes on YouTube for this Thanksgiving holiday.

Video Recipes for Thanksgiving

(click the title or the image to watch the videos)

Bad Carbs, also known as refined carbs include: white rice, white pasta, white bread and French fries. They use a lot of energy to digest, making you feel tired, bloated and foggy headed. 

High Sugar Foods: soda, candy and commercial cereals, just to name a few, are the leading cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes. After eating, these foods are quickly and easily turned into fat and stored in your body. That’s why you put on weight.

Recent studies have found that low carb diets are effective for reducing CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) risk among individuals with diabetes. A different study also concluded that low carb diets are an effective way to lower triglycerides (the particles that store fat on your body) while boosting weight loss. More about studies, click here to scroll.

But, you don’t have to take my word for it, or blindly trust scientific journals and independent studies; you can experience the benefits yourself!

I invite you to join me on the 7 Days Low Carb Week Challenge.

2 Simple Rules

• Low carb meals: I’ve selected 3 low carb meals per day for the 7-day challenge for you to make and enjoy
• Avoid bad carbs: High sugar foods and beverages, alcoholic drinks, and refined carbs like white bread, white pasta, white rice and French fries.

I will guide you through everything you need to do. You only need to accept the challenge!

What foods to avoid?

It’s only a 7 days challenge, so in order to experience the benefits of a low carb diet, we will cut all high sugar foods and beverages. Avoid bad carbs and, instead, focus on vegetables, fruit and protein.

High sugar foods and beverages: candies, breakfast cereals, snack bars, granola, coke, sodas etc.

Alcoholic beverages: beer, whiskey, rum, vodka, mixed drinks etc.

Refined carbs: white bread, white pasta, white rice, bagels, crackers, French fries, Processed TV dinners, potato chips, donuts, pastries, pudding, commercial ice cream (prepare your own ice cream, recipe here), processed fruit juice (instead prepare homemade fruit juices or smoothies, recipe here).

If you are ever in doubt, always check the food labels for sugars and carbs. How to identify high food carbs? With 3 practical examples

What to eat?

Vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, onions, Brussels sprouts, carrots

Healthy proteins: fish, chicken, lean beef, dairy, eggs, and turkey.

Fruit: as much as you want. I always prefer to buy seasoned fruit.

Unrefined grains: quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, buckwheat.

Read more about good vs bad carbs and healthy alternatives to bad carbs in my article Good carbs vs. Bad carbs for Weight Loss

Duration

This challenge only lasts 7 days, but even though it’s only a week, you’ll still be impressed with the results. You just need to commit and follow the simple guidelines.

What can I expect once I finish this challenge?

Flatter belly: High carb diets are high in sugar; sugar makes you feel bloated.

Weight loss: Avoid sugar and bad carbs and you are guaranteed to lose weight in 7 days.

More energy: High carb meals are very energy consuming to digest. Fewer carbs results in easy digestion, so you’ll have more energy for concentration, exercise, and any other tasks.

Better cognitive performance: Less sugar to process results in more stable blood glucose levels and more energy, so that your brain works more efficiently. No more sugar-induced brain fog!

Lower risk for Type-2 diabetes: Less sugar in your blood results in less insulin, and studies have proven that this can help lower the risk of diabetes.

Less anxiety: Due to sugar addiction, your body is constantly looking for more sugar. This leads to anxiety. Once the cravings stop, your mind will become more peaceful.

What you need to do?

I highly recommend that you prepare your low carb meals in advance. That way you reduce the chances of excuses like “I didn’t have lunch so I have to go for a burger instead”.

With just a couple of hours of prep time, you can prepare all your meals for the week. Pick a day and start. It’s easier and quicker than you think. More about the benefits of planning meal in advance in my article Why You Should Be Planning Your Meals.

Put away the sugar: If, like me, you have a hard time avoiding candies, chocolate, and other high sugar foods, remove them from your kitchen, or put them in a box so you don’t have easy access to them. Cravings will come and go, and this way you reduce the temptation of grabbing something high in sugar to eat. Out of sight means out of mind! More ideas on my article How to Deal with Cravings When Eating Low Carbs.

Believe you can finish the challenge. Don’t give up. Always remember that cravings are only temporary. Some days may be tougher than others, but it will get easier, and you will get great results if you stick to the challenge.

Get ready for cravings!

By cutting out soda, candies, processed food, and alcohol, you are reducing your sugar intake. You’ll feel the benefits, but before that happens, you will get some crazy cravings.

Although many people don’t know it, we are living in a high sugar world. Sugar is present in many foods – even where you least expect it. Most people have too much sugar in their diet and don’t even know it. And don’t worry; the same thing happened to me.

The American Heart Association recommends 34 grams of sugar per day for an adult. One can of Coke contains 33 grams. Breakfast cereals can contain 10 grams of sugar for just one serving.

By reducing carbs, you reduce your sugar intake, and that’s why you lose weight. In simple terms, sugar is converted into fat in your body. By reducing your sugar intake, your body is much more likely to burn fat because you have essentially eliminated the main source of stored fat.

But, and we have to be prepared for this, your brain will crave sugar. Cutting out sugar can cause crazy cravings. You might not realize it, but you are addicted to sugar; most people are. You will probably find that you are more irritable and desperately looking for some sugar.

Don’t worry; cravings are powerful, but we don’t have to give in to them. If you have cravings, try not to think about it, and do something else instead. Occupy your mind with another task. As we are all very different, there isn’t one single behavior that works for all of us, but there will be something you can do that helps derail those cravings.

So, what can we do when cravings arrive?

“This is how willpower becomes a habit: by choosing a certain behavior ahead of time, and then following that routine when an inflection point arrives.” by Charles Duhigg, from The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.

I would like you to take a couple of minutes to think about what you will do when your cravings start demanding sweet or salty foods? What will you do when you feel like having a coke? A candy bar? A donut? Chips?

I can tell you what works for me, and maybe this will give you some ideas to get you started:

• I drink water
• I put on my headphones and listen to a specific piece of music I like
• I remind myself it’s only 7 days; I CAN DO IT!
• If I am at home, I do push-ups
• I brush my teeth and wash my face
• I write about what I’m feeling. It helps me let my cravings go

Anticipate what to do when the cravings arrive, so they don’t catch you off guard.

How to plan a low carb week?

7 days, 3 meals per day, all of which are low-carb. Reduce carbs, lower your sugar intake, burn fat, and lose weight. It’s as simple as that.

I’ve selected low carb recipes, published here in Days to Fitness, and elaborated on a calendar. All you have to do is get the ingredients and pick one day to prepare most of the recipes. Prepping your meals in advance is a good way to avoid eating junk/processed food for a week.

Low Carb Meals Week Planner

I’ve selected some of my favorite low carb meals from my Low Carb Recipes page, to create the meal week planner. You can find more there. Or you can upgrade your kitchen with one of my favorite low carb recipe books, click here to scroll.

List all the ingredients you’ll need

I’ve created a simple document, organized by day-by-day, listing the meals and detailing the ingredients needed. This way you can send and save the document to your phone or print it, and then go to the supermarket and buy exactly what you need.

For each meal, I’ve also added a link to the recipe so you can easily find the instructions, pictures, and nutrition information.

You can download the list in the following formats

Word – click here to download

PDF – click here to download

My Favorite Low Carb Recipe Cookbooks

Books are always a very good source of useful knowledge and are an indispensable tool for learning.

I’ve read lots of different low carb books, but these three are my favorites:

• The Ketogenic Cookbook

• The Primal Low-Carb Kitchen

• The Complete Low-Carb Cookbook

The Ketogenic Cookbook

If you want a really comprehensive low carb book that explains a lot about low carb dieting as well as providing lots of awesome recipes, The Ketogenic Cookbook is hard to beat. Yes, it IS a little more expensive, but you get a lot for your money, including healthy eating plans to follow.

Learn more about this book on my detailed review here.

Or you can find it at Amazon.com

The Complete Low-Carb Cookbook

Combining decent value for money with plenty of tasty recipes, The Complete Low-Carb Cookbook is a good purchase choice, but is let down a little by the lack of an easy to navigate index. This is my least favorite book of the three, but it’s still very good and well worth the money.

Learn more about this book on my detailed review here.

Or you can find it at Amazon.com

The Primal Low-Carb Kitchen:

If cost is an issue, but you still want a lot of recipes in a great-looking book, I have no problem recommending The Primal Low-Carb Kitchen. The recipes aren’t the lowest in carbs, but they are low enough for all but the strictest dieters, and the reduced carb alternatives to favorite foods are great.

Learn more about this book on my detailed review here.

Or you can find it at Amazon.com

If you would like to check my detail review for each book, you can check my article Best Low Carb Books.

Which meals we will prepare in advance

I’ve selected easy breakfasts that are ready in five minutes or less, so you don’t need to prepare them in advance.

We have to prepare all the lunchtime meals in advance to make sure you always have the right food to eat, even when you are at work. After making, just put the food into a container and freeze it.

I usually have some time after work to prepare my dinner. If you don’t have that time, also prepare your low carb dinners in advance too.

Kitchen Time: Let’s cook some delicious homemade food!

Pick Saturday or Sunday to prepare your meals in advance.

Gather all the ingredients together, as well as the containers you are going to use too.

Start following the recipes. It’s perfectly okay to prepare several meals at once if you like.

As you finish each recipe, place the food inside the containers, and let it cool. Then place it in the freezer.

It will take you a little time, but then you don’t have to think about cooking and groceries for the next 7 days. This makes life easier and when it comes to eating healthier, easier is always best!

How to start This Challenge?

1. Pick a day and mark it on your calendar.
2. Buy the ingredients for all your low carb meals for the week
3. Record your weight and measure your waist for comparison when you finish the challenge
4. Start your Low Carb Week Challenge

After the challenge

I would like you to take some notes on how you feel, and the sensations and emotions you experienced during your week of low carb eating.

• Do you feel any different?
• How do you feel after the cravings are gone?
• Do you have more energy?
• Do you feel lighter?
• Is your mind clearer?
• What about your productivity and creativity?
• Do you have less anxiety?

However you feel, make sure you right it down – the good and the bad. I honestly expect the good to far outweighs the bad by a long, LONG way!

What recent studies say about low carb diets?

“Widely varying levels of carbohydrate intake have been effective for the target outcomes of improved glycemic control and reduced CVD risk among individuals with diabetes.” From Health Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Diets: Where Should New Research Go?

“Three low-carb meals within 24 hours lowers post-meal insulin resistance by more than 30 percent, but high-carb meals sustain insulin resistance, a condition that leads to high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and diabetes.” According to a University of Michigan study.

“The low-carb diet was most beneficial for lowering triglycerides, the main fat-carrying particle in the bloodstream, and also delivered the biggest boost in protective HDL cholesterol.” by Harvard – School of Public Health.

Questions and Answers

Are Low Carb Diets just for weight loss?

Answer: While low carb diets ARE good for weight loss, they are good for your health too. Too much sugar and refined carbs are not good for your body, and even if you are the right weight, that doesn’t mean that high amounts of carbs and sugar aren’t hurting your health.

Lower carb diets have been shown to be very good for reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high triglyceride levels, high cholesterol, and some cancers. In short, low carb diets will help you lose weight, but they are good for you in other ways too.

Still unsure if the low carb diet is for you? Read Why you should try a low carb diet and decide for yourself.

Can I have bread?

Answer: White bread is definitely off limits for the next seven days; it’s highly refined and is virtually sugar in a solid form! Wholemeal bread is a little better, but it too is high in carbs. Personally, I try not to eat bread in any form during a low carb diet but, if you must eat it, have just a couple of thin slices during the seven days. Instead of bread, eat more vegetables.

In my article Low carb replacements for high carb foods, you’ll find some great low carb alternatives to high carb staples, including bread.

What are refined carbs? Could you give some examples?

Answer: refined carbs are usually grains that have been through a lot of processing. They are often white i.e. white bread, white rice, and white pasta. Cookies, cake, candy, soda, crackers, chips, and pastries are all also refined carbs. If it doesn’t grow in nature, it is probably a refined carb. You can read more about this in my article the difference between simple versus complex carbs.

What low carb recipe book do you recommend?

Answer: I have read lots of low carb recipe books, and have also produced a whole series of low carb recipes right here on Days to Fitness. But, because I know readers like it when I review and recommend products to them, I reviewed My favorite low carb recipe books here.

What is the low carb flu?

Answer: The low carb flu happens when you eliminate carbs completely in what is called a ketogenic diet. Your body likes to use sugar for energy, and when you have no sugar, which we get from carbs, your body has a make an alternative source of energy called ketones. It takes a few days for your body to make the switch from using sugar to making ketones and, during this time, some people may feel unwell – the low carb flu.

After a few days to a week, most people stop feeling unwell as they get used to using ketones for energy. For some people, it can take up to two weeks. The low carb flu can cause:

• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Poor concentration
• Low energy levels

In this article, I reveal five ways to beat the low carb flu.

During the challenge will I get the “low carb flu”?

Answer: The 7 Day Low Carb Challenge is not no carb diet; you’ll be getting some carbs from fruits, vegetables, and a few whole grains. It is, however, a very low sugar diet. Because of this, you will experience cravings and a few mild side effects, but you will not experience real low carb flu. If you do feel like you are suffering any of these side effects, just eat some fruit, vegetables, or a few whole grains such as quinoa, wild rice, or wholemeal pasta.

In the unlikely event you DO suffer from the low carb flu, here are five ways to beat it.

But fruit contains sugar, why I can I have fruit?

Answer: Fruit DOES contain sugar, but it’s natural rather than processed, and mostly in the healthy form of fructose. Your body has no problem using fructose for energy, and it’s very hard for your body to store. Fruit is so healthy that it makes no sense to cut it out of your diet. I like to snack on fruit and find it the perfect way to overcome sweet cravings. Read more about natural vs. added sugar in this article.

I do intense workouts every day. Is it still okay to do this challenge?

Answer: I exercise too and have no problems keeping up with my workouts during a low carb week. It is only seven days after all. Your muscles are loaded with a type of energy called glycogen, and so is your liver. This stored energy should be enough to power you through your workouts. If you do feel a bit tired, eat some fruit before and after exercise.

You’ll also find more information in this subject in my article How to combine the Low carb Diet with Exercise. (to be published soon)

I am vegetarian, is this challenge recommended for me?

Answer: Of course! There is no reason that a vegetarian or even a vegan won’t be able to do this challenge. You will need to modify some of the meals and recipes so just add your favorite vegetarian-approved source of protein to replace the animal protein in the recipe.

For some delicious, vegetarian, slow-cooker recipes, many of which are low in carbs, please check out this article.

How do I identify high-carb foods?

Answer: Most high carb foods are either made from grains like wheat flour, contain a lot of sugar, are made from potatoes, are highly processed, or all of the above. If you still aren’t sure if a food is high in carbs, use an online food tracker or read the nutrition label to find out for sure.

Here is an article about reading food labels to reveal added sugar but you can use the same information for identifying carbs too: How to Identify Sugar on Nutrition Labels.

You can also find more information in my article How to identify high food carbs

What do I do if I slip up?

Answer: The best way to avoid slip ups is to put action plans into place for dealing with sugar cravings, and prepare as many meals possible in advance. That way, you have virtually no reason to slip up. Learn this ideas and get prepared when cravings arrive 7 Ways To Fight Sugar Cravings.

But, if you DO slip up, just accept that what’s done is done, don’t look back but, instead, look forward and continue with the challenge. If you slip up on one meal, just make sure your next meal gets you back on track. Continue with the challenge; tomorrow is a new day.

Need more help with your motivation? Check out this list of the best fitness motivational books.

What about sugar in coffee or tea?

Answer: Even adding a teaspoon or two of sugar to tea and coffee could reduce the effectiveness of your low carb challenge. Try to stop putting sugar in your tea and coffee, or use a natural, low calorie sweetener like Stevia instead. But, it’s only 7 days, so I suggest you try not to put sugar in your coffee and tea. In my experience, this can make the drink taste so much better!

For more info on stevia, please read What is stevia and is it good for you.

Where can I find more information about low carb diet?

Answer: Days to Fitness contains lots of great, easy to read information about low carb dieting. Just check out these resources and, don’t forget, we welcome questions to just ask anything that’s on your mind in the comments section below each article.

The easy low carb diet

Why should I try a low carb diet?

How to start a low carb diet

What are carbs – a beginner’s guide

Can I work out on a low carb diet?

Answer: You not only can, but you should! Exercise is a great way to overcome cravings, speed up weight loss, and make you feel healthier. I enjoy running and home workouts, and do these all the way through my week of low carb eating. Other people like to go the gym and lift weights. I also recommend that you try and walk for at least 20-30 minutes per day. If you feel you are a little lower in energy than normal, try eating some fruit before and after your workout.

Not sure what workout to do? Here are some home workout plans to try.

Should professional athletes follow a low carb diet?

Answer: If you are a professional athlete, you should already be following a good diet, one that was set by a nutritionist who knows what and why you are training. As you make your living from sports, it’s a very bad idea to change your diet without professional guidance, as it might affect your performance – in training or in a competition. If you are having a break from training, maybe it’s the end of the season, then there is no reason not to do the challenge, but otherwise, it’s probably not the plan for you right now.

Why go low carb?

Answer: Low carb diets are great for fast and easy fat loss, and are also very good for your health. Replacing high carb, high sugar, and processed foods with vegetables, fruits, and unrefined grains help to keep your blood glucose levels low, stops fat storage and promotes fat burning, and can help lower your risk of various diseases including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. To answer your question with another question: Why NOT go low carb?!

In Why should I try a low carb diet, I answer to this question in more depth.

Find out about the different types of low carb diet in this article.

Food Labels! How to find low carb foods?

Answer: Most supermarkets carry a huge range of low carb foods – they are called fruit and vegetables! Also, meat, fish, eggs, and poultry are low in carbs too. Many supermarkets also have a low carb section, and a lot of foods are even labeled as low carb. If you are unsure, read the food label – the amount of carbs is always listed – or use an online or food tracking app to help you identify high carb foods.

I’ve written a more in-depth answer to this question in my article How to identify high food carbs.

How can I eat Low Carb at restaurants?

Answer: This is easier than you might realize; just avoid bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, and skip dessert. Instead, have a salad, have vegetables for your side dish, have a protein source for your main meal e.g. chicken or fish, and don’t drink beer or spirits, only a small glass or two of wine.

You might need to ask for your meal to be changed, many come with high carb side dishes, but most restaurants will be happy to accommodate you.

Read my article How to eat healthily at restaurants for more ways to eat out without ruining your diet.

How many grams of carbohydrates should I eat?

Answer: Ideally, you should keep your carb intake to between 50-100 grams per day. This is low but achievable for most people. This will allow you to eat lots of vegetables, a little fruit, and even a small portion of whole grains per day. Going below 50 grams is a good way to trigger low carb flu, so I don’t recommend this unless you are an experienced low carb dieter.

Can I still drink alcohol and coffee?

Answer: Coffee (and tea) are fine on a low carb diet as they contain no carbs or calories at all – unless you add sugar which is something you should not do. However, alcoholic drinks do contain carbs and so you should avoid most of them. Beer and spirits are the worst for carbs, but also look out for high sugar mixers like soda and juice. If you must drink alcohol, limit yourself to a glass or two of white or red wine which only contain a couple of grams of sugar and carbs.

You’ll find more information on alcohol and weight loss in my article How to lose weight and still drink alcohol. (will be published soon)

Why should I prepare my meals in advance?

Answer: Imagine this: you get home from work feeling tired and hungry. You don’t have the time or the energy to cook a low carb meal and so, instead, you dial up a pizza and blow your diet. Or, you get home from work, grab a pre-prepared low carb meal, heat it up, and sit down to eat just a few minutes after getting home – your diet is intact!

Preparing your meals in advance eliminates one of the excuses we all use for breaking our diets. That’s why I recommend you spend a few hours at the weekend making your meals for the week.

For the ultimate in meal pre-preparation, consider buying a slow cooker. Check out Why slow cooking to discover the magic of this great food preparation method.

Not sure which model is right for you? In this article, I review some of my favorite slow cookers.

What are carbs?

Answer: Carbs are chains of sugar molecules that your body uses for energy. They are most commonly used by your muscles during physical activity. Carbs can be simple or complex, refined or unrefined, but unless you are active all the time, you don’t need a lot of carbs. Carbs that are not used almost immediately for energy are converted to fat, and that prevents fat burning and can lead to weight gain.

Carbs aren’t inherently bad unless they are highly refined – i.e. sugar, and things like white bread, white rice, and pasta. It’s more that most people don’t need a lot of carbs because they are mostly sedentary. Learn more in my article What are carbs – a beginner’s guide.

Why are bread, pasta, rice or potatoes are bad carbs?

Answer: These foods are processed, and that means they contain lots of carbs and calories, but very few nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, or fiber. They are also very carb dense which means they contain a lot of carbs per serving. It’s very easy to eat a lot of bread, rice, pasta, potatoes etc. and therefore a lot of carbs.

Vegetables and fruits also contain carbs, but in much lower quantities, and also contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber. That makes them much healthier, and also much more filling. If you swap bread, rice, pasta, potatoes etc. for vegetables, you can eat more food but still consume fewer calories and fewer carbs making weight loss very easy.

Read this article to discover low carb replacements for common high carb foods.

How do I know if a food is high in sugar?

Answer: The best way is to read the food label and see for yourself how much sugar is in your food. Check out this article to discover How to identify sugar on nutrition labels.

But, a lot of food companies are very sneaky and list sugar by alternative names making it harder to identify. But, we won’t let them beat you so here is a list of the 61 different names for sugar that are used on food labels for sugar.

The easiest way to avoid sugar is to stop eating all processed foods, all junk food, quit soda, and make all your own meals without adding sugar. I know that might not be easy but, trust me, your effort will produce great results.

Should I replace sugar with artificial sweeteners?

Answer: NO! Artificial sweeteners are mostly toxic chemicals. Yes, they are free from calories, but that doesn’t mean they are good for you. Diet soda, for example, is loaded with harmful toxins and is not really any better for you than “real” soda. The best thing to do is gradually wean yourself off sweet-tasting food so you lose the taste for sugar; don’t replace one bad thing with another!

Read more about the dangers of these chemicals in my article What is wrong with artificial sweeteners.

2 Simple Rules:

1. No added refined sugars (white sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar etc.)

2. No added artificial sweeteners (Truvia, Splenda, NutraSweet, aspartame etc.)

Most processed food contains added sugar, even the ones you don’t suspect like ketchup, granola, flavored yogurt, salad dressing, and potato chips.

How do you identify added sugar in food? Easy… 

Update: I’ve just published an article showing how you can quickly scan the nutrition label of a produt to identify if is high sugar, high salt, contains good fats or bad fats. Find the article here.

Read any food nutrition labels you have at home and before you buy your groceries at the supermarket. That way you’ll know how much sugar is in your food. Food manufacturers also use a lot of different names in an attempt to disguise sugar so make sure you read this article on identifying “hidden” added sugars  “61 different Names For Sugar”.

What about naturally occurring sugars? Are they okay? Yes!

Milk, plain yogurt, fresh vegetables and fruit contain sugar, and that’s totally okay.

Eat fruit: Enjoy the natural sugar found in fruit. Make a fruit smoothie for breakfast. Try a Mango and avocado smoothie (with milk).

Drink Milk or yogurt (I prefer kefir): Enjoy a yogurt smoothie as a healthy snack or a banana smoothie with kefir superfood for breakfast.

Eat vegetables: Prepare a superfood green smoothie with spirulina to add protein to your diet (Spirulina Green Smoothie)

Duration

20 days. You’ll be impressed by the results and, after only this short time, you won’t want to go back to eating tons of added sugar like before.

What can I expect once I finish this challenge?

More energy and focus: Sugar makes you feel tired

Flatten your belly: Most added sugar that you eat is converted into fat

Reduce fat, lose weight:  Less sugar means less fat

Reduce your calorie intake: When you eat less sugar, the two hunger hormones start to working properly and you feel fuller after your meals. No more all-day snacking and feeling constantly hungry.

Enjoy the real taste of foods: Sugar often masks the real taste of food. Coffee and tea, for example, taste so much better once you learn to ditch the sugar.

What you need to do?

Learn how to identify food containing sugar. My guide on “How to read food nutrition label“

Be discipline, stay strong, and avoid added sugar in all forms. That means soda, sweetened beverages, candies, cookies, most breakfast cereals and processed food.

No Added Sugar Recipes

Low sugar recipes can help you to avoid buying processed and fast food. Cooking your own low-sugar meals means you know exactly what you ear eating and that makes it much easier to keep your sugar intake low. Click to scroll directly to the video sugar-free recipes here.

Breakfast

Kefir (more about kefir here) was an amazing discovery and I love to mix it with fruit.

Fruit smoothies are also an easy and quick way to have fruit in the morning. Combined with kefir, fruit provides a healthy, light start to the day and the natural sugars taste great – all in under five minutes.

Add some no added sugar muesli to your bowl of fruit and kefir for the perfect breakfast, available at amazon.com.

Recipes for Lunch & Dinner

I’ve put together all the sugar free recipes here so I could easily find and share them with you. They are easy, healthy, and of course, have no added sugar.

Check the recipes, make your grocery list, and organize your meals. This will make the 20 No Sugar Days Challenge much easier.

Desserts

Amazingly, reducing your sugar intake does not have to mean no desserts. You still can have great-tasting sweet treats without the high levels of added sugar. My no added sugar dessert recipes here.

Sugar Detox Recipes

For those of you who looking for more no-added sugar recipes, I highly recommend The 21 Day Sugar Detox by Diane Sanfilippo. Diane is a certified nutrition consultant and author of two New York Times bestselling books.

The 21 day Sugar Detox is a simple program to help you to avoid added sugar with real food recipes, audio support recordings, and a expertly moderated forum to clarify your doubts and answer your questions.

It includes a quick start guide to teach you what you need to know before start and there are several modification guides for athletes, pregnant or breastfeeding moms, vegetarians and pescetarians.

Find more about this program in my review here.

How to start? 

1. Pick one day and mark it on your calendar.

2. Buy your new no-sugar added groceries

3. Record your weight and measure your waist, for comparison when you finish the challenge

4. Start your 20 No-Sugar Days Challenge

After the challenge

On your 21st day I would like you to answer these questions to understand what results you have achieved and how you feel, both mentally and physically.

How do you feel?

How many pounds have you lost?

How would you describe your energy levels?

What’s the major differences you feel today?

Would you recommend it to your friends?

Videos

Sugar-Free Recipes

No-Baking, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Delicious Brownies

Oven Baked Frittata Recipe – 5 Ingredient

Omelet with Goat Cheese and Herbs – 5 Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower with Herbs and Parmesan – 6 Ingredients

Why Added Sugar Makes You Fat by Diogo Palma

Why Added Sugar is Everywhere by Diogo Palma

How Sugar Affects The Brain by Nicole Avena

Questions and Answers

Does a can of coke contain too much sugar?

One can of 12 fl oz (335 ml) contains 39 grams of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends 6 teaspoons (24 grams) of sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day for men.  One can has way more sugar than you should have in a single day!

How do I avoid added sugar?

Sugar is addictive and you can find it everywhere. Most processed food contains added sugar. 5 tips at “How to Avoid Sugar ?”

The difference between added sugar vs natural occurring sugar?

Unlike added sugars, natural sugars are present in food already. They are also accompanied by vitamins, minerals, fiber, and amino acids. As such they are healthy when consumed in moderation.

Added sugars are, in contrast, not naturally occurring. They are added to food to alter its taste, texture, or simply to make you crave and buy more of it. It’s often included to make foods borderline addictive which helps increase sales and profits for food manufacturing companies. More at my recent article “Added Vs Natural Sugar”

Learn more about the differences at “Added versus naturally occurring sugar – what’s the difference?”

Where can I find no added sugar foods?

There are healthy sugar alternatives to enjoy, fight your sugar cravings and perfect for your 20 No Sugar Days Challenge. You can find some examples at “Looking for No-Sugar foods” article.

How much added sugar should I really be eating?  

The American Heart Association recommends 6 teaspoons (24 grams) of sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day for men.  

Why I should I reduce my added sugar consumption?

The 5 Most import reasons for avoiding added sugars are…

Sugar is fat: Most of the added sugar we drink or eat is converted and stored by the liver as fat. Sugar is considered one of the main reasons for the current obesity epidemic

Diabetes Type 2: Too much sugar makes your pancreas produce a lot of insulin for long periods of time. This can cause insulin resistance. When you have insulin resistance, it gets very hard for your body to reduce high blood sugar levels which can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes

The more sugar you eat, the hungrier you feel: Our hunger and satiety hormones (leptin and ghrelin), are responsible for informing the brain that we are full. When we eat too much sugar, they do not work properly and we never feel full. This leads to overeating and weight gain.

Get tired and sleepy: Metabolizing sugar consumes a lot of energy. That’s why you often feel tired after eating a lot of chocolate or candy. Eating less sugar will give you more energy.

Heart diseases: The liver converts excess sugar into fat which raises the cholesterol levels in your blood. High “bad” cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart diseases.

These reasons are supported by studies by The American Heart Association, Harvard University, NCBI, and American Diabetes Association. This is a short version of our full article “5 Healthy Reasons to Avoid Sugar” that you can find here.

Why do I see so many different names for sugar?

Today, there are, 61 different names for sugar. This trick is used by food manufacturers to hide added sugars in food. I’ve published the list at “61 different names for added sugar.”.

How to identify sugar on nutrition labels?

Learn how to read and easily identify sugar on any nutrition label. I’ve created an easy guide called “How to Identify Sugar on Nutrition Labels”.

What about cravings? 

During the first 3-5 days, you’ll probably feel the temptation to eat high-sugar foods like chocolate or drink soda. That’s normal because sugar is very addictive and your body has been used to high levels of sugar for a long period.

Drink water, don’t think about it, channel your energy into distracting tasks to help you forget about sugar. Have a piece of fruit for a natural sugar fix. After a couple of days, these cravings will disappear and you’ll be free of your sugar addiction.

What to do if I slip?

What’s done is done. Don’t look back but, instead, look forward. Continue with the challenge; tomorrow is a new day.

What should I do when having lunch or dinner out?

Don’t be afraid to ask the restaurant if there is added sugar in their meals. Most sauces and salad dressings contain added sugar. Grilled and boiled food are usually safe options regarding added sugar.

What about sugar on coffee or tea?

Please, do yourself a favor and stop adding sugar to your coffee or tea. The first time it’ll taste strange, because with no sugar, you really taste the flavor of coffee and tea. After your 3rd coffee/tea, the strange taste goes away and will start enjoying more the natural flavor of different coffees and the differences between types of tea.

Can I Replace sugar with honey?

A friend of mine asked me this question the other day.

Honey is made of around 95% to 99% of sugar, so is it just another name for sugar? It depends, some honey is pure sugar while others have the good stuff. Depends on the type of honey you buy. Is it a healthier alternative to sugar? It also depends how much are we talking about. Learn more about the truth about honey here.

Do you have any no sugar added deserts? 

Yes. You can find them here

What about lunch and dinner, do you have any recipes?

Yes, and yes! You can find all my sugar-free recipes here.

What about cereals?

Most cereals contain high levels of added sugar. Check the nutrition facts and find a low sugar or sugar-free cereal. You may need to visit your local health food shop to do this.

Where can I find all your posts regarding no sugar diet ?

All my posts about sugar are on the category “no sugar diet” and you can find all of them here.

Should I use artificial sweeteners ? Artificial Sweeteners have almost zero calories so what’s wrong ?

My full answer with all my thoughts and worries about artificial sweeteners explained here.

Wondering if blue agave nectar can be used in place of sugar?  by Helen

Hi Sarah, What’s wrong with Agave? It’s plant based and isn’t processed. by Abby

Thanks Helen and Abby for your questions, if you also have questions about your no sugar challenge or any other topic, use the comment section below and post your question and doubts. Thanks
Although Agave comes from a plant and we may think it’s “natural”, the truth is that is so processed that all the natural nutrients are lost on the process of making commercial agave nectar. I’ve shared a complete article about Agave and 3 healthy alternatives to agave and sugar “Is Agave Good for You ?“. Remember: the idea here is to get rid of sugar addiction so for 20 days you have to avoid sugar and any of it’s alternatives. After the 20 days, your sugar addiction is most probably gone and only after that I recommend using the healthy alternatives to sugar that I recommend on the Agave article I mentioned before.

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