Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Been cross fitting for 3 months now and trying to keep paleo but my problem is sweets, sugar, even splenda would do it for me but I know this is something I need to give up. What are my options? I Don't think I can give up sugar/ fructose!

flag	asked Sep 4 2011 at 19:28 VGFC 3●2

	what about eating lots of fruits instead of artificial sweets? – Primordial Sep 4 2011 at 19:30
	The only problem with that is burning fat and actually loosing weight. Doesn't fructose get in the way when you r also trying tonloose weight? – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 20:13
	Are you talking candy, adding to tea or coffee, on top of berries, ice cream, etc? Just a 'lil more info mebbe? – jesuisjuba - paleorepublic.com Sep 4 2011 at 20:23
	I eat fruits to try to help the sweet tooth, use 1 splenda for coffee, eat dark chocolate but when I go for it, it's the icing, the cake, the cream that kills all my hard work....almost as if I had done nothing! Weight stays or comes on!...even when I give in once a week only! – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 20:27
	You'll get through it! Just give it time :) You need to make sure you're eating enough of the right things if you're CF'ing, especially if you're in the box more than twice a week. The "gimme sweets" could be a result of lack of other things and you're going for the quick sugar fix. Search CrossFit tags here on PHacks and you'll see sample menues and such, that could help. Good luck! – jesuisjuba - paleorepublic.com Sep 5 2011 at 7:37

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vdh1979 · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-04 20:07:12Z UTC

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You can totally do it. I've been sweetener free for 2 months or more now. Even the 90% dark chocolate is sweet now when I try it. I even like the unsweetened baker's chocolate now.

Just try walking away from it for a week and you'll find you don't need it after all!

answered Sep 4 2011 at 20:07

vdh1979
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Thanks, I appreciate your response. – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 20:22

It's a lot easier of a goal if you just think of it in terms of giving it up for a week or 2. – vdh1979 Sep 4 2011 at 20:39

True! But I must just make peace with not having it period...the 1-2 week plan always has that "cheat" day in the horizon; yearning for this day makes it easier while in my case to chiefs my goal I must just quit and it's for good. Thank you for your help/support! – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 20:42

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I think you will find it much easier to make peace with not having it anymore once you actually escape it for a week or 2. Right now you are still in addiction mode thinking. – vdh1979 Sep 4 2011 at 20:52

Thank you!!, good luck to you! :-) – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 22:30

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Payam · Answer 2 · 2011-09-04 19:37:23Z UTC

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sugar craving often associated with leptin resistance and serotonin resistance.. would suggest dr. jack kruse's leptin sensitivity protocol. He is "the quilt" on paleohacks. Hopefully he will comment on here as well

answered Sep 4 2011 at 19:37

Payam
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Nicole · Answer 3 · 2011-09-04 19:46:15Z UTC

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I was like you and battled with sugar etc. for 10 months. The mental toll was just as bad as the physical side effects. I've been known to eat 6 cupcakes in one sitting and other crazy amounts of sugar. Anyways, I decided August 1st to be sugar-and all it's derivations-free. I know it seems impossible but you can do it. I've been eating meat/seafood, vegetables, and a ton of avocados and coconut flakes for the past month. I know for me that a little fruit is ok, but dried fruit would be too much sugar.

answered Sep 4 2011 at 19:46

Nicole
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	Omg!! Sounds like me......I try to quit and all I think of is sugar...like a sick addicted person....My goal right now is weight loss and I know I should just give it up...thanks for the encouragement! – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 20:18
	Yeah, for a long time I thought I was the only one like that for some reason. If I buy anything with sugar in it, even if I don't mean to eat it, it's as good as gone. One of the hardest parts has been letting my friends and family know that I'm trying to eat better. I never thought it would happen but I don't miss the sugar because I know how much I hated the internal war going on in my body/brain. – Nicole Sep 4 2011 at 20:47
	That's my goal! Thanks so much! – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 22:31

Mj · Answer 4 · 2011-09-04 22:08:38Z UTC

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Cold turkey for 30 days including all artificial sweeteners. (artificial sweeteners will just keep your brain looking for sugar.) Get starches from sweet potatoes post-workout. Sumptuous.com recently had a good blog post with a step by step guide for cutting sugar. Cold turkey really is the only way to go.

answered Sep 4 2011 at 22:08

Mj
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	Looks that way! Thanks so much! – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 22:32
	Stumptuous.com, not sumptuous – Mj Sep 5 2011 at 3:32

Travis Culp · Answer 5 · 2011-09-04 22:41:57Z UTC

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Seems possible that the CF creates a heavy glycogenic burden that isn't being repleted with starch, which is causing cravings of anything sweet. Eating more starch or doing less CF may cause these to subside.

answered Sep 4 2011 at 22:41

Travis Culp♦
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	More starch? I don't eat starches at all! :-/ – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 23:30
	Starch might fill the glucose gap in your body created by crossfit and therefore eliminate sugar cravings. – maryeeclarkisouthunting Sep 5 2011 at 2:41
	By starches are we talking sweet potatoes post work- out? Isn't paleo starch free? – VGFC Sep 5 2011 at 14:18
	True paleo is definitely not starch free. If you burn glycogen, it's much less stressful to replete it via starch vs. the catabolism of muscle or the breakdown of dietary protein. You're going to be using over 100g of glucose on a non-lifting day, so only eating it post workout is still probably not enough. – Travis Culp♦ Sep 5 2011 at 18:43

maryeeclarkisouthunting · Answer 6 · 2011-09-05 02:46:20Z UTC

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Are you eating enough fatty meat?: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2842 A lack of the amino acids present with fat and the nutrients in animal fat can manifest as sugar cravings.

answered Sep 5 2011 at 2:46

maryeeclarkisouthunting
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Mhmmm good question! I am going to pay more attention! Thanks! – VGFC Sep 5 2011 at 15:12

Jeff · Answer 7 · 2011-09-04 19:35:20Z UTC

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Dates or raw honey, some people try to avoid all fructose but as a cross-fitter you'd probably be depleting your glycogen enough so that it wouldn't be a problem. There are a bunch of questions on here debating the good and bad of both dates and raw honey.

answered Sep 4 2011 at 19:35

Jeff
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Thanks so much! – VGFC Sep 4 2011 at 20:23

Bryan de la Puente · Answer 8 · 2011-09-04 19:42:07Z UTC

I personally use pure stevia extract that doesn't have maltodextrin. just go to amazon.com or google the term and you'll find it. It has no known side effects in study after study and has been utilized for centuries in other countries. the pure stevia is better not just because of not having the maltodextrin filler but it works for baking and doesn't have nearly the after taste. Albeit developing a new healthier lifestyle does require a lot of self control in the beginning months and you may find more don't than do's, it's sooooo worth it when you get over the hump :)

Rose P. · Answer 9 · 2011-09-04 22:05:34Z UTC

I have been Paleo All gluten for 2weeks. After the first week I no longer had any cravings for sweets, and this from a women who would by a dozen doughnuts and eat them before I got home.I decide if I was going to do this I was going to do it right. I went thru every food item in my home and if it had 1 thing in it that wasn't allowed it went in a bag to be given away. I gave away7 bags of food. I'm doing this to live and have a quality of life...With all the fablous food recipes I've found, I don't need a cheat day. The difference I feel in just 2 weeks is not worth cheating, and the desire for sweets is gone...Maybe you're still eating something that isn't good for you and it is triggering the cravings. Good luck with it I remember the gnawing in my stomach to have something sweet

Angela B. · Answer 10 · 2011-09-04 22:34:13Z UTC

As a former sugar addict, I too struggled with this. Every time someone told me to just go 2 weeks or 30 days without it, I failed. What worked for me was using the same motto as alcoholics anonymous (even though I'm not an alcoholic): one day at a time. Just try to get through one day, or one hour, or one minute at a time without it. Before you know it, you will have strung together a few days and then you'll be on a streak that you don't want to ruin. Plus you'll feel better too. Remember, it's a vicious cycle: eating some will eventually cause a crash which makes your body crave more. When I was really having a tough time with it, I would go online and just google search things like "why is Splenda bad for me" or "dangers of Sweet and Low" which made the sugar-free hours/days feel a bit easier to survive. Oh, and I also ate a TON of those little baby organic carrots and apples (hey, better than artificial sweetener, right?) because it seemed like as long as I was eating something, my body didn't demand sugar as much.

Tim · Answer 11 · 2013-03-14 08:23:59Z UTC

I would say A little artificial sweetener in moderation is ok. Drink mainly water if you want some flavor try cutting up lemons and putting it in water ;) i like that one myself. I like to drink a little tea made with splenda once and awhile its ok. Paleo is not only a diet its a lifestyle.

Sugar, agave, stevia, splenda…I need it!

11 Answers