As a morbidly obese woman, I recall the many times a well-meaning healthcare practitioner permitted me to indulge in sugar with the dietary advice of “everything in moderation.” Not once was I told to consider a no- or low-sugar diet.
The key strategy I discovered through my weight-loss journey is the importance of adopting a low-sugar diet. And, like me, perhaps you are addicted to sugar, as I’ve written about here: 5 Strategies for Food Addiction When You’re Losing Control. Or maybe, like me, you’ve been diagnosed with chronic health issues like fatty liver disease, pre-diabetes, or even type 2 diabetes.
How a Low-Sugar Diet Can Lead to Weight-Loss Victory
After my non-alcoholic fatty liver disease diagnosis, I knew it was time to find alternative solutions to my weight-loss woes.
For three frustrating decades, I had been counting calories, eating less, moving more, and doing everything in moderation. I even followed a liquid-only diet for a year. I lost weight by drinking nothing but protein shakes, but the weight returned in the maintenance phase when the menu included whole wheat bread, pasta, and potatoes. I was devastated. I did not know that bread, pasta, and potatoes were sugar. Those are just a few examples of foods high in carbohydrates. Carbs are sugar; sad but true. In response to this new knowledge, I regained my health once and for all.
While researching the health consequences and causes of my fatty liver disease, I read a simple sentence that changed my life, “Sugar is a major hormone disruptor.” I also learned that the hormone insulin is a fat-storing hormone. I found the key to finally winning my decades-old weight-loss battle. I immediately committed to a no-sugar journey to heal my hormones and my overall health.
My testimony includes my physical, emotional, and (most importantly) spiritual healing. I am passionate about seeing people discover the sweet freedom of a sugar-free lifestyle. I have three tips for your body, mind, and spirit that will provide practical and motivating methods to achieve weight-loss victory through a low-sugar healthy lifestyle.
Tips to Adopt a Low-Sugar Diet
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Physical success
First, I always recommend taking a step-by-step approach to your low-sugar journey. A gradual reduction in sugar will help you avoid withdrawal symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and moodiness. Plus, as you experience daily success, you will be motivated to make the next best choice for your health. I always remind my clients that small habits build and deliver big results. Set yourself up for success with this step-by-step approach.
Next, as you decide which foods to cut from your diet, begin selecting whole and unprocessed foods to nourish your body. Select foods that will satiate you and will, in turn, help curb cravings for sugar and junk food. Foods high in protein, like meats, fish, eggs, and dairy, are much more satiating than carbohydrates, and they will keep you full longer. Here is a bonus tip: you can find these satiating foods by simply shopping the perimeter of your grocery store, cutting your shopping time in half!
A final tip for your physical health is to incorporate activities into your day that will help your metabolism. Begin with good sleep, which is extremely important for your weight-loss journey. Reduce stress through physical exercise and periods of rest. Again, weight-loss is ultimately about your hormone health. When you’re stressed, the hormone, cortisol, may spike, sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.
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Emotional changes
The mind battle may be the hardest part of any weight-loss journey. So, an important first step is identifying triggers and emotional patterns related to sugar and carbs consumption. Being honest with yourself may be difficult but necessary work. Start by asking yourself two “why” questions. Why do I need to lose weight? And, more importantly, why did I get here in the first place? Grab a journal and begin documenting your journey.
Second, identify moments in your day that suck you into emotional eating. What are you feeling? Do you see a pattern? Prepare for these moments by having a few strategies in place. What stress reduction techniques or mindfulness practices can you implement immediately? Early in my quitting sugar journey, I would clean out an area of my home that needed organizing to distract myself from emotional eating. Being productive helped me feel like I was accomplishing something I had neglected for a long time, so I was delighted to finish it! It was a win for my physical and emotional health. Exercising, reading, crafting, and enjoying outdoor activities are other alternatives.
My third tip for your emotional health: set realistic goals and stay motivated. Making progress with the step-by-step approach to quitting sugar leads to a sense of accomplishment. Have a mindset to accomplish your goals in chunks. I coach the PACT goal setting technique, which focuses on daily output, not an overwhelming goal that may seem impossible (like losing one hundred plus pounds). PACT stands for purposeful, actionable, continuous, and trackable. Remember, keep your plans realistic. Your emotional health will improve with each victory in this battle!
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Spiritual journey
If have been longing for lasting weight-loss victory, one of the first things I must tell you is, I get you. I know where you are, where you’ve been, and where you long to be. I tell you this to encourage you. Surround yourself with a faith-based community that understands you, too. As a formerly obese woman, it’s my passion to coach and keep you accountable in your journey. A community of people who understand this will be a place to share your experiences and find encouragement from people just like you!
Next, I understand you have regrets over this dieting rollercoaster, regrets which create guilt and shame. An important aspect of this step is to confess your behavior and poor choices in your spiritual journey with Jesus. When going before God with this battle, He offers forgiveness. He invites you to drop the weight of your burdens at the foot of the cross. God is gracious and provides grace to you freely. Don’t get bogged down in regret, guilt, and shame.
The final tip for your spiritual health is to consider where God is leading you to care for your whole health. A key verse in my SugarFreed™ Me coaching method reminds us how God can satisfy every imaginable craving of our body, mind, and spirit.
In Psalm 4:7 (NIV), David writes, “Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.”
The heart is the wellspring of life, and as we pursue a healthy lifestyle, this is paramount. A healthy heart is a mechanism for a lifestyle transformation. A transformed heart happens when we handle our emotions, examine our thoughts, ask for motivation, run with courage, and take action! Write Psalm 4:7 in your journal to remind yourself that God will truly satisfy you with great, unimaginable joy.
A transformative lifestyle
Ditching sugar will catapult you onto the weight-loss success you’ve been striving for when you take the holistic approach and consider your whole health—body, mind, and spirit. In hindsight, I experienced my ultimate victory through the transformation of my heart. God has filled my heart with joy greater than I could have imagined.
This lifestyle transformation is available for you, too. Take these tips and implement them today. Sugar, carbs, and processed foods lead to dysfunctional hormone health, and with a new approach and better understanding, you, too, can be set free. Live SugarFreed™ with me!
About the Author
Christine Trimpe is a former casual Christian. Now, she is passionate about Christ, coaching, coffee, and connecting with you. Christine’s transformation story will inspire your own SugarFreed™ Me story with Jesus. If you want physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, Christine will help you to delight in God’s word for lasting life transformation. You can get her award-winning book here: Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke. Learn more about Christine at ChristineTrimpe.com and find her free e-book, Crush Your Cravings: The Ultimate Wellness Guide for Christian Women.
Susan, thank you for the honor of sharing with your readers. For the glory of God!
With Joy,
Christine Trimpe
Great info as always! Sugar free is worth the effort it take to be free from that addictive item 🙂
Thanks for reading!
I love sweets, but know too much is not good for our health. So thank you for posting this!
When you have a spouse that says, “I don’t want to eat like you. You eat what you want and I’ll eat what I want!” Which is usually pop tarts, chips and dip, bread with butter and peanut butter, candy, cakes, etc. And his health is suffering for it. I love him dearly, but he’s just not on board with me at all. That’s part of my struggle. The other is my snacking at night when I’m watching my favorite shows. I turn the sound to mute when commercials come on to stop the insane mind control over the food commercials that just pummel us with bad food.
Now I’m trying to snack on an apple or some kind of fruit. Cuz I know I’ll give into my spouses bad habits when he keeps offering me his snacks. Its hard, and sometimes I get upset with him. He doesn’t seem to understand I don’t want to be sick the rest of my life. He’s 80 and I’m 75, so it’s hard to be around him when he tempts me.
Nyla,
That is so difficult. It sounds like you may have Candi. Did you take my quiz CandiQuiz.com? Try it to see.
In the evening, I pop organic heirloom popcorn and top it with coconut oil (a beneficial oil) and dulse and kelp (sea vegetables). Talk about delicious. Your husband will want some of your healthy delicious snack (my three daughters do)!
Ask your husband to please respect your dietary changes and you will respect his. Ask him to not tempt you with his unhealthy snacks that do not contain any nutritional value. Maybe leave the room when he is eating them.
Blessings on changing your well-being.