"No Sugar" - Week 2 & Beyond.

[aelmo]

My cardio was a lot worse than it is now but I wasn't specifically trying to improve it the way I am at the moment.

I don't want to be pushing myself to my limits (the way I have been recently) while knowing I'm eating in a way that's damaging my cardiovascular system. Have I personally noticed a difference? It gives me a lot more confidence to force myself through barriers (now and in the past) when I know I'm trying to keep my heart healthy (along with du'aa and reliance on Allah Ta'aalaa, of course.)

Put it this way... do we want to wait till we're busy doing cardio exercises at full intensity when the effects of regularly damaging the heart strike? :|

Well I usually just end up eating more when I eat sugar so I know that doesn’t help me and negativity effects me. I really am amazed by how much food I can eat sometimes. Something about having sugar in my system just turns my stomach into an endless pit. It’s quite gross. I don’t like it.

Ever since I started running I noticed my heart health has gotten way better. that has been the primary thing that helped me even when I was eating sugar. But even though I don’t see much of a difference there I would still recommend not eating it.

[neelu]

Well I usually just end up eating more when I eat sugar so I know that doesn’t help me and negativity effects me. I really am amazed by how much food I can eat sometimes. Something about having sugar in my system just turns my stomach into an endless pit. It’s quite gross. I don’t like it.

Ever since I started running I noticed my heart health has gotten way better. that has been the primary thing that helped me even when I was eating sugar. But even though I don’t see much of a difference there I would still recommend not eating it.

I wonder if you should be eating dates, even if it's just one date a day (or would that add to your sugar content?). There's a hadith which says something along the lines that in a house where there are no dates, the people are always hungry.

I wonder if maybe there's a connection between dates and regulating the appetite. If no sugar also means no sweet fruits or dried fruits then forget what I just said, but if you're able to include such fruits as part of a no sugar routine, then I think dates are a good idea. As I'm prediabetic, I only have 1-2 ajwa dates per day as they're tiny. I used to have mejdool dates before that or also the raqis encouraged me to have 7 ajwa dates a day but yeah, I've cut down to 1-2 in recent times.

[aelmo]

I wonder if you should be eating dates, even if it's just one date a day (or would that add to your sugar content?). There's a hadith which says something along the lines that in a house where there are no dates, the people are always hungry.

I wonder if maybe there's a connection between dates and regulating the appetite. If no sugar also means no sweet fruits or dried fruits then forget what I just said, but if you're able to include such fruits as part of a no sugar routine, then I think dates are a good idea. As I'm prediabetic, I only have 1-2 ajwa dates per day as they're tiny. I used to have mejdool dates before that or also the raqis encouraged me to have 7 ajwa dates a day but yeah, I've cut down to 1-2 in recent times.

I don’t have an issue with fruits or dates but I don’t tend to eat dates. Not for any particular reason. We have dates at home but I don’t usually eat them even in regular times. I don’t like dried fruits and such.

I find dates to be a bit too sweet. I don’t know how they will effect me but eating sugar makes me very hungry. I find the only way I can regulate my appetite is by cutting it out and I worry that if I start eating something as sweet as dates then I will be more tempted to eat sweets. With me, if I eat one then i end up eating 10.

I think in regards to that Hadith; dates can be high in calories so even just eating a few is sufficient to get your calorie intake and make you full. I’m not sure if it has anything to do with regulating your appetite (although it could, I’m not sure). But I remember another hadith mentioning that cucumbers and dates are good for gaining weight.

[aelmo]

It isn’t that I never eat dates but when I do it is usually purely for the purpose of fulfilling a sunnah like breaking a fast or something like that. I like hydrating fruits is all.

[Fakhri-bin-Ali]

Day 5 almost over.
Alhamdulillaah.

[Fakhri-bin-Ali]

On day 7 Alhamdulillaah.

Hope everyone's keeping up.

[aelmo]

Day 7 is going good.

[Rahma.]

(I do / am doing this.
I don't know how many days I'm in exactly as no-sugar is the norm for me, alhamdulillah, and sugar days are the abnormal, hence it'd be easier to count sugar days if I did count, which wouldn't be prolonged, alhamdulillah. The lifestyle doesn't appeal to me. I do like sweets, but not unhealthy frequent/regular 'junk'-eating habits and unnatural ingredients are a put off.

Last time I ate sugar was around mid October due to (new) guests visiting. (Alhamdulillah, the majority of us are no-sugar people (really appreciate this) so normally we don't have unhealthy / sugary foods / sweets / crisps / cakes / cookies, etc, in the house... helps with going a long time without eating it as it's just not there, alhamdulillah).

[Rahma.]

For anyone who wants to do this I'd say: Go for it even if no one else does. Ultimately, you do this for you - to benefit your health*, and please Allah by taking care of the Amanah / His property (I know... we forget and need reminders), and for Shukr, in sha Allah - realising how the Deen / Allah Lovingly guides and recommends us to what gives health and has designed internal mechanisms in us so our health - we - can be preserved, and how the modern ways of eating and the 'health' industry is really doing the opposite (disease/harm).

We make mistakes and we learn (hopefully). A natural, inevitable and ongoing process and reality of life. Try your best, in sha Allah, not everyone will/can do it the same and by design we have different inclinations/needs, regarding food. And I know it can be very difficult, especially when we've been raised on certain foods (so that's all we know, got habituated on), have health issues, have emotional attachments, or were never properly taught about how food / what we 'input', affects our health (*body, mind, heart, soul), and output, etc.

You know how Allah says: ".. Eat from the good [tayyib] foods and do righteous deeds." [23:51]

A teacher said this shows there's a link between eating good pure healthy foods and doing good deeds; what we eat affects the deeds we do. Kinda like: 'you are what you eat'.

That Ayah is impressive isn't it; how Allah mentions food with deeds.
I was very wow'd. Still am. Alhamdulillah. The warmth of His Love, the delight of His Care, the depth of His Words and the wonders of His numerous Gifts. For Him is abundant, pure and blessed praise. Allah forgive our shortcomings.

[Umm Uthmaan]

^

[Fakhri-bin-Ali]

On day 8.
Alhamdulillah.

How is it all going for everyone? Any no-sugar related grouchiness to report? Has it been easy so far for people starting newly...?

Let's all get to our targets, inshaa'Allah.

[aelmo]

On day 8.
Alhamdulillah.

How is it all going for everyone? Any no-sugar related grouchiness to report? Has it been easy so far for people starting newly...?

Let's all get to our targets, inshaa'Allah.

Day 8 is going good .

Im not really grouchy...yet. Although today I was looking at soil and kind of wanted to eat it. But I always get that sensation when see soil

[Abisali]

I'm delaying my no sugar attempt to until I get off of the medicine I'm on and feel stronger and breathe easier. I'm taking a steroid that keeps me hungry and alert and I made the mistake of shopping for food, alone, without a list, and lost control to my appetite. So, now I need to finish what I have, hopefully, will be gone at about the same time I'm off of the meds.

[Fakhri-bin-Ali]

On day 9 Alhamdulillaah.

[aelmo]

Day 11 is going good. I feel I’m starting to get back in the groove now. I went to the gym 3 times this week so far. That’s usually my goal but I never end up doing it.

I also just feel like eating fruit now. Not cake or anything. Just fruits.

also despite what I thought, I actually didn’t gain any weight when I was eating sugar. I really thought I did but apparently not. Very interesting.