I quit sugar for 30 days - did it affect my training?

[@michaelcarrauthers9208]

Did a year without sugar. No soda, no desserts, no candy, no sugar in coffee. 7/19/2021 to 7/19/2022. I was prediabetic at the start. Did OMAD and running. October 2021 all blood sugar levels went to normal. February 2022, blood sugar levels went BELOW normal. July 19, 2022, lost 39 pounds. Ran my 1st complete 5k in August 2022.

[@scpromark]

Awesome, well done. 😎👍🏻

[@juliafirsova574]

I have tried to have 10 days without sugar (except natural) and I totally agree with you it is possible and after a moment it is not as hard as everybody imagines it. My biggest discovery after only 10 days was that cakes, cookies, sweets did not taste as good as they did before. So I suppose it is the imagination also which adds the ''deliciousness'' to sugary food. Great willpower Ben. Excited to see which challenge you will take next.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks Julia! Yes I agree with you. Not sure of my next challenge. I’m still thinking about it all. I want it to be a good one!!

[@jnstroik]

I tried it once but having to look for things made with no sugar (such as bread) really limited options too much.

[@randomoneforstuff3696]

@@jnstroikWhat kind of bread are you eating that has added sugar lol? Wonder bread? Just get a loaf of sourdough from your local bakery or grocery store. Whole foods sells them for $6 a loaf.

[@tkeogh09]

I had very similar experience, the biggest shock for me was the amount of hidden sugars there’s out ther. Great video. Thanks

[@tihomirf4541]

like what? what was the most surprising? i might try this myself, but i want to do it properly. i have some sweets every day.

[@olgalara4153]

I have so much energy and people notice. My granddaughter, “grandma you have the same energy I do.” My husband and my sister in-law noticed my energy and this is just in the past two weeks. It’s not only my imagination it’s so real. I could go on and on

[@ערן1234]

amazing! u realiy inspired me i am sugar free for 4 days now i want to go 30 days too thank u🙏🙏

[@ThisMessyHappy]

You’ve got this! Just ride out the storm and you’ll smash it. The mind is way more powerful than we give it credit for. Good luck 👍🏻

[@shanehiggins4142]

I'm not a big KZbin person... but this video is incredibly well done... I will be doing your 30 day in January as I prep for IM Maryland

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Shane Higgins thanks mate. Really appreciate the kind words 😊

[@dianadesilva4877]

Love this video! I will give your "give up sugar" a go, in January, hoping to improve my running performance. Thanks!

[@robynhenry3966]

Well done on your editing, I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the video update all the way from South Africa 😀

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hi Robyn, thanks so much for the kind words. Greetings back from a rainy UK ☔️😂

[@ΓιωργοςΠαπαδοπουλος-γ9ε]

This channel deserves way more subs..

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks so much. Very kind 😊

[@LittleMrsW]

Four years without sugar and no regrets! I do use raw honey or coconut sugar occasionally, but mainly use stevia. It's not as hard as you might think. Totally agree with the bit about fruit tasting sweeter.

[@jackwright3098]

I thought honey was fundamentally the same thing as sugar for your body?

[@ciprian7243]

Just bumbeo into this older video - was watching youtmr more recent running videos, though KZbin finally went on and suggested something really good. Will give it a go and see what happens. Kudos for the ceackin' vids

[@bikesandlaces]

Loved watching this episode!! Cutting back the sugar is definitely something I know i should do, but like you I work in education so there are always biscuits, treats or chocolate brought in by parents!!!!

[@mlegrand]

Amazing video! Excellent work describing your month 👍

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks mate. That vlog gave me nightmares thinking I wanted to try and make it in the style of Matt D’Avella but I realised I’m more in the Casey mould. Scrappy and choppy. That’s my strength.

[@Paul-cf5nm]

Often people give up sugar and lose weight but it's not the sugar necessarily. Just the types of foods that contain sugar are usually higher in cals 💁‍♂️

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Very true! 👍🏻😊

[@abrila9523]

Great video!

[@OlympischbriesjeNadaAverage]

I've beaten smoking, lost friends and playing pool. But started running and now even finish all full distance triathlons. I've quit drinking, missing the philosophies and inspirations that comes with alcohol, even thought most are just bullshit. Gain clarity, joy for life and purposes, and my planning works out. Next is to beat sugar.

[@vincentcrowley5196]

I've been trying to give the no sugar a go. I work nights in a warehouse, physically demanding as well as doing my running. It's often tempting to drink energy drinks or cola to keep going, and snack on chocolate bars or Haribos , though I do bring coffee with me. I do notice though that more sugar leaves me feeling worse later, tired and slightly sick .

[@lesliedykstra4014]

My father was a no sugar, no processed food, nothing white... So I grew up not eating a lot of sugar, but I love salt. I could eat rock salt by the hand full, I know, not good. I made a decision to stop with adding salt to food. Like you and sugar, I had that craving after about a week. Saw my husband sitting munching chips and would be hard. But after a while, got use to it, and when I did have something with salt in it, I could really taste it, your taste buds get use to the new normal, and now I have no problem. It is hard not to get anything with sugar in it in the US. It is added to everything, but I look at the ingredients and make my own stuff from scratch most the time, and always have fresh vegies and fruits. There are a lot of documentaries regarding sugar, processed food, and affects on your health, not just obesity, heart issues and diabetes, but as you mention a little, a more level clock/ rhythms, mentally there are differences.

[@Benfipost]

cake cake cake! :-) nicely done! I think I'll have a go and see how long I can hold out :-)

[@ThisMessyHappy]

If you set an end date it makes it so much easier. Good luck and let me know how it goes! 💪🏻👍🏻

[@johannestebbert7221]

Great video man!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks buddy 😊

[@wallyevans4228]

For us transitioning our carnivore diet from decades past to all plant based without oils fats and sugars has made a continuous health improvement. I then picked up trail running and hope to do my first Ultra next year (I’ll be 69 then) 👍🏽

[@irawhitlock1084]

Love stumbling across these older videos. Got me thinking about diet. Would like to drop quite a few lbs. Could help improve my running I bet.

[@mootje333]

This inspired me to do a 30 (maybe 40) day sugar fast. Thank you!

[@N3wt199]

im in my forth week of no caffeine, no alcohol, no energy drinks and Drinking 4 litres of water a day... things are looking good so far...

[@JaimeeLauren]

I’ve been off all processed sugar and natural sweeteners. I still consume fruit. I started to gain weight recently and realised it was because I was drinking fruit juice. I thought because it was natural it would be fine but I was swallowing mouthfuls of fructose in quantities I would never have been able to eat had I been consuming whole fruits. I’ve cut out the fruit juice too and my weight has started to go back down to normal. I’m an all or nothing type of person and sugar is so addictive that if I have one chocolate I will want more each day. Cutting out this stuff completely has been hugely beneficial for me and not feeling the “need” to consume sugar has been mentally freeing too.

[@carlaportocarrero6464]

Ok, I'm in!!! I'm a Vegan but still eat a lot of sugary snacks and here in Mèxico we drink a lot of water prepared with fruits like juices but adding water and lots of sugar, so that is not allowed. 🤪 Let's see how it works!!! Greetings from Guadalajara, Jalisco México.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ooh good luck! Let me know how it goes. Make sure you stay strong in the dark times 😂

[@carlaportocarrero6464]

@@ThisMessyHappy I'll try!!! 😩 But yes, I'll let you know. 😋

[@Tulin730]

When we went no sugar, we made ketchup out of beets. It's pretty good. Takes maybe a little to get use to, but it's a great alternative.

[@richardcollins586]

So hard to give up sugar and I’ve beaten nicotine addiction and that felt easier!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Yeah man it was bloody awful at first. It did help that I was also reading David Goggins book. No excuses.

[@RecreationalRunner]

really interesting vlog, sugar is my biggest issue, so might try this too

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thanks buddy. And good luck. Just give it an end point and you can beat anything. And you’ll be stronger mentally for it as well 👍🏻

[@Sandalwoodrk]

I lowered my sugar intake and I also experienced fresh fruit suddenly tasted even better, like I could taste it more vividly

[@annahunt6578]

Swapping out refined sugar and processed foods with fruit is a great move! And if I have five super ripe juicy golden mangoes on hand, it's easy to pick those instead of the doughnut or biscuts.

[@jamescole30]

Unreal effort! Since I've been running cut loads of stuff out so dont really eat much rubbish and have a good diet. But I found it hard to cut it out totally working a 3 shift pattern on afternoons and nights you need something to keep you going at times when you only have a few hours sleep a night cause kids are always up crack of dawn, coffee is the only thing to keep me going normally 2 or 3 before 10 am lol. Really good vlog

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Yeah that’s a tricky one. What job do you do? I read something the other day about how bad shift work is for health. Must be really hard and also easy to turn to the sugar in low times! Hmmm 🤔 that’s a tough situation

[@jamescole30]

I'm a machinest making door/window/stair components and run a line so have to do the shifts. The hardest part is it messes with your sleep from night shift one week to mornings the week after kills me off then get early with the kids. But all well worth it! I try to eat healthy and do 90% of the time! But the best part is knocking out slow long runs and running seems to clear the head and tiredness, its that one thing that I can forget about everything and just chill, my true happy place! 👍

[@ThisMessyHappy]

True that. Exercise is definitely my happy place 👍🏻

[@scpromark]

I stopped taking processed sugar and crisps (chips) on January 1st 2023. I didn’t miss it one bit, not even ice-cream and I use to describe ice-cream as the food of the gods. I did read Allan Carr’s book “Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating” (twice) which helped no end. My mind set now is “sugar is poison”.

[@bouffon1]

There's no difference between natural and processed sugars, that is to say they both are unhealthy. One form of sugar, fructose especially, as found in fruits, is also to be avoided. But you did reduce sugar intake, which merits a thumbs up.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thank you kindly 😊

[@Surfsailwaves]

Thanks - I belatedly tried this, after years of fooling myself that I could eat junk because I do lots of exercise. This took me to pre-diabetes. My sugar-free approach was to cut all processed carbs (rice, pasta, biscuits, bread). I noticed many of the same benefits that Ben reports so well in this video. I would add that some skin lesions also cleared up, as did a very long standing hip pain (what I imagine to be arthritis). This hip issue was a warm-up regular: simply had to endure a painful first 200m, for many months. It could be coincidental but the skin and hip issues have been history since I reduced processed carbs. (I still eat a lot of fruit, but won’t touch fruit juice.) My main issue now is how to deal with cake and pizza cravings…

[@northernninjarunner5506]

Mary was Ben a bit of a grumble bum for November? Good on you for giving it up. I got ill a few years ago l had to give up alcohol, tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, chocolate and anything spicy for 4 months. You’re body does change and it definitely gets easier as the weeks go by.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ha ha I was more than just a grumble bum. I was awful in the early days. It was like torture!! 😂

Sugar in moderation is just a carb. There's no need to remove the sugar in the coffee if you don't drink much.

[@ballinblaza]

Last year i went 34 days with no sugar. no caffeine. no breads or pastas. no yeast. You would think after a month you would feel good? That wasnt the case. i felt horrible every day. I think it takes the body a super long time to adjust and withdrawal all of the toxins out of your system.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Totally. I would also think cutting out everything all at once would almost be like a trauma for the body? I’d suggest but by bit next time 😂

[@irondistance4313]

Well done, I need to at least cut adding sugar to my coffee, the treats out. I’m ready to make the move from 5’10” 170lbs back down to 160 and start living at race weight.

[@bhikkubodhi]

Interesting. With the increase in dietary acidity from the apples watch out for tooth erosion risk. Never brush afterwards and dont rinse when you do.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Thank you very much for the feedback. Very true as well. I’ll be trying to balance it out now. Everything in moderation. I’m just stronger mentally.

[@theunknown21329]

Only after cutting sugar you realise how much you were consuming through processed foods without knowing it.

[@Fleed907]

I always crave sweet and a diet fizzy after meals and especially at night

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Have you tried to quit and see what happens after 14 or so days? It’s rough at first but amazing later on!

[@Fleed907]

@@ThisMessyHappy I tried.. but I quickly fail when I am stressed and just want a “happy” meal 😅 I quit sugary fizzy drinks for years now but I keep drinking the diet version like twice a week. I plan to quit these too

[@SebastianTrii]

the music while talking is annoyning... great vid great info but sometimes hard to lisen

[@2spoons]

I'm only have way through this and thought to mention as I've been watching what I eat for years at its fuel or its not on the plate if its not needed.... but wit pizza's and I love pizza's..... Make your own... its really easy and that way you not what processes oil is in it or not.... (and garden pizza ovens are serious fun)

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Definitely! Make your own food and you know what goes in to it 😊👍🏻

[@refatrabadi6656]

Cutting down sugar is not the same as cutting down on carbs .. what about starches potatoes bread and pasta and rice. Did you give those up.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Why would I give up complex carbs? Are you a lunatic?! 😂 just kidding. But the overwhelming weight of evidence says carbs are key for training. Even though sugars are simple carbs, I wanted to see what happened without them but still maintaining unprocessed complex carbs 😊

[@refatrabadi6656]

@@ThisMessyHappy I agree with you I just wanted to know from an runners endurance athlete’s point of view on Carbs . Others view which I can’t imagine running on a Keto diet with limiting to avoiding carbs to eliminate … inflammation to insulin resistance. As a an endurance runner am still searching personally to find balance of protein fats and not feeling guilty of giving up on the much needed carbs….which I agree with you ….

[@nikolai1714]

The music is a bit too loud when you talk in the car, otherwise brilliant.

[@jacobvandermeulen1970]

You make it sound that eating four pieces of fruit per day is a weird thing!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

😂 good shout. I eat plenty of fruit but have definitely increased my apple eating

[@robbristle5642]

Fruit is NATURE’S sugar. Fruit along with the soluble and insoluble fiber SLOWS DOWN the absorption of glucose in the intestines. This leads to a slow gradual increase in insulin produced by the pancreas.

[@vincenthalman3596]

I did also quit with sugar for things like in my coffee. People say 'you get used to it' well I think thats true but I am still convinced that coffee with sugar just tastes better for me. But I still drink it without haha.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

I know how you feel dude. I’m the same. Convinced it will be better with sugar but carrying on without 😂

[@natalie-obrien]

Good video i am going into 2023 with a new mantra sugar free 2023 going to cut out process sugar and eat natural sugar 🙏😁

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Oooh good luck. Hope you smash it 😊

[@jamesrenwick6130]

Well done Ben. I quit smoking 10 years ago but I don’t think I could quit the ketchup😂

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ha ha you could move on to the sugar free ketchup! But to be honest after a bit more research I found the 50% less is actually better as it contains no sweetener. The sugar free one does 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@bugulartell]

Hey Cous, it's Lee, great vid, don't worry bout the weight im pushing 15st lol, but I am 6'5"

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hey Cous! How are you? Yep you can hide weight better when you’re 6”5 😂 what happened with your weight when you stopped smoking?

[@bugulartell]

@@ThisMessyHappy it's been over 6 years now, I didn't put on much to start with, but as I'm now safely over the metabolism threshold age wise, I do put it on easier, I snack too much and too often, very tempted to give up the sugar for a month too, I was 11 1/2 St when I quit smoking, but I was very underweight for my height, now I'm a bit the other way!

[@berliozchick]

Interesting, but I wonder if you could clarify what you counted as "sugar" - only refined glucose? So no naan breads or crackers? What about energy gels? Honey? Greek yogurt or soy beverages? I agree, once refined glucose is cut, everything tastes better and you feel healthier.

[@stargazerbird]

Was it just the junk foods though? If you gave up just flour or just added processed fats would you get the same result? It’s the combination of fat and sugar in equal amounts with hyper processing that is the problem.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

No not just junk food. All sugar! It was horrendous but I felt amazing at the end of it 😊😂

[@cypriano8763]

here it is. ive been plant based for like 8 years, almost 48. i eat a lot good, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds but i also love desert, sweets, candy, maple syrup, chocolate etc .... up until last year my resting hr was under 40 and blood pressure 100/50. now its more like 45 and 115/75. i dont eat consume meat, dairy or eggs, ie very low sat or cholesterol. so whats making the blood pressure go up, even slightly. this means plaque formation, thats bad! gotta cut out the processed oils and refined carbs too, from white flower( bread/pasta), to candy, almost all oils. thats something vegans and the whole foods plant based crew minimizes, processed foods and refined carbs are no better for your health than meat, dairy or eggs. in reality both low and high carbers are right, unprocessed, organic, low glycemic, low saturated fat and cholesterol foods are optimal for health.if you cant keep your arteries clear, the battle is lost

[@nimareverse1975]

Hi Ben, great video as always. Any suggestion for fitness tracking watch specially for running please?

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hi! I’d say any garmin is amazing. Find the one at your most comfortable price point but make sure it has GPS and a heart rate monitor (the wrist heart rate is useless) 👍🏻

[@nimareverse1975]

Thanks Ben👍

[@northernninjarunner5506]

What about races with things like gels/ bars?

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Yeah I’ll definitely be using gels. This 30 days just helped me be mentally stronger and to allow me to pick and choose the sweet treats rather than eat all of them always 😂

[@simjc74]

Congrats cutting out processed sugar for a whole month. If you are up for it, try your next experiment doing a Keto (ketogenic) diet, specifically healthy keto.

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Hmmm I’m not sure that would be a great diet for an endurance athlete to be honest. I’m not sold on the evidence. Carbs is my energy and I’ve seen a lot of people try LCHF and fall apart on rides with me.

[@simjc74]

@@ThisMessyHappy I totally understand. I was very skeptical myself when I first stumbled across keto, but when one loses over 2 stone without doing exercise and everybody notices. One cannot ignore it. However, on the running front, I use to be able to (~10yrs ago, do 3.5miles). I'm starting running up again recently, although it has taken a pause, as I focussed on doing keto 100%, it has to be an all-in diet wise, as doing 50%-70% will just not work. A good channel that has very digestible (pun intended) content to watch is Dr. Eric Berg DC. You will possibly find some videos on endurance exercise there too.

[@RePaperBag]

just fyi, dr eric berg is a hack.

[@shredit4983]

this music is like nails on a chalk board

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Made you comment though 😉😂 seriously though this was a few years ago. Video making is an evolution I’ve found. Should be better nowadays 😊

[@shredit4983]

@@ThisMessyHappy i watched all they way to the end despite the music, because your content and advice is excellent

[@L_niel_1003]

How’s it going two years later?

[@stedoesstuff]

I might give this a try! Did you cut out beer / wine?

[@ThisMessyHappy]

You’re not going to like this answer but I gave up alcohol 8 years ago 😂 I wanted to see if I could do it for a year and after that year I didn’t miss it at all so I just carried on trucking 💪🏻🤟🏼

[@ballinblaza]

Thats the best answer ever though. Quiting alcohol is the best possible thing anyone can ever do. Nothing good ever comes from drinking EVER

[@jabxjab1]

Oh... That loud music, tired and closed halfway 😢

[@ThisMessyHappy]

And messaged me just to tell me 😂

[@jabxjab1]

@@ThisMessyHappy otherwise how could you know that? Ohter than than that, you are making a great content. Keep it up 👍

[@ThisMessyHappy]

I know I’m only messing around. That video was about 3 years ago though so I like to think I’ve evolved a bit 😊 thank you for the kind words. All positivity from me 🤟🏼

[@Maxandshe]

I read that sugar is sugar is sugar whether in fruit or chocky 😢😢. Is it true!!!

[@ThisMessyHappy]

In the sense that the body sees it as carbohydrate yes. But it’s not all even like that. The body sees all carbs as carbs whether it’s from sweets, sweet potatoes, popcorn, fruit, chocolate but they’re all different in terms of GI and GL so hit different 😊

[@mariaforsdyke7660]

Love you two so much, such motivational people 💪🏻🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ahh thanks Maria. That’s very kind of you to say 😊

[@EinarHagen]

Good video, but that was a lot of annoying music.... :)

[@karvn1148]

should be renamed "added" or "free" sugars.

[@zuberimoiz]

The music is so annoying

[@okantichrist]

Sweet food is addictive 🤷🏻‍♂️ This isn’t news.

[@TheEpicBeastyGamerPlays]

Sugar = poison.

[@Neil2022]

Wine, beer and gin in the fridge door🤣

[@ThisMessyHappy]

Ha ha I blame the in-laws! I’m a boring tee totaller 🤓