No Flour, No Sugar Diet
The No Flour, No Sugar Diet is written by Dr Peter Gott - a popular health columnist and medical practitioner. Subtitled "The Simplest Way to Lose Weight", the book is based on a simple answer: Eliminate all foods that are flour-based or contain added sugars.
The book is currently sitting in the bestseller lists - perhaps indicative of our desire for a simple solution. The trouble is, a truly simple solution wouldn't fill a book, and to fill up a book, simple can become convoluted.
The Basics
Eliminating flour and sugar effectively reduces the amount of "empty" calories from your diet. Many of these foods (based on refined carbohydrates) are also high in fat (pizza, donuts, etc).
The premise is a good one. Despite all the contrary dietary advice of recent years - there does seem to be a growing consensus about refined carbohydrates: We eat too much of them and they provide us with little nutritive value - not to mention the issue of glycemic response.
No Flour, No Sugar addresses the finer points of reading food labels (and determining what is a flour or sugar). The book also gives a nod to the value of exercise - suggesting half an hour a day. In keeping with simplicity Dr Gott doesn't bother with complex phases or waves - from Day 1 you "simply" eliminate flours and sugars.
Inconsistencies
In Dr. Gott's introduction he mentions that "no one wants to be bothered with counting calories" and "you don't want to memorize daunting lists of food". However as you progress through the book, you do indeed come across daunting lists of food, and a detailed chart of daily calorie requirements.
Like many diet authors, Gott takes great pains to deride "fad diets", and in particular low-carb diets. What is ironic here, is that by reducing refined carbs (i.e. flour and sugar) from your diet - you are, by default, embarking on a form of a low or reduced carb diet. This is unless you continue (or begin) to eat lots of rice or potatoes (which are perfectly acceptable in this diet).
Practicality?
Simple in concept may not necessarily be simple in execution. The No Flour, No Sugar Diet has 80 pages (almost half the book) devoted to meal plans and recipes. Call me cynical, but if the diet is as simple as dropping flour and sugar, then why do we need loads of recipes?
For a person who lives on pizza, bread rolls, and donuts - suddenly eating Spiced Edamame and Vietnamese Shrimp Wraps (p. 101) may present something of a challenge.
Conclusion
If the average person removed flour and sugar-based foods from their diet they would probably experience weight loss. These kind of foods make a large part of our modern diet, and, in my opinion, are at the root of many health issues.
Gott has the right premise, but fails to address behavioural issues - or the reason why we eat the way we do. Those who are already familiar with the basic mechanics of healthy weight loss will find nothing new here.
Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet by Peter H Gott. 186 pages, available at Amazon.
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Staying away from flour and sugar has tremendous health benefits. I have ulcerated colitis and flour and sugar are poisoins.When I was talking to a cab driver in puerto Rico he called refined sugar poisoin and they raise sugar cane there. Just to get some ideas do a search on the SCD diet and Elaine Gottschall. She has passed away now but she was a Dr. and discovered diet had a lot to do wit Chrons disease which her son had. There is a Dr. here in town who has a son with autism. He has put him on a no flour no sugar and NO PROCESSED lunch meats which are popisoin and his son is much better. He makes his own hot dogs. They are finding out that the SCD type diet is VERY helpful with autism When you do a search also search for SCD recipes. You will find a lot to mresearch and you can gain some info about differant foods. The scd diet is extremely strict but you can gain some guidelines such as apple juice. Most of it has added sugar. Buy apple cider in the store and also I found apple juice at Wal Mart with no added sugar. You want to know about sugars get a recipe book for diabetics. I love fruit cocktail in light syrup no sugar added but one should still rinse it with water. I got this from a diabetic.I am going to add some of this to my web site www.drgottsdiet.com By the way I get Hebrew National hot dogs as they do not have all the preservants. There is bacon at Wal Mart and probably else that has no sugar. Look for the incospicious pile of bacon.
ReplyDoes anyone know if it's OK to eat a little honey on your yogurt or oatmeal?
ReplyNo honey allowed, per the book. There is a recipe for a fig-date syrup in the book that may be a good substitute. Or maybe add fruit?
ReplyI do no know if this is allowed or not, but since the other sugars mentioned are high-glycemic, maybe switching to low-glycemic sugars would be an option, although still in moderation.
I have enjoyed agave syrup for its taste, of course, and it happens to be low-glycemic, according to various reports.
ReplyI have to disagree with the notion that "all" flour should be avoided. My family has never brought refined flour, processed sugar (except for use in coffee!), or anything fattier than eggs into the house for years. We bought a Breadman bread machine and use 100% organic whole wheat flour in it--delicious at about $1/loaf. If you don't buy refined garbage, you won't eat it! It's refreshingly easy.
If you want to get scared and motivated, read an article called "The Way We Eat Now" from Harvard magazine (available free on-line). Just because certain foods are sitting on the shelf in grocery stores and in fast food joints doesn't mean they're not killing us. We're a pathetic country when it comes to allowing special interests run rampant and spend billions to brainwash us (and our children for crying out loud!) into eating poison. A great book to get from your library is "In Defense of Food." I prefer getting the facts and letting them drive my dietary decisions! Thanks for indulging my rant.
Replywell, i started a diet with no sugar some months ago and i lost 22 pounds since then. I believe the better part is that your cravings just disappear. i started a new blog with my diet if you like check my link.
ReplyGood luck, the worst part is the first days, but then everything just turns so easy.
hello! i was wondering if peanut butteris okay to eat? many brands put a little bit of sugar in it tho..
Replywhat about unrefined cane sugar??
ReplyWhat about NO Sugar. Which part of NO don't you understand?
ReplyAs long as it's accompanied by a sufficient amount of soluble fiber. Fiber makes sugar trickle slowly into the blood stream. Regardless of corn syrup, sugar, sugar cane, etc....without fiber--it's high glycemic.
ReplySome stores have centers for grinding nut butters. I like to use these sources instead and opt for almond butter when I can, although it does cost more.
Sometimes, I may eat some peanut butter too, still opting to grind my own at the store. :)
ReplyKaryna, Peter Pan has a no sugar added peanut butter that is okay to eat and it tastes better than the natural ones
ReplyMy family has been on the Dr. Gott diet for about a week. The problem is that all the recipes seem to call for Splenda. My mother is allergic to Splenda. Does anyone have any ideas on what we could substitute it with?
Replybefore I heard of dr. gott I eliminated all refined foods and most white foods from my diet. no, I did not exclude cauliflower but I did eliminate white potatoes and bananas noticing when I partook of these I became hungry shortly afterwards. My one weakness is popcorn and I still eat it whenever I want. On the first 6 months I lost 80lb and have kept it off for two years. I am going to purchase his recipe book for additions ideas but I love not every being hungry (not that that is the only reason people eat).
ReplyDoes anyone know if dates are allowed. I think it should be as it is a fruit.
ReplyAlso if anyone is looking for no sugar added candy, Walmart has quite a few kinds in the candy section. Walmart also has chocolate/vanilla no sugar added pudding which you can try. I have also seen no sugar added rice pudding at Traders Joes.
I have been on this diet for more than 3 weeks now and have lost 4 lbs. It is not very difficult. The key is patience. Like to thank everyone for all the information on this board. It really encourages you and let others know of any foods/snacks that you may discover that are allowed in this diet so that all of us can benefit.
Hello All, I have been reading many of your comments and encouraging words about the no sugar no flour diet. I have always been a bigger gal myself and so want to lose weight I think I have tried every fad diet that there is and may lose some pounds but once I fall of the wagon it seems to magically re-appear:) I have been told that this is one of the hardest diets to stick to but I am going to try it but with all of the success stories I have to try it. I am not much of a sweets fan my problem is more along the chips and potatos Any suggestions that anyone has to get past that craving would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks much!!
ReplyWendy, you might want to try Triscuit or corn chips that do not have corn flour. Read the labels carefully to make sure it does not have any kind of flour in the ingredients. There are some corn chips that are made of corn and not corn flour.I think you can still have reduced amounts of potatoes in the form of french fries or a baked potatoe. I have subsituted my cravings with fruits & vegetables. Hope that helps.
ReplyThank you very much it will help. I happen to notice tonight as a matter of fact that some corn tortilla chips says only whole corn and vegetable oil. Some ingredients can read a little tricky. Thanks again
ReplyHave you tried making your own in the oven?
I love to make homemade sweet potato chips. I use a mandolin to evenly slice them, then I pop them in the oven at about 425 degrees. They cook in less than 15 minutes, on average, but check often.
I serve them with mustard. Sometimes I cook them with herbed olive oil and sea salt for added flavor too. :)
Enjoy!
ReplyI too have tried every diet in the book. I consider this as a way of eating. I have lost 25 lbs so far and I do eat chips/Ruffles,Fritos,Tostitos/just read the label and make sure there is no flour or sugar in the list of ingredients. Heartland makes a pasta that you can eat 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat and Prego Marinara sauce has no added sugar. Use low fat sour cream to make dips with. Knorr soup has a vegetable soup packet that you can put with the sour cream to make a dip. You can also have velveta cheese dip. It's okay to have some just don't over do it. Best of luck to you!!!
ReplyHey I know that drinking a cold beer would be out of the picture on this diet, Is there any kind of alcohol that would be ok if a person felt like having a mixed drink or something????
ReplyOn South Beach you can have a glass of red wine after the 1st two weeks
ReplyWendy, I do drink beer and Captian Morgan!! Lost weight anyway! Just don't do it all the time and I think you'll be okay.
ReplySprouts carries flourless bread as does Whole Foods, Central Market and Market Street. Eldorado a bread made in California is the best. Ezeikel makes flourless English muffins.
ReplyI have been doing the no sugar, no flour diet for about 2 weeks. I've yet to see any weightloss. Have other people experienced this? I've been very good about what foods I eat, but I'm thinking my portions must be too large. What have you done to combat this? Part of the reason I started the no sugar, no flour was so that I didn't have to calorie count or count points.
Any ideas?
ReplyMaybe you are intolerant to certain foods? Perhaps, a food journal will help you to see a common type of food that you may eat more frequently than others. Then, try and eliminate that particular food and replacing it with other options instead.
Also, sometimes a person just needs to make sure they drink enough water and get enough consistent good sleep. That can help alot too, along with relaxation and good stress management. :)
ReplyI have just started Dr Gott's no flour no sugar diet, I was able to check out the book at the library. He also has a cookbook and some of the recipes sounded good, but I am on this site in search of things other people are eating that I may not be thinking about. So it don't come to be repetitive. I, like many others have tried all the diets. I like the fact that this is like the Atkins diet but I am allowed other things to keep it from being so boring. I can say I haven't watched the fat & calories but I haven't been ravenous either. That in itself is a real victory. I have found I can eat salsa, fat free refried beans with added hot sauce (like a bean dip) with tortilla chips, I make spanish rice, I will put a roast in the crock pot with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and then add butter and sourcream. I think I will try to make Chili with out tomato soup and use juice or cut canned tomatoes instead. I do eat popcorn,butter corn puffs, and potato chips (you pretty much have to buy them plain when you check the flavored potato chips they have sugar listed). I have eaten bacon (that's not sugar cured) & cheese on eggs, there are some breakfast sausages out there without sugar but they are harder to find, you could use ground pork and add seasonings to make your own breakfast sausage. Hashbrowns are a good breakfast food that I have not eaten, but have heard we can have. I have eaten canned white northern beans which our very filling, add a little onion and butter. I am not much on cornbread, but I hear it can be made on this diet. Oatmeal is a good fiber filling food. By no means do you have to go hungry on this diet. You just have to read labels Big time. I have hot sauce in my home that don't contain sugar and some hot sauce that does, so you just can't assume (read the label). I am definitely interested in success stories regarding this diet, hope to be one myself because so far it's been good eating. If I am wanting something sweet I eat sugar free fat free chocolate or vanilla cook pudding made with skim milk, don't think you can have the instant has maltodextrin in it. Hope this helps someone out there to see it don't have to be boring on this diet. Got to run in search of other wonderful foods I can have. Thanks for all the prior post I am learning a few more items I can have. As a fellow dieter best of luck to you.
ReplySugar is sugar--it matters not where it comes from.
Fruit, Juice even milk has lactose--so avoid.
ReplyOk I would like to chime in here and tell you my secret. The no-flour, no-suger plan is excellent. For a sugar addict like myself I have to stay away from the added sugars. What I have found is a daily breakfast that gives me energy and starts the day perfectly. I now eat these if I have a craving at night. Great snack and in between food. Take 4 eggs, 1 cup of ricotta cheese(but I replace with cream cheese sometimes), 1 cup or more of quick oats (add that in last for thickness) with a teaspoon or two of vanilla. Sounds like a bad combo but now mix it up and cook it like a pancake(Makes about 6-8)Sprinkle with cinnamon and I put sugar free rasberry jam and a touch of low sugar peanut butter topping. Lots of protein, dairy, no flour and no sugar. It fills you up and spike the energy, Great for a pre workout snack too. I actually now make a huge batch of pancakes, put it in the fridge and nuke it whenever i need to. I learned this in overeaters anonymous. Thanks, Bob.
ReplyWhat kind of salad dressing is everyone using on this program?
ReplyBrandy, Walden Farms makes dressings that you can have. I'm from Oklahoma and I get them at the health food store.
ReplyI don't see a date on the messages,I was wondering if this web page is current?
Replyyes it is still current
ReplyI may have misunderstood?but I thought oatmeal was wheat,or do you mean steal oats?
ReplyI know the types of starches I can have, but is there a limit to how many times a day I can eat a potato or grits or cereal?
Also, has anyone found any frozen meals such as Lean Cuisine that has no flour no sugar?
I really want to start this diet but I am scared I will eat too much of a good thing.
ReplyI'm happy to have found this blog thread after googling "no sugar diet." My main reason for searching is based more on the state of my skin than on the state of my weight. Maybe it seems like I'm looking for a cure-all, but I have gained good, if not sometimes glowing, skin in the past by leaving white sugar and white flour out of my diet. I wanna clear this mess up!
I agree with the other posters that breakfast is the difficult one - I'm too used to cereal or toast - all whole wheat, but either with HFCS or some other stupid chemical in it. Perhaps that's why "we need loads of recipes" - because it's hard to transition from one way of eating to another without a reasonable amount of substitutes to choose from.
Good Luck to All in their health endeavours!
ReplyI have been on the NFNS for one week. I need to lose around 20 pounds. I have been very faithful and did not lose 1 pound and feel very discouraged..I have elimated all flour and sugar and I am not over indulging in allowed foods..Oatmeal for breakfast with fruit. Salad and veggies for lunch with chicken breast, basically the same for dinner. Snacks, a piece of fruit, or a handful of nuts,, Please help...
ReplyMy biggest problem being sucessful in dumping sugar, is all of the sugar-free alternatives with nutrasweet or splenda. I can't do nutrasweet in any form! It gives me lupus-like symptoms. Maybe that doesn't sound like such a big deal, but today I really wanted to makes some deviled eggs. Sounds reasonable, no flour, no sugar. But try to find sugar free mayo. I guess it's time I started making my own condiments.
ReplyTry Ceylon Cinnamon. It is better, sweeter taste. I found it online.
ReplyIm now into my second year in college but I was on this diet in high school without even realizing it. One day I just felt like I didnt want starches or sugers so I stopped eating them. Being a teenager that can be hard but I stuck to it for 2 and a half months. I was kind of a thicker shapley teenager so I went from 180lbs to 154 in no time. I didnt even workout one bit. I think what passed the time was sleeping I sleep a majority of the day..but you dont have to do that. I didn't realize that I was actually losing weight till my size 13 pants wouldn't fit causing me to have to go on a new shopping spree. I got compliments from everyone I was so proud of myself that was the best feeling ever. So its really not that hard to cut calories eat that burger without the buns, take that breader off the chicken..to make dinner more filling break up the meat and but it in a salad its simple. And I promise you your body will get accustom to not wanting sweets and bread expecially when you see your results! Let me know how it goes!
ReplyI am addicted to sugar after I eat candy of course I feel rotten! I hate that I do that to myself. I just bought this No flour, no sugar recipe book and I intend on sticking with it!
Replyi've been on this diet for 5 weeks now, but i dont think i've lost any weight..i do have some cravings once in a while and i have to admit i do cheat a little bit..
Replyalthough i do feel a little lighter and my co workers said, my face is a little thinner, but my weight still remains the same..
what am i doing wrong?
Does this really work????
ReplyJust started diet, so far so good. One problem I have is understanding labels. When you see things like modified food starch- is starch like flour. Can we eat things that say that. Also, I saw "soy flour"- is that to be avoided as well?
ReplyYes, "Sugar is sugar--it matters not where it comes from." This is true. But Dr. Gott is not really going for an entirely sugar-free program. He is advocating a no ADDED sugar lifestyle. The idea is for people to eliminate the kinds of non-nutritious but calorie-dense foods that tend to be full of sugar and/or flour - not to eliminate all sugar in all forms.
Cutting out fruit in an effort to eliminate all sources of sugar is closer to Dr. Atkins' program than to Dr. Gott's. Dr. Gott is not a purist about carb levels or GI, and he seems to think that the natural sugar in fruit is more than offset by the vitamins and fiber one gets from fruit for a relatively small amount of calories.
There are merits to cutting out fruit in an effort to decrease sugar consumption, but it's just not relevant to Dr. Gott's plan.
Replyi have been on a no carb no sugar diet for about a weeks and a half and have lost almost 10 pounds i am truly amazed, i started off just eating baked and boiled chicked with no fat or skin on them then i started making chicken salads, for beakfast i have 2 eggs. i really feel good and cleansed and happy, i plan on doing this diet for about 3 months, i dont eat any fruits and some vegetables because of the carbs and frutose or natural sugar they have, if u have the will power try it u will be amazed at how u change and feel better, if u have any questions u can contact me at my email
Replydavidrivers890@gmail.com
Wow! I am considering the NFNS and stumbled upon this blog. After reading so many positive comments, I've decided to take the plunge. I'll keep reading the posts to help me stay motivated as well as report my progress.
ReplyI'm starting the NFNS diet today 9/08/09 I been putting it off but I'm READY.
ReplyWhat is sucralose? They try to hide sugar with so many fancy words. Maltodextrin?
ReplyOk I did figure out sucralose (Splenda), but still have not found out if maltodextrin is OK or not.
Replywhere do you consider the sugar content. Where it says ingredient or where the nutrition facts are - we just brought from meat in the deli section and the sugar content was the second ingredient but, in the nutrition part it states 0 sugars. Which one are we supposed to watch - please advise. Thank-you Sandy
ReplyYou can eat suger on ceahow... it has to be listed 5th or below on the ingredeint,,, which means the suger it more likley to be natraul and not processed.... hope that helps people looking to make new recepies
Reply