No Sugar No Flour Diet Plan

The mechanics of weight loss are simple: burn more calories than you consume. The hard part for dieters is finding a diet plan that is simple to follow and shows results. One plan that has become popular is known as the No Sugar No Flour diet plan, which promises to cut calories by eliminating flour and sugar from the diet.

How it Works

The No Sugar No Flour diet is a variation of a low carbohydrate diet. Unlike some other low carb diets, there is no requirement to count carb grams, or weigh and measure food. Dieters are encouraged to eat moderate portion sizes, focusing on a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Exercise is not a requirement, but it is recommended to include 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise daily.

The diet works by eliminating all flour and all added sugar from the diet. The premise is that foods containing these ingredients are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Remove flour and sugar, then replace with whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Calories are cut automatically. As an added benefit, many food items made with flour and added sugar are also high in fat, so eliminating these foods can help keep the overall diet in line with recommended fat guidelines.

Diet Guidelines

Knowing how to decipher food labels is a vital part of the No Sugar No Flour diet plan. All flour should be avoided, not just wheat flour, but also rice and corn flour. Whole grains are allowed, but not whole grain flour. Flour alternatives such a quinoa, corn and barley are permitted foods, as are starches like potatoes and rice.

More difficult is the elimination of all added sugars. Sugars can appear on food labels in many forms, including cane sugar, beet sugar, glucose, sucrose, and high fructose corn syrup. In addition to eliminating white table sugar, it is necessary to eliminate honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, and molasses.

The diet does allow fruit, fruit juice and products sweetened with fruit, as long as there are no other added sugars. Artificial sweeteners are also allowed, so sugar free sodas and gum are permitted treats. It's important to check the label to ensure that the artificial sweetener has replaced sugar, instead of being added to sugar.