Sugar Challenge...

lightinfl

In respect to the sugar video and comments from several of us about needing/wanting to watch our sugar intake, I offer this challenge:

No ADDED sugar for the next 3 weeks (that is what they did in the video with the one family). We can worry about our sugar totals later, on a different effort, but for now, just eliminate the added sugar when possible. If you consume added sugar, tally it up (per the package breakdown) so you can see your total on the check in.

Official start Monday, 1-12-15, to allow time if anyone needs to check over food supply. Who is in with me?

wiredkell

Sure! I'm in.. why not. I track all my food on here anyway.

GaGasheesh

I'm in . . in fact my daughters and I started a no added sugar and no alcohol 30 day challenge two days ago. I'm also trying to keep my total sugar intake (as it shows on MFP) under 35 grams per day. It's hard to do! Between that challenge, and the challenges on FitBit, my butt is sore and I'm hungry . . but not a lot of weight loss . . yet

SarahMaxx

I finally got time to try the second link and it worked. Thanks, Kelly. I know Stan Glanz, the fellow interviewed about the tobacco industry. What a hoot to see someone I know.

I'm in for the challenge, too. Good idea Light! (By the way, I discovered my dried cherries, also have added sugar. Bummer. I guess they'd be too tart otherwise. To the occasional treat category they go!)

lightinfl

my hardest hidden sugar items to eliminate will be mayo (I eat it occas with my tuna or deviled eggs {breakfast} ) and the not so hidden sugar in the light yogurt that I use to make my breakfast porridge. I still have 2 already made that I really don't want to throw out so I think I'll eat them and then no more. I'm lucky in that I don't usually buy prepared/packaged food but I am a sucker for sugar loaded treats like what we still have at the office, or an occasional piece of candy (shouldn't even have it in the house!)

I believe this challenge will help me stick to better eating habits. Thanks, gals

SarahMaxx

Just uploaded my bugg from yesterday and took a look at the day's intake. A word of caution, my friends. If you concentrate only sugar and carbs, the percentage of fat can get out of hand. Too many pistachios did me in yesterday, and I can only hope that the added pounds I saw on the scale this morning are the temporary result of the salt in those nuts. I managed to stop eating the peanuts that we keep around for the squirrels. Now I'm going to have to learn not to reach for pistachios.

I empathize about the low-cal yogurt, Light. That has been a breakfast staple for me, too, and I also have two in my frig. I looked at them last night and saw that they have 14 grams of sugar per serving. At 4 grams per teaspoon, that's 3-1/2 teaspoons, or more than half of a day's allotment of added sugars.

I also noticed that my favorite salad dressing (Braswell's tomato and vidalia onion) is low-calorie and low fat, but it has a good bit of sugar. The Ken's low-cal blue cheese (my next favorite bottled dressing) is high in sodium. I think I am going to try to make some homemade salad dressing with olive oil, wine vinegar and fresh herbs. Hubby bought a variety of herbs for a recipe, and of course, you have to buy a large bunch when you only need a tablespoon.

Have a good day, everyone.

wiredkell

If you like yogurt, but are noticing how high the sugar content in them actually is.. then a tip my trainer gave me is to by fat free plain greek yogurt and sweeten it naturally by using stevia and or cinnamon. I was skeptical at first, but it's super tasty! I have it when I'm at home all the time!

SarahMaxx

Light, looking back at this thread, I noticed your comment on mayo again and just looked at mine. The Hellman's light does not list sugar on the label, although sugar is listed as an ingredient. It does list 1 gram of carbohydrates, but some of that could be the food starches (potato and corn), that I assume is used as thickening. I also checked hubby's fullboat Duke's mayo, and it does list sugar as 0%. I looked at the ingredients, too, and no sugar or other "ose's" are included. Because of the calories, I'll probably count the 1 gram of carbs in the light mayo as sugar. Since one teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams, that's only a quarter teaspoon of sugar, which is negligible. (Unless I'm not looking at this right.)

wiredkell

Ya I was kind of wondering about the mayo comment as well. Unless Light meant Miracle Whip, then the light one has 2 grams and the regular one has 1 gram.

GaGasheesh

Sarah, when I make a salad (and when I'm being good ) I just start by putting a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a glass measuring cup, some vinegar (I might use red wine, balsamic, apple cider, rice . . . or all of them in small portions), some crushed garlic (I like Christopher's in the glass jar), maybe some lemon juice, a dash of Italian Seasoning, a little salt, and some fresh ground pepper. I stir and let that sit while I make the salad. Fluff it with a fork while pouring it over my salad. I prefer it to bottled and it only takes a couple minutes.