Need to cut sugar...help

SuzOh
SuzOh Posts: 262 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
I love sugar...no doubt. I need to cut it though, so any suggestions will be appreciated.
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Replies

  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    The easiest way is to just reduce your overall carbs, you will naturally reduce sugar by doing so.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Well you haven't given us anything to work with so I can only say, eat more natural products and less prepackaged items.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Why?

    Medical issues?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    cityruss wrote: »
    Why?

    Medical issues?

    This. No one needs to cut sugar unless they will legit die if they consume average amounts.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    Yeah, definitely less pre-packaged stuff. I still eat some and rarely have a problem staying within my goals unless I have a lot of ketchup that day (my sugar weakness).

    If you drink soda, or sugary drinks (like fancy coffees) those are often easiest to reduce or find alternatives to first. Just look at your diary and find the culprits and think of possible changes you could make.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    PS - agree with what was said above - you don't need to cut out sugar unless you have a medical issue.

    However, that said, I know for some people sugary foods are triggers to eating more and more. My mom cannot seem to keep herself in control when she in consuming sugar - I don't know why, because for me, sweets are just another food group, but for her they just are this huge trigger. For people like her (and possibly you), maybe reigning in the sugar intake is a good first step to staying within your caloric goals.
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    cityruss wrote: »
    Why?

    Medical issues?

    This. No one needs to cut sugar unless they will legit die if they consume average amounts.

    The WHO disagrees.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbr8JvdDCRT4YyTV6qE28C6tw_VldRJy7qVQwAP9XMH_fBx18W


  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2015
    SuzOh wrote: »
    I love sugar...no doubt. I need to cut it though, so any suggestions will be appreciated.

    We don't have enough information about what your issues are. I mean, the obvious answer is just eat less (fewer high calorie sugar treats or less soda or whatever it is) and try to make sure your overall diet is balanced--that you are getting enough protein and a good many vegetables.

    If you are one of the people worried because you have an apple with breakfast and a banana for a snack, plus some plain greek yogurt or the like, don't worry about it, but just watch overall calories.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Jolinia wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    cityruss wrote: »
    Why?

    Medical issues?

    This. No one needs to cut sugar unless they will legit die if they consume average amounts.

    The WHO disagrees.

    I think there's a confusion here about whether "cut sugar" means "reduce the amount I eat" (as I understood the OP) or "eliminate sugar from my diet" (as ana seems to have understood her).

    If ana is correct--and IMO the term is too ambiguous to know what was meant without more context--then the WHO tends to support her, as it certainly does not recommend eliminating all sugar, or even all "added" sugar.

    I'm guessing that we all agree that no one needs to eliminate sugar for health reasons (some may find that mostly eliminating added sugar psychologically helps them, although that's another discussion), but that many people might do well reducing the amount of sugar they consume.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    SuzOh wrote: »
    I love sugar...no doubt. I need to cut it though, so any suggestions will be appreciated.

    Well, the obvious answer is "eat less sugar". But, I'm going to assume you already know that and are looking for suggestions on how to make that easier. So here are some suggestions:

    Eat sugar along with protein or fiber - sweetened nuts, peanut butter oatmeal cookies, etc. These are more filling than sugar eaten alone or with other fast digesting carbs (flour) and take longer to digest, so you don't feel hungry immediately after.

    Eat sugar after a meal (dessert) - again, so you won't be hungry for more and more.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited February 2015
    SuzOh wrote: »
    I love sugar...no doubt. I need to cut it though, so any suggestions will be appreciated.

    By "cut" you mean reduce? If I say I'm going to "cut spending" I don't mean NO spending, just less. So...clarifying....
    One way to quickly cut out a lot of added sugars is to not drink them.
    Sodas, Frapucinos, Sugar sweetened juices....

    But again, we don't know much about you, so we don't have much to go on...
  • jenna80302
    jenna80302 Posts: 54 Member
    I personally cut out sugar because it was really effecting my health in a negative way (restlessness, binging, carb cravings, sleep issues, sluggishness, etc. etc.)

    When I stopped eating sugar, I cut out all processed foods, I cut out all sweets and chocolate, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee (I eventually cut out caffeine too), I cut out alcohol, I cut out all yeast (even nutritional yeast), and I cut out all refined or processed carbohydrates (Later I also cut out grains in general (no bread even gluten free, quinoa, rice, oats, nothing)), potatoes (plain and sweet)etc. etc.

    Anything that is high to moderate on the GI or causes my body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table. Yeast played a major role in this (for me), because foods with yeast made me crave sugar (obviosy because that's what yeast uses to bloom (sugar & water)). Now, the only time I eat sugar is when it comes from fruit... Plain and simple.

    Please know this is hard... I experienced major withdrawal from cutting out sugar, but after the first week my carbohydrate and sugar craving were GONE.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    I personally cut out sugar because it was really effecting my health in a negative way (restlessness, binging, carb cravings, sleep issues, sluggishness, etc. etc.)

    When I stopped eating sugar, I cut out all processed foods, I cut out all sweets and chocolate, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee (I eventually cut out caffeine too), I cut out alcohol, I cut out all yeast (even nutritional yeast), and I cut out all refined or processed carbohydrates (Later I also cut out grains in general (no bread even gluten free, quinoa, rice, oats, nothing)), potatoes (plain and sweet)etc. etc.

    Anything that is high to moderate on the GI or causes my body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table. Yeast played a major role in this (for me), because foods with yeast made me crave sugar (obviosy because that's what yeast uses to bloom (sugar & water)). Now, the only time I eat sugar is when it comes from fruit... Plain and simple.

    Please know this is hard... I experienced major withdrawal from cutting out sugar, but after the first week my carbohydrate and sugar craving were GONE.
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out.

    I went cold turkey on refined carbs and added sugar about 14 years ago. And my cravings disappeared as well. Now I eat a very limited *some* usually in the form of tortilla chips lol.
    And I eat *some* intact grains and definitely fruit. I tend to eat "slow carb" so low on the glycemic LOAD/IMPACT end of things.

    Best thing I ever did. I gained so much from it.
  • jenna80302
    jenna80302 Posts: 54 Member
    You
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out

    Fair enough... By sugar I really meant refined sugar (or sugar from unnatural sources). For me, the benefits of eating fruit out weighed the negatives. Much like, how someone people can eat foods with yeast and others (like me) can't.

    Best. - J
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    I personally cut out sugar because it was really effecting my health in a negative way (restlessness, binging, carb cravings, sleep issues, sluggishness, etc. etc.)

    Until we get more information I suspect this is not what the OP meant.

    But who knows!

    I cut out added sugar when I started this to deal with emotional/crutch eating and did in January to kind of renew my focus, but with no intention of giving it up permanently. I actually don't at all experience "withdrawal" from doing that and don't see how it would work, so my guess is that some people get a reaction from reducing carbs dramatically. (I reduced carbs myself, but not so that I ever got any kind of negative reaction, even temporarily.)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    You
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out

    Fair enough... By sugar I really meant refined sugar (or sugar from unnatural sources). For me, the benefits of eating fruit out weighed the negatives. Much like, how someone people can eat foods with yeast and others (like me) can't.

    Best. - J
    Cheers!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    edited February 2015
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    You
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out

    Fair enough... By sugar I really meant refined sugar (or sugar from unnatural sources). For me, the benefits of eating fruit out weighed the negatives. Much like, how someone people can eat foods with yeast and others (like me) can't.

    Best. - J

    Quick is this table sugar or type of sugar found in apples? And I would love to know what you ate when you cut out all processed foods

    Sucrose_molecule_3d_model.png
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Jolinia wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    cityruss wrote: »
    Why?

    Medical issues?

    This. No one needs to cut sugar unless they will legit die if they consume average amounts.

    The WHO disagrees.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbr8JvdDCRT4YyTV6qE28C6tw_VldRJy7qVQwAP9XMH_fBx18W

    You Guessed the wrong Who.
    main_theguesswho3.jpg
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    totally unnecessary unless you have a medical condition ...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    You
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out

    Fair enough... By sugar I really meant refined sugar (or sugar from unnatural sources). For me, the benefits of eating fruit out weighed the negatives. Much like, how someone people can eat foods with yeast and others (like me) can't.

    Best. - J

    Quick is this table sugar or type of sugar found in apples? And I would love to know what you ate when you cut out all processed foods

    Sucrose_molecule_3d_model.png

    something tells me you are not going to get an answer….
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    I personally cut out sugar because it was really effecting my health in a negative way (restlessness, binging, carb cravings, sleep issues, sluggishness, etc. etc.)

    When I stopped eating sugar, I cut out all processed foods, I cut out all sweets and chocolate, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee (I eventually cut out caffeine too), I cut out alcohol, I cut out all yeast (even nutritional yeast), and I cut out all refined or processed carbohydrates (Later I also cut out grains in general (no bread even gluten free, quinoa, rice, oats, nothing)), potatoes (plain and sweet)etc. etc.

    Anything that is high to moderate on the GI or causes my body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table. Yeast played a major role in this (for me), because foods with yeast made me crave sugar (obviosy because that's what yeast uses to bloom (sugar & water)). Now, the only time I eat sugar is when it comes from fruit... Plain and simple.

    Please know this is hard... I experienced major withdrawal from cutting out sugar, but after the first week my carbohydrate and sugar craving were GONE.

    do you binge eat fruit too?
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    if you feel you need to cut sugar because it is a problem for you then do it and ignore and the people who are whaa? cut sugar whaaa why do you want to do that whaaa?? OMG fruit has sugar so sugar is wonderful. whaaa are you sick?? whaa do you have medical problems. Only you know so if you feel you need to then do it.
  • DeliVibes
    DeliVibes Posts: 67 Member
    I cut out juices (I only drink water now) and ketchup.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    DeliVibes wrote: »
    I cut out juices (I only drink water now) and ketchup.

    what is wrong with ketchup/?????
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    edited February 2015
    DeliVibes wrote: »
    I cut out juices (I only drink water now) and ketchup.

    Hahaha - I first read that as I only drink water and ketchup.
  • jenna80302
    jenna80302 Posts: 54 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    You
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out

    Fair enough... By sugar I really meant refined sugar (or sugar from unnatural sources). For me, the benefits of eating fruit out weighed the negatives. Much like, how someone people can eat foods with yeast and others (like me) can't.

    Best. - J

    Quick is this table sugar or type of sugar found in apples? And I would love to know what you ate when you cut out all processed foods

    Sucrose_molecule_3d_model.png

    This is what I wrote above:
    "When I stopped eating [refined] sugar, I cut out all processed foods, I cut out all sweets and chocolate, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee (I eventually cut out caffeine too), I cut out alcohol, I cut out all yeast (even nutritional yeast), and I cut out all refined or processed carbohydrates (Later I also cut out grains in general (no bread even gluten free, quinoa, rice, oats, nothing)), potatoes (plain and sweet)etc. etc.

    Anything that is high to moderate on the GI or causes my body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table. Yeast played a major role in this (for me), because foods with yeast made me crave sugar (obviosy because that's what yeast uses to bloom (sugar & water)). Now, the only time I eat sugar is when it comes from fruit... Plain and simple."
  • jenna80302
    jenna80302 Posts: 54 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    I personally cut out sugar because it was really effecting my health in a negative way (restlessness, binging, carb cravings, sleep issues, sluggishness, etc. etc.)

    When I stopped eating sugar, I cut out all processed foods, I cut out all sweets and chocolate, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee (I eventually cut out caffeine too), I cut out alcohol, I cut out all yeast (even nutritional yeast), and I cut out all refined or processed carbohydrates (Later I also cut out grains in general (no bread even gluten free, quinoa, rice, oats, nothing)), potatoes (plain and sweet)etc. etc.

    Anything that is high to moderate on the GI or causes my body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table. Yeast played a major role in this (for me), because foods with yeast made me crave sugar (obviosy because that's what yeast uses to bloom (sugar & water)). Now, the only time I eat sugar is when it comes from fruit... Plain and simple.

    Please know this is hard... I experienced major withdrawal from cutting out sugar, but after the first week my carbohydrate and sugar craving were GONE.

    do you binge eat fruit too?

    Not often, I usually eat an apple a day or have it in my smoothies ... It just doesn't taste the same as sugar in candy.

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    So we now had....what 3 or 4 sugar-is-the-devil threads today, lol.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    Acg67 wrote: »
    jenna80302 wrote: »
    You
    Be ready for folks to point out that fruit contains sugar and to ask if you've also cut that out

    Fair enough... By sugar I really meant refined sugar (or sugar from unnatural sources). For me, the benefits of eating fruit out weighed the negatives. Much like, how someone people can eat foods with yeast and others (like me) can't.

    Best. - J

    Quick is this table sugar or type of sugar found in apples? And I would love to know what you ate when you cut out all processed foods

    Sucrose_molecule_3d_model.png

    This is what I wrote above:
    "When I stopped eating [refined] sugar, I cut out all processed foods, I cut out all sweets and chocolate, I stopped adding sugar to my coffee (I eventually cut out caffeine too), I cut out alcohol, I cut out all yeast (even nutritional yeast), and I cut out all refined or processed carbohydrates (Later I also cut out grains in general (no bread even gluten free, quinoa, rice, oats, nothing)), potatoes (plain and sweet)etc. etc.

    Anything that is high to moderate on the GI or causes my body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table. Yeast played a major role in this (for me), because foods with yeast made me crave sugar (obviosy because that's what yeast uses to bloom (sugar & water)). Now, the only time I eat sugar is when it comes from fruit... Plain and simple."

    You say you eat apples but anything that causes the body to produce a lot of insulin is off the table, so which is it? Have you peeked where apples fall in the insulin index?

    And again you said you cut out all processed foods, what did you eat? Or is this a lie/ignorance similar to the above?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    SuzOh wrote: »
    I love sugar...no doubt. I need to cut it though, so any suggestions will be appreciated.
    Try adding new foods to your days:
    Eat lots of frozen, fresh, or canned veggies: broccoli, swiss chard, kale, spinach, romaine, cabbage, mushrooms, asparagus, avocados, okra, cauliflower, bell peppers, snow peas, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, green beans.
    Remember to eat oils and fats.


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