Questions about decreasing Sugar

kerrid72

I'm wanting to work on decreasing my sugar intake which I hope will help with my sugar cravings.

Besides the normal cutting out my daily Dr Pepper and other obvious sources do any of you have suggestions?

What should I expect and how did you get through the initial week or so? I've been told that the first week or so can be miserable but after that you feel so much better. Is this true?

Is it better to go "cold turkey" or ease off?

Thanks for the input!

Kanuenue

So are you eliminating all sugars or just added sugars? Once I increased my fruit intake (natural sugars+vitamins+fiber) I haven't had issues skipping desserts.

kgeyser

Define sugar.

Kita328

I over consume sugar but its not processed sugar. I didnt really realize it before I started tracking- but I dont worry about sugar unless its processed.

That being said- I realized the less I ate the processed and refined foods...the less I wanted them. So IMO slowly cutting back would do the trick

**To add**

I have also read that anything we consume that is more than 13 g in one serving generally sends most peoples Blood Sugar Spiking

kerrid72

After some reading, I guess I'm referring to refined sugars. Maybe get to where the only sugars I get are from natural sources like fruits. Would honey then be considered a natural source?

bcattoes

After some reading, I guess I'm referring to refined sugars. Maybe get to where the only sugars I get are from natural sources like fruits. Would honey then be considered a natural source?

Though all commercial honey is processed to some degree, it is a natural sugar. Your body is unlikely to know the difference between it and table sugar though.

I believe the easiest way to decrease sugar is to set a 'rule' that you must eat added sugar with protein and/or fiber. Since protein and fiber are very filling, you will probably end up eating less of the sugar.

This wouldn't work everyone, as nothing works for everyone, but for example many people are likely to eat more Nutella if they eat it straight from the jar, than if they eat it on a piece of high fiber bread.

kgeyser

If you are talking all refined sugars, good luck to you. That eliminates salad dressing, many condiments, breads, baked goods, some dairy products, bacon (yep, added sugar, believe it or not), and pretty much every prepackaged food or restaurant meal. If that's your goal, I would say cut things out slowly and figure out where you feel comfortable stopping. You may end up curbing your cravings and still having refined sugars in your diet, just at a lower level.

kerrid72

Thanks for your thoughts! That helps. I know it isn't realistic to cut it out entirely but maybe just being more aware of the amount will decrease that craving. I like the idea of adding the protein or fiber.

rmdaly

I tried to cut out added sugar last year for a few months. I found that dried fruit helped with the sweet cravings, but you have to watch those too. Raisins, apricots and whole dates were about the only dried fruits I found that didn't have added sugar. It's very easy to overeat them. I ended up making my own bread and tortillas because it was very difficult to find without sugar.

I "discovered" that a lot of salty foods didn't have sugar, like peanuts or potato/tortilla chips. I ate too many of them when I craved junky food and was trying to stay sugar free. So I ended up just eating more fat.

I am still sugar-conscious, but I do enjoy my deserts and try not to feel guilty about it. I'm within the recommended limits for added sugar.

Confuzzled4ever

My suggestion is this:

Go all in and cold turkey.

Cut out anything with added sugar - this includes breads- premade foods- a lot of yogurts- a lot of types of cheese, pre-flavored flavored oats, desserts, most pancake recipes milk, etc...

limit fruit to 2 low sugar fruit servings per day. Low sugar fruits are oranges, grapefruits, grapes, apples, pears, berries (i'm sure i'm missing a few)

increase your protein intake and I mean by a lot. I'm currently eating between 200 and 250g a day. Helps with the headaches and the craving (even if you get them you will be too full to stuff it in. LOL)

Eat a lot of vegetables. I mean a lot. Put them with every meal and in anything you can.

Protein powder. Body Fortress and Java pro are two of the lowest sugar ones out there. If you use them, switch to these while cutting out sugar. Protein bars are generally a no go. It's up to you how much you want to commit to this.

If you aren't already, you will have to cook and prepare foods at home. Otherwise you won't know if you are really cutting out the added sugar or not. Oh and pack a LOT. You will need a lot of food to reach your calorie goals if you cut it all out. I am full all day long, and sometimes struggle to eat my snack (like today! I don't' want my naughty nibbles!)

A tip - when shopping salt free often also means no added sugar - but not always.

I'm currently on day 4 of no added sugar and my headache went away. I usually don't get a headache until day 3, but it graced me with it's presence early this time. Generally i find it's about day 3 when you will get a headache, but it will go away in a few days. If you cave in and eat the sugar it will go away and then come back later even worse. Hey maybe you will be lucky on and avoid the headache all together! Some people are!

The first week does suck, esp the first time you do it. but once you get through it it's awesome. I sleep better, I feel better, I have more energy and I like the taste of my (non-sugared up) foods a lot more!

The cravings should go away after a week or two, then you can add in other stuff as you see fit. I find i have trigger foods and if I eat one piece I ea the entire thing without a second thought. Then I feel like crap and end up full speed ahead on the wrong track.

My diary is open and I cut out all added sugars as of last Monday. (except I had 1 protein bar, because I was starving after my workout, oh well)

I also limit fat and salt, so if you want to do that as well I can point you to good way to do that, but it's not necessary if you're just trying to cut out sugar. (it's also sort of a bonus to cutting out sugar, you eat a lot less salt and a lot less unhealthy fats)

Oh and if you go all in and really watch it, you'll drop weight quick for a week or so. I always do and it always stays off.

seltzermint555

I have never made a real effort to cut out sugar completely or even to strictly limit it. However, when I first started logging on MFP last March, sugar was my #1 shocker...almost every single day at first, I was over on my suggested grams by like 100 or more!!

Over time that has lessened dramatically. I try to stay "in the black" for sugar and succeed most days. I don't freak if I go over, especially if it's from fruit But I find myself "saving" my sugar for things like fruit or admittedly, chocolate & other treats, and eat a lot less sugar-added stuff like breads and condiments and pasta sauces.

Sometimes I am shocked that I've eaten a couple pieces of Easter candy AND fruit and still stay within the MFP guideline for me.

kerrid72

Thanks a TON for ALL the info! This all really helps. I just now set up my MFP to track my sugar and...wow... yeah.. it was bad. I'm sure now that is why I seem stuck.
Thanks again!

Confuzzled4ever

Thanks a TON for ALL the info! This all really helps. I just now set up my MFP to track my sugar and...wow... yeah.. it was bad. I'm sure now that is why I seem stuck.
Thanks again!

Good luck! Feel free to message me if you want. I cut out sugar for long period of time and it slowly creeps back into my diet (usuallty around holidays!) and then I have to go cold turkey all in again. :drinker:

jbaerbock

I've never tried to quit sugar 100% because for me it's just to difficult. That being said I limit it as much as possible and most of my sugar comes from natural sources like fruit [fructose] or milk [lactose]. My only real source of un-natural sugar is in the yogurt I eat everyday. But I'm thinking about buying the plain stuff and flavoring it myself naturaly to cut that down too.I also use low-sugar jelly on my morning toast and eggs for example. It's hard to find but there are some brands out there of jellies and jams that just have less sugar and not less sugar but added artificial junk.

Good Luck!

ndj1979

OP - sugar is not the devil and if you are consuming sugar and are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight. I eat sugar, eat in a deficit, and in my most recent cut I am down about 8.5 pounds, and that is with eating ice cream almost every night. My diary is open ...

ndj1979

I have never made a real effort to cut out sugar completely or even to strictly limit it. However, when I first started logging on MFP last March, sugar was my #1 shocker...almost every single day at first, I was over on my suggested grams by like 100 or more!!

Over time that has lessened dramatically. I try to stay "in the black" for sugar and succeed most days. I don't freak if I go over, especially if it's from fruit But I find myself "saving" my sugar for things like fruit or admittedly, chocolate & other treats, and eat a lot less sugar-added stuff like breads and condiments and pasta sauces.

Sometimes I am shocked that I've eaten a couple pieces of Easter candy AND fruit and still stay within the MFP guideline for me.

MFP sugar recommendation is extremely low..you are better off not even tracking it...

cpdiminish

I agree that quitting sugar altogether doesn't seem all that reasonable because you'd also have to cut fruits, and I'd never be willing to do that.

But if you were to try, I hear that it takes two weeks to completely get though a sugar addiction to the point where you no longer crave sweets.

If you wanted to just dial it back a little at a time, I'd start by cutting all high-fructose corn syrup - cancer's favorite food, not to mention that I don't like my tax dollars paying for corn subsidies that make it less expensive to sell soda than most food products. Presuming artificial sweeteners are already out, I'd cut white refined sugar next. Just figure out which ones you think are the worst in your diet and eliminate or replace them until you hit a point where you feel comfortable with what you are doing from the health perspective.

jbaerbock

I have never made a real effort to cut out sugar completely or even to strictly limit it. However, when I first started logging on MFP last March, sugar was my #1 shocker...almost every single day at first, I was over on my suggested grams by like 100 or more!!

Over time that has lessened dramatically. I try to stay "in the black" for sugar and succeed most days. I don't freak if I go over, especially if it's from fruit But I find myself "saving" my sugar for things like fruit or admittedly, chocolate & other treats, and eat a lot less sugar-added stuff like breads and condiments and pasta sauces.

Sometimes I am shocked that I've eaten a couple pieces of Easter candy AND fruit and still stay within the MFP guideline for me.

MFP sugar recommendation is extremely low..you are better off not even tracking it...

Actually MFP sugar recommendation [for me anyway] goes along with the guidelines posted by the American Heart Association for what the calculated recommended DV should be. The FDA in the USA hasn't gotten around to coming with a proper DV yet since the sugar industry pretty much pays them out to ignore them haha.

Also I've seen a lot of posts saying that one can loose weight while eating tons of sugar. This is partially true but ask yourself, is the point of this to simply loose pounds or to have a healthier body? If healthier body is the answer then lets stop ignoring the common abuses like sugar and sodium. Ok rant done ;-)

tennisdude2004

As mentioned earlier sugar is not the devil and it's not un-heathy in moderation.

That being said in moderation it's not healthy either.

Sugar costs calories and apart from being a quick source of fuel for the body (which you can get from other sources) gives nothing much back nutritionally.

So whilst you can include it in larger quantities into your diet if you are eating in a deficit - the question is 'do you want to'?

Your diet - your choice!

jbaerbock

As mentioned earlier sugar is not the devil and it's not un-heathy in moderation.

That being said in moderation it's not healthy either.

Sugar costs calories and apart from being a quick source of fuel for the body (which you can get from other sources) gives nothing much back nutritionally.

So whilst you can include it in larger quantities into your diet if you are eating in a deficit - the question is 'do you want to'?

Your diet - your choice!

Well said sir!

Confuzzled4ever

I agree that quitting sugar altogether doesn't seem all that reasonable because you'd also have to cut fruits, and I'd never be willing to do that.

I wouldn't cut out fruit either. It's the added sugars i'd recommend cutting out. You need sugar for health, just not in the quantity a typical American eats it in.