Started watching my sugar intake
crysofmyk
Posts: 52 Member
I heard a man on NPR the other day talking about how horrible sugar is for us...and not just sugar, but sugar alternatives as well. I'm a sugar addict. I've somehow managed to meet my calorie goals but would still have a bunch of sugar in my daily diet...way more than a person should have, just like most Americans I suppose. So 9 days ago I started watching it. Wouldn't eat sweets, traded some of my fruit servings for veggies instead. In 9 days I've lost 4 lbs! I've done nothing else different! I barely worked out this week because I'm so busy. And today is horribly busy so I went with special K for breakfast and a trader joes meatless corn dog for lunch. The two together put me over my sugar intake for the first time in 9 days. And I could taste the sweetness in both, and really didn't like it. I loved these meatless corn dogs just 2 weeks ago, now I can barely choke it down. Anyone else cut down sugar? It's not easy, but seeing results like these and I'm a believer that it is not good for us to have the high amounts most of us are used to!
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glad you were able to do this for yourself! Keep it up, and I'm sure you'll find many aspects of your health will improve over time and you'll avoid health problems you might have otherwise developed.0
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Out of curiosity, I added the sugar column to my diary today and almost wished that I hadn't. Couldn't believe how much sugar is in even the healthiest of foods. I've been juicing most of my fruit and vegetables (together) after watching that reboot documentary, thinking it was really good for you but with such a low sugar count per day - it is going to be really difficult to stay under that.0
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i just lowered my carb macro yesterday and i ate what i thought were healthy choices.... but i went over my carb goal by almost double! tomorrow i am going to try again, but with more veggies instead of fruit this time hahaha0
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OP, do you have any tips on how to cut back for those of us trying to travel that road too? I'll share a couple:
I love yogurt for breakfast, so I'll have an individual cup, and cut it in half with plain yogurt. I'll have the same amount of yogurt, but half the sugar, and it's still delicious. Same with oatmeal or cream of wheat. Those little packets are ridiculously sweet, so I'll use half, and add plain old oatmeal to the packet to cut back.
Obviously, eating less fruits, drinking less juice, etc. etc. is a good way to cut back, but any tips that may not be so obvious? Ready, GO!0 -
I've been trying to reduce my sugar intake as well after hearing things about how bad sugar is for us. I've been cutting back on my diet soda (hopefully to cut it off completely eventually) and have traded any white sugar for agave in recipes. If you're interested in reading more about it I just found a book called "Fat Chance" by Dr. Robert Lustig. I haven't read it yet but it goes more into detail on sugar and how it affects our health.0
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Just read an interesting article and according to The World Health Organization, our intake of added sugars should be no more than 10% of our calories consumed. Added sugar refers to any sugar (natural or otherwise) but does not include sugar that is naturally present in fruits, dairy products and other whole foods.
The article: http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/is-natural-sugar-better-for-you.aspx0 -
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Sugar is addicting because your body senses like it. I recently started reducing my sugar and added a sugar column on MyFitnessPal. Within a month, my entire taste buds changed and I ate a small candy bar just two days ago. Took one bite and spit it out. I can now walk past the candy aisle and the checkouts without even a glance.....no desire or want. I have also replaced anything white flour based and sugar in my recipes with honey since it doesn't cause the addiction and you use so much less.
Good luck!!
Kristi0 -
I have insulin resistance (also called Metabolic disorder, PCOS, Dysmetabolic Syndrome) I was told that I have to watch carbs, mainly "white/empty" carbs. Carbs change into sugar os you also have to watch the carb intake, most likely more than the sugar. A good rule of thumb for someone who is watching sugar and carbs is try and eat less than 180 carbs a day. I know this sounds extremely hard and nuts ( I can't really even do it). If you can do this, more power to you. I try and stay under 200 carbs a day. Good luck with the sugar thing0
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I love the sweeties too, like you I am always over on sugar. I am going to try your method. thanks!0
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this.0 -
Sugar is addicting because your body senses like it. I recently started reducing my sugar and added a sugar column on MyFitnessPal. Within a month, my entire taste buds changed and I ate a small candy bar just two days ago. Took one bite and spit it out. I can now walk past the candy aisle and the checkouts without even a glance.....no desire or want. I have also replaced anything white flour based and sugar in my recipes with honey since it doesn't cause the addiction and you use so much less.
Good luck!!
Kristi
do you realize that the sugar portion of honey -- which is more than 80 percent of the product -- is roughly the same proportions of fructose and glucose as found in HFCS?0 -
Well, I already don't do some things, like drinking soda...the major bad that the doctor I was listening to mentioned. In soda they put a TON of salt into it to make you thirstier so you drink more, and in order to balance that out they have to put even more sugar or artificial sweetener to balance it out and make it taste good. Then the obvious, candy, cookies, ice cream, all gone. Easy peasy. But it's the processed foods that get you! Basically the less it is processed, the less sugar it will likely have. And stay away from non-fat items. When they created the non-fat crazy and took fat out of everything they had to replace it with something, and that something was sugar (or other sweeteners) so check your yogurt. You may find that you'll have less sugar if you have plain greek yogurt with some fruit and a bit of honey than in a fruit mixed in non-fat yoplait for example. So today I was in a rush and ate special K...just the regular kind, no strawberries or cinnamon or anything, and oops, there went like 1/3 of my sugar allowance for the day! So processed foods will a lot of times have more sugar than you think. Then there's fruit and juice. That's where most of mine was coming from. So I replaced my 3 fruit items with 1 fruit and 2 veggie items in my snack bag for lunch. And be sure that the fruit item is also high in fiber, like an apple. The fiber will at least help your body to process the sugar better. And then of course I'm using EVOO and vinegar for salads instead of a pre-made high sugar dressing, and will use mayo and mustard on a veggie burger but no katsup, etc. It hasn't been easy, and I'm only going to do it this hard core for a few months, but I'm hoping once I'm done that I won't have those sugar cravings anymore. Because it really is addictive! And the more you eat the more you crave.0
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That was the doctor, Robert Lustig, I was listening to! I bought his book and started reading it, but it seemed like most of it was already in the interview I listened to.0
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I heard a man on NPR the other day talking about how horrible sugar is for us...and not just sugar, but sugar alternatives as well. I'm a sugar addict. I've somehow managed to meet my calorie goals but would still have a bunch of sugar in my daily diet...way more than a person should have, just like most Americans I suppose. So 9 days ago I started watching it. Wouldn't eat sweets, traded some of my fruit servings for veggies instead. In 9 days I've lost 4 lbs! I've done nothing else different! I barely worked out this week because I'm so busy. And today is horribly busy so I went with special K for breakfast and a trader joes meatless corn dog for lunch. The two together put me over my sugar intake for the first time in 9 days. And I could taste the sweetness in both, and really didn't like it. I loved these meatless corn dogs just 2 weeks ago, now I can barely choke it down. Anyone else cut down sugar? It's not easy, but seeing results like these and I'm a believer that it is not good for us to have the high amounts most of us are used to!
What would you have done if a dr on NPR said sugar was awesome and you should consume as much as possible?0 -
Crazy! We just talked about this in my TOPS group tonight!
We went over a 'good healthy' day's work of food, like special K cereal, a wendy's salad, some pasta and little sides to go with it all throughout the days and it ended up adding up to a whole CUP of sugar!0 -
You should check out the book "i quit sugar", great recipes in there!0
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I have reactive hypoglycemia and have been keeping an eye on my sugars due to the threat of developing insulin resistance. I'm not rigid about it. I have been trying to focus on keeping the bulk of the sugars I consume from natural items (fruits and veggies) and less from processed foods.
That being said. I haven't cut out artificial sweeteners. I have read that "we crave what we eat" and that for the purpose of that statement, my body doesn't care if it's a real sugar or an artificial sweetener. So if sweets are someone's dietary Achilles Heel, perhaps they might look at cutting out artificial sweeteners also. Luckily they were not largely my biggest issue.0 -
Am on day 5 without sugar and just craving a nice chocolate treat. Not had any weight loss eventhough I am keeping the calories at the right level.0
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What would you have done if a dr on NPR said sugar was awesome and you should consume as much as possible?
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Consult with Dr. Oz? :laugh: :laugh:0 -
Oh and I totally agree with everyone about the carbs! Especially the white flour. Unfortunately I can't cut back my carbs any more at the moment. I'm also breastfeeding my 10 week old. He has a reaction when I eat dairy (and I had horrible heartburn when I would eat dairy while pregnant) so I've been off dairy for about 8 months. And then I can't eat gassy foods like beans, broccoli etc. or he has tummy problems. So I am having a lot of carbs, but I'm trying to keep them good. Whole wheat pastas, potatoes, quinoa, whole grain bread with omega 3's etc. I'm actually finding it way harder to avoid the dairy than the sugar. I miss cheese. But I have the feeling that not being able to eat dairy without immediate painful results during pregnancy is what kept me from gaining 50 lbs like I did with my 1st, and only gaining 30. 20 of those lbs with my first must have been purely from ice cream.0
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What would you have done if a dr on NPR said sugar was awesome and you should consume as much as possible?
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Consult with Dr. Oz? :laugh: :laugh:
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I'm not an idiot, thank you. I listened to it, I researched the hell out of it, and then I thought "that makes a lot of sense to me, I think I will try it." PLUS I'm not going with NO sugar, I'm going on the recommended amount. And the amount the doctor recommends happens to be the same that it on myfitnesspal. When I added the sugar line into my tracking it was already at the amount I wanted to stay at or below. This is the recommended amount given by all heath authorities, and as Americans we tend to eat 3x, 4x, 5x, or more that amount.0 -
What would you have done if a dr on NPR said sugar was awesome and you should consume as much as possible?
Consult with Dr. Oz? :laugh: :laugh:
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I'm not an idiot, thank you. I listened to it, I researched the hell out of it, and then I thought "that makes a lot of sense to me, I think I will try it." PLUS I'm not going with NO sugar, I'm going on the recommended amount. And the amount the doctor recommends happens to be the same that it on myfitnesspal. When I added the sugar line into my tracking it was already at the amount I wanted to stay at or below. This is the recommended amount given by all heath authorities, and as Americans we tend to eat 3x, 4x, 5x, or more that amount.
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So what do you think about Dr Lustig's research and comments on the dangers of sugar?0 -
I have reactive hypoglycemia and have been keeping an eye on my sugars due to the threat of developing insulin resistance. I'm not rigid about it. I have been trying to focus on keeping the bulk of the sugars I consume from natural items (fruits and veggies) and less from processed foods.
That being said. I haven't cut out artificial sweeteners. I have read that "we crave what we eat" and that for the purpose of that statement, my body doesn't care if it's a real sugar or an artificial sweetener. So if sweets are someone's dietary Achilles Heel, perhaps they might look at cutting out artificial sweeteners also. Luckily they were not largely my biggest issue.
Sorry, to be clear, the research I've done says that yes, it is all sweeteners, not just sugar. That is agave, corn syrup, sugar, etc. To your body it's all the same.0 -
I keep my sugar and carbs low and surprisingly once I got used to it I dont have cravings for the candy and cookies and all the junk from before.0
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hmm... well i ****loads of fruit and probably way `over the limit` but im not doing too bad. hahahaha0
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My trainer added the sugar column and I'm not big on sugar, or at least I thought. Wow, I don't add sugar to anything, but I easily surpassed my daily intake goal
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I've cut sugar and carbs (because carbs translate to sugar once ingested). I've lost 3 lbs in 3 days, and going strong. Good for you!0
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What would you have done if a dr on NPR said sugar was awesome and you should consume as much as possible?
Consult with Dr. Oz? :laugh: :laugh:
I'm not an idiot, thank you. I listened to it, I researched the hell out of it, and then I thought "that makes a lot of sense to me, I think I will try it." PLUS I'm not going with NO sugar, I'm going on the recommended amount. And the amount the doctor recommends happens to be the same that it on myfitnesspal. When I added the sugar line into my tracking it was already at the amount I wanted to stay at or below. This is the recommended amount given by all heath authorities, and as Americans we tend to eat 3x, 4x, 5x, or more that amount.
[/quote]
So what do you think about Dr Lustig's research and comments on the dangers of sugar?
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I thought he made a lot of sense, and at the same time it scared the crap out of me. I eat a lot of sweets. I always have. And I feel that if I didn't change my habits I was putting myself at risk. I have 2 young kids now, I want to be around for them until for a long long time, and if sugar in the amounts that I was eating it was going to put me at risk of not being there for them...well, it's a no-brainer. I love my kids more than I love my sweets.0 -
I've cut sugar and carbs (because carbs translate to sugar once ingested). I've lost 3 lbs in 3 days, and going strong. Good for you!
Good for you!0
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