quitting sugar

MouseFood
MouseFood Posts: 169 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I've been dragging my feet about this for a long time ... I go back and forth.

Thinking about quitting sugar totally. Like all added sugar. Fruit and such are ok, obviously.

My mom has diabetes now and I am so scared of that eventually happening to me.

90% of my binges are comprised of high sugar foods. Every now and then I want doritos or something else salty, but normally it's the sugar that gets me.

I get differing opinions everywhere I go. OA (overeaters anonymous) members told me I had to quit sugar, even though the rules of OA actually state that there is no set diet and the only requirement for joining is a desire to stop eating compulsively.

My nutritionist told me that a little sugar is ok, and cutting it ALL out can make you crave it more.

My dentist told me a little sugar is okay but he'd rather I eat A LOT once in a while than a tiny bit every day (because exposure to sugar every day is worse for teeth.)

I have been thinking about applying the rule of drink to sugar .... never do it alone, because my binges happen when I'm alone. But I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to stick to that rule.

SOOOOO thoughts? suggestions? experiences?

Replies

  • TEMMEAlexa
    TEMMEAlexa Posts: 79 Member
    Eating sugar is not going to help you at all.It is better to control your binges soon as they can lead you to health problems later.Sugar is only calories which you pile on yourself therefore in should be eaten only according to your need rather than binging on high sugar foods.You could also substitute sugar with healthier options like honey which also tastes better .
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Okay, I've been dragging my feet about this for a long time ... I go back and forth.

    Thinking about quitting sugar totally. Like all added sugar. Fruit and such are ok, obviously.

    My mom has diabetes now and I am so scared of that eventually happening to me.

    90% of my binges are comprised of high sugar foods. Every now and then I want doritos or something else salty, but normally it's the sugar that gets me.

    I get differing opinions everywhere I go. OA (overeaters anonymous) members told me I had to quit sugar, even though the rules of OA actually state that there is no set diet and the only requirement for joining is a desire to stop eating compulsively.

    My nutritionist told me that a little sugar is ok, and cutting it ALL out can make you crave it more.

    My dentist told me a little sugar is okay but he'd rather I eat A LOT once in a while than a tiny bit every day (because exposure to sugar every day is worse for teeth.)

    I have been thinking about applying the rule of drink to sugar .... never do it alone, because my binges happen when I'm alone. But I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to stick to that rule.

    SOOOOO thoughts? suggestions? experiences?

    Cutting back on sugar can sometimes be about how and why you are cutting it out.

    Sugar in your diet is not bad in moderation, but the way to look at it is that it's not essential, as opposed to protein and fats, which are.

    If you accept that your cutting back on it, as an easy way to reduce your calories (to get yourself into a deficit), without losing the micronutrients along the way then it's just a matter being practical.

    I found for me (which may not work for you), was to focus on eating plenty of veg and foods high in fat and moderate protein, this kept me feeling fuller longer and reduced the carb/sugar cravings.

    After about 30 days I re-introduced certain sugary foods, not all though, as with some I found I didn't fancy them anymore.

    Good luck with how you crack it.
  • MouseFood
    MouseFood Posts: 169 Member
    Thanks for your tips :)

    Maybe cutting it out for 30 days would help me figure out what will work. I think I tried that once before and only got about 10 or 15 days but it did seem to be helping.
  • Annesoucy1957
    Annesoucy1957 Posts: 125
    If sugary food is part of the reason you are gaining weight, not a bad idea to restrict it slowly. We all have different trigger for me it is chips cannot just eat a few, same for salted nuts, I try to avoid them since I eat them out of control, but that does not mean since salt is my downfall that I removed all of it, I limit my choices of salty food but keep some.

    Dont go overboard, do it gradually and see how you can manage. Good luck
  • MouseFood
    MouseFood Posts: 169 Member
    Yeah, the trouble is if I'm desperate enough for sugar, it almost doesn't matter what it is.

    I could eat 2 bowls of cereal with spoonful after spoonful of sugar heaped on it.

    Maybe I have a chocolate craving, so go buy a choc bar to try and stave that off so I don't do the cereal thing ... but then I usually end up eating the chocolate bar and wishing I'd bought 10 instead of 1, and go for the cereal or bread & jam or whatever else there is around with sugar in it.

    It's like a desire that can never been satisfied.

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