reducing sugar intake, breaking bad habits help

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Every morning, first thing I do is brew a cup of coffee. I only have 1 cup a day. I add in one swiss miss hot milk chocolate packet and french vanilla creamer. When I finally measured my creamer ( a month or so ago), I realized I was using about half a cup. Way too much. I have managed to cut back to 3 tablespoons. I still have too much sugar in my diet, according to MFP. The past 3 days I have been over in sugar and under goals in almost everything else. Any ideas to help kick the coffee habit? Any ideas for meals throughout the rest of the day that are low in sugar? I haven't been eating bread or pasta for the past 3 days and hoping to keep it up for awhile as they are trigger foods for me.
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    You could put cream in your coffee for fewer carbs / sugar and maybe pass on the hot chocolate. Alternatively you could try a low calorie chocolate drink and put some coffee & cream in that.

    Meat, fish, eggs or cheese with green veg or salad is low in sugar and carbs.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    MFP sugar recommendation is extremely low, so I would disregard that.

    Secondly, sugar and carbs are not what make you gain weight; eating to the point of being in a calorie surplus is what makes you gain weight.

    You can create a calorie deficit, eat sugar and carbs, and still lose weight; on the flip side, you can cut out sugar and carbs, eat in a surplus, and you will gain weight.

    My suggestion would be to restrict nothing, eat the foods you like in moderation, and maintain a calorie deficit.

    I would also suggest getting a food scale and weighing, logging, and measuring everything.

    Unless of course you have some medical condition, then restricting carbs and sugar may make sense...

    also, what is wrong with coffee? I drink two cups a day ...
  • Dessalena
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    MFP sugar recommendation is extremely low, so I would disregard that.

    Secondly, sugar and carbs are not what make you gain weight; eating to the point of being in a calorie surplus is what makes you gain weight.

    You can create a calorie deficit, eat sugar and carbs, and still lose weight; on the flip side, you can cut out sugar and carbs, eat in a surplus, and you will gain weight.

    My suggestion would be to restrict nothing, eat the foods you like in moderation, and maintain a calorie deficit.

    I would also suggest getting a food scale and weighing, logging, and measuring everything.

    Unless of course you have some medical condition, then restricting carbs and sugar may make sense...

    also, what is wrong with coffee? I drink two cups a day ...

    Absolutely nothing wrong with coffee. It is what I look forward to every single morning. :)

    I had no idea that MFP's sugar recommendation is low. Looks like I need to do more research.

    My calories have been under 1,000, which I'm certain isn't good.. ? Not much exercise recently.

    I do have a medical condition : pseudotumor cerebri. As far as I know, the only thing I am suppose to limit is Vitamin A, cheese, and salt. Cheese and salt I do try to keep to a minimum. Vitamin A , I haven't worried about because it doesn't seem to affect me like it does others with my condition.

    I definitely need to find a good food scale. I'm currently using measuring cups/spoons.

    Thanks for your advice :smile:
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Dessalena wrote: »
    I had no idea that MFP's sugar recommendation is low. Looks like I need to do more research.

    It isn't really, it's 15% of your calories and in line with a number of guidelines. At 1200 calories it's 45 grams of sugar a day.

  • Dessalena
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    yarwell wrote: »
    You could put cream in your coffee for fewer carbs / sugar and maybe pass on the hot chocolate. Alternatively you could try a low calorie chocolate drink and put some coffee & cream in that.

    Meat, fish, eggs or cheese with green veg or salad is low in sugar and carbs.

    I have thought about skipping the hot chocolate, only reason I haven't is because my calories have been under 1,000 by the end of the day. I've only been back to logging my food for 3 days now. Just trying to get better at how I fuel my body. I do plan on getting more veggies,salad,and lean meat) when I go back to the store.

    Thanks for advice :smile:

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Dessalena wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    MFP sugar recommendation is extremely low, so I would disregard that.

    Secondly, sugar and carbs are not what make you gain weight; eating to the point of being in a calorie surplus is what makes you gain weight.

    You can create a calorie deficit, eat sugar and carbs, and still lose weight; on the flip side, you can cut out sugar and carbs, eat in a surplus, and you will gain weight.

    My suggestion would be to restrict nothing, eat the foods you like in moderation, and maintain a calorie deficit.

    I would also suggest getting a food scale and weighing, logging, and measuring everything.

    Unless of course you have some medical condition, then restricting carbs and sugar may make sense...

    also, what is wrong with coffee? I drink two cups a day ...

    Absolutely nothing wrong with coffee. It is what I look forward to every single morning. :)

    I had no idea that MFP's sugar recommendation is low. Looks like I need to do more research.

    My calories have been under 1,000, which I'm certain isn't good.. ? Not much exercise recently.

    I do have a medical condition : pseudotumor cerebri. As far as I know, the only thing I am suppose to limit is Vitamin A, cheese, and salt. Cheese and salt I do try to keep to a minimum. Vitamin A , I haven't worried about because it doesn't seem to affect me like it does others with my condition.

    I definitely need to find a good food scale. I'm currently using measuring cups/spoons.

    Thanks for your advice :smile:

    What are your stats - height/weight/age?
    -
    what is the calorie number that MFP gave you and what did you set your weight loss goal at, i.e. one pound per week loss, two pound, etc..

    You should really be netting at least 1200 calories per day....
  • Dessalena
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    yarwell wrote: »
    Dessalena wrote: »
    I had no idea that MFP's sugar recommendation is low. Looks like I need to do more research.

    It isn't really, it's 15% of your calories and in line with a number of guidelines. At 1200 calories it's 45 grams of sugar a day.

    Thanks for your input! Research is definitely on my to do list today.
  • melissalatzel25
    melissalatzel25 Posts: 148 Member
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    carbs don't make you fat... every cell in the human body run off carbs. watch freelee the banana girls youtube channel :) i used to weigh 54 kilos when restricting calories and always being hungry and now i eat 2000 minimum a day and weigh 49 and always eat when I'm hungry :) fruit is the best
  • Dessalena
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    ndj1979
    my stats are:
    30 y/o 5'3 200 lbs Goal is -2 pounds per week and MFP suggest 1230 cals a day
  • eric829_
    eric829_ Posts: 20 Member
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    Do you like coconut flavored coffee? If so, try a tsp of coconut oil in lieu of sugar/chocolate. I use that and unflavored heavy whipping cream (I'm low carb).
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Dessalena wrote: »
    ndj1979
    my stats are:
    30 y/o 5'3 200 lbs Goal is -2 pounds per week and MFP suggest 1230 cals a day

    OK - two pounds per week is considered pretty aggressive...

    here is what I would suggest...

    Make sure that you are eating at least 1230 calories a day ..if you go over a little on some days that is OK because you will still be in a deficit...

    Once you get down to about 185 pounds, I would suggest changing MFP to one pound per week loss..

  • Dessalena
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    eric829_ wrote: »
    Do you like coconut flavored coffee? If so, try a tsp of coconut oil in lieu of sugar/chocolate. I use that and unflavored heavy whipping cream (I'm low carb).

    I have tried the coconut oil in coffee before. It's not for me. Thanks for the suggestion, though :smile:
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    I'm always over on my sugar from my fruit intake. I don't really pay attention to it. I used to drink my coffee with a tablespoon of sugar, (3 plus coffees a day, it adds up) so now I drink it black, because it doesn't fit my calories.
    And no, don't take advice from freelee the banana girl, while she an Durian rider are entertaining, do not take diet advice from YouTube nuts.
  • Dessalena
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    ndj1979 wrote: »

    OK - two pounds per week is considered pretty aggressive...

    here is what I would suggest...

    Make sure that you are eating at least 1230 calories a day ..if you go over a little on some days that is OK because you will still be in a deficit...

    Once you get down to about 185 pounds, I would suggest changing MFP to one pound per week loss..

    I started to put 1 pound per week, initially.Since I am not exercising very much, currently, I know that I am not likely to lose 2 per week. I am going to do my best to hit 1230 cals everyday.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Dessalena wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »

    OK - two pounds per week is considered pretty aggressive...

    here is what I would suggest...

    Make sure that you are eating at least 1230 calories a day ..if you go over a little on some days that is OK because you will still be in a deficit...

    Once you get down to about 185 pounds, I would suggest changing MFP to one pound per week loss..

    I started to put 1 pound per week, initially.Since I am not exercising very much, currently, I know that I am not likely to lose 2 per week. I am going to do my best to hit 1230 cals everyday.

    As an FYI - you do not need to exercise to lose weight. All you need to do is eat in a calorie deficit.

    The number that MFP gives you already has the deficit built into it. So if you selected two pounds per week and it gave you 1230 then you should lose two pounds per week, with out exercise, if you eat to that number....

  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    If you are putting half a cup of creamer and a hot chocolate packet in you're coffee, it's not really coffee anymore. Drink it black! You know what they say, once you go black, you won't go back. That's about coffee, right?
  • begum015
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    I know they say fake sugar is bad...but I use it and lose...now if your trying to be good and get rid of sugar addiction...maybe go from white to brown...brown to agave... ??? I too am trying. ndj79 gave the best advise...don't cut anything...just moderation. I lose weight eating rice and pasta...as long as you are within your calories. Once you are the weight you want, you should try to eat cleaner??? Stevia is so sweet that I don't even like real sugar stuff anymore...but it definitely makes it harder to quit sweets since its sweeter then sugar.
  • MommatoMaddie
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    OP, I am really glad that you realized that the way to fill up is not through hot chocolate in your coffee, but by better food choices throughout the day. That will keep you full and satisfied. Clearly I am not a perfect eater, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but I think anytime you can cut back on processed sugar is a good move. I like to sweeten my coffee a bit, too, so I know where you're coming from. I like the Natural Bliss creamer from Coffee Mate - all the flavors are good!
  • Dessalena
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    If you are putting half a cup of creamer and a hot chocolate packet in you're coffee, it's not really coffee anymore. Drink it black! You know what they say, once you go black, you won't go back. That's about coffee, right?


    hahaha...I guess it could be about coffee. However, I have tried that.. I just can't. And it's no longer a half cup, but 3 tbsp. I know many don't consider it coffee..but hey, there is still coffee in it so counts to me :smile:
  • Dessalena
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Dessalena wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »

    OK - two pounds per week is considered pretty aggressive...

    here is what I would suggest...

    Make sure that you are eating at least 1230 calories a day ..if you go over a little on some days that is OK because you will still be in a deficit...

    Once you get down to about 185 pounds, I would suggest changing MFP to one pound per week loss..

    I started to put 1 pound per week, initially.Since I am not exercising very much, currently, I know that I am not likely to lose 2 per week. I am going to do my best to hit 1230 cals everyday.

    As an FYI - you do not need to exercise to lose weight. All you need to do is eat in a calorie deficit.

    The number that MFP gives you already has the deficit built into it. So if you selected two pounds per week and it gave you 1230 then you should lose two pounds per week, with out exercise, if you eat to that number....

    Good to know!