Input on reducing sugar?
shejuicy
Posts: 17
Hello everyone! I am a novice to this site, but I like it already. 
I wanted to ask about your advice on incorporating a cleaner diet. I am incredibly... addicted to sugar. I've watched many documentaries, taken a nutrition class in the past, and count calories (1500-2000). Cutting back on sugar has been incredibly hard though. I would say I consume anywhere from 80-150 grams of sugar per day, and sugary foods make up about 60% of my diet. Because of this, I have sugar rushes, crashes, headaches, etc. Pretty much fed up with the lack of nutrition I'm providing myself. So, portioning/ calorie counting is not my problem, it's finding a way to replace the sugar.
If anyone has had a problem with sugar, what foods did you replace it with? Some people have gone cold turkey with a 30 grams or less, while some have done it gradually, which worked for you? I'm not afraid of protein, meat, fats. I would like some staple foods/ ingredients that satiate (I like a plate of spinach, or whole wheat bread with organic pb), and have helped you eat cleaner. I only have about 10 minutes to make/eat breakfast, but lunch/dinner I'm able to cook. I hope I was clear, I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance!
(My last sugar riddled meal of '14)
I wanted to ask about your advice on incorporating a cleaner diet. I am incredibly... addicted to sugar. I've watched many documentaries, taken a nutrition class in the past, and count calories (1500-2000). Cutting back on sugar has been incredibly hard though. I would say I consume anywhere from 80-150 grams of sugar per day, and sugary foods make up about 60% of my diet. Because of this, I have sugar rushes, crashes, headaches, etc. Pretty much fed up with the lack of nutrition I'm providing myself. So, portioning/ calorie counting is not my problem, it's finding a way to replace the sugar.
If anyone has had a problem with sugar, what foods did you replace it with? Some people have gone cold turkey with a 30 grams or less, while some have done it gradually, which worked for you? I'm not afraid of protein, meat, fats. I would like some staple foods/ ingredients that satiate (I like a plate of spinach, or whole wheat bread with organic pb), and have helped you eat cleaner. I only have about 10 minutes to make/eat breakfast, but lunch/dinner I'm able to cook. I hope I was clear, I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance!
(My last sugar riddled meal of '14)
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Replies
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that looks so gross! (well to me anyway). lol
I don't do a lot of added sugar (or honey or maple syrup for that matter). I don't like things too sweet. I love waffles, pancakes, and french toast. I top them with fresh fruit, nuts, nut butters, and preserves (w/ no added sugar). I bake with over-ripened bananas and dates instead of sugar. I buy my nut butters in the natural variety (unsweetened). I eat my oatmeal with fresh fruit and nuts. I don't do sugary cereals at all.0 -
Where is that from? I'm from Seattle0
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I'm guessing you mean processed foods and sugars (because there's nothing wrong with eating the natural sugar in fruit). The reason processed foods and sugars create a yearning for more of the crap is because of the chemicals that manufacturers put into these science experiments. They are created so that your body will react and want more (plus cause an insulin spike so the crap is stored as body fat). The good news is that this "dependency" goes away in only a few days if you largely eliminate science experiments from what you eat. From personal experience, my cravings for the junk have largely left me after 3-7 days of eating mostly real food.
Bottom line.....all that crap in science experiments that you either can't pronounce or don't know what it is when you read it in the label of ingredients (if you bother reading the label)....well, that crap is in there for a reason. One reason is to get you addicted to the crap.0 -
This helped me stop drinking soft drinks:
Get some crystal light liquid drink flavoring and canned plain seltzer water.
Take a 40oz cup and fill a little water in the bottom* then put a huge squeeze of the flavoring in. Add seltzer, top off with water then ice.
I know it isnt the same as sweet food, but Its a start.
You could get a big bag of Splenda and start baking though.
*The little water with help keep the concentrated drink flavoring from splattering.0 -
It would probably be easier to help if we had a better understanding of what you are finding difficult. What items are you eating that you want to replace?
More simply, though, what worked for me was not worrying so much about cutting things but focusing on the foods I wanted to eat and my nutritional aims. When I got in my protein and vegetables and focused on my main meals and making them balanced, there really wasn't any issue remaining with excess sugar or the like. (Of course, I consider excess sugar that which would result in me not otherwise meeting my nutrition goals or going over calories, so that's a bit circular.)
I used to eat stuff like muffins for breakfast, and now I have a vegetable omelet, and I definitely feel better having a more balanced breakfast (I do have fruit, usually, which has lots of sugar). For me that change--having a balance and not just a food that was a high percentage of carbs alone--really helped with the sugar swings. I didn't need to cut it out beyond that.
So from my experience I'd suggest focusing on thinking of a breakfast that has more protein and fat rather than just limiting sugar. Some reasonably quick options are plain yogurt plus fruit and some nuts, hard-boiled eggs plus raw veggies (or fruit), oatmeal, that kind of thing. As you can see I don't think avoiding any sugar is necessary, but if that's what you want to do it's possible (I'm sure people will chime in with other options).
For lunch, I have a harder time thinking of sugary foods unless you go out of your way to add them. Salad plus protein (make salad dressing or check the label), sandwich with a decent amount of protein plus some veggies (again, check the label of the bread, although we are talking a relatively small amount of sugar), leftovers from dinner.
For dinner, meat/other protein, veggies (maybe a couple types), a starch (like potatoes or sweet potatoes or rice, etc. -- sweet potatoes of course have sugar). I quite often add fruit here too, but no need.
I often do like to have a bit of dessert after dinner (it signals to me that eating is over), but if you want to cut down a piece of cheese or a yogurt with fruit or lots of things can work too.
As you can see I'm just kind of guessing about your goals and what might work for you, so more specifics might help. You should build around the foods you like, that makes it easier.0 -
my input...cutting sugar is totally unnecessary, unless you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to sugar.0
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While I do eat some sweets regularly, I fill the bulk of my diet with whole grains, meats, dairy, nuts, and the sugar from fruits.0
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TBH, she absolutely drowned that meal in syrup though. One fast thing is not to make your foods swim in syrup0
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What I do is substitute sugary drinks with water with a splash of Mio. also, I picked up some ATKINS candy pack because they only have 1 gram of sugar in them. They taste pretty good too, helped me big time. quitting sugar has me down a few waist sizes already and will improve the look of your skin. sugar actually takes the elasticity out of you skin causing your skin to hang from your muscle. But that is my recommendation. Don't listen to these people saying not to quit sugar because trust me.....sugar is the enemy! Good luck :-)0
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JeffseekingV wrote: »TBH, she absolutely drowned that meal in syrup though. One fast thing is not to make your foods swim in syrup
seriously, she could probably eliminate 25% of sugar intake by backing off on the syrup..0 -
I had this sugar bomb a week or so ago. That's bananas and with Nutella sauce. There are 3 pancakes under there as well.
I wonder what that calorie/sugar count was. (FYI - I ate every bite)
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JeffseekingV wrote: »Where is that from? I'm from Seattle
Portage Bay in South Lake Union (kryptonite..)0 -
JeffseekingV wrote: »TBH, she absolutely drowned that meal in syrup though. One fast thing is not to make your foods swim in syrup
Hey, it came with that on it!
"It would probably be easier to help if we had a better understanding of what you are finding difficult. What items are you eating that you want to replace?"
I have a sugary energy drink for breakfast most days, cookies, yogurt covered pretzels, fiber/energy bars with a bunch of sugar, cinn rolls, etc. It's mostly the convenience of not having to prepare them, and yeah, the high/low addiction to the sugar high. I'm looking for simple ingredient meals that I can keep as a staple to not spend a lot of time cooking. I work and have an overload of classes. So like eggs and spinach with salt and pepper is good. I just want to cut out the sugar (not fruit) and replace it with equally quick and nutritious food. lol
thank you everyone for your time and responses!0 -
If you could find the time, doing some baking from scratch is one thing that can help. You could make foods like granola bars or even cookies that can have less sugar than the commercial varieties.0
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It's hard to guess where you could cut on sugar without looking at your diary, but 150 grams does sound high. If you are eating the recommended amount of protein (.8g/kg bodyweight or 1 g lb/lean mass - MFP recommendations may be too low), fat, and taking most of your carbs as complex carbs (i.e. whole grains, vegetables), you shouldn't have room for 150 grams of sugar in discretionary calories (that's 600 calories).
Staying away from added sugars for a few weeks can help you to more appreciate the subtler flavors of lower-calorie foods. You can try salads and veggie sticks for low-sugar options (by volume, not by calorie %). Make sure you get enough protein, and several servings of whole grains. Try to include nuts or nut butters. Stay with 1-2 servings of fruit a day, and partner your sugars with fiber and protein (i.e. apple with 1 tbs peanut butter, or a square of cheese) to avoid glucose spikes and crashes, and help with feeling fuller longer.
I find eating actual meals instead of snacking all day helps me to get more protein in, and less sugar. Also, vigorous exercise can lower overall hunger, and vulnerability to cravings. Good luck
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I had this sugar bomb a week or so ago. That's bananas and with Nutella sauce. There are 3 pancakes under there as well.
I wonder what that calorie/sugar count was. (FYI - I ate every bite)
If you logged it, MFP will tell you how much sugar. Are you just posting this to torture people? Seriously Nutella should be illegal or something...drool....0 -
(My last sugar riddled meal of '14)
Well, for starters, nobody needs that...I mean once in a great while, sure...but really, just go have some bacon and eggs and maybe a side of toast or something...
But to your question...
1. Eat more whole foods and less processed foods
2. Of you 6 to 8 servings of fruit and veg, make only a couple of those servings fruit and the rest veg
3. Cook more at home using scratch, whole ingredients; eat out less.
4. treat treats as if they were actually treats and not daily fare.0 -
I had this sugar bomb a week or so ago. That's bananas and with Nutella sauce. There are 3 pancakes under there as well.
I wonder what that calorie/sugar count was. (FYI - I ate every bite)
If you logged it, MFP will tell you how much sugar. Are you just posting this to torture people? Seriously Nutella should be illegal or something...drool....
I didn't log it. I figured I would continue with the OPs posting of 2014 sugar bombs...Hopefully a picture doesn't actually torture anyone....
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I eat about 5g of sugar a day roughly. I live a ketogenic lifestyle (low carb, high fat, moderate protein) and the majority of my carbs/sugar come from vegetables. I eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods aside from ranch dressing, sugar free bbq sauce and sriracha. I stopped eating carbs cold turkey March 2014, although my issue was always savory carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes) and not sweets.
I don't miss sugar and I don't miss the carbs. I feel so much better when I eat this way. I went off keto for two weeks at Christmas as a kind of science experiment (also because I hadn't been home in a year and wanted Chicago pizza....sue me). I felt absolutely awful. I had headaches every day, I was lethargic, my stomach hated me and I had trouble sleeping.
Keto makes all of that better, for me and for many others, but you don't have to be as strict with it as I am. I'd recommend cutting back - maybe 25g every 1-2 weeks until you are at a point where you feel comfortable. Don't look for "low fat" options at the store - they are bulked with sugar/carbs to enhance the flavor the fat would have added. Replace the sugar with fat and proteins plus veggies - butter, oils, chicken thighs w/ skin, a salad with ranch (check the carb count), cucumbers, bell peppers, maybe some cheese or eggs or chicken, tuna salad with full fat mayo, meatballs/meatloaf with 85/15 ground beef, eggs, "zoodles" in place of pasta, roasted broccoli/cauliflower/brussels sprouts, etc.
Hope that kind of helps a bit.0 -
JeffseekingV wrote: »TBH, she absolutely drowned that meal in syrup though. One fast thing is not to make your foods swim in syrup
Hey, it came with that on it!
"It would probably be easier to help if we had a better understanding of what you are finding difficult. What items are you eating that you want to replace?"
I have a sugary energy drink for breakfast most days, cookies, yogurt covered pretzels, fiber/energy bars with a bunch of sugar, cinn rolls, etc. It's mostly the convenience of not having to prepare them, and yeah, the high/low addiction to the sugar high. I'm looking for simple ingredient meals that I can keep as a staple to not spend a lot of time cooking. I work and have an overload of classes. So like eggs and spinach with salt and pepper is good. I just want to cut out the sugar (not fruit) and replace it with equally quick and nutritious food. lol
thank you everyone for your time and responses!
IMHO, it's not the sugar perse, it's the calories that are IN whatever foods that have the sugar in it. In terms of weight loss, you need to consider not really the sugar but the foods you are putting the sugar ONTO0 -
mfp has taught me, everything in moderation......and thru my own research, make room for 'cheat meals'......i typically reserve high sugar desserts for my 'cheat meal' - i do not keep ice cream, muffins, pastries, etc. in my house.....they are kept far away...lol. and only on my dedicated cheat meal days......these days i do eat my cheat meal, i be sure to eat early....and typically follow a 12-16 hour 'fast' where i do not eat again, until the next day, about 10-11 a.m.....to give my body time to digest the 'poison' (lol) i just consumed.....
my biggest thing, was cutting out white sugar.....i no longer put sugar in my coffee.....ditched the powdered creamers....i now use a splash or 2 of half and half....which is milk and cream....it sure brings out the flavor of coffee.....a flavor i never remember ever tasting....since my daily java was typically served with 1 tablespoon of white sugar......and 1 tablespoon of creamer.....which is chock full of hydrogenated oil/fat....
in fact, at this very moment, i do not have any white sugar in my house.....i do have light brown sugar though, which i'll sprinkle on my sweet potatoes every so often.....i haven't beaten the sweet taste of my honey yet.....so i sweeten it with half tablespoon of honey, which has some nutritional value....there are said to be some medicinal value to pure honey, so yes, i still use that on occasion....0 -
It's hard to guess where you could cut on sugar without looking at your diary, but 150 grams does sound high. If you are eating the recommended amount of protein (.8g/kg bodyweight or 1 g lb/lean mass - MFP recommendations may be too low), fat, and taking most of your carbs as complex carbs (i.e. whole grains, vegetables), you shouldn't have room for 150 grams of sugar in discretionary calories (that's 600 calories).
I mean it's pretty embarrassing to admit, but a lot of what I eat is just sweets, with addition fiber or vitamins to make me feel good about my choices. What you might consider a snack, I'll have as a mini meal. Thus far, protein and veggies have been negligible, just carbs and fruits and sugars.
So, pairing fruit with fibers/protein. Granola. About 40g of protein. Could I just eat like 3 or 4 egg omelette?0 -
OP - just eat in moderation and learn the food is not inherently "evil" or "good" it is just food that your body utilizes for energy. You can eat sugar and lose weight; on the flip side, you can eliminate all sugar, eat in a surplus, and you will gain weight.
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So start cutting sugar out - start with the insanely large breakfast and syrup toppings - and work back from there....you can still eat some French toast, just put a small serving of syrup on it...0 -
Is anyone else slightly aroused by those pics?0
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It's hard to guess where you could cut on sugar without looking at your diary, but 150 grams does sound high. If you are eating the recommended amount of protein (.8g/kg bodyweight or 1 g lb/lean mass - MFP recommendations may be too low), fat, and taking most of your carbs as complex carbs (i.e. whole grains, vegetables), you shouldn't have room for 150 grams of sugar in discretionary calories (that's 600 calories).
I mean it's pretty embarrassing to admit, but a lot of what I eat is just sweets, with addition fiber or vitamins to make me feel good about my choices. What you might consider a snack, I'll have as a mini meal. Thus far, protein and veggies have been negligible, just carbs and fruits and sugars.
So, pairing fruit with fibers/protein. Granola. About 40g of protein. Could I just eat like 3 or 4 egg omelette?
here are some foods..
eggs
oatmeal
bacon
greek yogurt
bread
steak
chicken
vegetables
ice cream (yes its OK)
pork
fish
rice
etc0 -
So it sounds like your issue is finding easy ready-to-go foods that have lower sugar. I get that, as it's related to why I used to eat an unsatisfying (to me) carby breakfast like a muffin or bagel.
Some breakfast could involve a protein shake (you can find ones that don't use sugar) or no sugar protein bar (although these will have artificial sweeteners if that bothers you), fruit, nuts, plain greek yogurt/cottage cheese, leftover meat, raw veggies (cut them in advance), nuts, or overnight oats. (Obviously I'm not suggesting all at the same meal). Also hard boiled eggs are always convenient to make ahead, and a bunch of people do pre-prepared egg muffin things that I unfortunately have never tried.0
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