Input on reducing sugar?

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.

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.

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.

shejuicy wrote: »

If anyone has had a problem with sugar, what foods did you replace it with?

What else do you like to eat besides sugar?

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.

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 :-)

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)

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

(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.