Have you Quit Sugar?

I eat fruit, veggies, and a good bit of dairy and see no reason to stop, so no.

Assuming you mean added sugar, I don't add sugar to anything regularly (occasionally I make a rhubarb sauce that includes a bit and I usually bake for holidays). I use it rarely enough that it's common for me to not even have sugar on hand, so I don't see why I'd need to cut that out entirely, so again, no.

I have cut out added sugar (in foods I eat) for periods of time (when I first started I did it for a few weeks and I did it again in January) just to change up my diet some and (originally) because I tend to run to sugary things for the emotional eating stuff (this is more because that's the only food around in my office I like, because I don't care for most chips, which is the other alternative). When I did this in January it was mostly a matter of cutting out the ice cream I have in the evening when I have extra calories plus the fancy chocolates I like to buy on occasion (I don't eat lots of packaged foods, so don't care that it's in bread or pasta sauce). It wasn't too hard, and helped me expand my horizons and include some different higher calorie foods, like cheese and more higher fat meats on occasion (like pork shoulder, yum), but I didn't feel any different and I think simply including a moderate amount of all foods makes more sense--not that you must eat sugar any particular amount of time, but why have rules against it? Just pick wisely given the options that day.

So I am back to including it in what I consider limited, moderate amounts.

I gave up refined sugars at first as well as more highly processed carbs overall just to get my overeating and really unhealthy eating habits under control. I eat a bit of everything now, but I eat much much less refined sugar now than before. I was not and am not low carb. I merely eat more whole grains and natural sugars.

I've not been fond of white commercial bread and even some of the wheat for years because it's really sweet homemade white bread is a whole different story

livhig82 wrote: »

After watching a documentary about sugar I am really considering quitting altogether.
Has anyone else done this and what was your experience??

Assuming you mean added sugar, and not sugar contained in fruits, vegetable, etc., then I have cut back drastically from what I ate as a younger woman. I am much more picky about my sugar these days, but I'm not going to give up the occasional meal of pancakes and syrup. I will make them whole grain and use only pure maple syrup, though.

It's amazing how my tastes have changed. I'll pass up pancakes now if artificial syrup is all that's available, even though it's what I grew up on.

DawnieB1977 wrote: »

magairlin wrote: »

Yes- pretty much. I know that sugar is in some foods that I eat and I like to drink beer and wine which also contain sugar but in general I don't eat sugary food- cakes, biscuits, chocolate etc. It works well for me. If I don't eat it I don't want it but if I eat it I crave more and I wanted to rid myself of cravings and I have done so. I don't eat much processed food but if I am buying it I check labels and if sugar comes within the first three ingredients listed I regard it as a sugar product and I don't buy it. Be careful with bread- you'd be surprised how many breads on the market have sugar in the first three ingredients. In my case it's what makes it "moreish" and hard to resist eating too much of it. Christmas, Easter etc can be a huge challenge. I usually indulge at Christmas and put on several pounds which I often regret. This Easter I plan on sticking to my no sugar. I will have treats but they will be wine, beer, and diet coke. I really feel so much better without sugary food. A slice of apple tart is about 350 calories and is eaten in a few seconds and I always want more! For 350 calories I could treat myself to some wine or beer or something that I really want and not experience cravings afterwards. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Wine is pretty sugary.

We don't tend to have sugar in bread in England, at least not the bread i buy. One of my friends went to the US and said the bread was really sweet.

I agree with not having too much added sugar, but like anything it's ok in moderation.

Not good wines. Moscato may be.

I'm friggin' about to have to. I have debated people over sugar for months now-- how its not that big of a deal and that weight loss is calories in vs calories out. And I couldn't wait to live that out so that some of the people in my life could see that you can live a moderate life and still lose weight-- especially my bestie who thinks that cutting out sugar, dairy, meat and gluten (but binging on it every weekend) is the only way to lose weight and live healthy.
Then... I found out that I'm insulin resistant this past week. And that I'll have to drastically cut carbs, sugar, and friggin dairy. I'm totally bitter about it.

amusedmonkey wrote: »

breefoshee wrote: »

I'm friggin' about to have to. I have debated people over sugar for months now-- how its not that big of a deal and that weight loss is calories in vs calories out. And I couldn't wait to live that out so that some of the people in my life could see that you can live a moderate life and still lose weight-- especially my bestie who thinks that cutting out sugar, dairy, meat and gluten (but binging on it every weekend) is the only way to lose weight and live healthy.
Then... I found out that I'm insulin resistant this past week. And that I'll have to drastically cut carbs, sugar, and friggin dairy. I'm totally bitter about it.

The good news is that in many cases this can go into remission once you lose weight and start exercising. I used to eat much lower carbs back when I had my average fasting blood sugar at 112. After losing a lot of weight and following up with exercise my average is now 75! Best of all, I can eat whatever and my blood sugar won't go an inch over 130 after a meal. So patience!

Thanks! Yea, I say I'm bitter... but at the same time I'm hopeful and glad to know that I'm not crazy. Putting in a lot of work and hardly seeing the scale go down is discouraging... but knowing now that I'm insulin resistant, I now know what to do to move forward.

I've cut down a great deal and am significantly more mindful of the sugar that I intake...but, no, it just isn't a realistic thing for me to cut it out all together right now.

AmazonMayan wrote: »

I've not been fond of white commercial bread and even some of the wheat for years because it's really sweet homemade white bread is a whole different story

Agree with this. As a child my mother thought I was difficult because I would not eat packaged bread (I still don't care for it and never buy it--we got whole wheat, actually, but I didn't like any of it), but homemade bread, both whole grain and not, I've always enjoyed, and of course various other sorts of bread like the naan in good Indian restaurants (which I think I talk about incessantly). I wonder if part of it was the extra sweetness, as I've always been somewhat sensitive to and not liked sweetness in foods I didn't think should be sweet (partly why I've never liked ketchup and back when I drank lots of wine it took me the longest and some exposure to really good dessert wines before I developed a palate for any sweeter wines).

I just make sure I consume plenty of fibre, after that how much sugar I consume is of no concern.