Quitting sugar challenge

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Hi everyone, I'm looking for friends/ support while quitting (added) sugar. I don't need to lose much weight but I want to be healthier and a better example for my kids. Moreover, consuming sugar makes me pretty sluggish and bloated. So I've decided to quit the white poison and get my carbohydrates from healthy sources like oats, brown rice, potatoes and some fruit. Anyone else up for such a challenge?

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  • melissastaszak
    melissastaszak Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi Eva,
    I am reading an ebook called "I Quit Sugar" by Sarah Wilson, and am thinking of doing her program...it kind of eases you into being sugar free.
    Another book I've read and really enjoyed is "Grain Brain"...I have celiac disease, so I already don't eat many grains but that book has some great research in it and good points.
    Good luck on your road to sugar free!!
    Melissa
  • PatriciaGentileschi
    PatriciaGentileschi Posts: 27 Member
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    Eva I would love to be your I QUIT SUGAR pal! I need one, actually....I have read that Sarah Wilson book and it´s really good but quite challenging..I started almost three weeks ago...and the fist two weeks went fine...this last week...oh my!!!I have eaten sugar more than one day...and today I had a piece of cake...I don´t know what is wrong with me!:( I feel quite miserable afterwards...a loser...is not easy!I need support! I am in this time of the month too..maybe that is why is easier to Lapse I suppose...Let me know!!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Unless you have a medical condition, there is no real reason to eliminate added sugar.

  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    Unless you have a medical condition, there is no real reason to eliminate added sugar.

    First...I have not eliminated added sugar from my diet. I just on a normal basis do not consume very much.

    Is there any health issues that arise from the elimination of added sugar? I wasn't able to find one.

    The greatest risk that I see is that restricting it so severely might lead one to caving in and then binging.

    If one consumes a lot of foods high in added sugar then maybe restricting themselves will at the very least help them in the end to cut back. The added sugars in food eat up a lot of ones calories especially for those that have 1200-1600 calorie limits. Those added sugar calories could buy them a lot more food that has a little more benefit health wise.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Unless you have a medical condition, there is no real reason to eliminate added sugar.

    First...I have not eliminated added sugar from my diet. I just on a normal basis do not consume very much.

    Is there any health issues that arise from the elimination of added sugar? I wasn't able to find one.

    The greatest risk that I see is that restricting it so severely might lead one to caving in and then binging.

    If one consumes a lot of foods high in added sugar then maybe restricting themselves will at the very least help them in the end to cut back. The added sugars in food eat up a lot of ones calories especially for those that have 1200-1600 calorie limits. Those added sugar calories could buy them a lot more food that has a little more benefit health wise.


    There also aren't health issues for healthy people from eating added sugar as long as it doesn't create a surplus.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Unless you have a medical condition, there is no real reason to eliminate added sugar.

    First...I have not eliminated added sugar from my diet. I just on a normal basis do not consume very much.

    Is there any health issues that arise from the elimination of added sugar? I wasn't able to find one.

    The greatest risk that I see is that restricting it so severely might lead one to caving in and then binging.

    If one consumes a lot of foods high in added sugar then maybe restricting themselves will at the very least help them in the end to cut back. The added sugars in food eat up a lot of ones calories especially for those that have 1200-1600 calorie limits. Those added sugar calories could buy them a lot more food that has a little more benefit health wise.


    There also aren't health issues for healthy people from eating added sugar as long as it doesn't create a surplus.

    So it comes down to a personal preference on how one chooses to "spend" their calories. What they base that decision on is also based on their experiences most likely.

    For many years I gave up sausage of all types...not because it was unhealthy nor because I didn't like it(I really really liked it). I gave it up purely because it made me feel "bad". After many years I am now able to eat sausage in small quantities but I rarely do.

    Don't get me wrong...I think calling sugar "white poison" is a bit extreme. I don't think that added sugars are "the root of all evil". I just think that sometimes...ya gotta let people figure it out for themselves...most of them do while the others go on to join the "Anti-Sugar Patrol Brigade".

  • RobertDupuy
    RobertDupuy Posts: 48 Member
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    2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese but apparently there is no reason for it.... :smile: I am inclined to believe there is a reason, the availability of food - it is everywhere and dietary choices

    Eliminating added sugar is great. Now, all the sugar snacks put in front of you daily are off limits. Secondly added sugar is about taste not nutrition. It sure seems to be triggering a lot of extra consumption
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese but apparently there is no reason for it.... :smile: I am inclined to believe there is a reason, the availability of food - it is everywhere and dietary choices

    Eliminating added sugar is great. Now, all the sugar snacks put in front of you daily are off limits. Secondly added sugar is about taste not nutrition. It sure seems to be triggering a lot of extra consumption

    If sugar is the reason for extra consumption, why don't the countries with higher per capita sugar consumption the the US have higher obesity rates?
  • kariker
    kariker Posts: 13 Member
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    I just wanted to add that I gave up sugar 6 wks ago and I feel fantastic. It hasn't been the solution to everything but I think that I personally have a sugar addiction and I just can't limit it. I have to go cold turkey. Different people need to do different things.
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    edited June 2015
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    2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese but apparently there is no reason for it.... :smile: I am inclined to believe there is a reason, the availability of food - it is everywhere and dietary choices

    Eliminating added sugar is great. Now, all the sugar snacks put in front of you daily are off limits. Secondly added sugar is about taste not nutrition. It sure seems to be triggering a lot of extra consumption

    If sugar is the reason for extra consumption, why don't the countries with higher per capita sugar consumption the the US have higher obesity rates?

    Those countries are not 'us' and those country's diets look nothing like ours.

    Different populations and different overall diets make the comparison not so simple.

    Obesity is a visible result of excessive sugar consumption but not the only problem excessive sugar consumption creates. There are other problems of excessive sugar consumption which, to be honest, must also be compared. Non obese people also are subject to health issues related to excessive sugar in their diet.
  • gothicfires
    gothicfires Posts: 240 Member
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    umayster wrote: »

    Those countries are not 'us' and those country's diets look nothing like ours.

    Different populations and different overall diets make the comparison not so simple.

    Obesity is a visible result of excessive sugar consumption but not the only problem excessive sugar consumption creates. There are other problems of excessive sugar consumption which, to be honest, must also be compared. Non obese people also are subject to health issues related to excessive sugar in their diet.

    Obesity is a result of excessive CALORIE consumption. Obesity existed before sugar was easily available and added to nearly everything. Yes there is a high amount of sugar in processed food but it is over consumption of the food that makes us fat.

    When you are loosing weight it makes sense to switch to food with a lower calorie count per volume. You get to eat more and you are consuming less calories... it's a win win.

    But if someone counts their calories and decides that they want the smaller volume with the higher calorie count it will work. I am proof. I lost 42lbs eating whatever I wanted even if it was only eating one meal a day because I had used all my calories in that sitting. It would have even been maintainable if I had kept up with that pattern.

    This time I changed my path. I must admit I feel much better and have more energy but that doesn't make sugar responsible for my weight gain. Over eating was the cause.