Fed up challenge
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And, of course, a homemade apple or cherry pie will involve sugar. I can see why this should be eaten in moderation and after getting in good nutritious meals and within calories, but is it really "crap"? I am not offended if you want to call my pie such, but I wouldn't have said that to my grandma.
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A homemade apple pie need not involve sugar. Maybe there is a small amount in the refrigerator pie crusts I buy, but I often make apple pie with no added sweeteners, just cinnamon. And they are delicious!
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All of mine do (I make my own crusts--I consider a good homemade crust the crucial element in any good pie--and don't include sugar in them, though, just loads of butter). I seriously doubt that means that my diet is less healthy overall. (And I don't think they would be as good with no sugar at all, sorry, or at least they'd be a different sort of food item. But whatever floats your boat--I think it's kind of weird to switch a pie from "crap" to not based on whether it has some sugar, when there are far more calories from other sources in most pies (like butter or lard, for those into the lard pie crust thing, as some of my more intense baker friends are).)0 -
Bam! After my six month plateau, I dropped added sugar and my once a week fast food. Here is my weight loss from March 23, 2014 to present.
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blazincajun wrote: »Bam! After my six month plateau, I dropped added sugar and my once a week fast food. Here is my weight loss from March 23, 2014 to present.
Wow great job
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PatriciaMcCamley wrote: »
Thanks lol I may have to try the Stevia drops, I don't think I've ever heard of that but I am a bit tired so that makes me forgetful lol. Thank you very much for the advicenvsmomketo wrote: »Paleo sites might be good for you to use. There's not much sugar added and the flours used are generally almond and coconut, which are lower in carbs and higher in protein. I've seen some really tastey paleo vegetable recipes like peppers stuffed with sausage and diced veggies (like onions and celery).
I find cooking extra so I can eat leftovers for another meal is helpful. Steak for dinner and then cut up steak on a spinach salad the next day. KWIM?
Sweetening with Stevia drops can be a good way to sweeten up a recipe without sugar. The drps are very sweet though. For example, I just need 1 drop in acup of coffee. I made coconut flour blueberry muffins from my kids the other day with about 25 drops of stevia. They said it was very sweet, and they are picky about me reducing tehir sugars. LOL
Good luck. I'm sure you'll have great success.
you can also grow your own and use the leaves for tea sweeteners. I have both the packets and the plant at my house0 -
Yes, cutting calories below maintenance will have that effect.blazincajun wrote: »Bam! After my six month plateau, I dropped added sugar and my once a week fast food. Here is my weight loss from March 23, 2014 to present.
I think 99% of the recipes for savory dishes you can find anywhere online or in a book won't have any added sugar. I certainly don't add sugar to grilled chicken, pan-seared pork, tacos, etc.
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PatriciaMcCamley wrote: »so in trying to eat absolutely no added sugars and I'm only on day three of this life style change and I don't have many good recipes that don't have any sugar.
There are a few I love like roasted eggplant and salsa, baked peppers, asparagus, seafood and stuff like that. I just want some more things to try out anyone have any good ideas or tips? Maybe some things I should try out that don't have added sugars (like some things to replace bread other than wraps).
Thank you.
Use recipe but don't put the sugar in0 -
PatriciaMcCamley wrote: »Lol yea follow a food challenge based on a terrible documentary that's based on bad science. That'll end well haha
I am simply cutting out added sugar, I titled this "fed up challenge" because I thought that it's similar to what I'm doing. Sugars are not benefiting my health so why keep them? I am not actually doing it as a challenge type thing, I am just wanting to get rid of sugars because I think I can benefit from not eating crap. There is no reason to comment on here with your negativity.
You don't have to cut out sugars, I'm not telling you what I think you should and shouldn't do with your diet so why are you commenting on here telling me it's a bad idea?
I would be okay with you telling me why sugar is good for me but if you don't give me legitimate feed back that can help me than I have no interest. So please tell me why is cutting sugar bad? How does my body gain anything from it? I eat fruit so I have natural sugars, but I don't understand why I shouldn't cut them out.
First off, calling anything with added sugars "crap" is extremely ignorant of nutrition as a whole.
To answer your question, cutting should only be done if it must be done. The reason for this is that restrictive diets are inherently troublesome. Unless you legitimately plan to completely avoid "added sugars" for the rest of your life, then don't restrict them now. What happens when you do that is that when you inevitably eat something sweet like a cookie or a brownie or chocolate, you will binge and you will binge hard. It happens to everyone that tries to eliminate sugar from their diet and it will happen to you. The amount of time it takes varies based on willpower but it will happen. You develop unhealthy eating habits and what started as a challenge becomes unhealthy. If you stop treating sugar like something that's unhealthy and start treating it like what it actually is (an extremely efficient fuel source) then maybe you might have a better relationship with it. Sugar is not bad, insulin is not bad. If you're eating at maintenance or in a deficit, sugar does not cause fat gain, it restores glycogen in the muscles and liver. As far as your natural sugars, do you really think they are different on a molecular level than "added sugars". Your body recognizes and responds to them in the same way.
The bolded part: really?? No, It doesn't happen to everybody; maybe it happened to you. I restricted sugar, including fruit, alcohol and dairy for six months and it reset me to good health. I am now much more mindful of these things when I do consume them. There has not been a single binge. Totally eliminating certain foods for a period of time has helped me observe how I feel with and without them. Don't let people tell you you have a messed up relationship with food just because you want to eliminate something, even if it's just for a couple of months.
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Katzedernacht wrote: »Hmm people may tell you it's silly, i think it's awesome,I don't see how a ton of added sugar does anyone any good.
I think I don't eat added sugar at all, well there was this vegan iced cacao thing..but y aknow, I don't drink soda or juices or stuff,also I don't eat candies or cake and at home we haven't had sugar in aaaages cos mom is a diabetic and I don't think it's really necessary,and my aunt eats only junkish food,what a combo eh?
I'd go for steveia leaves,or agave syrup thingie if you do need to sweet something up.
When I want a sweet thing I eat some fruit
Most people don't think a ton of added sugar is good, because it uses up all of their calories. However, a little added sugar goes a long way. I need to add ~3.5tsp of sugar for 2 whole pizzas. That comes out to a whopping 3.5 calories per slice. But, without the added sugar the yeast wouldn't activate and I wouldn't have wonderfully tasty crust.
Also, if you dislike High Fructose Corn Syrup, the very LAST thing you should be suggesting is Agave Nectar. HFCS is typically ~55% Fructose, 45% glucose (there are other versions like HFCS90 which is 90% Fructose). The reason people don't like HFCS is because it has more Fructose than regular sugar (Sucrose, which is 50%/50%). Agave Nectar is ~90% Fructose, 10% glucose. If you just don't like any additional sugar you shouldn't be suggesting any form of Fructose/Glucose sweetener.0 -
Recipes without added sugar are easy. Even if you also eliminate breads/pasta, still pretty easy.
Stew - meat, onions, root vegetables
Stir fry - same ingredients, cooked differently
Soup - same ingredients, cooked differently
Hummus and veggie sticks
Baked salmon with roasted vegetables
Grilled chicken with salad and roasted fruit for dessert
Gumbo
Chicken marsala over spaghetti squash
Roast turkey with baked sweet potatoes
Filey mignon topped with blue cheese crumbles and greek salad
Grilled swordfish, mango chipotle salsa and salad
Crab legs and sweet potato fries
Bell peppers stuffed tuna salad
omelets or fritatas0 -
If you are willing to bake your own bread, here is a recipe for a Ukrainian bread called Arnaut. If you like you can adjust the proportions of whole and white flour (I have gone all the way to full whole grain and it works just fine). I usually make the proof the night before, add the rest of the ingredients in the morning and kneed and bake when I get home from work, but you can do this much faster if needed.
Ingredients:
500 g flour plus extra for dusting (mix 150 g whole wheat and the rest white flour)
3 g yeast
8 g salt (you could go with less but it needs some to stop the yeast process)
water
Proof:
mix together 125 g flour, 250 g water and 3 g yeast with a whisk, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave somewhere warm for at least 4 hours (overnight works best).
Dough:
Add the rest of the flour, salt and around 125 g water (this will depend on the absorbency of your flour. You want the dough to be manageable but not dry. If it's too wet you can always add more flour while kneading). Mix everything really well together so that all your dry ingredients are wet. Now you have some options. If you want to bake it soon you can mix it again in 20 minutes, knead once in another 40, form into a ball and lay on your baking sheet to rise for another 60 minutes. If you are busy at work all day, you can just leave it someplace warm. The yeast will keep working the dough for you and develop better flavors IMO. When you get home, knead the dough and form into a ball, let rise for 60 minutes. either way, bake at 400 F for 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and enjoy!
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PS:
I don't think I could ever give up sugar. I love desserts way too much. I do hate sugar in savory things though, so it's always tricky buying prepared food.0 -
blazincajun wrote: »Bam! After my six month plateau, I dropped added sugar and my once a week fast food. Here is my weight loss from March 23, 2014 to present.
The point is?0 -
PatriciaMcCamley wrote: »Lol yea follow a food challenge based on a terrible documentary that's based on bad science. That'll end well haha
I am simply cutting out added sugar, I titled this "fed up challenge" because I thought that it's similar to what I'm doing. Sugars are not benefiting my health so why keep them? I am not actually doing it as a challenge type thing, I am just wanting to get rid of sugars because I think I can benefit from not eating crap. There is no reason to comment on here with your negativity.
You don't have to cut out sugars, I'm not telling you what I think you should and shouldn't do with your diet so why are you commenting on here telling me it's a bad idea?
I would be okay with you telling me why sugar is good for me but if you don't give me legitimate feed back that can help me than I have no interest. So please tell me why is cutting sugar bad? How does my body gain anything from it? I eat fruit so I have natural sugars, but I don't understand why I shouldn't cut them out.
First off, calling anything with added sugars "crap" is extremely ignorant of nutrition as a whole.
To answer your question, cutting should only be done if it must be done. The reason for this is that restrictive diets are inherently troublesome. Unless you legitimately plan to completely avoid "added sugars" for the rest of your life, then don't restrict them now. What happens when you do that is that when you inevitably eat something sweet like a cookie or a brownie or chocolate, you will binge and you will binge hard. It happens to everyone that tries to eliminate sugar from their diet and it will happen to you. The amount of time it takes varies based on willpower but it will happen. You develop unhealthy eating habits and what started as a challenge becomes unhealthy. If you stop treating sugar like something that's unhealthy and start treating it like what it actually is (an extremely efficient fuel source) then maybe you might have a better relationship with it. Sugar is not bad, insulin is not bad. If you're eating at maintenance or in a deficit, sugar does not cause fat gain, it restores glycogen in the muscles and liver. As far as your natural sugars, do you really think they are different on a molecular level than "added sugars". Your body recognizes and responds to them in the same way.
Would you care to share your source for the bolded text?
I know lots of people who don't eat added sugars, and they aren't the wild eyed sugar-zombies you seem to think they would be. Most don't even like sweetened foods anymore.
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I tried to get the family off additional sugar example white and brown packet sugar sauce and cut back on biscuits they wont budge. Its harder than i thought too. I stopped buying biscuits by the end of the first day they started raiding cupboards looking for something sweet. They also got quite grumpy telling me there was nothing to eat. I loaded up the fridge with fruit and bought dried crackers but this backfired they are not eating it. Im patient though i will outsit them. what i have read hear it sounds like limiting the quantity then perhaps sneaky substitutes might be the answer. There seems to be some great alternatives. ps i dont mind what you call the food - my family dont mind telling me straight what they think of my dinners as my dinners have been called worse. Keep it going guys and girls0
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If you're making some muffins, then you can sweeten them with the natural fruits as well as apple sauce in the place of the sugar. Then choose olive oil to replace butter or shortening.
The olive oil makes baked goods pretty moist.
That's one way to go and can be done on any recipe.
A friend of mine takes her chocolate protein powder, uses apple sauce for the sweetener and yogurt for the fat and makes brownies.0 -
A bread machine can do wonders if you can afford it and have space for it, although the best recipe I've found calls for 1.5 tsp of sugar or honey to activate the yeast.
I haven't eliminated added sugars, but i did make an attempt at using foods that are one ingredient whole foods in order to make meals and everything else. It is possible to find no-sugar added pasta sauce, but it's just as easy to use canned tomatoes to make your own. Last year, i bought 40 lbs of tomato seconds and made my own sauce and froze it. Time consuming but well worth the effort.
There are tons of meals that you can make with no added sugar, lemurcat had some great suggestions. If you feel like challenging yourself some more when you're done with this one, check out the 100 days of real food challenge, lol.
I did a modified version of that a couple years ago and it taught me a lot about nutrition. But it does take time to cook all your own stuff or hunt down packaged versions that conform to those rules.
I still eat a lot of junk, haha. But my kids are much less resistant to nutritious food now. I see nothing wrong with doing a challenge like this. Sometimes it keeps things interesting if you're that type of person (i definitely am), sometimes it helps kickstart weight loss, sometimes it helps you better fuel your body if your diet was particularly atrocious to begin with. Gotta admit, i have backslid this summer with eating nutritious, whole foods because i am under ridiculous time constraints and a tremendous amount of stress. It's probably time for me to dosomething similar again to reset my mindframe...0 -
Thank you everyone for your helpful replies. Sorry I haven't come on here in a long time I broke my phone and didn't have a computer to come on here from. 0
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