I Need Lots Of Help To Eat Less Sugar - Have Eaten Too Much For Years And Years

Options
arabianhorselover
arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Not going to get into why I do it; the point is that I do it, and I have for about as long as I can remember. I am at a point in my life now where I know I need to cut down on it, but I don't have much hope of actually doing it. Eating sweet things is such a long-standing habit for me.
«1345

Replies

  • nikkylyn
    nikkylyn Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    Fruit. Yes its sugar. But I guarantee you wont be able to eat the same amount. Very easy.to over eat on processed sugary type foods. Fruit is good for you. Some say you.shouldnt.eat a lot but.hey if we are comparing sweet.boxed.stuff.vs apples and bananas. Better.to eat apples and bananas. Over time you will crave the other sugar less and less. Plus real fruit has fiber and other nutrient.so its not just plain ol sugar. Oh.amd get the junk out of the house. Out of sight out of mind.
  • nikkylyn
    nikkylyn Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    So instead of a cookie after dinner. Grab an apple or some.grapes or berries. Good luck
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Options
    Unless you have a medical reason to avoid it, sugar is fine in moderation. Pretty much everything is fine in moderation.

    As for eating less, your choices are to cut down slowly or go cold turkey. If you decide to cut down, you can look through your food log (or, if you don't have one, start one) and see where you can make different choices.

    Good luck with your endeavor!
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    nikkylyn wrote: »
    Fruit. Yes its sugar. But I guarantee you wont be able to eat the same amount. Very easy.to over eat on processed sugary type foods. Fruit is good for you. Some say you.shouldnt.eat a lot but.hey if we are comparing sweet.boxed.stuff.vs apples and bananas. Better.to eat apples and bananas. Over time you will crave the other sugar less and less. Plus real fruit has fiber and other nutrient.so its not just plain ol sugar. Oh.amd get the junk out of the house. Out of sight out of mind.


    I do need to eat more fruit, but where I live most of it is so expensive this time of year. I get so tired of apples, oranges, grapefruits and bananas all the time.

    Can't get the junk out of the house due to having a husband who is not about to give it up.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Options
    For me it's easier to focus on what I'm getting into my diet rather than what I'm taking out of my diet. Concentrating on getting enough protein (I aim for 80-100g per day), enough veggies, and staying within my calorie limits naturally keeps my sugar lower without having to stress over the sugar I do eat.

    Take small steps rather than trying to get everything perfect now. Look at the positives in your diet already and try to increase them.
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    If you don't think you can than you won't. Believe in yourself and really want it. Great way to start is to get it out of your house and replace it with healthy options. I am sure your husband loves you and will happily support you if you talk to him about it. He can keep a secret snack drawer for himself and in the end the change will probably be beneficial to you both. I like chips, chips don't like me, so I made a healthy chip by slicing and baking beets. Boom chip craving over.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    Well, I really like whole grains and dairy, but right now the nurse practitioner I am seeing is trying to get me to cut them out. I really don't want to do that.

    The problem is that I do not eat sugar in moderation!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    Well, I really like whole grains and dairy, but right now the nurse practitioner I am seeing is trying to get me to cut them out. I really don't want to do that.

    The problem is that I do not eat sugar in moderation!

    The Nurse Practitioner is trying to get you to cut whole grains and dairy? Is this to help with a specific medical condition?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,900 Member
    Options
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    nikkylyn wrote: »
    Fruit. Yes its sugar. But I guarantee you wont be able to eat the same amount. Very easy.to over eat on processed sugary type foods. Fruit is good for you. Some say you.shouldnt.eat a lot but.hey if we are comparing sweet.boxed.stuff.vs apples and bananas. Better.to eat apples and bananas. Over time you will crave the other sugar less and less. Plus real fruit has fiber and other nutrient.so its not just plain ol sugar. Oh.amd get the junk out of the house. Out of sight out of mind.

    I do need to eat more fruit, but where I live most of it is so expensive this time of year. I get so tired of apples, oranges, grapefruits and bananas all the time.

    Can't get the junk out of the house due to having a husband who is not about to give it up.

    Have you priced frozen berries? IMO Wyman's frozen blueberries are better than fresh when blueberries are out of season.

    I eliminated my cravings for sweets by drastically reducing baked good, and upping fruit, protein, and fiber. And exercise. I do have a square or two of Ghiradelli chocolate after dinner.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    Options
    Dianne's idea of focusing on what you put into your diet vs what you take out works well for me too. When I focus on hitting my macros, I am usually well below my target sugar, and I still eat pasta, bread, and dairy every single day. I also still eat plenty of sweets but try to make them as healthy as possible (which can get expensive, but everything in moderation)... you don't have to take out everything you like to take out sugar; just find healthier alternatives when you can
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    Well, I really like whole grains and dairy, but right now the nurse practitioner I am seeing is trying to get me to cut them out. I really don't want to do that.

    The problem is that I do not eat sugar in moderation!

    The Nurse Practitioner is trying to get you to cut whole grains and dairy? Is this to help with a specific medical condition?

    Well, she practices functional medicine - holistic healthcare. I started seeing her because my regular doctor does not understand thyroid and certain other issues. I do like the idea of preventative care rather than just taking a pill once you are ill.

    I believe she is of the idea that grain and dairy are not needed in the diet, and actually cause problems.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    It's odd to me that a nurse practitioner would advocate against dairy for hypothyroidism, as both Hashimoto's and Grave's are linked to Vitamin D deficiency and bone loss.

    I would consult a board certified dietitian (not a nutritionist) to see what they recommend and I would take holistic approaches to medicine with a grain of salt. It can be helpful, but sometimes it's hard to argue with science, and doctors are doctors for a reason.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    For me it's easier to focus on what I'm getting into my diet rather than what I'm taking out of my diet. Concentrating on getting enough protein (I aim for 80-100g per day), enough veggies, and staying within my calorie limits naturally keeps my sugar lower without having to stress over the sugar I do eat.

    Same for me.

    I also find that I do better if I don't snack. It took a bit of adjusting, but once I did I was fine just eating at meals and I don't tend to eat sugary things as part of a balanced meal (unless it's fruit or a sweet potato or beet), so that really took care of that. I will still add in a small dessert after dinner if I have the calories, but it ends up being a moderate amount of sugar for the day still.

    I tend to have a general plan for the day, an idea of what my breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be like, although with room to adjust and I don't prelog, and that's what I eat. I don't graze at other times or think about whether I'm a little hungry and might need something. It's never that long before the next meal, so I wait.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    Well, I really like whole grains and dairy, but right now the nurse practitioner I am seeing is trying to get me to cut them out. I really don't want to do that.

    The problem is that I do not eat sugar in moderation!

    The Nurse Practitioner is trying to get you to cut whole grains and dairy? Is this to help with a specific medical condition?

    Well, she practices functional medicine - holistic healthcare. I started seeing her because my regular doctor does not understand thyroid and certain other issues. I do like the idea of preventative care rather than just taking a pill once you are ill.

    I believe she is of the idea that grain and dairy are not needed in the diet, and actually cause problems.

    If your regular doctor doesn't understand thyroid issues, I would get another regular doctor -- not a doctor who recommended that I cut out entire food groups. Since your doctor wants you to eliminate dairy and grains, what does she suggest that you eat instead?

    Preventative care is excellent, but what exactly is cutting these foods going to prevent?

    At the end of the day, there are people who live well and are healthy without eating whole grains or without eating dairy. But does that mean this plan is right for you? If you don't have a medical issue that is linked to these foods and you enjoy these foods, I'm not sure why you would cut them just because your doctor has the idea they actually cause problems. At the very least, I would want her to explain more to me about what problems they caused before I adopted her recommendations.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
    Options
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    arabianhorselover wrote: »
    Well, I really like whole grains and dairy, but right now the nurse practitioner I am seeing is trying to get me to cut them out. I really don't want to do that.

    The problem is that I do not eat sugar in moderation!

    The Nurse Practitioner is trying to get you to cut whole grains and dairy? Is this to help with a specific medical condition?

    Well, she practices functional medicine - holistic healthcare. I started seeing her because my regular doctor does not understand thyroid and certain other issues. I do like the idea of preventative care rather than just taking a pill once you are ill.

    I believe she is of the idea that grain and dairy are not needed in the diet, and actually cause problems.

    If you want someone to help you with your thyroid issues, you should ask for a referral to an endocrinologist. NP who focuses on "functional medicine" just doesn't have the background, to be honest.

    As far as the sugar, I would suggest asking your husband to keep his stuff out of sight, then follow @diannethegeek 's advice. Focus on what you are trying to get into your diet, instead of what you are trying to remove. You may have to go for a while with no sweets (not everybody does, but you said you have a hard time moderating them) and then, once you have things under better control, decide if you want to allow yourself an occasional treat. But when you have something like that, make sure it is a planned indulgence, that you have accounted for it in your week, and that it really is worth the calories.

  • lindsayh87
    lindsayh87 Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    Tea with organic stevia, lots of fruit as other suggested & just avoiding it as much as possible helps me. I allow myself a bit of chocolate or a sucker almost every day. Knowing I can have a small amount helps. The struggle is real. I'm all about candy. I could eat so much, every day. It really does get easier, I promise! If your hubby isn't ready to quit make him buy his own or buy stuff that you don't prefer. Like if I'm having movie night with my kids and they're getting candy its best if they get candy that isn't my favorite so I'm less likely to eat it. Good luck!
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    First of all, most endocrinologists don't understand thyroid issues. They should, but they don't. believe this woman does. She feels that grains and dairy are contributing to some problems that she thinks I have such as adrenal fatigue.

    I do not plan on making any drastic changes to my diet right now other than trying to cut down on the sugar. That will be hard enough for me, and I've pretty much expressed that to her already. As far as my husband keeping his sweets in a drawer - I don't think that is going to happen. Also, I have one son still at home who eats sweets.

    I am going to try to eat more fruits and vegies, leaving less room for sweets. It would probably be best for me not to snack between meals, but I have such a long history of doing so, and I just can't do everything at once.

  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    mbcieslak87 wrote: »
    It's odd to me that a nurse practitioner would advocate against dairy for hypothyroidism, as both Hashimoto's and Grave's are linked to Vitamin D deficiency and bone loss.

    I would consult a board certified dietitian (not a nutritionist) to see what they recommend and I would take holistic approaches to medicine with a grain of salt. It can be helpful, but sometimes it's hard to argue with science, and doctors are doctors for a reason.

    Actually, there are some real conditions that doctors don't even recognize. They don't know everything, and it's best to keep that in mind when talking with them. Thanks to my doctor I am now hyperthyroid, have a high blood calcium level that has been ignored for several years, etc.

  • bruhaha007
    bruhaha007 Posts: 333 Member
    Options
    Limit your sugar intake as a woman to less than 46 grams per day to the best of your ability. We need some sugar in our diets and it is important to regulate our metabolism but excess sugar causes many negative consequences. Avoid sodas and do your best to find healthier substitutes.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Options
    bruhaha007 wrote: »
    Limit your sugar intake as a woman to less than 46 grams per day to the best of your ability. We need some sugar in our diets and it is important to regulate our metabolism but excess sugar causes many negative consequences. Avoid sodas and do your best to find healthier substitutes.

    I guess I wasn't aware that sugar had any nutritional value, or that we actually needed to ingest it in any way in order to be healthy.

Categories