I Need Lots Of Help To Eat Less Sugar - Have Eaten Too Much For Years And Years
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Also, I know that you said that other than avoiding sugar you did not want to modify your diet in any way, but I found that getting at least 20% protein every day made a big difference in my sugar cravings.0
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arabianhorselover wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »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.
Sugar is in many foods that have health benefits.
Yes. Natural sugar. Not the stuff we humans add.
The sugar isn't actually different -- it's obtained from plants, after all. The foods of course are. I think it's weird to call a sauce made entirely of apples good for you but a sauce made with rhubarb plus a little sugar bad, when they have the same amounts of sugar and both have fiber and micronutrients, and I similarly think it would be weird to decide that adding sugar to oatmeal was a horrible practice to be avoided if it helps you enjoy the oatmeal (I prefer oatmeal without sugar anyway, so this is hypothetical).
The point is just that having no sugar in your diet isn't something to strive for, particularly. Carbs will be turned to sugar, as we need sugar to run on. The deal with most people who eat too much sugar is that they eat lots of low nutrient/high cal foods, which is a broader issue than just sugar. I'd focus on cutting back on those foods and not "sugar" and for me subbing some fruit is a great option (but not because the sugars in the fruit are different -- they generally are not -- but because fruit is lower cal, has fiber, and generally has some health benefits and is less likely to be overeaten).
Anyway, same question I asked above about the various ideas provided.0 -
arabianhorselover wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »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.
Get another health care practitioner then, preferably a real dietition and not an mystic with a medical title. As for your doctor not understanding thyroid issues? That's odd, are you sure you just aren't shopping for an oppinion that supports your belief?
Actually, it is not odd at all as evidenced by the many, many people who have found this to be true.
This is why you need a referral to an endocrinologist.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »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.
Sugar is in many foods that have health benefits.
Yes. Natural sugar. Not the stuff we humans add.
The sugar isn't actually different -- it's obtained from plants, after all. The foods of course are. I think it's weird to call a sauce made entirely of apples good for you but a sauce made with rhubarb plus a little sugar bad, when they have the same amounts of sugar and both have fiber and micronutrients, and I similarly think it would be weird to decide that adding sugar to oatmeal was a horrible practice to be avoided if it helps you enjoy the oatmeal (I prefer oatmeal without sugar anyway, so this is hypothetical).
The point is just that having no sugar in your diet isn't something to strive for, particularly. Carbs will be turned to sugar, as we need sugar to run on. The deal with most people who eat too much sugar is that they eat lots of low nutrient/high cal foods, which is a broader issue than just sugar. I'd focus on cutting back on those foods and not "sugar" and for me subbing some fruit is a great option (but not because the sugars in the fruit are different -- they generally are not -- but because fruit is lower cal, has fiber, and generally has some health benefits and is less likely to be overeaten).
Anyway, same question I asked above about the various ideas provided.
I have found lemurcat's advice on these forums to be useful. I agree that adding lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet is a great way to approach reducing the number of treats. Eating only three meals rather than grazing all day is also sage advice, (although I admit I don't follow it).
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Okay, people, stop with the suggestion that I see an endocrinologist already. First of all, I would have to travel 125 miles just to see one, and 2nd of all I feel I have found someone who understands thyroid issues at this point.
Yes. There have been a lot of good suggestions. Basically, I have to say "no" to myself a lot more often. I have always known that. I am going to make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables. I really don't think that trying to eliminate all "junk food" from my diet would work out well for me. And so I must choose moderation. I have done it in the past; that's how I lost almost 50 pounds. I can do it again, but I have to want it more than I want the food. Same old problem I've always had.0 -
mbcieslak87 wrote: »
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.
Def see a certified dietitian! They have to take a special BA degree and pass certifaction. Honestly, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.0 -
I've found that when I am meeting my protein and calorie goal I am naturally eating less sugar.
I see in your diary that you are often well below your protein goal so maybe work on getting more protein foods in your diet.
You don't have many fruits and vegetables in your log most days. That might be another group of foods to concentrate on increasing.
I pre-log my day and plan my snacks. As I pre-log, I make sure first I am getting the right number of calories and protein and some vegetables or fruit before I start adding in cookies, ice cream, candy type foods to my log. It puts a limit on those foods even though they are in the house. Try more planned meals and snacks and less spontaneous, quick-to-grab eating.
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geisha_runner wrote: »mbcieslak87 wrote: »
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.
Def see a certified dietitian! They have to take a special BA degree and pass certifaction. Honestly, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.
The issue is not that I don't know what I should be eating - I have many years of studying under my belt regarding that. The problem is that I haven't been doing it.
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I've found that when I am meeting my protein and calorie goal I am naturally eating less sugar.
I see in your diary that you are often well below your protein goal so maybe work on getting more protein foods in your diet.
You don't have many fruits and vegetables in your log most days. That might be another group of foods to concentrate on increasing.
I pre-log my day and plan my snacks. As I pre-log, I make sure first I am getting the right number of calories and protein and some vegetables or fruit before I start adding in cookies, ice cream, candy type foods to my log. It puts a limit on those foods even though they are in the house. Try more planned meals and snacks and less spontaneous, quick-to-grab eating.
If you were to look at my diary a few months ago you would see that I had been making an effort to get in as much as 100 grams of protein per day, but in recent times I have gotten away from that partly due to deciding not to eat Quest bars anymore. I had also been trying to get more fiber. The fruits and vegetables are always hard for me. I don't dislike them but I have no real desire for them.
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arabianhorselover wrote: »I've found that when I am meeting my protein and calorie goal I am naturally eating less sugar.
I see in your diary that you are often well below your protein goal so maybe work on getting more protein foods in your diet.
You don't have many fruits and vegetables in your log most days. That might be another group of foods to concentrate on increasing.
I pre-log my day and plan my snacks. As I pre-log, I make sure first I am getting the right number of calories and protein and some vegetables or fruit before I start adding in cookies, ice cream, candy type foods to my log. It puts a limit on those foods even though they are in the house. Try more planned meals and snacks and less spontaneous, quick-to-grab eating.
If you were to look at my diary a few months ago you would see that I had been making an effort to get in as much as 100 grams of protein per day, but in recent times I have gotten away from that partly due to deciding not to eat Quest bars anymore. I had also been trying to get more fiber. The fruits and vegetables are always hard for me. I don't dislike them but I have no real desire for them.
Hey there!
I have had the same issues with sugar. I can just eat sugar all day. I never had understood how people could say something was "too sweet" - I was like "pssssht that's impossible, let me just eat this spoonful of STRAIGHT SUGAR we're cool".
I've lost 125 lbs...and a lot of it had to do with controlling my portions + sugar intake. The thing was, how to stop the cravings? They are so overwhelming, and it's so easy to over-eat sugar so quickly. So I came up with this 7-10 day super low-sugar "fast" of sorts that seriously helped. It's helped a few friends too
What I do (sometimes I have to re-do it over after holidays and my sweet tooth has come back to rear it's ugly head) is just have no added sugar AND no fake sweeteners or many sweet-tasting things for 7-10 days. This means no honey/sugar/sweetener in my coffee or tea, no soda (not even diet), no wine/beer, no oranges/bananas (maybe a couple berries if you have them), no desserts, no chocolate, no scones, no muffins, etc etc etc. I let myself have things like ketchup (just a bit) and pasta sauce, even though they do have tons of sugar in them. I may let myself have a few (literally 3-4) raisins in the evening if I'm feeling really deprived. The point is to not taste anything very sweet for that 7-10 days.
I have no science to back it up, just my own experience and my friends' stories. But it does three things for me: 1) It balances out my daily energy swings (I personally can feel the difference of having so many ups-and-downs due to vacillating sugar levels in my body during the day). 2) It also decreases my desire for sweet food. The first 2-3 days are particularly hard, but by the end I just don't really crave it anymore. Then I can go to my usual - 1/2 tbsp of honey in my coffee in the morning, and a few squares of chocolate after dinner, with a few other small treats thrown in every couple weeks. 3) It helps me be aware of my habits around sugar. Cutting it out means building new habits. I realized I would reach for sugar whenever I felt stressed about something...it was emotional/psychological and physical. It was great to become aware of that.
I highly recommend it for you 0 -
True question here. Do you think anyone on this thread - no matter what they say - can really help you, support you, or get you to the point where you'll do what you say you want to do? Which is eat less sugar? That's what the thread is all about. Eating less sugar. Can anyone at MFP help you do that by contributing to this thread?
I completely agree, thread is going in circles and that's not unexpected as most of these threads end up being a "Yeah but..." exercise.0 -
True question here. Do you think anyone on this thread - no matter what they say - can really help you, support you, or get you to the point where you'll do what you say you want to do? Which is eat less sugar? That's what the thread is all about. Eating less sugar. Can anyone at MFP help you do that by contributing to this thread?
If someone does not wish to contribute anymore, then they don't have to. I didn't expect that everyone would understand.
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Mapalicious wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »I've found that when I am meeting my protein and calorie goal I am naturally eating less sugar.
I see in your diary that you are often well below your protein goal so maybe work on getting more protein foods in your diet.
You don't have many fruits and vegetables in your log most days. That might be another group of foods to concentrate on increasing.
I pre-log my day and plan my snacks. As I pre-log, I make sure first I am getting the right number of calories and protein and some vegetables or fruit before I start adding in cookies, ice cream, candy type foods to my log. It puts a limit on those foods even though they are in the house. Try more planned meals and snacks and less spontaneous, quick-to-grab eating.
If you were to look at my diary a few months ago you would see that I had been making an effort to get in as much as 100 grams of protein per day, but in recent times I have gotten away from that partly due to deciding not to eat Quest bars anymore. I had also been trying to get more fiber. The fruits and vegetables are always hard for me. I don't dislike them but I have no real desire for them.
Hey there!
I have had the same issues with sugar. I can just eat sugar all day. I never had understood how people could say something was "too sweet" - I was like "pssssht that's impossible, let me just eat this spoonful of STRAIGHT SUGAR we're cool".
I've lost 125 lbs...and a lot of it had to do with controlling my portions + sugar intake. The thing was, how to stop the cravings? They are so overwhelming, and it's so easy to over-eat sugar so quickly. So I came up with this 7-10 day super low-sugar "fast" of sorts that seriously helped. It's helped a few friends too
What I do (sometimes I have to re-do it over after holidays and my sweet tooth has come back to rear it's ugly head) is just have no added sugar AND no fake sweeteners or many sweet-tasting things for 7-10 days. This means no honey/sugar/sweetener in my coffee or tea, no soda (not even diet), no wine/beer, no oranges/bananas (maybe a couple berries if you have them), no desserts, no chocolate, no scones, no muffins, etc etc etc. I let myself have things like ketchup (just a bit) and pasta sauce, even though they do have tons of sugar in them. I may let myself have a few (literally 3-4) raisins in the evening if I'm feeling really deprived. The point is to not taste anything very sweet for that 7-10 days.
I have no science to back it up, just my own experience and my friends' stories. But it does three things for me: 1) It balances out my daily energy swings (I personally can feel the difference of having so many ups-and-downs due to vacillating sugar levels in my body during the day). 2) It also decreases my desire for sweet food. The first 2-3 days are particularly hard, but by the end I just don't really crave it anymore. Then I can go to my usual - 1/2 tbsp of honey in my coffee in the morning, and a few squares of chocolate after dinner, with a few other small treats thrown in every couple weeks. 3) It helps me be aware of my habits around sugar. Cutting it out means building new habits. I realized I would reach for sugar whenever I felt stressed about something...it was emotional/psychological and physical. It was great to become aware of that.
I highly recommend it for you
Thank you for the suggestion. It probably would work for me, but getting myself to take such a drastic step would not be easy. I will think about it, though.
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I really like Mapalicious' suggestions. So I'm with you. My whole life I have been a sugar addict. To think about what I used to eat after school as a snack, to think of all the late night pizzas and ice cream binges in college, to think of how I used to crave dessert after lunch and dinner when I was pregnant, it's no wonder I'm just learning how to eat healthy for the first time at 33. But like Mapalicious, I had to go cold turkey. If your husband isn't willing to support you and not have sweets in the house, he's going to have to hide them and not let you know where they are and not eat them around you. I no longer put any sweetener in my coffee (I do add milk), I no longer have to have"something sweet" at the end of the day. I started this back in July, it took about a month, and like Mapalicious I have had to go through the "withdrawal if you will" a couple of times since, particularly around the holidays where I also gained weight not surprising. Cold turkey worked for me. It can take a week, it can take a month....it's really a personal thing and it's actually very liberating to say to no to birthday cake or brownies or cookies that don't look particularly awesome, or that you don't have the calories for. Good luck to you!!! Oh and unlike Mapalicious I never cut out fruit or honey, but I can see how removing that as well would make the cravings disappear even quicker.0
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arabianhorselover wrote: »Mapalicious wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »I've found that when I am meeting my protein and calorie goal I am naturally eating less sugar.
I see in your diary that you are often well below your protein goal so maybe work on getting more protein foods in your diet.
You don't have many fruits and vegetables in your log most days. That might be another group of foods to concentrate on increasing.
I pre-log my day and plan my snacks. As I pre-log, I make sure first I am getting the right number of calories and protein and some vegetables or fruit before I start adding in cookies, ice cream, candy type foods to my log. It puts a limit on those foods even though they are in the house. Try more planned meals and snacks and less spontaneous, quick-to-grab eating.
If you were to look at my diary a few months ago you would see that I had been making an effort to get in as much as 100 grams of protein per day, but in recent times I have gotten away from that partly due to deciding not to eat Quest bars anymore. I had also been trying to get more fiber. The fruits and vegetables are always hard for me. I don't dislike them but I have no real desire for them.
Hey there!
I have had the same issues with sugar. I can just eat sugar all day. I never had understood how people could say something was "too sweet" - I was like "pssssht that's impossible, let me just eat this spoonful of STRAIGHT SUGAR we're cool".
I've lost 125 lbs...and a lot of it had to do with controlling my portions + sugar intake. The thing was, how to stop the cravings? They are so overwhelming, and it's so easy to over-eat sugar so quickly. So I came up with this 7-10 day super low-sugar "fast" of sorts that seriously helped. It's helped a few friends too
What I do (sometimes I have to re-do it over after holidays and my sweet tooth has come back to rear it's ugly head) is just have no added sugar AND no fake sweeteners or many sweet-tasting things for 7-10 days. This means no honey/sugar/sweetener in my coffee or tea, no soda (not even diet), no wine/beer, no oranges/bananas (maybe a couple berries if you have them), no desserts, no chocolate, no scones, no muffins, etc etc etc. I let myself have things like ketchup (just a bit) and pasta sauce, even though they do have tons of sugar in them. I may let myself have a few (literally 3-4) raisins in the evening if I'm feeling really deprived. The point is to not taste anything very sweet for that 7-10 days.
I have no science to back it up, just my own experience and my friends' stories. But it does three things for me: 1) It balances out my daily energy swings (I personally can feel the difference of having so many ups-and-downs due to vacillating sugar levels in my body during the day). 2) It also decreases my desire for sweet food. The first 2-3 days are particularly hard, but by the end I just don't really crave it anymore. Then I can go to my usual - 1/2 tbsp of honey in my coffee in the morning, and a few squares of chocolate after dinner, with a few other small treats thrown in every couple weeks. 3) It helps me be aware of my habits around sugar. Cutting it out means building new habits. I realized I would reach for sugar whenever I felt stressed about something...it was emotional/psychological and physical. It was great to become aware of that.
I highly recommend it for you
Thank you for the suggestion. It probably would work for me, but getting myself to take such a drastic step would not be easy. I will think about it, though.
I'm so glad to hear @megbugs has had a similar experience!
@arabianhorselover think of it this way - it's only a week or two of your entire life! SUCH a small amount of time! The amazing part about it can be that it will actually change your habits and even what you desire and crave. It's really, really easy for me to say "no" to doughnuts/brownies/cakes/candybars now...things I NEVER would have said "no" to before. It's a short-term cold-turkey with really, really long-term results. (ugh i sound like an info-mercial)
If you want...friend me! We can keep chatting. I'm here now to tone-up and lose those last 12 lbs for my August wedding, so I'm on a lot and pretty into it right now
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Didn't you two go through some nasty physical effects of totally cutting out sugar all at once like that?0
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arabianhorselover wrote: »Didn't you two go through some nasty physical effects of totally cutting out sugar all at once like that?
Nothing that crazy. It's nothing like hard-drug withdrawal (which I have also witnessed...believe me FAR FAR FAR from anything like that). It did take adjusting, but felt like nothing worse than a day of slight dehydration or maybe a medium-mild period day? A day w/o my normal 2 cups of coffee? Slight hangover? Sluggish, yes. It's hard to find a comparison.
Your body doesn't *need* sugar like that. It just THINKS it wants it. Besides, you won't cut it out 100% anyway...so many foods have some sugar. You're just cutting out sweet. Drink lots of water, eat well, and see how it goes.0 -
arabianhorselover wrote: »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.
Do you have a thyroid issue? and if so, why is a NP (who is not fully qualified in most cases to deal with these issues) telling you what to avoid? how do endocrinologists not understand thyroid issues? they go to medical school to become a specialist in the endocrine system. they deal with thyroid issues,diabetes,insulin resistance and other issues. And if one endocrinologist doesnt suit you you find another.they all arent going to be the same. some are awful and should not be doctors and other ones are great. where do you live that you would have to drive 125 miles to see one? I live in the middle of my state which is a rural area and it only takes me 60 miles in any direction to get to an endocrinologists office and I live in a poor state at that.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »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.
Do you have a thyroid issue? and if so, why is a NP (who is not fully qualified in most cases to deal with these issues) telling you what to avoid? how do endocrinologists not understand thyroid issues? they go to medical school to become a specialist in the endocrine system. they deal with thyroid issues,diabetes,insulin resistance and other issues. And if one endocrinologist doesnt suit you you find another.they all arent going to be the same. some are awful and should not be doctors and other ones are great. where do you live that you would have to drive 125 miles to see one? I live in the middle of my state which is a rural area and it only takes me 60 miles in any direction to get to an endocrinologists office and I live in a poor state at that.
"Functional medicine", "adrenal fatigue", "doctors don't understand x" those are all terms that red flag it for me.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »arabianhorselover wrote: »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.
Do you have a thyroid issue? and if so, why is a NP (who is not fully qualified in most cases to deal with these issues) telling you what to avoid? how do endocrinologists not understand thyroid issues? they go to medical school to become a specialist in the endocrine system. they deal with thyroid issues,diabetes,insulin resistance and other issues. And if one endocrinologist doesnt suit you you find another.they all arent going to be the same. some are awful and should not be doctors and other ones are great. where do you live that you would have to drive 125 miles to see one? I live in the middle of my state which is a rural area and it only takes me 60 miles in any direction to get to an endocrinologists office and I live in a poor state at that.
"Functional medicine", "adrenal fatigue", "doctors don't understand x" those are all terms that red flag it for me.
Please don't comment if you have no knowledge of the subject.0
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