Completely eliminating refined sugar?

2

Replies

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    markrgeary1 wrote: »
    We did for months. Like said you'll find that many package foods contain it, ketchup and spaghetti sauce are two places that I found that surprised me at first. Read every label and know the 56 different names that added sugars can go by. It's not hard if you are diligent.

    Since reaching our goals we've allowed some back in, like ice cream. It's weighed just like the rest of the food now. I do have to watch myself as I could start binging but not today!

    Would you start binging on ketchup and spaghetti sauce or why do you care about those?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Natural and refined sugars are the same chemicals. The body processes them the same. That leads to why treat them differently?
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    i haven't eliminated sugar entirely, but I generally don't eat what I might call my trigger foods -- cake, cookies etc. In my case, I can have a little sugar in my coffee without triggering any cravings. Same with Fibre One bars. I still eat my trigger foods on occasion, but I know that cravings are still likely to reappear, so I mostly just avoid that stuff. Eating protein and regular exercise have helped. I do think an initial period of near abstinence helps diminish the cravings and helps get rid of bad habits. It will be worth a little discomfort to feel in control again. Go get it.
  • jaimeegreen93
    jaimeegreen93 Posts: 4 Member
    I started taking metformin due to insulin resistance on Monday and if I eat ANY refined sugar, fats, or simple carbs it makes me have to sit on a toilet for a while. :/ and it's been pretty darn hard for me. I wasn't expecting to have to change my diet on the drop of a dime like that. But I've been doing, and powering through it.
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    stevencloser wrote: »
    markrgeary1 wrote: »
    We did for months. Like said you'll find that many package foods contain it, ketchup and spaghetti sauce are two places that I found that surprised me at first. Read every label and know the 56 different names that added sugars can go by. It's not hard if you are diligent.

    Since reaching our goals we've allowed some back in, like ice cream. It's weighed just like the rest of the food now. I do have to watch myself as I could start binging but not today!

    Would you start binging on ketchup and spaghetti sauce or why do you care about those?


    No I only binge on ice creams, candy, those sweet sickening ooey gooey foods. Those were simply two foods that surprised me that they had either a larger than expected amount of added sugars(spaghetti sauce) or in the case of ketchup an indeterminate (you only know the total) amount of added sugar. Salad dressing was the on same list.
  • IowaHomeGirl
    IowaHomeGirl Posts: 40 Member
    I stopped eating candy, cookies, chips, etc. on NY Day and lost 13 pounds just with that change alone. I lost another 6.6 in February by counting calories.

    I found my craving really took a dive and to be honest, I really didn't miss the sweet treats all that much. I continue to eat fruit, though, so I think that helps a lot.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited February 2016
    I cut back on sugar, and then just stopped eating it out of lack of motivation. I don't eat a lot of fruit, mostly veggies. I never ate packaged convenience foods, or sweetened cereal or yogurt. I use a little erythritol and monkfruit extract in recipes that call for sugar, like some Asian sauces that need to be sweet tart or sweet savory to taste right.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    I have, at various times over the years but it's never been sustainable for me. I sneak a little, feel like I have control and eat more, and then more and then I'm out of control.

    I'm really working on having a good relationship with sweets, sometimes a little bit every day when the mood strikes and it's working so much better for me. That said, I don't eat foods that I have trouble controlling, like doughnuts or jellybeans or ice cream.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    goldthistime wrote: »
    i haven't eliminated sugar entirely, but I generally don't eat what I might call my trigger foods -- cake, cookies etc. In my case, I can have a little sugar in my coffee without triggering any cravings. Same with Fibre One bars. I still eat my trigger foods on occasion, but I know that cravings are still likely to reappear, so I mostly just avoid that stuff. Eating protein and regular exercise have helped. I do think an initial period of near abstinence helps diminish the cravings and helps get rid of bad habits. It will be worth a little discomfort to feel in control again. Go get it.

    Same here.
  • misschellechelle
    misschellechelle Posts: 52 Member
    Healthy4me4ever wrote: »
    I have cut out sugary food for lent and feel much better for it. I also can't do sugary laden food in moderation. I may continue when lent is over as if I can do it for 40 days I'm sure I'll be able to do it longer.

    I am not checking all ingredients on everything but due to other food intolerances I avoid a lot of processed food anyway. I used to binge on free from cakes and biscuits and such like. It's really helping me to focus on healthy eating at every mealtime, and snacking has virtually stopped.

    Thanks for your reply! It sounds like you are cutting out sugar in a way I would like to. I do wonderful eating balanced, nutritious meals, but as soon as I attempt to have a sugary treat in moderation it all goes out the window. I think my answer may be to focus on eating healthy meals and avoid the sweet treats that tend to cause me to binge.
  • misschellechelle
    misschellechelle Posts: 52 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I have the same reaction to certain foods, and I have done something similar. I don't think it's the sugar per se we react to, as the sugar in fruit, milk, grains and vegetables cause no ill effect - it has to be the sugar:nutrients ratio. Ultraprocessed foods are just too easy to overeat, after all they are made to be irresistible, totally non-toxic, easy to swallow, practically predigested, but has no nutritional value to speak of, all factors that makes you immediately ready and hungry for more. Add to this a complete breakdown of meal patterns and eating norms, with advertising conditioning us to think eating everything everywhere all the time is perfectly normal, and nobody having to move if we don't want to, it just sounds like the perfect recipe for obesity.

    I don't think you can eliminate sugar completely, and it will be exhausting to try. But you can kick out some of the major culprits by reserving the obvious for special occasions: ice cream, candy, cookies and chocolate - and replacing foods you eat often with their "natural" counterparts: choose peanut butter without added sugar, canned tomatoes instead of pasta sauce, oatmeal/semolina etc instead of corn flakes/cheerios etc, bake your own bread or choose some without added sugar (crispbread is nice), natural yogurt instead of flavored. You'll need to cook more, from one ingredient foods, but that can be fun, liberating and empowering.

    Find out what you can tolerate and not. I have some trouble with dried fruit and sweeteners like honey and maple syrup, but not as serious as with chocolate and candy. My meals are more on the savoury side now, but I still eat fruit, and I make smoothies with banana, milk and fruit or nut butter and cocoa. I mix Greek yogurt with nuts/nut butter and a sweetener, and feel satisfied. I appreciate the more subtle flavors now, but I still crave candy, even though I don't want it. I just don't buy it to "keep" (I know what happens next if I do).

    You summed it up perfectly. I know I cannot eliminate sugar completely, but I believe if I cut out sugary/low nutrient/processed foods, it will help me to stay on track. I do great for a week or two on my diet and then I will allow for a sugary treat and I find myself overdoing it and going back to square one. I will experiment and see what works best for me.
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
    Quite close...

    We don't use sugar a lot. There are a few recipes where I might add a tsp (often in a dish combination with vinegar)....but otherwise that's really it. I guess if you count the odd time that I might have ketchup...

    We have a mason jar full of sugar...must be several years old.
  • misschellechelle
    misschellechelle Posts: 52 Member
    IowaHomeGirl wrote: »
    I stopped eating candy, cookies, chips, etc. on NY Day and lost 13 pounds just with that change alone. I lost another 6.6 in February by counting calories.

    I found my craving really took a dive and to be honest, I really didn't miss the sweet treats all that much. I continue to eat fruit, though, so I think that helps a lot.

    That's awesome! Congrats on your weight loss and cutting out sugary treats! I started myself yesterday and I look forward to getting to the point where I no longer miss them :)
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    No, because
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  • AprilSantiano
    AprilSantiano Posts: 1 Member
    I feel the same way when it comes to carbs completely. I am sort of incorporating south beach into my diet and so far cravings are gone in two days and I feel so much satisfied that I am barely snacking. I am focusing more on good protein and fat which I think provides the satiety that I need. I am feeling good overall and not really missing any starchy and sugary foods :)
  • misschellechelle
    misschellechelle Posts: 52 Member
    goldthistime wrote: »
    i haven't eliminated sugar entirely, but I generally don't eat what I might call my trigger foods -- cake, cookies etc. In my case, I can have a little sugar in my coffee without triggering any cravings. Same with Fibre One bars. I still eat my trigger foods on occasion, but I know that cravings are still likely to reappear, so I mostly just avoid that stuff. Eating protein and regular exercise have helped. I do think an initial period of near abstinence helps diminish the cravings and helps get rid of bad habits. It will be worth a little discomfort to feel in control again. Go get it.

    Thanks for the encouragement and for sharing! Once I'm past the initial period of cutting out sugary treats, I'm sure I will feel much better and it will be so worth it!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    misschellechelle wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I have the same reaction to certain foods, and I have done something similar. I don't think it's the sugar per se we react to, as the sugar in fruit, milk, grains and vegetables cause no ill effect - it has to be the sugar:nutrients ratio. Ultraprocessed foods are just too easy to overeat, after all they are made to be irresistible, totally non-toxic, easy to swallow, practically predigested, but has no nutritional value to speak of, all factors that makes you immediately ready and hungry for more. Add to this a complete breakdown of meal patterns and eating norms, with advertising conditioning us to think eating everything everywhere all the time is perfectly normal, and nobody having to move if we don't want to, it just sounds like the perfect recipe for obesity.

    I don't think you can eliminate sugar completely, and it will be exhausting to try. But you can kick out some of the major culprits by reserving the obvious for special occasions: ice cream, candy, cookies and chocolate - and replacing foods you eat often with their "natural" counterparts: choose peanut butter without added sugar, canned tomatoes instead of pasta sauce, oatmeal/semolina etc instead of corn flakes/cheerios etc, bake your own bread or choose some without added sugar (crispbread is nice), natural yogurt instead of flavored. You'll need to cook more, from one ingredient foods, but that can be fun, liberating and empowering.

    Find out what you can tolerate and not. I have some trouble with dried fruit and sweeteners like honey and maple syrup, but not as serious as with chocolate and candy. My meals are more on the savoury side now, but I still eat fruit, and I make smoothies with banana, milk and fruit or nut butter and cocoa. I mix Greek yogurt with nuts/nut butter and a sweetener, and feel satisfied. I appreciate the more subtle flavors now, but I still crave candy, even though I don't want it. I just don't buy it to "keep" (I know what happens next if I do).

    You summed it up perfectly. I know I cannot eliminate sugar completely, but I believe if I cut out sugary/low nutrient/processed foods, it will help me to stay on track. I do great for a week or two on my diet and then I will allow for a sugary treat and I find myself overdoing it and going back to square one. I will experiment and see what works best for me.

    Folks often refer to these as "hyper palatable foods". They often also have lots of yummy fat.

    You'll find what works for you. A nice square of dark chocolate does it for me.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    there is a lot of savory food out there that has a good amount of added sugar. And so much nope i dont really love the sugar but i love the stuff its in.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    My problem foods were sugars: pop, jelly beans and jujubes. I cut refined sugars from my diet. I don't think we even have any sugar in the house anymore. I still have maple syrup and honey for my family to use but I only cook with liquid stevia. Everyone is okay with that and their taste has adjusted.

    I've also cut out all starches and flours from my diet. As far as my body knows, that's just another delivery system of glucose. I found it set me up for sugar and carb carvings so I just skip them. I honestly don't miss them at all now.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    The big question is:
    Do you have a medical reason for limiting sugar?
    If not, then perhaps instead of focusing on moderating sugar or eliminating sugar or anything else to do with sugar, you should focus first on setting and abiding by a calorie goal and then on meeting macro/micro nutrient goals.

    With proper calorie and nutrient intake, there's no need to worry about sugar if you don't have a medical condition.

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