Need creative ideas on how to cut back on sugar...
tishie1
Posts: 19 Member
What has worked for other people when it comes to eating less sugar?
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Replies
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Cut out donuts cookies etc (all the crazy sugar foods) and start making your own goodies when you want them. Buy dark instead of milk chocolate if chocolate is your thing. Try eating fruits when you have a sweet tooth rather than candy.0
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I am diabetic and I LOVE sugar needless to say. I just started MFP tracking one week ago today. I quit eating bread, all things obviously sugar and even diet soda. The first 3 days were a little hard because I always felt hungry. I've been eating a variety of fruits (so many have very few calories) and started drinking lemon squeezed in my cold big mug of water for something besides plain water - which I try to drink a lot of anyway.
A week ago my morning fasting blood sugar was 135 - 140. This week it has steadily dropped every day. (110 - 91)
I feel great and have energy and have lost 3 lbs. this week with no planned exercise - just regular housework and errands. I plan to add walking this week to hopefully speed up the weight loss.
Do I think about sugary food? Yes, but not like I did the first few days. I would be craving it so bad I wanted to go get something! I really know in my head that sugar is addictive for some of us and I would like to have a treat now and then. However, it's too early in the game for me to do that.
I am 53 years old and never thought I could go 2 days without something sweet. I've made it a week and since I see good changes this motivates me to stick with it.
Sorry so long! I hope this encourages you. If you can hold out through the withdrawal it will get better. That fruit tastes really good!0 -
I do strict low carb. It turns out that if you go a few days without sugar, the cravings for it subside almost completely. It's a pain to get past those first few days, but worth it in the end.
if you absolutely can't get rid of your sweet tooth, try making recipes using sugar substitutes, or even buying sugar free candy. There are sugar free recipes for everything you can imagine, it's pretty great.
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What has worked for other people when it comes to eating less sugar?
Stop eating it!
How's that?
Chew some sugar free gum. Eat an ounce of unsalted nuts. Drink some tea (no cream or sugar). Drink black coffee. One day at a time and your body will get used to it.
My favorite is to eat one or two squares of a dark chocolate (at least 85%) with some hot tea. I don't crave more than that, and it is a nice treat every now and then (probably 1 or 2x's a week is all I do it).
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Fruit is a healthy sugar and may help with the sweet tooth. Otherwise your best bet is to avoid it completely if you're anything like me. I don't possess the ability to eat just ONE sugary thing, it's all or none.0
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.. you just don't eat it?
Sugar free stuff just makes my sugar cravings worse, personally, but again, I can eat sugar in moderation. On days when I have to avoid it, I just don't eat it... I eat more beans or lentils and fruit.
I guess I don't really understand the question.0 -
.. you just don't eat it?
Sugar free stuff just makes my sugar cravings worse, personally, but again, I can eat sugar in moderation. On days when I have to avoid it, I just don't eat it... I eat more beans or lentils and fruit.
I guess I don't really understand the question.
I think only people with a sugar problem would understand the question
My problem is like jsecret said. I cannot eat one sweet thing. I always end up eating 10. But it is so hard to get it out of the house when you are not living alone...
Thanks for the tips guys!!0 -
I have learned my kids can live without candy and sweets, I send it to their grandparents or friends or daycare, anywhere but the house. My other half has been told that either his junk food stays hidden or it's gone. (Luckily I am a chocolate fanatic but could care less about chips and snack items like that) so candy/ice cream/sweets have to stay out of the house unless they are in small quantities to avoid me overindulging.0
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When I do the following, I don't have sugar cravings:
1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts0 -
It takes time. With anything, saying no gets easier the more times you do it. I like going to bed knowing I resisted something that would have set me off in the past. Then, I think, "I did so well yesterday. I know I can do it again!" And then there's a streak going and I don't want it to "reset".
You're in control of everything that goes into your mouth You are more powerful than the sweets! 0 -
Sugar is right on par with other drugs and most people are genuinely addicted to it. Pure willpower will be the one and only thing to guarantee success when quitting sugar. That being said, there are things you can do in addition to being determined that make "getting clean" a lot easier.
First, please don't replace a vice with another vice. It's so easy to overindulge on sugar free desserts or candies because they seem to be allowed (I know I've done it!) You aren't going to do yourself any favors. Also, to politely disagree with a previous comment, there really isn't any distinction between "bad" sugar and "good" sugar. Fruit might *seem* like a good alternative to sweets, but most is still packed with sugar and will perpetuate the addiction. Some might be okay, but you can get the same nutrients from other food sources that won't sabotage your progress.
The best advice I can give you is to keep junk out of the house and keep busy when you feel a craving coming on. Watch a movie. Go for a walk. Learn a new hobby. Write a list of reasons why you think you need that sugar and tear it up. Then write a list of what you're going to accomplish by being a healthier person. You can always hop on and chat with an MFP friend if you need support. That's what we're here for
It's 100% possible. Good luck to you!
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I'm not an all or nothing kind of person. I prefer to allow myself treats, but sometimes it gets out of hand. In January, I did a no dessert, run every day (which meant two workouts on days I lifted too) challenge. I had no desserts all month - no sweets, no donuts, nothing. I had as much fruit as I wanted and flavored yogurts (which are quite high in sugar) so it wasn't no sugar. It was however, significantly less sugar than I had been eating. I think I averaged around 50 grams of sugar a day that month. However, I don't find that sustainable for the long term for me - it messed up my hormones. It was a decent kick start for the new year. In February, I exercised every day (didn't have to be running) and allowed desserts on weekends only. That went OK - probably averaged 70 grams of sugar a day over the month (more on weekends, less on weekdays). March I didn't do a challenge and it shows LOL. Too much sugar is back in the diet...April needs to be another challenge I think.0
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Sugar is another addiction, and it's a difficult one to break. I think it's important to recognize that the cravings and overwhelming desire to sweet treats is part of that. Headaches and other problems like fatigue may occur. But once you get past it, a tomato or a peanut tastes swet.0
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When it comes to sweet tooth, “chocolates and candies” come in the first place, but what if you can have sugar free candies? Think you can even eat them if you are diabetic. Many options are available in the market, but Kerr's Light Toffee Candies by HealthSnap.ca are so far the best with four flavours of low-calorie candies available in each bag: Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee, and Mint.0
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sunparakeet wrote: »What I have noticed is that if I eat sugar early in the day (like, if I have a donut or a cinnamon roll for breakfast) that it is MUCH harder for me to resist sugar later on in the day. It's like as soon as I get a taste of it, I subconsciously seek it out. So what I try to do is to stay away from sugar for as long as possible throughout the day, then I can have something sweet in the evening.
So this means no more sugar in my tea/coffee, no granola bars (because let's face it, most are just glorified candy bars), no cookies/candy/sweet treats while I'm at work, etc. If I really want something sweet a piece of mint gum usually distracts me enough to forget about sugar for a while.
I am the same way! Once I have something sweet it seems to just keep up for the rest of the day. I will drink ice cold water when the cravings start and chew gum, it seems to help
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I cut out most grains apart from home baked stuff in moderation.What has worked for other people when it comes to eating less sugar?
No pastas, breads, rice, corn or any types of candy.
Also, I quit drinking soda, booze and pasteurized fruit juices.
My diet includes fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, whole eggs, meats and raw, unpasteurized dairy products.
And I never have any issues with sugar.
Good Luck to you!
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.. you just don't eat it?
Sugar free stuff just makes my sugar cravings worse, personally, but again, I can eat sugar in moderation. On days when I have to avoid it, I just don't eat it... I eat more beans or lentils and fruit.
I guess I don't really understand the question.
I think only people with a sugar problem would understand the question
My problem is like jsecret said. I cannot eat one sweet thing. I always end up eating 10. But it is so hard to get it out of the house when you are not living alone...
Thanks for the tips guys!!
There's no such thing as a 'sugar problem'. There's such thing as lack of willpower though.
I love sugar, couldn't imagine life without sugar, and yeah I do eat too much sugar at times... but I still lost 76 pounds. You just got to want to lose the weight more than to eat the sugar...0 -
I have lots of sugary (and other) snacks all around at my workplace, so the "get it out of the house" thing has never seemed that helpful to me (I have never really eaten lots of sugary stuff at home and keep ice cream or chocolate there without being tempted by it). Work is where I used to overeat stupid stuff. What worked for me (as well as eating an overall satisfying, balanced diet) is simply cutting out snacking (especially the grazing kind of snacking, as I might have a planned snack depending on my meal and workout schedule). I eat well at meals and if I choose to have a serving of ice cream after dinner it is perfectly satisfying in that context. It took a bit of adjustment (at first I brought raw veg to deal with the desire to just eat something), but was actually surprisingly quick and easy to adjust to.
My sister follows a different strategy, as she likes grazing (I really don't -- to me it's mindless eating and I want to be able to experience the full pleasure of eating in exchange for the calories). She will take out some fruit (usually berries) and put in on her desk (at work) or the counter (at home) so that when she feels like eating something that's what she goes for. (She's never been overweight.)0 -
Try to eat every 3-3.5 hours, just divide your meals and calories into smaller portions and eat more often. It helped me completely get rid of my sweet cravings.0
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creative ideas you say...
- Ask for your donuts to be dusted with cocaine
- Frost your cupcakes with lard
- Swap bananas for Sweet Potatoes
- Swap Sweet potatoes for un-sweet potatoes (or even belter aspartame sweetened savoury potatoes)
- Replace your sweet-n-low with non-sweet-n-even-lower
- Whenever you hear "Sweet Child o’ Mine" on the radio tune to another station (also works with "Brown Sugar")
- Replace candy apples with normal apples. Replace apples with Onions - much lower carb content.
- Instead of candyfloss eat dental floss.
- You can reduce the sugar content of hot chocolate fudge cake by removing the chocolate, or fudge, or cake. I remove all three and prefer it cold rather than hot.
- Instead of carrot cake, just eat the carrots (to avoid the sugars in carrots substitute them for celery).
- Maple syrup is nearly all sugar so avoid being Canadian or ever trying maple syrup because you WILL like it and want more of it.
- Avoid having children because of all the sugar filled crap that you end up with in the house.
- Form a new religion which ignores birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, or join one of the ones that already take this stance.
- Tell your co-workers that you are sucrose intolerant and that if they try to give you sugary snacks you will suffer from immediate and violent diarrhea.
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StealthHealth wrote: »creative ideas you say...
- Ask for your donuts to be dusted with cocaine
- Frost your cupcakes with lard
- Swap bananas for Sweet Potatoes
- Swap Sweet potatoes for un-sweet potatoes (or even belter aspartame sweetened savoury potatoes)
- Replace your sweet-n-low with non-sweet-n-even-lower
- Whenever you hear "Sweet Child o’ Mine" on the radio tune to another station (also works with "Brown Sugar")
- Replace candy apples with normal apples. Replace apples with Onions - much lower carb content.
- Instead of candyfloss eat dental floss.
- You can reduce the sugar content of hot chocolate fudge cake by removing the chocolate, or fudge, or cake. I remove all three and prefer it cold rather than hot.
- Instead of carrot cake, just eat the carrots (to avoid the sugars in carrots substitute them for celery).
- Maple syrup is nearly all sugar so avoid being Canadian or ever trying maple syrup because you WILL like it and want more of it.
- Avoid having children because of all the sugar filled crap that you end up with in the house.
- Form a new religion which ignores birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, or join one of the ones that already take this stance.
- Tell your co-workers that you are sucrose intolerant and that if they try to give you sugary snacks you will suffer from immediate and violent diarrhea.
I don't know about your coworkers, but if I tried this, it would result in my coffee and bagged lunch getting spiked with sugar as soon as it was out of eyesight.0 -
@richln Yeah, didn't think that one through. I think my lot would respond in the same way hahaha.0
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What has worked for other people when it comes to eating less sugar?
- Eat less food
- Limit fruit
- Sparkling water instead of soda, diet soda when I am out
- Coffee with a splash of 1/2 & 1/2 instead of a fancy flavored creamer
- Dry wine instead of beer or a mixed drink
- Only buy sweet treats like a candy bar or cookie in a single serving, and only when I really want one
- Chew sugar free gum, if you chew gum
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What has worked for other people when it comes to eating less sugar?
- Eat less food
- Limit fruit
- Sparkling water instead of soda, diet soda when I am out
- Coffee with a splash of 1/2 & 1/2 instead of a fancy flavored creamer
- Dry wine instead of beer or a mixed drink
- Only buy sweet treats like a candy bar or cookie in a single serving, and only when I really want one
- Chew sugar free gum, if you chew gum
Somehow I misread this and combined those two. I couldn't figure out why you'd put creamer or half and half in soda. It's like the Big Lebowski version of a coke float...
But, I agree with these suggestions. Also read bread labels, some breads add a fair amount of sugar.0 -
Looking at the nutrition label0
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Pre-log a moderate sweet treat and exercise some self-discipline. You can allow the sugar to have the power over you with a half-kittened excuse like "oh, it's soooo addictive..."
Or you can realize that you have complete control over what gets shoved in your facehole.0
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