Cut down on sugar!!

Hello everybody! I would love to get tips or advise on how to cut my sugar intake. I crave sugar constantly and sometimes I can't control myself and eat too much!
Thanks in advance!! ❤

Replies

  • EternalSnow627_
    EternalSnow627_ Posts: 85 Member
    If u crave sugar and sweet things here's an idea just buy some instant sugarfree puddings and make them a good snack with no sugar ^^
  • dalanalcm31178
    dalanalcm31178 Posts: 1 Member
    I have the same problem. I found that after you avoid it for a while it gets easier....when I really need a fix I just take teaspoon of nutella on a likely salted rice cake and I take my time with it...
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    I was eating waaaay too much sugar for a while. I agree that the less I have the less I want it. But I do manage to get away with sugar in my morning coffee, sweetened yogurt, Fibre One bars or sweetened protein bars, and all the fruit I want (including bananas), without any problems. Things like cake make me want more cake instead of satisfying me. Eating more protein (more meat specifically) really helped me keep my cravings at bay, presumably because it helps keep my blood sugar levels steadier.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I just don't buy my trigger foods. There are certain things i just can not resist, so i don't bring them into the house, outta sight, outta mind.
    I used to have 3tsp of sugar in each cup of tea and i drank many cups a day (Ironically i was at my thinnest then), i gradually reduced the sugar and i don't add any to my tea now, even a half tsp makes it taste too sweet.

    Do you know how much sugar you are averaging a day?
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    edited October 2016
    OP, it gets easier. When I initially cut out sugary foods I had withdrawal like symptoms for almost 2 weeks. The first week was the hardest. I think my body was conditioned to run on carbs and was needing them because it had adjusted to running off of them.

    I went on a keto diet for about a month last summer. I've since upped my carbs a bit so that I can have starchy vegetables and low glycemic carbs with dinner. I still have a low carb high fat lunch to avoid cravings.

    I would say if you want to experiment and try it out you could join the low carb group on MFP. If you do then you need to research ahead of time to minimize initial side effects as your body switches it's fuel supply. I bought several books and talked to people on a low carb lifestyle to get tips.

    If you do have trigger foods, stay away from them and don't feel guilty that others say that they are able to eat all things in moderation. You do what you know in your heart is best for you. Stay strong!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    edited October 2016
    Hello everybody! I would love to get tips or advise on how to cut my sugar intake. I crave sugar constantly and sometimes I can't control myself and eat too much!
    Thanks in advance!! ❤

    Do you mean baked goods? I ask because most foods have sugar in them.

    I would suggest moderation in all foods.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Just curious... Your name includes "veggie lover", so when you say you crave sugar, what do you mean?
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    edited October 2016
    Get refined sugar out of the house. Cut it out 100% for a while til you get past the addiction & cravings. Eat fruit when you crave sweets.
  • JennifrClaire
    JennifrClaire Posts: 141 Member
    I was just the same.
    I have a terrible sweet tooth- it would shame Augustus Gloop.
    In orderto do a low carb diet -as sugar is the worst carb and the most adfictive- i gave up sugar first, for about a year. Once i got used to life without processed sugar, it was easier to go low carb and I lost the weight (50 pounds ) in good time.
    I used artificial sweetners, at first, then stopped and it was only thr the sugars in fruit. At first I ate quite a bit, of dried fruit especially, but gradually eased off that and eat just a portion of fruit a day , on my yoghurt, something from the lower end of the Glycemic scale. This- and occasionally a bit of 85% (v.dark) chocolate - is my only sweet craving and I really enjoy it but its retraining your taste buds thats the hard part.
    Once you get past that, it gets easier.
    Its alot like quitting smoking was.

    Its worth noting that when i did go back to using artificial sweetners, i started putting the weight back on. I stopped using them and took it off again ok. This is not a problem for everyone but its not uncommon.
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 846 Member
    edited October 2016
    For variety, I often select fruit or berries when I want to "get my sugar on". These are great tasting lower calorie options; particularly in the summer months. There are always artificially sweetened items too, if I want something really sweet tasting, but that does not happen that often. I find a little goes along way.

    Don't stress dessert - life is too short
    -s
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    I was eating waaaay too much sugar for a while. I agree that the less I have the less I want it. But I do manage to get away with sugar in my morning coffee, sweetened yogurt, Fibre One bars or sweetened protein bars, and all the fruit I want (including bananas), without any problems. Things like cake make me want more cake instead of satisfying me. Eating more protein (more meat specifically) really helped me keep my cravings at bay, presumably because it helps keep my blood sugar levels steadier.

    This describes me!!

    I have a terrible sugar craving when I'm eating what I want. When I started MFP a little over a month ago to lose some weight, I put myself at a 1200 calorie limit. When you're eating that little, it is almost impossible to have added sugars in your diet. If you do, you get very little food. So, I had to cut my sugar out of my morning tea almost completely (I still mourn over not have a good cup of tea now), and I just didn't really eat any type of desserts at all. I found that within 2 weeks, my "cravings" for junk food (and they were almost unstoppable) went away for the most part. Now, I do get sugars in my plain yogurt, fruit, milk, etc which are all natural sugars. They do not seem to have the same effect on me as eating a brownie or a piece of cake or any sort of treat with added sugar. It's funny because last week, a coworker of mine made a batch of chocolate butterscotch cupcakes for a birthday and she takes great pride in her baking. I felt it was rude to turn one down. It was my first "sweet treat" on this diet. While it was good, I found that it was too much for me and I actually didn't turn into a lunatic for more sweets after I ate it. But I know that, for me, stuff like that is a VERY slippery slope and it will only take 1-2 treats to send me on that path of really craving more of it.

    So, my answer after that lengthy story is to just avoid it as much as you can. If you know that you are a person who gets uncontrollable around sweets, do not try to incorporate even lower calorie ones on your meal plan. I know some people can do it, but some people cannot. I'm not saying to NEVER eat them again, but make sure you save your cake or brownies or cookies for truly special occasions such as birthdays, social events, etc. It's really amazing to me that know that I've cleaned most of it out of my diet, "real" food actually tastes a lot better to me. Before, I was just loading up on sweets and then when I ate an apple or something plain, I ended up throwing it out because it tasted too bland or boring.

    As I said above, the one thing I really miss is my tea the way I have had it all my life. Strong black tea, a healthy dose of sugar and milk. Delicious. Now, I use 1 to 1.5 tsps in a very large mug and I don't really enjoy it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Usually a feeling of being out of control relates to existing habits or a lack of structure. Presumably you are eating lots of sugary treats at times other than meal times, and are referring to sugary treats of some sort and not just sugar (which is in fruits, veg, and dairy, of course, and which few like on its own).

    I'd say have a plan, decide how many calories you want to use on meals and how many you want to reserve for sweets or snacks in general. Make sure meals are filling and have adequate protein and fiber. Then include the planned snacks (or figure out how you want to spend the calories you have reserved for snacks). If you find that you want more, remember you are eating again in just a few hours and just don't -- being mindful and aware is usually what's important, and remembering why you care enough to give up eating whatever at will (what's your goal and what's the why?).

    Some people find it easier to snack without feeling a desire to keep eating at certain times. I find it easier not to snack during the day, but to include some sort of dessert after dinner (not always something sweet -- it could be cheese or fruit or popcorn or nuts or, if I drank, which I don't anymore, a glass of wine). I never have trouble moderating after dinner. In the middle of the day, especially if stressed or avoiding something, I might. I also like to keep snacks at a minimum because it allows for bigger meals, and having my "snack" at the end of the day means I'm not going to be hungry when I eat it and misjudge what I want and also I'll know how many calories I have so (when logging) the desire to stay within my calories will govern.

    Think about what kind of structure works for you.

    Also, if you are finding that specific sweets work as "trigger" foods, maybe give them a break for a while (although I think that can be overcome) and also consider using fruit if you are just craving something sweet. (Another option is to pair fruit with yogurt, as that also adds some protein, which many find more satiating. Nuts would add fat and a little protein -- same idea, maybe something to experiment with if you want to make snacking part of your plan.)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    Hello everybody! I would love to get tips or advise on how to cut my sugar intake. I crave sugar constantly and sometimes I can't control myself and eat too much!
    Thanks in advance!! ❤

    Eat more whole foods...don't keep candy and other sweets in your house.
  • Thanks everybody! I read every response carefully and Im going to follow your advise. :)
  • KimiAR
    KimiAR Posts: 117 Member
    I have found that if I have bowl of brown rice earlier in the day that I have a much reduced sugar craving the rest of the day-it's not white sugar and comes w some other nutrients. It also fills me up. Then I can have a cookie or two and I'm
    Far more satisfied than if I have Cheerios for breakfast. Pineapple is super sweet but has a lot mor fiber in it and might get you past your craving. I also find that the more tired I am (i have littles that wake me up at night still) the more I want sugar (i.e. If I'm physically tired the cravings are their worst). And finally- alcohol makes me want sugar. And lots of it.

    Just some things to consider as you're going through the comments
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,305 Member
    Some research has suggested sugar is more addictive than cocaine! At least in mice. But what do mice know?

    Like most everyone else has said, cut it out for a while. I used to be a soda fiend...once I kicked the habit, it doesn't a) appeal now and b) taste very good. With sugar snacks, after you've stopped eating them a while, you'll probably find they're too sweet.