For those who are going without sugar
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I eat very little in the way of added sugar relative to my diet as a whole...most of my sugar comes from fruit and veg...but I typically have some sweet thing for desert 3-4 nights per week or something at work a couple of days out of the week...in the context of my diet as a whole it's not particularly material and I don't really see any reason to worry about it or to drive myself crazy trying to avoid sugar for zero reason.2
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I have given up sugar in the sense of processed food. I try to eat at least 90% clean.
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Do you mean sweets? Or added sugars? Is this something you are wanting to do? It might help us have context if you give more information on your own goals.
That said, I have gone without sweets/added sugar from time to time. When I started I wanted to break an emotional eating habit and cut out snacking, and I thought this would be easier (given all the sweets at my office constantly) if I cut out added sugar. I also tend to do well with abstinence, have to work harder to do moderation sometimes, and wanted to experiment with a paleo diet anyway.
I did that for a little more than a month, felt good, but also felt like the structure that I had created (3 meals, no snacking) was more important than never eating sugar (or grains, blah, blah, and plus I had other issues with paleo), and I was getting more calories from working out and wanted to up my calories some, so I added sweets back in, in moderation -- basically an occasional after dinner dessert with the calories I had leftover if there were any.
That went well, but after a while (basically after a week long biking trip when I ate freely given all the calories we were burning every day) I got out of the habit and started getting tempted by office sweets again, so I cut added sugar for another month (but was not super hard core this time, and if I had a bit here and there in savory food at a restaurant I did not care). Again, it went well that month, and I got back to moderation afterwards.
Lately, for various reasons, I've been struggling a bit with maintenance and staying focused and also want to get motivated to lose a bit more, so I am trying a very low carb diet. I have not specifically cut out added sugar, but to hit my carb goal I basically have to limit them to vegetables, nuts, olives, dairy, a few other such things, and so added sugar is effectively excluded. I don't know how long I will do this, depends on how much I like it. I'm sure I will end up fitting in occasional sweets even if I stay mostly low carb, especially for special occasions/holidays.
Don't know if that helps, but it's my experience.0 -
Since December 2016. And when I say cutting out sugar, I don't mean literally any fruit/honey/everything else in this world that contains some form of sugar. I cut out most drinks but water and coffee (with cream and sugar because it's yucky without them), candy/chocolate/junk, and eat smaller portions with mostly protein and veg. Down 28 pounds and counting!1
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ButterballBookworm wrote: »Since December 2016. And when I say cutting out sugar, I don't mean literally any fruit/honey/everything else in this world that contains some form of sugar. I cut out most drinks but water and coffee (with cream and sugar because it's yucky without them), candy/chocolate/junk, and eat smaller portions with mostly protein and veg. Down 28 pounds and counting!
No disrespect, but this sounds more like moderating sugar consumption in order to obtain a calorie deficit than cutting out sugar. Fruit, honey, coffee with sugar . . . these are all sources of sugar. And there's nothing wrong with including them in your diet. As you've found, one can have great results even while eating sugar.5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »ButterballBookworm wrote: »Since December 2016. And when I say cutting out sugar, I don't mean literally any fruit/honey/everything else in this world that contains some form of sugar. I cut out most drinks but water and coffee (with cream and sugar because it's yucky without them), candy/chocolate/junk, and eat smaller portions with mostly protein and veg. Down 28 pounds and counting!
No disrespect, but this sounds more like moderating sugar consumption in order to obtain a calorie deficit than cutting out sugar. Fruit, honey, coffee with sugar . . . these are all sources of sugar. And there's nothing wrong with including them in your diet. As you've found, one can have great results even while eating sugar.
It's amazing how close to 'moderation' the vast majority of us wind up, regardless of what we label it.6 -
If only people understood and/or explained context when asking questions and giving answers.
I eat very little in the way of added sugars. If I am going to indulge on a treat it's going to be something homemade or from a good bakery/restaurant, and that's not going to be very often. I don't drink soda or add sugar to my coffee and eat very little processed food. I certainly don't avoid fruit, or starchy vegetables. I'm not the biggest consumer of bread, only because I'm not a fan of it.2 -
My longest streak of not eating sugar would be the longest I have ever gone between meals, which I would guess would be @ 12-15 hours. Even added sugar I eat every day. Just not too much. I still usually stay under the MFP sugar goal. I'll be over today though - I just ate half a cantaloupe 1
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louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar), no pasta, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, no fruit, no cereal, and of course, no desserts). I've lost 30 lbs, which is fantastic. But I thought my cravings would go away. NOT a bit! I crave sugar every day and it makes me insane. Any thoughts?
When you say you crave it every day, do you mean you are craving specific foods (cakes, cookies), or are you just craving the sweet taste? How do your macros look? Sometimes a slight shift in macros can help with cravings, and a lot of people report not having issues with cravings once they've figured out the macro ratio that works for them.1 -
louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar), no pasta, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, no fruit, no cereal, and of course, no desserts). I've lost 30 lbs, which is fantastic. But I thought my cravings would go away. NOT a bit! I crave sugar every day and it makes me insane. Any thoughts?
When you say you crave it every day, do you mean you are craving specific foods (cakes, cookies), or are you just craving the sweet taste? How do your macros look? Sometimes a slight shift in macros can help with cravings, and a lot of people report not having issues with cravings once they've figured out the macro ratio that works for them.
My experience has borne this out, and my macro ratio for doing away with cravings is different from most people experiencing difficulty with such things.
I started on a wild ride with having trouble with cravings and controlling impulse eating (binging) when I cut down on starchy carbs last summer in an attempt to drop those stubborn last 5 pounds. I have been dealing with this issue now and furiously playing with food choices for ... thinking... gosh, it's almost been a year. I think I started this whole mess last July or so.
I've been nail biting my way through days of deficits only to succumb to binging on sweets I was craving (even making trips to the grocery store for them since I require gluten free products due to celiac disease). This was while thinking myself a volume eater and consuming vast quantities of vegetables to feel full and then going out and buying boxes of sugary breakfast cereal or cookies and eating the whole thing.
Finally, I'd had enough and decided to just try mixing things up and eating starch and seeing what happened. I added whole grains, beans, legumes, and tubers back to my diet. Now, this did not really increase my carb consumption, because I had to cut back on the volume of vegetables I ate (I still eat enough, I was eating ridiculous amounts before) to have the calories for this.
It's been like magic. My cravings are gone. I'm not a volume eater after all. I am full and satisfied on reasonable portions of things.
I have wondered, in the past year, what had happened to my ability to moderate, because I had previously been able to successfully moderate treats in my diet.
Now I know. My macro balance was off. I wasn't eating the optimal combination for me and my activity level.
So OP, definitely try playing around with your macros. It might just help.5 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar), no pasta, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, no fruit, no cereal, and of course, no desserts). I've lost 30 lbs, which is fantastic. But I thought my cravings would go away. NOT a bit! I crave sugar every day and it makes me insane. Any thoughts?
When you say you crave it every day, do you mean you are craving specific foods (cakes, cookies), or are you just craving the sweet taste? How do your macros look? Sometimes a slight shift in macros can help with cravings, and a lot of people report not having issues with cravings once they've figured out the macro ratio that works for them.
My experience has borne this out, and my macro ratio for doing away with cravings is different from most people experiencing difficulty with such things.
I started on a wild ride with having trouble with cravings and controlling impulse eating (binging) when I cut down on starchy carbs last summer in an attempt to drop those stubborn last 5 pounds. I have been dealing with this issue now and furiously playing with food choices for ... thinking... gosh, it's almost been a year. I think I started this whole mess last July or so.
I've been nail biting my way through days of deficits only to succumb to binging on sweets I was craving (even making trips to the grocery store for them since I require gluten free products due to celiac disease). This was while thinking myself a volume eater and consuming vast quantities of vegetables to feel full and then going out and buying boxes of sugary breakfast cereal or cookies and eating the whole thing.
Finally, I'd had enough and decided to just try mixing things up and eating starch and seeing what happened. I added whole grains, beans, legumes, and tubers back to my diet. Now, this did not really increase my carb consumption, because I had to cut back on the volume of vegetables I ate (I still eat enough, I was eating ridiculous amounts before) to have the calories for this.
It's been like magic. My cravings are gone. I'm not a volume eater after all. I am full and satisfied on reasonable portions of things.
I have wondered, in the past year, what had happened to my ability to moderate, because I had previously been able to successfully moderate treats in my diet.
Now I know. My macro balance was off. I wasn't eating the optimal combination for me and my activity level.
So OP, definitely try playing around with your macros. It might just help.
This is interesting.... I also think of myself as a volume eater, but could quite easily munch my way through mountains of cookies/bread/cereal etc if I gave myself the opportunity. I've often considered cutting down the volume and including more starchy stuff like you mention, but freak out that I won't be satisfied - that's completely stupid logic as I tried IF just fine, and didn't die, and coped easily.1 -
4 and a half years. Under 25g of carbs (sugar) a day. Only in the last couple of months have I upped that to about 50 - 70g but that comes only from vegetables like tomato etc, and I allow myself a skim latte here and there (19g carbs per). Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and I eat low carb for that reason, not only for weight loss, but it works for me. Your body does NOT need sugar, in any form, and can live quite happily without it (it will create the small amount of glucose it actually needs from protein).
Each to their own, but for me I've never been healthier and I no longer get crazy hungry like I used to on a low cal low fat high carb diet.0 -
louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar), no pasta, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, no fruit, no cereal, and of course, no desserts). I've lost 30 lbs, which is fantastic. But I thought my cravings would go away. NOT a bit! I crave sugar every day and it makes me insane. Any thoughts?
Hmmm. Ive heard of yeast on the tongue causing constant sweet cravings. Maybe go to the doctor and get your tongue swabbed for yeast.0 -
I've been largely sugar free for about 2 years. I have had a few days where I'll eat something sugary, like a piece of birthday cake, but not many. My carbs are usually quite low, and sugar is usually under 5g per day, and definitely under 10g. My sugars tend to come from dairy or fruits that most eat like veggies like peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
I continue doing it because I feel healthier and better this way.1 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar), no pasta, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, no fruit, no cereal, and of course, no desserts). I've lost 30 lbs, which is fantastic. But I thought my cravings would go away. NOT a bit! I crave sugar every day and it makes me insane. Any thoughts?
When you say you crave it every day, do you mean you are craving specific foods (cakes, cookies), or are you just craving the sweet taste? How do your macros look? Sometimes a slight shift in macros can help with cravings, and a lot of people report not having issues with cravings once they've figured out the macro ratio that works for them.
My experience has borne this out, and my macro ratio for doing away with cravings is different from most people experiencing difficulty with such things.
I started on a wild ride with having trouble with cravings and controlling impulse eating (binging) when I cut down on starchy carbs last summer in an attempt to drop those stubborn last 5 pounds. I have been dealing with this issue now and furiously playing with food choices for ... thinking... gosh, it's almost been a year. I think I started this whole mess last July or so.
I've been nail biting my way through days of deficits only to succumb to binging on sweets I was craving (even making trips to the grocery store for them since I require gluten free products due to celiac disease). This was while thinking myself a volume eater and consuming vast quantities of vegetables to feel full and then going out and buying boxes of sugary breakfast cereal or cookies and eating the whole thing.
Finally, I'd had enough and decided to just try mixing things up and eating starch and seeing what happened. I added whole grains, beans, legumes, and tubers back to my diet. Now, this did not really increase my carb consumption, because I had to cut back on the volume of vegetables I ate (I still eat enough, I was eating ridiculous amounts before) to have the calories for this.
It's been like magic. My cravings are gone. I'm not a volume eater after all. I am full and satisfied on reasonable portions of things.
I have wondered, in the past year, what had happened to my ability to moderate, because I had previously been able to successfully moderate treats in my diet.
Now I know. My macro balance was off. I wasn't eating the optimal combination for me and my activity level.
So OP, definitely try playing around with your macros. It might just help.
This is interesting.... I also think of myself as a volume eater, but could quite easily munch my way through mountains of cookies/bread/cereal etc if I gave myself the opportunity. I've often considered cutting down the volume and including more starchy stuff like you mention, but freak out that I won't be satisfied - that's completely stupid logic as I tried IF just fine, and didn't die, and coped easily.
I was freaking out about being satisfied because I was binging on carby stuff!
I've been IF'ing naturally for years, but I just decided to try this. I was sick of the volume of food I was eating.
I figured that if I wasn't satisfied, I was just going to binge again anyway in the same way I'd already been binging. What was another ruined day in a pile of on again/off again diet/binge cycling at that point?
To my astonishment, the first day I started and made myself my planned starchy meals (I started with 2 rice cakes topped with cottage cheese and tomatoes then and brown rice and beans for lunch, an apple for a snack, and a salad with chickpeas for dinner and yogurt with berries and caramel syrup for dessert) and I came to the end of that day and I was perfectly satisfied, I wasn't feeling that urge to roam around the kitchen and look for something else to eat or leave the house and run to the grocery store for something. I was astonished. And day after day of eating more starch just kept being like that.5 -
I go on cycles... Just started cutting 4 days ago and cut carbs way down (under 50g total) & sugar out mostly. Today I had 10 grams sugar post workout & 39 carbs total... Usually go 4 - 6 weeks then increase my sugar and carb intake but not real high for 2 months. Always keep sugar under 40 - 45g - mostly fruits...0
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How long have you gone without it? Thanks.
Since January 8th of this year for me. First time in my life for sure. A day or less for 60 years before this year. I have no doubt.
Keto killed my cravings for sugary junk food like magic. It certainly wasn't my willpower, that's a fact! LOL
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Sorry to ruin your day, but the starch in bread, even Ezekiel bread, gets converted into disaccharides as soon as you chew. Guess what disaccharides are? SUGAR.louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar)
Even worse: Starch itself is a polysaccharide consisting of bonded glucoses, so chemically speaking it's loaded with sugars. It just doesn't taste sweet because of the resulting molecular structure.2 -
louisaguzman wrote: »I'm a bit frustrated. It's been almost 4 months of no sugar: no breads (except Ezekiel which has no sugar), no pasta, no honey, no artificial sweeteners, no fruit, no cereal, and of course, no desserts). I've lost 30 lbs, which is fantastic. But I thought my cravings would go away. NOT a bit! I crave sugar every day and it makes me insane. Any thoughts?
Enjoy some fruit. It comes with fiber! Berries are low sugar but very satisfying. Did you know raspberries are only 1 Cal each?
I enjoy a bowl of half frozen strawberries with about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. But my favorite sweet snack is Cara Cara oranges. They are amazing!1
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