Sugar reduction

Sandeeng84
Sandeeng84 Posts: 27 Member
edited July 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
I’m trying to gradually reduce my sugar and need a little help getting to no sugar. I have already cut out a lot of sweets and sodas. As a southerner I love my sweet tea and have gotten to like it half sweet half unsweetened or reduced with water. If I have a bowl of oatmeal I’ll use raw natural local honey instead of sugar. Same in the winter months. If I want to enjoy a hot tea I’ll use local raw natural honey. I’m struggling with artificial sweeteners such as Splenda. I’m trying to switch to flavoring my water with Mio but it again contains aspartame. I’m trying switching to stevia and truvia but feel like I have to use a lot to get the “sweet” taste. Sadly I keep little pieces of chocolate in my work drawer just in case I get a sweet tooth but I discipline myself to only one piece of chocolate per day after lunch. I keep fresh fruit at home should I get sweet tooth at home. I try drinking Powerade 0 but I think it has bad artificial sweeteners. Anyone have any ideas on how to reduce sugars and keep the sweet tooth at bay? Should I........
A— switch to Splenda
B— switch to stevia or truvia
C— gradually reduce sugar with little to no artificial substitution
D— I have another idea. Hear my story.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for listening.

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. I can take stevia in tiny amounts. I find it palatable in the Celestial Seasonings teas that have it. In your situation, I would try to continue to taper down the sugar in regular tea, and throw some Celestial Seasonings teas in the mix.

    Perhaps also up your fruit.

    What is your protein goal percent and are you hitting it?
  • Sandeeng84
    Sandeeng84 Posts: 27 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    I assume you mean no added sugar, not no sugar at all, correct?
    Drastically reduce added sugar

    “And just something to think about, but honey is exactly the same as having table sugar. Depending on what you're hoping to accomplish, that substitution is probably not giving you any benefit.”
    Thanks for the interesting fact about honey. I always assumed that switching from table sugar to raw natural honey that’s locally made was beneficial.

    I don't concern myself with sugar, but my strategy for improving my diet might help you anyway. I found it far easier to focus on getting MORE of the good stuff I wanted and needed in my diet, and letting that stuff naturally push any excess of less desirable things out.

    It's possible that if you focus on getting more protein, more healthy fat, more fiber, more fruit and veg, plus stick to your calorie goal, you won't even have to think about the sugar in your diet. Added Sugars primary drawback is that it's calorie dense and often not satiating, so if your diet is full of good stuff you might be better able to moderate the little bits of sweet treats here and there without issue.

    I also don't believe there's any danger in artificial sweeteners so I do have a diet soda or water flavor enhancer whenever the mood strikes.

    I've seen some posters say that planning a couple of servings of fruit into their day helped them control their overwhelming sweet cravings.

    :drinker:

  • Sandeeng84
    Sandeeng84 Posts: 27 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. I can take stevia in tiny amounts. I find it palatable in the Celestial Seasonings teas that have it. In your situation, I would try to continue to taper down the sugar in regular tea, and throw some Celestial Seasonings teas in the mix.

    Perhaps also up your fruit.

    What is your protein goal percent and are you hitting it?

    A this moment I don’t have a protein goal. I did try adding protein shakes to increase my protein but wound up nearly stopped up if it wasn’t for the benefiber. Any suggestions?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Sandeeng84 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. I can take stevia in tiny amounts. I find it palatable in the Celestial Seasonings teas that have it. In your situation, I would try to continue to taper down the sugar in regular tea, and throw some Celestial Seasonings teas in the mix.

    Perhaps also up your fruit.

    What is your protein goal percent and are you hitting it?

    A this moment I don’t have a protein goal. I did try adding protein shakes to increase my protein but wound up nearly stopped up if it wasn’t for the benefiber. Any suggestions?

    By "protein goal" I mean in MFP. Are you using the default 20%? How often do you hit it? You can find this out by going to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports and selecting Protein.

    Protein powder is one way to get more protein. People can find it constipating of they are not eating enough fiber. But if you are an omnivore, another way to get more protein is to simply eat more chicken, beef, fish, etc.

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/whey-protein-side-effects#section4

    ...Constipation is not a normal side effect of whey protein.

    For a few people, a lactose intolerance may cause constipation by slowing the movement of the gut (11, 12).

    However, constipation is more likely caused when people eat fewer fruits and vegetables in favor of whey protein, especially when they’re on a low-carb diet.

    Fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber, which helps form stool and promotes regular bowel movements (13).

    If you suspect that whey protein makes you constipated, check whether you are eating enough fruits and vegetables. You can also try taking a soluble fiber supplement.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited July 2019
    Nothing wrong with sugar, barring a medical reason. All foods have calories. No food is bad. Moderation, portion control, and staying in your calorie budget. There’s nothing sad about having a piece of chocolate. Fruit is part of a balanced diet.
    Truvia is sweeter than sugar from cane or beets. There’s a conversion chart for recommended amounts to substitute for sugar on Truvias website.
    You don’t have to eat anything you dislike, or give up any food you like to lose weight. All you need to do is eat less calories than your body burns consistently.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1
  • justanotherjenn
    justanotherjenn Posts: 64 Member
    I think what you will find is that when you start eating within your calorie goal, look for meals that satiate you a little more (like with protein and fiber), your sugar will naturally go down.

    I am someone with a big sweet tooth, so I save room for a sweet treat or dessert almost every day. Sometimes it's just the chocolate protein shake, other days (like today) it's dessert. It helps a lot when I have it to look forward to.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,736 Member
    missysippy930 wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with sugar, barring a medical reason. All foods have calories. No food is bad. Moderation, portion control, and staying in your calorie budget. There’s nothing sad about having a piece of chocolate. Fruit is part of a balanced diet.
    Truvia is sweeter than sugar from cane or beets. There’s a conversion chart for recommended amounts to substitute for sugar on Truvias website.
    You don’t have to eat anything you dislike, or give up any food you like to lose weight. All you need to do is eat less calories than your body burns consistently.

    This is like a series of t shirt quotes. :)
  • Sandeeng84
    Sandeeng84 Posts: 27 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Sandeeng84 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. I can take stevia in tiny amounts. I find it palatable in the Celestial Seasonings teas that have it. In your situation, I would try to continue to taper down the sugar in regular tea, and throw some Celestial Seasonings teas in the mix.

    Perhaps also up your fruit.

    What is your protein goal percent and are you hitting it?

    A this moment I don’t have a protein goal. I did try adding protein shakes to increase my protein but wound up nearly stopped up if it wasn’t for the benefiber. Any suggestions?

    By "protein goal" I mean in MFP. Are you using the default 20%? How often do you hit it? You can find this out by going to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports and selecting Protein.
    Yes I’m using the default 20% and no I don’t think I’m hitting the default goal
    Protein powder is one way to get more protein. People can find it constipating of they are not eating enough fiber. But if you are an omnivore, another way to get more protein is to simply eat more chicken, beef, fish, etc.

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/whey-protein-side-effects#section4

    ...Constipation is not a normal side effect of whey protein.

    For a few people, a lactose intolerance may cause constipation by slowing the movement of the gut (11, 12).

    However, constipation is more likely caused when people eat fewer fruits and vegetables in favor of whey protein, especially when they’re on a low-carb diet.

    Fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber, which helps form stool and promotes regular bowel movements (13).

    If you suspect that whey protein makes you constipated, check whether you are eating enough fruits and vegetables. You can also try taking a soluble fiber supplement.

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