Is a no sugar diet possible???

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Sarah8311493
Sarah8311493 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok....it has been bought to my attention that i eat way way too much sugar. After a little research on the internet today, i took an 'are you addicted to sugar' test. If you answered yes to more than two of the questions....youre an addict. I answered yes to all 8 questions...OH DEAR.

The thing is my research has made me realise that everything i eat has sugar in it. My cereal, pasta, the tortilla (healthy living) wraps i had last night.... even the soup i have for lunch today says on the can = carbs 13g of which sugars 3.2g

I have had cereal everyday of my life for breakfast from when i was little to this morning. I'm no a big toast fan as i'm not a lover of bread....so what do i eat?

Its just dawning on me that weight loss isnt just a calorie counting game but the type of calories you consume. I know the basics....fruit, veg, lean meats are all good etc

is there anyone here actually living a no sugar existence, if so what do you eat??? I'm from the UK so UK available food suggestions would be great.

Reading how bad sugar is for you i cant believe i've not noticed this before. In the past i've suffered from serious mood swing, energy lows and high, skin conditions, mood swings,(ive mentioned them twice but they were really bad. i'm on meds for them now)

Any help would be appreciated. thanks
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    when people said you have too much sugar in your diet, they meant the chocolate and mint imperials. cut them out, and add a portion of fruit and 2 of veg, and you're good to go.

    You cant totally get rid of all sugar i dont think, but natural sugar (in fruit and veg) is fine. thats my opinion anyway. x
  • anna0773
    anna0773 Posts: 6
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    Make sure you realise what sort of sugar is in your foods. Lots of foods contain natural sugars such as fruit and even milk. The stuff you want to avoid is added sugar especially white sugar. It is often listed as sucrose, glucose or glucose syrup.
    xx
  • Purple_Orchid_87
    Purple_Orchid_87 Posts: 517 Member
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    please research between fructose and glucose
    there are natural sugars in almost everyting, and then added sugars in things like sauces, coke etc

    your body releases insulin to many types of sugar, but the way your body uses, stores and breaks down the different types may ake a huge impact on your diet

    i'm pre-diabetic, and one of my main reasons for the weight loss is to stop myself becoming diabetic

    may not work for you, but the research i did was an eye opener
  • TinaLTaylor79
    TinaLTaylor79 Posts: 140 Member
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    If you are taking in to much sugar, cut some out! Fruit has a lot of natual sugars....your body does need some sugar!
  • corpseskank1
    corpseskank1 Posts: 24 Member
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    Sugars are an essential part of your diet - you might need to regulate them, but simple sugars are your body's most easily utilized source of energy. Not to mention, your body's metabolism responds to how much sugar you take in - if you cut it out completely I was under the impression you could lose your body's knowledge of what to do with it, but I could be COMPLETELY off base with that part.

    You need sugar. Take a look at what kinds you're taking in. Simple sugars in fruits are essential. Refined sugars in cookies and cake are not. That's oversimplifying it - do a little googling, and I'll be interested in what others have to say here!
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    If it helps any, stevia is a natural sweetener. I use it in my tea/coffee and even desserts. It doesn't get recognized as a sugar so your pancreas doesn't send out all that unnecessary insulin (which your body counteracts with adrenaline, making you feel yucky and hazy). But yeah, in general, it's very smart to watch it but don't stress too much about sugar. Limit sweets and yes, even fruits, and you will be fine. Good luck. :)
  • lisabstrong
    lisabstrong Posts: 165 Member
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    Naturally occuring sugars when combined with fibre is ok. Think apple not apple juice! It would be impossible to avoid this and detrimental to your health..ie scurvy.

    Whole grain starches will also be a good thing as long as the emphasis is on whole grains with high fibre.

    Avoid all white processed, or stripped things like white rice, white flour, added sugars and artificial sweetners...

    Check out the "Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno...she's a Canadian and popular in north america but likely you could find her books there too.

    Good luck!
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    You cannot eliminate sugar from your diet unless you got 100% of your calories from meat and eggs. Even most vegetables gave some sugar in them. You can reduce your sugar intake though, by avoiding added sugar and keeping fruit to one or two servings a day. Also keep in mind that even thought the label does not reflect it, grains and starches are sugar too once they are in your body.
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
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    if you cut it out completely I was under the impression you could lose your body's knowledge of what to do with it, but I could be COMPLETELY off base with that part.

    You are right about that. Cutting out refined sugar is not dangerous, ive done it more times then I can count. Its hard in the beginning depending on how deep in it you are. I experince headaches and become more tired the first two weeks after qutting but thats very individual. You can choose if you only want to cut down on your sugar, or quit cold turkey, I cant cut it down, thats to much of a challenge.

    The real challenge is finding sauces and dressings without sugar, its harder then you might excpect. Also most youghurts contain some kind of sugar or sweetener but now a days I do my own. After a while fruit will taste just as good as refined sugar, trust me! Raisins is a must!
  • FatDadSlim
    FatDadSlim Posts: 497 Member
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    Is a no sugar diet possible?
    Probably but good for you definately not, you need sugar but just make sure most of it is coming from fruit instead of sweets.

    For breakfast i have Shredded Wheat with nuts, unless it's an excercise day when i'll add a pre-workout 1/2 banana as well i used to be the same and sprinkle sugar over my cereal but eat clean for a bit and you'll soon get over the cravings.

    All my sugar comes from fruit now (and the occasional ice-cream / glass of wine)
  • trishie123
    trishie123 Posts: 1
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    everything in moderation... If you feel like a chocolate, have 1 block instead of a whole bar. The sugar is fruit and veg etc is all natural and that is not something you can cut out completely. I am also trying to reduce my sugar intake... its really tough!

    In my personal opinion, I wouldnt really recommend sweetners as they are full of aspertame and that is worse than having sugar...

    Hope this helps!
  • amysuespears
    amysuespears Posts: 127
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    I, too, am a sugar junkie. I have had to make several changes in my eating habits to avoid holding onto weight because of my sugar intake. Here are the rules I follow:

    1) no processed sugars (anything that comes in a box, says "little debbie", or doesn't come from a tree)... that includes fruit in a can. dried fruit and fresh fruit are my sugars that i eat. i try to eat at least 2 pieces of fruit a day. I eat a small amount of dried cranberries in my PLAIN oatmeal every morning, and sometimes i sprinkle some splenda on it. no cookies, no cakes, no nutri-grain bars or special k bars... all of this has added sugars.

    2) no fruit juices.

    3) i use splenda to sweeten things, like my coffee. i don't use a lot, just a little to take the edge off.

    4) i don't eat white bread, white potatoes, or anything with flour in it, unless it's wheat or whole grain bread with my sandwich for lunch. i eat sweet potatoes (with a little splenda and cinnamon.. yum!), whole grain bread (only 2 pieces a day), lots of vegetables, and a lot of lean protein (low-fat cheeses, cottage cheese, lean meats, almonds, etc.)

    5) once a week, i have a free day. i follow the "body for life" program, and it says that one day a week you eat what you want and don't exercise. i do eat sweets on that day (saturday), but i don't usually go crazy with it. usually, i feel like crap on sunday, so i have found it's not worth it. i eat a piece of cake and maybe some donuts... but i don't eat the entire little debbie aisle :)

    if you would like, add me as a friend... my food diary is visible to friends. :) i haven't completely mastered the beast, but i think i've tamed her down quite a bit.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    Naturally occuring sugars when combined with fibre is ok. Think apple not apple juice! It would be impossible to avoid this and detrimental to your health..ie scurvy.

    Whole grain starches will also be a good thing as long as the emphasis is on whole grains with high fibre.

    Avoid all white processed, or stripped things like white rice, white flour, added sugars and artificial sweetners...

    Check out the "Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno...she's a Canadian and popular in north america but likely you could find her books there too.

    Good luck!

    Scurvy is a result of vitamin c deficiency, it has nothing to do with sugar.
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
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    Please people. stop confusing natural sugar with refined and processed ones. Of course we need fruit etc but thats more a question about carbs then sugar.
  • fairygirl716
    fairygirl716 Posts: 213
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    You should NEVER cut out any one type of food group. Your body is built to balance the foods that are natural. What your body isn't built to balance are the unnatural foods. For example...Lets use a bowl of oatmeal made with water for a starter. No sugar in that oatmeal that isn't naturally there. If you want to sweeten that oatmeal your choices would be white sugar or something that naturally occurs in nature like honey. Weigh the two options, honey is actually sweeter so you'll use a little less. But, your body is built to break down the contents of the honey and use it to better your body but, your body has to "figure" out what to do with the white sugar. Another option is molasses.

    Living a healthy lifestyle never means saying no to any certain food group like carbs, sugar, fat, etc. Living a healthy lifestyle is about choices. Choosing the right forms of those food groups. Now, if you just want to "diet", go for it. Cut whatever you want out of your diet. But, unfortunately, you will be right back here in 1-3 years complaining how you gained all your weight back.

    Dieting can be described as temporary insanity. You think you can cure all your life's problems by dieting and you'll only make them worse.
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
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    I think what you want to do is limit your processed sugar. You also want to limit carbs. You need some but most likely not as many as you are eating. If you're looking for guideance look at food plans for diabetics. They are healthy for the general population and low sugar/carbs.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    Please people. stop confusing natural sugar with refined and processed ones. Of course we need fruit etc but thats more a question about carbs then sugar.

    No, sugar is sugar… ask a diabetic. Sugar cane and sugar beets are natural plants and also the source of refined sugar. The difference is that fruits have less sugar and it is less concentrated than you will get from processed refined products.

    Edit: in addition fructose actually has the same effect on the liver as alcohol when over consumed.
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
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    Yeah but she wasnt asking about fruit etc, cutting out sugar in your coffe, cookies, candy etc cant be dangerous, most of the time its the biggset reason people are overweight.

    People who keep saying you need sugar are just scared they are addicted and cant imagine letting go of there true friend sugar.

    Beeing addicted to sugar and qutting it can be compared with heroinaddiction.
  • Sarah8311493
    Sarah8311493 Posts: 17
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    I think what you want to do is limit your processed sugar. You also want to limit carbs. You need some but most likely not as many as you are eating. If you're looking for guideance look at food plans for diabetics. They are healthy for the general population and low sugar/carbs.

    Thank you, i'll have a look.

    I've always controlled my weight with running. Eat more...run more. Looking at what i eat instead of just the calories i think will make me feel a lot better.

    Thanks everyone
  • WiiFitFan
    WiiFitFan Posts: 156 Member
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    You asked for some ideas for breakfast. Try some eggs or maybe a low sugar peanut butter. Something with protein. I think you will be amazed at how much better you will feel. I was never a huge fan of eggs, but I have been making an omelet almost every morning. I add lots of onion, green peppers, maybe some cheese or ham. It will be very filling and a great way to start the day. I use Egg Beaters a lot. Hope this helps!

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