Limiting sugar intake?

@dunenoret I’d start by eating Sugar free products. Same hit but less calories. I usually get sugar free sweets or candy if your American. Diet sodas etc. Slowly you can Wien your way off it

dunenoret wrote: »

I’ve slowly but surely come to realise that I have a major problem with sugar/sweets/biscuits etc.

I was wondering if anyone has any foolproof strategies to limit sugar intake - one portion a day maybe - but actually stopping after that one which I find impossible to do!

Many Thanks 😊

Oh, jeez! IKR?! I am a full-blown, genuine sugar addict. For decades, I would have multiple sodas-full sugar, usually Coke- every single day PLUS a mid day treat to pull myself out of the afternoon slump at work, THEN have a dessert -or two!-after dinner. Otherwise, I would feel deprived. What crazy person feels like they 'need' this much sugar? I did! I have said for years, "I need a Coke.", rather than "I want a Coke", because that was how I felt. I had to decide to stay AWAY from all added sugars AND sweetners of any kind, choosing instead to eat whole foods, more protein, real fats, more fiber, more water, more leafy greens and vegetables. The fat and protein were important for those first few days to no feel deprived. I made sure to eat breakfast with protein, fat, and fiber (egg, oatmeal, bacon, butter-avocado, if I was lucky!) and not to allow more than five hours between meals with four being ideal. Somedays in the beginning, 3 hours was enough. Lunch was heavy on the veg and meat, if I wanted it (Med Rare steak, salad with cottage cheese instead of dressing, lots of red and yellow peppers, sweet potato or baked, butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Dinner would start with a light soup, then meat and at least 2 kins of veg. Or fajitas! Yum! I did self checks to see if I was hungry or 'mouth hungry' or thirsty (I aim for 1/2 gallon of water daily). If waiting 20 min did not kill the urge for the sweet, then I sliced a firm sweet juicy apple and slathered on Natural Peanut Butter- no added sugars or salts. Mindful eating, i.e., no TV or computer, helped, too. It only took about three days before this became rather easy. Big change from someone who thought they 'needed' sweet stuff in their mouth/life! There are days I need a little more-so I choose wisely, but I get it. I use a calorie range, rather than just one goal. So for me, I aim for 1500 cal/day, but as long as I stay under 1800, I do not sweat it. After getting a grip on the sugars, the other macros have been easy! With the exception of protein! Arrgh! I aim for 100-130g per day, with a dead minimum of 50g daily. If I am not careful to eat meat or have a protein drink, sometimes I have trouble reaching my goal. Best wishes! Sugar is a HARD addiction to fight! But, I have now had almost 2 months of relatively sugar-free (except fruits/veg) and it now feels more like a way of life rather than a 'diet'. You probably know that hidden sugars are in foods you would never think of-like canned green beans-so read those labels. Or I made it easy on myself, and rarely eat/drink anything that has a label:-). Now the sweetest thinkg in my life is 'me';-D! --and my relationships with people rather than food.

BTW- I have said this so many times lately that it is like a mantra---for me "it is easier to concentrate on what I CAN have, than what I CAN'T". Hope this is helpful:-).

AnnPT77 wrote: »

It doesn't work for everyone (though I'm not the *only* one for whom it did): Eating more fruit helped reduce my cravings for less nutrient dense more calorie-dense sweets like candy, cookies, cakes, etc. I started with 3 servings of fruit every day, and did have to exercise some will power at first to avoid the other stuff; but after a while things like grocery store cookies weren't even appealing, just *too* sweet, and too simple tasting. After a while, I was able to reduce the fruit servings, and keep the effect. Nowadays, I like the occasional special dessert, but I don't crave the sweet snacks like I once did. YMMV, but might be worth a try.

FWIW, this was a tip from a registered dietitian, as a strategy to try.

This really resonates with my experience. I thought I finally had the sugar demons whipped, after I lost weight and started running. I really cut down on obvious sweets. Having thought I kicked sugar, I started loading up on vegan Clif bars since I was running 30ish miles every week. I mean, it's vegan! It's a sports bar! It's made with SCIENCE! lol.

Anyway, I finally developed a strong sensitivity to them... not sure if it was the sugar or the highly refined soy or what but they were hugely messing with my life so I dumped them. It was only then I realized how addictive the sugar in them really was.

So in the past 6 weeks I have become a huge fruit addict. It's fruit so it's healthy right? But I'm afraid I'm overdoing it... about 500-550 grams of just fruit every day. It's not that I feel bad but 3/4 of my close relatives have diabetes and I'm really concerned about developing insulin resistance.

How do you wean yourself off all those apples, bananas, and dried apricots?

durhammfp wrote: »

So in the past 6 weeks I have become a huge fruit addict. It's fruit so it's healthy right? But I'm afraid I'm overdoing it... about 500-550 grams of just fruit every day. It's not that I feel bad but 3/4 of my close relatives have diabetes and I'm really concerned about developing insulin resistance.

How do you wean yourself off all those apples, bananas, and dried apricots?

How can you go wrong? Fruit doesn't usually have a high glycemic index (except for pineapple), so it wouldn't spike your insulin levels. Also, it seems like nature to eat a ton of fruit? Why would you want to break such a wonderful addiction?

I don't struggle with sugar, but I love savory snacks. I will weigh out my portion, enjoy it, and remind myself I can have more tomorrow if I want some. If it's hard, I distract myself with something fun. It helps for me to make sure that I'm not trying to satisfy hunger with the item. In other words, if I have chips as part of a meal or a snack when I'm not really hungry, it usually works out. If I open a bag of chips because I'm hungry, that's riskier.

Once I got in the habit of telling myself "I can have more later" and stopping, it got easier. In my case, this kind of self-control is like a muscle. The more I work it, the better I get at it.

If you are a diabetic too much fruit is also bad for you, so all the fruit you can eat is not a good option either. Letting go of the sugar completely and also the artificial sweeteners is the best way but it is also hard to do. If you can make it through the first week it gets a lot easier. The fruit begins to taste sweeter and we are moving into the best part of the year. Once you get off the sugar just watch to make sure you don't overdo with the fruit, otherwise it is a good switch.

I found that changing my routine or habits around what I was eating too much of helped break the habit. I always bought a Litte Debbie Fudge Round every morning with my coffee. The store moved them, so I didn't' have that visual cue that made me want one. I now avoid the chips aisle, cookie/candy aisle at the store - I used to buy bags of mini candy bars and eat the whole bag in a day or two. If I don't have that visual cue, I don't buy them. It also helps to just do something else in place of eating what you don't want to eat. If you always feel like you need chocolate in the afternoon, get up and go outside or do something else that breaks that routine. Eventually, you won't miss it.