Horrified by my sugar intake

I've always been going over my sugar intake, but I always just attributed that to "oh, that was just a treat, it doesn't happen everyday". But, guess what, it does happen everyday! And I scorned my best friend after she started a super low sugar diet.

But I read this article today, http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/11/why-our-food-is-making-us-fat and I'm suddenly determined to cut down my daily sugar. I won't quote the article here, but honestly, have a look; it's a real eye-opener.

Any tips on killing my sweet tooth? I'm not keen on sugar substitutes either, not matter how "natural" they are - I just want to cut out daily sweets.

Replies

  • jppd47
    jppd47 Posts: 737 Member
    I love sweets. but my bust guess would be to try to keep your self full with better foods for ya. celery, carrots. maybe something you can have with you and snack on when you want to go for that cannoli
  • musicalshadow00
    musicalshadow00 Posts: 21 Member
    I don't usually watch the sugar count on MPF. Some foods (like fruit) are high in sugars that aren't that bad for you! :) I just watch the sugar count on processed foods (i.e. with a food label) and that usually keeps me in check

    I find that nuts are a good alternative when I'm craving something sweet though :)
  • amzelrulz8786
    amzelrulz8786 Posts: 4 Member
    My suagar is always over even when all I eat all day is salads and natural sugars such as fruit! I've been trying to cut down for ages for example I used to always have soft drink and cordial but now I only have it on weekends as a treat.
  • cyberskirt
    cyberskirt Posts: 218
    I kill my sugar intake with fruit. but I refuse to 'count' it towards my sugar because damnit, it's FRUIT! but even so I absolutely understand, if I eat fruit AND have a 'treat' I'm so far over it's ridiculous.
  • Derpina7
    Derpina7 Posts: 552 Member
    Bump for interest too! I have a major sweet tooth, and struggle quiet a bit with my sugar intake even though I know it's not good for you (MOST sugars). I stopped buying sugary snacks, for a while I'd buy individual Reese peanut butter cups thinking it'd be better than all out splurging on a chocolate bar, but still found it too easy to give in to temptation :P. If I don't have it around me, I can't indulge in it.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    I stopped eating sugar months ago...I do have a swet tooth, so I eat apples & strawberries to help it.
  • MissC787
    MissC787 Posts: 175 Member
    I am fighting the same battle. I have the biggest sweet tooth you could imagine.
    I have recently started tracking my sugar intake, and to stay under goal I do what one of the above posters suggested.
    I eat the better stuff first. Tonight I had a treat, but it fit into all of my goals.
    You can certainly do this. :)
  • JazyVale
    JazyVale Posts: 27
    Sweet is my biggest issues praying for help in that
    Cuz is a no joke no more. Is like u say "oh is my treat
    But you don't realize that everyday your sugar is high
    Then Why we" don't lose or way we gain"
    Girl I think you look fab know!! Keep roking your journey!
    I have a challenge to my self to cut bad sugar
    Eat more fruit and less diary or sugared things.
    Fingers cross I do my challenge this Monday to Friday!
    Good Luck :)
  • marathon2012
    marathon2012 Posts: 6 Member
    Sugar free gum helps a lot!!
  • belinus
    belinus Posts: 112 Member
    The number can be intimidating I will agree. Look at what you're eating and see the big sources of your sugar intake and maybe trim some off. I agree with others that fruit is not bad and may push you over, but keep that within reason.

    I remember I freaked out because I drank a bottle of Lifeway Pomegranate Kefir for lunch one day. That had 80g sugars in it. It freaked me out but then I realized that back in the day at that time I would be downing Peanut M&Ms and Mt Dew. So if I compare the empty calories of the candy and pop versus the yogurt smoothie (not to mention the Kefir is probiotic and 100 calories less) I still come out on top.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I have an opinion on this.

    While I'm certainly not going to suggest that you go hog-wild on a bag of sugar, I wouldn't be too concerned. I did check out the article you linked, but I think it's flawed. The study they reference about activity levels was only done on children and the full text of the study wasn't even attached. Additionally, EVEN IF (and this is a very, very big if) activity hasn't decreased (which I believe it has, substantially), intake certainly may have increased, and it doesn't matter whether or not this intake comes from sugar. Surplus eating will cause fat gain, period.

    Additionally, since lustig was mentioned as a solid reference in that article, you should take a look at this counterpoint to Lustig, as Lustig seems convinced that HFCS are the cause of obesity:

    http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

    The rise in obesity is due to overconsumption of calories. Every few years someone will come along and blame something else on obesity, and every time (so far) they've been readily debunked. First it was dietary fat, and then carbs, and then HFCS.

    We've had Taubes, then Lustig, and who knows what will be next. Maybe Dr Oz will blame sunflowers.

    I would suggest checking this out as a side note:
    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319


    In closing -- I'm not telling you any of this to say you're wrong. I'm telling you this so that you don't panic and become alarmed from alarmist media. If you're not diabetic, just use some common sense with food selection (fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, nuts and even have the occasional treat like ice cream every now and then), get some exercise, and eat in a calorie deficit with macronutrient sufficiency and beyond that you'll be just fine. No need to freak out over a banana.


    That's my opinion, and good luck.
  • I'm over on sugar and salt every day....still losing weight. The main thing is to stay under your calories.
  • Marmitegeoff
    Marmitegeoff Posts: 373 Member
    I watched the TV program and was shocked by the fact that "even though corn syrup is 20% sweeter than sucrose (suger) the quantity was kept the same as research has shown that the sweeter something is the more of it we eat" =s extra sales.

    I am now traking suger
  • Gretchi
    Gretchi Posts: 2 Member
    Hi I found when up the vegetables in my diet I was not looking for sweet foods. It was only a old habit if I did. New sweet is fresh dates. But got to be careful.
  • belinus
    belinus Posts: 112 Member
    I watched the TV program and was shocked by the fact that "even though corn syrup is 20% sweeter than sucrose (suger) the quantity was kept the same as research has shown that the sweeter something is the more of it we eat" =s extra sales.

    I am now traking suger

    The crap is vicious as it calls to its own. That's also the danger of "fat free" as the fat was replaced by sugar so the net effect is nothing.
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    If you want to do it in stages, do it first by cutting "added" sugars. Frex, switch from regular applesauce to unsweetened applesauce, or regular peanut butter to all-natural peanut butter.

    If you want to ease your way into it, you can tell yourself you're doing something besides cutting sugar. Tell yourself you WOULD get the soda at lunch, but it's cheaper to drink water, so really, you're just being frugal. Tell yourself that you're concerned about high fructose corn syrup, so you're not going to buy or eat anything that contains it.

    Honestly, I think the problem is not so much "sugar" as "added sugars," so if you cut those, you're a long way toward success.
  • Thanks for your responses, everyone! I agree that fruits don't count as a bad sugar intake - surely a banana and an apple a day can't be bad for you! So, yes, I really meant I would cut out *ADDED SUGARS*.
  • RuthSweetTooth
    RuthSweetTooth Posts: 461 Member
    Can't help you unless you make your diary public, but I would imagine that the easiest way to cut out sugar would be to switch to diet soda or water. Try to get sugar from fruit (not fruit juice). There can also be alot of sugar in some yogurts and granola bars. Try to eat good carbs. If you don't know what a good carb is, google it . . . it can make a huge difference in your health and prevent diabetes to eat the right carbs. You're smart to be worried about it.

    Ruth
    I've always been going over my sugar intake, but I always just attributed that to "oh, that was just a treat, it doesn't happen everyday". But, guess what, it does happen everyday! And I scorned my best friend after she started a super low sugar diet.

    But I read this article today, http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/11/why-our-food-is-making-us-fat and I'm suddenly determined to cut down my daily sugar. I won't quote the article here, but honestly, have a look; it's a real eye-opener.

    Any tips on killing my sweet tooth? I'm not keen on sugar substitutes either, not matter how "natural" they are - I just want to cut out daily sweets.
  • jenbridges
    jenbridges Posts: 213 Member
    i have a MASSIVE sweet tooth. i have found that the only way for me not to eat it is to not have it around. otherwise, there's no holding me back!
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    I have no pre-existing medical conditions that prohibit me from sugar. (or sodium, for that matter.) so I don't track what doesn't really matter.
  • Merrysix
    Merrysix Posts: 336 Member
    I just find it easier not to eat sugar and high sugar fruit. My cravings lessen significantly after about 30 days and I feel so much better and have so much more energy. I eat high protein/moderate carb and try to eat unprocessed food. I have been doing this since Feb 12 and have lost 20 lbs/. I keep calories at about 1500 and try to exercise moderately 5 days/week
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
    Lift weights. Eat sugar after you lift. No problem.
  • when your brain craves sugar, it doesn't know the difference between natural sugars from fruits and actual **** sugar from candybars - why don't you have a chocolate protein shake, a protein pancake http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Protein-Pancakes-Low-carb-low-fat-and-delicious-1973

    some sweet fruits like starwberries, honeydew, rockmelon, watermelon - you could have natural yoghurt with honey and apricot and almond museli with strawberries, be creative,

    if you are serious about weight loss you will throw all the crap in your fridge and cupboard in the bin and start buying healthy foods , you won't be tempted to eat **** because your WILL POWER is stronger than your temptations. YOU WANT TO BE FIT AND HEALTHY and this outweighs any 5 minute craving . MAKE YOUR WILL POWER stronger than your excuses to eat crap. I'm so sick of hearing all these excuses. If you want something, you will make it happen. If you want to healthy, you will cut artificial sugars from your diet and there wont' be any question about it. STOP MAKING EXCUSES AS TO WHY YOU CAN'T AND START SHOWING YOURSELF WHY YOU CAN.
  • ninick
    ninick Posts: 44 Member
    Cut down the sugar completely for a few days, and the craving will go away.

    I was on a low carb diet few years ago, the extreme one which you cut out all carbs. I didn't use any sugar substitute at that time either, and after two weeks or so, I rarely crave sweets anymore. so that's what they say, if you stop eating it, you actually won't crave it anymore.
  • hazelovesfood
    hazelovesfood Posts: 454 Member
    If your eating healthy, meat and veg everyday i would bother about what mfp says about sugar, there are sugars in so many natural things and anwyay when you eat carbs like bread and rice they convert to sugar so you cant avoid them alltogether, thats not healthy, I havent read the link thing you put up but god if we took notice all of these wacky reports we would be dead of starvation.
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Wow I'm totally gonna track my sugar now!
  • Don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but I've read somewhere that it's best to avoid sugar until the end of the day, as when you eat it earlier on, you'll crave more for the rest of the day.

    The less you eat something, the less you'll want it, so just cut down gradually and replace artificial sugars with fruit and yoghurt :)
  • MarincicS
    MarincicS Posts: 265 Member
    I have a terrible sweet tooth too. And i agree with all of the posters who suggested it's best to fill up on heathy vegetables and high protein foods first.

    I also agree with those who said you need to cut it off completely, get over your addiction and move on.

    And despite my agreement with them, i have a sweet tooth.

    Anyway, what's really best for me is that i don't crave so much i go out and binge, so in order to satisfy those cravings, i have 3 go to items: Sugar-free dark chocolate, a brand called Belgian is a really nice chocolate. I also like sugar free Jello instant pudding mix, chocolate or butterscotch, made with unsweetened almond milk. Finally - my every day treat is Cool Whip Free. If you're not in the US, you may still be able to find this in the freezer section (i get it in an ex-pat grocery in Singapore). I completely understand it is chemicals and air, but YUM! Much better for me than sharing a pint with my old friends Ben and Jerry!
  • 4UrPb8vo
    4UrPb8vo Posts: 7
    If there was candy i would eat it... Now i moved to grapes, raisins and other fruits. Its not the sugar that's bad its hows getting in.

    Find some fruit you like, its the perfect time of year. If you can dehydrate some of them into chips or pocket snacks and take them with you, you dont need a fancy dehydrator you can use your oven.

    Banana chips, mango chips, raisins, cherry's grapes, kiwi chips, or make them little gummy blocks.

    Sugar, good old fashioned C6-H12-O6 is not bad nor is a large amount if taken though natural foods. Dont get tripped up on the numbers, just replace the sweets with a better sweet!

    Try to avoid all artificial sweeteners like the plague there dangerous in the long-term. Besides eating anything Sugar free isn't solving the problem, its a band-aid.

    All band-aids fall off in time.