Cutting back/out sugar

[1031939]

First off if you are hear to preach please leave this page, however advice is much appreciated. Thank you.
So I really just need some solid advice to help cut back on sugar consumption.
With the fall/winter holidays' coming up it is getting harder and harder to avoid it. So what do you do to dodge it? How did you transition off or to less? Etc.

 

[socalfreak]

I have had a pretty serious sweet tooth since I was a kid.
I've craved sugar at times. Just kinda figured it was my kryptonite.
Until snarkysuccubus talked me into trying probiotics. Just one pill a day & in just a few days, my cravings diminished. After a few weeks, I'm just not that interested in sweets...definitely miles away from where I started.
Might be worth a try for you.

 

[1031939]

I have had a pretty serious sweet tooth since I was a kid.
I've craved sugar at times. Just kinda figured it was my kryptonite.
Until snarkysuccubus talked me into trying probiotics. Just one pill a day & in just a few days, my cravings diminished. After a few weeks, I'm just not that interested in sweets...definitely miles away from where I started.
Might be worth a try for you.

Thanks guy. I think I will definitely look into it! Solid advice man! Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

[myjoystick]

I subbed sugar with honey and agave nectar when I could and only ate sweet things that had 15 grams of sugar or less per serving. I also ate fruit when I had a sweets craving or dark chocolate covered almonds. Definitely helped me lose weight and I felt good!

 

[1031939]

I subbed sugar with honey and agave nectar when I could and only ate sweet things that had 15 grams of sugar or less per serving. I also ate fruit when I had a sweets craving or dark chocolate covered almonds. Definitely helped me lose weight and I felt good!

I like it! Totally doable!

 

[myjoystick]

I like it! Totally doable!

It really is! Just read the labels at the grocery store and it isn't too bad. I also cut out high fructose corn syrup and stuck only with sodas made with cane sugar. That kind of soda is harder to find and more expensive, so I only had it occasionally.

 

[socalfreak]

While I'm glad that worked out for you...
The problem is that it's still sugar. Cane sugar and honey have the same glycemic index/insulin response. Your body doesn't process it any differently.

 

[Snarky_succubus]

Fantastic that you found success myjoystick! @Gelflingfay I would just caution you to be careful. Honey and agave are still sugar and both have more calories than granulated sugar and for me, they're much easier to over use. Agave in particular I'd be hesitant about. It's VERY processed. Here's a decent article that may shed some light https://authoritynutrition.com/agave-nectar-is-even-worse-than-sugar/

 

[Snarky_succubus]

Also, for me it was just about being conscious and setting boundaries for myself. When I started on my weight loss journey I started writing down everything I ate and drank and counting calories. I don't need to do that anymore but it taught me to be aware of my eating. I was astounded by how many calories I consumed without so much as a thought and how much I'd outright forget if I didn't write it down. I set up my nutrition plan with the expectation of having a "cheat day" every week where I allowed myself to eat the higher sugar/higher calorie things. Personally, I still wouldn't consume more calories than I could burn off in the day but with a good workout I *never* found myself wanting something I couldn't manage to burn. It's taken time but I'm at a place now where I can be moderate day to day without having to go without all week and splurge for a whole day... but that was very effective for me in getting to this place.

 

[cantaloupe]

Well, you can start in slow steps. One of the first things I did was to stop adding sugar to my coffee anymore. Then, after a while I quit all sugary drinks and only drank water. That really helped a lot. Cause a medium beverage pretty much equals like 2 candy bars or 100g of milk chocolate... no shit.

Now I occasionally drink something sugary when I´m out or sometimes buy juice but nothing else for home or on the go. Having done this big step allows me not to worry about dessert. Also look out for sugary breakfast items. They´re my culprit #2.

 

[dfresh3]

^ what this guy said. also start just picking up the item you eat or are thinking about eating, or items you are curiouos about and read the ingredients. see how much sugar is in types of food. you will be surprised. cookiing is your best friend. that way you control every thing you eat. you dont have to be a nazi, but its easier to know. restaurants sneek fat sugar and carbs into even the simplest of dishes.

 

[1031939]

Thanks guys for not ranting on about it and just dropping some advice. I don't need a sciminar on health. I know tons. Just looking for simple advice and you delivered.
I have got my foot pain under control and I work better when I can finally pull it all together. I am just eating carrot and apples in place of my normal sweet at the moment. Next week when I have cash I am going to get a big bag of chocolate covered almonds. So I can portion those up and allow so many a day. It is a start. I also halved the sugar in my coffee today. Simple advice is some of the best motivation. Thanks!

 

[dfresh3]

yep. doing reasonable things that are maintainable for a long term diet and lifestyle are key.

just a side note, if you ever stall out in your progress after a while start readjusting. for example in a couple months maybe try a sugar free creamer in your coffee if you feel the need

 

[lil peachie]

I think you're on the right track cutting your coffee sugar back. Sugar is definitely a wonderful way to ruin ones health. I've done a 21 day sugar detox, which has 3 levels depending where you are at and what you can handle. I did the most extreme since being paleo my diet is pretty clean. This is program I used http://21daysugardetox.com/ of course it's not for everyone.

Cutting back is great idea though. Small changes are easier to keep than huge ones. When cutting back on sugar it's important to have plenty of healthy good fats they'll help with the sugar cravings.

 

[1031939]

Yup. I am going to buy a bunch or nuts next month. Yes I know moderation. Lol.

 

[lil peachie]

Yup. I am going to buy a bunch or nuts next month. Yes I know moderation. Lol.

Don't forget other options like avocados, grass fed butter, and coconut oil. A mixture of coconut butter, almond butter, and unsweetened dark chocolate is what has gotten me through my sugar detoxes.

 

[Notaes]

First off if you are hear to preach please leave this page, however advice is much appreciated. Thank you.
So I really just need some solid advice to help cut back on sugar consumption.
With the fall/winter holidays' coming up it is getting harder and harder to avoid it. So what do you do to dodge it? How did you transition off or to less? Etc.

I recently went to see a weight loss specialist in my area Eight weeks ago. They put me on a diet that takes the sugar our of your diet. No sugar, nosweet, no dairy, no fruits no breads, I can eat mosts meats, no sauces or ketchup or steak sauce and i can eat most vegetables. it's kind of like the Atkins diet. I drink an Atkins choc shake for breakfast because i am not an egg eater or a big breakfast eater. I eat salmon, beef, most fish, a little red meat. The weight has fallen off. I have lost almost 40 lbs without exercise. That's right it has fallen off. The first week i lost eight pounds. I am really into the diet now. My wife has serched the internet for receipes without sugar. She has even made cock mouse and choc fudge with splenda. i don't eat much of it but it great when you are in the mood for something sweet or choc. I would highly recommend the diet to anyone. Exercise has not been stressed but of course they love it if you exercise. Watch the pounds fall off get off sugar.

 

[Notaes]

I recently went to see a weight loss specialist in my area Eight weeks ago. They put me on a diet that takes the sugar our of your diet. No sugar, nosweet, no dairy, no fruits no breads, I can eat mosts meats, no sauces or ketchup or steak sauce and i can eat most vegetables. it's kind of like the Atkins diet. I drink an Atkins choc shake for breakfast because i am not an egg eater or a big breakfast eater. I eat salmon, beef, most fish, a little red meat. The weight has fallen off. I have lost almost 40 lbs without exercise. That's right it has fallen off. The first week i lost eight pounds. I am really into the diet now. My wife has serched the internet for receipes without sugar. She has even made cock mouse and choc fudge with splenda. i don't eat much of it but it great when you are in the mood for something sweet or choc. I would highly recommend the diet to anyone. Exercise has not been stressed but of course they love it if you exercise. Watch the pounds fall off get off sugar.

Learn to read labels! It tells you how much sugar and carbs your eating. Leave it on the shelf. Sugar will kill you. Try Stevia the natural sweetener. If it says low fat leave it on the shelf it's a lie! They took out one kind of sugar and added another!

 

[W/In 1 Stand Dev]

Download the MyFitnessPal app for your smart phone. Enter in everything you eat or drink.

I had a 2 King Size Snickers and 2 sweet Gold Peak teas a day habit. I weaned myself off the tea by buying one unsweeted Gokd Peak and one sweetened and mixing them together.

A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. So if you have a caloric deficit each day of 500 calories, at the end of the week you shoukd lose a pound of fat.

I would have to take a look, but I imagine the Snickers and 2 sweet teas per day were easily 700+ calories by themselves.
On April 4th, I was 284 pounds. By July 4th, I was 254 pounds. I am 5'10" tall and 44 years old.

I was putting myself back out on the dating market so I had to up my "curb appeal".

 

[halcyondays]

I transitioned gradually instead of trying to go cold turkey, which never worked for me.

The first thing I did was write down everything I ate/drank each day. It's called a food log. It made me aware of how much sugary food I was consuming.

From that I learned I was scarfing 8-10 dessert servings a day. A cookie, a slice of cake or pie, a muffin, a sweet coffee/tea, an ice cream, a donut, a soft drink, pancakes/french toast with syrup, sugar or honey on cereal, a candy bar, chewing gum: each is a dessert serving. They are dessert foods. You get the picture: I was eating 70+ dessert servings a week.

My first step was to cut down to three dessert servings a day. That's 21 desserts a week. I chucked the sugar bowl and honey pot into the garbage.

To slake my sweet tooth I allowed myself all the fresh fruit and whole fruit juices I wanted as long as they didn't have any added sugar. Turned out I could only eat/drink so much of it. Fresh sweet vegetables are also allowed: tomatoes, sweet corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, peas--like fresh fruit they have natural sugars and are loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Then I transitioned to one dessert serving a day where I've been for many years. If injury or illness prevents exercise I drop to one dessert a week. Some weeks I have no food with added sugar at all.