Going to Battle with Sugar

[Joe_5859]

The key is to cut off the supply, which is what you buy at the grocery store.

That is key for me. If it’s not in the house, I won’t eat it. And if it is in the house it will be eaten—usually quickly.

It’s become more a necessity with my son because he inherited my love for sugar, and he will not rest until the whole bag of candy is gone. So it’s better not to keep it in the house.

 

[starlady]

I like chia seeds mixed with coconut milk (and cocoa powder or mashed raspberries if you want it flavored) is a pretty good pudding. I mixed a little agave into it to give it a little extra sweetness, but it’s not necessary.

My mom gets Zevia brand sodas, which have no sugar. They have all the familiar flavors (cherry cola/ginger ale/squirt/lemon lime/etc.), although the taste is slightly different from “regular” sodas.

My mom has followed a keto diet (sometimes giving in for special occasions, but not often), so she gave up a lot of sugar and gluten products. Really lowered her blood pressure and she lost some weight as well. I don’t know how strictly she follows it nowadays, but it worked for her. I’m not suggesting following a diet, but just saying that cutting out the sugar and gluten was great for her.

I have tried using sugar alternatives, like monk fruit sweetener and Swerve brand sugars. They obviously taste a little different than regular sugar, but they can be used in recipes in equal amounts to regular sugar. When baked into a dessert or mixed into a sauce, I didn’t even notice a difference. The downside is that they tend to be much more expensive.

I hope to maybe get some ideas from this thread too. I add water to my son’s juice so there’s not so much sugar. I try not to give juice that much anyway, but I love juice too, so it’s hard haha. I just wish that the non-sugar options weren’t so expensive, which is pretty limiting to a lot of people.

 

[GraceJ]

First off, are you dealing with kids (young-teen)?

If so, cut it out all at once. Drop the highly processed snack foods and sodas, and stop buying the candy and ice cream. Save buying that for special occasions; do not keep it in the house.

Also, the suggestion cutting out snacking is a good one. Three meals a day is more than enough for a healthy person to live on. I myself am currently living on only two meals a day, no snacks. I have had no issues with health, focus, or staying awake.

 

[TC3033]

Three meals a day is more than enough for a healthy person to live on. I myself am currently living on only two meals a day, no snacks. I have had no issues with health, focus, or staying awake.

Well ya…as long as you’re hitting your calories and macros you can get it done with One Meal A Day, but it’s very personal. I know of people who practice intermittent fasting by eating one 2000-2200 calorie meal per day (24 hrs).

I for one, eat about 4 times a day.

 

[Kindnessmatters]

I am personally not a fan of all or nothing approaches. Raising my son, I followed my mother’s example of providing three balanced meals a day, an after school snack, and a small serving of dessert after dinner. Immediately after dinner, we all worked together to clean the kitchen and other than for a glass of water, the kitchen was closed for the night. We ate at the table always. We had a casual table in our family room so even if we wanted to watch something special on TV (not a regular thing) we sat at a table to eat and watch. Chips, pop and all that junk were bought for parties but were not usually in the house. Desserts might be a small bowl of pudding, three or four cookies, or one scoop of ice cream with some chocolate sauce. We weren’t bakers so did not usually have left over sweets around. We made enough for that dinner and it was gone. It was plenty, and since we had conversation, it slowed down the eating and we were satisfied.

Nothing was a taboo food…it was just moderated. We had daily chores, and were sent outside and had to be in religious education, and some kind of extra curricular activity year round. I took music lessons, was a scout and was oin swim team. We were not over scheduled but did not have hours for TV and burned off what we ate. Saturdays we cleaned and did chores, usually from after breakfast until lunch, sometime a little longer. Dad made Saturday lunch and if he was working on a project, went out for fast food burgers, fries and shakes. It frankly made us kids look forward to big chore days like raking or cleaning the basement because we didn’t get fast food often. Other times it was fried egg sandwiches, or hot dogs off the grill…it was fine.

I was thin until I started dieting and restricting foods for myself. I did not want that for my son. My son was raised this way abd at 25 is 6’ of lean muscle, loves the outdoors and being active, and has little interest in TV or video games. He eats healthy, and even if he is eating alone, sits at the table with a book or magazine, not in front of the TV.

I am losing weight by going back to eating how I did before I started dieting. It is working.

It is all what you buy. It is difficult with a vegetarian household, as just that restriction puts kids at risk of malnutrition…never knew a vegetarian kid who didn’t have to go off that restriction for health reasons. Girls in particular can become anemic. I’d let the kids have all food groups in moderation, and except for if you are having a party or something, don’t buy chips, candy, sugary drinks and other junk.

 

[JanetF]

Funny you should bring this up. I just re-started the south beach diet, following the book Dr. Arthur Agatston wrote in the 90’s. “The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss”. It’s available on Amazon. He talks about refined sugar and flour and bad carbs. You might try reading that book to get started.

I don’t think you’d have to put everyone on the restrictive phase of the diet, but perhaps just incorporate the ideas into your menus.
And I also just purchased this “The Mediterranean Method: Your Complete Plan to Harness the Power of the Healthiest Diet on the Planet – Lose Weight, Prevent Heart Disease, and More! (A Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) Masley M.D., Steven” so that once I’m on the maintenance phase of the new lifestyle plan, I can have a variety of yummy dishes.

Good luck to you!

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

Some years ago, I cut out all soda pop. Took me a few weeks to get rid of the craving, but once that was gone it was gone. I have occasionally had one once in a great while, but it doesn’t cause me to get addicted to them again. The secret is to never bring them home from the store and always ask for water or unsweetened iced tea at a restaurant.

I think most fruit is ok. If there is a concern there, some fruits are higher in sugar than others. I prefer berries, for instance, but do your own research.

What’s harder is to cut out the refined sugar found in grocery items. Not as hard to cut out high fructose corn syrup. This one has acquired a deservedly bad reputation so it doesn’t appear as often as it used to. Have to read all the labels. It’s sometimes unbelieveable how many things have sugar (and/or HFCS) added to them. Bread, all manner of sauces, salad dressings, etc. It’s good to allow a cheat day once a week, but no more than that.

 

[JanR]

When fighting an addiction like that, it’s usually better to wean off gradually and let your body get used to it, then to shock your system by stopping completely, all at once. And, it’s usually more successful that way.

 

[Sarcelle]

I am living on two meals a day too.

My bloating and inflammation are gone and I sleep a lot better.

 

[Sarcelle]

I fast for spiritual purposes like I am doing now for Lent, foregoing breakfast and lunch for all of Lent.

My body also seems to be reaping the benefits.

 

[Sarcelle]

What’s harder is to cut out the refined sugar found in grocery items.

Sugar isn’t always listed as sugar in processed food. It has many names but in the end it’s still sugar.

When I go abroad and come back, everything tastes so sweet to me, especially bread.

A lot of tourists to the US have told me the same thing. So much sugar is placed in the food here. I have a hard time finding full fat Greek Yogurt but find so many brands of yogurt with zero fat but lots and lots of added sugar.

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

I have a hard time finding full fat Greek Yogurt but find so many brands is yogurt with zero fat but lots and lots of added sugar.

You need to find the plain yogurt. It will be the only one with no flavor or sugar added. But it’s there. Full fat versions too. All of the major grocery chains should have it. I enjoy mine with berries from the produce section.

 

[Sarcelle]

Went to Wegmans and couldn’t find it there.

Just zero percent fat, sugar filled yogurt.

Luckily I found some full fat Greek yogurt at Giant Eagle.

 

[Neithan]

The typical North American/Northern European diet has way too much sugar. Way too much. What’s with all the baking? Do we really need to bake anything other than bread? There’s no need for sugary soda or most fruit juices.

 

[TK421]

Whole fruits are complex carbs and it is completely inaccurate to say they are like water and sugar. They are processed gradually versus rapidly - which makes a huge difference health-wise and energy-wise.

 

[TC3033]

Yes, they can include nutrients which can change how quickly the sugar is processed, but fruit is full of sugar. People can absolutely blow their sugar macro “allotment” for the day away by just eating a few pieces of fruit. In the long run sugar…is sugar is sugar, so to say how quickly a sugar is processed effects a person health-wise is false. Whether di-saccaride, mono-saccaride, Latcose, Sucroce, etc…once broken down the body just sees it as sugar.

energy-wise

Of course…I run distance and carry “goo” packages. They’re basically 100% sugar for a quick energy hit.

 

[starlady]

Yes! Why does yogurt have so much added sugar? Or juice, for that matter? Some of those so-called “healthy” juice drinks have so much added sugar…it’s fruit juice, it should already be sweet enough! I have to look hard for good juice, usually fresh orange juice (so delicious).

So many people have been afraid of full fat foods, but I think the problem is the sugar, not the fat.

I’ve seen those videos on YouTube of people from outside the US trying American snacks and sweets and finding that they can hardly stand them because they are so sweet. I wonder when Americans got so accustomed to so much sugar.

 

[TC3033]

So many people have been afraid of full fat foods, but I think the problem is the sugar, not the fat.

What if it’s neither…?

Calories per gram of fat = ~9
Calories per gram of sugar = ~4
Calories per gram of protein = ~4

Eat a balanced diet keeping those macros in check while not eating over your TDEE and you’re golden.

 

[starlady]

starlady:

So many people have been afraid of full fat foods, but I think the problem is the sugar, not the fat.

What if it’s neither…?

Calories per gram of fat = ~9
Calories per gram of sugar = ~4
Calories per gram of protein = ~4

Eat a balanced diet keeping those macros in check while not eating over your TDEE and you’re golden.

We all have different metabolisms and we’re all going to process foods differently. Moderation really is key overall.

I do, however, think that there is something to be said about all the “low-fat” foods out there but no one seems to care about the amount of sugar in foods. My mom switched to things like butter, bacon, heavy cream, and full fat milk while cutting out sugar and flour (pretty much any carbs) and it did wonders for her health.

But if you’re counting calories, then moderation is important. So it really depends on the person, perhaps.

 

[TC3033]

We all have different metabolisms

All in all, our metabolisms aren’t that different.

Moderation really is key overall.

Agreed.

we’re all going to process foods differently.

My mom switched to things like butter, bacon, heavy cream, and full fat milk while cutting out sugar and flour (pretty much any carbs) and it did wonders for her health.

That’s a little different. We don’t “all” process foods differently per se, but there are definitely outliers with food sensitivities that do process some macros different than others.