Going to Battle with Sugar

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I did it a few years back for me, not my whole family. I’ve since slipped up.

It only takes 1 week to lose the taste / addiction of sugar. After a week you can start fruit, like an apple. The apple will taste delicious, like the best apple ever.

I lost 30 pounds limiting sugars and simple carbs.

Then I needed surgery for another ailment and I put some of the weight back on.

I don’t remember where I got the information from for the sugar fast. I’ll see if I can find it.
 
starlady said:
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).
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It will be just one among many on the shelf, but no sugar plain yogurt can be found. About fruit juice, that’s why I avoid all fruit juice now, even the no sugar added ones and generally stick to the less sweet fruits in moderation. Also some veggies have enough vitamin C in them to make a dent in the recommended daily amount. Here’s a short list: chili and bell peppers, spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc. Cooking any of these will of course reduce the amount of nutrients available, but they’ll still be mostly ok.

One more: learn to drink your coffee without the sugar.
 
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I don’t drink juice often, but occasionally. Sometimes I just get a craving.
Zzyzx_Road said:
One more: learn to drink your coffee without the sugar.
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Now that is just crazy talk.

(really that would be best, I know, and I’ve greatly reduced how much sweetener/creamer I add to my coffee, but I just can’t let it go quite yet…)
 
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You might find this interesting.

This is a talk about sugar and its prevalence in food. This is a talk given by Dr.Lustig a pediatric endocrinologist.

 
Lustig has very…very little credibility in the field.

Anything…and I mean anything he says I’d take with a grain of salt…or should we say grain of sugar.
 
I agree.

What works for me is moderate carbs, moderate fat, moderate protein.

I try to avoid junk food, fast food, processed food, refined sugar and carbs, sodas, fruit juice and snacking. I also try to cook from scratch and minimize eating out.

If I do eat dessert it’s almost always fruit but if I crave baked goods and other non-fruit desserts, I make sure I make it at home and not buy it from the store.
 
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TC3033 said:
Scientific studies say different. I have to ask…why did you go straight to sweets and not strawberries, oranges, grapes, etc…which are basically water and sugar?
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This is by no means an actual study but it IS from Harvard Health. Yes sweets can be addictive, specifically chocolate. That’s what my issue was. Apparently things containing a lot of sugar AND fat (not fruit) can trigger reward pathways in your brain, truly. Anyway,even without that, people can become addicted to literally anything. You don’t ingest the internet but you can definitely become addicted to it.

 
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What I have found that cuts my sugar cravings the most is a high protein diet, preferably with low/moderate carbs. I do eat natural sugars in fruits still but that has never been a problem for me.
 
Pinterest and YouTube has been very helpful in finding new healthy recipes.
 
Why very little credibility? His science is sound. Besides consuming sugar in such high amounts is bad for you. This is what he says.
I believe him over the establishment which has done a great job of increasing obesity rates.

To me what has very little credibility is the standard American food pyramid. With bread, pastas and refined carbs. To me, vegetables should be at the base not pasta or bread.

Let’s face it. The low fat craze has been disastrous. I still remember when jelly beans was touted as being more healthy than a boiled egg just because jelly beans were low fat.
 
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TC3033 said:
So can petting a puppy.
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You seem to be…I don’t know what, with this subject. Have you not ever watched My 600lb life? Food addiction IS a real scientific thing. Some people need psychological therapy for it. I’m lucky I’m not overweight at all but I think I would end up with diabetes eventually if I kept eating that way. To me you are sounding like someone who thinks alcoholism isn’t a disease. If you get an idea in your head and a strong craving in your body and you CAN’T go back to sleep until you go do whatever it is you are thinking of, then you are addicted to that thing most likely…Here you go, something actually scientific. Food can be addictive. Maybe somebody can get addicted to petting a puppy and rub all the hair off too, who knows.

 
I appreciate the spirited discussion and hearing what is working for each of you. But at the risk of making some CAFenemies, I’d like to reign it in a bit.

As a reminder, I’m posting in a parenting forum seeking parenting stories from parents (either current or empty-nesters), who can share their personal parenting experiences with getting their children weaned from excessive, refined sugar consumption. (Take a shot of something strong each time you read the word, “parenting.” 😅)

The whole country has very strong opinions about diet and nutrition - a surefire sign of living in an abundant, First-World culture, but I’d nonetheless like to keep the thread more focused on this particular facet of diet.
 
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GraceJ said:
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.
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Everyone is different.

I am doing really well with 3 meals a day–two light meals (e.g., boiled egg, apple, a few crackers), and one “heavier” meal (e…g, meat loaf, mashed taters, green beans). No snacks other than Diet Coke. I will often have a piece of cake or a brownie with my “heavy” meal.

I’ve been doing this for almost a year now, and I’ve lost 33 pounds. The rate of weight loss is about 3 pounds a month–very VERY slow, not even a pound a week, but it’s so much better than anything I’ve ever done to lose weight! I am eating normal foods, not stuff I have to buy at a health food store! I am eating fruit—apples, oranges, raspberries, things I have eaten since childhood. I am wearing clothing that I haven’t worn in a decades (so retro!) and even that is baggy on me. And it’s simple–3 meals a day. Regular meals.

But for my older daughter, who is 36 (almost 37), this would never work. She eats every few hours, and carries snacks with her (Kind bars, nuts, etc.) because if she doesn’t eat every few hours, she gets so weak and sick that she faints. When she’s home, she’s constantly asking when we’re going to eat.

She eats very healthy foods, and doesn’t drink soda at all, and has cut alcohol to a glass or two of wine a week (small glass). She’s thin–she actually weighs less than when she was a teenager. (I believe she wears a size 4.) She’s strong and athletic–figure skates and speed skates. She walks everywhere in the Big City, and lives in a 4th floor apartment (no elevator!).

She’s just different than me–she has to eat!

So I think that everyone has to find their own way when it comes to food. All bodies are different.
 
I am giving sugar mostly up for lent. Sunday’s and feast days I am not.
I am cutting off all at once. We get carbohydrates from pasta, potato, rice , fruit. I would use fruit as a snack
 
As far as parenting goes, I have 5 kids ranging from college aged to elementary school. I would say just not buying the processed sugary food is the key. They won’t dwell on it and beg for it if it’s not there in the house. For a treat, you could always make a fresh fruit smoothie. I make them with frozen mango and it tastes like a delicious dessert. You can even add spinach and protein powder in and it will still taste great 🙂
 
It is the type of sugar in sweets and refined sugar that is different from the carbs sugars.
The refined sugars hit the system very fast, get used, then the person experiences a blood sugar drop. The longer chain carb sugars are slower to break down, absorb, and don’t have such a dramatic drop.
 
Thank you. 😇 I’ve been able to keep the grocery trips under control, especially if I go alone. 😉 When I fall into a trap is with all of the driving, activities, and sudden hunger cravings. I’m NOT good at preparing for those in advance, and we end up eating out, which I’m honestly tired of doing. What types of snacks did you pack along?
 
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