De-sugaring

[fallstoclimb]

sure! my husband has it down to a science.

1) let the eggs come to room temperature
2) boil water that comes about 1" over the eggs
3) once it's boiling, put the eggs in and set a timer for 1 minute
4) at the end of 1 minute, cover the pot and remove from the heat and set a timer for 7 minutes
5) at the end of 7 minutes, rinse under cold water and remove the shells
6) stick them in a cup with about a tablespoon of butter (i am a whore for butter so maybe even a little more)
7) add some salt and white pepper, mash it all up, and eat it with a spoon (and a couple slices of bacon on the side if you have 'em)

sooooooo gooooood

omg, that sounds so good.  i didn't actual realize soft boiled eggs were peelable.  i might be trying this tomorrow.  do you really have to let them come to room temperature?

Well, that's how he does them, and they are awesome :) But maybe you could let them sit in the hot water for an extra minute or boil a little bit longer to compensate if the eggs are cold. It takes a little experimentation to get it just how you like it.

Oh, yes, if you use a nice cultured butter like Kerrygold you will not regret this.

I had these this morning. SO DELICIOUS. I think you just changed my life.

[boy_bye]

sure! my husband has it down to a science.

1) let the eggs come to room temperature
2) boil water that comes about 1" over the eggs
3) once it's boiling, put the eggs in and set a timer for 1 minute
4) at the end of 1 minute, cover the pot and remove from the heat and set a timer for 7 minutes
5) at the end of 7 minutes, rinse under cold water and remove the shells
6) stick them in a cup with about a tablespoon of butter (i am a whore for butter so maybe even a little more)
7) add some salt and white pepper, mash it all up, and eat it with a spoon (and a couple slices of bacon on the side if you have 'em)

sooooooo gooooood

omg, that sounds so good.  i didn't actual realize soft boiled eggs were peelable.  i might be trying this tomorrow.  do you really have to let them come to room temperature?

Well, that's how he does them, and they are awesome :) But maybe you could let them sit in the hot water for an extra minute or boil a little bit longer to compensate if the eggs are cold. It takes a little experimentation to get it just how you like it.

Oh, yes, if you use a nice cultured butter like Kerrygold you will not regret this.

I had these this morning. SO DELICIOUS. I think you just changed my life.

i had them too! i'm so glad! :D

[cats]

For the past few days at the office, I did an egg-based breakfast, and it totally kept me going until my 1pm lunch!  My "recipe:

1 egg
large spoonful of cottage cheese
handful of frozen broccoli (I buy a bunch fresh, blanch it, then cart into the office and store in the freezer).
a few spoonfuls of black bean stew

I zapped the broccoli & cottage cheese together for a minute and a half, enough to get the broccoli thawed.  Then I mixed in the egg and spread the black bean stew on top and zapped for three minutes (our microwave is not that powerful).  It was tasty and really filling, so I think this (or some variant) will be entering the regular breakfast rotation.

I might also start adding protein powder to oatmeal and see how that goes.  I do love having oatmeal for breakfast.

[FunkyStickman]

That's a good recipe. I usually eat breakfast with 2 scrambled eggs and a handful of diced veggies: peppers, onion, mushroom, radish, maybe carrots or whatever I have. That holds me easily till 12:00, even with biking to work. :)

[FIRE Realtor]

Love this challenge.  My friend just made a group on FB for people to do this together for 30 days, we started Mon.  Even the days leading up to it helped me realize how much sugar I had been sneaking into what I otherwise considered a healthy diet.  I'm halfway through my 2nd pregnancy and really don't want to use it an excuse to indulge in whatever I want!
Planning to post on my blog soon a weekly menu + shopping list on how to do this mostly vegan for $100/wk., if anyone needs further inspiration!

[boy_bye]

well ... i went to paris and def. ate some sugar there. but not as much as i could have! hahaha!

today the last of my parisian chocolates will be gone, and i'm back on the wagon ... trying to get my overall carbs as low as possible because that seems to be the only way my body will ever release weight. this means not only cutting out sugar but grains as well, and most alcohol ...

[jugglingcontinents]

Thanks for great recipe ideas, everyone! And Magdeylou: Paris? It must have been lovely :)

I'm on day 24, and now that the end is in sight, my cravings are insane. Feeling proud that I lasted so long without with chocolate, cookies, alcohol, cake and all the other yummies, but I'm having a really stressful period at work and my brain keeps circling back to sugar :( I'm even dreaming of sugar.

Something to look forward to: I'm going on a trip on Sunday for two weeks... and I'm debating whether or not to cut the no-sugar month 6 days short, so I can enjoy a cocktail or dessert. What would you guys do?

[cats]

So awesome to hear you have been making it through, jugglingcontinents!

I have had a couple of slipups, BUT...I have still eaten a lot less sugar that I was eating in April and did manage a 10 day stint with no sugar at all.  I also feel like I've done a good job of figuring out how to actually make the "right" kind of diet workable (i.e., the one that will keep sugar cravings under control and keep my energy levels even and blah blah blah).  I feel like no-sugar phase #1 was figuring out just how much better I was without sugar and what I needed to replace it with, and the current phase #2 is figuring out the best methods for longer term implementation.

Since I have not been 100% sugar free for May after all, I'm thinking maybe I should step it up in June and see if I can really commit to the full 30 days.

[jugglingcontinents]

Thanks, cats! I allowed myself sugar yesterday and went a little (a lot) overboard in my celebration... ate chocolate truffles, an ice-cream AND a milkshake. My mini-celebration was a sugar binge. Needless to say, my body revolted and I felt nauseous, exhausted and weak :(

I think a couple of slipups are just fine... and then you won't turn into a sugar-snorting maniac at the end of the month.

[cats]

Buuuuuuuump.  I think I need this thread again.  After a pretty much sugar-free June, I went off the rails quite a bit with both sugar and simple/comfort carbs generally in July and August (to the tune of a 5lb weight gain--yikes!!!).  I blame several factors: a bit of the blues from my husband being out of town for an extended period, deciding to train for a half-marathon, and some major sleep-deprivation that I'm pretty sure made anything bad for me sound about 10x more appealing than normal.

So, in the past couple of weeks, I've started to really get the sleep thing more under control (life got a little less busy, and I set myself a "bedtime alarm" to prevent mindlessly staying up late), and it's unbelievable just how quickly my cravings for junk foods started to drop off.  Note to self: sleep deprivation has real effects that are not cured by coffee. 

I'm also now almost done with the half-marathon training (the run is on Sunday), and I think for now I will definitely be reverting to shorter but more intense workouts, which I'm hoping will mean my "runger" drops off (I've already noticed a difference now that I'm in taper phase and doing shorter runs--less desire to eat, AND more energy for my non-running workouts.  Win-win). 

And, my husband will be back in town soon so no more "I miss him, waaaaaah" cookies or ice cream!

Conclusion, the time is right to pull myself back on the sugar-free bandwagon.  This past week has been pretty close to no sugar, a piece of very tasty chocolate cake on Thursday but otherwise nothing.  Goal for this coming week is to have no sweets at all.  As we're currently in a bit of a no-man's land for fruit here also (berry and stone fruit season is tapering off, but apples, pears, etc. are not really good yet) I think I might try doing a couple weeks of very hard-core no sugar at all and cut fresh fruit for a little while, just to see how it feels.  I have a few pieces in the fruit bowl that need finishing off, and then that'll be that for a week or two. I just wrote up my meal plan and grocery list for the coming week and have myself excited about all the not-sweet healthy stuff I'm going to be eating :)

Anyone else interested in reviving the no-sugar attempts with me for a while?

[oldtoyota]

Earlier this year I did a three week "detox" which included cutting all sugar out of my diet.  I felt freaking amazing after the first week--more energy, no afternoon slump, sleeping better, skin looked better, yada yada.  It was actually surprisingly easy, and yet....somehow I seem to have gone back to eating, well, too much of it (or at least, enough that I feel it's having a negative impact on my health).  I know what I need to do to stop (mainly, make sure I eat enough calories from other, better, sources), I just need to tell someone I'm doing it to make myself more accountable.  Which is where you all come in :)

So:

From now (4/25) through the end of May, no sugar (aside from fresh fruit, obviously). 

Long-term I'd like to be more of a dessert on the weekends only sort of a person, but I like the idea of getting it totally out of my system first.

Anyone else care to come along for the ride?

I did this and also felt great. When I bring sugar back in, I'll only be eating it if the dessert is excellent. That won't be too often. =-)

[swallowtail]

Anyone else interested in reviving the no-sugar attempts with me for a while?

I'm interested!  I was doing consecutively-longer sugar fasts - 1 day, then break, 2-day, break, up to 3-day, but then I fell of the rails.  BF and I were shopping at costco (without the needed middle finger) and picked up a gigantic bag of candy which has been a wonderful learning experience (eaten in sufficient quantities, sugar can provide a much more ridiculously good and noticeable buzz than I realized - the headache and terrible sleep afterwards was less pleasant). I justified it because I'm biking and lifting a lot, and cause I work hard, and cause I'm a grown ass person and can do what I want, etc.

I think I am going to sequentially phase it out.  One week of three pieces of candy a day (it was a GIANT BULK BAG and I have a BORING JOB), one week of two pieces of candy a day, one week of one piece of candy a day. Then one piece of candy every other day.  Then maybe just on special occasions. 

As a future goal, I'd like to bake on the weekend so I have a "treat" for the week that is less expensive, presumably healthier (whole wheat flour muffins, black bean brownies), while still respecting the craving/addiction.  Baking is stress relieving and enjoyable to boot.  I know that the physiology and psychology of my relationship with sugar is too complex to just go cold turkey. 

I'll post my progress here and look forward to hearing how you approach scaling down.

[RetiredAt63]

Just an addendum for soft-boiled eggs - you can eat them straight out of the shell - you just need an egg cup.  Cook egg, put pot under cold water until you can just handle the egg with your bare hand, put egg in cup pointy end down, slice top off with a knife (well, it is really bang knife on shell until broken nicely, then finish the cut), sprinkle lots of salt on yolk, take small spoon and scoop.  Yum. Repeat with second egg.  There, that was breakfast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_cup

[happy]

I'm in, but kind of cheating because I'm already sugar free. I cut out sugar about 2-3 years ago when I went Primal. But I've been trying to keep off the sugar for years before that. I would be OK until I fell off the wagon , then would  be helpless to a sugar/junk binge. And back on baked goods and craving and found it really hard to stop.

After being really good and mostly avoiding sugar I can now have a little or some on special occasions  without the whole sugar craving starting up. So yesterday we had a family celebration and desserts were over catered and it was tricky to say no.  I had some white chocolate (off a tart) and 3 meringues… and have had no subsequent craving. Woo-hoo!  I suspect if I'd had cake with wheat/cream/ chocolate etc etc it might not have been so easy.

So keep going, it does get easier.

[FunkyStickman]

So, in the past couple of weeks, I've started to really get the sleep thing more under control (life got a little less busy, and I set myself a "bedtime alarm" to prevent mindlessly staying up late), and it's unbelievable just how quickly my cravings for junk foods started to drop off.  Note to self: sleep deprivation has real effects that are not cured by coffee. 

Oh my gosh, yes, this is so true. Sleep deprivation will wreck your diet, your concentration, etc. I fight this on a constant basis.

Anyone else interested in reviving the no-sugar attempts with me for a while?

Absolutely... my wife and I were talking last night about our constant struggle with athlete's foot, and yeast in general. Eliminating sugar (and for her, gluten) had a huge impact. It's time for me to get back on the bandwagon.

But oh... freshly-ground coffee with cream and sugar.... man, will I have a hard time giving that up.

[GMars]

I've have had no sugar and little fruit for almost three years. In that time, I have not had an upper respiratory infection. Possibly there is no relationship between the two. I like to believe they are related.

[cats]

Well, so far I would say I have entered more of a "phase-out" phase than a total cutoff.  It's been a little over a week now since I started making a concerted effort, and I've managed a few totally sugar free days and others that have been relatively low sugar.  My husband is getting back home this coming week and has said he'd like to go totally sugar-free for a while, so I think I will use that as my cue to really buckle down for a bit.  These things are definitely easier with a partner!

I started leaving all my cash at home during the week to ensure I can't even think about going to the vending machine or cafe for a sugary snack.  I HATE the idea of seeing "starbucks" or similar pop up in my Mint transactions, so if I don't have cash, those places are just mentally off-limits for me :)  Honestly, now that they're "not available" I find I'm not really thinking about them at all.  Awesome for both my health and my wallet :)

Swallowtail, I agree with you that a good long-term goal is probably going to be limiting myself to homemade baked goods.  I usually cut the suggested amount of sugar in recipes by at least half (unless it's something where the sugar is structurally important, like meringue), it doesn't reduce my enjoyment of them at all.  actually, I think I like my low-sugar cookies and such better because all the other flavors aren't so masked by the sugar!

[swallowtail]

Thanks for the tip Cats!  I think in celebration of the Autumn Equinox I am going to make some pumpkin muffins with a chocolate swirl tonight (with your suggestion of halving the sugar).  :)

[FunkyStickman]

Okay, I finally decided to do it. Been sugar-free for 4 days. Haven't killed anybody yet.

And there's buckets of leftover Halloween candy everywhere... :(

[Elderwood17]

Great timing of this thread.  DW decided to start a new veggies and lean meat diet on Monday so I joined her.  Sweetened my coffee one morning out of habit but so far that is my only sugar since Monday.  So far so good! 

[swick]

Glad this thread is picking back up and excited to have people to chat with. Been doing the low-sugar thing since mid October. What simply amazes me is how much added sugar is in everything. We have been reading lots of labels and actually calculating the teaspoons of sugar in whatever amount is a typical serving size for us - a visual of how much sugar is in a cup of vanilla yogurt is staggering.

We don't eat a lot of processed foods - so I've been pretty lax in tracking how much sugar I use because I figure 1. I use a more natural source and b - as long as we are not eating processed stuff then the sugar doesn't really matter, right? So trying to change that mind set.

There is still a TON of sugar in a lot of the Asian sauces we use, and jams and jellies and such (even if they are homemade) so we have been cutting most of that out and at least being mindful. We have been comparing products we do use and looking for alternatives. Was very sad to notice Sriracha has quite a bit of sugar and preservatives in it. Have discovered Cheroula doesn't and is pretty versatile.

On the plus size a lot of the cravings have gone away, the smell of the Halloween chocolate bars we bought made me feel ill - I wasn't even remotely tempted by them.

One of the hardest things has been giving up my coconut sugar in my morning coffee.

Have been watching some youtube videos to stay motivated. Two that I found were interesting were: Sugar: The Bitter Truthhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

and "BIG SUGAR" SWEET, WHITE & DEADLY : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hcAjyOFX1M

The first for what it does to your body, the second as how it has shaped history and the modern day slavery and human cost of sugar.

[FunkyStickman]

Wife and I are now talking about going vegan for a while. I'm still cutting waaaay back on my sugar, haven't kicked it 100%, but much, much less.

I will get there.. hopefully.

[dandeliongirl75]

A little late for December start, but I think I need to quit sugar this month - even with Christmas coming. I am way too addicted and have put on too much weight from a pepsi and candy addiction.....also, spending too much money on it! So....writing it down in public will make me more accountable right?

[cats]

So, I was actually doing really well with this until holiday season started up.  No sugar during the week, sensible amounts of dessert on the weekend.  I was seriously debloated, down to my lowest ever adult weight, and starting to think a flat stomach might be mine any day.  But now it's like there is just a constant assault of chocolate, cookies, etc., half of it isn't even that good and I have still somehow gone into a slide of eating all of it.  I feel yuck and bloated and really need to stop.

I hit the wall this weekend--made my husband an amazing birthday cake, which was totally worth making, but also just basically made me really *feel* just how much sugar I've been taking in.  We shared most of the cake with friends, put the rest in the freezer, and I am planning on keeping things completely sugar free for the rest of December (we have no big Christmas plans so this should be manageable).  I stocked up on vegetables and am mostly focusing on "crowding out"--having lots of veg (and some protein) to keep myself feeling stable and not reaching for a treat.  I made a few really nice pureed vegetable soups to snack on when I get tempted to break the cake out of the freezer or check the work lunchroom for holiday party leftovers.  A mug of soup is so much nicer than carrot sticks at this time of year!

[RunningWithScissors]

Hubby and I watched the documentary 'Fed Up' and were reminded just how bad sugar is for you.  With only days until Christmas, we've decided not to try to go sugar free until the New Year.  However, he's started to record what he eats in a typical day (sweetened yogurt or toast + marmalade breakfast, fat-free and therefore sugar laden snack bars, fruit juices, pasta dinners, and lots of treats like caramel popcorn, sugared coffee and bananas during the day to 'keep his energy up').  Needless to say he was horrified at the total number of grams of sugar.  And yes, it's important to keep an eye on 'added sugar', but also the naturally occurring sugars in fruit.

Yesterday, he cut back slightly and confessed to feeling cranky and jittery.  I think he's realized the impact all that sugar has had.  So, we're planning a 30 day sugar detox in January.  Stay tuned for all the exciting results, if we don't kill each other first!

[Nancy]

When this was first posted, I tried it for three days and promptly quit. Recently, a family member has been recuperating from cardiac surgery. Two weeks ago I cut out added sugar, and it has been incredibly easy. Key for me is that I don't think that I can't have sugar, but that I choose to/want to have other delicious foods, including fruit. (I'll leave the cutting back on fruit until it's necessary if ever.) When I see sweet treats, they look like poison to me. It's easy because I can see the destruction an unhealthy diet caused (through my family member), and the daily struggle once you've developed heart disease and diabetes. No thanks!

[oldtoyota]

Sugar free since early November. On the one month anniversary, I ate one piece of chocolate. Regretted it as my body did not react well. Have been sugar free since.

I am eating fruit and no processed sugar, including white, brown, agave, honey, etc.

[Cookie]

I need to start this again! Over the summer I quit sugar cold turkey for a couple of weeks and the cravings went away. Now, especially after the holidays, my sweet tooth is huge.  I got rid of all the desserts in my house and am not letting anymore come in. Eating all that candy I was given did not make my stomach feel good. Hopefully next Christmas I will remember and not accept candy gifts!

[horsepoor]

I'm 12 days into Whole30, so I've been 99.5% sugar free (have been cheating with about 1 T/pint of coconut coffee creamer concoction, and had minor amounts in prepared relish and sausage, but no sweets whatsovever and no alcohol).  My fruit consumption is up however, to compensate for reduced carbs overall.

I can't say the specific cause is the cut in sugar, but I've been sleeping like a dead person, and wanting like 10+ hours of sleep per night.  I thought I was sleeping well before, but it seems like there was some sort of quality of sleep my body had been missing, because I'm having these long, drawn out (and banal) dreams every night.  Looking forward to sleeping in this weekend.  This 30 day reset is definitely going to make it easier to pass up the candy dish at work going forward; I was cruising by it a little too frequently during the holidays.

[Nancy]

I made some delicious blue/raspberry, whole wheat/flaxseed meal, sugar free (puréed dates), oil/butter free(applesauce), dairy free (almond milk and lemon "buttermilk") muffins! I've been jonesing for some baked goods since avoiding added sugar, and I'm so glad fruit can stand in as sugar subs.

[KD]

Oh my gosh, yes, this is so true. Sleep deprivation will wreck your diet, your concentration, etc. I fight this on a constant basis.

Anyone else interested in reviving the no-sugar attempts with me for a while?

Absolutely... my wife and I were talking last night about our constant struggle with athlete's foot, and yeast in general. Eliminating sugar (and for her, gluten) had a huge impact. It's time for me to get back on the bandwagon.

But oh... freshly-ground coffee with cream and sugar.... man, will I have a hard time giving that up.

Funkystickman,  I was reading somewhere??? (maybe Maria Emmerich's books/website) about the possibility that those who were not breast-fed as babies have trouble with fungal infections.  I believe the suggestion was to up the probiotics.  Hubs fights athlete's foot all the time and was not breast fed as a baby.  We'd tried lots of options, creams, potions, tea-tree oil, etc.  They SEEM to be getting better now w/probiotics in his vitamin regimen.  Has actually been too short of a time that he's been taking them to give an accurate assessment, but thought you might want to check it out for yourself.

[boarder42]

I dont consume much sugar at all and ruling "IN" fresh fruit "obviously" is a big oversight ... most people over eat fresh fruit... just b/c its fruit doesnt mean its ok to eat it for sugar intake.  you should try cutting it all together and maybe eat fruit one day a week and see what it does for you.

[Nancy]

Sources for your claims, boarder?

I eat fruit for the nutritional value not solely because it's sweet. It works for me. I have no desire to change your opinion. Perspective piece on value of fruit:  http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1693739

[boarder42]

http://scienceofmom.com/2011/12/22/fruits-vs-veggies-are-they-nutritionally-equivalent/

vegetables provide all the nutrition you need with out the sugar.

there isnt a reason to eat fruit for "nutrition" its an old school of thought IMO.  You eat fruit b/c you like sweet things.  vs veggies which are at the lower end of the fruit scale.

IMO its a common misconception that having fruit is necessary.  it is not.

[Rural]

Hmm. I see one article cited from the Journal of the American Medical Association, and one website called "scienceofmom.com." Doesn't make one right and the other wrong, but the peer review in JAMA is highly suggestive.


In other words, Boarder, you may be right, but you need better sources if you want to counter.

[boarder42]

ok so you want me to go find all that information myself and put it into graphs.  its pretty simple. 

just go look it up your self and see.  I'm just saying a blanket statement saying except fruit on a thread meant to cut out sugar is like starting a thread to save 100k this year except i'm only going to save 33k.

or i'm going to lose 20 lbs except if i dont

or i'm going to cut out bread except for pizza. 

if this was titled i'm cutting out processed sugars that would make sense but the gauntlet was to cut out sugar.  of which fructose is one. 

so go ahead and throw down conditional guantlets but its not really a guantlet if you replace eating cake with eating high sugar fruits.  unless thats your goal then put it in the title

its like being a vegetarian but eating fish... no you're not a vegetarian.  so call it what it is. 

[boarder42]

but here you go

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/

they have top 10s for everything.  your body doesnt have a need for the sugars found in fruits.  you're choosing them b/c you like them better than a vegetable that may not have sugar.

[Nancy]

How do people handle eating at a friend or family member's house? Do you tell them that you're not eating added sugars? Anyone get any grief?

[abhe8]

I would add the muffin recipe posted up thread with " purred dates" is full of sugar! What do you think dates are, they are not a protein people.

I also agree that fruit is not a requirement for a healthy diet. You can get all the vitamins and fiber from vegs. It will be cheaper too.

I usually up the vanilla and warm spices in things like muffins, when I cut out the sugar.

[abhe8]

How do people handle eating at a friend or family member's house? Do you tell them that you're not eating added sugars? Anyone get any grief?

I offer to bring a dish. And then bring two. And then just eat what I can. I don't mention my diet unless others ask. I think it would be rude, to impose on the host like that. But, family and close friends know that is how we eat. With them, I usually cook or host or suggest places to eat out that I know have good options for my family.

Eta: grief, of course! They call me everything from the food n*** to child abuse to a controlling over protective mama. Never mind, my kids still can NOT have a drink of your soda. Sheesh. Bit, I know it's better for me and my family, so I let it roll off. Im a duck:)

[boarder42]

i like to cut my sugar by eating brown sugar... just like brown rice its better for you and not really sugar... lets start a no eating white sugar cubes gaunlet. 

[boarder42]

ok but in all seriousness. muffins even sugarless are full of carbs that your body just turns into guess what SUGAR

so if you really want to cut sugar you should cut out those carbs that easily turn into sugar... making a splenda muffin or purred date muffin isnt really helping you a whole lot. 

[KD]

How do people handle eating at a friend or family member's house? Do you tell them that you're not eating added sugars? Anyone get any grief?

We take our own. 

"But surely you can have these cupcakes?"  uh, no.

"What about a cookie?"  um, no.

"You take sugar in your coffee, right?"  uunnnn aaa! NO.

"Well, certainly this fruit cobbler is okay for you to have?"  NOT HAPPENING MOM.

"Okay, then, have an orange.  An orange isn't going to hurt you."  MOM, I'm not eating that!!!!  For the 16hundredth time, it ain't gonna happen.


We take our own and some for them too.  I just say "I'm bringing lunch don't prepare anything unless it's something you want to eat."

Fruit proponents?  Take a look at some of the carb counts on those fruits you love so much.

[wintersun]

I look forward to joining you in several months' time. I am step by step moving towards de-sugaring.   Right now I have gotten rid of processed sugar almost completely which is helping with my cravings.  I am eating dark chocolate and home made bliss balls, date truffles and coconut and cacao bars.  Next I will move sugar consumption to meals only. 

I am finding that I spend a lot more money than I thought on sugar so it is definitely a mustachian move to de-sugar.

[Nancy]

Welcome, Wintersun! I'm also taking gradual steps, and I've landed at a happy place for me for now.

[begood]

I'm stepping in here a little tentatively, but it seems like a thread already exists, so best to use it.

I'm addicted to sugar, no question about it. It sounds like willpower alone isn't enough to get off sugar, but it also seems to be the only way to do it, given the feedback loop: eating sugar makes me want to eat sugar.

June is going to be my "see if I can do without sweet things" month. What that means in the short term is dropping the candy habit. It's a bad habit; a daily thing. And the dessert habit. And the sweetened yogurt habit.

The question is: What do I replace those things with? High protein low carb snacks seem to be the most obvious choice, which translates to... nuts. Almonds, specifically. I like almonds, but what else is there to nibble on? Do I make "three meals, no snacks" a goal too?

I'd like to lose some weight. Okay, a lot of weight. Like, 35 lbs. Cutting out sugary shit seems like a great place to start.

[forummm]

I eat almost no sugar now. I find that once I've stopped eating it for awhile, it doesn't even taste all that good when I try something. It's great. Well-seasoned vegetables or a good cut of meat taste a lot better to me than cake now.

Cutting out all sugar (including the sugar that's added to seemingly almost all processed products) in all its forms (HFCS, etc) is the single most important thing you can do for your health. Even without exercising it can help you drop pounds, even if you continue to eat the same number of calories. Sugar and refined carbs = fat. Eating fat does not equal getting fat. Fat is sustaining.

[begood]

I eat almost no sugar now. I find that once I've stopped eating it for awhile, it doesn't even taste all that good when I try something. It's great. Well-seasoned vegetables or a good cut of meat taste a lot better to me than cake now.

Cutting out all sugar (including the sugar that's added to seemingly almost all processed products) in all its forms (HFCS, etc) is the single most important thing you can do for your health. Even without exercising it can help you drop pounds, even if you continue to eat the same number of calories. Sugar and refined carbs = fat. Eating fat does not equal getting fat. Fat is sustaining.

HFCS is something we try to avoid already, but dang, it's in a lot of stuff. Even Trader Joe's turkey meatballs have "corn syrup solids" - what the fuck? Why does a turkey meatball need that?

I do eat refined carbs, because my digestive tract doesn't appreciate whole grains. I can do oats, brown rice, and quinoa/amaranth (ie. "expensive grains") on the more whole-grainy end of the spectrum. I recently discovered the joys of sourdough bread, so that has replaced other breads for me. My tummy doesn't mind it, like, at ALL. I discovered kefir at the same time, but of course the one I like is the raspberry-flavored, which is chock-full of sugar. I tried the plain and about gacked. Maybe I'll try adding it to a smoothie with some peanut butter and see how that goes down...

[forummm]

I eat almost no sugar now. I find that once I've stopped eating it for awhile, it doesn't even taste all that good when I try something. It's great. Well-seasoned vegetables or a good cut of meat taste a lot better to me than cake now.

Cutting out all sugar (including the sugar that's added to seemingly almost all processed products) in all its forms (HFCS, etc) is the single most important thing you can do for your health. Even without exercising it can help you drop pounds, even if you continue to eat the same number of calories. Sugar and refined carbs = fat. Eating fat does not equal getting fat. Fat is sustaining.

HFCS is something we try to avoid already, but dang, it's in a lot of stuff. Even Trader Joe's turkey meatballs have "corn syrup solids" - what the fuck? Why does a turkey meatball need that?

I do eat refined carbs, because my digestive tract doesn't appreciate whole grains. I can do oats, brown rice, and quinoa/amaranth (ie. "expensive grains") on the more whole-grainy end of the spectrum. I recently discovered the joys of sourdough bread, so that has replaced other breads for me. My tummy doesn't mind it, like, at ALL. I discovered kefir at the same time, but of course the one I like is the raspberry-flavored, which is chock-full of sugar. I tried the plain and about gacked. Maybe I'll try adding it to a smoothie with some peanut butter and see how that goes down...

Sugar is much more important to cut out than refined carbs. That may be enough for you. Oats, rice, etc, are also great options for carbs, even though rice is starchy.

[Rural]

I'm stepping in here a little tentatively, but it seems like a thread already exists, so best to use it.

I'm addicted to sugar, no question about it. It sounds like willpower alone isn't enough to get off sugar, but it also seems to be the only way to do it, given the feedback loop: eating sugar makes me want to eat sugar.

June is going to be my "see if I can do without sweet things" month. What that means in the short term is dropping the candy habit. It's a bad habit; a daily thing. And the dessert habit. And the sweetened yogurt habit.

The question is: What do I replace those things with? High protein low carb snacks seem to be the most obvious choice, which translates to... nuts. Almonds, specifically. I like almonds, but what else is there to nibble on? Do I make "three meals, no snacks" a goal too?

I'd like to lose some weight. Okay, a lot of weight. Like, 35 lbs. Cutting out sugary shit seems like a great place to start.

Pickles. Eating a pickle cures the sugar craving, at least for a while. Obviously, avoid sweet pickles, but even a little dill sandwich chip seems to do the trick.