Eliminating Sugar From Your Diet

[annelein]

And more on topic of sugar-cutting:

Has anyone tried practise what our mums and dads told us when we were little? "There is often-food, and there is seldom-food." I kind of believe in the diet-free day, so that when you crave that cookie, you know that you can have it on Friday and are hence able to hold out. Hopefully, craving will have subsided until Friday and you live another day.

 

[cestmagique]

I have a friend who tends to bring her own food and decline most things our group of friends offer. She eats very healthy, whereas the rest of us are more normal. I, and from what I've gathered other people in our group, don't exactly "look down" on her for her eating choice. But we are saddend when our food offerings are not accepted - it is a joy to cook for your friends and having the gift of food refused can feel like your signs of affection are being refused. We know that she is not refusing us. But there is no denying that happily accepting a cooked meal as is, rather than picking through it discarding most parts of it as "bad", is a smoother social greasing.

Even if you/my friend/whoever tries, for the sake of the own health which objectively is commendable, to avoid making eating a social thing - it still is for the people around. Sharing a meal is a bonding thing and refusal to partake could be seen as a refusal to bond ... (Also, sharing in "forbidden acts" like pigging out on cakes together makes a strong bonding experience. Showing your weakness, for ex for chocolate, and having the other person accept that makes friends. Showing your weakness and having the other person confirm that it indeed is a weakness than can be overcome, only that you, you weak weak chocoguffing piggy, haven't, doesn't make friends in the same smooth manner ... )

Just providing the "other side" of superhealthy eating versus normal "aware" eating habits and some group dynamics based on my observations.

I can see your point. I wasn't saying that all 'normal' people look down on healthy eaters; my family did though. It's weird because I wasn't refusing to eat my mother's parmigiana or whatever that she slaved over for hours, but if she brought home a bucket of KFC I would most of the time give a polite 'no thanks,' and even if I had just eaten the family would still roll their eyes. Frankly, I don't have to eat like everyone else and it's annoying getting crap for it. I am sugar sensitive so why would anyone in their right mind get angry that I wouldn't try a bit of their cake or something?? Besides IMO social eating is part of why people become overweight; my friends and I used to meet up for lunch, then go to the mall where we'd get smoothies, then to the movies for cokes/candy/popcorn, and then of course we'd be "starving" when we got home. Thank god for young metabolisms, but they won't always be that way. That's why my friends and I try to do things that don't have to involve eating, like taking our dogs to the park. They're understanding about it. Anyway I hope I haven't offended you; the points I made in my other post were based on my personal experiences.

 

[annelein]

I can see your point. I wasn't saying that all 'normal' people look down on healthy eaters; my family did though. It's weird because I wasn't refusing to eat my mother's parmigiana or whatever that she slaved over for hours, but if she brought home a bucket of KFC I would most of the time give a polite 'no thanks,' and even if I had just eaten the family would still roll their eyes. Frankly, I don't have to eat like everyone else and it's annoying getting crap for it. I am sugar sensitive so why would anyone in their right mind get angry that I wouldn't try a bit of their cake or something?? Besides IMO social eating is part of why people become overweight; my friends and I used to meet up for lunch, then go to the mall where we'd get smoothies, then to the movies for cokes/candy/popcorn, and then of course we'd be "starving" when we got home. Thank god for young metabolisms, but they won't always be that way. That's why my friends and I try to do things that don't have to involve eating, like taking our dogs to the park. They're understanding about it. Anyway I hope I haven't offended you; the points I made in my other post were based on my personal experiences.

I see your point too, am definitely not offended. My friends group also try to take walks instead of drinking wine and eating snacks (we tend to do fifty-fifty though) and when we hang at cafes for hours we hang over coffees or tea, not coffees and cakes (most times). We try!

 

[shoexgal]

I'm the type of person who is always on the lookout for the next sweet. My favorites are dessert crepes, cream puffs, any kind of light cakes, chocolates and cheese cake! I need this more than anyone! I'm at serious risk for diabetes but I don't think about it as it flows into my mouth. I've got to stop. I'm getting checked for diabetes on Thursday. I hope my bloodwork gives a negative result that I don't have it. But tonight after dinner I wanted some chocolate chip cookies and I had a huge serving of grapes. They were sweet and the kind of sugar they have satisfied me.

 

[Deleted member 36123]

^ Reaching for the grapes instead of the cookies was awesome! You are making a great first step! Well done

 

[shoexgal]

^Thanks for the encouragement. You are sweet

 

[Deleted member 36123]

^ No problem

Let us know how your tests go

 

[marqueemoon]

UGH, I seriously wish I could cut some sugar out of my life . 2 of my grandparents died from diabetes, one of them went blind right before dying, I feel like..if I keep at this pace, I will soon join them in diabetes-limbo .
I really don't know how to live without it, I feel so tired and with very low blood pressure if I don't eat something sweet.. I've tried replacing it with water but it doesn't work, I go back to one BIG sugary-something at one point of the day or week. my body just aims for it.

If you cut out sugar completely, eventually you'll no longer crave it. Also, keep in mind that white flour is metabolized into sugar by the body, so you should avoid that as well.

 

[shoexgal]

i got my blood drawn and I fainted! I ate at Mcdonalds after but I know I shouldn't have I would like to stop eating all sugar all together. Experts say that you don't even need to have sugar in your diet.

 

[gius]

Has anybody ever cut out a food/ food group that they felt they were addicted to? How hard was it, and how long did it take for you to stop craving it? Is it possible to reach a point where you can breeze past the e.g. dessert menu and not even feel like you're missing out?

I used to have a sort of addiction to grain products... that's bread, rice, including sweets (ie. pastries, cake). I had to stop because I found I was actually allergic to the stuff and ended up in the hospital
But now I'm on medication and can actually eat it in certain amounts. I found though after eating meals with just a variety of meat and vegetables for less than a week, I would try to eat a piece of bread or rice with a meal and noticed there was no point and that it didn't even taste that good.
You just try to eat several small meals during the day so your blood sugar stays level--if you don't and your blood sugar drops low, that is when you crave the sweets (I think this is the main problem of a certain type of Diabetes)

I also think eating in order to live/to function the rest of the day,
rather than eating and snacking although you're not hungry
is better.
So, it's always great to stay busy and have many things you're working on. When you're working, you get hungry, you eat a quick healthy meal so you can keep going...and get back to work

 

[gius]

But I have to add also that it's nice sometimes to eat with friends
to have the occasional sweet thing with friends
--usually you don't end up binging that way
Plus go to an actual dessert cafe, someplace lovely
with good quality ingredients and interesting new desserts

good for the soul ! you know

 

[cosmogrl5]

Regarding the topic above of other people lookin down on you when you eat healthy and don't eat their food-- I believe that as long as you don't make others feel like poop for what THEY are eating, they should be fine with what YOU are eating. My mom is very slim, but she eats nornally. She has a friend who is very restrictive and makes every meal she has with my mother miserable because she is so strict with herself, sends her food back 100 times, and comments on what my mom orders. I eat very healthfully but never say anything to my fast food addict friends. My body is my body and theirs is theirs.

 

[Bel]

I know I am ADDICTED, I just ate a quarter bag of chocolate chips. Cutting out refined sugar cold turkey would be good for me because I fail at the "moderation" thing.

 

[rainglow]

I know I am ADDICTED, I just ate a quarter bag of chocolate chips. Cutting out refined sugar cold turkey would be good for me because I fail at the "moderation" thing.

I hear ya...when I'd buy chocolate chips to put into my banana bread, only half would actually go in because the other half would have disappeared down my throat

 

[@~PinkCouture~@]

I heard on the news last night there is a pill you can take to curb your sweet tooth. I hope the news network will post the link soon so I can post it here. But I thought I should tell y'all there is such a thing

 

[misssakura]

^ sweet potato works great for removing 'sweet tooth'. Just ovened sweet potato makes me not crave cane sugar etc.

 

[CiaoManhattan]

I have the greatest sweet tooth... and in consequence, i just paid $8000 on my entire dental work (no insurance), having paid a visit each week for the past three months... which totally sucks~

Yeah i seriously need to lay off on the sweets... It's going pretty well so far but the Strawberry Truffles from Godiva and cupcakes always get me!!! ARG

 

[CiaoManhattan]

Ohhh great substitutes for sweets are

Dried slices of mango and dried apricots!!! DELISH

 

[Deleted member 36123]

^ Mmm they really are delicious! Same with dried pineapple and paw-paw

 

[Deleted member 36123]

^ Mmm they really are delicious! Same with dried pineapple and paw-paw