Quitting processed sugar

[Vibroluxer]

I turned 59 y/o a few days ago and made a birthday pledge to try and quit eating all processed sugars.

I will still eat whole fruits and veggies, but no more processed foods that contain sugars.

No more Noosa yogurts, Cheerios, BBQ Sauce, fruit juices, desserts, sweeteners, and of course the biggies like cheesecake and all the cookies at the office. I'm also cutting way way back on all breads, bagels, hamburger buns.. things like that, trying to get my carbs from whole grains if possible.

I am hoping to lose around 25-30 lbs by the time I hit 60. But wow week one and so far this has not been very easy. I threw everything out of my kitchen that had sugar but still having cravings.

One day at a time.

Anyone else living a sugar free lifestyle? Was it tough to get started? How has your diet changed?

Suggestions appreciated, thanks.

I've done the same thing but inevitably Im gonna want a big old baked potato.

 

[haggardfan1]

I'm the same age as Big_Bend. I'm not much on sweet stuff as in everyday, but I do like the occasional apple fritter, and right now it's hard for me to resist king cake.

I already use the lowest carb bread I can find, and I'm not one who has to have rolls or bread with a meal.

Potatoes are my kryptonite, in every form. About the only thing I don't like is warm potato salad--but after refrigerating it a while, it's fair game too.

Some 15-20 years back, my first wife and I did Atkins by the book for quite a few years. It wasn't easy, but honestly I never felt better in my life, especially when we started adding in fruits like berries and the occasional treat meal. Eating low/"good" carbs and lots of protein gave me so much energy that I gave up caffeine altogether.

It can be done, but it's tedious during that withdrawal others have mentioned, and it's also expensive--but it was worth it.

I need to get back to some semblance of that lifestyle before my numbers get away from me.

I wish you all the success!

 

[24 track]

I turned 59 y/o a few days ago and made a birthday pledge to try and quit eating all processed sugars.

I will still eat whole fruits and veggies, but no more processed foods that contain sugars.

No more Noosa yogurts, Cheerios, BBQ Sauce, fruit juices, desserts, sweeteners, and of course the biggies like cheesecake and all the cookies at the office. I'm also cutting way way back on all breads, bagels, hamburger buns.. things like that, trying to get my carbs from whole grains if possible.

I am hoping to lose around 25-30 lbs by the time I hit 60. But wow week one and so far this has not been very easy. I threw everything out of my kitchen that had sugar but still having cravings.

One day at a time.

Anyone else living a sugar free lifestyle? Was it tough to get started? How has your diet changed?

Suggestions appreciated, thanks.

that is a an ambitious life style change , I too have been working on that same goal, I have my blood sugars under control at 6.1 to 6.3 A1C area , but you will notice that until you get the balance in play there will be times when you will have sugar lows where your blood sugars will drop to the 3.0 range , you will have the sweats, be light headed and your motor skills will be affected , this will come at you unanaouced , so make sure you are in contact with your doctor before you take this on , get the facts for your particular case. you may find that a minor excursion will not affect you too much by this I mean , I may have a coffee every 2-3 months that has a spoon full of sugar I like , but the rest of the timeI take coffee with out sugar .be carefull and get solid medical advice before you start . Best of wishes for you to succeed!

BTW fructose from fruit is still sugar and will affect your Blood sugar the same as processed sugars

 

[Kev-wilson]

As a rule I avoid simple sugars but this week (in a new job) they’ve kept me on my feet

The Dexcom didn't mind but as a T1D I've smiled and shaken my head at the 4 chocolate biscuits I've needed each day as it's berserk, I've injected less units too, folk won't likely dig me giggling but for me to eat a Kit Kat, a Twix, a Club and a Yorkie biscuit in a day is something I've not done in near on 40 years.
Next week I may get to eat a cream cake

 

[1293]

Your body turns all carbs into glucose. Whole grain won't make a difference. Fruit is sugar. I eat twice a day in a 6 hr window, no snacking, <20g total carbs/day. I eat until I'm full and need to stay focused on maintaining weight. I'm diabetic. 5'11, 157lbs, a1c 5.0.

 

[1293]

It's almost impossible to eliminate as it's added to food that are still relatively healthy that you'll still want to eat.

How so? Examples?

 

[1293]

Wow, that is a tough road to follow. I like the "added sugars" avoidance suggestion. One thing that will definitely help you is committing to an exercise routine. Once you start burning up calories it's amazing how your body's craving for unhealthy food diminishes.

Excerise is great, but all but useless for weight loss.

 

[Frontman]

I’ve lived many years in Japan where obesity and diabetes are rare. This isn’t so much due to the lack of junk food (which is everywhere) but the fact that Japanese don’t drive much, and walk a lot.

My typical commute to work meant leaving my apartment, going down 2 flights of stairs, and a 10 minute walk to the train station. To get to the station I had to use the bridge which crossed the tracks, so two more flights of stairs.

Then was a 45 minute, standing-room-only ride to Tokyo Station, and another flight of stairs to get to street level. Then a 10 minute walk to Otemachi and my office building.

Lunch meant more walking and more stairs. Japan never passed a “Japanese with disabilities act,” so there are no requirements for elevators or wide bathroom doors or such. Many shops and restaurants can be in basements or a few floors up, and you need to use stairs.

After an 11 hour day at work, I could look forward to at least 20 minutes of walking, 45 minutes of standing, and 5 (at least) more flights of stairs. I had no need of a gym membership.

 

[teletail]

I've been doing keto for almost a year, no more than 50 grams of carbs per day. Lost 35 lbs and my labs look better than they have in a long time.

You put your labs on Keto???

 

[teletail]

Excerise is great, but all but useless for weight loss.

Not really, it increases your metabolism and increases your muscle mass; muscle burns more calories than fat.

 

[Colo Springs E]

I've embraced moderation, and lost 6 lbs in 6 weeks. Not giving up anything except quantity.

 

[Call Me Al]

Yup! Severely reducing sugars and white flour. Focusing on “crowding out” the junk with lots of veggies, fruits, whole grain, beans. Still using some honey and maple syrup for my oatmeal, stir fry sauce, etc… but it’s definitely a big improvement so far!

Also looking at probably cutting out alcohol completely. I cut way back last year, and I think my last beer was in September, really don’t miss it.

Check out forks over knives for tons of healthy dessert ideas, and Primal Kitchen for sugar free sauce!

 

[imwjl]

Anyone else living a sugar free lifestyle? Was it tough to get started? How has your diet changed?

Suggestions appreciated, thanks.

No. Extremes are too much risk of bouncing back whether that is diet or other substances.

In other posts I've pointed out getting past a bad health problem and controlling some demons. I had an extended period of regular bloodwork to also help know that keeping with a well balanced diet is the answer for a lot of things.

The GI and endocrine specialist care was correct on moderation and balance because it built physical and brain performance while solving other issues. The key is no extremes and keep at it just like learning a language or instrument. There are none of the swings you've described with substances and moods or issues by everything in moderation and balanced.

 

[FuncleManson]

I've embraced moderation, and lost 6 lbs in 6 weeks. Not giving up anything except quantity.

I agree. I prefer moderation over prohibition. JMO, but I'd say it's OK to have an occasional piece of cheesecake.

 

[imwjl]

I've embraced moderation, and lost 6 lbs in 6 weeks. Not giving up anything except quantity.

I'm about from when I joined here to now - long time - with that moderation approach working really well. Beyond solving actual health issues it's aided overall performance and happiness in life.

 

[Cosmic Cowboy]

Good luck to ya. That would be tough for me. It would cause me to lay too much guilt on myself. There is something to be said for being conscious of what you eat and cutting down on the things that dont serve you well, but a blanket ban is punishment.

 

[WilburBufferson]

Take a look at the videos by Sten Ekberg. He has one specifically about processed sugar.

 

[gimmeatele]

Everything in moderation.

 

[Tonetele]

My mum died of diabetes and my doctor is at me all the time. It's hard to avoid sugars in products where that ingredient, processed sugar , is included. I never buy sugar and don't use it.

 

[DekeDog]

I quit sugar, alcohol (which I consumed excessively), most carbs, and smoking (less than half a pack a day) when I found out I had a blood clot in my heart, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and diabetes almost 20 years ago. I was about 25-30 pounds overweight and got no real exercise to speak of.

I substituted erythritol and stevia extract for sugar. I was good with processed food that was either sugar free (if I could find it) or had "no sugar added." Except for foods requiring sugar for baking, I noticed no real differences in flavor or texture. I started working out with cardio in the gym 4 or 5 days a week for an hour.

Having done all this, the only effective way to lose weight for me was to cut back on portions and eliminate snacking. I'm down by around 15 pounds. I will say that the medications the doctor gave me control by heart rate and pressure, so I had to work harder to get my heart rate up. This also made it harder to lose weight.

These days if I do snack, it's either fruit, pickles, or beets. Also, even though straight whiskey does have calories, it does not raise blood sugar. So I do have a couple of drinks and up to four beers during the week (BTW, beer is about the worst thing you can have if you're diabetic).