Need to stop eating sugar!

[Katwalk 10]

I have probably had at least one piece of chocolate - sometimes a bar, sometimes an ice cream, sometimes just a few pieces for practically the last 15 years...I have sugar in tea/coffee and often feel quite low when I don't eat the stuff.

 

I'm totally addicted and I know it's finally catching up with me. I'm not overweight but I'm putting certain issues down to sugar - always looking pale, carrying a bit of extra meat around my middle/bum and general tiredness and lathery.

 

I have two small children and I'm worried about presenting a bad image to them.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for cutting out sugar? I've tried several times but when I have a crap day, I just binge...Most would say at least I don't smoke/drink and otherwise, I'm really healthy - I just can't kick the sugar.

 

Is hypnotherapy useful?

 

Thanks. Ears open.

 

---------- Post added 03-07-2014 at 21:37 ----------

 

That's one piece at least a day - forgot the 'a day' bit in the first paragraph...

[medusa 16]

Hi Katwalk

 

I assume from your post that you're looking to reduce your sugar intake rather that give up sugar completely? Giving up sugar completely is a lot more complicated and involves giving up grains, rice and a whole lot of processed and prepared foods because carbohydrates are sugars. That's a really big undertaking and most people just aren't up for that.

 

I'm afraid that the only way to reduce the amount of sugar that you want to eat is to stop eating so much sugar and go through the short term issues in order to make the changes that you want. Once you've reduced your sugar intake you'll find that you start to taste all of the natural sweetness that is in food and drink so that you don't need anything like as much sugar to satiate the craving.

 

Little things like if you eat fruit yoghurt at present then stopping that and instead buying natural yoghurt and adding the fruit yourself. When your palate is not so used to putting sugar in everything you'll find that milk is naturally sweet and that all of the added sugar in a fruit yoghurt just isn't necessary. The same applies to putting sugar in drinks- if you put milk in your drinks then you're already sweetening them (I don't take milk in tea and find it unbearably sweet if I do).

 

I think that if you're serious in cutting out sugary foods then you'll have to do a complete sweep of your kitchen to remove all of the things you wish to eradicate and, most importantly, replace them with an alternative. If you get the urge and the sugary things are in the house then of course you'll give in.

 

Replace sugary snacks with raw nuts, fresh fruit and dried fruit. Dried fruit like prunes, dates and apricots are naturally really sweet but the sugar is in a whole fruit with lots of fibre so it's released and absorbed differently. A handful of nuts is great for stopping cravings and as long as you eat a handful rather than a bagful, they aren't really bad for you. If you're going to eat fruit then make it whole fruit, not juice or smoothies as they lose the beneficial effects which come from the flesh being whole.

 

There are sweeteners which don't taste bad these days for your drinks. Truvia, Splenda, Stevia, agave nectar- these things can be used in the short term to make your drinks taste sweeter, but as your palate adjusts to reducing your sugar intake you should find that giving up these sweeteners is easier too, and if you buy them in powder or liquid form you can use a small amount of a spoonful rather than a whole tablet.

 

I'm sure that hypnotherapy would help, but so should walking around with no sugary foods and no money to buy more

[rabitter 10]

sugar is very addictive and only you can break this addiction.stop putting sugar in your drinks is the first thing,then replace ice cream with fresh fruit it will be hard at first but you will get used to the taste in a few weeks.when your addiction starts to wane you will enjoy your food much more.its like stopping smoking you know its stupid but only you can do it.good luck.

[Cyclone 10]

but I'm putting certain issues down to sugar - always looking pale, carrying a bit of extra meat around my middle/bum and general tiredness and lathery.

 

 

Why exactly? I mean, how have you reached the conclusion that sugar is to blame?

 

---------- Post added 04-07-2014 at 09:29 ----------

 

Giving up sugar completely is a lot more complicated and involves giving up grains, rice and a whole lot of processed and prepared foods because carbohydrates are sugars.

 

I suspect that when people talk about sugar, they mean sucrose, refined in a granulated form. Not carbohydrate, which is a pretty essential part of the diet.

If you wanted to give up carbohydrates you'd have to stop eating vegetables as well as grains, grasses and so on.

And your body would simply work harder to produce the same end product from proteins, since you need glucose to carry energy around you body.

 

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

[Afzal 10]

Hi,

 

I think what you may be wanting is to find sweet things that will replace your use of refined sugar. In a nutshell, you want Iranian dates. Not Arab dates, but Iranian ones. They are about £3 for a box and are the sweetest things. You can blend them in the morning with fruit and keep some in a flask for later. I suggest that you put fresh parsley in your smoothie too to give you extra Iron. Your paleness may be down to a lack of Iron. Parsley is rich in it.

 

Don't be too hard on yourself though, having 2 children to raise is very hard and I have heard no mention of a partner (and so am assuming that you are single parent - I was too).

 

Hang in there. x

[vwkittie 10]

I went cold turkey for sugar in drinks at New Years, it was weird at first but you get used to it after just a couple of weeks. Just make sure everyone knows you are doing it, or better yet make all your own drinks so you don't get given one with sugar in and drink it out of politeness as that will ruin it!

 

I don't eat sweets, chocolate etc routinely but as I drink very little other than tea and coffee and used to have two large sugars in every cup.... that was a lot of sugar!

 

I gave it up just because I thought it'd be better for my teeth.

 

I feel absolutely no different if I'm honest, but it is easier not having to faff about remembering to buy sugar for work, sugar for home etc.

[Katwalk 10]

Thanks for all your support and medusa, the level of info is great. Exactly what I need. I will try Iranian dates too Afzal. Always liked dates.

 

Yes, I definitely mean cutting right down on sugar. I have had issues with my teeth too, hence another reason why I need to do this.

 

I'm hoping I can achieve it on will power alone - I think I'll set up a Sugar Anonymous but that sounds more like an inappropriate club.

 

Thanks again guys. If anyone does know a hypnotherapist in case I give in after a few weeks running around after two toddlers and working two jobs on no sugar then by all means, my ears are open!

[upattownend 10]

just think of your kids when your down and im sure you will find the spirit needed:)

 

---------- Post added 06-07-2014 at 13:48 ----------

 

also dont look at the negatives im sure your a very attractive lady, just find the positives - theres no such thing as the perfect person;)

[onewheeldave 22]

I have probably had at least one piece of chocolate - sometimes a bar, sometimes an ice cream, sometimes just a few pieces for practically the last 15 years...I have sugar in tea/coffee and often feel quite low when I don't eat the stuff.

 

I'm totally addicted and I know it's finally catching up with me. I'm not overweight but I'm putting certain issues down to sugar - always looking pale, carrying a bit of extra meat around my middle/bum and general tiredness and lathery.

 

I have two small children and I'm worried about presenting a bad image to them.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for cutting out sugar? I've tried several times but when I have a crap day, I just binge...Most would say at least I don't smoke/drink and otherwise, I'm really healthy - I just can't kick the sugar.

 

Is hypnotherapy useful?

 

Thanks. Ears open.

 

---------- Post added 03-07-2014 at 21:37 ----------

 

That's one piece at least a day - forgot the 'a day' bit in the first paragraph...

You've probably eaten very little actual snacks made just of sugar.

 

Chocolate and ice cream are far from pure sugar- they're loaded with fats, which likely account for your health issues.

 

The only snacks that are made almost purely of sugar, are hard mints and hard boiled sweets.

 

Refined sugar is, IMO, best kept to moderate quantities, but I very much doubt sugar is the cause of your problems, when you eat so much fat, which most certainly damages health.