Stop SUGAR Support Thread

Where does Stevia fit in as a sweetener?  I find this all so confusing - agave nectar is good then bad, etc. 

The book "The Skinny B**tch" has very colorful language but she'll tell you what she thinks about sugar, smoking, not exercising etc.  it's an easy read if you can laugh with the language.  It's a motivator for sure.

My dh and I have given up salt (none in the house) and have almost completely cut out sugar.  It really is true that if you take it one step at a time you will no longer crave these things.

You really do need to read the ingredients of everything you buy.  We recently found that some cream has HFCS in it!!  They hide that stuff everywhere! 

When we go out to eat, we look up the nutritional chart for the restaurant online before we go.  Then you can make your choices before you even get there and have less temptation with the entire menu in front of you at the table.

If you give up salt entirely, don't you fail to get the iodine your body needs?  Or do you take supplements?

The fajitas are just grilled chicken with veggies ... you can keep the calories down by not having the tortillas (or having only one, which is what I did) and using cheese and sourcream very sparingly.

I will be staying away from agave.  I don't really need it anyway.  But don't forget how wonderful aspartame was when it first came out.

Lilah, I have learned that "chicken" in restaurants is not necessarily 'just chicken'.  Some of it is compressed pieces made from chicken and fillers.  Most of it has had preservatives added as well.  And the salt content of the chicken and the veggies is often ridiculous.  That is why I always check the nutritional charts first.   

Now, I am not saying that I would never, ever splurge.  But I don't do it very often and I try to be aware of what I am splurging on.   

Yeah, restaurants are the kiss of Death for fat and sugar.   All you can do is make common sense choices - stick with the blander dishes that don't have the heavy, creamy sauces, avoid the fried stuff, the cheesy stuff and desserts.

What was in that 1400 calorie salad?   I'm guessing it was mayo based or something?

Hey mdg.......you got my ear..............it is horrible, and your right even the things you think are suppose to be good for you, and healthy too, when you read the label you think.............ok, I just spent a good portion of my sugar allowance already and I just finished breakfast....  What about the milk (even skim) that you put on the cereal.......check the sugar in that........

At one time I did the  "Sugarbusters" diet, and it is great, and after a few days you do lose the craving for sugar, but good Lord, your constantly either reading the book, reading a label, reading the "handy list" of what you can't buy...........Gave up on that one after I realized the people at the grocery store knew me on a first name basis.....................I think again........its everything in moderation.

Tonlee:  I thought that until I got BC.  I am not someone that endulges in desserts and sweets much.  I usually have them when we go out to eat or have guests over.  We never even finish ice cream in our house before it gets frost bitten when we have leftovers from guests being here!  When I bake cookies, I freeze them in small packs of 4 cookies and only take a few out so we each have one.  I don't buy sugary snacks for my son much either - he doesn't ask for them much so I don't keep them on hand.   I exercise all the time - I have been an aerobics instructor for over 20 years.  I keep a low body weight.  I still got BC so now I am trying even harder to eliminate any hidden sugars.  I guess moderation works for some but it did not work for me.......I know that moderation is the key but feeling anxious about that these days given my situation.  Maybe it was wine, birth control pills and having a baby at 40 that did me in for BC.  Who knows..................I have cut out the wine and BC pills...so food is the next thing. 

Janicemarie3 - I am sorry your daughter has Crohn's disease.  That is going to take a lot of getting used to - for her.

Pip -- that's why I like the calorie counter app I use... I was able to check the nutritional stats.

The salad had cheese, ranch dressing and bacon as I recall... I did not get it so I don't know all the contents. 

A half rack of dry rub ribs is also low calorie and low sugar (less than 500 calories).

I agree it's ideal to cook fresh food at home but that isn't always practical (at least not in my life).  That's why I like this calorie counter app which not only tells you calories but nutritional content as well.  It also has a food diary so you can keep track of what you eat... whether you eat out or at home.  There is something about having to record what you eat that gets you really attuned to what you are putting in your body.  It can become the food equivalent of the famous Seinfeld "spongeworthy" episode -- in this case, it's: a question of whether you want to spend your limited food time on food that is not healthy and tasty. 

I think the honey is considered to be from an animal? I could be wrong.

MDG,

I understand what you're saying.

However, I still believe moderation is ok.  Sugar didn't give you cancer.  Or did it? 

The point is we don't know.

I personally find it hard to believe that sugar (again in moderation) gave me cancer.  I refuse to live my life giving up things I enjoy.

If you can do it, I really really take my hat off to you.  As pointed out, sugar is everywhere.  It's an Olympic event trying to avoid it.

I do not agree though that fruit should be lumped in with processed foods as "bad."  Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  All necessary to keep our cells doing their jobs.

I believe we were created to consume fruits and veggies and meat.  That our very cells need the nutrients of these things to perform correctly.  When we deprive them of one or more, they struggle...add to that other environmental factors, and at least for for some of us, it means cancer.

Food is fuel.  Not entertainment.  Not the enemy.  Not love.  Fuel. 

Lilah:  I love the "spongeworthy" analogy!  LOL!  Before I eat something "good" I will have to ask myself if it's "spongeworthy"! 

TonLee:  I agree...I don't think the sugar caused the cancer exactly but I feel like I will try my best to reduce it as much as I can.  I am doing a lot of low sugar baking/cooking even for everyday items that are not desserts to reduce the sugar and make it healthier for my family.  It's nice to see my 4 year old eat the healthy stuff and enjoy it vs. packaged foods with bad fats and too much sugar.  I don't plan on not eating sugar at all, just being way more aware and cutting where I can.  It is hard, but I think it can be done. I also agree with you about fruit...it has benefits and I will continue to eat fruit for the other benefits. 

Barb:  I just asked my hubby for a bread maker for Mother's Day!  I was hoping to make some good, healthy bread.  I hope it comes out....now I am wondering....