Bear with me, the next days, hopefully weeks. I'm attempting to cut way down on sugar and try to eat very little bread. Today is my first full day.
In my recent (well several months ago) attempt to change to a more healthy coffee creamer (and one that I actually like the taste of), because I wanted to get away from the highly processed (sugar free) creamer I had been drinking for years, I ended up probably worse off than when I was adding that to my coffee! I then recently discovered I could buy bottles of white chocolate sauce. Seemed ok...not a lot of additives. Only I didn't look at the amount of sugar in it. Holy moly! Two tablespoons has 23 grams of sugar. I don't know exactly how much I've been adding to my daily cup of coffee, but at least that amount. Probably like 3 T. That's almost 35 grams of sugar in my system right off the bat. Then add in the ridiculous amount of sweets I've been eating lately (thanks to Costco snacks, LOL) and my sugar consumption has gone off the charts.
After I drank my cup of coffee yesterday morning and then looked at the label on the chocolate sauce, it about make me sick. In a typical day, I would go on to have a slice of bread (or two) for lunch, some cookies as a mid afternoon snack. Then dh wanted a big tub of licorice last trip, so I was eating those (thankfully we've finished that off and it's gone). If we have ice cream, I'll eat that. Basically just craving sugar all day long.
And somehow I never realized that foods like bread (oh, I love rolls and bread) turn into sugar in your body. And slowly the past 6 months or so I've added pounds. Pounds I've never had in my life.
So, after that cup of coffee yesterday morning I forced myself to not have anything with added sugar the rest of the day. I made it through the day. Even after eating most of that enormous steak for dinner (very delicious, by the way) - I was not hungry one bit, but found myself wanting to go into the pantry for a sweet. I resisted. Even at 8pm, I looked at the clock to see what the time was (wanting a sweet) and told myself I can make it another hour or so until I start getting ready for bed. Before bed, I took my carton of organic heavy cream and poured it in my glass bottle, along with some monkfruit and vanilla extract. While it's not as good as the processed store bought kind, I used to buy, it's zero sugar.
That's what I'm drinking this morning. Not anywhere near as delicious, but I'm not dumping 35 grams of sugar into my body right off the bat, either. I made it through the rest of yesterday without, but I'm not kidding myself that getting off this sugar addiction is going to be a cakewalk. I'm just going to have to take it day by day and while I likely will eat some things with sugar in it (like the orange chicken) I'll have to be very mindful of keeping it as less often as possible. That orange chicken sauce that comes with it is very high in sugar. And then I've been making white rice with it, which just turns into more sugar. I think next time I make it I will separate out my serving and just lightly drizzle some of the orange sauce and keep it to a minimum and not add rice for me.
And if you think my sugar consumption is bad - dh's is beyond bad. He also drinks 3 Mountain Dew sodas a day. He was also drinking sweet tea (premade in a gallon jug) but at least several months ago I tried their sugar free version and he was fine with that, so no added sugar there, at least. And he eats bread daily (an egg on english muffin for breakfast, and a whole grain sandwich for lunch) and sugar snacks. I should probably add up how many grams he gets in a typical day. But, I've mentioned to him many times he has way too much sugar and the detriments to his body and he has no desire to make any changes, so that's on him. I can only try to change myself and if I am successful, maybe some of that change will rub off on him.
So, basically I've gone my first 24 hours without much sugar. There is a little bit of natural sugar in the organic milk I drink, but that's not processed, added sugar and it's an amount that our bodies are supposed to be able to process.
I'm sure at a minimum, the next few days are not going to be enjoyable, at all.
I feel this! I actually don't think though, from what you say, you eat a lot of sugar compared to most Americans. In our house, I avoid all sweetened drinks like soda, use only half and half in my coffee, and refuse to have things like cookies in the house unless I bake them myself. I also don't really like ice-cream. The other thing loaded with sugar is breakfast cereal. Top that with milk, which is full of sugar (lactose, which is made up of one molecule of glucose one molecule of galactose) and that's a lot of sugar/carbohydrates
ReplyDeleteAll carbohydrates get broken down into glucose in your body, and carbohydrates are stored for energy. I think that's why people love the ketogenic diets, but those come with their own health risks, particularly heart problems and diminished bone density. I know from having a diabetic in the house, the best thing to do when you want to lower sugar intake is when you buy prepackaged food including things like pre made meals-- like Costco or Trader Joe's lasagna or orange chicken, check the total carbohydrates. Also take a peek at the carbohydrates in condiments like salad dressing and barbecue sauce. I think that's where a lot of sugar sneaks in. At least, that's what we were told all those years ago when DH was diagnosed...that, and milk! Then there's the issue of the preservatives in pre packagel
food like the frozen meals and cake mixes,(*)and how they effect the body's ability to break them down.
In any case, I get the feeling that if this is something you want to do, you will find a way to do it!
(*) I used to avoid cake mixes unless I could get them for under $1, then I would doctor them...lately our favorite doctored cake dessert is the copycat Nothing Bundt cake. Those are a fairly common occurrence around here....I blame you fir bringing them to my attention...they're so easy to make and so so good!
Meg, the ketogenic diet is actually the most heart healthy way of eating there is. And it builds bone density. It's because the food eaten is more nutrient dense than those empty calories of carbohydrates. I've been eating this way for over six years and I've never been healthier.
DeleteUp until around 6 months ago, I'd say you were probably right, I ate less sugar than the average person....but still too much. Not drinking soda helps, I'm sure. But, the past few months I have been having way more than usual with the high sugar coffee drink and all the extra sweets/desserts
DeleteAlice,
DeleteFrom a former classmate: https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/heart-health
To be clear, I did not go to Harvard! She and I worked on our second degrees together. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/keto-diet-is-not-healthy-and-may-harm-the-heart
DeleteMeg, my personal experience, and those of the dozens of books I've read on the subject, authored by medical doctors, tells me that this is healthy.
DeleteGunk in arteries is caused by sugar, not fat. I know I'm not going to convince you, but take some time to check out any of these folks:
Dr. Anthony Chaffee
Dr. Ken Berry
Dr. Shawn Baker
Dr. Kevin Stock
I know some days I eat too much carbs/sugar. Okay, most days. Tommy eats cheese and bread several times a day plus meals that contain breads. Then, he is not averse to eating sweets, too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I decide to give up something or change my way of eating, he follows suit.
I know that when I lost 46 pounds in a little over three months, Sept through New Years, I would set the amount I could eat each day. This included two slices of bread and a Hershey bar. I already drank Diet Cokes, tea without any sugar, and no sugar in my cereal. I had never drunk sugar in tea or sugar in cereal, so that was no sacrifice.
Now, getting little exercise is not helping things.
Brownies is my biggest temptation.
I never complain to Tommy about what he eats. I just tell him what I am doing to lose weight and avoid diabetic complications. He seems to follow suit, mostly.
That's a great weight loss. I seem to need everything sweetened, but for things I want to add sugar to (like cereal) I do use either monkfruit or stevia now and have been for about a year.
DeleteI love ice cream but I can't stop helping myself to more and more!
ReplyDeleteI find if I use portion control in the form of choc-ices on sticks ( like a Magnum ) it helps.
At about £3.50 for three there's a motive not to have a second one!
I love ice cream as well. I really like the homemade with my ice cream maker, at least it's just natural ingredients. I don't think I've tried making it yet with monkfruit and I should give that a try. But, dh has been after me to buy some ice cream bars and such, now that summer is here.
DeleteOh we used to love licorice until I sat and read the package! (while still eating them!) The calorie count in just 3 sticks is disgusting! Haven't touched them since. Now maybe if I do that with all the processed crap I can stop eating it! I bet you're a size 0! :)
ReplyDeletefor sure! 3 sticks of that is 100 calories and 12 grams of sugar. When we had that huge Costco tub, I was taking like 4 sticks, twice a day (these past couple of weeks). In my 20's and 30's I was always a size 2, or 4. In my 40's to mid 50's I was a size 6 and now I'm an 8 and those pants are getting tight. All the weight seems to be adding to my stomach (and boobs haha!). I'm not overweight, but I don't like how unhealthy so much sugar in my diet is.
DeleteI have found for myself that when I want something with sugar, I have an apple by itself or with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (natural kind) or I have a serving (3) of dates. BTW I got each of my kids the grounding mats. They love them. Thanks. Jean from Manitoba Canada
ReplyDeleteI need to buy some healthy snacks, for when I'm craving something. That's awesome to hear about the grounding mats! It's been a life changer for me.
DeleteFrom what I've heard people get headachey and crabby when they first give up - and then everything starts to feel great, so hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I read too. I remember trying to give up sugar about 10 years ago and I think I did really well with keeping up on it for about a month. I was wanting to see actual change I could see/feel, like more energy, but I didn't notice any changes at all after a month, so I ended up adding sugar back in, for the most part.
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