Anyone ever give up sugar?

Outlaw Pete · 03-05-2018 12:30AM

ginandtonicsky wrote: »

Finding it diabolically hard though. It's day three and my mood is all over the place, can't concentrate and on the verge of throwing myself out in front of a car with the cravings! Anyone ever successfully done this before? I feel like im on a comedown from crack or something lol

Yes, but they're no longer with us I'm afraid

_Dara_ · 03-05-2018 12:31AM

Madilynn Freezing Sunbonnet wrote: »

Gave it up in coffee, tea, and soft drinks but I'll be damned if I'm giving up my biscuits, chocolate or jam.

Damn straight! Life really is too short.

I put three quarters of a teaspoon in tea though but could not feel less guilty about it.

PARlance · 03-05-2018 12:34AM

AllForIt wrote: »

That's actually quite fast. Normally to change habits one can expect it to take 28 days, I think this has been proven in psychology.

Don't think they included Irish tea drinkers in their studies.

28 days of tea crammed into one week, easy.

prinzeugen · 03-05-2018 12:36AM

ginandtonicsky wrote: »

Did you read the OP at all or just feel like a rant about fat people?

I did read the OP and have also been watching the series on the BBC.

This is why Hugh is blaming sugars. Because if he told the truth he would be accused, like me, of having a rant at overweight persons.

We have been eating sugar for 100's of years but only in the last 30-40 years has it been a problem.

TV and computers. Lifestyles in general. Not sugar.

PARlance · 03-05-2018 01:04AM

prinzeugen wrote: »

I did read the OP and have also been watching the series on the BBC.

This is why Hugh is blaming sugars. Because if he told the truth he would be accused, like me, of having a rant at overweight persons.

We have been eating sugar for 100's of years but only in the last 30-40 years has it been a problem.

TV and computers. Lifestyles in general. Not sugar.

Lifestyles in general, yes.
Sugar and more sugar, yes also.

Carry · 03-05-2018 01:35AM

prinzeugen wrote: »

I did read the OP and have also been watching the series on the BBC.

This is why Hugh is blaming sugars. Because if he told the truth he would be accused, like me, of having a rant at overweight persons.

We have been eating sugar for 100's of years but only in the last 30-40 years has it been a problem.

TV and computers. Lifestyles in general. Not sugar.

Nonsense. Humans didn't eat sugar for hundreds of years, not in such quantities and not so widespread. Sugar in previous centuries has always been a treat, usually for the rather well-off part of the population.

People did their own cooking and didn't buy ready-made meals which are industrially enriched with sugar as a preservative and flavour enhancer. And they certainly didn't drink sugary drinks. Only in recent decades it became common to drink that crap.

The modern lifestyle doesn't help, I agree with that.

What I found helpful when I tried to give up sugar completely for some time (though all carbohydrates are sugar) were these sugar-free boiled sweets you get at the chemist's. When the craving was too strong I just had one of these thingies to satisfy the sweet tooth. Was kind of methadon for sugar addicts. Worked. You loose the craving after a while.

erica74 · 03-05-2018 06:51AM

I gave up sugar about 4 years ago as I was very overweight. I've lost 30kg since then. I have some problems with my health and they are always made worse by consumption of sugar.
My advice (not that anyone asked for it) is to limit your sugar intake, up your water intake and do less sitting.
The first 2 to 3 weeks of cutting out sugar is hell, you get unreal cravings and most people are surrounded by sugar either at home or in work, but once you get through the first few weeks, it gets so much easier.

Graces7 · 03-05-2018 06:57AM

erica74 wrote: »

I gave up sugar about 4 years ago as I was very overweight. I've lost 30kg since then. I have some problems with my health and they are always made worse by consumption of sugar.
My advice (not that anyone asked for it) is to limit your sugar intake, up your water intake and do less sitting.
The first 2 to 3 weeks of cutting out sugar is hell, you get unreal cravings and most people are surrounded by sugar either at home or in work, but once you get through the first few weeks, it gets so much easier.

Often cravings are a sign of what you need.

FTA69 · 03-05-2018 07:00AM

Carry wrote: »

Nonsense. Humans didn't eat sugar for hundreds of years, not in such quantities and not so widespread. Sugar in previous centuries has always been a treat, usually for the rather well-off part of the population.

People did their own cooking and didn't buy ready-made meals which are industrially enriched with sugar as a preservative and flavour enhancer. And they certainly didn't drink sugary drinks. Only in recent decades it became common to drink that crap.

The modern lifestyle doesn't help, I agree with that.

What I found helpful when I tried to give up sugar completely for some time (though all carbohydrates are sugar) were these sugar-free boiled sweets you get at the chemist's. When the craving was too strong I just had one of these thingies to satisfy the sweet tooth. Was kind of methadon for sugar addicts. Worked. You loose the craving after a while.

Absolutely. Diet is 90% of the reason why people are overweight and the way we eat has changed enormously over the past few decades.

Fann Linn · 03-05-2018 07:04AM

I don't bother with sugar in tea, coffee etc and just use a teaspoon of honey on the porridge or muesli.

Would honey be heavy on the calories?

Jim Bob Scratcher · 03-05-2018 07:25AM

FTA69 wrote: »

Absolutely. Diet is 90% of the reason why people are overweight and the way we eat has changed enormously over the past few decades.

Exactly, I hate all this nonsense that you have to exercise to lose weight which is complete horse****, ofc there is no harm in exercising for other health benefits, but if you want to lose weight it's simple, less food in = weight loss

dude_abided · 03-05-2018 08:03AM

I tried reducing sugar content so started checking labels etc. Surprised by just how much sugar is in everything. Very insidious.

The J Stands for Jay · 03-05-2018 08:15AM

When I was a kid, I decided to give up sugar for Lent. Not just sugar on stuff, but I stopped eating anything with sugar (or any of the codenames they use for sugar) listed in the ingredients. It was amazing how many things have sugar on them. Tinned peas, all breakfast cereals except shredded wheat.

I cant remember if I had withdrawal, but I do remember having a bowl of Weetabix on Easter Sunday and almost throwing up because it was so sweet out of the box. Anyone putting sugar on breakfast cereals is crazy.

silverharp · 03-05-2018 08:27AM

if you go on a low carb diet your sugar cravings should go away fairly quickly

suicide_circus · 03-05-2018 09:14AM

Tried it and quickly stopped. Too much hassle. We all die in the end anyway.

EdEd · 03-05-2018 09:23AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vBGOrI6yBk

Could never give up sugar.

Graces7 · 03-05-2018 09:25AM

FTA69 wrote: »

Absolutely. Diet is 90% of the reason why people are overweight and the way we eat has changed enormously over the past few decades.

It is not just diet that has changed.

Lack of activity also. Living a far more sedentary life than we did a few decades ago, especially children..

Sitting at tv or computers when we were out playing hectic games; driving everywhere when we were walking or running to catch buses and trains. Doing eg housework without machines.

kunst nugget · 03-05-2018 10:00AM

Graces7 wrote: »

Often cravings are a sign of what you need.

Aye, like those nicotine, caffeine and heroin cravings I do get all the time.

Wibbs · 03-05-2018 10:13AM

Yeah I gave it up a few years back. In fairness my intake of sugar was basically down to a spoonful in tea, though years ago I drank too much CocaCola and was "addicted" to dark chocolate. Generally wouldn't be a big carb man anyway, tend more to savoury than sweet, though will have the occasional pig out on a chocolate muffin, or a plate of spuds. TBH I didn't notice any change after giving up. The first weeks were hard with no sugar in my tea, but now I can't abide the taste of sugar in tea. I notice if I do have a muffin I'm fairly sleepy for about an hour after it.

B0jangles · 03-05-2018 10:15AM

Carry wrote: »

What I found helpful when I tried to give up sugar completely for some time (though all carbohydrates are sugar) were these sugar-free boiled sweets you get at the chemist's. When the craving was too strong I just had one of these thingies to satisfy the sweet tooth. Was kind of methadon for sugar addicts. Worked. You loose the craving after a while.

Be careful with those - you know how the packaging usually says something about 'may cause digestive upset', in really small writing?

How to put this delicately...

You know how Wonderwoman has an invisible aeroplane?
Well, if you eat too many of those sugarfree sweets you'll get a ride in Wonderwoman's invisible hovercraft.

how.gareth · 03-05-2018 10:16AM

Graces7 wrote: »

Often cravings are a sign of what you need.

Like nicotine???

valoren · 03-05-2018 10:23AM

We're covered in energy literally. It's by design. When you feast, you store fat. And during lean times when you have to fast, it's there to fuel you to find more food. Even the skinniest of us has enough fat to cover many marathon distances.

Unfortunately eating too much sugar prevents us from tapping into the fat. Trying to eliminate sugar is difficult and expensive.

If you eat too much sugar, you switch off the capacity to use fat for fuel. It's like you are starving, surrounded by hundreds of tins of tuna but you don't have a can opener.

03-05-2018 10:28AM

Are tea and coffee bad for you

I like a mug of tea or coffee with those zero calorie sweetness

silverharp · 03-05-2018 10:35AM

valoren wrote: »

We're covered in energy literally. It's by design. When you feast, you store fat. And during lean times when you have to fast, it's there to fuel you to find more food. Even the skinniest of us has enough fat to cover many marathon distances.

Unfortunately eating too much sugar prevents us from tapping into the fat. Trying to eliminate sugar is difficult and expensive.

If you eat too much sugar, you switch off the capacity to use fat for fuel. It's like you are starving, surrounded by hundreds of tins of tuna but you don't have a can opener.

its why type 2 diabetes is on the rise, why would you say trying to eliminate sugar is expensive? people "high" on sugar will spend the most on food, go on a Keto diet for example and you will have to remind yourself to eat.

Noo · 03-05-2018 10:37AM

For the sugar in tea and coffee people, instead of going cold turkey, gradually ween yourself off.

When i was a teenager i noticed i was starting to drink more and more tea (irish coming of age). But i always had two sugars in my tea and knew my tea addiction would go unhealthy very fast. I lowered it to one and half spoons for a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks (cant really remember), then one spoon, then half spoon, then no sugar. There is minimal difference in the taste reducing by half a spoon each time and before you know it, no more sugar.

The thought of sugar in my tea makes me gag! Yuck.

kunst nugget · 03-05-2018 10:38AM

B0jangles wrote: »

Be careful with those - you know how the packaging usually says something about 'may cause digestive upset', in really small writing?

How to put this delicately...

You know how Wonderwoman has an invisible aeroplane?
Well, if you eat too many of those sugarfree sweets you'll get a ride in Wonderwoman's invisible hovercraft.

I picked up a packet of those at Aldi while waiting to get served and ended up munching away on them on the drive home. 'Jeez, I finished them quick' thought I. 'Ah, well… no harm, no foul' thought I again with no knowledge of what was in store for me in the next couple of hours.

My ass was like a coffee machine for the rest of the night, spewing out molten sludge and brown water. As soon as I finished painting the toilet bowl with my liquid scour and thought the nightmare was over, I'd have to run straight back in and give the toilet an extra large crappuccino. God awful so it was.

B0jangles · 03-05-2018 10:40AM

kunst nugget wrote: »

I picked up a packet of those at Aldi while waiting to get served and ended up munching away on them on the drive home. 'Jeez, I finished them quick' thought I. 'Ah, well… no harm, no foul' thought I again with no knowledge of what was in store for me in the next couple of hours.

My ass was like a coffee machine for the rest of the night, spewing out molten sludge and brown water. As soon as I finished painting the toilet bowl with my liquid scour and thought the nightmare was over, I'd have to run straight back in and give the toilet an extra large crappuccino. God awful so it was.

So much for delicacy!

DaeryssaOne · 03-05-2018 10:41AM

valoren wrote: »

It's like you are starving, surrounded by hundreds of tins of tuna but you don't have a can opener.

But tuna is mank?

Dial Hard · 03-05-2018 10:43AM

Sugar on its own (or a spoonful in tea or coffee here and there) isn't really an issue. There's a reason you never see people eating sugar straight from the bowl to get their "fix". Hyperpalatable combinations of sugar and fat in treats, snacks, junk and processed food are what's doing the damage in terms of weight gain.

Carry · 03-05-2018 10:45AM

B0jangles wrote: »

Be careful with those - you know how the packaging usually says something about 'may cause digestive upset', in really small writing?

How to put this delicately...

You know how Wonderwoman has an invisible aeroplane?
Well, if you eat too many of those sugarfree sweets you'll get a ride in Wonderwoman's invisible hovercraft.

Yeah, I know....

But if you eat only one it's fine. The thing with boiled sweets is that it takes ages to dissolve in the mouth so you don't stuff your face with one after another. And they are not that delicious that you want more.
A piece of very dark chocolate melting in your mouth does the same trick, unless you continue eating the whole bar.

I don't drink any sugary stuff or put sugar in my coffee/tea, never did. I even don't drink fruit juices any more (unless freshly pressed). Recently a friend gave me a carton with pomegranate juice, very healthy she said. I looked at the packaging which said 70% sugar content. 70%!

This thread inspired me to give up sugar as completely as possible again. At least for some time. Recently I developed a worrying fondness of cake (and baking) and jeans are getting a bit tighter...

Anyone ever give up sugar?

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