Sugar

[andy-hughes]

After years of patient talking-to by my wonderful wife who fears for my mobility, and very life, I have decided to cut out sugar.

I am not going to be all vegan about it - I will simply avoid the things that have sugar in them, like tea, buscuits, chocolate, on cereal, and so on.

I have concluded that it is literally poisoning me, thanks to the unfeasibly large amounts of the stuff I ingest on a daily basis.

Three spoons in tea, two on cereal, that's around eight spoons before eight a.m., and another fifteen or so by the end of the day.


Plus at least one chocolate bar, sometimes with buscuits as well.

Today is the first day, and I am feeling very self-righteous, I have had no tea, no sugar on ceral, no chocolate and no buscuits.

Wish me luck!!!

[Buenchico]

I've also cut down on sugar over the past few weeks, simply because (for the first time in my life) I've become a little concerned about my weight. I was always a 'beanpole kid' and I remained naturally slim (despite shovelling loads of sugary foods down my throat) for over half a century. However, while I had a 30" waist when I went to college at 18, I now need to buy 38" waist jeans.

So I've switched to sweeteners instead of sugar in my coffee, which cuts out nearly 50 spoonfuls of sugar a day (because I rarely drink fewer than about 15 mugs of coffee in a day, with perhaps 3½ heaped teaspoons of sugar in each) and I've also switched from full-cream milk to semi-skimmed. (I've also switched to decaff coffee most of the time too)

However I'm still throwing loads of my sugar over my cereals and munching my way through a packet of biscuits each day (usually along with several chocolate bars too), so I've not quite become a 'health freak' yet ;-)

[Islander]

Oh Andy, it is an arduous task giving up sugar. My oh was diagnosed diabetic 4 years ago and as a result we have tried to go sugar free. Drinks are not a problem as we take them without sweetener . We gave up obviously sugar laden foods like cakes and the like. However other foods contain sugar and we have become very good at scanning packets . When you mention you had sugar on your cereal, have you ever seen what is already included ? What Tilly suggested when she said give up sugar in tea gradually over a few months is a good idea. Good luck.

[queen 1954]

A good few years ago i always had 2 sugars in my coffee or tea and then decided to cut it down bit by bit.Only today my brother forgot and put sugar in my coffee and i couldn't drink it.I have lost alot of weight on a low carb diet,that was until lockdown last year but am still in a better place than i was a few years ago.

[ummmm]

i haven't read the answers but there's a good chance you'll feel ill soon. I've done it. I only allow myself 1 coffee a day now.

[-SharonA-]

I too gave up sugar and can eat/drink many things without. But can I recommend agave syrup, it is low calorie & satisfies when the sweet tooth kicks in.

[barry1010]

I naturally have a very sweet tooth but diabetes put a stop to that. It really didn't take long to enjoy hot drinks without sugar and now if I accidentally take a swig of someone else's sugary coffee it tastes like syrup water, yuk.
I even enjoy porridge without any form of sweetener.

I still get the occasional craving for sweeties, ice cream, puddings, chocolate, biscuits and cake but decided a long time ago it isn't worth it. More than that I miss wine and beer. Hey ho. I have the odd glass of gin with sugar free tonic.

You can do it. One day a time :D

[woofgang]

BDA says you can have alcohol with various caveats https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/what-to-drink-with-diabetes/alcohol-and-diabetes

[barry1010]

woof, the problem is that if I drink alcohol I crave food and throw caution to the wind, it's just not worth it for me. I make do with the occasional gin before I go to bed.
I have to manage my weight really well otherwise the diabetes is harder to manage.

[woofgang]

oh that is a pain!

[barry1010]

andy, to keep you motivated make a note of your body measurements today - chest, waist, upper arm, thigh. Weighing yourself can be discouraging because there will be days when you weigh several pounds more than you did the week before, for no apparent reason.

Measure yourself every couple of months and you hopefully will be surprised. Get a full body photo of yourself in your boxers, too. Stand in front of a door for perspective.

[drmorgans]

About three years ago I gave up most obviously sugary foods - cakes, biscuits, chocolate - and within a month weeks I had lost a stone. I then "found" a yogurt in the fridge and decided to eat it - so sweet. Looking at processed food packaging it's amazing how many different names for sugar are used - all the -oses, all the syrups, refined this, inverted that - almost as though they are trying to con the consumer.

[barry1010]

I agree, drm - it was a steep learning curve for me. I avoid anything like that.