What is the best way to cut out sugar?

When my DH had to loose weight for a medical to do with his job I devised a diet for him. Steamed veg. ( any veg that grows above ground) to go with fish or chicken. He had porridge and whole meal toast with low fat spread for breakfast but no lunch unless he really needed it. The results were , in the doctor’s words , amazing ! Also , he felt better. You can brighten up the veg with finely chopped onions and peppers and spices. Good luck !

I’ve successfully cut quite a bit of sugar from my diet - I eat plain Greek yoghurt with berries, have drastically reduced bread consumption and eat a couple of oatcakes instead. I do still eat fruit and lots of vegetables. I don’t add sugar to anything and I don’t drink cordial or fruit juice. (Although I think sugar free would prob be ok).

Doodledog.

There is no need to wait for the vaccine in order to lose weight.

Just do some gentle exercises indoors if you are unable to go out.

I think it’s nigh on impossible to cut out all sugars in diet.
I love fruit and veggies blitzed in my Nutribulit.
If you are sensible just enjoy a varied diet without feeling guilt every time you put something in your mouth.

My GP said my diet was varied and healthy, but the things that are the healthiest are also the ones that might give me IBS diarrhoea, if i eat a lot of them, ie fruit, some veg, some salads.
So it is hard for me to lose weight. I rarely eat sugary things as such, and I choose nuts as a snack, but I do indulge in a couple of squares of dark chocolate and a chocolate biscuit maybe once a week.

Hi Rabbit, thanks sooo much for this. I am 55, starting to feel a little 'unhealthy' with my choices... but just didn't know where to start. I really want to thank you for all your advice, for making me feel motivated, not just with cutting down on sugar but lots of other areas too. Such a long detailed thread... aprreciated. Leah

Eat less........move more........don't eat processed food.......drink plenty of water...........no fancy diets required!

I agree with PollyDolly. Keep it simple.

You don’t say what your underlying health issues are. Make sure you eat sensibly with regard to those. I’ve lost 1 1/2 stones this year, without trying, by following the guidelines on the BHF (British Heart Foundation) website - because I was diagnosed with heart problems just before Lockdown. I feel much better now. Eating healthily and well, but also exercising (walking) every day.
Good luck!

Polly Dolly,
That is totally obvious but doesn’t make for a very interesting thread??

I try to avoid alcohol and enjoy a lime and soda either at home or in a restaurant. It’s refreshing and low in sugar.

Don't eat biscuits.even the also-called lower sugar ones.I find they got more sucrose in themthem.

I too have IBS and I find cakes/ biscuits/pastries are the worst.cucumber his good for snacks so are red grapes but not too many.water is good though.and I don't eat after 7pm.just water

As far as soft drinks go buy no sugar ones. A little bit of cordial won't hurt you unless you are drinking it all day. I buy fruit syrups and top up with soda water. If you need it sweeter add diet lemonade. Have a big glass but only once a day. Make that your treat and relish it.

I follow Bright Line Eating- the book by Susan Peirce Thompson, who is a neurologist, shows the impact of sugar (including artificial sweeteners) on the brains of those high on the susceptibility scale -and is amongst those factors that make it often impossible to maintain weight loss. I’ve lost nearly two and a half stone since the summer, which was the final part of a seven stone weight loss but more importantly I’m free from the mental struggle of weight loss.

PamelaJ1

Polly Dolly,
That is totally obvious but doesn’t make for a very interesting thread??

And your point is????????

I have no sugar and very low carbs. I follow the Ketogenic way of eating, it works for me. There is a lot of sugar in fruit so I stick to a few berries.

Greciangirl I know there is no need to wait for the vaccine. I had planned to wait until after Christmas as I want to enjoy that as much as possible in the circumstances, and it would suit me better to leave it until then.

PollyDolly Yes, all the things you recommend are sensible, but I was asking about sugar, as it is something that I would like to cut down on .

That's interesting, Meta. I have ordered the low blood sugar book that was recommended upthread, as my husband is diabetic and it might help him too; but if it doesn't work for us, I will look into Bright Line Eating. Thanks.

Not particularly interesting or mind blowing, but I was surprised to discover how much sugar is in food labelled "low fat". Apparently because much of the flavour in food is in the fat, when manufacturers reduce the fat they increase the sugar to make them taste better.

Meta you have done brilliantly well losing so much weight and that you are no longer struggling with your weight. It is good that you found a programme that works for you.
I did look up Bright Line Eating and took their “susceptibility test”. I am not struggling with my weight incidentally. I scored very low on their susceptibility scale, but instead of advising me I didn’t fit their criteria they tried to offer me a discount 14€ trial ?

I was surprised to learn in a post that sugar is added to pastry or it “turns out like cement”. I use SR flour, half Flora & half Trex and I am complimented on it: it is light and crumbly, provided you don’t add too much water, which does turn it into cement.

PollyDolly

PamelaJ1

Polly Dolly,
That is totally obvious but doesn’t make for a very interesting thread??

And your point is????????

I was joking. That’s why there were 2 laughing emojis.

This is actually extremely simple. Just look at the nutritional info on the label. Find the 'Carbohydrate' section and avoid anything with more than 10% carb. Most veg are low but watch out for potatoes, parsnips, carrots and pretty much any root veg as they are typically high or very high in carb (that's what they do!). However, they are also very good for you in other ways (roughage, vist&mins, etc). So, it is a bit of a balancing act if you are going to maintain a low-carb diet for good (and thereby avoid obesity and potentially Type 2 diabetes). If you want a quick fix then just do a low-carb diet for a few weeks at a time and you will lose a good kilo/week. I am not convinced that this is a good idea for the longterm let alone forever and may even be dangerous if you are anything other than healthy and/or relatively young.
The reality is, that for those of us over the age of 40, the damage has already been done by years of believing the marketing from a criminally cynical food industry that has convinced most of us (and the government and NHS, it seems) that 'eating fat makes you fat'. This is complete rubbish and we were told so 50 years ago by Prof John Rudkin - and who paid for his rashness in publishing his book 'Pure, White & Deadly' by being pilloried by the food industry and their lackeys in the health industry and died a broken man. It makes me sick!

Carbs raise blood sugar !!