Do you watch sugar intake for yourself?

[ray7694]

I am a sugaraholic and really need to be better. I don't really have a weight problem because I run a lot but I want to eat better. Any advice on how to watch it? How much is normal for a day?

[hillview]

I have limited my sugar to "natural sugar (fruit)" and noticed I feel a lot better. My Fitness Friend says 27 grams which is really hard to meet unless you really limit.

[daisymommy]

Absolutely. It causes me to gain weight and get headaches.

We don't do dessert around here, just the occasional baking of cookies or brownies every few months, and I try not to buy sweet treats for the kids either (which means I am not tempted to eat them either). The only thing my kids eat each day with any sugar in it is a little yogurt, and I have a spoon of sugar in my coffee each morning.

Edited to add: But I will admit to being bad the past two weeks now that the kids are out of school on Summer vacation. I bought ice-cream, posicles, and lemonade. hey, it's Summer! I couldn't resist! And now I feel like a blob. Ick. I'll actually be glad when it has run out. Then I'll make some fruit & yogurt pops for the kids, and smoothies for me.

[brittone2]

Yes. I am not overweight but have PCOS and therefore have some level of insulin resistance. I started watching my carb and sugar consumption when we were ttc my oldest. I only cycle when I am eating lowish in carbs and I also take metformin (an insulin sensitizer).

I've watched pretty strictly since around 2006 or so I'd say.

At this point I really don't find it that hard. I have a sub for pretty much anything I want, which for me is huge. If I know I have an acceptable alternative, I don't find myself missing much or feeling sorry for myself, and it is much easier to stay w/ my way of eating.

I think sugar and carbs really can have a huge impact on health.

My parents both have markers of metabolic syndrome and do much better w/ limiting sugar and carb consumption as well. My mom has maintained a 30+ lb weight loss for about 3 years now and they've both seen improvements in their lipid profiles, etc.

[StantonHyde]

I use Weight Watchers principals to limit sugar intake. and I love sugar, but I am hypoglycemic and it really can impact me. I try to limit my sugar to:

1 alcoholic drink per day (or less)
Some small treat in the evening

Otherwise, I am getting sugar from fruit or splenda (like instant oatmeal, or a diet coke, or a fiber one bar).

I just feel lots better when I cut it out--and I workout a lot and I just feel better without it. A friend of mine said that when she craved sugar, she ate honey. Because you want something sweet--just eat it without the extra "stuff". It worked for her.

[BayGirl2]

Yes, I try to completely avoid it.

I've learned that sugar for me is like alcohol for an alcoholic. Eating it makes me want to eat more and completely disables my hunger/satiety signals. I don't eat anything with refined sugar, honey, cane sugar, molasses, and all the other forms of hidden sugar. Occasionally if its further down than the 5th ingredient in a food I will eat that food in moderation (although I try to stick to foods with 5 or less ingredients anyway). I do eat whole fruit but I try to stay away from juice and dried fruit, where the natural sugar is more concentrated.

I've made a few exceptions during this pregnancy and I get a headache and tend to feel really run down and sick almost immediately. That alone is enough to convince me that its not worth eating sugar at all. I generally don't miss it on a day to day basis. When I first gave it up I lost about 35 lbs without a lot of effort.