Question about SUGAR - what's your approach?

Just curious to see how others handle sugar. Were you given any guidelines with regard to using it? Were you told to eliminate it all together? Do you still indulge in a sweet treat now and then?

I was not given any specific "rules" by my surgeon. I was not told to eliminate it. The only guideline I was given was to reduce my intake of desserts and sweets because a) most are sliders and I will eat way too much of them and b) I will be taking in empty calories, when I should be focusing on nutritious foods and protein.

All of my beverages are sugar free, with the exception of maybe 1 - 2 cups of coffee a week when I use a fat free flavored creamer. Most of the time it's skim milk and Splenda.

I do still have 1/2 a portion of a "real" dessert every once in awhile, or treat myself to a small drink at Starbucks or a square or two of dark chocolate. I track the calories and move on. I do not feel I abuse it, and if I did, I would think about eliminating it. However, I don't keep sweets in my house - too much temptation if I have access to it all the time!!!

I am pretty strict about my calories and carbs and I don't think a 1/2 portion of dessert or a square of chocolate once in awhile is bad at all.  In fact tomorrow my work is handing out chocolate bunnies for everyone and I fully intend on having my chocolate bunny. 

I treat myself...at work once a month they treat us (like the chocolate bunnies) sometimes it's cookies or ice cream.  I always partake in the once a month treat.  It's my one real indulgence and knowing it's there and looking forward to it keeps me on track.  I think people need an indulgence once in awhile to look farward to.   

If I'm craving a sweet, I have one, simple as that.  I have a few slow bites and really savor the taste and then I'm done.  That works for me.  But I also find something like coca roasted almonds to be perfect for when I'm craving something sweet and those really aren't too terrible at all.

As far as sugar goes, my nutritionist and I differ on our opinions but we also differ on our general theories of eating.  She is all about the sugar-free, low-fat, fat-free replacements.  I think they are frightening and full of chemicals and other non-food things.  I don't use Splenda, Sweet n Low or Equal.  If I'm going to sweeten something, I'll usually use agave nectar, honey or plain old sugar.  For the most part, I'm also okay with Sun Crystals which are a combination of cane sugar and stevia and since stevia is a plant, that's probably alright although I'm not sure how much they have to process it to get it into a crystallized form so I mostly just keep that around for convenience if it really becomes necessary.

The guidelines I was given says no more than 7-8 grams of sugar per meal/serving.  If I really want something sweet, I too will have some dark chocolate or a few peanut M&M's.  

I agree with the above post that as long as you do it in moderation and not every day, it should be fine.  And I make sure to include it in my food journal so I'm accountable.

~ Barbara 

My doctor is a 'all foods in moderation' type of guy.

What I know is true for ME -- is that I cannot eat some foods moderately.  Once I take the first bite, I want more and more of them.  I will eat them to the exclusion of regular food. 

So -- about 10 weeks before my surgery (on April 1, 2009), I made a list of those foods and I began to abstain from them.  For me the list is
Candy
Cookies
Cake
Ice Cream
Baked goods -- donuts, pancakes, pastry -- etc


For 'sweet treats', I do eat Chocolate/Raspberry Luna Bars (I think that the must have enough protein in them that they satisfy my sweet tooth, but don't make me crave more and more).

I eat chocolate pudding occasionally --- and I eat REAL whipped cream -- sometimes just a suqirt on a plate

I didn't get morbidly obese because I enjoyed an occasional cookie, pastry or 1/2 of anything and I don't think anyone else would either..........now a whole box or a huge piece of cake every night added to an already high calorie meal count for the day.......yes.

I look at my journey as this lifestyle for life, if I was never allowed to have the occasional treat life for me would be boring...........

My protein drinks do have some artificial sweetener in them but I would rather have natural sugar or Stevia......... Stevia has been my go to calorie free and preferred sweetener for years after going to the website www.truthaboutsplenda.com....... scary stuff.

My doc is about moderation........some people however can't handle sugar because it induces intense cravings and leads to binges.........me if I deprive myself I am more likely to binge so I give in to it in a small way.

I have been counting my calories on Livestrong and it has helped.....last night I had 6 Hershey kisses and if I wasn't counting I would have thought I cheated and most likely would have said the heck with it and had more............but when I saw that I had the calories left in my budget and I had met my protein requirements well I only had the 6 and was happy..........of course it is not that time of the month LOL

Michele

I abstain from sugar completely, except for the natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables and dairy.  It has to be all or nothing...this is what works for me.

when I am on track I eat no sugar whatsoever... in fact... NOTHING white... for me its about carb addiction and the smallest amount can have me readdicted in no time. ITs what I am struggling with the most since my surgery and allowing myself to have some sugary treats. I am currently readdicted and let me tell you... its a ***** to break it...

i use splenda, i hate stevia... i find its very bitter, but splenda works for me. I use it in my occasional tea. i also add it to Peanut butter and cocoa when I need a treat, which isn't often.

I think sugar all sugar is evil... except that in natural fruits and veg.

i think combining sugar and fat is the base cause of why so many of us have faced obesity.

based on your breakdown... if it isn't broken don't fix it. if what you are doing works for you... don't change it.

The more sugar you eat, the more sugar you crave. In the US, the guidelines are 24 grams of sugar a day for women and 36 grams per day for men. A good book to read is the end of overeating by Dr. David Kessler. It describes our need for sugar, salt & fat!

I was never a sweets eater even before I got the band. I got cookies, a tub of M&M's sitting here on my puter desk and I just dont touch the stuff but I do want it I eat it .

I have learned whenever I start to deprive myself of something I want I will eat everything else to try to take that certain craving away . Well, the bad part is you end up eating twice as many calories if you would have just got what you wanted ate it , enjoyed it and be done with it.

I'm getting ready to start my period in the next week nothing right now is satisfying what I want. I'm craving pizza so going to have a pizza for dinner tonight eat my slice or two and then I'm happy .

But when I crave chocolate or something sweet I go eat it like a candy bar . I want to learn to enjoy them foods and eat them foods in moderation and that is what I'm learning I dont want to deprive myself of it I think in my opinion that makes it much worse and you go on a binge eating when you start to deprive yourself.

M doc dont believe in limiting any kind of foods from this lifestyle change.  He does want us to cut back like watch our carbs our sugars but he dont say no you cant eat this no more or anything like that .