Sugar/sweeteners

[SkinnyLizzie]

Hello Everybody, There seems to be quite a lot of chat about sweeteners at the moment, which is best, can they raise your sugar levels etc. My way of dealing with that question was simply to go cold turkey. When I was diagnosed I just gave up all sugar added type foods and refused to use any sweeteners at all. The first couple of weeks required a lot of will power but I very quickly lost my sweet tooth and now, I no more want to eat cakes, biscuits, puddings etc than I want to eat worms. It also means you're not eating all the other carbs that go into those foods. I do still have the very occasional piece of cake [a very thin sliver minus any icing] if it's one of the Grandchildren's birthdays for instance but that only amounts to about one normal slice, in total, for the whole year. I also allow myself the odd, one scoop, of ice cream. It saves all that fighting with yourself about having just one more biscuit and so on once the first couple of weeks are over and the craving has gone.

 

[Annb]

Hello Everybody, There seems to be quite a lot of chat about sweeteners at the moment, which is best, can they raise your sugar levels etc. My way of dealing with that question was simply to go cold turkey. When I was diagnosed I just gave up all sugar added type foods and refused to use any sweeteners at all. The first couple of weeks required a lot of will power but I very quickly lost my sweet tooth and now, I no more want to eat cakes, biscuits, puddings etc than I want to eat worms. It also means you're not eating all the other carbs that go into those foods. I do still have the very occasional piece of cake [a very thin sliver minus any icing] if it's one of the Grandchildren's birthdays for instance but that only amounts to about one normal slice, in total, for the whole year. I also allow myself the odd, one scoop, of ice cream. It saves all that fighting with yourself about having just one more biscuit and so on once the first couple of weeks are over and the craving has gone.

Good for you having so much willpower. I wish I did. The problem is that my husband has many health problems and keeps losing weight. He has been put onto a high calorie, high fat, high sugar diet - which I have to prepare - he is no longer capable of doing anything for himself. Until we reached this situation I could go to the shops and simply refuse to buy anything that I should avoid, so my "willpower" was pretty reasonable, but with these things in the house, and having to handle them - very little chance of my willpower holding up.

It doesn't make anything better that I can't take many artificial sweeteners - certainly no Stevia and certainly no aspartame. Small amounts of Sorbitol or glucose I can get away with but not much. Do you remain so strong with support, or do you need to feed sugar products to anyone else in the house?

 

[SkinnyLizzie]

Good for you having so much willpower. I wish I did. The problem is that my husband has many health problems and keeps losing weight. He has been put onto a high calorie, high fat, high sugar diet - which I have to prepare - he is no longer capable of doing anything for himself. Until we reached this situation I could go to the shops and simply refuse to buy anything that I should avoid, so my "willpower" was pretty reasonable, but with these things in the house, and having to handle them - very little chance of my willpower holding up.

It doesn't make anything better that I can't take many artificial sweeteners - certainly no Stevia and certainly no aspartame. Small amounts of Sorbitol or glucose I can get away with but not much. Do you remain so strong with support, or do you need to feed sugar products to anyone else in the house?

Sorry to hear you have other problems to contend with; it can't be easy. But, no, I don't have any support. I still make a dessert for my husband every day and make him cakes and so on and I cook cup cakes and make sweets with the Grandchildren, but the way I see it is, I'm in charge of what I eat and having decided I won't have those things I just stick to my guns. Although it was a bit hard for the first couple of weeks I didn't give in at all. After all, suppose you're out shopping and you see a dress that you'd die for but you can't afford it. You don't give in to temptation, stuff it into your bag and hope no one saw you, do you? If you've got the will power to stand up to that temptation, you've also got the will power to handle sugar and so on without eating it, it's just a matter of exercising that will power. As far as I'm concerned, my health is much more important than eating biscuits just because they are 'there' and I fancy one.That's my opinion anyway but maybe you don't agree.

 

[Annb]

The odd thing is that for years I haven't actually liked sugar/chocolate and so on. Still, once in a while, they tempt me and I give in. Perhaps it's a form of comfort eating to deal with the stress of my husband's illness. That being so, I can give it up - once I actually start making food for myself instead of reaching lunch-time and picking at whatever I can find - or not picking if I can't be bothered. Dinner is the same - I make his meals and spoon feed him (takes an hour to battle with him to eat something), by which time his carers come in to get him into pyjamas and bed. By about 8 pm, once again I can't be bothered getting anything for myself, so I pick on some cold chicken, or cold meat of some other kind. Perhaps a piece of fruit. About 10 pm I am ready to eat something, but not to cook. What's there? Bread, butter. Maybe some cake that I made a couple of days ago. Then the box of chocolates that was bought for my husband starts winking at me. Just one won't hurt ... I don't like chocolate, but I'm hungry and it's there. If I eat it, I regret it because I really do not like chocolate and then I have to have some water to wash away the taste. Oh SklinnyLizzie. I am going to try to emulate your strength - I know I have it in me because I was addicted to Co-codomol (prescribed by a doctor) for about 40 years and I managed to get off that a few months ago.

Tell you what, when that box of chocolates starts winking at me tonight I will not succumb. I did have some cold chicken and a peach at 8.00. Water will be enough for the rest of the night.

 

[SkinnyLizzie]

The odd thing is that for years I haven't actually liked sugar/chocolate and so on. Still, once in a while, they tempt me and I give in. Perhaps it's a form of comfort eating to deal with the stress of my husband's illness. That being so, I can give it up - once I actually start making food for myself instead of reaching lunch-time and picking at whatever I can find - or not picking if I can't be bothered. Dinner is the same - I make his meals and spoon feed him (takes an hour to battle with him to eat something), by which time his carers come in to get him into pyjamas and bed. By about 8 pm, once again I can't be bothered getting anything for myself, so I pick on some cold chicken, or cold meat of some other kind. Perhaps a piece of fruit. About 10 pm I am ready to eat something, but not to cook. What's there? Bread, butter. Maybe some cake that I made a couple of days ago. Then the box of chocolates that was bought for my husband starts winking at me. Just one won't hurt ... I don't like chocolate, but I'm hungry and it's there. If I eat it, I regret it because I really do not like chocolate and then I have to have some water to wash away the taste. Oh SklinnyLizzie. I am going to try to emulate your strength - I know I have it in me because I was addicted to Co-codomol (prescribed by a doctor) for about 40 years and I managed to get off that a few months ago.

Tell you what, when that box of chocolates starts winking at me tonight I will not succumb. I did have some cold chicken and a peach at 8.00. Water will be enough for the rest of the night.

I can see your problem - but I know you'll get there. Did you manage to avoid those chocs? Why not try what I do? I always have nuts, seeds, cheese, packs of cold meat, tinned tuna and mackerel etc. available for when I want to just grab something quickly. Would it help [assuming you can find the time!] if you made huge quantities of a few different meals [things like stews are good because you can include plenty of veggies] and froze them in single portions so you could just pop them in the microwave when you were feeling peckish?

 

[Annb]

I can see your problem - but I know you'll get there. Did you manage to avoid those chocs? Why not try what I do? I always have nuts, seeds, cheese, packs of cold meat, tinned tuna and mackerel etc. available for when I want to just grab something quickly. Would it help [assuming you can find the time!] if you made huge quantities of a few different meals [things like stews are good because you can include plenty of veggies] and froze them in single portions so you could just pop them in the microwave when you were feeling peckish?

Yes, I did tell the chocs to "get thee behind me.." So that's a little victory. I have cold meats in the fridge and salads, but I don't usually feel like eating them. Not a quick enough fix, I suppose. I do make small portions of food for my husband to have every so often and keep them in the freezer. I'll have to get some more small containers - and clear out the freezer. We are in a state of flux in our house, at present, my younger son and his wife and family (plus furniture, toys, washing etc.) having been with us for 2+ years but now have finally finished their house and left home again. This house is a disaster area and I now need to put it back together again. From being a very organised person, I've become very disorganised and despondent. But it has to stop! And with your example, it will. I'll tell myself "SkinnyLizzie" could do this" when I'm feeling weak and I'll follow your example. Many thanks.

 

[SkinnyLizzie]

Yes, I did tell the chocs to "get thee behind me.." So that's a little victory. I have cold meats in the fridge and salads, but I don't usually feel like eating them. Not a quick enough fix, I suppose. I do make small portions of food for my husband to have every so often and keep them in the freezer. I'll have to get some more small containers - and clear out the freezer. We are in a state of flux in our house, at present, my younger son and his wife and family (plus furniture, toys, washing etc.) having been with us for 2+ years but now have finally finished their house and left home again. This house is a disaster area and I now need to put it back together again. From being a very organised person, I've become very disorganised and despondent. But it has to stop! And with your example, it will. I'll tell myself "SkinnyLizzie" could do this" when I'm feeling weak and I'll follow your example. Many thanks.

Well done with the chocs! It sounds like this could be a new starting point for you with the house to sort out to keep you busy [as if you're not already busy enough as it is]. It's hard work clearing up a disaster area of a house but it's the sort of job where you can actually see how much you've done which is very satisfying. You'll soon be back to your organised and non despondent self! Glad I helped in some way - I don't think I've ever been anyone's example before!!