Alternatives to Sugar?

[psvrichard]

Hi all, I'm reaching out because I'm at a crossroads with my fitness. I've taken to cycling 50-60 miles a week and whilst my general fitness has improved I've found that I'm consuming so much sugar my weight isn't falling. I'm not huge but could be around a stone lighter and would be all the better for it. I eat and now crave sugar because I cycle but because I consume it I feel like I'm poisoning myself. If I don't have it I tend to feel lethargic on the bike. (at present)

Does anyone have any suggestions for reducing sugar? I'm not particularly keen on nut snacks though can eat nuts from a packet. To put into context I was having a litre bottle of either cola or lucozade and around 3 chocolate bars and have only reduced that to having 2 cans of fizzy and the same amount of chocolate. I can't go on like this but feel that I need the energy even though I know it's false energy.

[Jdsk]

Is that what you consume during the ride?

How long do your rides take?

Thanks

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

You're not going to suddenly find a great solution (!) that you haven't thought of.

Apart from consuming less of those foodstuffs you might try shifting to carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index.

And artificial sweeteners, although their effect on body mass is contentious.

Jonathan

PS: I was one of Jenkins' subjects when he was looking at the effect of dietary fibre on absorption and came up with the idea of the glycemic index.

[simonineaston]

At which point I always trot out an ancient anecdote regarding an anaesthetist colleague who cycled to work on a horrid 3 speed shopper and when asked why, replied that any decent bike was likely to be so efficient as to represent little opportunity to use up lots of calories...

[axel_knutt]

The biggest source of carbohydrate, energy, protein and fibre in my diet is wholemeal bread, in the form of sandwiches.

The SACN used to recommend that free sugar* intake should be no more than 10% of total calories, but that was recently reduced to 5%. UK average free sugar intake for an adult is 12%, mine is <3.5%. How? I don't make any conscious effort, I just don't buy chocolate, sweets, fizzy drinks, cakes etc. I do eat (plain) biscuits, though.

*Free sugar is all monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juices. Under this definition, lactose naturally present in milk and milk products and sugars contained within the cellular structure of foods would be excluded.

[Pendodave]

This might sound trite, but it's not meant too...

I just think of the sound of the drill and the smell of burning tooth when looking at sugary stuff. Future pain removes any thoughts of the short lived joy. Embrace your inner (sort of) Pavlovian response.

[foxyrider]

Hi all, I'm reaching out because I'm at a crossroads with my fitness. I've taken to cycling 50-60 miles a week and whilst my general fitness has improved I've found that I'm consuming so much sugar my weight isn't falling. I'm not huge but could be around a stone lighter and would be all the better for it. I eat and now crave sugar because I cycle but because I consume it I feel like I'm poisoning myself. If I don't have it I tend to feel lethargic on the bike. (at present)

Does anyone have any suggestions for reducing sugar? I'm not particularly keen on nut snacks though can eat nuts from a packet. To put into context I was having a litre bottle of either cola or lucozade and around 3 chocolate bars and have only reduced that to having 2 cans of fizzy and the same amount of chocolate. I can't go on like this but feel that I need the energy even though I know it's false energy.

Think you need to have a reset! Eat before your rides, maybe a round of toast and jam, take a piece of flapjack/malt loaf or a banana as a ride snack, just drink plain water. That would get me around a 60 mile ride let alone a shorter one, most of us could do the same, if i'm expecting to do say 80 miles i'll add a couple of meat/cheese sandwiches to the mix. Once you get your head around not relying on all that sugar you'll feel better and suffer less sugar incidents too.

Not saying the weight will drop off but you'll have a fighting chance.

[horizon]

Hi all, I'm reaching out because I'm at a crossroads with my fitness. I've taken to cycling 50-60 miles a week and whilst my general fitness has improved I've found that I'm consuming so much sugar my weight isn't falling. I'm not huge but could be around a stone lighter and would be all the better for it. I eat and now crave sugar because I cycle but because I consume it I feel like I'm poisoning myself. If I don't have it I tend to feel lethargic on the bike. (at present)

Does anyone have any suggestions for reducing sugar? I'm not particularly keen on nut snacks though can eat nuts from a packet. To put into context I was having a litre bottle of either cola or lucozade and around 3 chocolate bars and have only reduced that to having 2 cans of fizzy and the same amount of chocolate. I can't go on like this but feel that I need the energy even though I know it's false energy.

It sounds like you are eating/drinking sugar just to give you the calories your body needs.so you will always be hungry if you simply reduce them. I would suggest you look at some of the other threads on here and radically change your diet. Go for low GI carbohydates like porridge and wholemeal bread, eat enough protein and lots of vegetables. You should naturally stop craving the fizzy drinks but even if not, a good diet should enable you to hold off them. Do tell us what else you consume, especially on your ride day.

[gbnz]

you might try shifting to carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index.

Have to admit I'm a lifelong bakery addict (Nb. Though exceptionally fit, never been overweight). But on moving from being a penniless student/temporary manual worker 24 years ago to management roles, found I had to watch what I was eating for the first time ever in my life. For a full five years

Then 19 years ago, collated (pre internet use) nutritional information about the food I ate. Bought and read a comprehensive layman's guide to nutrition. I've not once ever followed a "diet". But found stuff like knowledge about the glycaemic index extremely useful.

It's incredible how easy it is to slip into a daily binge on biscuits and cake, especially mid winter, or a month into an incredibly demanding new post. But I've found for years that on slipping back into a diet without the biscuits and cakes, the desire to binge on sugar based products disappears within 4-5 days! One slips into the supermarket and "longs" for those fantastic looking onions, leeks, fresh mackerel, multi grain bread rolls! So an old term "complex carbohydrates" are an effective remedy (

[Audax67]

Apart from a small bit of baguette to mop up the sauce I've stopped having spuds & so forth with lunch unless I'm out on the road. Nowadays, lunch at home is meat or fish + salad, followed by a little cheese then fruit and a square of chocolate with my coffee. I've lost a couple of kilos so far, though that stalled recently after a week of mayo- & cream-based sauce on the salad.

[psvrichard]

Thanks for the posts everyone. I cycle commute so my typical ride is between 10 and 15 miles depending on whether I go the scenic route. I'm often stressing about getting to work on time so my morning ride is usually a bit of a time trial, I also carry a heavyish bag with lunch and things needed for work like a calculator and diary. I notice more on my ride home if I've not eaten lots, mornings are usually ok. Problem is I work in a town centre full of bargain type shops and an M&S. I tend to do this commute 3 days a week. On a given day I'll nip to a shop and purchase 2 or even 3 cans of full fat cola. (oddly I can't stand diet drinks and think they'll be found to be as bad as the full sugar ones in time) I'll also buy a couple of 3/4 packs of bars like galaxy, turkish delight, picnic, dairy milk. I'll consume between 2 and 4 in a day depending on what I've bought. I'll also nibble at sweets which are freely available in the office where I work on many days. I'll also eat my lunch which will invariably include a cake from home! I know it isn't good but on days where I've cut back I've been very lethargic on the route home and have stopped off for food on the way back! It's only a 45 minute to 1 hour commute! Just getting this off my chest has been therapeutic and seeing the other posts has given me food for thought. I do eat breakfast and am a big bread fan but I find there's just sugary products on my mind a lot, I am trying to cut down as of yesterday and so far holding out! Great ride in this morning but the football last night boosted my mood!

[Jdsk]

Thanks for the details.

With that time on the saddle you're not going to run out of energy generation, and now you have to believe that!

I recommend getting control of your shopping and snacking habits: write it all down and tabulate it once a week, and show it to someone you trust... could be us! : - )

I don't agree about non-sugary commercial drinks, but find something that you do like, and preferably a range that gives you some variety. And have that available everywhere... office, bike etc.

Sounds as if you've made a start already.

Jonathan

[ANTONISH]

In the sixties Prof John Yudkin wrote a book "pure, white and deadly"
It changed my perspective on sugar so I try to avoid it as much as possible.
I've been drinking tea and coffee without sugar for the last fifty years - I soon gave up on sweeteners and just got used to unsweetened drinks - I find tea or coffee with sugar nauseating.
If you don't buy cake and biscuits you can't eat them.
I'm happy to eat red meat (not every day but I avoid processed meat)
I sometimes have steak and salad with a jacket potato but if you are intent on losing weight you may have to satisfied with the salad.

[SteveGray]

I agree with the last post. Refined sugar is the ultimate junk food, providing short lived empty calories. The book "Fat Chance" by Dr Robert Lustig gives more information. Refined sugar is highly addictive too. Any surplus is first converted into glycogen stores in the muscles and liver. Once these stores are full, it has to be converted into stored fat.

I used to ask people in a health and well being group "Where does the fat on lamb chop, pork chop or beef joint come from ?

Adding these animals have a low fat (primarily carbohydrate) diet ?

The fat has been converted from carbohydrate.

An alternative fuel is FAT. Taking good fats (not margarine or heated vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and low carbohydrate vegetables as our main fuels, avoids spikes in blood glucose and controls weight. Put simply carbohydrates make you hungry and fat fills you.


A less radical approach is to avoid processed foods and refined sugar.

[Littgull]

Thanks for the posts everyone. I cycle commute so my typical ride is between 10 and 15 miles depending on whether I go the scenic route. I'm often stressing about getting to work on time so my morning ride is usually a bit of a time trial, I also carry a heavyish bag with lunch and things needed for work like a calculator and diary. I notice more on my ride home if I've not eaten lots, mornings are usually ok. Problem is I work in a town centre full of bargain type shops and an M&S. I tend to do this commute 3 days a week. On a given day I'll nip to a shop and purchase 2 or even 3 cans of full fat cola. (oddly I can't stand diet drinks and think they'll be found to be as bad as the full sugar ones in time) I'll also buy a couple of 3/4 packs of bars like galaxy, turkish delight, picnic, dairy milk. I'll consume between 2 and 4 in a day depending on what I've bought. I'll also nibble at sweets which are freely available in the office where I work on many days. I'll also eat my lunch which will invariably include a cake from home! I know it isn't good but on days where I've cut back I've been very lethargic on the route home and have stopped off for food on the way back! It's only a 45 minute to 1 hour commute! Just getting this off my chest has been therapeutic and seeing the other posts has given me food for thought. I do eat breakfast and am a big bread fan but I find there's just sugary products on my mind a lot, I am trying to cut down as of yesterday and so far holding out! Great ride in this morning but the football last night boosted my mood!

Try eating porridge for breakfast. It is fantastic for a healthy slow release of carbs and will keep you feeling satisfied for the whole morning. It's a superb food to have before a ride and to act as healthy fuel.
There is a longstanding thread in here about porridge and the love/hate relationship people have with it but I love the taste of it.