Want to ditch the sugar in my coffee--need encouragement

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone. Until 3-4 years ago I took my coffee with just a little bit of 1 % milk. I don't know how or why I got into the habit of putting in a teaspoon of sugar. I don't do lattes or fancy Starbucks drinks frequently but I think my difficulty in shedding a few pounds is not unrelated to this new habit. I exercise semi-regularly and don't eat terribly but am having a hard time losing a few pounds.

If I cut out the sugar, will I see better results? I am not intending to cut out all sugar from my diet...but I'd love to hear that making this small step will help my cause!

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It will!!! Eating sugar makes you crave more sugar and more starch. I am really TRYING to cut out the amount of sugar I'm eating. I've always had a bit of sweet tooth, but I've been out of control. So I'm with you and really trying to cut it out completely. Plus, those extra calories eventually add up and there is just no reason for them.

[Anonymous]

I would use a little whole milk instead of 1% and ditch the sugar. It makes a huge difference in taste and satisfaction to use whole instead of skim. Calorie wise, you may even out, but the fat and protein in the milk help to stabilize insulin secretion.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Maybe substitute honey, agave or creamer for sweetness.

[Anonymous]

Start using a site like SparkPeople to track your calorie consumption and exercise. It will give you a better idea of whether that teaspoon of sugar is doing you in. I found that when I used that site, I was less inclined to add two creams to my coffee, use a packet of mayo on my sandwich, etc. because the caloric values were not "worth it" to me for the added flavor. Consumption of dark chocolate, on the other hand, was worth keeping, in my opinion!

[Anonymous]

As 16:05 said, I use The Daily Plate on Livestrong site to track what I'm eating. It has a great breakdown of what % of daily nutrients you are getting, so you can see if you're say at 200% of your sugar intake (not that I'd know anything about that).

I switched from sugar to Stevia over the course of time. I also use 1/2 and 1/2 instead of skim milk. I don't use much 1/2 and 1/2, but it is much sweeter than skim, so this requires less sweetener. I can take my coffee black, I just prefer it a little sweeter.

[Anonymous]

OP, here. Thanks everyone, this is helpful. I actually *like* coffee unsweetened, esp. when whole milk or half and half is involved. That is a great idea...And I used very little of it, so I think the benefit would outweigh the cost. I used to track my food/exercise on a free iphone app but I lost the energy to do it after 4 weeks...I may try one of the others suggested.

[Anonymous]

I don't know. . . I think I disagree with the consensus so far. Depends on how much coffee you drink. I think a teaspoon of sugar is only about 17 calories. Half and half is certainly more than that, and you'll probably use more of it. Plus whole milk and half/half have a lot of fat, so if you're worried about your heart, not the best choice.

I find that a little bit of sugar with some skim milk in my one cup of coffee a day is like dessert, and actually satisfies my sweet tooth. If you drink several cups a day, the sugar calories would really add up, but then so would the dairy calories.