I can't eat fake sugar...

[honeylissabee]

One of the "rules" with SB is that when it comes to sweeteners, you are pretty much limited to using fruit (in phase 2) and artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Truvia, Equal, and Sweet N Low.

However, the fake sugars (excluding Truvia/Stevia which IS at least better than the others) make me sick. They give me headaches and stomachaches and cause me to have major sugar cravings. I can't even chew gum. In the case of truvia/stevia, I tried it once and I hate the taste. I'm all about real sugar... and I don't typically go around adding a lot of table sugar to things. I also try not to eat a lot of high fructose corn syrup... or even corn syrup.

So, is it really that bad if I decide to have about 8 oz of fat-free frozen yogurt once or twice a month (topped with fresh fruit... even "forbidden" ones like pineapple.. as well as maybe some nuts)- even though it DOES have sugar? I'm planning on cutting back on how often I get mochi and other non-fruit toppings on my froyo (although, I typically only get a tablespoon or so).

Would it be a huge issue if- even daily, I had a one or two pre-sweetened fruit flavored greek yogurts from Chobani? Is eating a cupcake on occasion or a s'more at a party terrible?

My family also buys vanilla soy milk in bulk from Costco- with 7 grams of sugar per serving. I only drink up to 8 oz per day.

Now, I'm willing to make several changes- like not ordering a grilled cheese every time I go to the diner (and getting whole wheat bread when I do). If I get sushi, I'll stick with brown rice or no-rice rolls (I typically get a sushi/sashimi combo that includes sashimi, nigiri, and a tuna or salmon roll. I'd be willing to get my roll rice-free to cut back on carbs- and make sure the the nigiri is made with brown rice).

So, is a little extra sugar in my soy milk, frozen yogurt, or my Chobani greek yogurt really going to be detrimental to my health? Do I have to go through the summer, my birthday, a trip to the beach (with people who will probably automatically go for the pizza, ice cream, and other junk), being completely deprived until I get to phase 3?

[Magna]

You're not limited to artificial sweeteners and fruit - you could also have some natural sweeteners if you want to. Some of the ones on the list are agave nectar, fructose, xylitol, erythritol, and Whey-low. You don't have to use them, but you could. I also really dislike the taste of stevia, and don't really care for Truvia or Purevia either, but they're not artificial - they're natural as well.

Occasional off-plan treats are OK, if it works for you. There's no way to know what the long-term effect of it will be. But most people here have found that when the treats become frequent, they start having problems (cravings, weight loss stalling, etc.) So if you are going to have some kind of treat, you'll want to limit it. In the long term it's probably better to find something on-plan that you like, and have that as often as you can.

[Kimboroni]

Well, you aren't "completely deprived until p3"-- SB wouldn't work very well if that was the case. A treat here or there is part of the plan in p2. But if you start doing too much treating, that doesn't work. It really has to be an occasional thing.

But it sounds like you want the results without putting in the work, and that's a fantasy. Chobani has a lot of added sugar-- way too much to eat daily. Frozen yogurt has a lot of added sugar. I might have a very small frozen yogurt every few months as a treat-- nowhere near 8 oz-- maybe 3 oz. I add fruit to plain Greek yogurt without sweeteners. It tastes great. I don't do artificial sweeteners. My daughter bakes whole grain chocolate chip cookies with real sugar or Whey Low (which is natural), and I have those, but not very many or I can't get the results that I want. I eat dark chocolate, but again, not very often or I can't get the desired results.

Plans that are based on total deprivation don't work. If you're always thinking "I can't wait until I can have ______ again," you're not going to be able to make it a lifestyle change, and you just gain the weight back once you're done. With SB, you're never done. You make it work for you long-term. But what you're describing sounds like way more treating than a person can handle and still get the results.

[honeylissabee]

I've tried plain greek yogurt, and it's disgusting. Even adding fresh fruit isn't enough.

Thing is, I'm 20. I have church events 2-3 times per week on top of a 40+ hour a week job. After church events, we often go out to eat. Sometimes, it's just ordering in a pizza (cheese, regular crust). In this case, I'd rather have a fruit-flavored greek yogurt that I can grab and go so I don't go for the pizza. On Wednesdays and every other Friday, I leave the house at 7:30am and return as late as midnight.

Now, how often is "occasional?" Once a month? Once every 3 months?

[honeylissabee]

This is the idea of a typical day where I eat out, but don't have church.

Breakfast: 3-4 hardboiled egg whites stuffed with hummus, an apple, and some almonds.
Snack: Jicama sticks
Lunch: Salad loaded with beans and veggies with SB approved dressing, sliced strawberries, low-carb tuna patties (made with tuna and cottage cheese)
Snack: Carrot sticks dipped in yogurt dip or natural peanut butter on celery (only after work since I work in a peanut-free facility).
Dinner: (Ruby Tuesday) Petite sirloin, roasted spaghetti squash and some other veggie side (will vary) and a garden salad (veggies only).
Dessert: Chobani apple cinnamon yogurt or 2 sheets of cinnamon graham crackers dipped in unsweetened applesauce and an unsweetened iced tea from Starbucks

I suppose I have a hard time accepting that even a daily higher sugar treat is detrimental to my health/weight loss. After all, sweetened greek yogurt has been a staple of my diet for a while now... especially on Weight Watchers and SparkPeople. It has never caused me to crave more sweets, etc. Now, chewing a stick of gum WILL.

[Magna]

You didn't mention whether the soy milk was sugar-sweetened, or just had sugar in it. Soy milk has some natural sugars, which are fine. The refined sugar used for sweetening is what we try to avoid.

I'm not sure I understand your logic about eating sugar as a way of avoiding sugar cravings. To me, it sounds like your plan is just to keep eating sugar, but eat less of it. Limiting the amount of refined sugar you eat is certainly better than not limiting it, but if you eat that way, you wouldn't be on phase 2 or even phase 3. You haven't told us much about yourself except that you're 20 years old, so I don't know if you need to lose a lot of weight or whether you're just trying to make some better choices. So it's hard to say whether you would reach your goals, eating the way you have described. It might help you in the long term, though.

One thing to consider is that many people here, including some people with tight schedules, strict budgets, food limitations, and other practical challenges, have found ways to make SBD work for them. Some things you might consider are bringing food with you (in an insulated lunch bag), or eating before your events. You might also consider trying different foods that are on the "foods to enjoy" list, to see what you like. You are really the one in the best position to decide what you want to do, and how to do it. Best of luck!

[Magna]

I looked over your menu - it looks like an early phase 2 menu, except that instead of adding in starchy vegetables or whole grains, you have added sugar (the sugar-sweetened yogurt) or refined flour and sugar (cinnamon graham crackers).

As an example of what you could have, you might buy plain Greek yogurt but add some vanilla (or some other extract) and sweeten it with agave nectar. Or, you might try some whole-grain crackers or apple slices with peanut butter (the natural kind with just peanuts and salt). Either of those would be better choices.

[Kimboroni]

I suppose I have a hard time accepting that even a daily higher sugar treat is detrimental to my health/weight loss. After all, sweetened greek yogurt has been a staple of my diet for a while now... especially on Weight Watchers and SparkPeople.

I assume that hasn't been working for you, though, or you wouldn't be thinking about trying SB. If you want different results, you have to be willing to do the work and make some changes. It's up to you to decide what you want and what you're willing to do to get it. But I know that SB as written works, and works for a reason. Blood sugar spikes will trick your body into thinking you are eating extra calories, even if you have a calorie deficit. That impedes with burning off extra bodyfat.

[Chris55]

There are many of us following SB without using artificial sweeteners. Once you're in Phase 2, you can have fruit, and after two weeks of Phase 1, fruit tastes very sweet and satisfying. You can also have a small piece of dark chocolate, which to me is much more satisfying than having a carton of yogurt with jam stirred in. With that amount of added sugar, it's dessert, not a meal or a snack.

Once I was along pretty far in Phase 2 and had lost most of my goal weight, I started using small drizzles of maple syrup, honey, or some brown sugar on things like whole grain pancakes. I found that the intense flavors helped make up for the very small amounts I needed to be satisfied.

Some things that I like for my "dessert" are:
Frozen berries, defrosted in the microwave so they're syrupy, poured over lf ricotta or stirred into plain lf greek yogurt. I'd urge you to try different brands of yogurt and ricotta since there's a huge difference in the taste, texture, and fat content of the low-fat ones.

A cup of warm skim milk with some vanilla and cinnamon. If I need a chocolate hit, I make a paste with a little cocoa powder or some mini dark chocolate chips and a small amount of milk, microwave it a bit so it dissolves, add the rest of the milk and then heat it. A bit of vanilla and cinnamon helps here, too.

I've just started using agave syrup recently and like a little drizzle of it in my plain yogurt. It's nice with a consistency between honey and maple syrup, but without a strong taste, just a nice sweetness. It's all natural and doesn't mess up your blood sugar. One of the main goals of SB is to keep your blood sugar stable so that you don't have cravings.