The FastDay Forum

Hi all,

I'm doing pretty well on this regime as I've managed to lose about 2 stone since Jan 21st when I started. However, try as I might, I just can't give up sugar in my drinks. Milk isn't a problem because I don't like it anyway so the bottle just wafts over the top of the mug. I love my mugs of tea and drink several a day but it's a spoon of sugar every time It doesn't seem to prevent weight loss but I worry about the health issues. I've tried every sweetener known to man but for me, they all taste horrid in tea. I use Splenda on my porridge or anything else that needs sweetening but it has to be sugar in tea or coffee.

I see posts from so many people saying they drink black coffee and green tea(yuk!) but no-one has mentioned sugar. Anyone else struggling or is it just me?

I'll tell you what I do, perhaps it will work for you too.
I use my sweetener (usually sweet n low but any other will do) and a pinch of demerara or any other brown sugar. The discreet taste and aroma of brown sugar is enough to cover the different taste of the sweetener.

Hi anniep. I have tried giving up sugar in my tea. I cut down. Then stopped it all together, people say you get used to it. I didn't. Maybe I didn't try long enough. I just accept now that I like a spoon of sugar in both tea and coffee. And milk too. If your gonna have a cuppa you may as well enjoy it. I sometimes drink peppermint tea, I have a bowel condition and it soothes it. But I couldn't drink it all the time!.

Now you mention it. I prefer brown sugar anyway. I just buy white because majority rule. Tho saying that don't think anyone in my house would mind. Next time I buy sugar in. It will be brown.

I want my tea sweet - even herbals.
I switched to Stevia and Xylitol - natural sugar substitutes which are much better for your health than the artificial ones
I like the taste, try them and see what you think.

I do have white sugar in the house but only for guests who drink coffee and for when I bake something with yeast (yeast wants sugar) or a traditional sweet. Otherwise, I either use sweeteners and/or brown sugar.

Marie, do you use the unclarified stevia? The green one?

Yep. And anything other than honey or cane/beet sugar tastes horribly bitter to me - even when I go super lightly on the quantity. So, far, during my whole two fast days I've been able to get by on black, but I'm not loving it. I just keep saying "I can have it nice tomorrow."

Well, I just posted a long reply thanking you all but it seems to have taken a trip out to cyberspace and has decided to stay.

I'll try a short version. Thank you all for your replies and suggestions and I'm glad I'm not alone. I've tried them all at some point but nothing works for me but sugar.

I just wonder if there's an RDA for refined sugar and do I exceed it....

I used to take 2 teaspoons sugar in my tea/coffee.
Went cold turkey and gave it up.
Now have black coffee(used to think that people who had black coffee with no sugar were sophisticated! Now I know better!) and no sugar,
Now can't stand the stuff.
Go cold turkey for a few weeks.

Wow PennyForThem, you're brave, cold turkey eh! I've tried that too but just ended up not drinking at all which isn't good. I really enjoy my tea and anything that makes it taste different spoils it for me. Good for you though, I wish I could do it.

Have you tried just making the spoonfuls smaller? Over the course of 6 months dropping it to nothing? No quick fix - just slow & steady weaning... My BIL did this trick a few years ago, he's now a no sugar in his endless cups of tea kinda guy.

Do you like the sweetness of the sugar or are you using it to mask the bitterness of the drinks? If it's the latter, a bit of salt supposedly counteracts the bitter flavors better than sugar.

I've slowly cut back on sugar in other things and learned to eventually go without. I did the same with soda and only drink it as an occasional treat. I've found I can manage green tea without sugar if I get fruit flavored teas. That seems to take the edge off. Coffee though...lots of cream and lots of sugar, so I just try to drink fewer cups.

Marie, do you use the unclarified stevia? The green one?

No, I haven't seen that one.
I tend to use xylitol the most at home and stevia drops when I'm out and about because its convenient to carry a tiny bottle in my handbag.

I have been drinking my coffee black on fast days. I like green tea as well, and have always had that with nothing, so a plus. On non-fast days, I have 1 sugar and milk, but have thought about trying almond milk, which has less calories than milk and is supposed to be sweeter than milk. Might be a good switch for fast days.