Teaspoon Ceiling :)

[gratefuldeb67]

Okay I know I'm mucking up the metaphor here, but figured I'd steal the basic idea.
I usually have quite a lot of coffee during the Winter and have been putting too much sugar in it. Last year I tried to completely go cold turkey and eliminate the hot chocolate mix altogether, but that just didn't work.
Not only was I unable to cut it out, when I tried that for a week I fell into a pretty major depression due to the drastic change in my sugar consumption, and when I went back to using it again, I ended up doubling the amount I put in thereafter.. Probably some kind of knee jerk reaction to the total deprivation.
Anyway, I don't want to eliminate the hot chocolate completely, but now I am cutting back considerably. I decided upon one teaspoon of hot cocoa mix and one teaspoon raw sugar per cup. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that for the past several months, it has been more like three teaspoons of hot cocoa and one of raw.. Really I have to be honest and own up to it, as it's been technically a daily failure I've been in denial about, for months now.
In my estimation, that amount of sugar in my coffee added an average of about 130-170 calories of sugar to my day, as I average about four cups a day.
So I am calling this my "Teaspoon Ceiling" for now as I'm limiting myself to two teaspoons of sugar in my coffee or tea from now on.
How I envy those of you who like to drink their coffee with no sugar at all, but I somehow don't see myself ever being like that, so for now, I'm satisfied with this decision.
I've thankfully already adjusted to the taste (and actually in retrospect can't believe or understand why I was using so much more before??) so I am sure this will continue to be a successful daily change in my life.
I hope this change will make it easier to lose weight. Let's see!

Debs

[maslowjenkins]

I think that's a great idea and I wish you the best in sticking to it!

I noticed that I was also drinking a large amount of coffee with a couple teaspoons of sugar as well as flavored creamer (which actually didn't seem to have any actual cream in it according to the ingredients). It was like I was trying to make my own Starbucks or something so I have decided to just make the whole thing an S.

I'm not a daily coffee drinker, though. I know the daily drinkers wouldn't be willing to make that sacrifice.

again, good call and good luck with it!

[gratefuldeb67]

Thank you MJ!
Hahah yeah those "creamers" are all corn syrup solids..

So far it's a great success today!
I calculated that by doing this, I'll be eliminating around 600 calories of sugar a week.. That's just as much as two donuts, so I expect, with all else being equal, to see a difference in my weight loss over time.

Thanks again for your words
Debs

[wosnes]

How I envy those of you who like to drink their coffee with no sugar at all, but I somehow don't see myself ever being like that, so for now, I'm satisfied with this decision.
Debs

To me black coffee is much more palatable than coffee with sugar. To me, sugar potentiates the bitterness of the coffee. Ironically, if I add cream or milk to the coffee (as when making cafe au lait), I have to add some sugar. While I like mocha now and then, flavored coffees have never appealed to me -- unless the coffee is flavored with Kahlua, Amaretto, or Baileys!

[gratefuldeb67]

While I like mocha now and then, flavored coffees have never appealed to me -- unless the coffee is flavored with Kahlua, Amaretto, or Baileys!

Yum!!

[MerryKat]

...............calling this my "Teaspoon Ceiling" ..............................I've thankfully already adjusted to the taste (and actually in retrospect can't believe or understand why I was using so much more before??) so I am sure this will continue to be a successful daily change in my life.
I hope this change will make it easier to lose weight. Let's see!

Debs

I love this and think it is an excellent idea.

I think we get into a habit of using (abusing) sugar and then when we feel down we tend to add a little extra - those extras eventually add up and we seldom reduce them, so we end up with a habit of too much sugar.

I am sure you will see a big difference in your cravings for other sugars as well with your reduced coffee amount.

Enjoy your coffee.

Hugs
Mo

[gratefuldeb67]

Thanks a lot Mo! Hope you are well and your family
Yeah, it's amazing how strong habit is! This morning, purely out of habit, I found myself thinking of putting another teaspoon of hot cocoa mix in and I had to literally tell myself "NO WAY... THIS IS ENOUGH!"....
LOL..
Your analysis is excellent I'd say, about coming to sugar for that "fake energy" when we are down, but more than the emotional triggers for it, I'd say that it's simply the habit of it that is the biggest factor in those day-to-day "choices" (not really cos they are unconscious) we make, and that is a seriously strong adversary when it's against you.
Fortunately with enough consistency and time, I know these habits are changeable.

It's like when I had to change from driving a stick shift for over 20 years, to the automatic car I got from my mom after my little car went to the dump..
It took a long time, but now, I no longer habitually put my hand down in the middle of the seats to look for the non existent stick shift and put the car in neutral at a stop light, LOL, whereas I did stuff like that for a long time when I first made the change.
But it's been about a year and a half now, so it took time.
Soon enough I won't have to tell myself, "Put the spoon down, you had enough"

Thanks again for the encouragement.
Have a great week!
Debs x

[gratefuldeb67]

Just felt like posting that this new habit is coming along well, and I'm having no problems! This is awesome as it was a habit that was well over two years old that I'm changing now.
The other day when I was super stressed, I unconsciously put two teaspoons of cocoa in my cup, but when I caught myself, I went and actually spooned it back out and put it back in the container!!
Funny tho, even tho it's only been four days it feels like much longer!!!
I'm sure I'll be totally adjusted to this in a few weeks and won't be doing much more unconscious "double dipping" into the cocoa!
Debs

[jaob]

I know how hard it is to change a "beloved". I LOVE my morning coffee with lots of 1/2 & 1/2 (before a nice breakfast). I know Reinhard says non-sugar beverages should pose no problem, but I am talking about 1/2-3/4 c. of 1/2 & 1/2 . No sugar, but way too many cals. I applaud your efforts and it makes me want to really measure my consumption and make some changes!

[reinhard]

Nice work, Deb!

Glad "glass ceiling" translated so effectively to another medium.

Reinhard

[gratefuldeb67]

Thanks Jenny and Reinhard !
I *still* have to tell myself not to dive in for a second scoop of hot chocolate, but that's my habit brain. In actuality I am fine with the reduction taste-wise. So I'm just telling myself "no" for now.
I also have a little flavour and a minimal amount of sugar from the vanilla soy milk I use.
Still, it's two teaspoons less of sugar than I used to put, so I'm very glad about that.
Over time, I am sure this will help.
Good luck Jenny with cutting back.

Debs