Take a breath! This isn't as hard as you think. In late a february, I learned my triglycerides were high. My doctor suggested a diet similar to what you're describing in order to bring them down. I was a little freaked at first too. But then I learned it's all about balance, not restriction. It's true, sugar is in everything! But once you start paying attention to what you are eating, it becomes easier to control. You will never avoid sugar completely, and you don't want to. Your body needs some sugar. The problem is when you overdue it. you want to have less than 40g a day, and most days I am able to keep mine under 30 just by paying attention. Ketchup won't be your enemy. It's yogurt, it's cereal, it's dressings, it's juice. If you eat a yoplait yogurt and a glass of juice at breakfast, you've already consumed 48 sugars, more than you should have the entire day! I started eating Fiber One honey clusters for breakfast with a 1/4 cup skim milk. The cereal has only 6g and the milk about 3. I'm on track for the day. For fruit, I eat kiwi and plums, they are considered super foods that can raise good cholesterol and have been proven to help prevent cancer, but have low sugar. I avoid grapes, apples and watermelon which are high in sugar. And so on.
As far as processed foods go, your body also converts them directly into sugar. So sugar may not be high on the label, but your body will not do much else with them but convert them to sugar. This is why whole grains are so important. Your body has to do the processing for you, instead of a factory, which means you are extracting the nutrients and using them. In the end, your body has used up all of the grains so there is nothing for it to process into sugar. Make simple switches, eat whole wheat pizza crust, whole grain breads, cereals, buns, etc. You will find it's easy to do and doesn't have to change your lifestyle much.
Finally, the worst sugar offender of all - alcohol. It is the simplest form of sugar. This was a tough one for me because hubby and I love our wine. But we simply cut back. No drinking during the week and then just a couple drinks on the weekend. it was hard at first but once we adjusted, we felt likecwe were drinking plenty. And not to say we won't spluge now and then : )
So how do I keep track of all this and know what I'm doing? I log what I eat into a website called caloriecount.com. It tells you how much of everything you should eat everyday, good stuff and bad, then based on what you eat, it tells you if you are meeting your limits. This way, I know how to eat all day long. If I see I am low on sugar after lunch, I know I can have the salad dressing I want at dinner without going over my limit. If I see I am high on sodium, I dial it down the rest of the day. And so on. It is a great tool and can really help you manage it all. Plus there is a community you can tap into who will help keep you motivated. Many others are going through the same thing as you are.
Anyway, I know this is very long, but hopefully it has helped you. I've been sticking to this plan now for almost 2 months and I feel fantastic. More energy than I've ever had. And by the way, as of last Sunday, I've already lost 11 lbs. Nice bonus! My clothes fit better, I feel lighter and, in general, less stressed out. I have become a firm believer that sugar can be toxic. Just start tracking it and you'll see how easy it is to take control of it and still have a great lifestyle eating things that you love. Good luck and happy eating!
