Gave up sugar (added sugar) feel great for it
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Once I started logging my food intake, I saw how much sugar I was eating.chicacherry666 wrote: »Well I'm not amazing right now coz I'm sick but I gave up things with added sugar entirely about 3 months ago, plus I stopped eating red meat 1 and a half months ago and haven't eaten fast food since primary school coz I hate the taste. I feel more energetic however I allow myself to eat sugar 10 days in the year and I make sure I follow through after awhile you don't even miss it it's the first 2-4 weeks that are hardest now I don't look back!!!
OUCH!
I cut that in half and still eat well. I was killing myself with sugar and did not realize it.
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Oh hun, you're 18; don't cut out food groups and/or treats from your life just yet.
Enjoy it, love it, count it.0 -
Hmm. I'd say: don't spend your time counting at your age, build better habits. But then, I wish I'd done that in my early adult years...helenarriaza wrote: »Oh hun, you're 18; don't cut out food groups and/or treats from your life just yet.
Enjoy it, love it, count it.
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I stopped eating sugar 9 and a half years ago. By sugar, I mean desserts of any kind -- cake, pie, cookies, donuts, sweet breads, and anything like that. That includes all the sugar-free varieties of desserts also. I gave them up because I couldn't stop eating them once I started, and I ended up weighing 215 pounds.
Here are the benefits I felt immediately: no period cramps. No crazy mood swings. No massive weight gains (in fact, I lost 20 pounds in about three weeks). No more homicidal rages. No more canker sores. Food like broccoli and fish and water tasted better.
I do eat non-dessert foods with refined sugar (Cheerios, ketchup, pizza) but I try to make sure that refined sugar is at least the fourth or smaller (fifth, sixth, etc.) ingredient in my meal. Sometimes I have a muffin for breakfast, so sugar is about 50 percent of my meal, but I pay for it later in the day because I start to feel moody and angry.
I don't feel nasty or in a bad mood when I eat fruit (yogurt, Cheerios, and applesauce, or cereal with a banana, or an orange in the afternoon, or a fruit salad with lunch). I have learned that chicken with mango salsa and pasta sets me off into a rage -- I don't know why, since ham and pineapple pizza is just fine. Anyhow, my point is that sugar in fruit doesn't mess me up while a Snicker's bar will send me down the rabbit hole.
So my overall point is, for some of us, refined sugar ("added sugar") is the devil while fruit ("natural sugar") is just fine.
I know this is tl;dr so thanks for all of you who stuck with me this far!
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I know. You wrote, "Can someone give me a reason that added sugar is better than natural sugar?"
For me, it just helps me stick to a calorie budget. I don't actually count added sugar, I'm too lazy for that, I just generally buy treats only when I really, really want one. I don't have a problem with sugar, but my calorie budget is restricted due to height and medical issues prevent me from exercising enough to raise it significantly, so the easiest thing to do is cut the cost of calories in areas that I usually don't miss. The same reason we don't go out to the movies unless there is something we are really dying to see or friends invite us-we can't afford it. (Seriously, we hoard movie gift cards for a "worth it" movie.)someone care to explain how "added" sugar is better than "natural" sugar….?
so there is no real reason then …got ya ...
That added sugar is better than natural sugar, as you asked? Yup, you've got it.
sugar = sugar they are the same...
I like sugar. I wish I was taller and able to be more active. Since I'm not, right now anyway, I choose to mostly get my sugars from the foods that give me more nutrition and taste good to me at the same time (I love pineapple, I love cookies. I couldn't tell you the sugar content in either, but I know that the pineapple is giving me a bit more nutrition, so it usually but not always wins.)
good, we both agree there is no added benefit to cutting out "added" sugar (whatever that is) ..so what OP is experiencing is some kind of placebo effect…
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DeirdreWoodwardSanders wrote: »I stopped eating sugar 9 and a half years ago. By sugar, I mean desserts of any kind -- cake, pie, cookies, donuts, sweet breads, and anything like that. That includes all the sugar-free varieties of desserts also. I gave them up because I couldn't stop eating them once I started, and I ended up weighing 215 pounds.
Here are the benefits I felt immediately: no period cramps. No crazy mood swings. No massive weight gains (in fact, I lost 20 pounds in about three weeks). No more homicidal rages. No more canker sores. Food like broccoli and fish and water tasted better.
I do eat non-dessert foods with refined sugar (Cheerios, ketchup, pizza) but I try to make sure that refined sugar is at least the fourth or smaller (fifth, sixth, etc.) ingredient in my meal. Sometimes I have a muffin for breakfast, so sugar is about 50 percent of my meal, but I pay for it later in the day because I start to feel moody and angry.
I don't feel nasty or in a bad mood when I eat fruit (yogurt, Cheerios, and applesauce, or cereal with a banana, or an orange in the afternoon, or a fruit salad with lunch). I have learned that chicken with mango salsa and pasta sets me off into a rage -- I don't know why, since ham and pineapple pizza is just fine. Anyhow, my point is that sugar in fruit doesn't mess me up while a Snicker's bar will send me down the rabbit hole.
So my overall point is, for some of us, refined sugar ("added sugar") is the devil while fruit ("natural sugar") is just fine.
I know this is tl;dr so thanks for all of you who stuck with me this far!
LOL sure ….
you do realize that sugar is the same at the molecular level..whether it is from a kit kat bar or a strawberry…
you lost 20 pounds because you gave up calorie dense foods, which created a calorie deficit…sugar had nothing to do with it…unless of course you have some medical condition that you have not disclosed?0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
why did OP give up added sugar if there is no difference between the two?
Not going to bother. With YOU.
I love that you reported me for saying I didn't want to waste my time. :drinker:0 -
loopingcaterpillar wrote: »Someone has chosen to omit something from their diet, and is proud of what they have achieved, but everyone's turning it into a sugar war!
That's the way this forum is. Everything turns into an argument and a bunch of people posting snide comments.
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loopingcaterpillar wrote: »Someone has chosen to omit something from their diet, and is proud of what they have achieved, but everyone's turning it into a sugar war!
That's the way this forum is. Everything turns into an argument and a bunch of people posting snide comments.
I am only pointing out the unnecessary nature of doing that for any newbie that might come in here and think that if they just cut out "added sugar" (whatever that is) that the weight is all of a sudden going to fall off and they are going to feel "great"….
OP's exercise was not necessary to lose weight or feel good…
that is all...0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
why did OP give up added sugar if there is no difference between the two?
Not going to bother. With YOU.
I love that you reported me for saying I didn't want to waste my time. :drinker:
i did not report you ...0 -
Kudos to the OP for finding something that works & sticking with it! I also feel better since I cut back on added sugar. It is a struggle at times, & I will still go over my allotted sugar intake on MFP, but it really does make a difference. Perhaps it doesn't make a difference to everyone, & of course not everyone would be willing to sacrifice sugar from their diet... It has been proven to be an addictive substance. Another poster called it their "crack" -- it has been scientifically proven to behave that way in the brain.
Also think about the effect that blood sugar has on people & their moods. I seem to have reactionary hypoglycemia, (blood sugar spikes & then it will plummet) & I will get headaches, dizziness, moodiness, etc., though I've never tested diabetic or prediabetic. Some of us have very legit reasons to cut back on sugar. Not to mention that those "saved calories" might be better used elsewhere in the diet. It all depends on the person & what works for them!0 -
I know. You wrote, "Can someone give me a reason that added sugar is better than natural sugar?"
For me, it just helps me stick to a calorie budget. I don't actually count added sugar, I'm too lazy for that, I just generally buy treats only when I really, really want one. I don't have a problem with sugar, but my calorie budget is restricted due to height and medical issues prevent me from exercising enough to raise it significantly, so the easiest thing to do is cut the cost of calories in areas that I usually don't miss. The same reason we don't go out to the movies unless there is something we are really dying to see or friends invite us-we can't afford it. (Seriously, we hoard movie gift cards for a "worth it" movie.)someone care to explain how "added" sugar is better than "natural" sugar….?
so there is no real reason then …got ya ...
That added sugar is better than natural sugar, as you asked? Yup, you've got it.
sugar = sugar they are the same...
I like sugar. I wish I was taller and able to be more active. Since I'm not, right now anyway, I choose to mostly get my sugars from the foods that give me more nutrition and taste good to me at the same time (I love pineapple, I love cookies. I couldn't tell you the sugar content in either, but I know that the pineapple is giving me a bit more nutrition, so it usually but not always wins.)
good, we both agree there is no added benefit to cutting out "added" sugar (whatever that is) ..so what OP is experiencing is some kind of placebo effect…
Well, we disagree that for some there is no benefit to cutting out added sugar. If it helps with compliance with a calorie goal, and the person doesn't feel miserable cutting it out, I call that moderation. (I can substitute Truvia for sugar in my coffee no problems and save 15-30 calories per cup. I drink a lot of coffee, so that would add up. For those who drink less coffee, have a higher calorie allowance, or hate the taste of coffee without real sugar, the benefit would not be as great.) We prioritize and make choices in all areas of life, why would food be any different? (Those who label their diets as eating in moderation are constantly making choices. They really don't eat all the foods all the time. They may not have banned foods, but they don't eat whatever, whenever, however much.)
I do agree that if someone does feel unhappy cutting them out, that wouldn't be moderation and wouldn't help them adhere to their calorie goals. I don't have a problem with added sugar, it's a great way to make food taste good. I choose to try to focus my diet on foods without it simply as a way to get the best nutrition I can. I'm not assigning moral judgment to sugar. Not everyone who cuts back on sugar does. Sometimes, it's just the most practical thing for that person at that time.
To answer your question, "added sugar" means sugar that wasn't already present from the food source itself. If OP is truly avoiding all added sugar, she would buy unsweetened tomato sauce or make her own rather than getting the kind with sugar that doesn't come from the veggies added in. She hasn't weighed back in, so I can't speak to her reasons for doing so. But the placebo effect is not necessarily a bad thing in lots of situations. My headache diminishes usually right after taking a pill. I know what the PE is, I know my sense of reduced pain is not rational, and I appreciate it anyway.
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PotentiallyCrazy wrote: »Kudos to the OP for finding something that works & sticking with it! I also feel better since I cut back on added sugar. It is a struggle at times, & I will still go over my allotted sugar intake on MFP, but it really does make a difference. Perhaps it doesn't make a difference to everyone, & of course not everyone would be willing to sacrifice sugar from their diet... It has been proven to be an addictive substance. Another poster called it their "crack" -- it has been scientifically proven to behave that way in the brain.
Also think about the effect that blood sugar has on people & their moods. I seem to have reactionary hypoglycemia, (blood sugar spikes & then it will plummet) & I will get headaches, dizziness, moodiness, etc., though I've never tested diabetic or prediabetic. Some of us have very legit reasons to cut back on sugar. Not to mention that those "saved calories" might be better used elsewhere in the diet. It all depends on the person & what works for them!
Nicely put. the reactionary hypoglycemia also often leads to eating more than one normally would. That's definitely the case for me. Much like the way MANY on a low carb diet say they are less hungry. *I* am less hungry on a low CRAP diet, and I'm less hungry when I don't eat a lot of foods with added sugars. I don't get why people get irrational about others doing what works for them, and never will.0 -
I think its great that OP has found something they can stick to and is making them feel better. I've also cut down sugar drastically (for me its more about sticking to low GI as I am at risk of becoming insulin resistant) as DeirdreWoodwardSanders puts it so well: "Here are the benefits I felt immediately: no period cramps. No crazy mood swings. No massive weight gains (in fact, I lost 20 pounds in about three weeks). No more homicidal rages. No more canker sores. Food like broccoli and fish and water tasted better."
The thing I find bad about about candy/desserts etc (or even white refined carbs in my case) is that they give me a huge energy slump and I crave more. It is easier for me to cut them out all together. I still eat strawberries for example as they are low GI. So to me, there is a difference between the sugar from a dessert and the sugar from fruit. I am also far less likely to over-eat fruit.
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I always feel better when I cut out/way down on sugar.
Some people here on MFP just don't understand why some of us have a hard time controlling ourselves around sugary foods. I have a very hard time eating just 2 Oreos, so why keep them in my house at all? And personally I'm not going to eat 5 apples so the sugar in fruit is pretty "safe" for me.0 -
YUP. And 2 Oreos and 2 apples certainly don't have the same effect on me....I always feel better when I cut out/way down on sugar.
Some people here on MFP just don't understand why some of us have a hard time controlling ourselves around sugary foods. I have a very hard time eating just 2 Oreos, so why keep them in my house at all? And personally I'm not going to eat 5 apples so the sugar in fruit is pretty "safe" for me.
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
YUP. And 2 Oreos and 2 apples certainly don't have the same effect on me....I always feel better when I cut out/way down on sugar.
Some people here on MFP just don't understand why some of us have a hard time controlling ourselves around sugary foods. I have a very hard time eating just 2 Oreos, so why keep them in my house at all? And personally I'm not going to eat 5 apples so the sugar in fruit is pretty "safe" for me.
dito0 -
Yep, a lot of that sugary carby stuff (including pasta, which I love) causes me crazy desires to eat more following that slump. I find that I can't completely eliminate these things but I'm doing what I can to cut back as I realize just how much added sugar is in most processed foods, even those labeled as healthy. & it involves a lot of eating in moderation & making choices. It's very difficult for me to say no to someone who has baked me a birthday cake, but I can take a smaller piece & make sure the rest of my daily intake is higher in protein & more balanced. It's a process of finding what works for you.
If something works for someone, don't knock it just because it's not an option you would personally consider. Be curious, keep learning, & be supportive of others0 -
chicacherry666 wrote: »Well I'm not amazing right now coz I'm sick but I gave up things with added sugar entirely about 3 months ago, plus I stopped eating red meat 1 and a half months ago and haven't eaten fast food since primary school coz I hate the taste. I feel more energetic however I allow myself to eat sugar 10 days in the year and I make sure I follow through after awhile you don't even miss it it's the first 2-4 weeks that are hardest now I don't look back!!!
Unless your doctor tells you to give up sugar or red meat, or anything else, or you just simply don't like these foods, then there's no reason to give any of it up.
Sugar is sugar whether it comes added or not.
As for me, I don't eat foods with high fructose syrup because I feel icky every single time I do, but it's not the HFS itself but how it makes my body feel.0 -
Another, um, why?0
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