Sugar - possibly the easiest thing to cut back on for weight loss!
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sheepotato wrote: »
In the past I used to eat like 4 boxes of chocolate in a sitting and had that same mindset ("Oh I am just doing it this ONE time, after this no more!") lol.lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sugar is the hardest thing to cut back on!!
That's subjective.
It's ironic (or not) that the anti-sugar people seem to be the most obsessed with it. Wonder if there's something about making something forbidden fruit that makes it irresistible. Hmm, what a strange, unheard-of idea, don't know what the genesis of it might be.
honest response to this, it is kind of strange to me to see how much less chocolate and candy I eat now that I don't put any restrictions on it and don't view it as something that will make me fat. Although I think it helps that I eat them within my calorie/macro needs. Still have plenty of halloween candy, and I bought a Snickers bar WEEKS ago and still haven't felt like eating it lol.
Yeah, it was kind of a serious point phrased in a jokey way, although I'm not claiming it's the same for everyone. I find that for me it's not terribly hard to not overeat or have sweets around for ages without eating them when I'm not thinking at the back of my head that this is my last opportunity (or last for a while). I never really binged, but in the past I've behaved in a more greedy/immoderate fashion at times that I know was related to that idea.
I used to consider a candy bar a serving of chocolate. They last for days or sometimes a week if you eat one serving at a time.
ikr, I have half a mars bar in my kitchen that I started a few weeks ago.0 -
tigersword wrote: »There's a very specific reason sugar tastes good to us. Because in general, it IS good for us. If it didn't offer us any advantage, we wouldn't taste it, or it would taste bad. For example, cats are carnivores, they don't have taste receptors that detect sugar at all.
Tennisdude is not telling us to give up sugar but (for most people
) it is the easiest way to "get a calorie surplus into a deficit." Nothing wrong with that.
As a generalised statement, most of us could do with eating less sugar especially females as, from my experience, guys seem to be like cats - carnivores and don't have taste receptors to detect sugar at all. 0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »My point is you don't have to!
Within their allotted calories if they've covered their bases with protein and got their micro nutrients dialed in, then if they want to make up the rest of their cals with sugar then do it, log it and enjoy it.tennisdude2004 wrote: »So whats great about sugar - Nothing!!! Apart from giving the body a quick fix of energy (which it can easily get from more nutrient rich and beneficial food) it offers nothing!
What could be a better thing to cut, to get that calorie surplus into a deficit?
Except for I stopped reading right here.
Well there you go! I think that's the problem with most of the sugar threads on MFP - lack of reading and understanding the OP!
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tennisdude2004 wrote: »
In the past I used to eat like 4 boxes of chocolate in a sitting and had that same mindset ("Oh I am just doing it this ONE time, after this no more!") lol.lemurcat12 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sugar is the hardest thing to cut back on!!
That's subjective.
It's ironic (or not) that the anti-sugar people seem to be the most obsessed with it. Wonder if there's something about making something forbidden fruit that makes it irresistible. Hmm, what a strange, unheard-of idea, don't know what the genesis of it might be.
honest response to this, it is kind of strange to me to see how much less chocolate and candy I eat now that I don't put any restrictions on it and don't view it as something that will make me fat. Although I think it helps that I eat them within my calorie/macro needs. Still have plenty of halloween candy, and I bought a Snickers bar WEEKS ago and still haven't felt like eating it lol.
Yeah, it was kind of a serious point phrased in a jokey way, although I'm not claiming it's the same for everyone. I find that for me it's not terribly hard to not overeat or have sweets around for ages without eating them when I'm not thinking at the back of my head that this is my last opportunity (or last for a while). I never really binged, but in the past I've behaved in a more greedy/immoderate fashion at times that I know was related to that idea.
So basically you reduced your calorie intake by cutting back on sugar?
No, I reduced my calorie intake by eating less of all foods. I still eat sugary foods, including chocolate. I used to binge on chocolate because I had a bad relationship with food and had eliminated foods that I loved for a long time. I now don't feel the desire to binge on chocolate because I actually track calories now and know that it's a calorie-dense food and that eating large portions would not work well. But if I want a chocolate bar, I will eat it. actually, around Halloween I think I ate 2 or 3 chocolate bars in one day while still being in my deficit.
Oh, and knowing that it's NOT something "bad" or that I can only eat on special occasions or something makes me far less inclined to want to pig out on it because it's nothing something I am deprived of.0 -
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actually this thread has no point ..except that you can eat in a deficit and lose weight…ground breaking stuff going on here...0
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While I think your original post was too much of an over-generalization, I think if you took every new person on MFP and had them log their regular intake for a week, without changing anything, a lot of them would find that they eat a lot of extra calories from sugary (non-fruit) foods and it would be easy to start with cutting some of those out. I think a lot of people would find the same to be true about salty/fatty foods like chips, though, too. Those foods are all highly palatable, easy to obtain and don't usually require preparation -- you're not likely to find someone who logs their "normal" intake and finds that they're eating an extra 500 calories per day in carrots, but if you did, they'd lose weight by cutting out the carrots. By the same token, if someone doesn't naturally eat a lot of sugar, cutting it out isn't going to do a d@mn thing for their weight loss. There's nothing magical about sugar, it just tends to be an easy and cheap source of calories.
I used to eat like 3 pomegranates in a day (although I spit out the hard part of the seeds), so considering 1 pomegranate can be like 250+ grams when I spit out the seeds... damn I probably did over-eat by 500+ calories when I'd pig out on pomegranates lol.
Moral of the story, if you cut down on calorie-dense foods you will have an easier time losing weight. Has nothing to do with sugar on its own!0 -
I agree with the basic premise that cutting sugar helps with weight loss because so much of our calories come from carbs but that works for fat as well and was the same thing that they used to say for low fat diets. Low fat diets work as well as long as you are on them but once you are off then you regain as we all know and that's the same with cutting sugar.
Ultimately, it's about what you can sustain for life rather than what you can lose with. If I just want to lose weight I can take any random diet but to maintain that means I have to be able to adjust my lifelong eating an exercise habits so that the weight doesn't come back.0 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »Well there you go! I think that's the problem with most of the sugar threads on MFP - lack of reading and understanding the OP!
OR the words "anti-sugar thread", is the problem. I eat at a caloric deficit. I give up nothing and ALL of my friends can tell you I make room for chocolate daily. I'm one of the "caloric deficit" = weight loss people.0 -
While I think your original post was too much of an over-generalization, I think if you took every new person on MFP and had them log their regular intake for a week, without changing anything, a lot of them would find that they eat a lot of extra calories from sugary (non-fruit) foods and it would be easy to start with cutting some of those out. I think a lot of people would find the same to be true about salty/fatty foods like chips, though, too. Those foods are all highly palatable, easy to obtain and don't usually require preparation -- you're not likely to find someone who logs their "normal" intake and finds that they're eating an extra 500 calories per day in carrots, but if you did, they'd lose weight by cutting out the carrots. By the same token, if someone doesn't naturally eat a lot of sugar, cutting it out isn't going to do a d@mn thing for their weight loss. There's nothing magical about sugar, it just tends to be an easy and cheap source of calories.
I used to eat like 3 pomegranates in a day (although I spit out the hard part of the seeds), so considering 1 pomegranate can be like 250+ grams when I spit out the seeds... damn I probably did over-eat by 500+ calories when I'd pig out on pomegranates lol.
Moral of the story, if you cut down on calorie-dense foods you will have an easier time losing weight. Has nothing to do with sugar on its own!
Yes but some calorie dense food provide more of your micro nutrients.
No one is suggesting don't have a candy bar a day - but if two candy bars put you into a surplus, it's better to cut back one candy bar than to still have two and to cut your calories from food which provide minerals and vitamins needed for a healthy diet.
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »Well there you go! I think that's the problem with most of the sugar threads on MFP - lack of reading and understanding the OP!
OR the words "anti-sugar thread", is the problem. I eat at a caloric deficit. I give up nothing and ALL of my friends can tell you I make room for chocolate daily. I'm one of the "caloric deficit" = weight loss people.
Just re-read my OP - didn't see the words anti-sugar thread.
in fact what part of my thread is anti-sugar?
Are you mistaking neutral for anti? I don't think I have once said sugar is bad!
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Tennisdude said "The circle is now complete - you guys never disappoint - you have literally just made my evening. Muah x
I promised myself an extra glass of red when you appeared! Cheers dude!"
A bit early in the day for me (8.15am) but I will gladly join you in that glass of red tonight. Cheers, the gang's all here with their same old put downs. BORING!!
For once, why can't we have a decent discussion on this subject, we will at times disagree - who cares. I personally love to hear the opinion of others. I keep an open mind and I learn as I go along. Fact is - sugar is a huge problem for a lot of people and they are looking for a solution. Let them find it in their own time and pace.
Edited to say I agree Wheelhouse - "ultimately, it is about what you can sustain for life rather than what you can lose with" People are looking for a lifestyle they know they can sustain.0 -
Sugar was not the easiest thing for me to cut back on for weight loss. It was the too large portions of everything in general. Cheese, nuts, salad dressings, butter, tortilla chips with guacamole, and hummus were the foods I had to focus on eating in more moderate serving sizes. None of those are terribly sugar-rich. I lost 66 pounds three years ago. I didn't watch my sugar then. I don't watch it now. And, I eat a fair amount of sugar (more than MFP suggests, at least)
But I do agree with your final statement - it's about getting to a calorie deficit. For me, getting to that deficit just wasn't about the sugar.0 -
tennisdude2004 wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »Well there you go! I think that's the problem with most of the sugar threads on MFP - lack of reading and understanding the OP!
OR the words "anti-sugar thread", is the problem. I eat at a caloric deficit. I give up nothing and ALL of my friends can tell you I make room for chocolate daily. I'm one of the "caloric deficit" = weight loss people.
Just re-read my OP - didn't see the words anti-sugar thread.
in fact what part of my thread is anti-sugar?
Are you mistaking neutral for anti? I don't think I have once said sugar is bad!
Dude, the title is : Sugar - possibly the easiest thing to cut back on for weight loss!
Yes, I do see yours says "most of the sugar threads", but MOST of the sugar threads here on MFP are anti. I get it you're neutral.
Again, my point is I LIKE sugar.0 -
UpEarly, and you are a classic example of how everyone is different. Congratulations on losing all that weight. You should be proud of yourself.
Sereh, honey there are lots of threads you will find more to your taste on the forum. No one is making you read this one. 0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »Well there you go! I think that's the problem with most of the sugar threads on MFP - lack of reading and understanding the OP!
OR the words "anti-sugar thread", is the problem. I eat at a caloric deficit. I give up nothing and ALL of my friends can tell you I make room for chocolate daily. I'm one of the "caloric deficit" = weight loss people.
Just re-read my OP - didn't see the words anti-sugar thread.
in fact what part of my thread is anti-sugar?
Are you mistaking neutral for anti? I don't think I have once said sugar is bad!
Dude, the title is : Sugar - possibly the easiest thing to cut back on for weight loss!
Yes, I do see yours says "most of the sugar threads", but MOST of the sugar threads here on MFP are anti. I get it you're neutral.
Again, my point is I LIKE sugar.
So do I - I like sugar. I'm just aware it provides nothing to me but energy.
Also cut back this statement is not the same as eliminate or cut out - you do know that don't you?
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How can you suggest that without knowing what anyone is eating? The problem here is you're very much overgeneralizing. Are you aware that the biggest macro increase in our food supply is actually fat over the last 100 years? According to USDA data, carbohydrate consumption has been basically flat (a few highs and lows, but we're actually eating a few grams less of total carbs today than we were in 1909,) while fat intake has increased by roughly 500 calories in that same time span.tennisdude2004 wrote: »tigersword wrote: »
Or that energy is somehow unimportant. There's a very specific reason sugar tastes good to us. Because in general, it IS good for us. If it didn't offer us any advantage, we wouldn't taste it, or it would taste bad. For example, cats are carnivores, they don't have taste receptors that detect sugar at all.tennisdude2004 wrote: »tennisdude2004 wrote: »Lots of threads on the forums have newbies posting topics wanting to reduce their sugar intake to lose weight, which is a good thing - after all a lot, if not most, people on MFP are here to lose weight!
Sadly the original intent and message from the OP gets lost in translation (not through their fault).
It seems as though any want to reduce your sugar intake gets met with 'sugars not the devil' and other mature catch phrases!
The truth is sugar isn't the devil, but then to be fair I'm not sure I've ever seen a thread which claims it is.
So why cut sugar? A large portion of people cutting sugar do it from a position of being over weight, so it stands to reason their calorie intake to calorie burn is out of whack and in a surplus.
As we all know and agree on the only way to lose weight is to eat in a calorie deficit. So those peps currently over weight and eating in a surplus have to cut some calories somewhere and whats the easiest and least important food group to do that with - Sugar.
So whats great about sugar - Nothing!!! Apart from giving the body a quick fix of energy (which it can easily get from more nutrient rich and beneficial food) it offers nothing!
What could be a better thing to cut, to get that calorie surplus into a deficit?
I think the message for newbies looking to reduce their sugar intake is first off - well done for wanting to do something! But also a reminder that they only need to cut enough to get them into the deficit they need.
Within their allotted calories if they've covered their bases with protein and got their micro nutrients dialed in, then if they want to make up the rest of their cals with sugar then do it, log it and enjoy it.
So to coin some phrases used by Alan Aragon, reduce your intake of junk food and limit your foods with empty calories!
The main thing is get into a calorie deficit!
Completely Subjective.
Thanks for stopping by, glad of your input!
How is that paragraph subjective - apart from quick energy what does sugar provide the body in regards to nutrition, or anything else for that matter?
You seem to think that it tasting good doesn't mean anything.
As for the overall premise of the OP. It's common knowledge. Read the recommendations of everyone that gives out advice. Generally it's hit your protein and fat minimums, and use carbs to fill out the rest. Generally that requires cutting back on carbs, especially for people who are eating low levels of protein and fat, because the deficit has to come from somewhere.
So it's not "cut back on sugar because it doesn't offer anything (because it does, lots of hormonal regulation is based on the behavior of insulin and sugar, anabolic hormones like igf-1 and hgh are regulated by carbs,) but because minimum amounts of protein and fat are required, and those amounts don't change when you want to create a calorie deficit (they are calculated based on body weight, not a percentage of total calories, after all.)
Insulin is also spiked by protein - but if you cared to re-read my original post I am not suggesting eliminating sugar.
I am suggesting that once you've covered your protein and micro nutrients eat all the damn sugar you want.
I'm just suggesting cutting back on sugar to get you to that deficit - seriously re-read the OP.
What does that mean? It means the average American is over consuming calories, but could also stand to cut back on fat, not just sugar. We eat too much food. To create a deficit, we need to eat less food. Period.0
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