Sugar Cravings

123578

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    Here is additional data to what happens to intakes if you expand it another 7 years.

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/91/5/1530S.full


    "Long-term trends indicate marked increases in availability of added oils, meat, cheese, frozen dairy products, sweeteners (particularly those used in carbonated beverages), fruit, fruit juices, and vegetables, which may have influenced the prevalence of childhood obesity. Flour and cereal availability has fallen since the early 1900s but has rebounded in recent decades. "


    aka... all foods have increased. The bigger problem is... too much food, not enough exercise and very little control over ones diet. It's how most of us got into this situation.


    OP, personally, i have seen much greater success when I have preplanned a treat into my diet. For some, eating more fruit works, for others its eliminating foods. You really have to determine which route works best for you.
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
    edited August 2015
    psuLemon wrote:


    OP, personally, i have seen much greater success when I have preplanned a treat into my diet. For some, eating more fruit works, for others its eliminating foods. You really have to determine which route works best for you.
    Well said!
    It's funny how insecure some get when others get results doing something from a differing point of view.
    ;)

  • This content has been removed.
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member

    And I hate to break it to this author, but while sugar may be psychologically or emotionally problematic, it is in no way physically addictive. Every person who says this, I want to take them to a detox unit and literally show them what physical addiction and withdrawal actually looks like.
    Coffee and cigarettes are addictive but cause no such need for extreme detox.
    Some addictions are more subtle.

    One sign of addiction is denial...like denying sugar is addictive. :o
    Just kidding...lol




  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.
    Maybe if you spent less time worrying about people's supposed motives, your posts would come off as a little less obtuse and sanctimonious.

    I don't have an anti-low carb agenda. I have a don't act like carbs are the devil unless your doctor has told you so agenda.

    If low-carb works for you or the OP or anyone else, have at it. Good for you. It bothers me not at all.

    That doesn't mean that suggesting someone satisfy a craving with a reasonable amount of sugar or carbs in the context of a larger macro allocation is "anti-low carb."

    I've eaten well under 100g of carbs a day and well over 400g, depending on what fits my then-current goals. I'm not emotionally invested in the amount of carbs I eat, let alone what someone else eats. However, I think it is perfectly legitimate to suggest to someone who might not fully understand all the factors that eating some sugar when he craves some sugar can be a viable way to deal with that craving. Does he have to? Of course not. Can he? Almost certainly so. If that's a low-carb agenda to you, that's your problem.

  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited August 2015
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    Seems like the general consensus here is just to hold on and fight the cravings. Well that's what I've been trying to do, and I'll keep fighting but I think sugar should be considered another type of drug!


    As you can see...the word "sugar" can and almost always does creates a dynamic debate amongst MFPers. Also usually taking the conversation away from the OP's question.

    You have gotten answers from both sides now of the opposing view points. I think however that those answers were given without truly enough information from you to address your specific concerns.

    What are your goals...to give up high sugar foods entirely or to somehow find a way to moderate them?

    Are you wanting to address all carbs or just those with a high sugar content such as desserts?

    What about fruits and/or high sugar vegetables...are they also a problem for you?

    I think without more detail from you that most of the responses are based on what we each assume that you mean and may or may not be of any value to you.
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Love these threads.

    Anyway, if you can forever avoid sugar, by all means, do it. If you're like 95% of the people who can't, learn to have it in moderation.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Love these threads.

    Anyway, if you can forever avoid sugar, by all means, do it. If you're like 95% of the people who can't, learn to have it in moderation.
    Mocker! Minimizer!

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    If the op is still around, try some fruit. yes, there is sugar but there is some nutrition to it as well
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Sugar breeds sugar. If u cut back carbs and up ur fat intake I promise u will stop having cravings and feel more satisfied and lose weight. Fat doesnt make u fat, sugar does

    Sugar doesn't make you fat, LOL!!!
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited August 2015
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.

    The OP never stated anything about carbs low or not. It's the Pro low carbs who brought it up, it can go both ways. Just saying.... ;)
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    edited August 2015
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.

    ETA: Wanted to clarify: In the case of smoking, nicotine leaves the body pretty quickly, and most smokers who get through the first few days no longer have cravings for cigarettes associated with nicotine, but with the behavior and comfort of smoking, in which case asking how to get through that craving would be comparable to someone asking how to get through a craving for sweets, particular if eating sweets is a habit or comfort activity. And in that case, most people would not suggest that someone smoke a cigarette to alleviate the craving, either.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    I had craving issues at the beginning of my weight loss, took some advice on these forums. Yes I had some bad days, but I kept marching on and they got less and now I have no issues anymore. It's when I took that certain food item totally out of my diet that I always ended up binge on it. Moderation is the key word. It just takes time and you will have up and down days.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited August 2015
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it? "Generally speaking," inherently doesn't account for every case.

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it?

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?

    I edited the quoted post, which I know you didn't see, but just letting you know.

    Yes, some people use the patch or gum, but the goal is to use that to help reduce and eliminate cigarette/nicotine use, not just replace it. I'm sure some people probably do replace it, but that's not what it was designed for, and it doesn't seem like it was the OP's intention from any of his posts in this thread to fit those foods into his diet.

    I don't have issues with moderation, nor do I care if people share what works for them, but I'm also not sure why these arguments go on and on even after the OP has clarified their meaning. I don't think anyone's initial response was necessarily wrong, but I am surprised that people see so much ambiguity in a phrase when asking about sugar, when the intent would be perfectly clear if someone asked how to alleviate the craving for a cigarette.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited August 2015
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    @Jefbro98 I tried everything for many years and nothing worked. About a year ago at age 63 and 250+ pounds I got ticked off at myself because my carb abuse was crashing my health for the last time and I knew it. I "cold turkey" stopped eating all grains and most all foods containing natural or added sugar. Since that time I have kept my total carb intake <50 grams daily.

    The first two weeks was hellish for sure then the cravings started to fade. 30 days after I left carbs cold turkey the true and moving cravings had left. After about 90 days the memory taste of carbs where even fading away.

    I have not been able to eat enough fats that replaced the carbs to this point to gain weight from eating high fats. I can gain some over doing protein since half of proteins gets converted to glucose by the body. Protein is when I get the brain's requirement for glucose. I try to keep it daily in the 70-100 range min.

  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it?

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?

    I edited the quoted post, which I know you didn't see, but just letting you know.

    Yes, some people use the patch or gum, but the goal is to use that to help reduce and eliminate cigarette/nicotine use, not just replace it. I'm sure some people probably do replace it, but that's not what it was designed for, and it doesn't seem like it was the OP's intention from any of his posts in this thread to fit those foods into his diet.

    I don't have issues with moderation, nor do I care if people share what works for them, but I'm also not sure why these arguments go on and on even after the OP has clarified their meaning. I don't think anyone's initial response was necessarily wrong, but I am surprised that people see so much ambiguity in a phrase when asking about sugar, when the intent would be perfectly clear if someone asked how to alleviate the craving for a cigarette.

    Maybe because a craving for a cigarette is based on nicotine addiction (a substantiated addiction), while cravings for a particular food are not tied to a valid addiction? A person can fit foods they crave into a healthy diet and lifestyle, and often lack the knowledge that it is possible and how to do it. Ambiguity is caused by a common misunderstanding that sugar, independent of overall diet, is "bad" or "addictive". These arguments commence as an attempt to ensure understanding. As a former smoker, I doubt there is any way to fit a moderate amount of cigarettes into a healthy life. You are making a terrible comparison by linking the 2.
  • walker306
    walker306 Posts: 92 Member
    Do you drink diet soda? The aspartame could be giving you sugar cravings.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Because sugar isn't nicotine. Because few people have a goal of smoking reasonably. Because people think that fat or sugar makes ones fat.

    They go on and on because the OP probably isn't the only person who has the question and the answer that works for the OP might not be the answer that works for everyone. However, if the only answer that ever shows up is "stop eating sugar" then that's the only answer anyone will see, even if "eat sugar moderately as part of your larger goals" would be a better answer for someone else.

    And because people come in and say it's mocking and minimizing to suggest working something into one's calorie goal when it clearly isn't mocking or minimizing anything.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    walker306 wrote: »
    Do you drink diet soda? The aspartame could be giving you sugar cravings.

    What, in the OP's 2 posts, possibly made you think to introduce this contentious point?
  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
    Good Earth spicy tea always helps me. It's naturally sweet.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited August 2015
    Serah87 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    I had craving issues at the beginning of my weight loss, took some advice on these forums. Yes I had some bad days, but I kept marching on and they got less and now I have no issues anymore. It's when I took that certain food item totally out of my diet that I always ended up binge on it. Moderation is the key word. It just takes time and you will have up and down days.
    Moderation is not the path everyone chooses. It's one way of handling things, but it's not the only way. It's not even the better way. It's just a different way.

    Your binge issues aren't something that will happen to everyone.

    It is possible to cut things from one's diet and not binge. Binging is not a foregone conclusion.

    Some people cut things out and do just fine. It's hard at first, but then gets easier and eventually isn't even a thing. There is no, "I must eat some ice cream OR ELSE." We just don't eat ice cream. It's not a big deal.

    Also, we aren't sad. We don't cry. We don't feel our lives have lost all meaning without chocolate and ice cream.

    It's a different way of going about it, but it works every bit as well.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    mantium999 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it?

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?

    I edited the quoted post, which I know you didn't see, but just letting you know.

    Yes, some people use the patch or gum, but the goal is to use that to help reduce and eliminate cigarette/nicotine use, not just replace it. I'm sure some people probably do replace it, but that's not what it was designed for, and it doesn't seem like it was the OP's intention from any of his posts in this thread to fit those foods into his diet.

    I don't have issues with moderation, nor do I care if people share what works for them, but I'm also not sure why these arguments go on and on even after the OP has clarified their meaning. I don't think anyone's initial response was necessarily wrong, but I am surprised that people see so much ambiguity in a phrase when asking about sugar, when the intent would be perfectly clear if someone asked how to alleviate the craving for a cigarette.

    Maybe because a craving for a cigarette is based on nicotine addiction (a substantiated addiction), while cravings for a particular food are not tied to a valid addiction? A person can fit foods they crave into a healthy diet and lifestyle, and often lack the knowledge that it is possible and how to do it. Ambiguity is caused by a common misunderstanding that sugar, independent of overall diet, is "bad" or "addictive". These arguments commence as an attempt to ensure understanding. As a former smoker, I doubt there is any way to fit a moderate amount of cigarettes into a healthy life. You are making a terrible comparison by linking the 2.

    This is exactly the problem.

    "We don't believe you have a valid point of view, so we will not help you" is fine. Ignore the thread.

    But the, "Eat sugar!" is done not to help the person, but to point out that you don't believe they have a valid point of view.

    They ask for help, they get slammed.

    It is exactly the same as someone who is quitting smoking asking about craving a cigarette. In fact, a lot of quitting smoking is behavioral and not nicotine. Slap on a patch and the nicotine issue is handled. It's still very hard to quit!!!

    Very few people, when asked about cigarette cravings, would say, "Just smoke!" Most would discuss how they quit, what was hard, what was helpful, what they did.

    If you don't believe people have issues with certain foods, fine. Don't help. But you don't have to hurt, either.

    (General you, there, not you-you.)
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    mantium999 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it?

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?

    I edited the quoted post, which I know you didn't see, but just letting you know.

    Yes, some people use the patch or gum, but the goal is to use that to help reduce and eliminate cigarette/nicotine use, not just replace it. I'm sure some people probably do replace it, but that's not what it was designed for, and it doesn't seem like it was the OP's intention from any of his posts in this thread to fit those foods into his diet.

    I don't have issues with moderation, nor do I care if people share what works for them, but I'm also not sure why these arguments go on and on even after the OP has clarified their meaning. I don't think anyone's initial response was necessarily wrong, but I am surprised that people see so much ambiguity in a phrase when asking about sugar, when the intent would be perfectly clear if someone asked how to alleviate the craving for a cigarette.

    Maybe because a craving for a cigarette is based on nicotine addiction (a substantiated addiction), while cravings for a particular food are not tied to a valid addiction? A person can fit foods they crave into a healthy diet and lifestyle, and often lack the knowledge that it is possible and how to do it. Ambiguity is caused by a common misunderstanding that sugar, independent of overall diet, is "bad" or "addictive". These arguments commence as an attempt to ensure understanding. As a former smoker, I doubt there is any way to fit a moderate amount of cigarettes into a healthy life. You are making a terrible comparison by linking the 2.

    This is exactly the problem.

    "We don't believe you have a valid point of view, so we will not help you" is fine. Ignore the thread.

    But the, "Eat sugar!" is done not to help the person, but to point out that you don't believe they have a valid point of view.
    No. It isn't. That's how you choose to read it and there aren't enough words in the universe to convince you otherwise.

    It is to point out that sugar isn't evil and that it is possible for some people to continue to eat sugar once they understand that sugar, as sugar, doesn't make them fat. It has nothing to do with the validity of their choice to eat or not to eat sugar. Both choices are valid. It's about making it clear that there actually are multiple viable choices and that elimination isn't the only viable option.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    mantium999 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it?

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?

    I edited the quoted post, which I know you didn't see, but just letting you know.

    Yes, some people use the patch or gum, but the goal is to use that to help reduce and eliminate cigarette/nicotine use, not just replace it. I'm sure some people probably do replace it, but that's not what it was designed for, and it doesn't seem like it was the OP's intention from any of his posts in this thread to fit those foods into his diet.

    I don't have issues with moderation, nor do I care if people share what works for them, but I'm also not sure why these arguments go on and on even after the OP has clarified their meaning. I don't think anyone's initial response was necessarily wrong, but I am surprised that people see so much ambiguity in a phrase when asking about sugar, when the intent would be perfectly clear if someone asked how to alleviate the craving for a cigarette.

    Maybe because a craving for a cigarette is based on nicotine addiction (a substantiated addiction), while cravings for a particular food are not tied to a valid addiction? A person can fit foods they crave into a healthy diet and lifestyle, and often lack the knowledge that it is possible and how to do it. Ambiguity is caused by a common misunderstanding that sugar, independent of overall diet, is "bad" or "addictive". These arguments commence as an attempt to ensure understanding. As a former smoker, I doubt there is any way to fit a moderate amount of cigarettes into a healthy life. You are making a terrible comparison by linking the 2.

    This is exactly the problem.

    "We don't believe you have a valid point of view, so we will not help you" is fine. Ignore the thread.

    But the, "Eat sugar!" is done not to help the person, but to point out that you don't believe they have a valid point of view.
    They ask for help, they get slammed.

    It is exactly the same as someone who is quitting smoking asking about craving a cigarette. In fact, a lot of quitting smoking is behavioral and not nicotine. Slap on a patch and the nicotine issue is handled. It's still very hard to quit!!!

    Very few people, when asked about cigarette cravings, would say, "Just smoke!" Most would discuss how they quit, what was hard, what was helpful, what they did.

    If you don't believe people have issues with certain foods, fine. Don't help. But you don't have to hurt, either.

    (General you, there, not you-you.)

    I might argue a point of view isn't valid if a person can't validate their point of view.

    And why no smiley faces?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    mantium999 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    umayster wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Jefbro98 wrote: »
    What can I do to help alleviate sugar cravings?

    Hi, @Jefbro98.

    Do you have a medical reason for avoiding sugar?

    If not, did you know that sugar is a vital part of a healthy diet, so it's fine to eat it in moderation.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/added-sugar/art-20045328

    The science says we do not need to eat sugar or any carbs for health. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. This fundamental understanding is important to help people combat the overpromotion of carbs by the food and nutrition industries and put them in the proper place and amount in diets built for health.

    A majority of obese, overweight and even skinny people with metabolic illnesses are over eating carbohydrates, please do not undermine the accurate understanding of nutritional needs that will help them address their health issues.

    Yes because a diet void of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is obviously the healthiest possible diet.


    There are many, many healthy carbs. If the OP wants to restrict added sugars from her diet (either permanently or forever) because she has difficulty moderating them, I have no issues with that, but I feel that extreme restriction of an entire macro group because someone has labeled carbs as junk is unnecessary and definitely not a straight pathway to health for any individual.

    The bolded statement is true due to our overeating of a non-essental nutrient for a very large group of people with metabolic health issues.

    It is fully possible to get all nutrients needed from a variety of meats and water.

    To your body, carbohydrates are non-essential. Non-essential means you do not need to eat them to sustain your life. The reason so many so many of us are sick and overweight is we are eating HALF of our diet (or much more fore some) of a non essential nutrient that our many of our bodies cannot handle eating at that quantity.


    No. The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories. Period. There are some people with medical conditions that may need to restrict carbohydrates, but that is not the majority of the population.

    Reducing carbohydrates can be an effective tool to help achieve a calorie deficit, enabling people to lose weight and become healthier, but to advise that a diet of meat and water is better than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats is ludicrous.


    The reason so many people are overweight is they are eating too many calories of carbohydrates.

    In the last 4 decades in the US consumption went up by 200c pp per day and carb consumption percent of calories went up by 20%. Results equal diabesity epidemic. It follows that we also have a pre-diabetic epidemic also since it takes years or decades of inappropriate diet to create a diabetic. This is what happens when we elevate a non-essential macronutrient (carbs) to an unnatural level in our diets.

    No one said meat and water was healthier except you. Don't misread.

    Our health system is strictly oriented to treating identified sickness. It is pretty useless at stopping people from getting sick by diet, that is strictly the job of the individual.

    I've only read this far in the thread, but do you have any sources for what appear to be these rather far fetched claims you keep making?

    Because your statement you yourself bolded is blatantly false

    Here is my farfetched source - http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a3.htm

    I read the link...and yes...our carb intake has increased. I think however that you have to look beyond just the "carb" and ask yourself why...just why has our carb intake increased.

    IMO...no scientific data to prove my point...one reason is that as food prices have risen people have had to adjust their food expenditure. Carbs on the whole are generally cheap...they go a long way...they are versatile...they are filling when combined with other foods. Pasta...rice...potatoes...bread...along with other carbs are inexpensive thus allowing a family to stretch their food budget.

    In the Editorial section of the link that you posted...

    "The increase in caloric intake described in this report is consistent with previously reported trends in dietary intake in the United States (7). USDA survey data for 1977--1996 suggest that factors contributing to the increase in energy intake in the United States include consumption of food away from home; increased energy consumption from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (8); and increased portion sizes (9)."

    There are other factors to consider...namely...eating outside the home and increased portion sizes. These two reasons would and do apply to any food group...fat/protein.

    There has been more than once in my life that I have had little money to buy food. I stretched what I could buy with things such as pasta and potatoes. Someone telling me to cut my carbs at those times without knowing my circumstances would not have been helpful. I have gone from pasta/potatoes being a food item that I had every day to now about once a week...I have more options now.

    Moral of this story...know your audience before you hand out advice. Life is much more complicated than just...don't eat carbs or sugar...IMO

    I think we're on the same page as far as advice. The only time I open my mouth is when people come to the forums with concerns about how much sugar or carbs they consume and they get told to not fight the cravings or to not worry about eating carbs because of an anti- low carb agenda.

    Low carb is a worthwhile dietary strategy and possibly even health saving for some people with no downside risks.

    If people have a hunch they need to start addressing weight or health problems with sugar or carb reduction it is important to respect that concern.

    You seem to have a pro low carb agenda then. And people are not saying to "not worry about eating carbs" in the way you're claiming.
    The times when people are saying eating carbs is okay is when people come around saying carbs are literally poison or some cocaine-like addictive substance. Or when someone says you'll be totally healthy on meat and water alone.

    I do not really care about carb arguments at all. My only focus is to get the anti-low carbers to stop mocking and minimizing newbies requests for help on limiting carbs and carb cravings.
    Can you point out some of the mocking and minimizing you've seen in this thread?

    ETA: You might also want to re-examine your premises. Again, the OP didn't ask about limiting carbs. You read that into the OP. But you don't really care about carb arguments at all. "Incongruent" comes to to mind.

    Dude, it was you and someone else who jumped in right away to say 'eat what you are craving'.
    Dude, tell me how that was mocking or minimizing anything.

    Person A: "Man, I really want some cookies right now."

    Me: "Can you fit those cookies in your calories for the day?"

    umayster: "Stop mocking and minimizing."

    But you don't have an agenda. Self-awareness is a thing.

    Generally speaking, if someone is asking how to alleviate a craving, they are asking how to get through it without actually ingesting the substance. If someone asked how people alleviate nicotine cravings, I would hope people wouldn't just tell them to go have a cigarette (no, I am not saying sugar is addictive, I am comparing the language usage to illustrate a point that the meaning of alleviating cravings would be clear enough in that case, so it would be similarly clear in this case). And since the OP came back and even said that he's going to try to hold on and fight the cravings, it does not seem that fitting it into his diet is what he is looking to do here.
    You don't think they'd say try the patch or the gum to deal with the cravings? Cold turkey or nothing? Seems pretty unlikely as a universal approach, doesn't it?

    If the OP, in particular, doesn't want to fit the sugar into his diet, he doesn't have to. I'd said as much. That doesn't invalidate the idea that mindfully incorporating sugar, since it's not inherently bad, is a viable approach. Does it? I mean, if the OP said, "Yeah, I see that sugar can be part of a healthy diet. I'm going to try that" would it mean that elimination wouldn't be viable, even desirable, for someone else?

    And, again, the mere statement that it is possible -- not required, but possible -- to incorporate sugar to deal with the cravings doesn't amount to mocking or minimization. Right? Agreed?

    I edited the quoted post, which I know you didn't see, but just letting you know.

    Yes, some people use the patch or gum, but the goal is to use that to help reduce and eliminate cigarette/nicotine use, not just replace it. I'm sure some people probably do replace it, but that's not what it was designed for, and it doesn't seem like it was the OP's intention from any of his posts in this thread to fit those foods into his diet.

    I don't have issues with moderation, nor do I care if people share what works for them, but I'm also not sure why these arguments go on and on even after the OP has clarified their meaning. I don't think anyone's initial response was necessarily wrong, but I am surprised that people see so much ambiguity in a phrase when asking about sugar, when the intent would be perfectly clear if someone asked how to alleviate the craving for a cigarette.

    Maybe because a craving for a cigarette is based on nicotine addiction (a substantiated addiction), while cravings for a particular food are not tied to a valid addiction? A person can fit foods they crave into a healthy diet and lifestyle, and often lack the knowledge that it is possible and how to do it. Ambiguity is caused by a common misunderstanding that sugar, independent of overall diet, is "bad" or "addictive". These arguments commence as an attempt to ensure understanding. As a former smoker, I doubt there is any way to fit a moderate amount of cigarettes into a healthy life. You are making a terrible comparison by linking the 2.

    This is exactly the problem.

    "We don't believe you have a valid point of view, so we will not help you" is fine. Ignore the thread.

    But the, "Eat sugar!" is done not to help the person, but to point out that you don't believe they have a valid point of view.
    No. It isn't. That's how you choose to read it and there aren't enough words in the universe to convince you otherwise.

    It is to point out that sugar isn't evil and that it is possible for some people to continue to eat sugar once they understand that sugar, as sugar, doesn't make them fat. It has nothing to do with the validity of their choice to eat or not to eat sugar. Both choices are valid. It's about making it clear that there actually are multiple viable choices and that elimination isn't the only viable option.

    If that were the case, there would be some explanation of how eating it helped with the cravings. Heck, when asked for that, you made a comment about how "an adult" shouldn't need help. Right here in this thread.

    There is no effort to help anyone behind that stuff. Manitum specifically stated why the question is treated different than a smoker's would be. Because he doesn't believe they have a real problem.

    Problems you believe are real, you help with.

    Problems you don't believe are real are mocked.

    There are words that would make me believe I'm wrong. Those words are the ones that offer help to people who ask for it. They needn't be directed to me at all.