SUGAR - The culprit!
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chwtroutman wrote: »I am watching amount of sugar I eat using Fitness Pal. I was wondering if that number indicates daily added sugar or total sugar. For instance, a soup may have natural ingredients that contain sugar and then also added sugar. You can tell this by reading the ingredients label. I wasn't sure what that sugar number represents in the fitness pal program.
It's total sugars. Since sugar is sugar is sugar...
I switched tracking sugar on MFP to tracking fibre, instead. I'm already tracking carbs and I don't have a medical reason to specifically track sugar.1 -
LisaClifford731 wrote: »Is anyone else watching their sugar intake? I've been tracking my sugar like a bloodhound and have noticed significant losses (approx 2 lbs a week) and other changes - such as sleeping better, MORE energy (if you could believe that? and I generally don't feel like crap anymore.
Anyone else have these experiences?
I've been trying to cut down on sugar, I aim for about 50g-60g as I do eat fruits. I have noticed I don't crave sugary foods at all and do have more energy, though that could be from just eating better in general, but I'm hoping to keep my sugar down through out my diet and beyond.
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I watch sugar because I have a bad reaction if a combination of sugar/carbs are too high. I still lose or maintain according to my calories though, no matter how high the sugar is.2
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LisaClifford731 wrote: »Is anyone else watching their sugar intake? I've been tracking my sugar like a bloodhound and have noticed significant losses (approx 2 lbs a week) and other changes - such as sleeping better, MORE energy (if you could believe that? and I generally don't feel like crap anymore.
Anyone else have these experiences?
I watch it, sure. It's not particularly high, so I don't worry about it. I certainly wouldn't fret about sugar from fruit and veg or dairy. If my added sugar were high (it's not) I'd probably consider whether those were calories that should be cut down some in favor of some more nutrition-dense options.
My sugar has been a bit higher than normal on recent weekends, since I'm training for some endurance events (including a half ironman in a few weeks) and am experimenting with my nutrition plan, which includes some gels and other forms of sugar. Haven't found any negative effects.
Back when I first started I tried cutting out added sugar and while it was an interesting experience and surprisingly easy, I didn't notice any particular benefits, so I went back to moderation. Sugar isn't really my main weakness, though -- savory stuff is.0 -
LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
I can't imagine buying so much stuff with labels that it would take that long to read them, and I'm about as far from a clean eater as one could find. My main packaged stuff are things I'm very familiar with, like plain yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes (out of season), and steel cut oats. Oh, and the protein powder I like and use occasionally. Other than a tiny bit used for making the smoked salmon and, of course, the lactose in the yogurt, none of this has sugar.
I do buy fancy chocolates from a restaurant near my office that sells local artisan and European chocolates. Those, of course, have sugar. Oh, and ice cream/gelato sometimes.0 -
Athletes of all sports "carb up" before a game. This is essentially sugar. They feel worse if they don't carb up and have reduced energy.LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
The issue here is that most people who OVER CONSUME sugar, don't do enough to burn it off.
So it's not really the culprit. It's just a macro nutrient that one needs to be sure that they don't over consume for their particular metabolism. People who are less active will need less of it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I don't specifically watch my sugar, but I don't really consume in substantive quantities anyway. A good 90% of my diet is derived from whole foods so most of my sugar comes from things like veggies, fruit, dairy, etc...my consumption is nowhere near anything needing to be worried about. I would only bother watching my sugar if I was accustomed to eating a lot of it and typically ate a lot of sweets and whatnot...I don't really, so it's not much of a concern.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
I can't imagine buying so much stuff with labels that it would take that long to read them, and I'm about as far from a clean eater as one could find. My main packaged stuff are things I'm very familiar with, like plain yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes (out of season), and steel cut oats. Oh, and the protein powder I like and use occasionally. Other than a tiny bit used for making the smoked salmon and, of course, the lactose in the yogurt, none of this has sugar.
I do buy fancy chocolates from a restaurant near my office that sells local artisan and European chocolates. Those, of course, have sugar. Oh, and ice cream/gelato sometimes.
Ok. I was exaggerating the amount of time. Thought thatchers obvious. I too, eat clean (about 90/10) so if I'm wrong about anything I've said here, I beg of all of you "experts" try educating someone before insulting them.
Now I remember why I don't EVER come to these boards.2 -
I'm definitely watching the sweets I eat too, but it all comes down to how much you are eating overall. I avoid them for their lack of nutritional value, not because of losing weight. Yes, the healthier the better, but most of the time people who claim to eat less sugar, carbs, etc, etc, and lose weight, are really only doing so because they are eating less overall. Carbs and sugar are not killers, but like anything should be an appropriate part of a daily diet, not the entire diet (or eliminated entirely)1
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LisaClifford731 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
I can't imagine buying so much stuff with labels that it would take that long to read them, and I'm about as far from a clean eater as one could find. My main packaged stuff are things I'm very familiar with, like plain yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes (out of season), and steel cut oats. Oh, and the protein powder I like and use occasionally. Other than a tiny bit used for making the smoked salmon and, of course, the lactose in the yogurt, none of this has sugar.
I do buy fancy chocolates from a restaurant near my office that sells local artisan and European chocolates. Those, of course, have sugar. Oh, and ice cream/gelato sometimes.
Ok. I was exaggerating the amount of time. Thought thatchers obvious. I too, eat clean (about 90/10) so if I'm wrong about anything I've said here, I beg of all of you "experts" try educating someone before insulting them.
Now I remember why I don't EVER come to these boards.
Don't take it so personal. It took me about one post on here after my 3 year sabbatical to find out that I need to back up my statements with actual facts not just anecdotal "this worked for me" comments.1 -
LisaClifford731 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
I can't imagine buying so much stuff with labels that it would take that long to read them, and I'm about as far from a clean eater as one could find. My main packaged stuff are things I'm very familiar with, like plain yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes (out of season), and steel cut oats. Oh, and the protein powder I like and use occasionally. Other than a tiny bit used for making the smoked salmon and, of course, the lactose in the yogurt, none of this has sugar.
I do buy fancy chocolates from a restaurant near my office that sells local artisan and European chocolates. Those, of course, have sugar. Oh, and ice cream/gelato sometimes.
Ok. I was exaggerating the amount of time. Thought thatchers obvious. I too, eat clean (about 90/10) so if I'm wrong about anything I've said here, I beg of all of you "experts" try educating someone before insulting them.
Now I remember why I don't EVER come to these boards.
I think you're taking this out of hand. No one was insulting, they were commenting.5 -
Is it Friday? 5
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LisaClifford731 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
I can't imagine buying so much stuff with labels that it would take that long to read them, and I'm about as far from a clean eater as one could find. My main packaged stuff are things I'm very familiar with, like plain yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes (out of season), and steel cut oats. Oh, and the protein powder I like and use occasionally. Other than a tiny bit used for making the smoked salmon and, of course, the lactose in the yogurt, none of this has sugar.
I do buy fancy chocolates from a restaurant near my office that sells local artisan and European chocolates. Those, of course, have sugar. Oh, and ice cream/gelato sometimes.
Ok. I was exaggerating the amount of time. Thought thatchers obvious. I too, eat clean (about 90/10) so if I'm wrong about anything I've said here, I beg of all of you "experts" try educating someone before insulting them.
Now I remember why I don't EVER come to these boards.
How was that insulting in any way?2 -
LisaClifford731 wrote: »Is anyone else watching their sugar intake? I've been tracking my sugar like a bloodhound and have noticed significant losses (approx 2 lbs a week) and other changes - such as sleeping better, MORE energy (if you could believe that? and I generally don't feel like crap anymore.
Anyone else have these experiences?
I have these same experiences from the things I added to my lifestyle rather than things I restricted. I took that approach to MFP, continuing to eat the foods I enjoy in moderation (including sugar) but focusing on adding things: more lean protein, more vegetables, more whole grains, more exercise, more sleep.
As a result I found achieving my weight loss goal (30 lbs) to be a simple and enjoyable process (now in maintenance) and have also experienced what you describe: more energy, sleep better, don't feel like crap.
Yeah!
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It's because you came on here like you'd discovered some big new diet secret that you were sharing with the world when in fact it is simply untrue that sugar is "the culprit" that causes weight gain. People are commenting so that others reading it get a proper perspective. PS I'm enjoying my lovely non-fat latte full of calcium with (gasp) 14 grams of sugar naturally found in the milk. Btw I've lost 77 lbs in a little over a year.5
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This sounds more like the new Weight Watchers program. No sugar/carbs, and if you do you are going to pay for it with points. I was doing well on their point plus program eating what I wanted staying within my points. That is why I'm over here now . Counting calories. I could eat three hot fudge sundaes a day and still lose . I'm in the camp that it is calories in calories out. Sure to much of anything is not good. So if you are going to live normal , what ever that is, you should be able to work all food croups into your diet.
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I think too many people are conflating what the OP said.
OP seems to just be happy to have discovered what in her diet was causing certain symptoms. Excess simple sugars is known to cause boosts of energy and then crashes of low energy.
OP: Glad you identified what was causing your low energy and sleeping problems. Sugar would indeed be a culprit in that.10 -
biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Most likely not. It probably has more to do with overconsumption of food due to low satiety of sugary snacks.LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
This is entirely untrue. Insulin production is a perfectly healthy bodily response. It does not put your body into defensive mode.
FYI: protein also spikes insulin. I wouldn't suggest eliminating protein from your diet.
Cherries are chock full of simple carbs.Yes, I've greatly reduced the sugar in my meals & snacks. Right now in the fridge, I have cherries--- they're delicious but I won't eat simple carbs and rarely eat processed foods. Saying goodbye to sugar has been a huge help overall.
There's nothing wrong with glucose. In fact, it's so vital for life that if you don't eat enough of it your liver will begin to produce it.I cut way back on sugar, and my total carbs too since they are converted to glucose (sugar) in the blood. My sugar intake is always belw 10g per day; often belw 5g. I feel so much better eating this way that I have no plans to ever go back to higher sugar or higher carbs.
Quite honestly, the hardest part about giving up sugar was the anticipation - just thinking about it. Doing it wasn't too hard after a couple of days.
Glad you are feeling better.
Also, protein not utilized for muscle protein synthesis will also be converted into glucose.LisaClifford731 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »LisaClifford731 wrote: »biggsterjackster wrote: »I have bee eating low sugar for month now. The other day I went significantly over my sugar limit and felt like crap. It felt like I swallowed a huge rock and it couldn't be digested. I guess it has to do with the sudden insulin spike. Don't know.
Sugar makes you produce more insulin which throws your entire body into defense mode. I feel fab since I lowered my sugar - (it takes me 5 hours to grocery shop now (HAHA) but I read EVERY label and I must know 100 different names they use on labels to disguise the sugar in the ingredients.
Good luck to you!! Feel free to add me. I love to have others following the same path to compare diaries and chat with.
I can't imagine buying so much stuff with labels that it would take that long to read them, and I'm about as far from a clean eater as one could find. My main packaged stuff are things I'm very familiar with, like plain yogurt, smoked salmon, dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes (out of season), and steel cut oats. Oh, and the protein powder I like and use occasionally. Other than a tiny bit used for making the smoked salmon and, of course, the lactose in the yogurt, none of this has sugar.
I do buy fancy chocolates from a restaurant near my office that sells local artisan and European chocolates. Those, of course, have sugar. Oh, and ice cream/gelato sometimes.
Ok. I was exaggerating the amount of time. Thought thatchers obvious. I too, eat clean (about 90/10) so if I'm wrong about anything I've said here, I beg of all of you "experts" try educating someone before insulting them.
Now I remember why I don't EVER come to these boards.
No one insulted anyone.
Maybe do what my parents told me as a kid and put your feelings away so they don't get stepped on.17 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »Maybe do what my parents told me as a kid and put your feelings away so they don't get stepped on.
Brilliant!
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