Sugar
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Wannabmarathoner wrote: »silverfiend wrote: »
To the OP, I hope you have success in your goal of cutting the added sugar out of your diet (it's VERY diffucult because its added to almost everything we buy).
Have you looked in the benefits of a ketogenic diet (the extension of removing just sugars)? If not, take some time to research it. It may answer some questions to whatever issues you are having. (just a guess since we don't know what they are)
Thank you. I may do that after I see if cutting back on processed food and sugar helps me, or doesn't help me. Somehow, over the last 6 months I've developed a sugar addiction and I'm 3 days in trying to turn it around. Feeling strong so far, aside from a headache. Thanks for the advice, I will look into it. Have you tried it?
Yes, I switched to the keto way of eating on January 1 of this year. That headache is normal when going through sugar withdrawal. It will go away.0 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »silverfiend wrote: »All,
Please review the following community guideline:2. No Hi-Jacking, Trolling, or Flame-baiting
Please stay on-topic in an existing thread, and post new threads in the appropriate forum. Taking a thread off-topic is considered hi-jacking. Please either contribute politely and constructively to a topic, or move on without posting. This includes posts that encourage the drama in a topic to escalate, or posts intended to incite an uproar from the community.
Please stay on topic and do not derail the discussion into an argument about beliefs about sugar, even if you believe it is for the benefit of the OP or "lurkers."
Users are welcome to create their own topic and discuss viewpoints about sugar with anyone interested in participating in this topic, however any further off-topic comments in this thread can result in warnings.
Have an awesome weekend,
kgeyser
MFP Moderator
I have found this is a pure impossibility here for certain people.
To the OP, I hope you have success in your goal of cutting the added sugar out of your diet (it's VERY diffucult because its added to almost everything we buy).
Have you looked in the benefits of a ketogenic diet (the extension of removing just sugars)? If not, take some time to research it. It may answer some questions to whatever issues you are having. (just a guess since we don't know what they are)
Thank you. I may do that after I see if cutting back on processed food and sugar helps me, or doesn't help me. Somehow, over the last 6 months I've developed a sugar addiction and I'm 3 days in trying to turn it around. Feeling strong so far, aside from a headache. Thanks for the advice, I will look into it. Have you tried it?
I used to have cravings for sweets and found the less of them I eat, the less cravings I have. I am eating more fruit, however. Since fruit has less calories than foods like baked goods, this works out well for me. I'm also eating more protein and foods with fiber, and getting more exercise. I feel much better than I did before.
I felt even worse in the late 90s when I was eating pretty much the Standard American Diet. While cleaning up my diet helped me considerably, I do not consider myself a "clean eater." I do have some Ultra Processed Foods, as defined by the Brazilian government, but way less than before.
Wishing you well on your journey!0 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »Thanks everyone! I am not here to debate the effects of sugar again. My #1 goal is to see if it is sugar that is causing some unusual symptoms I've been experiencing, and the only way to do that is to eliminate most things I've been consuming until a couple days ago. If I lose weight while I experiment then bonus!
I also participated in your other thread and it got quite disturbing with all the sugar is poison allegations you were making because that sugar is poison or even bad for you is spreading misinformation. Sugar is simply another food, and we cannot live without sugar. Unless you eat only meat, you will not be able to cut out all sugar. My guess, however, is that you mean added sugar into sweets, etc.
Believe me, sugar and I have a sordid history rooted in a lifetime of obesity. I cut out sweets and treats for years because I was convinced it was causing my weight gain. Guess what? didn't no lose any weight, and I continued to gain weight.
At one time, I was also convinced that sugar was causing me other problems: waking up in a handover-type states, stomach cramps, nausea, and great poops. This was during a time when I was binging a lot on cookies, cakes, candy, etc. The interesting thing is that when I ate these food in moderation, I felt fine. It was only when I binged on these foods that I ended up with symptoms. Guess what? I cut back on the sweets, learned moderation, and those symptoms calmed way down.
It also turns out that my long history of digestive problems was not caused by sugar at all, but are symptoms of other medical conditions that needed attention. Once I had my appointments with a GI and registered dietitian, I was able to get my health under control. The low FODMAP diet I have been prescribed by my GI, and monitored by a RD, does not cut out sugar at all.
If you want to cut out sugar to see if it's causing your symptoms, great. But, remember that in those sugar foods are a whole list of other ingredients that could be causing you problems.
Good luck.
Well, I agree and thanks for being a bit nicer this time. The sugar is poison was mentioned by me ONCE. I work with doctors who've stated this same thing and I regret saying it, not because I don't believe it, but because when I wanted encouragement for my choice, I received some pretty rude backlash. You or anyone else doesn't need to believe the bad effects sugar causes. I too have consumed wayyyyy too much of it and for ME the only way I know how to cut down is to completely go cold turkey for a while, and then reintroduce it slowly and in significantly less amounts than I was consuming. The symptoms are things I don't want to discuss publicly, as I have a lot of anxiety about it and I've 2 specialists thus far and we can't figure it out. I want to start with my diet, meditation, etc, and see if I feel better. I had my first acupuncture appointment on Thursday and I am looking forward to seeing how the improvement of my diet helps me. So...I am here for encouragement only! I need it!
Um.....this is 100% not necessary. I was nice to you in the last thread, just as I'm being nice now.
As I said in my response, after sharing my own struggles, good luck on your endeavor to find out more about your symptoms. The most important thing is finding an overall dietary plan that works best for you.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »silverfiend wrote: »All,
Please review the following community guideline:2. No Hi-Jacking, Trolling, or Flame-baiting
Please stay on-topic in an existing thread, and post new threads in the appropriate forum. Taking a thread off-topic is considered hi-jacking. Please either contribute politely and constructively to a topic, or move on without posting. This includes posts that encourage the drama in a topic to escalate, or posts intended to incite an uproar from the community.
Please stay on topic and do not derail the discussion into an argument about beliefs about sugar, even if you believe it is for the benefit of the OP or "lurkers."
Users are welcome to create their own topic and discuss viewpoints about sugar with anyone interested in participating in this topic, however any further off-topic comments in this thread can result in warnings.
Have an awesome weekend,
kgeyser
MFP Moderator
I have found this is a pure impossibility here for certain people.
To the OP, I hope you have success in your goal of cutting the added sugar out of your diet (it's VERY diffucult because its added to almost everything we buy).
Have you looked in the benefits of a ketogenic diet (the extension of removing just sugars)? If not, take some time to research it. It may answer some questions to whatever issues you are having. (just a guess since we don't know what they are)
Thank you. I may do that after I see if cutting back on processed food and sugar helps me, or doesn't help me. Somehow, over the last 6 months I've developed a sugar addiction and I'm 3 days in trying to turn it around. Feeling strong so far, aside from a headache. Thanks for the advice, I will look into it. Have you tried it?
I used to have cravings for sweets and found the less of them I eat, the less cravings I have. I am eating more fruit, however. Since fruit has less calories than foods like baked goods, this works out well for me. I'm also eating more protein and foods with fiber, and getting more exercise. I feel much better than I did before.
I felt even worse in the late 90s when I was eating pretty much the Standard American Diet. While cleaning up my diet helped me considerably, I do not consider myself a "clean eater." I do have some Ultra Processed Foods, as defined by the Brazilian government, but way less than before.
Wishing you well on your journey!
I am already feeling less cravings of the bad stuff too. I hope it continues. This has actually been pretty easy so far. Thanks for the encouragement and I love your profile 'picture'!1 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
No qualms at all from me in regards to cutting back on free sugars...most people could stand to do so...but I do think people tend to overemphasize eliminations vs what they can add to their diets to make them better. IMO, focusing on the positives you can add makes the experience much more enjoyable...
I guess it's kind of like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
I like that! That's a great thought process to adopt. I tend to be the type of person who would slip up and have a bite or more of deliciousness in the breakroom at work, then decide I already screwed up for the day, so don't even try to eat healthy. I know, it's a sad state of mind. My 3rd day into this, I've consumed more vegetables and less sugar than I've had in months! This is definitely a positive!
Many people have that all or nothing mindset and when they strive for perfection and inevitably slip up, they tend to think "to heck with it I might as well eat whatever I want" or "this is just too hard, I have to give up".
This is one of the reasons I and many others here try to make sure people know you don't have to give everything up, that it is possible to eat sweets (any food really) in moderation and lose weight/be healthy. It's why I and others react so strongly when people make things like "sugar is poison" or "processed foods are bad for you" because it creates this mindset in many that feel like they have to give everything they love up, and for most people, that's just not the case.
You keep saying you are doing this to see if it helps with some symptoms and that's fine. But there are a lot of others who are new here lurking these forums who read these bold statements that sugar is bad, or you need to adhere to a list of good/bad foods in order to "detox" your body, and that's just not true.
1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
No qualms at all from me in regards to cutting back on free sugars...most people could stand to do so...but I do think people tend to overemphasize eliminations vs what they can add to their diets to make them better. IMO, focusing on the positives you can add makes the experience much more enjoyable...
I guess it's kind of like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
I like that! That's a great thought process to adopt. I tend to be the type of person who would slip up and have a bite or more of deliciousness in the breakroom at work, then decide I already screwed up for the day, so don't even try to eat healthy. I know, it's a sad state of mind. My 3rd day into this, I've consumed more vegetables and less sugar than I've had in months! This is definitely a positive!
Many people have that all or nothing mindset and when they strive for perfection and inevitably slip up, they tend to think "to heck with it I might as well eat whatever I want" or "this is just too hard, I have to give up".
This is one of the reasons I and many others here try to make sure people know you don't have to give everything up, that it is possible to eat sweets (any food really) in moderation and lose weight/be healthy. It's why I and others react so strongly when people make things like "sugar is poison" or "processed foods are bad for you" because it creates this mindset in many that feel like they have to give everything they love up, and for most people, that's just not the case.
You keep saying you are doing this to see if it helps with some symptoms and that's fine. But there are a lot of others who are new here lurking these forums who read these bold statements that sugar is bad, or you need to adhere to a list of good/bad foods in order to "detox" your body, and that's just not true.
I totally agree with you, but please realize two important points: 1. I am not telling anyone else to do this with me, and 2. I will not be doing this forever! The sugar is poison comment is something I've read and heard from several sources and the amounts I was consuming could very well have negative impact on my health. As soon as I'm finished with my 21 days, will I indulge in a delicious bagel and a pumpkin spice latte? YES! Will I share a decadent dessert with a gentleman at the end of a fabulous dinner? YES! Will I consider it poison, no, but the amount of disgusting refined grocery store bought food I was consuming was probably at poisonous levels. I'm tired of defending myself while I make positive changes. I'm sure someone will find something in here to argue about now.4 -
One of the things I took away from my 2 10-day no added sugar/no-processed foods stints was that I forgot how much I liked cooking! It sort of forced me into getting back into the groove. Because I had to do a lot of planning, it helped me get back into that mindset.
Do I still have processed food? Yes. Do I still have refined sugar? Yes. It's just much more balanced now.1 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
No qualms at all from me in regards to cutting back on free sugars...most people could stand to do so...but I do think people tend to overemphasize eliminations vs what they can add to their diets to make them better. IMO, focusing on the positives you can add makes the experience much more enjoyable...
I guess it's kind of like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
I like that! That's a great thought process to adopt. I tend to be the type of person who would slip up and have a bite or more of deliciousness in the breakroom at work, then decide I already screwed up for the day, so don't even try to eat healthy. I know, it's a sad state of mind. My 3rd day into this, I've consumed more vegetables and less sugar than I've had in months! This is definitely a positive!
Many people have that all or nothing mindset and when they strive for perfection and inevitably slip up, they tend to think "to heck with it I might as well eat whatever I want" or "this is just too hard, I have to give up".
This is one of the reasons I and many others here try to make sure people know you don't have to give everything up, that it is possible to eat sweets (any food really) in moderation and lose weight/be healthy. It's why I and others react so strongly when people make things like "sugar is poison" or "processed foods are bad for you" because it creates this mindset in many that feel like they have to give everything they love up, and for most people, that's just not the case.
You keep saying you are doing this to see if it helps with some symptoms and that's fine. But there are a lot of others who are new here lurking these forums who read these bold statements that sugar is bad, or you need to adhere to a list of good/bad foods in order to "detox" your body, and that's just not true.
I totally agree with you, but please realize two important points: 1. I am not telling anyone else to do this with me, and 2. I will not be doing this forever! The sugar is poison comment is something I've read and heard from several sources and the amounts I was consuming could very well have negative impact on my health. As soon as I'm finished with my 21 days, will I indulge in a delicious bagel and a pumpkin spice latte? YES! Will I share a decadent dessert with a gentleman at the end of a fabulous dinner? YES! Will I consider it poison, no, but the amount of disgusting refined grocery store bought food I was consuming was probably at poisonous levels. I'm tired of defending myself while I make positive changes. I'm sure someone will find something in here to argue about now.
I assure you, none of us are arguing with you, some of us are simply pointing out blanket comments not based in fact . There is nothing wrong with doing an elimination diet to find out what your issue is, but making the kinds of statement I put in bold is not based on any true fact that refined grocery store bought food is disgusting and has any possibility of being at poisonous levels. That is the spreading of misinformation.
Of course you should, under the supervision of your doctor and a good registered dietician, work on finding out what is making you feel badly. However, I am also pointing out the fact that refined foods with sugar in them have a whole lot of other ingredients as well, so it might not be the actual sugar but other ingredients in them that are causing problems. For example, while doing an elimination diet at two different times, I found it was was never the actual sugar causing problems but lactose, and then soy.
People with diabetes and insulin resistance often do not tolerate high levels of carbs/sugar very well, but they can still eat moderate amounts. Please consider that there could be another medical issue going on that needs attention as well.1 -
I support your decision. I'm also in the "evil" camp when speaking of refined sugar. If you normally eat foods with refined sugar and you cut it out, naturally you'll lose some weight, so there's that to look forward to!
And I found that when I do eat refined sugar now, it makes me feel ill. Not terrible, but I can tell that I've had it and I don't like the way I feel.
One of the things I found helpful is to make some treats, often found in "paleo" recipies, that use natural sources of sugar, like raisins or stevia, or maple syrup. They always taste earthy, but after a while you get use to the taste of natural sweet, and the refined sugar taste becomes unappealing - it's a learning curve and takes a while to get use to a different kind of sweet. And as always, portion control, being reasonable, etc. wins the day.
Good luck! You can do it! Other people have and so can you!
p.s. it's kind of amazing how vehement some people get over this topic!!3 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
No qualms at all from me in regards to cutting back on free sugars...most people could stand to do so...but I do think people tend to overemphasize eliminations vs what they can add to their diets to make them better. IMO, focusing on the positives you can add makes the experience much more enjoyable...
I guess it's kind of like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
I like that! That's a great thought process to adopt. I tend to be the type of person who would slip up and have a bite or more of deliciousness in the breakroom at work, then decide I already screwed up for the day, so don't even try to eat healthy. I know, it's a sad state of mind. My 3rd day into this, I've consumed more vegetables and less sugar than I've had in months! This is definitely a positive!
Many people have that all or nothing mindset and when they strive for perfection and inevitably slip up, they tend to think "to heck with it I might as well eat whatever I want" or "this is just too hard, I have to give up".
This is one of the reasons I and many others here try to make sure people know you don't have to give everything up, that it is possible to eat sweets (any food really) in moderation and lose weight/be healthy. It's why I and others react so strongly when people make things like "sugar is poison" or "processed foods are bad for you" because it creates this mindset in many that feel like they have to give everything they love up, and for most people, that's just not the case.
You keep saying you are doing this to see if it helps with some symptoms and that's fine. But there are a lot of others who are new here lurking these forums who read these bold statements that sugar is bad, or you need to adhere to a list of good/bad foods in order to "detox" your body, and that's just not true.
I totally agree with you, but please realize two important points: 1. I am not telling anyone else to do this with me, and 2. I will not be doing this forever! The sugar is poison comment is something I've read and heard from several sources and the amounts I was consuming could very well have negative impact on my health. As soon as I'm finished with my 21 days, will I indulge in a delicious bagel and a pumpkin spice latte? YES! Will I share a decadent dessert with a gentleman at the end of a fabulous dinner? YES! Will I consider it poison, no, but the amount of disgusting refined grocery store bought food I was consuming was probably at poisonous levels. I'm tired of defending myself while I make positive changes. I'm sure someone will find something in here to argue about now.
I assure you, none of us are arguing with you, some of us are simply pointing out blanket comments not based in fact . There is nothing wrong with doing an elimination diet to find out what your issue is, but making the kinds of statement I put in bold is not based on any true fact that refined grocery store bought food is disgusting and has any possibility of being at poisonous levels. That is the spreading of misinformation.
Of course you should, under the supervision of your doctor and a good registered dietician, work on finding out what is making you feel badly. However, I am also pointing out the fact that refined foods with sugar in them have a whole lot of other ingredients as well, so it might not be the actual sugar but other ingredients in them that are causing problems. For example, while doing an elimination diet at two different times, I found it was was never the actual sugar causing problems but lactose, and then soy.
People with diabetes and insulin resistance often do not tolerate high levels of carbs/sugar very well, but they can still eat moderate amounts. Please consider that there could be another medical issue going on that needs attention as well.
As an RN, I know. You've driven your point home. Can you move on?0 -
EspressoLvr wrote: »I support your decision. I'm also in the "evil" camp when speaking of refined sugar. If you normally eat foods with refined sugar and you cut it out, naturally you'll lose some weight, so there's that to look forward to!
And I found that when I do eat refined sugar now, it makes me feel ill. Not terrible, but I can tell that I've had it and I don't like the way I feel.
One of the things I found helpful is to make some treats, often found in "paleo" recipies, that use natural sources of sugar, like raisins or stevia, or maple syrup. They always taste earthy, but after a while you get use to the taste of natural sweet, and the refined sugar taste becomes unappealing - it's a learning curve and takes a while to get use to a different kind of sweet. And as always, portion control, being reasonable, etc. wins the day.
Good luck! You can do it! Other people have and so can you!
p.s. it's kind of amazing how vehement some people get over this topic!!
Thank you 'getting it', espressoLvr!0 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »Hi everyone! So, yesterday I posted in the Food discussion board that I had decided to cut out sugar from my diet cold turkey for the next 21 days to see if I feel better, look better, have more energy, lose some weight, etc... I guess I made the mistake of saying that sugar is poison, as that statement didn't go over too well with a few folks. Anyway, that is beside the point and I am happy to report that I made it 2 days, 2 DAYS!!!without sugar!
Yes, I know vegetables even have sugar, but I'm talking about all things refined and processed and the cause of my serious weight gain over the last 6 months. I'm feeling pretty good, but tired and I have a headache, but when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was down 4 pounds just from yesterday. I know, probably mostly water weight, but it's okay...my weight will hopefully trend in the right direction now. Anyway, could use encouragement, advice, or any new friends who'd like to join me. I'm using the 21 day sugar detox. I am just following the list that I found on google images with the list of yes food and no foods!
Good luck. I have the same mindset about sugar -- my life is better without it.
My doctor told me to lower my sugar intake. I don't have diabetes but my blood sugar numbers are creeping up. My life is better without sugar (and I mean refined, processed, added sugar, not the natural sugar in fruits and vegetables). When I eat processed sugar, I crave more. It ruins my skin, too.
Here's an interesting study that appeared on CNN today. It says if you drink 2 sweetened drinks a day you double your diabetes risk:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/22/health/sweetened-drinks-double-diabetes-risk/index.html2 -
PennWalker wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »Hi everyone! So, yesterday I posted in the Food discussion board that I had decided to cut out sugar from my diet cold turkey for the next 21 days to see if I feel better, look better, have more energy, lose some weight, etc... I guess I made the mistake of saying that sugar is poison, as that statement didn't go over too well with a few folks. Anyway, that is beside the point and I am happy to report that I made it 2 days, 2 DAYS!!!without sugar!
Yes, I know vegetables even have sugar, but I'm talking about all things refined and processed and the cause of my serious weight gain over the last 6 months. I'm feeling pretty good, but tired and I have a headache, but when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was down 4 pounds just from yesterday. I know, probably mostly water weight, but it's okay...my weight will hopefully trend in the right direction now. Anyway, could use encouragement, advice, or any new friends who'd like to join me. I'm using the 21 day sugar detox. I am just following the list that I found on google images with the list of yes food and no foods!
Good luck. I have the same mindset about sugar -- my life is better without it.
My doctor told me to lower my sugar intake. I don't have diabetes but my blood sugar numbers are creeping up. My life is better without sugar (and I mean refined, processed, added sugar, not the natural sugar in fruits and vegetables). When I eat processed sugar, I crave more. It ruins my skin, too.
Here's an interesting study that appeared on CNN today. It says if you drink 2 sweetened drinks a day you double your diabetes risk:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/22/health/sweetened-drinks-double-diabetes-risk/index.html
I'm glad you found a way of eating that works for you, but.....sugar does not cause diabetes. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/
There is a difference between correlation and causation. Quoted directly from the article:"The study suffers from the same limitations as apply to most association studies. Even after controlling for effects of many other possible factors, including poor diet and heavier body weight, it is not possible to conclude that sweetened beverages are the direct cause of the relationship they have shown."0 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Wannabmarathoner wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
No qualms at all from me in regards to cutting back on free sugars...most people could stand to do so...but I do think people tend to overemphasize eliminations vs what they can add to their diets to make them better. IMO, focusing on the positives you can add makes the experience much more enjoyable...
I guess it's kind of like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
I like that! That's a great thought process to adopt. I tend to be the type of person who would slip up and have a bite or more of deliciousness in the breakroom at work, then decide I already screwed up for the day, so don't even try to eat healthy. I know, it's a sad state of mind. My 3rd day into this, I've consumed more vegetables and less sugar than I've had in months! This is definitely a positive!
Many people have that all or nothing mindset and when they strive for perfection and inevitably slip up, they tend to think "to heck with it I might as well eat whatever I want" or "this is just too hard, I have to give up".
This is one of the reasons I and many others here try to make sure people know you don't have to give everything up, that it is possible to eat sweets (any food really) in moderation and lose weight/be healthy. It's why I and others react so strongly when people make things like "sugar is poison" or "processed foods are bad for you" because it creates this mindset in many that feel like they have to give everything they love up, and for most people, that's just not the case.
You keep saying you are doing this to see if it helps with some symptoms and that's fine. But there are a lot of others who are new here lurking these forums who read these bold statements that sugar is bad, or you need to adhere to a list of good/bad foods in order to "detox" your body, and that's just not true.
I totally agree with you, but please realize two important points: 1. I am not telling anyone else to do this with me, and 2. I will not be doing this forever! The sugar is poison comment is something I've read and heard from several sources and the amounts I was consuming could very well have negative impact on my health. As soon as I'm finished with my 21 days, will I indulge in a delicious bagel and a pumpkin spice latte? YES! Will I share a decadent dessert with a gentleman at the end of a fabulous dinner? YES! Will I consider it poison, no, but the amount of disgusting refined grocery store bought food I was consuming was probably at poisonous levels. I'm tired of defending myself while I make positive changes. I'm sure someone will find something in here to argue about now.
I assure you, none of us are arguing with you, some of us are simply pointing out blanket comments not based in fact . There is nothing wrong with doing an elimination diet to find out what your issue is, but making the kinds of statement I put in bold is not based on any true fact that refined grocery store bought food is disgusting and has any possibility of being at poisonous levels. That is the spreading of misinformation.
Of course you should, under the supervision of your doctor and a good registered dietician, work on finding out what is making you feel badly. However, I am also pointing out the fact that refined foods with sugar in them have a whole lot of other ingredients as well, so it might not be the actual sugar but other ingredients in them that are causing problems. For example, while doing an elimination diet at two different times, I found it was was never the actual sugar causing problems but lactose, and then soy.
People with diabetes and insulin resistance often do not tolerate high levels of carbs/sugar very well, but they can still eat moderate amounts. Please consider that there could be another medical issue going on that needs attention as well.
As an RN, I know. You've driven your point home. Can you move on?
Well, I'm glad that you see my point regarding the picture picture because I wasn't sure, hence my further comments.
No thank you, I choose not to move on because I'm enjoying reading what everyone has to say, as well as participating in the discussion.
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MamaSooz89129 wrote: »Kudos to you and I wish you well, being sugar free for 21 days is the best decision you can make about your health. You won't be dependent on it anymore, you'll enjoy fruit and vegetables more - and you'll come to enjoy a quality treat once in awhile - and really savor it - far above a steady stream of cheap sugar thrills!
Hmm. As I mentioned in the prior thread, I have gone without added sugar for a month before, and I thought it was surprisingly easy (hardly worth all this discussion!), but also -- and why I'm posting -- it certainly did not make me enjoy fruit and veg more. That strikes me as a deeply weird claim. I loved fruit and veg before, did while avoiding added sugar, and do now (when I'm back to eating some added sugar in moderation).
The idea that one can't have a healthful diet mostly based on foods that don't include added sugar and, of course, many vegetables and fruits, unless you do a detox (which isn't a detox, as that's entirely inapplicable) or give up added sugar is so strange to me.
I'm very interested in discussing why people choose to do these short term challenges and what they get out of them (I talked about it in the other thread, although OP seemed more interested in provoking a debate about sugar). I'm also interested in talking about barriers to eating a healthful diet if people find that challenging. But the idea that if you don't eat added sugar you necessarily eat more veg or a better overall diet (or, most weirdly, enjoy veg more) is false.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
Yeah, this is exactly what worked for me. I mostly changed the nutritional quality of my diet some years ago, and that's exactly what I did. Eventually I back-slide some (more due to depression and being sedentary and not adjusting, but also because I'd convinced myself if I ate a healthful diet I did't need to worry about amounts, which was wrong--I can overdo it even then, and also I was allowing in some high-fat things like more oil and butter than I needed, cheese, etc. in overly large amounts), so cut back again. But I find so long as I eat a good diet eating too much junk food or added sugar or whatever it's any issue -- it wouldn't fit and just isn't how I eat. I think it makes more sense to focus on things like eating lots of vegetables, good quality protein sources (whether lean meat, such as fish, which I adore, or legumes, etc.), whole foods in general.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »MamaSooz89129 wrote: »Kudos to you and I wish you well, being sugar free for 21 days is the best decision you can make about your health. You won't be dependent on it anymore, you'll enjoy fruit and vegetables more - and you'll come to enjoy a quality treat once in awhile - and really savor it - far above a steady stream of cheap sugar thrills!
Hmm. As I mentioned in the prior thread, I have gone without added sugar for a month before, and I thought it was surprisingly easy (hardly worth all this discussion!), but also -- and why I'm posting -- it certainly did not make me enjoy fruit and veg more. That strikes me as a deeply weird claim. I loved fruit and veg before, did while avoiding added sugar, and do now (when I'm back to eating some added sugar in moderation).
The idea that one can't have a healthful diet mostly based on foods that don't include added sugar and, of course, many vegetables and fruits, unless you do a detox (which isn't a detox, as that's entirely inapplicable) or give up added sugar is so strange to me.
I'm very interested in discussing why people choose to do these short term challenges and what they get out of them (I talked about it in the other thread, although OP seemed more interested in provoking a debate about sugar). I'm also interested in talking about barriers to eating a healthful diet if people find that challenging. But the idea that if you don't eat added sugar you necessarily eat more veg or a better overall diet (or, most weirdly, enjoy veg more) is false.
Lemurcat12. I was NOT trying provoke a debate about sugar then or now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes that is the most exclamation points I've ever used! I strongly would like encouragement and motivation and never ever intended to stir up the drama you have encouraged and still are encouraging. Moving on........
To answer your question, short challenges are fun for me. Be it a 30- day plank challenge, or no Facebook for one year, or run one mile every day for a month, whatever it is, I love them! It feels gratifying for me to reach the goal! I'm very goal oriented in work and in my personal life. I always strive to be better than I was yesterday. I am trying to get to the root of some health concerns so cutting out simple sugars for 21 days is simply my way to be a better person and to experiment. Now with my experience with you and a few folks here, I will get backlash 'so you're saying I'm a bad person because I eat sugar?' NO! This isn't about you! It is about me and I'm here to get a little encouragement and not be backed in a corner to explain everything I say!3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »When I started this stuff over four years ago, I put more emphasis on what I could add to my diet to make it better than what I needed to take away...when I focused on adding positives to my diet, the negatives just naturally fell by the way side.
No qualms at all from me in regards to cutting back on free sugars...most people could stand to do so...but I do think people tend to overemphasize eliminations vs what they can add to their diets to make them better. IMO, focusing on the positives you can add makes the experience much more enjoyable...
I guess it's kind of like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
I absolutely love this post because it reinforces my belief that the glass is always half full rather than half empty.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I'm very interested in discussing why people choose to do these short term challenges and what they get out of them (I talked about it in the other thread, although OP seemed more interested in provoking a debate about sugar). I'm also interested in talking about barriers to eating a healthful diet if people find that challenging. But the idea that if you don't eat added sugar you necessarily eat more veg or a better overall diet (or, most weirdly, enjoy veg more) is false.
I found a 10 day no-added sugar/no processed foods doable. That's only like a week and a half, I told myself. Longer would be harder. Now, of course, I'm looking at a lifetime of journaling food intake, but somehow that seems more feasible than it did when I started this journey six months ago.
I had certain ground rules when I started. Pertinent to this discussion: I refused to look at any kind of diet or plan that had me eliminating food groups.
It was just a way to force myself to really look at what I had been eating, to read labels, to get back in the habit of writing out meal plans ahead of time, and to get back into the habit of cooking. Like I said up thread I do eat processed food on occasion. I do consume added sugar. It's just much more in moderation than it was before.
For me it's worked.
2 -
Wannabmarathoner wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »MamaSooz89129 wrote: »Kudos to you and I wish you well, being sugar free for 21 days is the best decision you can make about your health. You won't be dependent on it anymore, you'll enjoy fruit and vegetables more - and you'll come to enjoy a quality treat once in awhile - and really savor it - far above a steady stream of cheap sugar thrills!
Hmm. As I mentioned in the prior thread, I have gone without added sugar for a month before, and I thought it was surprisingly easy (hardly worth all this discussion!), but also -- and why I'm posting -- it certainly did not make me enjoy fruit and veg more. That strikes me as a deeply weird claim. I loved fruit and veg before, did while avoiding added sugar, and do now (when I'm back to eating some added sugar in moderation).
The idea that one can't have a healthful diet mostly based on foods that don't include added sugar and, of course, many vegetables and fruits, unless you do a detox (which isn't a detox, as that's entirely inapplicable) or give up added sugar is so strange to me.
I'm very interested in discussing why people choose to do these short term challenges and what they get out of them (I talked about it in the other thread, although OP seemed more interested in provoking a debate about sugar). I'm also interested in talking about barriers to eating a healthful diet if people find that challenging. But the idea that if you don't eat added sugar you necessarily eat more veg or a better overall diet (or, most weirdly, enjoy veg more) is false.
Lemurcat12. I was NOT trying provoke a debate about sugar then or now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes that is the most exclamation points I've ever used! I strongly would like encouragement and motivation and never ever intended to stir up the drama you have encouraged and still are encouraging. Moving on........
Hmm. How am I trying to stir up drama? (I think the poster I responded to above was doing that.) You purported in the other thread to be interested if anyone else had cut out added sugar and what their experiences were, and so I contributed mine. From what you've said, it sounds as if one of your issues (which wasn't mine) was not eating a nutrient-dense diet or vegetables or whatever, and I'd say that doing that is a great thing and entirely independent from cutting out added sugar. I also think there can be benefits to cutting out added sugar -- which really doesn't require a list of foods, which makes it sound as if whatever you are doing its something else, but whatever -- as I keep saying and have explained from my own experiences, but benefits ARE NOT removing poison (fructose and glucose are, well, fructose and glucose, and they are in fruit too, which is obviously not poison) and ARE NOT that it's impossible to have a healthful diet without doing it.
If you want encouragement for this experiment, I'm happy to contribute it, and if you want to chat about the benefits of challenges or what you get out of them, I'm interested, as I said (to zero response, since as I said I don't actually think is what you were looking for), I'm also interested. I find experimenting with different food things helpful and interesting too.To answer your question, short challenges are fun for me. Be it a 30- day plank challenge, or no Facebook for one year, or run one mile every day for a month, whatever it is, I love them! It feels gratifying for me to reach the goal! I'm very goal oriented in work and in my personal life. I always strive to be better than I was yesterday. I am trying to get to the root of some health concerns so cutting out simple sugars for 21 days is simply my way to be a better person and to experiment.
Many of those challenges are not my thing (I don't think doing daily planks vs. a more sensible training program makes sense), but I do get it and to some extent feel the same way (as I said both here and in the other thread).
Not sure how not eating added sugar (you AREN'T cutting out simple sugars, as they are in fruit, veg, and dairy), makes one a better person, but if it helps you get your diet on track is is a will-power or "can I do this" thing, I again get it. I mean, I did a similar thing myself (although I don't think it made me a better person--I'd say there are other things I work on for that).Now with my experience with you and a few folks here, I will get backlash 'so you're saying I'm a bad person because I eat sugar?' NO! This isn't about you! It is about me and I'm here to get a little encouragement and not be backed in a corner to explain everything I say!
This isn't backlash. I do think you are confusing various things -- one isn't a better person because one cuts out added sugar (something that is trivially easy to do for a while, vs. actually working on being a good person -- what always shocks me is how people act like it's some huge hard thing). More significantly, and what I mentioned in the other thread (guess it made you mad, but I never got to see your response, if any), is that it doesn't really determine if you have a good diet or not. Can it be helpful for other reasons? Of course, as I keep saying.
I totally support your efforts to cut out added sugar for a while (as I would anyone who decided to improve her diet by cutting down on sugary snacks or sweets, even though I happen to agree with cwolfman's approach to improving one's diet). I also support your efforts to improve your diet overall, as I think you are also doing. And I also enjoy challenges or setting goals and seeing if I can do them. I think it that was what this thread (and the other) was really about there'd be less drama, but who knows, I could be wrong.
I'm honestly confused why you are seeing my posts as critical of what you are doing as I keep saying I'm all for it. That's what makes me think that maybe you want to provoke a debate, since I've maybe committed the sin of saying a no added sugar challenge can be worthwhile, but that I don't think it means someone has a better diet than those eating moderate amounts of added sugar (and definitely isn't required to fit in vegetables or to enjoy them -- I think it's just normal and responsible to eat and enjoy vegetables, and doesn't take a challenge -- I know you didn't say this, it was the post I was responding to that I was taking issue with).0
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