No more added or artificial sugar: who's with me?

tigersword

have you seen how many athletes that have severe health problems in later life?
they also use , steriods, betablockers, and an awful lot of other unhealthy drugs . should i start using them too?

Really, which ones have you seen? Name me an athlete with severe health problems due to fructose ingestion...

knowledgeable "real" athletes know the dangers of excess sugar consumption, I would think... They eat "real" food, not fake food

:laugh:

"Real" athletes (I'm assuming as opposed to cardboard athletes?) usually eat mostly fast food, because they are on the road and traveling on a constant basis. Look at, for example, WWE wrestlers. They are all in fantastic shape, and perform at a very high level physically. They spend about 300 days a year traveling on the road. They don't eat home cooked meals. They eat fast food and 24 hour diners. Same can be said for baseball players, basketball players, and football players. When I was in fast food management in Massachusetts, I regularly got Patriots players in my restaurant, unless it was an away game week.

jonnythan

Who remembers the stories of the Red Sox players eating Popeye's in the clubhouse during games a year or two ago?

Mcgrawhaha

NOT ME!!! i love evil food, id rather chop off all my limbs, than give up sugar...

RllyGudTweetr

Who remembers the stories of the Red Sox players eating Popeye's in the clubhouse during games a year or two ago?

They even had - gasp! - beer in the clubhouse.

jonnythan

I changed from the other garbage sweeteners to having stevia for my sweet tooth after my GP told me about it and i've lost over 50lbs. I no longer have migraine and i'm happy and healthy...Why don't people like stevia? =(

I don't like stevia because it tastes like poison. The first time I tried stevia in my coffee I literally spit it out because I thought it had clearly gone rancid.

Mcgrawhaha

Who remembers the stories of the Red Sox players eating Popeye's in the clubhouse during games a year or two ago?

They even had - gasp! - beer in the clubhouse.

yeah, but that was before everyone got so sensitive...






















thanks alot bin laden...

jonnythan

Who remembers the stories of the Red Sox players eating Popeye's in the clubhouse during games a year or two ago?

They even had - gasp! - beer in the clubhouse.

Popeye's and beer. Livin the dream, man.

Mcgrawhaha

Unfortunately, I cannot go along with that either. I used to try diets that eliminated certain foods like carbs, fat or something specific like sugar and it was never a sustainable plan for me. Once I found MFP, i realized that I could still have all the foods I love, just in moderation. It has been a revelation and has kept me from falling off the wagon this time. I have lost 126lbs in 17 months and have ice cream everyday. This is an excellent thread if you want to give it a read.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

^^^yep^^^, this!!! smart girl up there! i too lost 100 pounds in 1 year, and did it while still eating skittles, donuts, ice cream... and flaming hot cheetos!

EvgeniZyntx

have you seen how many athletes that have severe health problems in later life?
they also use , steriods, betablockers, and an awful lot of other unhealthy drugs . should i start using them too?

Really, which ones have you seen? Name me an athlete with severe health problems due to fructose ingestion...

knowledgeable "real" athletes know the dangers of excess sugar consumption, I would think... They eat "real" food, not fake food

Is "real" mean not real. I'm confused. Are these fake athletes eating fake foods?



I don't even know what fake food means. Is an apple a fake food? You criticize them up-thread.

tigersword

I changed from the other garbage sweeteners to having stevia for my sweet tooth after my GP told me about it and i've lost over 50lbs. I no longer have migraine and i'm happy and healthy...Why don't people like stevia? =(

Also if i gave up 100% cold turkey on sugar and sweeteners i think i'd go on a binging rampage of terror destroying city's, eating all their donuts and such. I've tried it before and it was scary. Like something out of a Steven King Novel.

For the same reason people don't like sucralose or aspartame. It's just another option in the list of artificial sweeteners.

krawhitham

I only realized that I don't eat much sugar after starting MFP 10 days ago. I don't like the taste of artificial sweeteners, and the only sugar I get is usually from alcohol.

My bf is a *huge* candy nut, but I just don't have a sweet tooth! I prefer salty, like salted sunflower seeds to quell snack cravings.

I think I could do no added sugar pretty easily, but I am against elimination diets. I'm so close to zero on no added sugar or artificial sugar that I don't believe I have to track it. But I do believe that if you want to get as close to zero on those things as possible, maybe tracking for a few months is a good idea.

GingerLolita

I really can't understand all the negativity here (and in other threads about reducing/eliminating sugar). If someone wants to eat less sugar, it's a perfectly healthy goal. Of course, when people start talking about cutting out fruit, that's when they'll be missing important nutrients. But sugars added to processed foods, baked goods, and drinks aren't good for your health, although they may not be bad in moderation. Also, there's nothing wrong with avoiding artificial sugars, whether it's because you want to eat "cleaner", less processed foods or because you want to reduce sugar cravings.

Also, I'd like to point out that this is posted in "Food and Nutrition", so I don't know why everyone is talking about their weight losses, gains, etc. I'm trying to get my boyfriend (who is borderline underweight) to reduce his sugar intake because he eats way too many sweets and often has trouble sleeping and/or crashes, which is likely due to frequent sugar rushes, especially because he is prone to binge-eating.

I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake due to health reasons. I've already cut out artificial sweeteners because I'm trying to eat less processed food, another goal that is unfairly, unreasonably demonized on here. It's obviously healthier to eat less processed food, regardless of weight. Yes, you can get fat eating clean, whole foods, but you don't need to eat processed, sugary, artificial crap to be skinny and healthy. If you want to, that is your choice, but don't demonize the healthy choices of others.

So, OP, I say go for it! I'm glad that you said "added and artificial", not all sugars, and you recognize that you won't really be able to cut out all added sugars. I'm started making more things at home, such as muffins, granola, cereal bars, etc., so that I have more control over the amount of sugar. I'm trying to adhere to MFP's sugar goal to see if I get any health benefits from it. I still have plenty of fruit each day because I love fruit, although I don't drink juice because I want to save my calories for eating and there's too much sugar without many other nutrients from fruit. I don't think your goal sounds like an elimination diet, because you'll still have naturally-occurring and a small amount of added sugars. Good luck and I hope you achieve whatever nutrition goals you have.

tigersword

I really can't understand all the negativity here (and in other threads about reducing/eliminating sugar). If someone wants to eat less sugar, it's a perfectly healthy goal. Of course, when people start talking about cutting out fruit, that's when they'll be missing important nutrients. But sugars added to processed foods, baked goods, and drinks aren't good for your health, although they may not be bad in moderation. Also, there's nothing wrong with avoiding artificial sugars, whether it's because you want to eat "cleaner", less processed foods or because you want to reduce sugar cravings.

Also, I'd like to point out that this is posted in "Food and Nutrition", so I don't know why everyone is talking about their weight losses, gains, etc. I'm trying to get my boyfriend (who is borderline underweight) to reduce his sugar intake because he eats way too many sweets and often has trouble sleeping and/or crashes, which is likely due to frequent sugar rushes, especially because he is prone to binge-eating.

I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake due to health reasons. I've already cut out artificial sweeteners because I'm trying to eat less processed food, another goal that is unfairly, unreasonably demonized on here. It's obviously healthier to eat less processed food, regardless of weight. Yes, you can get fat eating clean, whole foods, but you don't need to eat processed, sugary, artificial crap to be skinny and healthy. If you want to, that is your choice, but don't demonize the healthy choices of others.

So, OP, I say go for it! I'm glad that you said "added and artificial", not all sugars, and you recognize that you won't really be able to cut out all added sugars. I'm started making more things at home, such as muffins, granola, cereal bars, etc., so that I have more control over the amount of sugar. I'm trying to adhere to MFP's sugar goal to see if I get any health benefits from it. I still have plenty of fruit each day because I love fruit, although I don't drink juice because I want to save my calories for eating and there's too much sugar without many other nutrients from fruit. I don't think your goal sounds like an elimination diet, because you'll still have naturally-occurring and a small amount of added sugars. Good luck and I hope you achieve whatever nutrition goals you have.

This is exactly why there are so many people speaking out about not needing to reduce these things. I've bolded the parts of your post I'm referring to. It's actually NOT "healthier" to eat less processed foods. From a health standpoint it doesn't matter, provided you are meeting your calorie, macro, and micronutrient goals. Also, added sugar in foods has no impact on health, either, again, so long as you are meeting your overall nutritional goals. For many people, restricting specific foods leads to failure, because they are foods they enjoy, and they don't negatively impact health when eaten as part of an overall food plan. Unless something specifically damages a person's health due to a disease or allergy, then there is no reason to arbitrarily eliminate it. When people don't arbitrarily eliminate foods that other people tell them to, they succeed more often.

As for your boyfriend, if he's near underweight, I'd say his crashes have way more to do with not eating enough calories, and have nothing at all to do with eating sugar.

J72FIT

have you seen how many athletes that have severe health problems in later life?
they also use , steriods, betablockers, and an awful lot of other unhealthy drugs . should i start using them too?

Really, which ones have you seen? Name me an athlete with severe health problems due to fructose ingestion...

knowledgeable "real" athletes know the dangers of excess sugar consumption, I would think... They eat "real" food, not fake food

Still waiting for someone to name an athlete with severe health problems later in life from fructose/sugar intake...

RllyGudTweetr

have you seen how many athletes that have severe health problems in later life?
they also use , steriods, betablockers, and an awful lot of other unhealthy drugs . should i start using them too?

Really, which ones have you seen? Name me an athlete with severe health problems due to fructose ingestion...

knowledgeable "real" athletes know the dangers of excess sugar consumption, I would think... They eat "real" food, not fake food

Is "real" mean not real. I'm confused. Are these fake athletes eating fake foods?



I don't even know what fake food means. Is an apple a fake food? You criticize them up-thread.

Is Michael Phelps not a "real" athlete? Please clarify.

Jlan11

I am with you on this! I see people complaining about totally cutting a certain food out of a diet but for some personalities, this is the best way to go. If I allow a little, the little becomes a little more, then a little more and so on. Cold turkey is the way to go for me. We are not all alike.

I agree. Some people are better with complete avoidance of trigger foods like sugar. I think it's a great goal to try to have natural sweeteners. You can still treat yourself to something sweet, but it doesn't have to include the artificial or processed sugars.

RllyGudTweetr

I am with you on this! I see people complaining about totally cutting a certain food out of a diet but for some personalities, this is the best way to go. If I allow a little, the little becomes a little more, then a little more and so on. Cold turkey is the way to go for me. We are not all alike.

I agree. Some people are better with complete avoidance of trigger foods like sugar. I think it's a great goal to try to have natural sweeteners. You can still treat yourself to something sweet, but it doesn't have to include the artificial or processed sugars.

Sugar's not natural?

J72FIT

I am with you on this! I see people complaining about totally cutting a certain food out of a diet but for some personalities, this is the best way to go. If I allow a little, the little becomes a little more, then a little more and so on. Cold turkey is the way to go for me. We are not all alike.

I agree. Some people are better with complete avoidance of trigger foods like sugar. I think it's a great goal to try to have natural sweeteners. You can still treat yourself to something sweet, but it doesn't have to include the artificial or processed sugars.

That statement is true. The issue is labeling the food in and of itself as bad. If added processed sugar causes a person to over consume then by all means avoid it. That does not mean though that added processed sugars are bad in and of themselves. If you have had success by avoiding added processed sugars more power to you. Just don't demonized the food and or the people who are doing well consuming it.

Cindyinpg

have you seen how many athletes that have severe health problems in later life?
they also use , steriods, betablockers, and an awful lot of other unhealthy drugs . should i start using them too?

Really, which ones have you seen? Name me an athlete with severe health problems due to fructose ingestion...

knowledgeable "real" athletes know the dangers of excess sugar consumption, I would think... They eat "real" food, not fake food

Still waiting for someone to name an athlete with severe health problems later in life from fructose/sugar intake...

Good luck. We'll get the answer to this the same day we get the answer to what toxins are removed with a cleanse.