Sugar Free

Sadagopan84

Watch the following links if you have time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nGlLUBkOQ

These videos are propaganda designed to scare you into a lifestyle change (and usually entice you to buy a book). Most of the studies are highly cherry picked. I would consider looking into studies done by a reputable source such as the NIH, AJM, Harvard, or at least websites that reference and link to other studies.

Keep in mind, this isn't to say that you shouldn't look to opitimize nutrition by following a 80/20 rule. But many of us can hit micro and macro goals while having refined sugar. Additionally, we can improve our energy, skin, etc..

I would suspect that overall health is more than just diet, it's exercise, medications (anitbiotics) and overall eating habits; keeping in mind, that we aren't telling a person to live off of refined sugar, but without medical cause, there isn't a reason to fear sugar.

Hi,
The first link is a presentation by Mr. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The second link is a documentary by BBC about over consumption and effect of sugary drinks/ food. If you don't believe that Harvard research then read this
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/sugar-and-salt/

Article about sugar in Frobes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/02/03/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-sugar/

Recommendation by WHO :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2530885/Cut-sugar-intake-HALF-New-health-warning-says-limit-cut-five-teaspoons-day-fears-contributes-heart-disease.html.

No one is asking you to buy a book or sell some fancy item here. The links only tell to reduce the sugar not go without sugar. So its not bad idea to try reducing sugar.

Lustig is just as bad a quack, if not worse, than Dr. Oz.

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC. He is not giving a bad suggestion all he says is to stop over consuming sugar. There is no harm in trying it. I m not telling he is 100% correct but what he says makes some sense.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

cebreisch

Whenever I've tried to completely cut something out, it's totally backfired on me and that's all I want. I know cutting out sugar for me would be a horrible endeavor.

Not sure that cutting out sugar completely is the best answer. Watching your sugar levels is always a good idea, but cutting them out completely may prove to be a bigger challenge than you thought.

If that's the way you really want to go, I'd just be cautious and make sure that when you do have sugar, it's worth it.

QuietBloom

Watch the following links if you have time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nGlLUBkOQ

These videos are propaganda designed to scare you into a lifestyle change (and usually entice you to buy a book). Most of the studies are highly cherry picked. I would consider looking into studies done by a reputable source such as the NIH, AJM, Harvard, or at least websites that reference and link to other studies.

Keep in mind, this isn't to say that you shouldn't look to opitimize nutrition by following a 80/20 rule. But many of us can hit micro and macro goals while having refined sugar. Additionally, we can improve our energy, skin, etc..

I would suspect that overall health is more than just diet, it's exercise, medications (anitbiotics) and overall eating habits; keeping in mind, that we aren't telling a person to live off of refined sugar, but without medical cause, there isn't a reason to fear sugar.

Hi,
The first link is a presentation by Mr. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The second link is a documentary by BBC about over consumption and effect of sugary drinks/ food. If you don't believe that Harvard research then read this
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/sugar-and-salt/

Article about sugar in Frobes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/02/03/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-sugar/

Recommendation by WHO :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2530885/Cut-sugar-intake-HALF-New-health-warning-says-limit-cut-five-teaspoons-day-fears-contributes-heart-disease.html.

No one is asking you to buy a book or sell some fancy item here. The links only tell to reduce the sugar not go without sugar. So its not bad idea to try reducing sugar.

Lustig is just as bad a quack, if not worse, than Dr. Oz.

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC. He is not giving a bad suggestion all he says is to stop over consuming sugar. There is no harm in trying it. I m not telling he is 100% correct but what he says makes some sense.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO

Are you serious with this one? Where is jonnythan or jof when you need them. Heck, I'll even take Delicious_Cocktail.

How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less

Where are you getting this number? How many bodybuilders do you know? They eat pretty much everything, except when getting ready for a competition.

Sugar is an excellent source of the brain's most important nutrient: Glucose. It literally can't run without it.

Refining does nothing to change the molecular structure of sugar. It is still a glucose molecule attached to a fructose molecule, no matter how you slice it. The only processing sugar gets is to remove plant cellulose by washing. That's it.

I_Will_End_You

Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO

How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less

LOL. You must be new here.

Sadagopan84

Hi,
I not telling that cut all sugar, i am telling we will get enough sugar form other sources so it is good to reduce processed food and sugar. i agree that refined sugar is same as what we get from fruits. Lets take an orange and orange juice

raw orange:
Calories 85 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 326 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 21 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 4 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 17 g
Trans 0 g Protein 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg

Orange juice:
Calories 120 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 26 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 26 g
Trans 0 g Protein 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg

Orange has potassium and less sugar. Also you can not eat the same amount of orange as compared to juice so less calories to fill you up.

Also body builders use sugar only limited amount to bulk up as i said. They cut down on sugar when cutting. Also we have to look only at their diet when they prepare for a show as that is when they build muscles. I am here in myfitnesspal to improve my health and build muscle so i look only how they prepare for a show. Also i had PT in gym who was a body building champ. I know few other friends who are doing local shows.

I don't want to force an idea on others but i am telling what i am doing here. It works for me so i keep my idea and if it does not work for you something else works then you keep yours. Also I am open to listen to others as i like experimenting with new plans.

Ctrum69

For the record: I cut out processed sugar wherever possible (Yes, I use a tsp of sugar when I make bread, to make two loaves.. that's not what I'm talking about), because I found myself constantly gravitating towards sweet things that were useless for my dietary needs. Sodas, candy bars, cookies, candies.

I've never advocated (nor will I) "not eating sugar" or "not eating carbs" or that there's any difference, realistically, between the sugar in a grape and the sugar in a coke.

However, I decided that FOR MY DIETARY NEEDS, the grape is the better choice, because it carries other things along with the sugar when you eat it, that a coke or a peppermint candy doesn't carry.

Simple as that.

I also learned that my "Sweet tooth" was based on steady exposure, not on any "need" for sweet things. Once I stopped eating sweetened things consistantly, I discovered that sugary (processed) foods actually taste TOO sweet, and naturally occuring sugars in their matrix, don't taste as sweet.

I do think that we get too much sugar, as a whole, in our daily processed food intake, if we don't pay attention to what we eat. I think few people who are not actively trying to hit nutrition points accurately are aware of the amount of sugar they tend to be consuming. I do think the massive increases in added sugars to foods, and availability of those foods, is part of what is driving the increase in obesity. None of that means that 'sugar is bad for you". It just means a lot of people don't pay attention to what they are eating.

It's that old "part of a healthy breakfast' picture that features chocolate coated sugar bombs, with orange juice, toast, eggs, and milk. You can totally eliminate the cereal.. and it's still just as, if not more, healthy a breakfast.

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Ctrum69

Hi,
I not telling that cut all sugar, i am telling we will get enough sugar form other sources so it is good to reduce processed food and sugar. i agree that refined sugar is same as what we get from fruits. Lets take an orange and orange juice

raw orange:
Calories 85 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 326 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 21 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 4 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 17 g
Trans 0 g Protein 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg

Orange juice:
Calories 120 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 26 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 26 g
Trans 0 g Protein 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg

Orange has potassium and less sugar. Also you can not eat the same amount of orange as compared to juice so less calories to fill you up.

Also body builders use sugar only limited amount to bulk up as i said. They cut down on sugar when cutting. Also we have to look only at their diet when they prepare for a show as that is when they build muscles. I am here in myfitnesspal to improve my health and build muscle so i look only how they prepare for a show. Also i had PT in gym who was a body building champ. I know few other friends who are doing local shows.

I don't want to force an idea on others but i am telling what i am doing here. It works for me so i keep my idea and if it does not work for you something else works then you keep yours. Also I am open to listen to others as i like experimenting with new plans.

Useless without volumes.

I can easily (and often do) eat two oranges. I also juice two oranges occasionally for a protein shake. they generally work out to about 8 oz of juice.

let's compare apples to apples:

juice from one orange:
Calories 39
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2 g 0%
Saturated fat 0 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 1 mg 0%
Potassium 172 mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 9 g 3%
Dietary fiber 0.2 g 0%
Sugar 7 g
Protein 0.6 g 1%
Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 71%
Calcium 0% Iron 1%
Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 0%
Vitamin B-12 0% Magnesium 2%


Amount Per 1 fruit (2-5/8" dia) (131 g)
Calories 62
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2 g 0%
Saturated fat 0 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 0 mg 0%
Potassium 237 mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 15 g 5%
Dietary fiber 3.1 g 12%
Sugar 12 g
Protein 1.2 g 2%
Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 116%
Calcium 5% Iron 0%
Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 5%
Vitamin B-12 0% Magnesium 3%


Well hokey smokes.. the orange has more calories and sugar than the juice. How bout that?

mccindy72

.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

Oh, wow, where are our body building friends.... I'm so sorry I stepped away.
Have you ever heard of carb-loading? Distance runners do it before a big race.
Body builders have been knows to eat Pop-Tarts (gasp!) before a competition.
Sugar is used for quick energy.
Blood sugar spikes and crashes happen when you over eat sugar and carbs, and don't eat enough of your other macros, which your 'diet' doctor should be telling you, if he's not, get a new one.

mccindy72

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Artificial sweeteners are not bad for you in moderation. There are numerous scientific studies which prove this to be true.
And if your "McMeal" fits into your calorie goal and your macros, and the diet soda will keep it there, and the regular soda will put you over the limits, then the diet soda is the better choice.

Ctrum69

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Artificial sweeteners are not bad for you in moderation. There are numerous scientific studies which prove this to be true.
And if your "McMeal" fits into your calorie goal and your macros, and the diet soda will keep it there, and the regular soda will put you over the limits, then the diet soda is the better choice.

If you say so.

http://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(13)00087-8

tigersword

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Artificial sweeteners are not bad for you in moderation. There are numerous scientific studies which prove this to be true.
And if your "McMeal" fits into your calorie goal and your macros, and the diet soda will keep it there, and the regular soda will put you over the limits, then the diet soda is the better choice.

If you say so.

http://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(13)00087-8

Correlation does not equal causation. Artificial sweeteners have been shown to cause no health issues, beyond allergic reactions, which can admittedly be severe, but so can the allergic reaction to a peanut.

psuLemon

Watch the following links if you have time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nGlLUBkOQ

These videos are propaganda designed to scare you into a lifestyle change (and usually entice you to buy a book). Most of the studies are highly cherry picked. I would consider looking into studies done by a reputable source such as the NIH, AJM, Harvard, or at least websites that reference and link to other studies.

Keep in mind, this isn't to say that you shouldn't look to opitimize nutrition by following a 80/20 rule. But many of us can hit micro and macro goals while having refined sugar. Additionally, we can improve our energy, skin, etc..

I would suspect that overall health is more than just diet, it's exercise, medications (anitbiotics) and overall eating habits; keeping in mind, that we aren't telling a person to live off of refined sugar, but without medical cause, there isn't a reason to fear sugar.

Hi,
The first link is a presentation by Mr. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The second link is a documentary by BBC about over consumption and effect of sugary drinks/ food. If you don't believe that Harvard research then read this
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/sugar-and-salt/

Article about sugar in Frobes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/02/03/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-sugar/

Recommendation by WHO :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2530885/Cut-sugar-intake-HALF-New-health-warning-says-limit-cut-five-teaspoons-day-fears-contributes-heart-disease.html.

No one is asking you to buy a book or sell some fancy item here. The links only tell to reduce the sugar not go without sugar. So its not bad idea to try reducing sugar.

Lustig is just as bad a quack, if not worse, than Dr. Oz.

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC. He is not giving a bad suggestion all he says is to stop over consuming sugar. There is no harm in trying it. I m not telling he is 100% correct but what he says makes some sense.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

Michael Phelps (the winningest Olympian of all time) contently eats processed foods, as do many body builders. There is a point where you can't eat enough "clean" food. Heck, there are plenty of good examples of people who power lift and eat dirty, such as sara..

Keep in mind we aren't saying to have a whole diet off of sugar.. but what we are saying, a little extra sugar or refined sugar will not cause diabetes or obesity in a controlled environment like MFP. It may be advisable for those struggling to keep their weight down, but the committed people on this board generally dont have that issue.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics?hl=a+year+of+lifting+and+ice+cream

Ctrum69

Now, on the topic of research into why some fake sugars are bad for you.. that's a whole nother kettle of fish, but I've always said, and the more I read about aspartame and etc, that you are better off going for the "Real" coke and moderation, than gulping diet soda. And that people will instinctively think that drinking a liter of diet soda with their McMeal somehow makes it "better" for them.

Artificial sweeteners are not bad for you in moderation. There are numerous scientific studies which prove this to be true.
And if your "McMeal" fits into your calorie goal and your macros, and the diet soda will keep it there, and the regular soda will put you over the limits, then the diet soda is the better choice.

If you say so.

http://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/abstract/S1043-2760(13)00087-8

Correlation does not equal causation. Artificial sweeteners have been shown to cause no health issues, beyond allergic reactions, which can admittedly be severe, but so can the allergic reaction to a peanut.

No, they have not. They have not been shown to cause cancer.

There's a HUGE difference in those two statements. And I've been reading the studies.

I was waiting for the correlation flag.. it also doesn't rule out causation.

The more they study it, the more they find. I'll hedge my bets on the side of "if it has zero calories in it, I might as well have a glass of water" and you can continue drinking fake sugar.

Sadagopan84

.
Has any one who is building muscle eat processed food daily? NO
How much sugar a bodybuilder consume in a day? 5 -10 tsp or less
How much micro nutrients are there in sugar? NONE
Is refined sugar need for body? NO body breaks downs carbs into glucose.

If all the above or most of the answer is correct then we can say that 'Refined sugar' is not healthy.

Oh, wow, where are our body building friends.... I'm so sorry I stepped away.
Have you ever heard of carb-loading? Distance runners do it before a big race.
Body builders have been knows to eat Pop-Tarts (gasp!) before a competition.
Sugar is used for quick energy.
Blood sugar spikes and crashes happen when you over eat sugar and carbs, and don't eat enough of your other macros, which your 'diet' doctor should be telling you, if he's not, get a new one.

They called it Carb loading not sugar loading. Sugar is one form of carb but ask if any one who is trying to build muscle to use refined sugar as carb source. There are different types of carbs like high in glucose carbs and low Glucose carbs. If you consume soda or juice rich in 'Sugar' we would get our high energy for a short burst of time but that is not good for long term health. Our body is like a machine which needs a steady fuel so its 'Better' to go for low GI carbs with high fiber.

The next point you are making about distance runner who run big races use sugar becos their body is depleted of fuel source at the end of a long race. Ask those runners if they drink the same drink on a off day they cannot drink as they drink on a race day. Also the drink they are drinking will have sodium in it which helps retain water in body. That why they say in matron people die not of thrust but drinking too much of drinks.

I am sure you have heard of mico nutrients which are vitamins and minerals. They help our body absorb the macro we consume so if we eat lot of processed food which has little or no micro nutrients but hit our macro goals then they will be stored as fat and not help build muscle. I know what i am putting in my mouth so i don't need a new diet doctor to tell me what to eat.

If you want to consume sugar then please free to do so i am not stopping you. I am putting my point in the forum where at least someone would benefit from what they read (if they want to try that is). Lastly i dont want to take bad examples and follow it just becos one body builder eat crap.

What we eat is 70% of bodybuilding , 10% is exercise and rest 20% is about proper rest. If there is any guy who is body building tell me if i am wrong i will listen to your point.

yarwell

raw orange:
Calories 85 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 326 mg
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 17 g

Orange juice:
Calories 120 Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g Potassium 0 mg
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 26 g

Orange has potassium and less sugar.

Your data source is wrong. There is potassium in orange juice. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1971/2

To get 26g of sugars in the OJ you need about two of the oranges above it.

yarwell

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC.

He's a con man, that's what they do - talk you round to their position, convince you that they are correct. Wouldn't be hard to get any carp past a BBC producer, last night one of the presenters on a BBC food programme didn't know what a slow cooker was.

mccindy72

If he is so bad why are they inviting him to give speech in 'TED' or in BBC.

He's a con man, that's what they do - talk you round to their position, convince you that they are correct. Wouldn't be hard to get any carp past a BBC producer, last night one of the presenters on a BBC food programme didn't know what a slow cooker was.

Jeez, shouldn't be that hard to figure out, Dr. Oz has his own show on U.S. network television 5 days a week.

psuLemon

Watch the following links if you have time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6nGlLUBkOQ

These videos are propaganda designed to scare you into a lifestyle change (and usually entice you to buy a book). Most of the studies are highly cherry picked. I would consider looking into studies done by a reputable source such as the NIH, AJM, Harvard, or at least websites that reference and link to other studies.

Keep in mind, this isn't to say that you shouldn't look to opitimize nutrition by following a 80/20 rule. But many of us can hit micro and macro goals while having refined sugar. Additionally, we can improve our energy, skin, etc..

I would suspect that overall health is more than just diet, it's exercise, medications (anitbiotics) and overall eating habits; keeping in mind, that we aren't telling a person to live off of refined sugar, but without medical cause, there isn't a reason to fear sugar.

Hi,
The first link is a presentation by Mr. Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The second link is a documentary by BBC about over consumption and effect of sugary drinks/ food. If you don't believe that Harvard research then read this
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/sugar-and-salt/

Article about sugar in Frobes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/02/03/the-not-so-sweet-facts-about-sugar/

Recommendation by WHO :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2530885/Cut-sugar-intake-HALF-New-health-warning-says-limit-cut-five-teaspoons-day-fears-contributes-heart-disease.html.

No one is asking you to buy a book or sell some fancy item here. The links only tell to reduce the sugar not go without sugar. So its not bad idea to try reducing sugar.

Both the Harvard articles discuss and correlate the increase consumption of sugary drinks to obesity. In both of the articles it's talking into considering 400-800 calories alone from drinks. So for many people, that would be 20-50% of their maintenance calories. If I was a Dr. at Harvard, I would probably come to the same conclusion. But what you don't see is any studies in a controlled setting like MFP. Harvard themselves, has already stated it's calories in vs out. And having refined sugar in moderation (while it fits in your calories) isn't going to harm you. For personal reason, if you want to cut out sugar, great.. but understand it's not the cause of your weight loss (a calorie deficit does). If you feel it's better for diet adherence (the most important aspect of success) then great. But there is NO data - at least that I have seen - that would suggest cutting refined sugar out would make you more healthy than that of another person. The fact is, there are many factors for ones health: macro & micronutrient consumption, exercise (one big cause of obesity is lack there of), genetics/family history, and medicines. And that is why many of us will state correlation =/= causation. It's more broad than one type of calorie vs another.

I know from personal experience, cutting foods out (went paleo for 6 months once my wife had to go gluten free for medical reason), I found out I was binging more often and couldn't stick with my calories. As I went back to a moderate approach (to include 1-2 diet dews a day, plus 120-150oz of water) I would adhere to my diet. Now I can consistently lose weight and have improved my exercise and health. I now have more energy than I did on paleo (it's probably placebo).

Sorry for a bit of a tangent, but like many others in this thread, food mongering is something that blows my mine.

psuLemon

For those who enjoy Lustig, I would suggest having an open mind and reading the below:

http://feinmantheother.com/2011/07/29/wait-a-minute-lustig-the-threat-of-fructophobia-and-the-opportunity/

Another good article (not study) is this one:

http://www.fitnessbaddies.com/your-problem-with-sugar-is-the-problem-with-sugar/

I generally don't like posting articles because you have to then usually look up the reference but this one links all of them.

tigersword

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
I also would like to add this article, if it hasn't been posted yet.

And this one, which is great.
http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/02/19/a-retrospective-of-the-fructose-alarmism-debate/