cut the SUGAR out

sloth3toes

This time I am trying to cut out SUGAR. By not adding sugar or eating things with so much sugar in them. Unfortunately here in America we love sugar and most things have sugar in them, but I am working on it. I am craving sweet things by the afternoon I am also feeling quite a bit more tired with out all the added sugar in my diet. This is like day two hopefully by weeks end I will be feeling alot better....

Do you have any helpful hints on how to cut sugar from my diet?

Get rid of your car and your television.

I think this advice is just a tad simplistic and unrealistic.. :indifferent:

Move more, walk instead of driving whenever possible, do more physical activity and less sedentary activity like watching excessive amounts of TVs, sure - but get rid of them entirely?

I don't think so.

DYEMFP?

You should know the rules by now. If something taken to excess is bad for us, then the only logical response to eliminate that thing entirely...for optimal health...or something...because science...and stuff.

Uhm.... ya..... because we are all addicts, and here for the same reason, right?

I really had intended to reply to 'Bill.' Bill says that not driving will keep us all fit and healthy. Bill says he's never owned a car. Yet, he seems to have wound up in a state where he needs or needed to lose weight? So, how did he get in such a state, if not driving is the holy grail to fitness, and he's never driven?

RllyGudTweetr

Agreed, who is saying they do not?

In the nested quotes RIGHT ABOVE YOUR QUESTION:

Carbs - converted to glucose, the glucose is then - taken up by the body as fuel, stored in the muscles and liver (limited storage), converted into body fat to be released as fuel at a later stage.

I have no idea who said what at this point, but after the assertion was made that fat comes from carbs, someone else said

So eating 10,000 calories of chicken breast won't make you fat? Fascinating.

At least read what you're responding to?

I think you have a mixture of different quotes.

Someone made the comment that excessive sugar in the bloodstream gets converted to body fat - which is indeed possible.

I'm not sure where the notion that fat comes from carbs is from, or where the notion that you can only gain weight by over eating carbs. I think some people are deciding to read things into post from extra dramatic effect?

Maybe the best thing to do would be to read all of the posts relating to this to get a clearer picture.

Basically, overeating anything will cause a person to gain fat.

Agreed. Although studies have shown that over eating protein can result in no weight gain (no loss either), but no weight gain!

So, you're back to claiming - in the portion that I bolded - that eating 10,000 calories a day of chicken breast can result in zero weight gain or loss, with no corroborating statement about the amount of exercise needed to maintain that stasis. If this is an incorrect understanding of your position, please clarify.

mccindy72

I'm having the same problem, and this is the main reason it has taken me so long to lose the excess weight. Sugar is the most addictive substance I have ever come across.

I'll bet sugar is not as addictive as your car. That ton of tin is the most addictive substance in America and is the cause of most obesity.

You seem remarkably anti-car.

I would agree! (chuckle) I have three automobiles... and I am not obese.

jofjltncb6

This time I am trying to cut out SUGAR. By not adding sugar or eating things with so much sugar in them. Unfortunately here in America we love sugar and most things have sugar in them, but I am working on it. I am craving sweet things by the afternoon I am also feeling quite a bit more tired with out all the added sugar in my diet. This is like day two hopefully by weeks end I will be feeling alot better....

Do you have any helpful hints on how to cut sugar from my diet?

Get rid of your car and your television.

I think this advice is just a tad simplistic and unrealistic.. :indifferent:

Move more, walk instead of driving whenever possible, do more physical activity and less sedentary activity like watching excessive amounts of TVs, sure - but get rid of them entirely?

I don't think so.

DYEMFP?

You should know the rules by now. If something taken to excess is bad for us, then the only logical response to eliminate that thing entirely...for optimal health...or something...because science...and stuff.

Uhm.... ya..... because we are all addicts, and here for the same reason, right?

I really had intended to reply to 'Bill.' Bill says that not driving will keep us all fit and healthy. Bill says he's never owned a car. Yet, he seems to have wound up in a state where he needs or needed to lose weight? So, how did he get in such a state, if not driving is the holy grail to fitness, and he's never driven?

Solid observation.


But again, this being MFP, hypocrisy isn't just a river in...

(...wait...that isn't it...)

...hypocrisy is...

(...*sigh*...whatever...)



There's a lot of hypocrisy.

looseseal

After a horrible 2013 I stopped exercising and paying attention to what I was eating and basically just ate whatever. That included all the processed crap like chips, cookies, etc. I felt awful. No energy, no motivation, felt like a lead slug. Part of it was grieving (see my profile) but a lot of it was diet and lack of exercise.

After many, many, many attempts starting last Sept, this past March I finally got my foot into the stirrup enough to get back onto the horse. I cleaned up my eating and feel TONS better when I'm not constantly eating that crap. Do I still eat sugar? Yup. I put it in my coffee, I'll eat graham crackers with preserves, home made sweets ... I just make sure I fit the cals into my daily allotment and I make sure I don't eat sugar, sugar, sugar all the time. It's the constant hand-to-mouth of it that wrecks havoc with your blood sugar, up and down and all. Eating protein and veggies gives me energy, keeps me full. I try to eat fruit everyday too, some days are better than others. I found that the more I eat the sugary crap the more I crave the sugary crap; the less I eat the sugary crap the less I crave the sugary crap. If you can get through the first week you'll feel so much better. Definitely worth the effort.

jmangini

[ I found that the more I eat the sugary crap the more I crave the sugary crap; the less I eat the sugary crap the less I crave the sugary crap. If you can get through the first week you'll feel so much better. Definitely worth the effort.
[/quote]
This is so on point. I've learned the same thing.

CLDeyette

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

mccindy72

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

jofjltncb6

I'm disturbed by the number of people who admit to eating crap. In all of my 42 years...(well, okay, let's be safe and say, for the past 38 years)...I have *never* intentionally eaten crap of any kind.

This sounds like the kind of behavior for which you should seek professional help...so if you eat crap or even just have a desire to eat crap, please seek help immediately. This is simply not normal and is a serious health risk.

mccindy72

I'm disturbed by the number of people who admit to eating crap. In all of my 42 years...(well, okay, let's be safe and say, for the past 38 years)...I have *never* intentionally eaten crap of any kind.

This sounds like the kind of behavior for which you should seek professional help...so if you eat crap or even just have a desire to eat crap, please seek help immediately. This is simply not normal and is a serious health risk.

looseseal

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

True, but you're less likely to go overboard on bananas like you would be with M&Ms or home made chocolate cake with delicious home made icing that you just can't leave alone! Eating two bananas won't give you that sugar-crash; eating a half a lb. bag of M&Ms or piece after piece of that cake will.

mccindy72

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

True, but you're less likely to go overboard on bananas like you would be with M&Ms or home made chocolate cake with delicious home made icing that you just can't leave alone! Eating two bananas won't give you that sugar-crash; eating a half a lb. bag of M&Ms or piece after piece of that cake will.

that's just a matter of willpower. You eat too many M&M because you like the way they taste. There are people who will go overboard on fruit.

_benjammin

So, you're back to claiming - in the portion that I bolded - that eating 10,000 calories a day of chicken breast can result in zero weight gain or loss, with no corroborating statement about the amount of exercise needed to maintain that stasis. If this is an incorrect understanding of your position, please clarify.

No. Not that many calories and the study participants were lean, resistance trained population on a hypercaloric high protein diet. They gained no body fat (actually lost a little BF and gained a little LBM). First study of its kind, but a calorie MAY not be just a calorie for certain groups while in a caloric surplus.
http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-11-19.pdf

rebalee8

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

If you somehow extract the sugar from the rest of the food it's eat with, yes, that's true. The sugar itself is processed exactly the same.

However, what happens in your body regarding glucose and insulin levels IS different when you eat a piece of fruit versus when you eat a piece of cake.

That said, if you're not diabetic (of have some other metabolic disorder related to glucose/insulin processing) and are not in a group considered high-risk for such a disease, then the difference is inconsequential.

mccindy72

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

If you somehow extract the sugar from the rest of the food it's eat with, yes, that's true. The sugar itself is processed exactly the same.

However, what happens in your body regarding glucose and insulin levels IS different when you eat a piece of fruit versus when you eat a piece of cake.

That said, if you're not diabetic (of have some other metabolic disorder related to glucose/insulin processing) and are not in a group considered high-risk for such a disease, then the difference is inconsequential.

that is the point here. For normal, healthy people who are simply trying to lose weight, there is no reason to 'cut' out sugar, carbs, or any other type of food. Simply eating at a calorie deficit while a eating a healthy balance of food will work. Eating treats is fine too, as long as it is in moderation. Sugar is not bad for you in normal amounts.

Drlaugh

9 years ago, i started shedding the sugar blues.

First I stopped all cookies.
Then I found out I was eating EVERYTHING else sweet in larger and more frequent times.

About 3 + years ago, I stopped eating sweet desserts.

The I found out I was stuffing with salty stuff.

Just started tracking with fitness pal about 2 weeks ago. It helps.
exercise calories were a bit on the high side...that threw me off for a while.

As they say one day at a time...

rebalee8

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

If you somehow extract the sugar from the rest of the food it's eat with, yes, that's true. The sugar itself is processed exactly the same.

However, what happens in your body regarding glucose and insulin levels IS different when you eat a piece of fruit versus when you eat a piece of cake.

That said, if you're not diabetic (of have some other metabolic disorder related to glucose/insulin processing) and are not in a group considered high-risk for such a disease, then the difference is inconsequential.

that is the point here. For normal, healthy people who are simply trying to lose weight, there is no reason to 'cut' out sugar, carbs, or any other type of food. Simply eating at a calorie deficit while a eating a healthy balance of food will work. Eating treats is fine too, as long as it is in moderation. Sugar is not bad for you in normal amounts.

It's also not "good" for you. It's neutral. Food choice is not a moral choice. And if you want to talk about the nutrition it brings. It's not a required nutrient. Yes, it will fulfill carbohydrate needs, but you can get that from other things, and sugar (and really we're talking sucrose/fructose here) doesn't provide micronutrients that you can't get elsewhere either. So really, no one is going to harm themselves nutritionally speaking if they cut down or cut out sugar. So it's really, really neutral.

But there are plenty of reasons a normal, healthy person who is trying to lose weight may want to cut out sugar. It may help them reach a deficit, it may help them feel more in control, it may be part of wanting to change their eating habits. They may just want to.. that's a perfectly valid reason... and it's not your job or mine to audit the food choices of others.

I understand shouting down zealots who say that everyone needs to do it this way or that our societal ills are somehow based in sugar (haha that's my favorite), but pushing back on people who say "this is what works for me" or "this is how I do it". No. You become a zealot yourself then.

mccindy72

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

If you somehow extract the sugar from the rest of the food it's eat with, yes, that's true. The sugar itself is processed exactly the same.

However, what happens in your body regarding glucose and insulin levels IS different when you eat a piece of fruit versus when you eat a piece of cake.

That said, if you're not diabetic (of have some other metabolic disorder related to glucose/insulin processing) and are not in a group considered high-risk for such a disease, then the difference is inconsequential.

that is the point here. For normal, healthy people who are simply trying to lose weight, there is no reason to 'cut' out sugar, carbs, or any other type of food. Simply eating at a calorie deficit while a eating a healthy balance of food will work. Eating treats is fine too, as long as it is in moderation. Sugar is not bad for you in normal amounts.

It's also not "good" for you. It's neutral. Food choice is not a moral choice. And if you want to talk about the nutrition it brings. It's not a required nutrient. Yes, it will fulfill carbohydrate needs, but you can get that from other things, and sugar (and really we're talking sucrose/fructose here) doesn't provide micronutrients that you can't get elsewhere either. So really, no one is going to harm themselves nutritionally speaking if they cut down or cut out sugar. So it's really, really neutral.

But there are plenty of reasons a normal, healthy person who is trying to lose weight may want to cut out sugar. It may help them reach a deficit, it may help them feel more in control, it may be part of wanting to change their eating habits. They may just want to.. that's a perfectly valid reason... and it's not your job or mine to audit the food choices of others.

I understand shouting down zealots who say that everyone needs to do it this way or that our societal ills are somehow based in sugar (haha that's my favorite), but pushing back on people who say "this is what works for me" or "this is how I do it". No. You become a zealot yourself then.

It's not a question of zealotry, it's a question of touting a program that proves often to be unsustainable. Attempting to cut out a food source that many find to be satisfying in moderation while still fitting it into a calorie deficit proves to be ultimately much more sustainable in the long run for many more people than a 'diet' program that requires a person to try to stick to cutting out something they often find they cannot live without.

rebalee8

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

If you somehow extract the sugar from the rest of the food it's eat with, yes, that's true. The sugar itself is processed exactly the same.

However, what happens in your body regarding glucose and insulin levels IS different when you eat a piece of fruit versus when you eat a piece of cake.

That said, if you're not diabetic (of have some other metabolic disorder related to glucose/insulin processing) and are not in a group considered high-risk for such a disease, then the difference is inconsequential.

that is the point here. For normal, healthy people who are simply trying to lose weight, there is no reason to 'cut' out sugar, carbs, or any other type of food. Simply eating at a calorie deficit while a eating a healthy balance of food will work. Eating treats is fine too, as long as it is in moderation. Sugar is not bad for you in normal amounts.

It's also not "good" for you. It's neutral. Food choice is not a moral choice. And if you want to talk about the nutrition it brings. It's not a required nutrient. Yes, it will fulfill carbohydrate needs, but you can get that from other things, and sugar (and really we're talking sucrose/fructose here) doesn't provide micronutrients that you can't get elsewhere either. So really, no one is going to harm themselves nutritionally speaking if they cut down or cut out sugar. So it's really, really neutral.

But there are plenty of reasons a normal, healthy person who is trying to lose weight may want to cut out sugar. It may help them reach a deficit, it may help them feel more in control, it may be part of wanting to change their eating habits. They may just want to.. that's a perfectly valid reason... and it's not your job or mine to audit the food choices of others.

I understand shouting down zealots who say that everyone needs to do it this way or that our societal ills are somehow based in sugar (haha that's my favorite), but pushing back on people who say "this is what works for me" or "this is how I do it". No. You become a zealot yourself then.

It's not a question of zealotry, it's a question of touting a program that proves often to be unsustainable. Attempting to cut out a food source that many find to be satisfying in moderation while still fitting it into a calorie deficit proves to be ultimately much more sustainable in the long run for many more people than a 'diet' program that requires a person to try to stick to cutting out something they often find they cannot live without.

Yeah, it is a question of zealotry. And you really are not understanding the point I'm making due to what I would call your zealotry (perhaps not pro-sugar zealotry, but rather counter-anti-sugar zealotry).

You don't know what is sustainable for someone else. You don't know their medical history. And if someone says they're cutting out or down on sugar, they don't owe you any explanation as to why. They get to do it just because they want to. And it doesn't even matter if they're doing it because they're misinformed. You're not "Official Diet Truthteller of the World".

Sure, if someone is asking for advice - i.e. "I keep 'cheating' and going over my calories how do I stop?" - by all means help them out. But preaching to someone talking about what's working for them how sugar in an apple is not different than sugar in cake is no different than an anti-sugar zealot telling someone to cut out sugar because sugar baaaad {scary fingers}.

mccindy72

I am very new here but thought I'd chime in. This is what is working for me: First, I get most of my sugar from fruits. Second, I approach sugar like I do salt. I am trying more foods without added flavorings (salt, sugar, whatever), some I really enjoy in their naked state, and some take a little more getting used to. My weakness has always been chocolate. Now I treat myself to chocolate that is at least 85% cocao (sp?). A little bitter at first but I find that I really like the taste and don't miss all the added sugar you find in regular chocolate.

As I had pointed out before, your body does not know the difference between sugar it gets from fruit and sugar it gets from any other source (i.e., cookies, cake, etc).

If you somehow extract the sugar from the rest of the food it's eat with, yes, that's true. The sugar itself is processed exactly the same.

However, what happens in your body regarding glucose and insulin levels IS different when you eat a piece of fruit versus when you eat a piece of cake.

That said, if you're not diabetic (of have some other metabolic disorder related to glucose/insulin processing) and are not in a group considered high-risk for such a disease, then the difference is inconsequential.

that is the point here. For normal, healthy people who are simply trying to lose weight, there is no reason to 'cut' out sugar, carbs, or any other type of food. Simply eating at a calorie deficit while a eating a healthy balance of food will work. Eating treats is fine too, as long as it is in moderation. Sugar is not bad for you in normal amounts.

It's also not "good" for you. It's neutral. Food choice is not a moral choice. And if you want to talk about the nutrition it brings. It's not a required nutrient. Yes, it will fulfill carbohydrate needs, but you can get that from other things, and sugar (and really we're talking sucrose/fructose here) doesn't provide micronutrients that you can't get elsewhere either. So really, no one is going to harm themselves nutritionally speaking if they cut down or cut out sugar. So it's really, really neutral.

But there are plenty of reasons a normal, healthy person who is trying to lose weight may want to cut out sugar. It may help them reach a deficit, it may help them feel more in control, it may be part of wanting to change their eating habits. They may just want to.. that's a perfectly valid reason... and it's not your job or mine to audit the food choices of others.

I understand shouting down zealots who say that everyone needs to do it this way or that our societal ills are somehow based in sugar (haha that's my favorite), but pushing back on people who say "this is what works for me" or "this is how I do it". No. You become a zealot yourself then.

It's not a question of zealotry, it's a question of touting a program that proves often to be unsustainable. Attempting to cut out a food source that many find to be satisfying in moderation while still fitting it into a calorie deficit proves to be ultimately much more sustainable in the long run for many more people than a 'diet' program that requires a person to try to stick to cutting out something they often find they cannot live without.

Yeah, it is a question of zealotry. And you really are not understanding the point I'm making due to what I would call your zealotry (perhaps not pro-sugar zealotry, but rather counter-anti-sugar zealotry).

You don't know what is sustainable for someone else. You don't know their medical history. And if someone says they're cutting out or down on sugar, they don't owe you any explanation as to why. They get to do it just because they want to. And it doesn't even matter if they're doing it because they're misinformed. You're not "Official Diet Truthteller of the World".

Sure, if someone is asking for advice - i.e. "I keep 'cheating' and going over my calories how do I stop?" - by all means help them out. But preaching to someone talking about what's working for them how sugar in an apple is not different than sugar in cake is no different than an anti-sugar zealot telling someone to cut out sugar because sugar baaaad {scary fingers}.

teaching sustainability and willpower is about learning based on moderation. That's what I'm talking about. Not going on a rant about zealotry or cheating or scare tactics. I've never claimed to be an official anything, but I've been on this site for a few years and helped quite a few people, as opposed to your newly-joined since February status and your obvious looking for any argument tactics. Believe what you want.