Does sugar interfere with weight loss?

ObsessedMonster

Or does it make no difference so long as you're within your calorie goal for the day? Would I lose weight more easily eating 30 g per day instead of 60? It's really hard to avoid it because it's in everything. I don't eat processed sugar unless i have no time to prepare a snack/meal while I'm at work (like today). It's usually in the form of brown rice syrup or honey in an energy bar. Anyone have any input on sugar and its ability to cause weight gain while still eating a deficit or maintaining? Thanks.

RodaRose

The short answer is that the only thing that matters is calories for weight loss.
The longer answer is that some people are more sensitive to sugar than other people.
And some doctors as a general rule tell patients to limit sugar.

Saramelie

For me it interferes because it makes me binge when I eat too much of it, so I am better off, or on a low level. That said, it's in everything!!! It also takes the place of better nutrients, and adds unnecessary calories IMO, but from time to havea nice dessert can be a life saver ☺

Kalikel

Everything you eat interferes with weight loss, lol. If you ate absolutely nothing, you'd lose a lot more!

You have to strike some kind of balance. Talk to your doctor, log your food and exercise. You'll do fine.

Kazzam33

I have PCOS so sugar definitely affects my weight but I suppose it affects each person differently.

Mykaelous

Or does it make no difference so long as you're within your calorie goal for the day? Would I lose weight more easily eating 30 g per day instead of 60? It's really hard to avoid it because it's in everything. I don't eat processed sugar unless i have no time to prepare a snack/meal while I'm at work (like today). It's usually in the form of brown rice syrup or honey in an energy bar. Anyone have any input on sugar and its ability to cause weight gain while still eating a deficit or maintaining? Thanks.

Doesn't make a difference anatomically. The most important things to consider is how it effects your eating habits. I find that personally when I eat something high in simple sugars that it satiates me for about an hour and then I am hungry again after that burst of energy. One important consideration is that if a good portion of your calories come from simple sugars you are likely not getting the fiber that is generally bundled with the complex carbohydrates found in vegetables which will help you get consistent results at the scales as your bowel movements become regular.

lemurcat12

Assuming no health issues, and all else equal, it makes no difference what you eat, including the amount of sugar, for weight loss (not health). But chances are everything else would not be equal, since if you eat a lot of sugary foods that are not nutrient dense, you are quite likely to be less satisfied with your total number of calories. If you have 60 g vs. 30 within a nice balanced diet or from lots of fruit and dairy, however, chances are it won't have any negative effects on satiation and quite likely positive ones.

georgiagreeneyes

Or does it make no difference so long as you're within your calorie goal for the day? Would I lose weight more easily eating 30 g per day instead of 60? It's really hard to avoid it because it's in everything. I don't eat processed sugar unless i have no time to prepare a snack/meal while I'm at work (like today). It's usually in the form of brown rice syrup or honey in an energy bar. Anyone have any input on sugar and its ability to cause weight gain while still eating a deficit or maintaining? Thanks.

This is such an interesting question... especially considering the prevalence of insulin resistance in society today! Sugar (glucose) stimulates the release of insulin, which signals various cells in the body to start storing--- leading to fat storage in adipose tissue. If you have a lower glycemic index diet you aren't releasing as much insulin into the bloodstream as someone who eats a diet high in glucose.

When most people state that they want to achieve weight loss they really mean that they want to lose fat. When insulin levels are low your body signals the release of fat to be oxidized as fuel for your body. Eating a diet low in sugar will result in greater fat oxidation than someone who has periodic glucose spikes. The biochemistry behind diet is really quite fascinating--- especially with regard to the whole misconception that "fats make you fat".

Fat is a great fuel! A caloric deficit diet that is low in glucose/carbohydrate, high in fat forces your body to turn to stored fats in order to supply energy to perform basic functions. Also recent studies have shown that people who consume diets higher on the glycemic index are more like to develop type two diabetes and coronary artery disease (glycemic index was a stronger predictor of disease than saturated fats).

RHachicho

Technically no. Callries in < Calories out is the be all and end all for WEIGHT LOSS.

However weight loss really isn't the whole picture when it comes to appetite management and general bodily health an overdose of sugar can be destructive. That said it's not usually too bad as long as you don't go ham on it.

But fact is appetite management is a big deal. And if you just eat sugar your bodies going to keep nagging you for the rest of what it needs. Simple as that. Your body doesn't care that you're at your calorie limit for the day. It wants its vitamins minerals proteins and fats.