FIRST TO GO - SUGAR, CAL'S, CARBS OR SODIUM

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Replies

  • stephaniemejia1671
    stephaniemejia1671 Posts: 482 Member
    I think you should take a step back and see with which item you have the biggest issue with then start cutting accordingly.
  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
    You shouldn't need to cut/reduce any specific thing. Just replace crappy foods with better ones and watch your portion sizes. If you are counting calories, just eat balanced and you should be fine. When I started, I didn't worry about cutting this or that out. I just increased protein and fiber... so if you increase those and have a calorie limit, you will automatically reduce fat and carbs.

    Sugar and Sodium should be watched so you aren't getting too many of them. But I don't find them to have much affect on weight... generally the people I know that cut sugar out of their diet also just started eating a lot less food.
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    Unless you have a medical condition or a family history of one, sugar and sodium aren't really something to worry about.

    If you aim to hit your macros, ie carbs, protein and fat, on a regular basis and stay within your calorie deficit you will lose weight. With that being said, it doesn't hurt to get in nutrient dense foods as much as you can to help out with fullness and satiety, but don't beat yourself up for enjoying the food you eat even if it does contain more than the arbitrary 30g of sugar that MFP sets up or the outdated recommendation of less than 2500mg of sodium per day.
  • alexadevyn
    alexadevyn Posts: 26
    I am starting at ground zero ... again. However, someone posted, and I'm paraphrasing, "find what you have the biggest issue with." For me that is and will probably always be Dr. Pepper. So- No Dr. Pepper for me. :) It's strange, but on the 6/3/13 I was getting ready for work, couldn't stand how I looked in my clothing, weighed myself and decided that I needed to let it go. I haven't had one since. Do I want one? Duh! But I enjoy feeling a little healthier so much more. More than feeling healthy, I feel like I am in control of my choices. That may sound really lame, but I have always been a very compulsive individual and when I put the soda down I feel like I have the power again. What are you giving your power to?

    You are in control of your own destiny! Chose one thing that you know you're allowing to attack your success and ... kill it!
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Stay within your calorie limit, aim for at least 1g protein per pound of lean body mass, aim for at least .35g fat per pound of body weight, and let the rest fall where it may.

    THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Repped. This
  • sunnyskys2013
    sunnyskys2013 Posts: 159 Member
    My first to go was gluten for the last 18 months. But do to high blood sugar i've cut all grains and added sugar now too. Tho i do get sugar from vegs, fruit, stevia is my sweetener of choice.
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    The first thing I cut out was white carbs....bread, potatoes, rice, noodles and pasta...and all processed sugar for one month. After that, I started to add in whole grain bread and pasta...stayed off rice and noodles. Potatoes I would have on occasion and only about 3-4 oz. at a time. I limit my sugars because I have diabetes. But if you have no medical condition that would cause you to limit sugar, I wouldnt worry about it.

    Or you can just eat anything you want in moderation...its your choice. But keeping my carbs low has worked for me.

    If you lower any macro you will lose weight because all macros=cals
  • Fairlieboy
    Fairlieboy Posts: 84 Member
    Sugar #1. Do this for 4 weeks.

    If you read Sweet Poison by David Gillespie or follow blogs, forums, & the scientific evidence it is pretty clear rhat fructose interferes with leptin (an appetite control hormone).
    Eliminating fructose allows your appetite to settle down.
    Many longer term people who have cut out fructose find they loose a kg a month without dieting.
    Be warned, there is added sugar in most things. Aim for less than 3% sugar (3gm per 100gm).
    Once you have the sugar down, you can try to do other calorie reduction strategies but recognize that in over 60 studies people who went on diets and then measured 2 years later weighed more!
    So if you are a yoyo dieter,one has to have a lifestyle change. It has to be a long term change.
    PS. Clarify. Glucose is ok. We have insulin feedback. Fructose has none. Sucrose (added sugar) is half glucose half fructose. Keep fruit to 1 piece per day, and have it whole.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,290 Member
    The first thing I cut out was white carbs....bread, potatoes, rice, noodles and pasta...and all processed sugar for one month. After that, I started to add in whole grain bread and pasta...stayed off rice and noodles. Potatoes I would have on occasion and only about 3-4 oz. at a time. I limit my sugars because I have diabetes. But if you have no medical condition that would cause you to limit sugar, I wouldnt worry about it.

    Or you can just eat anything you want in moderation...its your choice. But keeping my carbs low has worked for me.

    If you lower any macro you will lose weight because all macros=cals

    Agreed. I lowered the carbs so I could eliminate the cravings and because I have diabetes. But, as I said, you can just eat in moderation....ie: lower your calorie intake. It all works.
  • Shadowcub
    Shadowcub Posts: 154 Member
    I need to lose weight, and a lot of weight. I am sitting here comparing all the different brands from coles, woolies, aldi's etc for the best dietary buy in sugar, white bread, etc. Obviously they all vary different in carbs, calories and sodium.
    When compariing so many items, I usually do a first sort by calories (and get the lowest), then if it's applicable by fiber (the highest). By then, I usually have limited it down to only 1 or 2 choices where it's more practical to look at the totality of the nutrient information.

    YMMV
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
    Everyone has different theories on what to do - ugghh !!!!

    lol, that's why it's really useless to ask for help here sometimes. For every good advise you get, you get just as much pseudo science advice.


    I don't think you are looking at the big picture on how to lose weight.
    To lose weight, you need to keep track of calories. The absolute rule you need to follow is to eat less than your TDEE.
    Next rule is to get your Macro straight:

    From justsomerando:
    Stay within your calorie limit, aim for at least 1g protein per pound of lean body mass, aim for at least .35g fat per pound of body weight, and let the rest fall where it may.


    As far as Sugar, white bread, and sodium, just keep it in moderation. It is completely fine to keep eating them.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I worked on calories first, then macros (protein, fat, and carbs), and then fiber. I'm not concerned about sugar except as it relates to keeping my carbs in check. Sodium causes water retention but that's it, unless you've got a medical reason to need to limit it.

    It depends on your goals. My goals were weight loss and then body composition. Calories are for weight loss, macros are for body composition.
  • Christina8585
    Christina8585 Posts: 73 Member
    For me, when I first started, I found that I had to cut down in different ways.
    I went from drinking soda, to only drinking water, milk or orange juice.
    I went from drinking coffee with two sugars and milk, to one sugar and milk, and then to drinking it black, which was hard to get used to , but now I love it.
    With salt, I basically just stopped putting salt on things. If there was already salt on it. And I took away condiments like Mayo and peanut butter.
    I now say to myself, " Garlic is the new salt, and Mustard is the new mayo" and that helps.
    As for bread, I go to brown bread and I love it.
    I would say pick one thing and start with that, then progress over time to the next. I couldn't cut it all out all at once.
  • sparrow0716
    sparrow0716 Posts: 28
    I think Sugar(refined) is definitely the first thing to cut down on. Foods that are high in sugar tend to be high in calories and low in weight/nutrients. Leaving you feeling less full and with a blood sugar spike causing all sorts of problems like having your energy plummet after the sugar rush ends.
    YES. Sugar also drives you to eat more sugar in the form of starches and processed foods, so the sooner you can cut it out or lower it (the body doesn't recognize under 10g/serving) the better). If you consume more than 10g of sugar at any time, make sure it's with a protein and a fruit/vegetable so it's less stressful on your body.
  • broscientist
    broscientist Posts: 102 Member
    (the body doesn't recognize under 10g/serving). If you consume more than 10g of sugar at any time, make sure it's with a protein and a fruit/vegetable so it's less stressful on your body.


    ROFL
    And I thought I was the broscience expert.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    (the body doesn't recognize under 10g/serving). If you consume more than 10g of sugar at any time, make sure it's with a protein and a fruit/vegetable so it's less stressful on your body.


    ROFL
    And I thought I was the broscience expert.
    I'm assuming she meant 10 calories of carbs/sugar (2.5g) is low enough that glucose levels will remain at baseline so there won't be any insulin response.

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