Why is everyone so afraid of sugar?

I don't think people are afraid of sugar but many people rely on MFP to help them lose weight & are trying to stick to the numbers MFP gives them. They can become alarmed when they think they are eating right but find themselves over on the allowed sugar (or sodium or protein or whatever).

Sugar does not cause Diabetes.

Who is this sugar that people talk so disparagingly about .

There's this particular candy I used to enjoy; Smarties, they only consist of sugar and I couldn't eat just 1 pack, I had many. So I try to avoid the "Extra" sugars and except the sugars that come in Apples, Grapes, & Watermelon etc. At this point in my life I don't have the discipline needed so I cut them out, one day I hope to have the discipline to just eat a few at a time.

I don't think people are afraid of sugar but many people rely on MFP to help them lose weight & are trying to stick to the numbers MFP gives them. They can become alarmed when they think they are eating right but find themselves over on the allowed sugar (or sodium or protein or whatever).

Sugar does not cause Diabetes.

Absolutely, exactly THIS. I just started a few days ago and I'm eating as healthfully as possible. I'm nowhere near reaching my limits in anything other than sugar. I'm actually surprised at how hard it is to reach the number of calories I'm supposed to eat.

I love fruits and veggies but I'm shocked at how the number in the sugar column goes up when I eat them.

As I understand it, sugar (if you don't burn it off) is converted to fat faster than any other food. If you are active and eat a lot of sugar, your body will use that as fuel and not burn your fat.....and you will end up craving more sugar.

As I understand it, sugar (if you don't burn it off) is converted to fat faster than any other food. If you are active and eat a lot of sugar, your body will use that as fuel and not burn your fat.....and you will end up craving more sugar.

Not in a caloric deficit. You will still burn fat. Your body cannot burn nothing.

Probably because sugar is one of the reasons many of us became overweight. For some ppl they can't just eat one cookie. A little sugar leads to a lot.

Well damn, I thought I got fat because I was eating a calorie surplus...

As I understand it, sugar (if you don't burn it off) is converted to fat faster than any other food. If you are active and eat a lot of sugar, your body will use that as fuel and not burn your fat.....and you will end up craving more sugar.

Not in a caloric deficit. You will still burn fat. Your body cannot burn nothing.

I understand that. The body will use up the sugar FIRST, then, when that's gone, go for the fat (unless you eat more sugar, which a lot of people do). But if you limit the sugar, the body will burn MORE fat.

As I understand it, sugar (if you don't burn it off) is converted to fat faster than any other food. If you are active and eat a lot of sugar, your body will use that as fuel and not burn your fat.....and you will end up craving more sugar.

Not in a caloric deficit. You will still burn fat. Your body cannot burn nothing.

I understand that. The body will use up the sugar FIRST, then, when that's gone, go for the fat (unless you eat more sugar, which a lot of people do). But if you limit the sugar, the body will burn MORE fat.

That is way too simplistic a way of looking at it. The body doesn't say, "Oh crap, no glucose... guess I'll have to burn fat until that's gone." If there is no sugar for energy, you will burn fat but you will also burn muscle. It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to burn a pound of fat, but only about 600 calorie deficit to burn through a pound of muscle. Carbs are good for you unless you're diabetic. They provide you with energy. Extreme low carb diets i.e. ketogenic diets are good for very quick very short-term fat loss. They aren't sustainable.

<---Am not afraid lol

bump

Carbs are good for you unless you're diabetic. They provide you with energy. Extreme low carb diets i.e. ketogenic diets are good for very quick very short-term fat loss. They aren't sustainable.

I am not talking low carb. I know carbs are good for you. But I am talking about pure sugar...not potatoes or bread or other carbs. You DON'T need to ingest pure sugar to survive....that's why our bodies convert carbs to glucose. It may sound simplistic, but its true.

Just like there is "good" fat and "bad" fat there is good sugar and bad sugar. Its pretty obvious as to which is which. 1 in 3 Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Its threads like this one that make me realize why. Dont ever feel bad about slipping up and eating sugar but dont make it a daily habit either, MFP makes you watch what you are eating so you have a more realistic idea of what your putting in your mouth. Yesterday I was at the check out counter and saw the candy bars they put right there in your face and I kept staring at it yearning for the pack of reeses so finally i picked it up and read the sugar content and it was OVER my entire days alotted sugar. If that wasnt enough motivation to put down the candy bar I dont know what is lol. Sugar is bad for you, thats just it, there is a reason vegetable intake is higher than fruit.

you can't have a discussion about "sugar" without understanding the glycemic index chart and the effect of foods with high GI vs. foods with low GI. Foods with a low GI....like most veggies, apples, grapefruit, berries, sweet potato, etc.....take longer to digest and they do not cause a spike in free roaming insulin in your body. Foods with high GI....like basically every processed food and refined sugar, along with "white" stuff like bread, potatoes, etc....they digest QUICKLY and they cause free roaming insulin spike in the body. What's the problem with insulin? That's the hormone that STORES the food you eat. Also, it keeps glucagon to a minimum and that's the hormone that helps with using the foods you eat for energy. When you eat foods that digest more quickly, you get hungry sooner...which usually isn't as conducive for fat loss because when you're hungry, you have to use more will power to avoid over eating. Meanwhile, if you eat quality carbs with a low GI that do not digest quickly (along with lean protein and healthy fats), you don't get hungry as quick and will power isn't as much an issue. Plus, when you eat processed foods/sugars, you tend to want to eat more and more no matter how quickly the calories are adding up. Again, this requires more will power to keep calories at a fat burning level....something that's not necessary if you keep foods with a high GI rating to a minimum.

Not afraid of sugar even as a diabetic. It is all about moderation and the type of carbs you have. High-fiber complex carbohydrates are what are recommennded for me.