Why is everyone so afraid of sugar?

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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.

My daily sugar overage is from grapes & other fruit. I'm fine with that.

I fear it right now because I'm trying to lose weight and sugar zaps my energy so I don't feel like working out. It also dehydrates me quickly and its extra cals that are not really giving me any nutritional value. I like sugary foods, but they don't mesh well with what I'm trying to do right now in my life.

Natural sugar from fruits and vegetables is cool with me...I don't worry about it killing my macros.

I'm not a fan of refined sugar or sugar substitutes.

Obviously everyone has their own interpretation of "sugar".

My interpretation of "sugar" is as an ingredient. In a jar of plain applesauce, the ingredients are "apples" and maybe ascorbic acid.....not "apples with apple fructose, ascorbic acid". But in a cake, its "flour, eggs, shortening, SUGAR".

Sugars in fruit and veggies is not to be worried about. As a diabetic, I don't even worry about it.

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.

Glycogen stores need to be depleted in order for fat stores to be accessed...........this is true. However what most people don't know is that body fat is burned AT REST is larger amounts than from exercise. Sugar has nothing to do with burning body fat at rest.
One can eat sugar and be in calorie deficit and lose fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition