Need serious help with SUGAR!!!!

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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I was a serious sugar addict until about a month ago when I started just a cleaner way of eating. I cut out refined sugar, gluten and soy and the results have been amazing. I truly believe there is something to the sugar addiction because about a week into this, I had a cupcake and all of a sudden, I wanted the whole box of them. Once I got it out of my system, I don't even think about sweets anymore.

    so you now eat zero sugar? No carbs, fruit, honey, etc?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    A few pages back, there was a question of why to choose apples over cake.

    All the food we eat affects our blood sugar. It you want to control weight, it is very important to control spikes in your blood sugar. Fibre and protein help control spikes in your blood sugar. The apple and the cake both have significant amounts of sugar but, apples has fibre - this helps slow the absorption of the sugar into your blood stream - meaning that eating an apple vs cake would cause less of a blood sugar spike. Every time your blood sugar spikes, your body releases a pile of insulin which tells your body to get rid of the excess sugar in your blood - easiest way - store as fat. To lose weight, you need to reduce the number of times insulin tells your body to store fat!

    This website explains blood sugar well - http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_sugar.php

    Also, every time you have a blood sugar spike, it is followed by a low and then usually another high as your body tries to regulate itself. This is the sugar crash (low) and sugar cravings (causes high cause we eat too much sugar) we all experience.

    all foods make your blood sugar spike..protein has actually been shown to make insulin spike as much if not more than sugar….are you saying avoid protein too???

    To lose weight you just need to eat in a calorie deficit.

    Are you saying if you eat in a deficit but do not control insulin spikes that you will gain weight, or conversely, if you control insulin spikes and eat in a surplus that you will lose weight?
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    all foods make your blood sugar spike..protein has actually been shown to make insulin spike as much if not more than sugar….are you saying avoid protein too???

    I think you're confusing an insulin response from consuming protein and the blood sugar spike you can get from eating foods that are primarily carbs.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    all foods make your blood sugar spike..protein has actually been shown to make insulin spike as much if not more than sugar….are you saying avoid protein too???

    I think you're confusing an insulin response from consuming protein and the blood sugar spike you can get from eating foods that are primarily carbs.

    maybe I misread the post...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Mark my words very carefully!!!

    Added sugary foods are the reason most ppl are here!

    Stop eating added sugary foods!!!

    Sugar is EVIL!!!

    that's a joke right?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Mark my words very carefully!!!

    Added sugary foods are the reason most ppl are here!

    Stop eating added sugary foods!!!

    Sugar is EVIL!!!

    that's a joke right?



    Does your Pappy own a sugar plantation?

    nope...

    I just don't believe that sugar is evil.

    Eating in a caloric surplus is what makes you fat, not sugar.

    if you don't believe me cut out all sugar, and eat 1000 calories over maintenance for a month and see what happens..I gurantee you will still gain weight.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    all foods make your blood sugar spike..protein has actually been shown to make insulin spike as much if not more than sugar….are you saying avoid protein too???

    I think you're confusing an insulin response from consuming protein and the blood sugar spike you can get from eating foods that are primarily carbs.

    maybe I misread the post...

    You didn't. Unless you have abnormal pancreatic function, blood glucose levels are pretty inconsequential (unless you're attempting keto or something). It's the insulin response and sensitivity that counts. Ironically, preventing insulin spikes contributes to insulin resistance.

    And as I said in an earlier post, the order of storage is muscles, then liver, then fat cells.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member

    I just don't believe that sugar is evil.

    Eating in a caloric surplus is what makes you fat, not sugar.

    if you don't believe me cut out all sugar, and eat 1000 calories over maintenance for a month and see what happens..I gurantee you will still gain weight.

    I think it's simply easier for many people to control their eating by having a gimmick to make it easier. Clean eating, no sugar, paleo, whatever. If the gimmick gets them to their goals and isn't harmful, no bigs.

    I recently did a "sugar reset" sort of thing. Basically went without added sugar for a set period. The point of which was to adjust my sensitivity to sugar. Didn't really work terribly well...but...it was much much easier to stay within my macros/caloric goals.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member

    I just don't believe that sugar is evil.

    Eating in a caloric surplus is what makes you fat, not sugar.

    if you don't believe me cut out all sugar, and eat 1000 calories over maintenance for a month and see what happens..I gurantee you will still gain weight.

    I think it's simply easier for many people to control their eating by having a gimmick to make it easier. Clean eating, no sugar, paleo, whatever. If the gimmick gets them to their goals and isn't harmful, no bigs.

    I recently did a "sugar reset" sort of thing. Basically went without added sugar for a set period. The point of which was to adjust my sensitivity to sugar. Didn't really work terribly well...but...it was much much easier to stay within my macros/caloric goals.

    Oh, I get what you are saying 100%….

    I just don't get when people say "sugar makes you fat" well yea if you over eat on a bunch of sugar stuff then yes you will get fat …but if you over eat on - Vegetable (extreme I know) - you will get fat….

    THe primary driver is not sugar, it is overeating….
  • RhineDHP
    RhineDHP Posts: 1,025 Member
    .......


    ...llama:


    tumblr_mdricbftdH1ri66bko1_250.gif
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    Mark my words very carefully!!!

    Added sugary foods are the reason most ppl are here!

    Stop eating added sugary foods!!!

    Sugar is EVIL!!!
    Actually over consumption of calories would be the actual reason.

    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
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    .......


    ...llama:


    tumblr_mdricbftdH1ri66bko1_250.gif

    I see your llama and raise you a pig.

    1329246240_playing_with_pigs_lip.gif
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20648910

    "Abstract
    Contemporary research has shown that a high number of alcohol-dependent and other drug-dependent individuals have a sweet preference, specifically for foods with a high sucrose concentration. Moreover, both human and animal studies have demonstrated that in some brains the consumption of sugar-rich foods or drinks primes the release of euphoric endorphins and dopamine within the nucleus accumbens, in a manner similar to some drugs of abuse. The neurobiological pathways of drug and "sugar addiction" involve similar neural receptors, neurotransmitters, and hedonic regions in the brain. Craving, tolerance, withdrawal and sensitization have been documented in both human and animal studies. In addition, there appears to be cross sensitization between sugar addiction and narcotic dependence in some individuals. It has also been observed that the biological children of alcoholic parents, particularly alcoholic fathers, are at greater risk to have a strong sweet preference, and this may manifest in some with an eating disorder. In the last two decades research has noted that specific genes may underlie the sweet preference in alcohol- and drug-dependent individuals, as well as in biological children of paternal alcoholics. There also appears to be some common genetic markers between alcohol dependence, bulimia, and obesity, such as the A1 allele gene and the dopamine 2 receptor gene."
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    Then the discussion is moot, because over and over and over again, every day, we say that hitting those nutrient goals are the absolute 100% number 1 priority.

    We're not having a discussion about nudging some average person's unlogged diet one way or another. We're talking about the context of the logged diet where the #1 priority is hitting nutrient goals.
    Well, I never hit the carb or fat goal because my diet is controlled carb and low fat. However, I have been reading a lot about the type of diet I am on, and it is all good. It is bad ("bad" meaning you risk problems to your health such as kidney problems) to eat controlled carbs (my daily total fluctuates, but it is about 30%) with HIGH fat, but the opposite is true if you are eating LOW fat, my fat is 15% average (got these from the add-on tool). I have been able to dump my Prilosec after the 1st week of this diet (I have had to take it a lot since I got a hiatal hernia, so dumping it is nothing short of great to me).
  • Gemmz2014
    Gemmz2014 Posts: 220
    Wow, my thread got a Part 2?? I feel so special :smooched:


    I began my 21 day no sweets and today is day 3. It hasn't been easy!!
  • elenagking
    elenagking Posts: 16 Member
    "In The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler explains how humans, much like Pavlov's dogs, become hardwired to anticipate foods with fat, sugar, and salt. The food industry has learned what humans want, and is only too happy to give us what we crave. We quickly become trapped in a vicious cycle of dopamine-fueled urges when we want food, and opioid releases when we eat it. If dopamine and opioid sound familiar, it's because they play a major role in alcohol and drug addiction. Dr. Kessler draws a direct connection between food's power over people, and the pull of alcohol and drugs. It truly isn't a stretch to say, "I'm addicted to chocolate." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louise-mccready/d-kessler-author-of-emthe_b_195676.html
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    "In The End of Overeating, Dr. Kessler explains how humans, much like Pavlov's dogs, become hardwired to anticipate foods with fat, sugar, and salt. The food industry has learned what humans want, and is only too happy to give us what we crave. We quickly become trapped in a vicious cycle of dopamine-fueled urges when we want food, and opioid releases when we eat it. If dopamine and opioid sound familiar, it's because they play a major role in alcohol and drug addiction. Dr. Kessler draws a direct connection between food's power over people, and the pull of alcohol and drugs. It truly isn't a stretch to say, "I'm addicted to chocolate." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louise-mccready/d-kessler-author-of-emthe_b_195676.html

    IN for dopamine-fueled urges...

    serotonin-amp-dopamine-1307149207-79922.gif?w=300
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    Raise your hand if you're a sugar addict and will resort to simply eating suaar right from a 5 lb bag if there are no cookies.

    winnie_the_pooh.jpg
  • Sunka1
    Sunka1 Posts: 217 Member
    I'll rephrase then - where's the fear mongering in what I've been saying over the last few posts.

    You continue to characterize some foods as simply "unhealthy."

    That's what's wrong.
    How long have you been working for McDonalds?

    For the most part only whole foods are healthy. That means one ingredient. Cake-fine if you really want it but it' s gotta be some quality whole foods ingredients to be even close to healthy.

    Who's healthier? A man 180 lb man with 10% body fat, blood pressure that is 110/70, RHR at 70 bpm, exercises 6 days a week, and eats 80% of the calories from whole foods and 20% from everything else or a man 220 lbs, 20% body fat, blood pressure 140/90, HR at 85 bpm and exercise 3x a week but eats 100% clean?


    The fact is, there term healthy is very loose and means absolutely nothing. To suggest you are healthier than me because you eat more whole foods and I eat a little dirty would be quite narrow minded. There are a ton of factors in one's health. Weight & genetics playing a huge role, so do antibiotics, environment (to include stress) and overall lifestyle. I think it's clear that those of us who say eating dirty is ok, mean that we follow the 80/20 rule or close. In fact, I do IIFYM and eat a Klondike every night. I never have an issue hitting my macros or micros, if you don't believe me, feel free to look at my diary. My doctors are impressed with how fit I am. I can do many workouts that most of my friends (even skinnier ones) and I can do them longer. I have good body composition, I have extremely good blood pressure and cholesterol. The only thing that is "high" is my LDL (bad cholesterol) and that is genetic. Both my parents carry that trait (it's still in a good range, but on the high end".


    If you feel better about yourself because you eat more whole foods, then good on you. But there is no quantifiable way of measuring one persons health vs another persons. You can only measure your own improvement.

    Are you ok dude?

    You may in fact be healthier than I am. Although you brought that up not me.

    It's just more likely that a whole food is health promoting than a processed food is. No need to defend your food choices. It's your call.
    I am very much ok.. the point being is, foods can't not be quantified as healthy or not... they serve their purpose.... and that is energy.

    You've got to account for biological/biochemical individuality. For me personally anything that is not a whole food is not healthy. For me.
  • Sunka1
    Sunka1 Posts: 217 Member
    Mark my words very carefully!!!

    Added sugary foods are the reason most ppl are here!

    Stop eating added sugary foods!!!

    Sugar is EVIL!!!

    That works for me! But again some people are just on here to lose weight and seem to be ok with some sugar. Just wouldn't work for me and many others.
  • Sunka1
    Sunka1 Posts: 217 Member

    I just don't believe that sugar is evil.

    Eating in a caloric surplus is what makes you fat, not sugar.

    if you don't believe me cut out all sugar, and eat 1000 calories over maintenance for a month and see what happens..I gurantee you will still gain weight.

    I think it's simply easier for many people to control their eating by having a gimmick to make it easier. Clean eating, no sugar, paleo, whatever. If the gimmick gets them to their goals and isn't harmful, no bigs.

    I recently did a "sugar reset" sort of thing. Basically went without added sugar for a set period. The point of which was to adjust my sensitivity to sugar. Didn't really work terribly well...but...it was much much easier to stay within my macros/caloric goals.

    Oh, I get what you are saying 100%….

    I just don't get when people say "sugar makes you fat" well yea if you over eat on a bunch of sugar stuff then yes you will get fat …but if you over eat on - Vegetable (extreme I know) - you will get fat….

    THe primary driver is not sugar, it is overeating….

    If you don't get it by now. Maybe this thread isn't for you. But of course your continued skepticism is inspiring and all are welcome.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member

    I just don't believe that sugar is evil.

    Eating in a caloric surplus is what makes you fat, not sugar.

    if you don't believe me cut out all sugar, and eat 1000 calories over maintenance for a month and see what happens..I gurantee you will still gain weight.

    I think it's simply easier for many people to control their eating by having a gimmick to make it easier. Clean eating, no sugar, paleo, whatever. If the gimmick gets them to their goals and isn't harmful, no bigs.

    I recently did a "sugar reset" sort of thing. Basically went without added sugar for a set period. The point of which was to adjust my sensitivity to sugar. Didn't really work terribly well...but...it was much much easier to stay within my macros/caloric goals.

    Oh, I get what you are saying 100%….

    I just don't get when people say "sugar makes you fat" well yea if you over eat on a bunch of sugar stuff then yes you will get fat …but if you over eat on - Vegetable (extreme I know) - you will get fat….

    THe primary driver is not sugar, it is overeating….

    If you don't get it by now. Maybe this thread isn't for you. But of course your continued skepticism is inspiring and all are welcome.

    ummm, actually you are the one that does not get it …but its all good ...
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    You've got to account for biological/biochemical individuality. For me personally anything that is not a whole food is not healthy. For me.
    Actually unless you were deemed by a scientific clinical study as "unfit" to eat food that isn't whole, then really this is just your opinion. Betting dollars to donuts your body couldn't tell a steak from "processed" hamburger meat when it comes to digestive break down.

    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
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    Mark my words very carefully!!!

    Added sugary foods are the reason most ppl are here!

    Stop eating added sugary foods!!!

    Sugar is EVIL!!!

    That works for me! But again some people are just on here to lose weight and seem to be ok with some sugar. Just wouldn't work for me and many others.
    So are you saying there's no sugar at all in your diet? No fruit, no vegetables, no carbs?

    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
  • Gemmz2014
    Gemmz2014 Posts: 220
    Why are some people so thick headed?? I will speak for myself but I'm sure I'm referring to most of the "sugar addicts". When we say sugar, we are referring to sweets, for example, cakes, pies, ice cream, brownies... maybe it's the sugar combined with the fat that makes us want more? Who knows but many of us cannot stop at just one or two cookies. Is it about over eating? I don't think so because I can eat a 3 oz piece of chicken for lunch and be satisfied. I can eat one ounce of pistachios and not want more.

    So when we say sugar, stop being so critical and try being a little more helpful. Don't ask us if we can eat table sugar right out of the bag, it's not what we're referring to. It not about fruit either. It's about sweets. What makes many of us able to eat an entire bag of cookies and the person next to us able to stop at two?

    Now for me, I can't and won't eat gummy bears or any hard candy and those are loaded with sugar! Is anyone else that way?
  • Hi everyone - sugar addiction is related to fructose. Your body stores it as fat only it doesn't use it in the same way we use glucose. Your stomach produces a hormone called Grelin and it is the hormone that dictates hunger/full registers in the brain when we eat. Unfortunately Grelin does not register when we eat Fructose which is why we can keep eating and eating and eating foods that contain fructose. Fructose is added to almost every processed food including bread (it's what makes your toast look toasty). It occurs naturally in fruits (hence fructose - fruit sugar). There are high fructose and low fructose content fruit so try and aim for low fructose fruits when dieting. I have been sugar free (apart from fruit with low fructose) for 30 days and there is no question in my mind that sugar is a drug. The detox in the first 5 days was horrendous so bad I never want to eat processed fructose loaded anything ever again. I've learned that making food from scratch is the only way to eat well, monitor your fructose intake and loose weight at the same time. Good luck everyone - a grata You Tube to watch on fructose is called Toxic Sugar.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Why are some people so thick headed?? I will speak for myself but I'm sure I'm referring to most of the "sugar addicts". When we say sugar, we are referring to sweets, for example, cakes, pies, ice cream, brownies... maybe it's the sugar combined with the fat that makes us want more? Who knows but many of us cannot stop at just one or two cookies. Is it about over eating? I don't think so because I can eat a 3 oz piece of chicken for lunch and be satisfied. I can eat one ounce of pistachios and not want more.

    So when we say sugar, stop being so critical and try being a little more helpful. Don't ask us if we can eat table sugar right out of the bag, it's not what we're referring to. It not about fruit either. It's about sweets. What makes many of us able to eat an entire bag of cookies and the person next to us able to stop at two?

    Now for me, I can't and won't eat gummy bears or any hard candy and those are loaded with sugar! Is anyone else that way?

    I don't think it helps anyone to say they're addicted to sugar when it's not actually sugar that's even the problem.
  • Gemmz2014
    Gemmz2014 Posts: 220
    Why are some people so thick headed?? I will speak for myself but I'm sure I'm referring to most of the "sugar addicts". When we say sugar, we are referring to sweets, for example, cakes, pies, ice cream, brownies... maybe it's the sugar combined with the fat that makes us want more? Who knows but many of us cannot stop at just one or two cookies. Is it about over eating? I don't think so because I can eat a 3 oz piece of chicken for lunch and be satisfied. I can eat one ounce of pistachios and not want more.

    So when we say sugar, stop being so critical and try being a little more helpful. Don't ask us if we can eat table sugar right out of the bag, it's not what we're referring to. It not about fruit either. It's about sweets. What makes many of us able to eat an entire bag of cookies and the person next to us able to stop at two?

    Now for me, I can't and won't eat gummy bears or any hard candy and those are loaded with sugar! Is anyone else that way?

    I don't think it helps anyone to say they're addicted to sugar when it's not actually sugar that's even the problem.

    Then what's the problem? And don't say over eating :tongue:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Why are some people so thick headed?? I will speak for myself but I'm sure I'm referring to most of the "sugar addicts". When we say sugar, we are referring to sweets, for example, cakes, pies, ice cream, brownies... maybe it's the sugar combined with the fat that makes us want more? Who knows but many of us cannot stop at just one or two cookies. Is it about over eating? I don't think so because I can eat a 3 oz piece of chicken for lunch and be satisfied. I can eat one ounce of pistachios and not want more.

    So when we say sugar, stop being so critical and try being a little more helpful. Don't ask us if we can eat table sugar right out of the bag, it's not what we're referring to. It not about fruit either. It's about sweets. What makes many of us able to eat an entire bag of cookies and the person next to us able to stop at two?

    Now for me, I can't and won't eat gummy bears or any hard candy and those are loaded with sugar! Is anyone else that way?

    I don't think it helps anyone to say they're addicted to sugar when it's not actually sugar that's even the problem.

    Then what's the problem? And don't say over eating :tongue:

    Its palatable foods... it doesnt have to be sugar based foods. And its not just foods, its lack of exercise and drive. People just as easily dont care for exercise and would mainline hamburgers from fast food restaurants. Unfortunately, people have to blame something and its easy to say its sugar instead of your own self.

    Beside there have been many good example to why its not sugar to include a piece of fruit vs candy... with a piece of fruit with higher sugar content. So the reason we are thick headed because we dont believe in pseudo science and food demonizing. But if you need to cut a particular food group out of your diet so you adhere to a diet, the great but realize that wasnt because of addiction but rather adherence.
  • MzzFaith
    MzzFaith Posts: 337 Member
    Help, don't we all or is it just me?