cut the SUGAR out

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Replies

  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    I totally hear you. I watch my weight climb if I eat things with sugar or worse I drink sugar. Soda and even diet drinks with chemicals cause weight gain. It takes about 2 weeks to get sugar out of your system. Keep yourself armed with natural sugar (fruits) eating something healthy that is sweet will take the edge off. Don't be fooled by diet treats that say they are low fat or calorie they don't help. Stick to the natural way to loose weight. Good luck!

    :huh:
  • feliscatus84
    feliscatus84 Posts: 80 Member
    People don't get fat from sugar. They get fat from eating too much food. I have eaten sugar everyday since January and lost 30lbs merely sticking to a caloric deficit. Sugar is not the enemy. Stuffing your face past your body's calorie allotment is.
  • BeeSting12
    BeeSting12 Posts: 6 Member
    I completely understand! Working on day 2 and so far so good. What has helped me NOT think about sugary sweets, turn on some iTunes/music; it distracts me and I go do something else.
  • MindyRH
    MindyRH Posts: 15
    Who all is excited about the "added sugar" label that will be coming out on new food labels! :tongue:

    Also while on the topic of sugar, it will be interesting when I get to watch the documentary "Fed Up" when it comes to video. I don't live in an area where it is showing :(
    http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home
  • tracyboo107
    tracyboo107 Posts: 11 Member
    I follow the rule of did it grow that way? For example - a tomato grows into a tomato. But no one ever grew a cookie. Whole foods are more nutritionally dense and whether you eat 100 calories worth of tomatoes or a 100 calorie cookie - your body is going to process and benefit from them differently. So I gues what I'm getting at is -- a calorie is not a calorie any way you slice it.

    ps -- I'm a diabetic who poisened myself with sugar. Took 20 years for my lightbulb to go on -- cut the processed crap. I'm 43 and feel like I'm 18 again. I haven't felt this good in 20 years. You would have to force feed me to get sugar in my body again. It's poison and so are artificial sugars. I replaced real sugar for the artificial crap for 10 years and couldn't understand why I couldn't get my diabetes under control enough to come off the meds. My body was recognizing and processing the fake stuff just like real sugar. After eliminating the fake stuff all kinds of improvements in my life - less memory loss, less joint pain, less bloating, lower A1C, lower blood sugar. So there were no calories - but fake sugar poison!!

    Eat it the way it grows!

    A calorie is absolutely a calorie. I ate too much food for too many years and became fat. I cut out eating too much food and I feel better than I did at 18, I am 48 now. My body cant tell the difference between a cookie and a tomato. All of my health indicators are excellent now. I eat processed food, lots of sugar and fake sugar too! You would have to force my food from me. Eat it anyway you want to! Artificial sweeteners aren't poison either, that is a dangerous declaration based on a personal belief not backed up by science.
  • tracyboo107
    tracyboo107 Posts: 11 Member
    I follow the rule of did it grow that way? For example - a tomato grows into a tomato. But no one ever grew a cookie. Whole foods are more nutritionally dense and whether you eat 100 calories worth of tomatoes or a 100 calorie cookie - your body is going to process and benefit from them differently. So I gues what I'm getting at is -- a calorie is not a calorie any way you slice it.

    ps -- I'm a diabetic who poisened myself with sugar. Took 20 years for my lightbulb to go on -- cut the processed crap. I'm 43 and feel like I'm 18 again. I haven't felt this good in 20 years. You would have to force feed me to get sugar in my body again. It's poison and so are artificial sugars. I replaced real sugar for the artificial crap for 10 years and couldn't understand why I couldn't get my diabetes under control enough to come off the meds. My body was recognizing and processing the fake stuff just like real sugar. After eliminating the fake stuff all kinds of improvements in my life - less memory loss, less joint pain, less bloating, lower A1C, lower blood sugar. So there were no calories - but fake sugar poison!!

    Eat it the way it grows!

    A calorie is absolutely a calorie. I ate too much food for too many years and became fat. I cut out eating too much food and I feel better than I did at 18, I am 48 now. My body cant tell the difference between a cookie and a tomato. All of my health indicators are excellent now. I eat processed food, lots of sugar and fake sugar too! You would have to force my food from me. Eat it anyway you want to! Artificial sweeteners aren't poison either, that is a dangerous declaration based on a personal belief not backed up by science.

    I never entended my post to be science based. I was simply stating yes - "my opinion" based on my personal experience with sugar elimination. I hoped to show how sugar elimination has helped me. This was my first post on this board but certainly don't feel like I will return. The response to my post is a little defensive as though the gentleman were personally attacked by my opinion. It was intended to be helpful. It was not intended to be preachy and apologize if it came off as such. And yes a calorie is a calorie but calories from whole foods are more nutritionally dense which the body (mine at least) responds to favorably.
  • frangrann
    frangrann Posts: 219 Member
    However my kids started soccer and I feel it is more important to coach soccer and be part of their life than to go to the gym.

    Do you even futbol?


    My husband coached soccer from U5 to U18 for 3 kids and always did the running and drills with the players. Indian run, laps around the field, suicides, drills…….
    I don't cut sugar either but if you are eating healthy and cooking at home sugar is usually lower. Obviously not eating cookies and cakes etc. Eating/drinking to much sugar can lead to diabetes and you definitely don't want that!

    Good luck on your journey and at soccer!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    However my kids started soccer and I feel it is more important to coach soccer and be part of their life than to go to the gym.

    Do you even futbol?


    My husband coached soccer from U5 to U18 for 3 kids and always did the running and drills with the players. Indian run, laps around the field, suicides, drills…….
    I don't cut sugar either but if you are eating healthy and cooking at home sugar is usually lower. Obviously not eating cookies and cakes etc. Eating/drinking to much sugar can lead to diabetes and you definitely don't want that!

    Good luck on your journey and at soccer!

    Are you sure about that? I mean, in a calorie-controlled (read: calories not above maintenance) diet, does high sugar consumption *cause* diabetes?
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I totally hear you. I watch my weight climb if I eat things with sugar or worse I drink sugar. Soda and even diet drinks with chemicals cause weight gain. It takes about 2 weeks to get sugar out of your system. Keep yourself armed with natural sugar (fruits) eating something healthy that is sweet will take the edge off. Don't be fooled by diet treats that say they are low fat or calorie they don't help. Stick to the natural way to loose weight. Good luck!

    "2 weeks" to get it out of my system??? In what form does this sugar remain in my system for two weeks? How many weeks does it take to get, oh, say, any particular protein amino acid out of my system? Fat? Does it vary by type?

    How long does it take for "natural sugar (fruits)" to get our of my system? More or less than two weeks?

    I have so many more questions...but these seem like a good start.

    (I'm not going to get answers to my questions, am I?

    :kicks rocks:

    :grumble: )
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    OP, thanks for sharing what works for you.

    Last year before finding MFP, I was bingeing on sugar all the time. In a span of 5 years, I gained back 30 of the 70 pounds I'd lost several years earlier.

    I felt as if I was addicted to sugar because if I eat too much I get all loopy, and I was going to cut that evil stuff out of my diet FOREVER.

    Then I began studying the people w/o have been/are successful with weight loss and....what? They ate sugar too? I made a deal with myself not to cut any foods out I love, including sugar, and began to practice the art of moderation.

    Moderation works. We gain weight due to eating more than we burn.

    Disregard any posts advocating that sugar makes you fat, is bad for you, or is the root of all evil, because these are lies. Only eliminate sugar if your doctor advises you to do so, in which case you will probably have diabetes or other sugar related problem.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    However my kids started soccer and I feel it is more important to coach soccer and be part of their life than to go to the gym.

    Do you even futbol?


    My husband coached soccer from U5 to U18 for 3 kids and always did the running and drills with the players. Indian run, laps around the field, suicides, drills…….
    I don't cut sugar either but if you are eating healthy and cooking at home sugar is usually lower. Obviously not eating cookies and cakes etc. Eating/drinking to much sugar can lead to diabetesand you definitely don't want that!

    Good luck on your journey and at soccer!

    It takes a lot more than just eating a lot of sugar to develop type II diabetes.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I totally hear you. I watch my weight climb if I eat things with sugar or worse I drink sugar. Soda and even diet drinks with chemicals cause weight gain. It takes about 2 weeks to get sugar out of your system. Keep yourself armed with natural sugar (fruits) eating something healthy that is sweet will take the edge off. Don't be fooled by diet treats that say they are low fat or calorie they don't help. Stick to the natural way to loose weight. Good luck!

    lol WUT?

    If you are watching your weight climb it's because you are eating at a calorie surplus. Sugar is sugar, darlin', whether it comes from the cane, the agave plant, the bee hive, or the banana.

    The natural way to lose weight? As opposed to the unnatural way? Which would be what - surgery?
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    However my kids started soccer and I feel it is more important to coach soccer and be part of their life than to go to the gym.

    Do you even futbol?


    My husband coached soccer from U5 to U18 for 3 kids and always did the running and drills with the players. Indian run, laps around the field, suicides, drills…….
    I don't cut sugar either but if you are eating healthy and cooking at home sugar is usually lower. Obviously not eating cookies and cakes etc. Eating/drinking to much sugar can lead to diabetes and you definitely don't want that!

    Good luck on your journey and at soccer!

    Are you sure about that? I mean, in a calorie-controlled (read: calories not above maintenance) diet, does high sugar consumption *cause* diabetes?

    There is no proof either way. But there is correlation and anecdotal evidence that it may.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Well, this topic will go on forever with every opinion. I did not mean to imply that sugar is EVIL or that I NEVER, EVER have it. But those who watch their sugar intake will also automatically and without trying to follow a "diet" can lose weight simply by cutting out lots of sugar and the "junk" carbs. If you consume a lot of it, you might as well give yourself a huge dose of insulin, which = fat storing hormone. I steer clear of everything I know is loaded ... sugared cereal, cookies, cakes, etc. as well as TRANS fats. After a few weeks of this, I rarely have cravings for it. And no, all sugar is not equal. Someone (don't even recall what product it's for) runs a commercial where the person makes a statement that "sugar is sugar". That's not true. I'm not much of a fruit person, but I have the fruits I like (which happen to be some of the lowest sugar ones...strawberries, watermelon) but this natural sugar is not the same as the high fructose "CHEAP" sugar in processed junk food and hidden in lots of other foods so they don't have to list "SUGAR" as a top ingredient. There are studies that show the "CHEAP" high fructose syrup sugar inhibits our hormones from signalling the brain when we're full. And people who keep eating or eat when not hungry...which = gaining weight - what do people tend to eat when they're not really hungry...SUGAR or salt. Staying conscious of how much sugar you consume and being aware of it - helps you eat healthy without feeling deprived, it becomes a lifestyle and not a 'diet'.

    Opinion, anecdotal, and some just wrong. Your body treats all sugars the same. You can over eat and gain weight while not eating sugar. Please post these studies. Thanks.

    Your body might but your mind ... not necessarily. For those people who have a hard time not going overboard with sugary things, it may be best for them to eliminate the 'crap' sugary things rather than to try and fit them into their daily cals.

    Um, no. Not really.
  • gleasonc1961
    gleasonc1961 Posts: 6 Member
    They say the cravings for sugar goes away around 2 weeks. I haven't lasted that long. :( What was suggested to me is to start off not adding any extra sugar to your foods. Once your body adjust to having less sugar then adjust your foods to less sugary foods. Means cutting carbs. Just cut out the white carbs...rice, bread, potatoes. Watch your fruits. They're some fruits that are really high in carbs. Carbs are sugar. Good luck.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    However my kids started soccer and I feel it is more important to coach soccer and be part of their life than to go to the gym.

    Do you even futbol?


    My husband coached soccer from U5 to U18 for 3 kids and always did the running and drills with the players. Indian run, laps around the field, suicides, drills…….
    I don't cut sugar either but if you are eating healthy and cooking at home sugar is usually lower. Obviously not eating cookies and cakes etc. Eating/drinking to much sugar can lead to diabetes and you definitely don't want that!

    Good luck on your journey and at soccer!

    Are you sure about that? I mean, in a calorie-controlled (read: calories not above maintenance) diet, does high sugar consumption *cause* diabetes?

    There is no proof either way. But there is correlation and anecdotal evidence that it may.

    I hadn't seen any evidence that high sugar consumption was correlated w/ diabetes. Obesity, yes, but not high sugar consumption. I guess if they connected the dots all the way through...that obesity was correlated with *all* consumption (including sugar) and diabetes, then it would make send that high sugar consumption would be correlated with diabetes, but seriously, can anyone say with a straight face that they think it's the sugar and not the obesity? That seems like quite a stretch...but I'm sure someone will have a few blog posts and articles to connect the dots in this way as their proof.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    They say the cravings for sugar goes away around 2 weeks. I haven't lasted that long. :( What was suggested to me is to start off not adding any extra sugar to your foods. Once your body adjust to having less sugar then adjust your foods to less sugary foods. Means cutting carbs. Just cut out the white carbs...rice, bread, potatoes. Watch your fruits. They're some fruits that are really high in carbs. Carbs are sugar. Good luck.
    But, why cut anything out at all when all it takes to lose weight is eating less than you burn?
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    ....I have noticed a HUGE increase in people saying sugar is the issue...Did Dr. Oz put you up to this??
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I follow the rule of did it grow that way? For example - a tomato grows into a tomato. But no one ever grew a cookie. Whole foods are more nutritionally dense and whether you eat 100 calories worth of tomatoes or a 100 calorie cookie - your body is going to process and benefit from them differently. So I gues what I'm getting at is -- a calorie is not a calorie any way you slice it.

    ps -- I'm a diabetic who poisened myself with sugar. Took 20 years for my lightbulb to go on -- cut the processed crap. I'm 43 and feel like I'm 18 again. I haven't felt this good in 20 years. You would have to force feed me to get sugar in my body again. It's poison and so are artificial sugars. I replaced real sugar for the artificial crap for 10 years and couldn't understand why I couldn't get my diabetes under control enough to come off the meds. My body was recognizing and processing the fake stuff just like real sugar. After eliminating the fake stuff all kinds of improvements in my life - less memory loss, less joint pain, less bloating, lower A1C, lower blood sugar. So there were no calories - but fake sugar poison!!

    Eat it the way it grows!

    A calorie is absolutely a calorie. I ate too much food for too many years and became fat. I cut out eating too much food and I feel better than I did at 18, I am 48 now. My body cant tell the difference between a cookie and a tomato. All of my health indicators are excellent now. I eat processed food, lots of sugar and fake sugar too! You would have to force my food from me. Eat it anyway you want to! Artificial sweeteners aren't poison either, that is a dangerous declaration based on a personal belief not backed up by science.

    I never entended my post to be science based. I was simply stating yes - "my opinion" based on my personal experience with sugar elimination. I hoped to show how sugar elimination has helped me. This was my first post on this board but certainly don't feel like I will return. The response to my post is a little defensive as though the gentleman were personally attacked by my opinion. It was intended to be helpful. It was not intended to be preachy and apologize if it came off as such. And yes a calorie is a calorie but calories from whole foods are more nutritionally dense which the body (mine at least) responds to favorably.

    Don't leave, I didn't at all feel personally attacked and I didn't intend to either. I disagree with you and I was using your post as a template to reply, that happens alot around here. I enjoy a good debate and I never take nor give things personal on here. I didn't mean to give the appearance of attacking you, just your position. Again, stick around, this is a fun place and you can learn quite a bit, I certainly have.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    ....I have noticed a HUGE increase in people saying sugar is the issue...Did Dr. Oz put you up to this??
    It's not just Dr. Oz that promotes the "no sugar" fad. At the bookstore the other day, I noticed the nutrition section was filled with books on why sugar is the root of all evil, as well as books on "clean eating", the other latest fad. It's scary how some people-not all, though, as there are people who are required to limit sugar due to health issues-look outside of themselves for the secret to weight loss and maintenance. Sheesh, I used to be one of those people who believe in food-type restriction rather than less fork-to-mouth food restriction.

    Funny thing is, my mother tried to tell me when I was a youngster that it's not what you eat, it's how much you eat, that causes weight gain. I thought she was wrong. Turns out she was right. :smile:
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member


    Who all is excited about the "added sugar" label that will be coming out on new food labels! :tongue:

    Also while on the topic of sugar, it will be interesting when I get to watch the documentary "Fed Up" when it comes to video. I don't live in an area where it is showing :(
    http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home



    The movie, Fed Up, is getting a HUGE response with the challenge that happened the past 10 days. It will educate more people, who have no clue about the danger of sugar. Now we have to help people wean themselves off from the addiction. Sugar is as addictive as heroine! We are beginning to work on that now.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member


    Who all is excited about the "added sugar" label that will be coming out on new food labels! :tongue:

    Also while on the topic of sugar, it will be interesting when I get to watch the documentary "Fed Up" when it comes to video. I don't live in an area where it is showing :(
    http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home



    The movie, Fed Up, is getting a HUGE response with the challenge that happened the past 10 days. It will educate more people, who have no clue about the danger of sugar. Now we have to help people wean themselves off from the addiction. Sugar is as addictive as heroine! We are beginning to work on that now.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group

    Not really getting a huge response from where I sit, i guess it's how you measure huge. Sugar isn't dangerous unless you have an underlying medical condition. Sugar is not addictive. Herione? You obviously know nothing about real addiction and throwing out these kinds of statements is dangerous. I have never in my life heard of someone robbing a store or mugging someone for a packet of sugar. Comments like that are silly.
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
    I love the thought, and am interested in cutting down on sugar, but I love just a little bit of something sweet after a meal. Usually it's the Weight Watchers by Whitman's candied (1) or a Miss Meringue cookie. They're both very low in cals. But if you wanted to cut out sugar how would you do it? Would you track the number of . . . sugar grams? What's a healthy level. I want to learn more about this.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I love the thought, and am interested in cutting down on sugar, but I love just a little bit of something sweet after a meal. Usually it's the Weight Watchers by Whitman's candied (1) or a Miss Meringue cookie. They're both very low in cals. But if you wanted to cut out sugar how would you do it? Would you track the number of . . . sugar grams? What's a healthy level. I want to learn more about this.

    Do you have any underlying medical conditions that you would need to reduce sugars? If not, why? Sugar is just another carb that happens to be the current demon. Remember in the 90s it was fat? You have lost 42 pounds already, i would say keep doing what you are doing as it surely seems to be working. To answer your question about tracking, you can track it with mfp, there is a setting to track sugar in your diary settings. As far as how much? That is hotly debated. I am in the camp of 40% of my calories come from carbs and I don't care how much or how little of it is sugar. Hope this helps.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    The movie, Fed Up, is getting a HUGE response with the challenge that happened the past 10 days. It will educate more people, who have no clue about the danger of sugar. Now we have to help people wean themselves off from the addiction. Sugar is as addictive as heroine! We are beginning to work on that now.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group
    Heroine: A female hero.
    Heroin: An opitate drug.

    I am not sure how addictive heroines are, probably about as addictive as sugar...not. :)
  • looseseal
    looseseal Posts: 216 Member
    Well, this topic will go on forever with every opinion. I did not mean to imply that sugar is EVIL or that I NEVER, EVER have it. But those who watch their sugar intake will also automatically and without trying to follow a "diet" can lose weight simply by cutting out lots of sugar and the "junk" carbs. If you consume a lot of it, you might as well give yourself a huge dose of insulin, which = fat storing hormone. I steer clear of everything I know is loaded ... sugared cereal, cookies, cakes, etc. as well as TRANS fats. After a few weeks of this, I rarely have cravings for it. And no, all sugar is not equal. Someone (don't even recall what product it's for) runs a commercial where the person makes a statement that "sugar is sugar". That's not true. I'm not much of a fruit person, but I have the fruits I like (which happen to be some of the lowest sugar ones...strawberries, watermelon) but this natural sugar is not the same as the high fructose "CHEAP" sugar in processed junk food and hidden in lots of other foods so they don't have to list "SUGAR" as a top ingredient. There are studies that show the "CHEAP" high fructose syrup sugar inhibits our hormones from signalling the brain when we're full. And people who keep eating or eat when not hungry...which = gaining weight - what do people tend to eat when they're not really hungry...SUGAR or salt. Staying conscious of how much sugar you consume and being aware of it - helps you eat healthy without feeling deprived, it becomes a lifestyle and not a 'diet'.

    Opinion, anecdotal, and some just wrong. Your body treats all sugars the same. You can over eat and gain weight while not eating sugar. Please post these studies. Thanks.

    Your body might but your mind ... not necessarily. For those people who have a hard time not going overboard with sugary things, it may be best for them to eliminate the 'crap' sugary things rather than to try and fit them into their daily cals.

    Um, no. Not really.

    Um, yes. Really.

    Just because that route may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.
  • TashTag
    TashTag Posts: 109
    This time I am trying to cut out SUGAR. By not adding sugar or eating things with so much sugar in them. Unfortunately here in America we love sugar and most things have sugar in them, but I am working on it. I am craving sweet things by the afternoon I am also feeling quite a bit more tired with out all the added sugar in my diet. This is like day two hopefully by weeks end I will be feeling alot better....

    Do you have any helpful hints on how to cut sugar from my diet?

    Try to use fruit. If you like yogurt, it is a good way to add a little sweetness. You can add a slice of apple diced up and a couple slices of banana. Just try not to eat too much fruit... It will take a little while to wean yourself off sugar; but you will feel great!!!

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group

    Why not so much fruit?
  • glenmchale
    glenmchale Posts: 1,307 Member
    not sure if anyone has posted something like this as TL;DR but here's something that might be useful:

    http://www.livingsmartgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cravethiseatthat.jpg

    cravethiseatthat.jpg
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    I totally agree with cutting out sugar! You will feel so much better.
  • 13suzie
    13suzie Posts: 349 Member
    Sugar Wars. It's the favorite war to battle on MFP!

    Rarely does anyone bring up the benefits of anti-inflammatory eating to prevent a slew of chronic diseases and for general well-being (balancing neurotransmitters etc.).

    Drs. Andrew Weil and Nicholas Perricone weigh in on this big time - each are huge advocates of anti-inflammatory eating. The research isn't shabby--it's a fortress of peer-reviewed content. That said, I love sweets and have a rough time controlling my impulses once I dose with sugar. When I eliminate added sugar and opt for nutrient rich, high fiber carbs, I'm better off. (It's hard to get to "better off" when you are obsessing about the cookies in the freezer -- help!)