cut the SUGAR out

1…89101214

Replies

  • glenmchale
    glenmchale Posts: 1,307 Member
    everything in moderation
    don't cut it out
    but don't over eat it
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    We have an Obesity epidemic because we can't push ourselves away from the table and consume more calories than we need. Sugar is not evil, I have never tracked a single gram of sugar, have lost over 300 pounds, and still enjoy a bowl of ice cream every night... Hit your caloric intake and macros for whatever you are trying to do (lose weight, maintain weight, or gain weight) that is the key....

    Exactly!
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    We have an Obesity epidemic because we can't push ourselves away from the table and consume more calories than we need. Sugar is not evil, I have never tracked a single gram of sugar, have lost over 300 pounds, and still enjoy a bowl of ice cream every night... Hit your caloric intake and macros for whatever you are trying to do (lose weight, maintain weight, or gain weight) that is the key....

    Perfectly stated.

    Agreed.

    But...... I have found that one of the easiest ways to reduce my calorie intake is to cut down on my sugary snacks. Not cut out, just reduce.

    I don't think sugar is the devil. However, sugary snacks are generally very high calorie, and often "moreish" or unsatisfying, e.g. chocolate. If I need a sweet fix I try to go for fruit, and I have increased the amount of protein in my diet to reduce sugar cravings.

    I still indulge myself in yummy sugary things every now and again. I feel this is the best way to diet - limit but don't ban.
  • redpandora56
    redpandora56 Posts: 289 Member
    i haven't yet figured out which topic causes more comical thread wars: sugar, or cauliflower substitution recipes. Either way, I thoroughly enjoy reading threads on both topics.

    I wonder what would happen if i started a 'replace sugar in your coffee with riced cauliflower' thread...
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 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.
    That would be because being overweight is the problem, it may be caused by consumption of a lot of sweet drinks and sugary things, but the person is probably eating too much food overall. That is what we all did to gain weight...let's just be honest about it.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 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

    How about when you crave dairy?
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    everything in moderation
    don't cut it out
    but don't over eat it
    Ah, the voice of reason...good to "read" you.
  • honeycrunch123
    honeycrunch123 Posts: 1
    Try slices of fresh lemon in your water. Eating an apple helps as it has some natural sugar & when I really feel I need sugar I have a teaspoon of natural honey rather than refined sugar. Persevere as it will be well worth it in the long run & you will start to feel much healthier without the sugar.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    Try slices of fresh lemon in your water. Eating an apple helps as it has some natural sugar & when I really feel I need sugar I have a teaspoon of natural honey rather than refined sugar. Persevere as it will be well worth it in the long run & you will start to feel much healthier without the sugar.
    Really? When I tried low carb with NO sugar I felt like total crap, probably the worst I ever felt in my entire life. To say I hated it would be an understatement. I stuck it out for a couple of months in which time I lost very little weight other than water, maybe a couple of pounds, but my body was miserable, absoulutely miserable on that diet.

    Don't assume you know what is best for everybody.
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
    stahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhpppppppppp with this.

    Poor sugar. Poor carbs. Poor fat.

    They all get such a bad rep. And you need them all. In moderation.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Try slices of fresh lemon in your water. Eating an apple helps as it has some natural sugar & when I really feel I need sugar I have a teaspoon of natural honey rather than refined sugar. Persevere as it will be well worth it in the long run & you will start to feel much healthier without the sugar.
    If you're eating apples and honey, you're eating plenty of sugar. Honey actually has more sugar and calories than refined sugar.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    i haven't yet figured out which topic causes more comical thread wars: sugar, or cauliflower substitution recipes. Either way, I thoroughly enjoy reading threads on both topics.

    I wonder what would happen if i started a 'replace sugar in your coffee with riced cauliflower' thread...

    I'm pretty sure that you would get at least one or two serious posts.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 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

    I'm entertained
  • 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.

    Um, yes. Really.

    Just because that route may not work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else.
    You are confusing your opinion with science. Any peer reviewed studies to back it up? Sugar is not addictive and would necessarily have to be for your premise to be true. Lack of self control isn't addiction.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Oh, for the love of...

    It is not sugar per se that is the issue but hyper palatability which makes over consumption far more likely and over eating far harder to resist. Sugar particularly combined with fat (and especially in a roughly 50:50 ratio) prompts hyper palatability. That is why fruit isn't so problematic as say cake.

    There is also emerging evidence that added sugar / concentrated forms of sugar can lead to adverse health consequences irrespective of body fatness but this is being treated with caution.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 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

    I don't think I have EVER craved "burned food". :huh:
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I am not sure how addictive heroines are, probably about as addictive as sugar...not. :)

    I understand some just couldn't quit Xena, back in the day.
  • 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.

    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.

    Obese or even overweight people are not the only people who develop type 2 diabetes.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    stahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhpppppppppp with this.

    Poor sugar. Poor carbs. Poor fat.

    They all get such a bad rep. And you need them all. In moderation.

    How are you defining poor sugar and poor carbs, and why do I need them?
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member

    Obese or even overweight people are not the only people who develop type 2 diabetes.

    Cohort study so to be treated with caution but interesting nevertheless:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23620057
  • pcarhart2
    pcarhart2 Posts: 1
    Munch on carrots or apples. It will take a week or two for your body to adjust. Don't give up!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    i haven't yet figured out which topic causes more comical thread wars: sugar, or cauliflower substitution recipes. Either way, I thoroughly enjoy reading threads on both topics.

    I wonder what would happen if i started a 'replace sugar in your coffee with riced cauliflower' thread...

    Honestly, that sounds no less ridiculous than replacing it with a glob of butter or coconut oil. :sick:
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    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.

    You didn't refer to my post, but I also responded, so will respond here. You didn't just talk about your personal experience, but made broader claims in a thread where debate on those topics was going on. IMO, that's perfectly fine, great, in fact, and the fact that I disagreed with a couple of things you wrote (not about your personal experience) was not meant to say you shouldn't have posted or make you feel bad. It's just the nature of discussion of this sort, that people disagree and explain why. IMO, that's what makes the forums fun, in addition to the support threads and the others sorts of information that is exchanged. We have to do something to make this weight loss stuff interesting, no? I mean, we could all be working out, but there are times when I have to be in front of a computer, so solving problems like obesity passes the time. ;-) Anyway, stick around. If you don't like these kinds of threads there are lots of others, but you might find you like even these sorts.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    So while I believe in personal preference, I don't think it is wrong for people here to warn others that their success in eliminating sugar may be coming at a high cost down the road.

    +1
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 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
    Joanne, sugar is NOT "as addictive as heroine," as you so adamantly declare. The problem I have is that you take your situation, or whatever situations that suit your position, and you extrapolate them with blanket statements, such as the one I quoted here, onto society as a whole.

    This kind of reminds me of the less-than-10%-fat movement where Susan Powter declared that fat is what made you fat, not food, and you could eat however much you wanted as long as you kept it below 10% fat. Of course, we all know that's not true, just like sugar is the root of the obesity epidemic.

    So, do you believe ALL sugar is bad, or just processed sugar, or hight fructose syrup, or what?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 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. :)
    Good catch! :laugh: :bigsmile:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I totally agree with cutting out sugar! You will feel so much better.
    No offense intended, but here we go again. Just because you feel better without sugar does not mean everyone else will. Perhaps some people feel just fine with sugar in their diet. :wink:
  • Nikk2674
    Nikk2674 Posts: 11 Member
    I get what everyone is say, but can we agree that anything taken in excess can be bad for you? The truth is that excess sugar spurs inflammation which we know is bad for your body. So I'd say, why not cut it down and limit it in your diet?
  • 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.
    That would be because being overweight is the problem, it may be caused by consumption of a lot of sweet drinks and sugary things, but the person is probably eating too much food overall. That is what we all did to gain weight...let's just be honest about it.
    Um...no, sweet drinks and sugary things do not cause weight gain unless you eat over your calorie allowance all day with nothing by sweet drinks and sugary things. In other words, you can drink/eat nothing but sugary stuff at a calorie deficit and still lose weight. It's over consumption because that's all you are eating/drinking and not getting proper nutrients.

    What you do to gain weight is to eat too much of ANYTHING (caps for emphasis), even all of what some would describe as "healthy" food. Heck, you can gain weight eating nothing but fruits and vegetables if you eat too much.
  • ken_m
    ken_m Posts: 128
    hello, with this topic in mind, safe to put pop-tarts in the oven? my toaster is broken for three weeks now and i have no NO pop-tarts because they are undercooked

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