Really Need Some Honest Input Regarding Added Sugars

LioshaM
LioshaM Posts: 129 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Really need some honest input. For the past almost 3 weeks, I have practically cut out foods that contain a significant amount of added sugars, ie. cookies, cereal, muffins, bread, a lot of processed stuff etc. The only thing I have eaten these 3 weeks that contained any added sugars is a 16 ounce cup of hot chocolate mixed with black coffee with 3 sugar packets. My sugar grams including fruits and vegetables are about 65-75 grams per day. And I eat around 1600 calories per day. I am 5'3 213 pounds.

I am really trying to figure this one out. When I eat things that have sugar, cookies, ice cream, cake, muffins, I go extremely overboard and significantly blow my calories for the day. I get sleepy, I get majorly bloated and I usually end of binging the entire weekend or day. But since I've limited my sugar intake, I've not had any binging instances. I am also doing this because of a concern for being pre-diabetic or insulin resistant, though not diagnosed, but both parents was diagnosed in their 50s and I'm in my late 30s. Not sure if it's all about limiting sugar or calories.

Replies

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    What exactly is your question? Why you're binging when you eat sugary stuff?
    Because it tastes good and has you craving more and apparently you lack the willpower to stop would be my answer to that.
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    I think the more carbs and sugar you eat the more your body wants them. You get that sugar rush of energy then the big drop in blood sugar that has you lethargic and craving more sugar again. The fact that you feel better without it is a good thing, and incentive to continue on your healthy eating plan.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    When I eat things that have sugar, cookies, ice cream, cake, muffins, I go extremely overboard and significantly blow my calories for the day.

    You have two choices - either completely abstain, or find the discipline to not go "extremely overboard".

    Up to you which....
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    I quit white sugar for a while because I felt like I was on a vicious cycle of eating too much of it and then feeling terrible and then wanting more. After a few weeks I added a treat a couple of times a week and ever since then I've had control over how much sugar I eat, although I do occasionally get off track and start to overindulge too much. So I found that I feel terrible from eating sugar when I eat too much of it. One serving does not affect how I feel - four servings cause the food/sugar coma thing to happen to me. I agree with Mr Knight - you'll have to figure out what works for you. Maybe try having dessert once a week. Making small batch desserts helps me eat a reasonable amount. Here is one I tried recently:

    http://yestoyum.com/2014/02/03/small-batch-devils-food-cupcakes/
  • aalicia88
    aalicia88 Posts: 77 Member
    I went a whole month without added sugars and it was very difficult. The first week was the hardest. I had major withdrawal symptoms. Then it got easier over time but I was still missing sugary foods. I ate fruit instead, mostly strawberries and mangos. Then once the month was up I bought myself some snacks like cookies ice cream etc. The first spoonful of ice cream gave me a sharp headache. I tried to eat my usual cereal the next morning and it made me nauseous. I ate some cookies a few days later and was still feeling like crap. Everything tastes too sweet for me now. But I am so happy. Added sugars were always the cause of me going over my calories for the day. Now I do not need them and went back to eating fruit when I want something sweet. People make comments that I "ruined my system". They make it clear they feel sorry for me. I have never felt better though. It feels really amazing to have broken myself from this addiction :)
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    I think the more carbs and sugar you eat the more your body wants them. You get that sugar rush of energy then the big drop in blood sugar that has you lethargic and craving more sugar again. The fact that you feel better without it is a good thing, and incentive to continue on your healthy eating plan.

    Evidence of this please? I agree that if you indulge in treats then it's possible that you might desire them more psychologically, but your body isn't going to crave them more. Cravings are psychological (mostly) not physical.
    I went a whole month without added sugars and it was very difficult. The first week was the hardest. I had major withdrawal symptoms. Then it got easier over time but I was still missing sugary foods. I ate fruit instead, mostly strawberries and mangos. Then once the month was up I bought myself some snacks like cookies ice cream etc. The first spoonful of ice cream gave me a sharp headache. I tried to eat my usual cereal the next morning and it made me nauseous. I ate some cookies a few days later and was still feeling like crap. Everything tastes too sweet for me now. But I am so happy. Added sugars were always the cause of me going over my calories for the day. Now I do not need them and went back to eating fruit when I want something sweet. People make comments that I "ruined my system". They make it clear they feel sorry for me. I have never felt better though. It feels really amazing to have broken myself from this addiction :)

    You can't have withdrawal without having an addiction. There's no scientific, peer-reviewed evidence that I know of that links sugar with addiction. If you have any evidence of an actual addiction forming to sugar, please post it or send me in the right direction so that I can read it.
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
    I think it's gonna vary from person to person… therefore it's totally up to you. I generally don't eat added sugars (I don't consider the sugar in whole wheat breads as "added sugar" though), but I will occasionally allow myself a treat. I don't have a problem with doing it that. way. The occasional treat keeps me from craving it like crazy and makes it easier for me to stick to it. But I know my sister has a really hard time moderating herself when it comes to added sugars (again, she doesn't include bread as having "added sugars), and tends to "go crazy" as you say. Therefore she has chosen to abstain from it completely. She finds it easier that way.

    Limiting sugary foods is probably good from a health standpoint. But whether or not you have to totally abstain… I think has got to be a personal choice. If you find that moderation is very difficult for you, then you may find it easier to just give it up altogether. But for some people, being able to have small amounts on occasion makes it easier for them. Personally, I don't think there is just one right way… you just have to find what works best for you and what you can stick with long term.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    I had to give up the sugary foods. I'll eat dried fruit, but I even have to watch my portions around that, because I will polish off a family size box of raisins if left to my own devices. It's just how I'm wired. If you're the same way, and if you feel good and it's working, why start eating it again?
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    I used that as an excuse for years, as well. The most important things you can work on are learning to delay gratification and practice moderation.

    They are hard concepts if, like me, you were somewhat out of control with your eating. It took me 2 years - but I also lost 100 pounds while learning.

    You will not have perfect days. It's a very tedious process. Make the choices you need to make to be healthy. In the long run, it is absolutely worth the investment.


    ETA: BTW- it's not about sugar. It's about overeating any foods.
  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    I stay around 5g total sugar a day and have for months now. I don't eat anything processed anymore and keep my natural sugars down, too. This is the best I've felt in years - more energy, sleeping better, losing weight with PCOS, better hormone balance, etc. I know it's not for everyone, and most people can get away with just focusing on a calorie deficit, but cutting out most carbs and sugar was necessary for me as I'm insulin resistant. It's up to you to try and find what works best for you and your body.

    Here's an interesting article about added sugar (complete with legitimate science to back it up): http://authoritynutrition.com/sugar-the-worst-ingredient-in-the-diet/.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    I stay around 5g total sugar a day and have for months now. I don't eat anything processed anymore and keep my natural sugars down, too. This is the best I've felt in years - more energy, sleeping better, losing weight with PCOS, better hormone balance, etc. I know it's not for everyone, and most people can get away with just focusing on a calorie deficit, but cutting out most carbs and sugar was necessary for me as I'm insulin resistant. It's up to you to try and find what works best for you and your body.

    Here's an interesting article about added sugar (complete with legitimate science to back it up): http://authoritynutrition.com/sugar-the-worst-ingredient-in-the-diet/.

    Hmmmmm . . . still looking for the peer-reviewed science there. I'd be interested in seeing what you eat, too, since it would seem impossible to eat food in any quantity and still consume only five grams of sugar. I had four ounces of raw goat milk with my breakfast--you can't get more unprocessed than goat > bottle> table--and that has five grams of sugar in it alone.
  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    I stay around 5g total sugar a day and have for months now. I don't eat anything processed anymore and keep my natural sugars down, too. This is the best I've felt in years - more energy, sleeping better, losing weight with PCOS, better hormone balance, etc. I know it's not for everyone, and most people can get away with just focusing on a calorie deficit, but cutting out most carbs and sugar was necessary for me as I'm insulin resistant. It's up to you to try and find what works best for you and your body.

    Here's an interesting article about added sugar (complete with legitimate science to back it up): http://authoritynutrition.com/sugar-the-worst-ingredient-in-the-diet/.

    Hmmmmm . . . still looking for the peer-reviewed science there. I'd be interested in seeing what you eat, too, since it would seem impossible to eat food in any quantity and still consume only five grams of sugar. I had four ounces of raw goat milk with my breakfast--you can't get more unprocessed than goat > bottle> table--and that has five grams of sugar in it alone.

    Lolll. Classic MFP response. You can add me to see my diary where I have sugar tracked, though the last two days I had 6g and not 5, oops. Wednesday I had 1g so that kind of makes up for it, right? If you don't feel like doing that here's a picture of my shopping cart from this morning. Veggies, meat, dairy, peanut butter, coconut oil, pickles, mustard, veggie seasoning and hot sauce.

    2jfygir.jpg
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    I stay around 5g total sugar a day and have for months now. I don't eat anything processed anymore and keep my natural sugars down, too. This is the best I've felt in years - more energy, sleeping better, losing weight with PCOS, better hormone balance, etc. I know it's not for everyone, and most people can get away with just focusing on a calorie deficit, but cutting out most carbs and sugar was necessary for me as I'm insulin resistant. It's up to you to try and find what works best for you and your body.

    Here's an interesting article about added sugar (complete with legitimate science to back it up): http://authoritynutrition.com/sugar-the-worst-ingredient-in-the-diet/.

    Hmmmmm . . . still looking for the peer-reviewed science there. I'd be interested in seeing what you eat, too, since it would seem impossible to eat food in any quantity and still consume only five grams of sugar. I had four ounces of raw goat milk with my breakfast--you can't get more unprocessed than goat > bottle> table--and that has five grams of sugar in it alone.

    I believe this is peer reviewed:

    http://www.tbiomed.com/content/9/1/43

    Of note, kcals did not enter either formula. Independent of the macronutrient profile, calorie intake did not predict long term weight. The type of foods and beverages consumed rather than the number of kcals determined the long term weight impact.

    Using data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 24 [19], Table 14 details the kcals and macronutrients in average servings of 22 categories of foods and beverages reported by Mozaffarian and colleagues from the Harvard nutritional epidemiology team [15]. Table 15 shows the FAO/WHO and DCCT/EDIC formula predicted weight impacts of the 22 selected foods and beverages in pounds/4 years based on the macronutrient formula predictions compared with the Harvard nutritional epidemiology team food group profiling study data. Generally, for high carbohydrate foods and beverages, if the total carbohydrate/dietary fiber ratio is < 10, the item tended to reduce weight according to the FAO/WHO and DCCT/EDIC formula predictions (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). For high fat foods (e.g., nuts, meat, and dairy), if the ratio of total fat/PUFA < 6, the FAO/WHO and DCCT/EDIC formulas predicted a lower weight in 4 years (e.g., nuts). For a total carbohydrate/dietary fiber ratio > 10 or a total fat/PUFA > 6, an increase in weight was predicted.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    I stay around 5g total sugar a day and have for months now. I don't eat anything processed anymore and keep my natural sugars down, too. This is the best I've felt in years - more energy, sleeping better, losing weight with PCOS, better hormone balance, etc. I know it's not for everyone, and most people can get away with just focusing on a calorie deficit, but cutting out most carbs and sugar was necessary for me as I'm insulin resistant. It's up to you to try and find what works best for you and your body.

    Here's an interesting article about added sugar (complete with legitimate science to back it up): http://authoritynutrition.com/sugar-the-worst-ingredient-in-the-diet/.

    Hmmmmm . . . still looking for the peer-reviewed science there. I'd be interested in seeing what you eat, too, since it would seem impossible to eat food in any quantity and still consume only five grams of sugar. I had four ounces of raw goat milk with my breakfast--you can't get more unprocessed than goat > bottle> table--and that has five grams of sugar in it alone.

    Lolll. Classic MFP response. You can add me to see my diary where I have sugar tracked, though the last two days I had 6g and not 5, oops. Wednesday I had 1g so that kind of makes up for it, right? If you don't feel like doing that here's a picture of my shopping cart from this morning. Veggies, meat, dairy, peanut butter, coconut oil, pickles, mustard, veggie seasoning and hot sauce.

    2jfygir.jpg

    I'm not adding you, thanks, but you can open your diary if you're going to make claims like that. I don't see how you can consume dairy and veggies without consuming more sugar that what you claim. I'm not trying to start a fight here, but it just seems as if it's virtually impossible for the vast majority of people to eat like that. I'd also question the benefits of eating like that, especially if people are cutting out foods they enjoy just to cut down on the carbs/sugars that the body needs for fuel.

    I believe this is peer reviewed:

    http://www.tbiomed.com/content/9/1/43

    Of note, kcals did not enter either formula. Independent of the macronutrient profile, calorie intake did not predict long term weight. The type of foods and beverages consumed rather than the number of kcals determined the long term weight impact.

    Using data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 24 [19], Table 14 details the kcals and macronutrients in average servings of 22 categories of foods and beverages reported by Mozaffarian and colleagues from the Harvard nutritional epidemiology team [15]. Table 15 shows the FAO/WHO and DCCT/EDIC formula predicted weight impacts of the 22 selected foods and beverages in pounds/4 years based on the macronutrient formula predictions compared with the Harvard nutritional epidemiology team food group profiling study data. Generally, for high carbohydrate foods and beverages, if the total carbohydrate/dietary fiber ratio is < 10, the item tended to reduce weight according to the FAO/WHO and DCCT/EDIC formula predictions (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). For high fat foods (e.g., nuts, meat, and dairy), if the ratio of total fat/PUFA < 6, the FAO/WHO and DCCT/EDIC formulas predicted a lower weight in 4 years (e.g., nuts). For a total carbohydrate/dietary fiber ratio > 10 or a total fat/PUFA > 6, an increase in weight was predicted.


    That's all well and good, but I'm looking for the peer-reviewed data that says "sugar is the worst ingredient in food." I'm still not seeing it in the abstract (?) that you posted there.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member

    That's all well and good, but I'm looking for the peer-reviewed data that says "sugar is the worst ingredient in food." I'm still not seeing it in the abstract (?) that you posted there.

    The conclusion is that what we eat does matter for long-term success. And a high sugar, processed food diet is specifically correlated with failure to maintain a healthy weight. Since people on MFP repeatedly tell each other that this is supposed to be a lifestyle change, we might do well to look at more than calories in, calories out.
  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    I'm not adding you, thanks, but you can open your diary if you're going to make claims like that. I don't see how you can consume dairy and veggies without consuming more sugar that what you claim. I'm not trying to start a fight here, but it just seems as if it's virtually impossible for the vast majority of people to eat like that. I'd also question the benefits of eating like that, especially if people are cutting out foods they enjoy just to cut down on the carbs/sugars that the body needs for fuel.

    Nah, you can believe me or don't, I really don't care. My body doesn't use carbs/sugar for fuel on keto, but thanks for playing.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member

    That's all well and good, but I'm looking for the peer-reviewed data that says "sugar is the worst ingredient in food." I'm still not seeing it in the abstract (?) that you posted there.

    The conclusion is that what we eat does matter for long-term success. And a high sugar, processed food diet is specifically correlated with failure to maintain a healthy weight. Since people on MFP repeatedly tell each other that this is supposed to be a lifestyle change, we might do well to look at more than calories in, calories out.

    I don't see any evidence of that at all. Correlation is not causation. While it is harder to eat a surplus of calories on a diet high in veggies and easier to eat a surplus on a diet higher in meat, it's all about calorie density. A lot of veggies and fruits are little more than fiber and water, with a bit of sugar thrown in in some cases.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member

    That's all well and good, but I'm looking for the peer-reviewed data that says "sugar is the worst ingredient in food." I'm still not seeing it in the abstract (?) that you posted there.

    The conclusion is that what we eat does matter for long-term success. And a high sugar, processed food diet is specifically correlated with failure to maintain a healthy weight. Since people on MFP repeatedly tell each other that this is supposed to be a lifestyle change, we might do well to look at more than calories in, calories out.

    I don't see any evidence of that at all. Correlation is not causation. While it is harder to eat a surplus of calories on a diet high in veggies and easier to eat a surplus on a diet higher in meat, it's all about calorie density. A lot of veggies and fruits are little more than fiber and water, with a bit of sugar thrown in in some cases.

    You said: it is harder to eat a surplus of calories on a diet high in veggies

    That's it, that's fine, that is all the info one needs to separate correlation from causation. But we weren't talking about meat, we were talking about sugary processed foods.

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