Limiting Sugar - Does source matter?

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Replies

  • ge105
    ge105 Posts: 268 Member
    I understand the sugar fear. I cut out carbs including most fruit and lost a ton of weight without calorie counting. I think a lot of people have seen results doing that so they think that is the only way or there is something magical about low carb. Low carb worked for me before when nothing else had because of intense food cravings that almost always ended in binges. It was a good strategy but after I got over my binge problem I stopped seeing results. Why? Cause its not magic. Eating low carb generally encourages eating food that is more satiating for fewer calories. This is why it was a good solution to my binge eating problem and also why people lose weight on it. It cuts out most processed food too- which also tends to be calorie dense and easy to overeat. Its not magic. Its calories in v out still.

    Came here and I've been averaging 1lb of fruit in mostly berries a day + all the sweet potatoes and ice cream I can fit in and guess what- still look and feel awesome. Better even. I'm pretty sure I've either put on some muscle or lost some fat, whatever it is, I can see more abs but I don't look thinner (which I was trying to avoid). I keep my calories under control and the weight stays under control. Thats how it works, regardless of what you're eating.

    To the op- unless you have medical reasons to avoid sugar its okay to eat it and carbs in general. If you feel great, are seeing the results you want and love your diet the way it is (and feel you can maintain it) keep it up.
  • nopotofgold
    nopotofgold Posts: 164 Member
    Ty for the tip. I didn't know you could change the sugar to something else. Thanks for the info.
  • rueyaroo
    rueyaroo Posts: 35
    I think you all don't understand why I'm so insistent in what I believe.

    I try things that either work or don't work, and eating sugar has never yielded positive results. So it is entirely redundant for me to try the same thing twice since I know it doesn't work for me, it doesn't matter what works for other people or whatever.

    My bottom line is, do whatever you need to get where you want to be. Sugar is one that is controversial since some are sensitive to it and some are not. I just want to put my personal experience out there because my several year journey was not pleasant; if my experience can help someone else on the same boat, I'm happy because I know what a struggle it is. For several years after my initial 40 pound drop, I battled with the same 2 pounds and couldn't lose weight no matter what I tried. With that first bit of weight that I lost, it blunted my IR symptoms enough for doctors to leave me undiagnosed for years. Now I'm losing weight at a steady rate and things are dandy.

    Anyway, i'm out. Trolls and personal attacks make me tired.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you think 150 calories of oatmeal and 150 calories of cupcakes are equal, you're sadly mistaken.

    I didn't see anyone say that anywhere in this thread.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I think you all don't understand why I'm so insistent in what I believe.

    I try things that either work or don't work, and eating sugar has never yielded positive results. So it is entirely redundant for me to try the same thing twice since I know it doesn't work for me, it doesn't matter what works for other people or whatever.

    My bottom line is, do whatever you need to get where you want to be. Sugar is one that is controversial since some are sensitive to it and some are not. I just want to put my personal experience out there because my several year journey was not pleasant; if my experience can help someone else on the same boat, I'm happy because I know what a struggle it is. For several years after my initial 40 pound drop, I battled with the same 2 pounds and couldn't lose weight no matter what I tried. With that first bit of weight that I lost, it blunted my IR symptoms enough for doctors to leave me undiagnosed for years. Now I'm losing weight at a steady rate and things are dandy.

    Anyway, i'm out. Trolls and personal attacks make me tired.

    This thread is about the OP...she is not you.

    You did not post as if it was your experience - you initial posts were made as blanket statements for everyone.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    The sources of my carbs USED to be mostly sugar (fruits, white rice), if you read my previous posts I specified my plateau experience and how I got past it by eating only complex carbs.

    Most of those links are showing me how glucose is processed in the body in the same way, but the studies aren't showing how the body processes it in a sudden release of a large quantities.

    Okay-- then tell her to go increase sugar in her diet because we all know that doesn't cause diabetes at all.

    Who is telling her to go to extremes? Other than you?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    The implication that the sources of sugars "don't matter" means that as long as the macronutrient of carbohydrates are fulfilled, the micronutrient doesn't matter-- which seems to be the idea of many in this forum.

    I disagree, and I can't be convinced because eating a lot of carbs regardless of source (meaning that I used to eat both sugars and complex carbs prior to me cutting simple sugars to get past a several year plateau) has always blunted or stopped weightloss for me. I don't really care what studies have been written/or done since it's never produced a good outcome whenever I've applied those ideas to my diet.

    edit* had to specify for the trolls.

    I don't tell people what to do with their diet, I'm just stating what has worked for me in my several year journey.

    lol...I love it when people throw out the troll card when people disagree with them. I would suggest you look up what the word actually means.

    No-one is trying to convince you of anything - this post in not about you as I mentioned above.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    Okay-- then tell her to go increase sugar in her diet because we all know that doesn't cause diabetes at all.

    Sugar doesn't cause diabetes.
    I think you all don't understand why I'm so insistent in what I believe.

    . . . Sugar is one that is controversial since some are sensitive to it and some are not.

    Sugar is controversial because people need a demon to blame for weigh gain, just as added salt became a demon for high blood pressure. The truth is that many factors exist for processing any nutrient in the body, not the least of which is genetics.

    To answer the OP's question: sugar is sugar. The body doesn't care where it comes from. It's what is processed with that sugar that causes so many people so many problems (other than diabetics, as mentioned several times in this thread).
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  • ge105
    ge105 Posts: 268 Member
    I think you all don't understand why I'm so insistent in what I believe.

    I try things that either work or don't work, and eating sugar has never yielded positive results. So it is entirely redundant for me to try the same thing twice since I know it doesn't work for me, it doesn't matter what works for other people or whatever.

    My bottom line is, do whatever you need to get where you want to be. Sugar is one that is controversial since some are sensitive to it and some are not. I just want to put my personal experience out there because my several year journey was not pleasant; if my experience can help someone else on the same boat, I'm happy because I know what a struggle it is. For several years after my initial 40 pound drop, I battled with the same 2 pounds and couldn't lose weight no matter what I tried. With that first bit of weight that I lost, it blunted my IR symptoms enough for doctors to leave me undiagnosed for years. Now I'm losing weight at a steady rate and things are dandy.

    Anyway, i'm out. Trolls and personal attacks make me tired.

    You made this about you and then generalized to everyone. The OP could feel great the way their diet is now and you're recommending they change it based on your experience. The OP is not you and if they like their diet there is no reason to change it and avoid fruit which is really nutritious simply because you don't do well on sugar and fruit. Its not a personal attack- its just true that everyone is not the same and if you had trouble with sugar that doesn't mean everyone will.

    Low carb is a cool tool in the tool box, one I used and loved and so I get where you're coming from but keep in mind it is not the only tool nor the best one for everyone.
  • kdw50
    kdw50 Posts: 2
    This sugar debate has me confused, so I need a little advice. I quit drinking alcohol completely 30 days ago and instantly had an insatiable sweet tooth, as in candy. After a couple of weeks, I got off the empty candy calories, but now I feel like I have to have fruit at least 3-4 times a day. As in red grapes, granny smith apples, bananas, pineapple. I work out on a stationary bike 3-4 times a week and I eat healthy meals such as salads, tuna, lean meats, veggies, but I've only lost 6 pounds so far. I thought that when I quit drinking all the wine (at least 1-2 bottles a day) that I would drop a lot more weight than that. Is it a metabolic thing? My body readjusting itself? Any suggestions??
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    This sugar debate has me confused, so I need a little advice. I quit drinking alcohol completely 30 days ago and instantly had an insatiable sweet tooth, as in candy. After a couple of weeks, I got off the empty candy calories, but now I feel like I have to have fruit at least 3-4 times a day. As in red grapes, granny smith apples, bananas, pineapple. I work out on a stationary bike 3-4 times a week and I eat healthy meals such as salads, tuna, lean meats, veggies, but I've only lost 6 pounds so far. I thought that when I quit drinking all the wine (at least 1-2 bottles a day) that I would drop a lot more weight than that. Is it a metabolic thing? My body readjusting itself? Any suggestions??

    Losing 6 pounds in a month is actually good progress!

    Are you logging your food accurately? How are you measuring what you're eating?

    And congrats on giving up the booze!
  • kdw50
    kdw50 Posts: 2
    Thank you, it was a big accomplishment for me giving up the booze. Yes, I am accurately logging my food....at least I'm pretty sure I am. I know 6lbs in a month is pretty good, but I guess I was thinking I would have faster results after giving up all those empty calories from alcohol and replacing it with healthier choices. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I am over doing it on sodium. My sodium levels are over almost every day, so maybe I'm retaining fluid? Or maybe I'm just being impatient and want instant gratification. :tongue:
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I thought that when I quit drinking all the wine (at least 1-2 bottles a day) that I would drop a lot more weight than that. Is it a metabolic thing? My body readjusting itself? Any suggestions??

    You might have been eating less than you realized when drinking. I (intentionally) lost 60 lbs once when drinking about a bottle a day (not healthy, don't recommend it), and later gained weight when I stopped drinking because I started eating more normally and found it harder to control myself with food.

    Anyway, because of stuff like that you can't assume that you will lose a bunch of weight just from dropping booze, although if you felt like you needed to it's going to make you a lot more healthy in general, good for you.

    6 pounds is a great start (about 1.5 lb/week, which is healthy and depending on your weight you may not really want to be losing any faster). Just set a reasonable calorie goal and log your food.