A Question About Sugar
Replies
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Patttience wrote: »What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
This is only true for some people, not everyone. Some need to keep their carb count low for medical reasons. Some prefer to keep their carb count low because they feel more satisfied with their food that way. It doesn't matter for most.
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4bettermenow wrote: »Its all personal preference. For me personally, I watch my sugar because if I eat a lot of it, I get horrible aches and pains in my joints. This is from trial and errors on my part. After three months of really limiting it, I don't crave candy or desserts that much. But if I do,I have a small amount and I just watch my sugar intake more closely the next couple of days and drink more water than normal. Seems to help me flush the system faster. Again, its all personal.
I found that I no longer get nighttime leg cramps since I reduced my carbs (per doctor's orders). I am eating reduced carb, not low carb (35% of my total), and the couple of times I really loaded up on carbs I have had the cramps in the middle of the night. This is me and how they affect my body. I would never try to tell someone that they need to reduce carbs. I leave that to their doctor if the MD feels it is necessary.
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herrspoons wrote: »Patttience wrote: »What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
No.
Also explain in detail how the body metabolises refined sugar as opposed to naturally occurring sugars in fruit etc.
I also question that assertion, but I am open to any evidence that I might be unaware of. I do not and have never limited my overall carbohydrate intake. (with the exception of brief ketogenic periods intended to shed water weight for weigh-ins) I have not yet found evidence of its usefulness.
To answer your question about refined sugar, I don't claim to be an expert, but I believe the following to be generally accepted as true.
1. The sugar in fruits and whole foods is bound with fibre, which makes it harder to break down. It is released into the bloodstream more slowly.
2. A large, sudden influx of sugar into the bloodstream causes sharply increased levels of insulin to be secreted by the pancreas. This produces an overcompensation effect, which will actually cause sugar levels to drop faster and more steeply than in the presence of small amounts of insulin rover time.
3. Low sugar (may or may not drop to abnormal or hypoglycaemic levels) causes increased hunger and a craving for more sugars to try to restore balance. This leads to feeding that would not have otherwise occurred.
The sugar itself is utilized in the same way once it is in the bloodstream, but the variation in insulin response can cause increased feelings of hunger, so it can make dieting more difficult. In other words, your muscles don't care where the sugar came from, but your stomach might.
I think that this could be one possible argument in favour of whole foods over refined sugar. I don't think sugar is bad: I don't even think refined sugar is a problem in moderation. I just think the process described above is an example of how moderation, especially with refined sugar, is easier said than done. If you have an iron will, or don't often feel hungry, you probably don't need to worry about refined sugar as long as you are meeting your other nutritional needs. For mere mortals, it's something that might be worth considering as a way to decrease hunger.
FWIW, I have read in the popular media and some diet books about increased insulin affecting fat storage, but since I haven't really investigated it myself using reputable sources, I don't have any opinion. Just putting it out there as a possible avenue for further research.0 -
MakePeasNotWar wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Patttience wrote: »What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
No.
Also explain in detail how the body metabolises refined sugar as opposed to naturally occurring sugars in fruit etc.
I also question that assertion, but I am open to any evidence that I might be unaware of. I do not and have never limited my overall carbohydrate intake. (with the exception of brief ketogenic periods intended to shed water weight for weigh-ins) I have not yet found evidence of its usefulness.
To answer your question about refined sugar, I don't claim to be an expert, but I believe the following to be generally accepted as true.
1. The sugar in fruits and whole foods is bound with fibre, which makes it harder to break down. It is released into the bloodstream more slowly.
2. A large, sudden influx of sugar into the bloodstream causes sharply increased levels of insulin to be secreted by the pancreas. This produces an overcompensation effect, which will actually cause sugar levels to drop faster and more steeply than in the presence of small amounts of insulin rover time.
3. Low sugar (may or may not drop to abnormal or hypoglycaemic levels) causes increased hunger and a craving for more sugars to try to restore balance. This leads to feeding that would not have otherwise occurred.
The sugar itself is utilized in the same way once it is in the bloodstream, but the variation in insulin response can cause increased feelings of hunger, so it can make dieting more difficult. In other words, your muscles don't care where the sugar came from, but your stomach might.
I think that this could be one possible argument in favour of whole foods over refined sugar. I don't think sugar is bad: I don't even think refined sugar is a problem in moderation. I just think the process described above is an example of how moderation, especially with refined sugar, is easier said than done. If you have an iron will, or don't often feel hungry, you probably don't need to worry about refined sugar as long as you are meeting your other nutritional needs. For mere mortals, it's something that might be worth considering as a way to decrease hunger.
FWIW, I have read in the popular media and some diet books about increased insulin affecting fat storage, but since I haven't really investigated it myself using reputable sources, I don't have any opinion. Just putting it out there as a possible avenue for further research.
That may be true if you eat in a vacuum. Most foods with refined sugar contain fat, which also delays the digestion of sugar. Also, combinations of foods will provide the fiber or fat necessary to slow digestion and keep blood sugar in check.
Barring medical conditions, a normal person will never notice changes in blood sugar.0 -
MakePeasNotWar wrote: »
To answer your question about refined sugar, I don't claim to be an expert, but I believe the following to be generally accepted as true.
1. The sugar in fruits and whole foods is bound with fibre, which makes it harder to break down. It is released into the bloodstream more slowly.
2. A large, sudden influx of sugar into the bloodstream causes sharply increased levels of insulin to be secreted by the pancreas. This produces an overcompensation effect, which will actually cause sugar levels to drop faster and more steeply than in the presence of small amounts of insulin rover time.
3. Low sugar (may or may not drop to abnormal or hypoglycaemic levels) causes increased hunger and a craving for more sugars to try to restore balance. This leads to feeding that would not have otherwise occurred.
The sugar itself is utilized in the same way once it is in the bloodstream, but the variation in insulin response can cause increased feelings of hunger, so it can make dieting more difficult. In other words, your muscles don't care where the sugar came from, but your stomach might.
You are using the term "refined sugar" when you really are referring to sugar without fiber. High fiber breads are made with refined sugar. Their effect on the body is the same as the sugar in fruit. Honey is not a refined sugar, but its effect is the same as any sugar eaten without being accompanied by fiber.
This is the biggest problem with the anti-sugar crowd. They often don't take the diet as a whole into consideration. If someone eats a well balanced meal with a reasonable amount of fiber and ends it with a sweet, that sweet will not spike the blood sugar like it might if eaten in isolation. Many also say that naturally occurring sugars (like honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup) are better for you than cane, beet, or corn sugar when it doesn't matter.
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If you only eat pure sugar you can lose tons of weight0
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BobPickle123456789 wrote: »If you only eat pure sugar you can lose tons of weight
Above ground or below ground?
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This is the biggest problem with the anti-sugar crowd. They often don't take the diet as a whole into consideration. If someone eats a well balanced meal with a reasonable amount of fiber and ends it with a sweet, that sweet will not spike the blood sugar like it might if eaten in isolation. Many also say that naturally occurring sugars (like honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup) are better for you than cane, beet, or corn sugar when it doesn't matter. - earlnabby
Yes, yes and yes. So many well-meaning people think to advise me on "good sugar" and "bad sugar" when a diabetic knows full well it doesn't matter to our metabolism.0 -
MakePeasNotWar wrote: »
To answer your question about refined sugar, I don't claim to be an expert, but I believe the following to be generally accepted as true.
1. The sugar in fruits and whole foods is bound with fibre, which makes it harder to break down. It is released into the bloodstream more slowly.
2. A large, sudden influx of sugar into the bloodstream causes sharply increased levels of insulin to be secreted by the pancreas. This produces an overcompensation effect, which will actually cause sugar levels to drop faster and more steeply than in the presence of small amounts of insulin rover time.
3. Low sugar (may or may not drop to abnormal or hypoglycaemic levels) causes increased hunger and a craving for more sugars to try to restore balance. This leads to feeding that would not have otherwise occurred.
The sugar itself is utilized in the same way once it is in the bloodstream, but the variation in insulin response can cause increased feelings of hunger, so it can make dieting more difficult. In other words, your muscles don't care where the sugar came from, but your stomach might.
You are using the term "refined sugar" when you really are referring to sugar without fiber. High fiber breads are made with refined sugar. Their effect on the body is the same as the sugar in fruit. Honey is not a refined sugar, but its effect is the same as any sugar eaten without being accompanied by fiber.
This is the biggest problem with the anti-sugar crowd. They often don't take the diet as a whole into consideration. If someone eats a well balanced meal with a reasonable amount of fiber and ends it with a sweet, that sweet will not spike the blood sugar like it might if eaten in isolation. Many also say that naturally occurring sugars (like honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup) are better for you than cane, beet, or corn sugar when it doesn't matter.
Yes, that is what I meant. I was thinking of "sugar processed to remove the fibre", but failed to consider that some natural sugars contain no fibre in the first place, and that fibre-depleted sugars, when combined with fibre or fat, will not enter the system as quickly.
Thanks for pointing that out. I think a lot of the disagreements people have on this site stem from poor word choice more than an actual difference in philosophy.0 -
tigersword wrote: »MakePeasNotWar wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Patttience wrote: »What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
No.
Also explain in detail how the body metabolises refined sugar as opposed to naturally occurring sugars in fruit etc.
I also question that assertion, but I am open to any evidence that I might be unaware of. I do not and have never limited my overall carbohydrate intake. (with the exception of brief ketogenic periods intended to shed water weight for weigh-ins) I have not yet found evidence of its usefulness.
To answer your question about refined sugar, I don't claim to be an expert, but I believe the following to be generally accepted as true.
1. The sugar in fruits and whole foods is bound with fibre, which makes it harder to break down. It is released into the bloodstream more slowly.
2. A large, sudden influx of sugar into the bloodstream causes sharply increased levels of insulin to be secreted by the pancreas. This produces an overcompensation effect, which will actually cause sugar levels to drop faster and more steeply than in the presence of small amounts of insulin rover time.
3. Low sugar (may or may not drop to abnormal or hypoglycaemic levels) causes increased hunger and a craving for more sugars to try to restore balance. This leads to feeding that would not have otherwise occurred.
The sugar itself is utilized in the same way once it is in the bloodstream, but the variation in insulin response can cause increased feelings of hunger, so it can make dieting more difficult. In other words, your muscles don't care where the sugar came from, but your stomach might.
I think that this could be one possible argument in favour of whole foods over refined sugar. I don't think sugar is bad: I don't even think refined sugar is a problem in moderation. I just think the process described above is an example of how moderation, especially with refined sugar, is easier said than done. If you have an iron will, or don't often feel hungry, you probably don't need to worry about refined sugar as long as you are meeting your other nutritional needs. For mere mortals, it's something that might be worth considering as a way to decrease hunger.
FWIW, I have read in the popular media and some diet books about increased insulin affecting fat storage, but since I haven't really investigated it myself using reputable sources, I don't have any opinion. Just putting it out there as a possible avenue for further research.
That may be true if you eat in a vacuum. Most foods with refined sugar contain fat, which also delays the digestion of sugar. Also, combinations of foods will provide the fiber or fat necessary to slow digestion and keep blood sugar in check.
Barring medical conditions, a normal person will never notice changes in blood sugar.
Acknowledged. I was looking at processed sugar as a stand-alone substance, which is not really very practical in terms of human nutrition. I tend to take things a bit too literally.
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Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
Standard low carber response.
No to pretty much all of it.
Weight loss can occur without keeping carbs low, avoiding processed foods, and home cooking.
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OP - it has probably already been said, but unless you have a medical condition that would make you sensitive to carbs or sugar then there is no need to limit, restrict them, etc.
You can eat in a calorie deficit, eat sugar, and lose weight; consequently, you can eat in a calorie surplus, eliminate sugar, and gain weight...
so just keep eating in a deficit.
and in...for the sugar fear mongers...0 -
Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
No. Just...no.
and to the bolded part - overeating calories results in weight gain, "refined sugar" (whatever that means) has nothing to do with it...0 -
Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
I seriously haven't had enough coffee to make it through all this drivel.
BUT- I did catch that 1.) sugar doesn't matter.
wait- back track
processed sugar matters.
did I get that right??
yes...because natural is good and refined is evil ...0 -
Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
No. Just...no.
and to the bolded part - overeating calories results in weight gain, "refined sugar" (whatever that means) has nothing to do with it...
That. And I'm pretty sure it's possible to enjoy intensely flavored food at home. Processed or not.0 -
Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
No. Just...no.
this gets a hell no..
and to the bolded part - overeating calories results in weight gain, "refined sugar" (whatever that means) has nothing to do with it...
That. And I'm pretty sure it's possible to enjoy intensely flavored food at home. Processed or not.
Might be a follower of Reverand Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker, who believed bland food was the way to health and salvation.-2 -
tigersword wrote: »Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
No. Just...no.
this gets a hell no..
and to the bolded part - overeating calories results in weight gain, "refined sugar" (whatever that means) has nothing to do with it...
That. And I'm pretty sure it's possible to enjoy intensely flavored food at home. Processed or not.
Might be a follower of Reverand Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker, who believed bland food was the way to health and salvation.
That sounds so horrible.0 -
tigersword wrote: »
Might be a follower of Reverand Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker, who believed bland food was the way to health and salvation.
That sounds so horrible.
At least some good things came out of it . . . graham cracker crust for pies and S'mores!
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JesslanRose wrote: »I understand that a calorie deficit is what is behind losing the weight. But where does sugar fit in? I try to be mindful of my sugar count
Sugar is a carbohydrate, that's all. Usually it refers to sucrose, table sugar. I dropped the sugar counter from my list of things to watch (you can customize the list of things you watch)
Assuming you keep track of your food and chose to eat healthier ( whatever that means to you: paleo, clean, vegan or just less), you will probably consume less sucrose.
Keep logging. Keep exercising. It will work.
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tigersword wrote: »
Might be a follower of Reverand Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker, who believed bland food was the way to health and salvation.
That sounds so horrible.
At least some good things came out of it . . . graham cracker crust for pies and S'mores!
Graham crackers are delicious, indeed.0 -
tigersword wrote: »Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
No. Just...no.
this gets a hell no..
and to the bolded part - overeating calories results in weight gain, "refined sugar" (whatever that means) has nothing to do with it...
That. And I'm pretty sure it's possible to enjoy intensely flavored food at home. Processed or not.
Might be a follower of Reverand Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker, who believed bland food was the way to health and salvation.
I though grahm crackers were a way to prevent sex drives? they were part of the abstinence plan or something?0 -
A quick question to the folks who have to watch their sugar intake due to diabetes etc.
Do you have to avoid high amounts of fruits too?0 -
Christine, a diabetic's life is all about proportion. The carb in the fruit would be paired with a protein at least, like some peanut butter or cheese. The sugar in the fruit is absorbed a little slower because of the fiber content so it is better. But I would not eat too much of anything.0
-
tigersword wrote: »Patttience wrote: »this is a very good question. First off, my advice is don't bother using the sugar counter at all unless you are a diagnosed diabetic. Nobody else needs to know their sugar count.
What we all need to do is know our carb count. You should aim to keep your carb count low.
The reason why i say the sugar counter is a waste of your interest is a) because there are more important factors and b), unless diabetic the body manages blood sugar levels naturally. If you just eat with your macros in an appropriate balance, you do not need to be concered about the sugar counter.
the sugar counter makes no distinction between refined sugars and natural sugars and it is hte refined sugars only that you need to reduce. You can do this without any sort of counter at all. You need to put significant effort into reducing processed foods because these are the foods that have high levels of added/refined sugar.
Why is refined sugar a problem? Because it intensifies the flavours of foods so that you ar enot happy with normal healthy food and prefer processed foods. Because it causes some people to over eat. And when you over eat refined sugar, it start the ball rolling and keep it rolling endlessly towards weight gain and ill health. Overeating causes imbalances in the hormones signalling systems in teh body. For instance leptin. People who eat a lot tend to develop leptin resistance which means your body can't help you restrict your eating at all because you are always hungry.
Just reducing yoru calories will result in correcting of this problem however, so long as you eat a lot of refined sugar, you will struggle to reduce your calorie intake and maitain it long enough to lose the weight and reprogram yourself into better eating habits.
The other things that you need to be eating more and don't when you eat too much refined/added sguars are vegetables and fruit and high fibre foods. Because meat is a strong flavoured food, people tend not to have any difficult eating eating enough meat and protein when they are also eating a lot of very unhealthy foods but fruit and vegetables tend to be less exciting to the palate becuase they have plainer flavours. To enjoy them, they would need to be eaten with other highly flavoursome foods.
So when you cut out all the procesed foods, you can start to enjoy less intensely flavoured foods, though they still do need ot be prepared in such a way as to be tasty. Hence to be honest, steamed vegies and skinless chicken breast was never going to satisfy anyone in the long term.
There are ways you can cook vegetables and other foods that are tasty adn interesting. Its important the food you eat to replace all the processed foods you may have eaten in teh past is tasty. So that suggests that people need to apply themselves to their cooking. Thsi is probalby one of hte hardest things for most dieters to do in this day and age when a) many can't cook b) most people are very busy and too tired too cook.
But i promise you if you make the effort to prepare your own meals, avoid processed fodos as much as possible and increase your vegetables and fruit you will find losing weight easier. You will also find keeping hte weigh off long term more sustainable.
People need to make a life long commitment to eating better. Its not enough just to do it for long enough to get hte weight off. If you don't commit to ongoing change, you will get fat again.
No. Just...no.
this gets a hell no..
and to the bolded part - overeating calories results in weight gain, "refined sugar" (whatever that means) has nothing to do with it...
That. And I'm pretty sure it's possible to enjoy intensely flavored food at home. Processed or not.
Might be a follower of Reverand Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker, who believed bland food was the way to health and salvation.
I though grahm crackers were a way to prevent sex drives? they were part of the abstinence plan or something?
I think that was the Kellogg family, wasn't it? Corn flakes were developed and served to individuals in the sanitarium with high libidos in order to help reduce it? History is so effing fascinating...
ETA: the Kelloggs were followers of the Graham philosophies. Ah.0 -
christinev297 wrote: »A quick question to the folks who have to watch their sugar intake due to diabetes etc.
Do you have to avoid high amounts of fruits too?
I personally try to limit myself to 1-2 servings of fruit. At least with type 1, I am "allowed" to consume as many carbs as I want (I have a ratio that approximates how much insulin I need to inject per gram of carb I consume), but I still can experience extreme blood sugar spikes with certain foods (oatmeal and bananas are the worst). For some foods, such as bananas and watermelon (very high-GI fruits), it is easier for me to avoid that food all together than to try to figure out how to adjust my insulin dosage or injection timing for it.
Even when I track my sugar, I don't panic if I go over. Typically, the days I go over are days where I ate a serving or two of fruit or had a lot of hypoglycemic episodes (and need to eat sugar to bring it up).0 -
christinev297 wrote: »A quick question to the folks who have to watch their sugar intake due to diabetes etc.
Do you have to avoid high amounts of fruits too?
As a Type 2, I don't have to watch my sugar intake, just total carbs. My doctor recommended a max of 180 g daily and I currently have a goal of 160 which is 35% of my calories. It is up to me to decide how I want to spend those carbs and I do a mixture of grains, fruit, veggies, and the occasional sweet or alcoholic drink. I tend to only have one serving of fruit a day but I have never been much of a fruit eater. I would rather have veggies.
0 -
Thanks guys. I'm a fruitaholic. Particularly bananas and berries.0
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Thank you so much for your responses! I really appreciate the information you shared and I understand it much better now. I especially appreciated the added info about diabetics. I don't have diabetes, but my Mom has type 2. So that info helped me understand her diet needs much better. Thank you again!!0
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JesslanRose wrote: »Thank you so much for your responses! I really appreciate the information you shared and I understand it much better now. I especially appreciated the added info about diabetics. I don't have diabetes, but my Mom has type 2. So that info helped me understand her diet needs much better. Thank you again!!
You are welcome. Good for you for trying to understand your mother's needs too. many family members think "oh, Mom has diabetes so I shouldn't make a dessert" but load the meal up on pasta, bread, fruit, etc. when a meal of meat, veggies, and a smallish serving of rice or potatoes and a small, light dessert would be better.
Congrats also on losing as much as you have so far! I am sure you already know that genetics is the biggest risk factor for T2D and that weight, age, and diet are contributors. There is nothing you can do about your family (and the whole getting older thing), but getting a handle on the risk factors you CAN control before crossing that line is really, really good. I applaud you. I waited too long and was diagnosed a year ago. I am already off all meds and my T2D is diet and exercise controlled, but I wish I had started before my blood glucose numbers went too high.
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JesslanRose wrote: »I'm a total newbie when it comes to counting calories. I've never done it before and still have a lot to learn so please excuse me if this is a stupid question.
I understand that a calorie deficit is what is behind losing the weight. But where does sugar fit in? I try to be mindful of my sugar count, but it's sometimes over by a couple numbers or if I'm dealing with a lot of stress my calories could be under, but the sugar is way over. How does this affect my weight loss?
Nope as long as you are achieving a deficit, it will not affect your weight loss.
0
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