Anyone else going sugar free in 2015?

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Replies

  • I don't think going sugar free will do you any good.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    This may be splitting hairs, but I see a difference between "reduce or replace" that the USDA says versus eating smaller quantities of whatever. Meaning, the USDA says one should limit or remove higher calorie foods, whereas on here it's limit overall calorie consumption, not necessarily fromhigher calorie foods.

    Either way, this is well beyond the initial point I was trying to make. In this country, people are simply not conditioned to think that there is no such thing as healthy or unhealthy food.

    Because that is how people are successful… by eating what they love in moderation.
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  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    This may be splitting hairs, but I see a difference between "reduce or replace" that the USDA says versus eating smaller quantities of whatever. Meaning, the USDA says one should limit or remove higher calorie foods, whereas on here it's limit overall calorie consumption, not necessarily fromhigher calorie foods.

    I think you're reading a lot in on both sides of that and yes, splitting hairs.

    Moderation means not having everything all at once. I don't have pizza and a burger and a few beers and a slice of cheesecake. I might have one of those things in a day and limit the others to conserve calories for other things.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    I went sugar-free in 2014. And 2013.

    I'll just have to suffer with my 50-lb loss and my increase in medical stat quality.

    Good luck to the rest of you.
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  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I went sugar-free in 2014. And 2013.

    I'll just have to suffer with my 50-lb loss and my increase in medical stat quality.

    Good luck to the rest of you.

    No sugar? At all?
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    I went sugar-free in 2014. And 2013.

    I'll just have to suffer with my 50-lb loss and my increase in medical stat quality.

    Good luck to the rest of you.

    No sugar? At all?

    As little as I could get away with. Generally less than 20g per day.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    I went sugar-free in 2014. And 2013.

    I'll just have to suffer with my 50-lb loss and my increase in medical stat quality.

    Good luck to the rest of you.

    No sugar? At all?

    As little as I could get away with. Generally less than 20g per day.

    So ... not sugar free.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    No, I'm not going (added) sugar free this year. I have to admit that I am suspecting I would see some health improvement (improved allergies, less sensitivity with my digestive system), it would be hard for me to completely remove it from my diet. There are certainly ways I could reduce my consumption, however.
    Another thing, I certainly don't need to reduce my calorie consumption, so removing it would require me to find ways to increase calories.
  • nprins56
    nprins56 Posts: 2 Member
    I have found that I have fewer cravings for foods I shouldn't eat if I stay away from refined sugars and wheat. I eat fruit every day and occasionally use honey to make ice cream. My grand kids love ice cream and I make it with farm fresh raw cream and honey. I don't know if it would be possible for me to stop all sugars because I love fruit. I have lost over the past few years about 90 pounds by eating fruits, vegetables and protein. I eat very little grain products and no highly processed store foods.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    I went sugar-free in 2014. And 2013.

    I'll just have to suffer with my 50-lb loss and my increase in medical stat quality.

    Good luck to the rest of you.

    No sugar? At all?

    As little as I could get away with. Generally less than 20g per day.

    You referring to added sugar, all sugars or carbs?
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  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    I am new to My Fitness Pal but... In response to your query about sugar free. I have been 'refined sugar free' since August 2000. My weight has yo yo'd all my adult life until I accepted that I was addicted to chocolate, sweets and really anything with refined sugar in. I am no expert in the diet department and don't profess to be. But I now have peace of mind around my weight (have maintained a 60lb + weight loss for the last 14 years). I eat fruit and do accept that food converts to sugar - but there is clearly something in the process of either the way or the speed it is broken down that leads me to be able to eat say 1 apple where I could never just eat a few squares of chocolate. Needless to say - I don't intend to go back to eating the types of food that include refined sugar any time soon. 14 years is pretty well proof that it's not faddy. Won't be the answer for everyone but it works for me. :)
    2001.

    StellaCooke thanks for sharing your story about your long term success (14 years) of not regaining a 60 pound weight loss. I have been between 175 and 250 more than once in the last 40 years and must get back down and stay in the 175-190 range and STAY there. Currently at 215 (first time in 20 years) and did cut out refined sugar. With your story I and others can try and see if it works for us long term.

  • yaryrosa
    yaryrosa Posts: 65 Member
    Just wondering, how many grams of sugar a day would you consider "moderate", say on a 2,000 calorie diet?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    edited January 2015
    yaryrosa wrote: »
    Just wondering, how many grams of sugar a day would you consider "moderate", say on a 2,000 calorie diet?

    I don't track sugar personally, just carbs. But I eat about 2000 calories per day and that usually includes either one serving of ice cream or one piece of cake, something like that. I believe the American Heart Association Guidelines recommend about 25 g per day of added sugar for women and 35g for men. However that's for an "average" calorie intake, probably 2000 for women and 2500 for men. More active people who have higher calorie numbers could have more and still meet the recommendation since it's worded as "half of a person's discretionary calories for the day."

    And again, that's added sugar, not total sugar, and those numbers are what are considered "optimal" for large populations. Individual needs/requirements may vary a bit.
  • Check my username XD
    I am on that :)
  • Sinistrous
    Sinistrous Posts: 5,589 Member
    NEVERRRRRRRRRRR
  • loll the research article argument was pretty intense to read, but back to the point. OP, I'm trying avoid refined sugars because sugary foods are a trigger for me. once I have one cookie, I'm really tempted eat whole stack! do whatever works you. It just so happens that I can't have sugar in moderation just yet.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    No, I'm not going (added) sugar free this year. I have to admit that I am suspecting I would see some health improvement (improved allergies, less sensitivity with my digestive system), it would be hard for me to completely remove it from my diet. There are certainly ways I could reduce my consumption, however.
    Another thing, I certainly don't need to reduce my calorie consumption, so removing it would require me to find ways to increase calories.

    Honest question. How are you going to go sugar free, added sugar if you are try to bulk?
    I'm not. I just put emphasis on "added sugar" since I don't think it's reasonable at all to even think of going completely sugar free.
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  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    No, I'm not going (added) sugar free this year. I have to admit that I am suspecting I would see some health improvement (improved allergies, less sensitivity with my digestive system), it would be hard for me to completely remove it from my diet. There are certainly ways I could reduce my consumption, however.
    Another thing, I certainly don't need to reduce my calorie consumption, so removing it would require me to find ways to increase calories.

    Honest question. How are you going to go sugar free, added sugar if you are try to bulk?
    I'm not. I just put emphasis on "added sugar" since I don't think it's reasonable at all to even think of going completely sugar free.

    So you are going to bulk eating foods that have 0 added sugar?
    I think you missed the opening sentence of my post. "No, I'm not going (added) sugar free this year."

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited January 2015
    I believe it is wise to avoid REFINED sugar or too much sugar period. There is a reason why we have a type 2 diabetes epidemic.

    It is NOT because of sugar. It is because of the combination of risk factors that cause it and more and more people have two or more of those risk factors.

    The most common risk factors:
    1. Genetics
    2. Being overweight
    3. Age
    4. Long term use of common medications like statins and antidepressants

    There is also correlation (but not proven causation) to excess stress and environmental factors such as increased arsenic in food, pesticides and herbicides, etc.


  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2015
    yaryrosa wrote: »
    Just wondering, how many grams of sugar a day would you consider "moderate", say on a 2,000 calorie diet?

    IMO, it depends on the source of the sugar, not the number of grams. The reasons WHO et al limit added sugar is not sugar itself but the view that certain amounts of added sugar on average are likely to signify an overconsumption of non nutrient dense foods either at the expense of nutrient dense ones or resulting in excess calorie consumption.

    So I think moderate consumption of added sugar means within your appropriate calories and not at the expense of adequate protein, fiber, or other nutrients, found especially in a wide variety of fruits and veggies. For sources of sugar that come with important nutrients, like dairy and fruit, I think it's not excessive (in moderation) if within your calories and not at the expense of other equally good and diverse sources of nutrients.

    One reason for this is that although bananas and yogurt are healthy, you wouldn't want to eat them exclusively, as you wouldn't want to eat anything, however nutrient dense, exclusively. It's the mix that matters.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    yaryrosa wrote: »
    Just wondering, how many grams of sugar a day would you consider "moderate", say on a 2,000 calorie diet?

    IMO, it depends on the source of the sugar, not the number of grams. The reasons WHO et al limit added sugar is not sugar itself but the view that certain amounts of added sugar on average are likely to signify an overconsumption of non nutrient dense foods either at the expense of nutrient dense ones or resulting in excess calorie consumption.

    So I think moderate consumption of added sugar means within your appropriate calories and not at the expense of adequate protein, fiber, or other nutrients, found especially in a wide variety of fruits and veggies. For sources of sugar that come with important nutrients, like dairy and fruit, I think it's not excessive (in moderation) if within your calories and not at the expense of other equally good and diverse sources of nutrients.

    One reason for this is that although bananas and yogurt are healthy, you wouldn't want to eat them exclusively, as you wouldn't want to eat anything, however nutrient dense, exclusively. It's the mix that matters.

    ^^this
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    yaryrosa wrote: »
    Just wondering, how many grams of sugar a day would you consider "moderate", say on a 2,000 calorie diet?

    So I think moderate consumption of added sugar means within your appropriate calories and not at the expense of adequate protein, fiber, or other nutrients, found especially in a wide variety of fruits and veggies. For sources of sugar that come with important nutrients, like dairy and fruit, I think it's not excessive (in moderation) if within your calories and not at the expense of other equally good and diverse sources of nutrients.

    One reason for this is that although bananas and yogurt are healthy, you wouldn't want to eat them exclusively, as you wouldn't want to eat anything, however nutrient dense, exclusively. It's the mix that matters.

    This is so true. I tend to not eat sweets partially because of preference (give me bread rather than cake!) but also because I am under Dr.'s orders to eat a reduced carb diet. My sugars stay close to the MFP target but I do have the occasional sweet when I can work it in to my carb total. Most of my sugars come from veggies and dairy with some fruit

  • Zhost
    Zhost Posts: 97
    N=1, cut way back on sugar and carbs in general a la Keto. Never felt better, weight just fell off.

    When I want something sugary I eat/bake those dreaded "frankenfoods" with those dreaded "fake" sugars that don't spike my BG levels.
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  • Zhost
    Zhost Posts: 97
    MrM27 wrote: »
    Zhost wrote: »
    N=1, cut way back on sugar and carbs in general a la Keto. Never felt better, weight just fell off.

    When I want something sugary I eat/bake those dreaded "frankenfoods" with those dreaded "fake" sugars that don't spike my BG levels.

    Protein also causes insulin spikes

    Yes I've read that already. And from everything I've read it's only in very large amounts. But nonetheless I used the meter after drinking a protein shake (whey isolate). Nothing out of the norm happened, just the regular small spikes I'd get with any other food.

    Of course, again, this is all n=1. It's all just calories in vs out anyways.
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