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Why Science Says Sugar Is Bad for Weight Loss - the MFP Hello Healthy Blog
diannethegeek
Posts: 14,776 Member
in Debate Club
I don't read the MFP blog very often, but someone mentioned their latest post in another thread. I'm bringing it to the Nutrition Debate forum for comment. Anyone want to take it point by point?
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/science-says-sugar-bad-weight-loss/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/science-says-sugar-bad-weight-loss/
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Replies
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Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.
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This strikes me as really horrible writing:
That last part. I mean, if you understand anything about nutrition, it should sound almost condescending. Replace sugar in blood sugar with glucose (which is really what dietitians and doctors would talk about) and you have: "When glucose passes into the bloodstream, your blood blood rises quickly." YaDontSay.png!One problem with eating too much added sugar is the way your body processes it. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that is easy for your body to break down into glucose. When glucose passes into the bloodstream, your blood sugar rises quickly.
Replace sugar with pretty much any food.Sugar activates reward centers in your brain. As your intake increases, so does the release of serotonin and endorphins, powerful brain chemicals that make you feel calm, relaxed and happy.
No such thing as healthy food.And finally, we have to look at the types of foods that contain large amounts of added sugar. Let’s face it, excess sugar doesn’t show up in healthy food.
Oh shoot. I guess I didn't lose weight, I never developed a sugar strategy. Is sugar the final boss in a video game or something?It’s important to create a sugar strategy when trying to lose weight.1 -
The only reason I can see it as a bad thing is because it is much easier to overconsume since it's cheap and tasty. I have it daily. NOM0
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So now you're literally attributing low carb as making you a nicer person?GaleHawkins wrote: »Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.0 -
It's harder to eat a lot of sugar and still be in a deficit but it's entirely doable and I'm living proof. I even "beat" (no more symptoms, last ultrasound shows no cysts) PCOS in the process of losing weight while still eating dessert every day. I refuse to deprive myself of anything.0
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I saw this article too. And the thing is, I've seen different versions of the exact same information from reputable sources for many years. Until I came to MFP, I didn't realize it was a disputed issue. To me, it seems like common sense and quite reasonable. I don't avoid sugar in any form, but is it really so unbalanced to think it could be beneficial to limit it?0
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So now you're literally attributing low carb as making you a nicer person?GaleHawkins wrote: »Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.
It's possible Gale was in so much pain he was an @$$ to people. I'm the same way (not that carbs cause me pain).0 -
Sometimes I think when you get to debating the minutiae of the science, it's like you can't see the forest for the trees.0
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So now you're literally attributing low carb as making you a nicer person?GaleHawkins wrote: »Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.
Stable blood sugar makes mood more stable.0 -
"Our fat cells are capable of creating chemical signals that lead to chronic inflammation, especially when you eat too many calories and too much sugar. Chronic inflammation in the body is detrimental because it’s a key indicator of heart disease among other chronic health conditions."
Can someone versed in science-layman's terms translation tell me WTF that's supposed to mean? To me, I understand it as "too much sugar will make you fat and fat makes chronic inflammation so you'll get heart disease and other nasty things". What's inflammating about fat? How does fat cause me chronic inflammation? What IS chronic inflammation? And since I do eat excess sugar (which automatically turns to fat), how come my GP and blood tests haven't shown this inflammation?0 -
Not necessarily.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
So now you're literally attributing low carb as making you a nicer person?GaleHawkins wrote: »Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.
Stable blood sugar makes mood more stable.0 -
Stopping reading the Hello Healthy blogs made me a much happier person.
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The article is based on sound and current research. I agree with GaleHawkins - If you decrease your processed sugar intake, it doesn't take long before the cravings subside. I'm not into depriving myself either but I am into taking this opportunity to educate myself and modify my diet to support my health more fully. I now eat a lot of fruit and some dark chocolate most nights before bed. I try to follow the recommendations and keep my processed sugar intake as low as possible. Yeah, that means no more Skiddles nor orange juice in my smoothies but that's a small price for skinnier, healthier and more energetic.0
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The article is based on sound and current research. I agree with GaleHawkins - If you decrease your processed sugar intake, it doesn't take long before the cravings subside. I'm not into depriving myself either but I am into taking this opportunity to educate myself and modify my diet to support my health more fully. I now eat a lot of fruit and some dark chocolate most nights before bed. I try to follow the recommendations and keep my processed sugar intake as low as possible. Yeah, that means no more Skiddles nor orange juice in my smoothies but that's a small price for skinnier, healthier and more energetic.
The sugar in the fruit is the same sugar in processed foods.0 -
So now you're literally attributing low carb as making you a nicer person?GaleHawkins wrote: »Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.
It's possible Gale was in so much pain he was an @$$ to people. I'm the same way (not that carbs cause me pain).
@zyxst I guess you have a good point since carbs cause me pain. Glad they do not in your case. While I do not see cutting carbs as a universal solution to all pain but it is a solution all could try cost free to see.0 -
"Our fat cells are capable of creating chemical signals that lead to chronic inflammation, especially when you eat too many calories and too much sugar. Chronic inflammation in the body is detrimental because it’s a key indicator of heart disease among other chronic health conditions."
Can someone versed in science-layman's terms translation tell me WTF that's supposed to mean? To me, I understand it as "too much sugar will make you fat and fat makes chronic inflammation so you'll get heart disease and other nasty things". What's inflammating about fat? How does fat cause me chronic inflammation? What IS chronic inflammation? And since I do eat excess sugar (which automatically turns to fat), how come my GP and blood tests haven't shown this inflammation?
It's very poorly written; saying something is harmful because it indicates another condition exists makes no sense at all. Additionally, whether or not inflammation causes heart disease or vice versa is inconclusive at the moment.
The whole article seemed to imply that excess sugar automatically equals an in excess calories.0 -
The only reason I can see it as a bad thing is because it is much easier to overconsume since it's cheap and tasty. I have it daily. NOM
Only thing I'd disagree with about this is that plain sugar isn't that tasty (there's a funny article from some years ago in a running or triathlon magazine about a guy who experimented with eating only gels for a week -- wish I could find it for MFP, he didn't enjoy it). What's amazingly tasty is sugar+fat (and also fat+other things, IMO, but I've never had the biggest sweet tooth).
Haven't read the blog piece yet, but I will force myself to tomorrow!0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Stopping reading the Hello Healthy blogs made me a much happier person.
:-)0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »
So now you're literally attributing low carb as making you a nicer person?GaleHawkins wrote: »Dianne I do not see it as a debating subject in my case. I can only know and discuss the impact of sugar on my personal weight loss. Since I cut out both sugar and grains at the same time looking for a non Rx way to manage my joint and muscle pain I can not swear as to where it was sugar and/or grains causing my major health decline over the prior 40 years.
Cutting them both out gave me major pain relief in just 30 days. The 50 pounds of weight loss started earlier by just trying to starve myself by cutting back on sugar so I was down to 230 when I cut the sugar and grains. The last 30 pounds came off over the next six months and has stayed off for the last 12 months.
I am not sure about the impact on insulin in my case or how much sugar I was consuming. In just two weeks the cravings just faded away.
As to the brain chemicals changing all I know is my family say I am not a mean as I was 18 months ago.
It is my guess the sugar/carbs was messing up my gut flora because in just 6 months of eating <50 grams of carbs daily my 40 years of life defining IBS was gone and has not returned.
I had to see myself dead and in my coffin to get through the first two weeks of withdrawing from living on mainly carbs. After that the craving faded and 18 months later my new way of eating seems normal and the old way abnormal.
Some will make fun of Danielle Omar nice piece on sugar but for the rest I can suggest at least a fast read. It is based on solid science base on my own reading on the subject recently as well as my healthcare training in earning my OD degree many years ago.
It's possible Gale was in so much pain he was an @$$ to people. I'm the same way (not that carbs cause me pain).
@zyxst I guess you have a good point since carbs cause me pain. Glad they do not in your case. While I do not see cutting carbs as a universal solution to all pain but it is a solution all could try cost free to see.
I suppose people could try anything. If I ate your diet (as explained on MFP, crazy high in sat fat and calories you drink and crazy low in fiber or veg), pretty sure I'd feel awful.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »The only reason I can see it as a bad thing is because it is much easier to overconsume since it's cheap and tasty. I have it daily. NOM
Only thing I'd disagree with about this is that plain sugar isn't that tasty (there's a funny article from some years ago in a running or triathlon magazine about a guy who experimented with eating only gels for a week -- wish I could find it for MFP, he didn't enjoy it). What's amazingly tasty is sugar+fat (and also fat+other things, IMO, but I've never had the biggest sweet tooth).
Haven't read the blog piece yet, but I will force myself to tomorrow!
clearly you never were the kind of fatty mcfatfat who actually ATE SPOONFULS OF TABLE SUGAR ONE AFTER THE OTHER.
Yes. 17-year-old-me championed this one.
[edited by MFP Moderator]0
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