How much does sugar intake *really* matter?
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I'd say the problem with sugar is it's in a lot of food, more than ever. Sugar gets us to eat more, whether it's more sugary processed foods or natural foods. I has an impact on if you have a sugar crash (traditionally the 3pm slump). I know if I have a sugary food sometimes, especially if it's a processed sugar, I will want more food later to keep that satisfied.
I just met with my nutritionist yesterday and she said for women, we should aim to have no more than 25g of sugar daily. She suggested I switch to berries on a rice cake with almond butter rather than a banana.
Sugar can have an impact on your liver. Your body is constantly working to process sugar as you eat and if you eat too much, it works to keep up. Just ask someone who is diabetic. It runs in my family.
Food manufactures add sugar to food that doesn't need it, like those pre cooked chicken roasts you find at the store. Never did I think they add sugar, but lo and be hold, they do. No wonder it tastes so good (Costco and Safeway come to mind) and makes me want to keep eating.
In short, sugar I would say is something to be mindful of and to try to reduce processed foods. I'll say it's quite telling when you reduce your sugar in take, even high sugar fruit, juices, processed food, etc., and see how your body feels. I know I've then craved sugar in whatever form and it takes a while to get used to it. My body will have got used to whatever source of sugar I was eating and the craving get stronger. I'm assuming withdrawal like an alcoholic or drug addict. The addiction to sugar is very real and a problem with our culture today.
Anywho, I'm going to do the best I can to reduce my sugar intake and treat myself once in a while to a treat. I will say it feels really nice having energy all day and not crashing halfway through the day. It's a process to say the least but worth a try.
sugar does not make you eat more, that is some kind of binge eating or mental issue that said person has.
sugar = sugar = sugar. It does not matter if it is "processed sugar" (whatever that is), fruit sugar, table sugar, etc.
sugar does not cause diabetes. Protein also causes similar insulin spikes and I don't see anyone saying avoid that.
Sugar is not an addictive substance and comparing it to alcoholics or drug addicts is insulting to those that have problems with substances that are proven to be psychically addictive.6 -
I think sugar is the same as alcohol, and cigarettes or lots of things. For your health Zero or close to zero is best/ideal but you gotta live too, right. So less is better. I avoid sugary drinks, yes coffee that taste like a candy cane counts. The less sugar you consume the less you want. I used to go to this cupcake place, Cami Cakes, their red velvet cupcakes were fantastic. Now I can't eat them. It taste like a cup of sugar to me, in a bad way. I prefer Vietnamese bakeries now because the cakes/pastries are made with much less sugar and taste great to me. If I take a friend they usually don't like it and says it just taste like regular bread. All that said sugar is in everything. Why does mustard need sugar? but if you look at the generic yellow mustard in your fridge it's there. so reduce what you can, and any reductions won't hurt you and would probably be helpful. all that being said if you exercise/train regularly and you track/control your calories, ie you're maintaining a comfortable weight for you, I'd say don't sweat it.0
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I think sugar is the same as alcohol, and cigarettes or lots of things. For your health Zero or close to zero is best/ideal but you gotta live too, right. So less is better. I avoid sugary drinks, yes coffee that taste like a candy cane counts. The less sugar you consume the less you want. I used to go to this cupcake place, Cami Cakes, their red velvet cupcakes were fantastic. Now I can't eat them. It taste like a cup of sugar to me, in a bad way. I prefer Vietnamese bakeries now because the cakes/pastries are made with much less sugar and taste great to me. If I take a friend they usually don't like it and says it just taste like regular bread. All that said sugar is in everything. Why does mustard need sugar? but if you look at the generic yellow mustard in your fridge it's there. so reduce what you can, and any reductions won't hurt you and would probably be helpful. all that being said if you exercise/train regularly and you track/control your calories, ie you're maintaining a comfortable weight for you, I'd say don't sweat it.
So you advocate no fruit, vegetables, etc, because sugar?
And sugar is nothing like alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, etc5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »As long as you don't have a medical issue, I don't think sugar is an issue at all.
Sugar (like other tasty things) can be a problem if it causes us to exceed our calorie goals or it crowds out the foods we need to meet our nutritional needs. Other than that, I think it is unfairly stigmatized.
I think that's where my confusion comes from. So many would have you believe that sugar is evil, and so many people cut it out all together, so I assumed there would be some good reasons for this.
I used to think sugar was fine as long as I was at a healthy weight and not binging on sugar. Eventually I did get insulin resistance. In hindsight I wish I had limited sugar and refined carbs. It is thought that a high intake of refined carbs and sugars are linked to developing IR.2 -
I'd say the problem with sugar is it's in a lot of food, more than ever. Sugar gets us to eat more, whether it's more sugary processed foods or natural foods. I has an impact on if you have a sugar crash (traditionally the 3pm slump). I know if I have a sugary food sometimes, especially if it's a processed sugar, I will want more food later to keep that satisfied.
I just met with my nutritionist yesterday and she said for women, we should aim to have no more than 25g of sugar daily. She suggested I switch to berries on a rice cake with almond butter rather than a banana.
Sugar can have an impact on your liver. Your body is constantly working to process sugar as you eat and if you eat too much, it works to keep up. Just ask someone who is diabetic. It runs in my family.
Food manufactures add sugar to food that doesn't need it, like those pre cooked chicken roasts you find at the store. Never did I think they add sugar, but lo and be hold, they do. No wonder it tastes so good (Costco and Safeway come to mind) and makes me want to keep eating.
In short, sugar I would say is something to be mindful of and to try to reduce processed foods. I'll say it's quite telling when you reduce your sugar in take, even high sugar fruit, juices, processed food, etc., and see how your body feels. I know I've then craved sugar in whatever form and it takes a while to get used to it. My body will have got used to whatever source of sugar I was eating and the craving get stronger. I'm assuming withdrawal like an alcoholic or drug addict. The addiction to sugar is very real and a problem with our culture today.
Anywho, I'm going to do the best I can to reduce my sugar intake and treat myself once in a while to a treat. I will say it feels really nice having energy all day and not crashing halfway through the day. It's a process to say the least but worth a try.
sugar does not make you eat more, that is some kind of binge eating or mental issue that said person has.
sugar = sugar = sugar. It does not matter if it is "processed sugar" (whatever that is), fruit sugar, table sugar, etc.
sugar does not cause diabetes. Protein also causes similar insulin spikes and I don't see anyone saying avoid that.
Sugar is not an addictive substance and comparing it to alcoholics or drug addicts is insulting to those that have problems with substances that are proven to be psychically addictive.
I think you've never been fat, maybe chubby, but not obese. So I agree, if you are a person that is within 30 pounds of high school weight or you only have 10-20 pounds to lose, that's true. If you are a fat kid or former fat kid, yoru advice while well meaning is probably not ideal for that person.
For fat people "triggers" are real. and FYI like with alcoholics even if you are skinny you will always be a "fat kid" at heart. Forget that and you will be fat again.
Is a Krispy Kreme donut the same as heroin..... I'd say NO
but it can still be destructive in it's own way. 3 -
Actually, I'm a 5'3" female with starting weight 254 lbs (BMI 45). I'm now just over 193 (BMI 36). I enjoy sweets, but they don't make me eat more. If I crave anything, it's more starchy carbs. Generally speaking, I tend to eat out of stress and boredom. There are certain desserts that I find hard to moderate (I can say 'no' to fudge, but you have to lock up the caramel), but I don't crave sugar. I'm an introvert who has trouble with small talk. Stick me at a party and I gravitate toward the buffet. But I'm just as likely to be loading my plate with pasta or potato chips as I am cake and cookies. And these days? I plan and pre-log, so that I can have a couple of treats without stressing over 'blowing my diet'.
(So looking forward to 2 pieces of potato kugel and a frosted shortbread tomorrow...)3 -
I am fighting to get A1C level down without meds right now, so I am VERY conscious of sugar. I have eliminated desserts and sweet for the past 4 months. And I have to say... I have fallen off the NO Sugar wagon a couple of times, and it is a very real trigger for me. I struggle for a few days to get back into the "dont' eat sweets" frame of mind. I will know in a couple of weeks if this has helped. But I do think if you aren't struggling with health problems, the anti-sugar rage is over the top. I really believe the artificial sweeteners are more harmful for most people.1
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I'd say the problem with sugar is it's in a lot of food, more than ever. Sugar gets us to eat more, whether it's more sugary processed foods or natural foods. I has an impact on if you have a sugar crash (traditionally the 3pm slump). I know if I have a sugary food sometimes, especially if it's a processed sugar, I will want more food later to keep that satisfied.
I just met with my nutritionist yesterday and she said for women, we should aim to have no more than 25g of sugar daily. She suggested I switch to berries on a rice cake with almond butter rather than a banana.
Sugar can have an impact on your liver. Your body is constantly working to process sugar as you eat and if you eat too much, it works to keep up. Just ask someone who is diabetic. It runs in my family.
Food manufactures add sugar to food that doesn't need it, like those pre cooked chicken roasts you find at the store. Never did I think they add sugar, but lo and be hold, they do. No wonder it tastes so good (Costco and Safeway come to mind) and makes me want to keep eating.
In short, sugar I would say is something to be mindful of and to try to reduce processed foods. I'll say it's quite telling when you reduce your sugar in take, even high sugar fruit, juices, processed food, etc., and see how your body feels. I know I've then craved sugar in whatever form and it takes a while to get used to it. My body will have got used to whatever source of sugar I was eating and the craving get stronger. I'm assuming withdrawal like an alcoholic or drug addict. The addiction to sugar is very real and a problem with our culture today.
Anywho, I'm going to do the best I can to reduce my sugar intake and treat myself once in a while to a treat. I will say it feels really nice having energy all day and not crashing halfway through the day. It's a process to say the least but worth a try.
sugar does not make you eat more, that is some kind of binge eating or mental issue that said person has.
sugar = sugar = sugar. It does not matter if it is "processed sugar" (whatever that is), fruit sugar, table sugar, etc.
sugar does not cause diabetes. Protein also causes similar insulin spikes and I don't see anyone saying avoid that.
Sugar is not an addictive substance and comparing it to alcoholics or drug addicts is insulting to those that have problems with substances that are proven to be psychically addictive.
I think you've never been fat, maybe chubby, but not obese. So I agree, if you are a person that is within 30 pounds of high school weight or you only have 10-20 pounds to lose, that's true. If you are a fat kid or former fat kid, yoru advice while well meaning is probably not ideal for that person.
For fat people "triggers" are real. and FYI like with alcoholics even if you are skinny you will always be a "fat kid" at heart. Forget that and you will be fat again.
Is a Krispy Kreme donut the same as heroin..... I'd say NO but it can still be destructive in it's own way.
I lost 50 pounds eating sugar and still do. What matters is context and dosage. I always found that my issue was with fatty foods, not just sugar. The problem with obesity is too many calories, not too many of one macro.
Please explain how one donut can be harmful, if I hit my calorie, macro, and micro targets for the day????4 -
I'd say the problem with sugar is it's in a lot of food, more than ever. Sugar gets us to eat more, whether it's more sugary processed foods or natural foods. I has an impact on if you have a sugar crash (traditionally the 3pm slump). I know if I have a sugary food sometimes, especially if it's a processed sugar, I will want more food later to keep that satisfied.
I just met with my nutritionist yesterday and she said for women, we should aim to have no more than 25g of sugar daily. She suggested I switch to berries on a rice cake with almond butter rather than a banana.
Sugar can have an impact on your liver. Your body is constantly working to process sugar as you eat and if you eat too much, it works to keep up. Just ask someone who is diabetic. It runs in my family.
Food manufactures add sugar to food that doesn't need it, like those pre cooked chicken roasts you find at the store. Never did I think they add sugar, but lo and be hold, they do. No wonder it tastes so good (Costco and Safeway come to mind) and makes me want to keep eating.
In short, sugar I would say is something to be mindful of and to try to reduce processed foods. I'll say it's quite telling when you reduce your sugar in take, even high sugar fruit, juices, processed food, etc., and see how your body feels. I know I've then craved sugar in whatever form and it takes a while to get used to it. My body will have got used to whatever source of sugar I was eating and the craving get stronger. I'm assuming withdrawal like an alcoholic or drug addict. The addiction to sugar is very real and a problem with our culture today.
Anywho, I'm going to do the best I can to reduce my sugar intake and treat myself once in a while to a treat. I will say it feels really nice having energy all day and not crashing halfway through the day. It's a process to say the least but worth a try.
sugar does not make you eat more, that is some kind of binge eating or mental issue that said person has.
sugar = sugar = sugar. It does not matter if it is "processed sugar" (whatever that is), fruit sugar, table sugar, etc.
sugar does not cause diabetes. Protein also causes similar insulin spikes and I don't see anyone saying avoid that.
Sugar is not an addictive substance and comparing it to alcoholics or drug addicts is insulting to those that have problems with substances that are proven to be psychically addictive.
I think you've never been fat, maybe chubby, but not obese. So I agree, if you are a person that is within 30 pounds of high school weight or you only have 10-20 pounds to lose, that's true. If you are a fat kid or former fat kid, yoru advice while well meaning is probably not ideal for that person.
For fat people "triggers" are real. and FYI like with alcoholics even if you are skinny you will always be a "fat kid" at heart. Forget that and you will be fat again.
Is a Krispy Kreme donut the same as heroin..... I'd say NO but it can still be destructive in it's own way.
I am down 68 lbs from my highest weight (215 lbs), which put me in the obese range. And I got fat eating mostly due to overindulging in high fat Mexican food, not due to sweets. I eat more sugar now than I ever did when I was obese, mostly due to my increased fruit consumption.
I'm now on year 6 of maintaining my weight and average 150g of sugar a day.
Sugar isn't addictive, and most treats people eat have just as many calories, if not more, from FAT (cookies, cakes, etc.). You don't see those same people having issues with a plate of strawberries or carrots, which get almost all of their calories from sugars.3 -
Nothing wrong with sugar. 1
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I eat what ever I fancy, within my calories. But I do notice on days I eat a lot of sugary foods, fruits and the chewy sweets (they are my downfall) I do find the next day that I am bloated and retaining water, just the way I am when I have too much salty snacks and foods.0
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I have found that for me, having more sugar in a day does affect how easily I can stick to my calorie goal. For instance, I typically don't eat breakfast, instead having coffee with a square or two of dark chocolate. I've noticed that if I have no chocolate or very dark chocolate (so low sugar), and limit the sugar in my coffee to the very minimum I can handle, it is MUCH easier for me to eat well, not have cravings, and just generally stay within my calories, as opposed to if I have milk chocolate and/or more sugar in my coffee. It also seems to help me to have a little bit of cream, so maybe the fat helps?
But I am merely an n=1 experiment!1 -
Blueberries seem to blast me over my sugar limit, but they have antioxidants that maple syrup lacks. I just aim for the daily sugar goal because I find the information interesting, but I don't stress over it. I'm not going to cut out blueberries because they're so sweet.0
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Sugar is not something I ever worry about, though for that matter, I really don't care about fat, carbs, sodium, etc. either. The funny thing? At my last physical when I had blood work done, my markers were better than they have ever been, even when I did care about these dietary intakes.
What I do care about is being in a calorie deficit. There is a rather large and emerging body of scientific research on the benefits of caloric restriction on such markers which supersedes any assumed benefits from consuming or avoiding certain macros.
http://ajpheart.physiology.org/content/301/4/H1205.long
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/pathways-underlying-benefits-calorie-restriction
Probably my favorite study on sugar (indirectly) was conducted by a nutritionist at K State University back in 2010. The guy gorged himself on sugar and little else for 3 months, but still restricted calories. He still lost a significant amount of weight, and even more perplexingly, his blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, etc. numbers all showed dramatic improvement also.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
This strongly suggests that people who fixate on certain macros are doing so needlessly in the grand scope.1 -
That experiment was only done on one person, and it validates the research that suggests that in some people, (excess) weight is strongly linked to a lot of health issues. What it does not take into account is that there are plenty of normal weight people with normal body fat levels that can and do suffer from many of those health markers.supaflyrobby1 wrote: »Sugar is not something I ever worry about, though for that matter, I really don't care about fat, carbs, sodium, etc. either. The funny thing? At my last physical when I had blood work done, my markers were better than they have ever been, even when I did care about these dietary intakes.
What I do care about is being in a calorie deficit. There is a rather large and emerging body of scientific research on the benefits of caloric restriction on such markers which supersedes any assumed benefits from consuming or avoiding certain macros.
http://ajpheart.physiology.org/content/301/4/H1205.long
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/pathways-underlying-benefits-calorie-restriction
Probably my favorite study on sugar (indirectly) was conducted by a nutritionist at K State University back in 2010. The guy gorged himself on sugar and little else for 3 months, but still restricted calories. He still lost a significant amount of weight, and even more perplexingly, his blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, etc. numbers all showed dramatic improvement also.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
This strongly suggests that people who fixate on certain macros are doing so needlessly in the grand scope.
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ForecasterJason wrote: »
That experiment was only done on one person, and it validates the research that suggests that in some people, (excess) weight is strongly linked to a lot of health issues. What it does not take into account is that there are plenty of normal weight people with normal body fat levels that can and do suffer from many of those health markers.supaflyrobby1 wrote: »Sugar is not something I ever worry about, though for that matter, I really don't care about fat, carbs, sodium, etc. either. The funny thing? At my last physical when I had blood work done, my markers were better than they have ever been, even when I did care about these dietary intakes.
What I do care about is being in a calorie deficit. There is a rather large and emerging body of scientific research on the benefits of caloric restriction on such markers which supersedes any assumed benefits from consuming or avoiding certain macros.
http://ajpheart.physiology.org/content/301/4/H1205.long
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/pathways-underlying-benefits-calorie-restriction
Probably my favorite study on sugar (indirectly) was conducted by a nutritionist at K State University back in 2010. The guy gorged himself on sugar and little else for 3 months, but still restricted calories. He still lost a significant amount of weight, and even more perplexingly, his blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, etc. numbers all showed dramatic improvement also.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
This strongly suggests that people who fixate on certain macros are doing so needlessly in the grand scope.
I do not disagree, and naturally everyone is unique to one degree or another. That said, call me lucky or whatever in my anecdotal findings about myself, but I show complete disregard for macros and according to my physician I am as healthy as I have ever been. Provided I only consume up to the calorie limit I have set, my health benefit seems evident. If that ever changes, so will my plan. Considering how much I hated worrying about macros, I hope it is no time soon.1 -
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For fat people "triggers" are real. and FYI like with alcoholics even if you are skinny you will always be a "fat kid" at heart. Forget that and you will be fat again.
Is a Krispy Kreme donut the same as heroin..... I'd say NO but it can still be destructive in it's own way.
No one's saying triggers aren't real. But a "trigger" and an "addiction" are two very different things. A trigger is an emotional/psychological response. Addiction comes from a physiological reaction along with the emotional/psychological aspect. Watching someone cut down on sugar is not the same as watching someone give up alcohol and "dry up."
Sugar is not currently a diagnosable addition like nicotine or alcohol. There are many folks who don't have healthy attitudes about high sugar (usually also high fat) foods. But that does not make them addicted.
And, for the record, I was obese. Lost 115 pounds. A whole me.2 -
lightenup2016 wrote: »I have found that for me, having more sugar in a day does affect how easily I can stick to my calorie goal. For instance, I typically don't eat breakfast, instead having coffee with a square or two of dark chocolate. I've noticed that if I have no chocolate or very dark chocolate (so low sugar), and limit the sugar in my coffee to the very minimum I can handle, it is MUCH easier for me to eat well, not have cravings, and just generally stay within my calories, as opposed to if I have milk chocolate and/or more sugar in my coffee. It also seems to help me to have a little bit of cream, so maybe the fat helps?
But I am merely an n=1 experiment!
You're not alone. There are lots of folks who have a hard time resisting sugary foods. They're typically made to be yummy.
Sugar is fine for me, I personally struggle to moderate around chips. I buy single servings, or divide up the big bags into servings right when I get home from the store. Eating out of a big bag is not a good strategy for me when it comes to maintaining weight. But plop a cake down in front of me and I'm ok with a little.
We all have our issues.1
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