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It's All Sugar's Fault
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"Sugar" is simplistic perhaps, but take a look at how many of our packaged and processed foods (even the savory, non-sweet ones) have a ton of added sugar and simple carbs. This isn't the same food our forefathers ate (you have to go back further than the 50s when convenience food started to take hold.)
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.
Can you provide some examples of the packaged, processed foods with a ton of added sugar and simple carbs? I eat a considerable amount of convenience foods, and I took a look at my day yesterday. I don't specifically track sugar but I ate flavored greek yogurt for breakfast with coffee and flavored creamer; a frozen meal for lunch, a small portion of pasta with zoodles, shrimp, and packaged garlic bread for dinner. Also white wine. I was well under my sugar goal, as I am on most days.
I'm also curious what you think happens if you do cut back carb and sugar intake, in the context of a calorie controlled diet, since this is a thread about if sugar specifically is to blame for obesity?6 -
"Sugar" is simplistic perhaps, but take a look at how many of our packaged and processed foods (even the savory, non-sweet ones) have a ton of added sugar and simple carbs. This isn't the same food our forefathers ate (you have to go back further than the 50s when convenience food started to take hold.)
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.
I'm currently about 110 pounds. I have been this weight two times in my life -- once in my 20s when I was on the South Beach diet (controlled carbohydrates, low sugar) and now, in my 30s, on a highish carbohydrate diet where I don't bother to limit sugar.
The common factor in both is calorie control (although I didn't realize it when I was on South Beach). The difference between now and then is that my current diet is much easier for me to personally maintain. I was pretty miserable when I was trying to limit carbohydrates and sugar (I know this isn't everyone's experience, but it was mine). I think I maintained this weight on South Beach for 6 months or so and I struggled with binges, low energy, and a constant, almost-feverish fixation on food. This time around, I've been maintaining since July 2015 and I have been binge-free that entire time. I can easily see eating this way for the rest of my life and maintaining this weight. For the first time, food feels like it has its proper place in my life -- something that is enjoyable and fuels my body, not something I'm fighting to control constantly.
Sugar, in and of itself, is meaningless for weight loss and control. Same with simple carbohydrates. The only reason to focus on them is if limiting/eliminating them makes it easier for a specific individual to hit their calorie goals.7 -
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.Those contain CALORIES. Are you telling us you cut calories and lost weight. Amazing
mindblown.gif
I actually have never been a big over-eater. I cut carbs and increased fat and protein, while staying at about the same caloric intake, and I am steadily losing weight at a healthy, sustainable rate, while not feeling hungry. My mood is also much improved.WinoGelato wrote: »"Sugar" is simplistic perhaps, but take a look at how many of our packaged and processed foods (even the savory, non-sweet ones) have a ton of added sugar and simple carbs. This isn't the same food our forefathers ate (you have to go back further than the 50s when convenience food started to take hold.)
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.
Can you provide some examples of the packaged, processed foods with a ton of added sugar and simple carbs? I eat a considerable amount of convenience foods, and I took a look at my day yesterday. I don't specifically track sugar but I ate flavored greek yogurt for breakfast with coffee and flavored creamer; a frozen meal for lunch, a small portion of pasta with zoodles, shrimp, and packaged garlic bread for dinner. Also white wine. I was well under my sugar goal, as I am on most days.
I'm also curious what you think happens if you do cut back carb and sugar intake, in the context of a calorie controlled diet, since this is a thread about if sugar specifically is to blame for obesity?
I'm not here to tell anyone else what to do, just saying what worked for me. Your sugar and carb limits are clearly way higher than mine, and you can read labels to see what foods are high in carbs/sugar, and what foods have added sugar. If it's working for you, well, then you do you. I eat a lot of vegetables, eggs, and meat that I prepare myself because I have the time to do it. I'm not obese, just overweight, but I spent a long time counting calories and exercising to maintain a modest calorie deficit, with absolutely no success. I started a low carb way of eating a few months ago and I've finally started seeing weightloss, along with other benefits. Like I said, you do what works for you, I'll stick with what works for me.
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I love that this thread is a bunch of fledglings/newbies insisting to a bunch of seasoned and successful veterans what works and what doesn't. Strong first posts, guys.
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I think there are several factors... sugar yes, but mostly because there's a lot more of it in things now because when they pulled all the fat out of foods in the 80's they replaced it all with sugar.
Also though because people are relying more on chemical laden processed food instead of cooking at home the way we used to, also portion sizes have tripled.
And people used to get more exercise.
See my post above, can you provide some examples of foods which you feel are high in sugar as a result of the low fat focus in prior decades? While I think this was a situation with some foods (Snackwells comes to mind), I don't think this is actually prevalent in foods today - would be interested in some examples where you feel sugar content is high relative to the content of other ingredients.
Also interested what "chemical laden processed foods" you think are contributing to the obesity epidemic and what specific chemicals you find concerning? As I mentioned above, I eat a decent amount of processed/convenience foods including frozen meals, skillet dinners, etc that I use as part of my busy lifestyle. It hasn't prevented me from losing weight, in fact, I find frozen meals and a skillet dinner with the addition of extra protein and some frozen vegetables to be an easy way to control calories.
Portion sizes - perhaps. If a person is monitoring their intake, this is fairly easy to control when preparing food for oneself. Even when eating out - it's not necessary to "super size" fast food meals, at a sit down restaurant a person can take leftovers home for another meal. It still comes down to personal accountability.
I agree that we are more sedentary than we used to be. I also agree with others that suggest this is one of the biggest contributing factors to the obesity epidemic.3 -
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.I upped my carb intake for weight loss by going high fiber.
Yeah, fiber isn't actually used by your body and doesn't really count as a carb, it just fills you up and then leaves your body. You feel full longer so you eat less. Without realizing it, you were lowering your net carb intake.8 -
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.I upped my carb intake for weight loss by going high fiber.
Yeah, fiber isn't actually used by your body and doesn't really count as a carb, it just fills you up and then leaves your body. You feel full longer so you eat less. Without realizing it, you were lowering your net carb intake.
This isn't universally true, your body can process soluble fiber. You have no way of knowing if someone lowered their net carbohydrate intake by increasing high fiber foods because even foods that are high in fiber often contain non-fiber carbohydrates.7 -
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.I upped my carb intake for weight loss by going high fiber.
Yeah, fiber isn't actually used by your body and doesn't really count as a carb, it just fills you up and then leaves your body. You feel full longer so you eat less. Without realizing it, you were lowering your net carb intake.
I don't know what you mean by "doesn't count as a carb". Fibers are carbohydrates whether you count them or not.
But no, my net carb intake stayed about the same. I've never been one to eat a lot of sweets because I like to use my "pleasure calories" for wine or beer. My total carbs increased and I lowered my fat intake. Fat is the thing I find easiest to overeat.3 -
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.I upped my carb intake for weight loss by going high fiber.
Yeah, fiber isn't actually used by your body and doesn't really count as a carb, it just fills you up and then leaves your body. You feel full longer so you eat less. Without realizing it, you were lowering your net carb intake.
Which might matter if carbs had any impact whatsoever on weight loss.
They don't.
Furthermore, what makes someone "full" is entirely subjective. Nobody really cares what people eat. I know I don't. So long as people maintain a deficit, it's good luck and God speed from my perspective. Where the low carb crowd tends to get themselves into trouble is when they make false claims, which is sadly all too frequent. Many seem to view admitting the reality of energy balance as a concession of defeat for some reason.
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Which might matter if carbs had any impact whatsoever on weight loss.
Okay, I'll let my scale know.
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Which might matter if carbs had any impact whatsoever on weight loss.
Okay, I'll let my scale know.
It's great that you are seeing weight loss and eating in a way that you enjoy. The weight loss itself still comes down to the fact that you are creating a calorie deficit. A lot of people who are successful with low carb find it to be a way of eating that they find satiating, so it helps them adhere to the calorie deficit. That's not universally true though... unlike the fact that weight loss comes down to CI<CO.
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I actually have never been a big over-eater. I cut carbs and increased fat and protein, while staying at about the same caloric intake, and I am steadily losing weight at a healthy, sustainable rate, while not feeling hungry. My mood is also much improved.
"About" being the key word here. If you maintain weight at - just for instance - 2000 Calories, but change whatever macro(s) you wish, but eat 1900 Calories - which would be "about" the same Caloric intake, you'll lose weight.
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stanmann571 wrote: »A better test is to live like they did before the 50s. Walk to work, walk home, walk to the grocery a few times a week because you have no refrigeration.
This. I think people underestimate the impact of the rebuilding of American cities (and American culture) around the idea that you're going to drive everywhere.
I said I was going to walk to the store the other day and my wife looked at me like I had two heads because I needed to buy milk and cat food. And I was like, yes, I AM going to walk there and then walk back carrying 30 pounds in each hand.
Luckily I live in an older part of town where walking to the store is even possible. In the suburban sprawl parts of town, "walking down to the corner store for some milk" is much harder because there are no corner stores - just a supermarket that's 4 miles away, so walking there and back will take you 2 hours.
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"Sugar" is simplistic perhaps, but take a look at how many of our packaged and processed foods (even the savory, non-sweet ones) have a ton of added sugar and simple carbs. This isn't the same food our forefathers ate (you have to go back further than the 50s when convenience food started to take hold.)
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.
I did cut my sugar and processed carb intake.
I managed to gain weight doing Atkins.
I was a 210 pound whole foods vegetarian.
"Sugar" "carbs" "fat".... they are all simplistic. So is eat less, move more, even though that is what needs to be done as a bottom line solution to the problem.
If there's one thing I've learned through years of talking to people about dieting and fitness, it't that you can find 10 people who are overweight, and every single one of them will have different issues and need unique approaches to forming the habits needed to eat less and move more. Each of them will have to find a unique path to a sustainable approach to eating and physical activity.
This is why you simply cannot say that it's sugar, or carbs, or fat and that what worked for you (in a specific sense) will work for Harold over in accounting. Because Harold has his own preferences and triggers, and they aren't yours.
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I'm pretty over this discussion, so I'm just going to say, low carb, high protein, reasonable fat is working great for me. YMMV. You all do you. I'll stick with what works for me.10
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I'm pretty over this discussion, so I'm just going to say, low carb, high protein, reasonable fat is working great for me. YMMV. You all do you. I'll stick with what works for me.
Nobody is denying that a low carbohydrate and high protein diet makes it easier for some people to reach and maintain a calorie deficit (which is what will create weight loss).7 -
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.Those contain CALORIES. Are you telling us you cut calories and lost weight. Amazing
mindblown.gif
I actually have never been a big over-eater. I cut carbs and increased fat and protein, while staying at about the same caloric intake, and I am steadily losing weight at a healthy, sustainable rate, while not feeling hungry. My mood is also much improved.WinoGelato wrote: »"Sugar" is simplistic perhaps, but take a look at how many of our packaged and processed foods (even the savory, non-sweet ones) have a ton of added sugar and simple carbs. This isn't the same food our forefathers ate (you have to go back further than the 50s when convenience food started to take hold.)
The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.
Can you provide some examples of the packaged, processed foods with a ton of added sugar and simple carbs? I eat a considerable amount of convenience foods, and I took a look at my day yesterday. I don't specifically track sugar but I ate flavored greek yogurt for breakfast with coffee and flavored creamer; a frozen meal for lunch, a small portion of pasta with zoodles, shrimp, and packaged garlic bread for dinner. Also white wine. I was well under my sugar goal, as I am on most days.
I'm also curious what you think happens if you do cut back carb and sugar intake, in the context of a calorie controlled diet, since this is a thread about if sugar specifically is to blame for obesity?
I'm not here to tell anyone else what to do, just saying what worked for me. Your sugar and carb limits are clearly way higher than mine, and you can read labels to see what foods are high in carbs/sugar, and what foods have added sugar. If it's working for you, well, then you do you. I eat a lot of vegetables, eggs, and meat that I prepare myself because I have the time to do it. I'm not obese, just overweight, but I spent a long time counting calories and exercising to maintain a modest calorie deficit, with absolutely no success. I started a low carb way of eating a few months ago and I've finally started seeing weightloss, along with other benefits. Like I said, you do what works for you, I'll stick with what works for me.
You were accurately tracking calories with software using verified USDA data and weighing your food portions when you spent this long time counting calories and had no success?
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The test for this is easy. Try cutting your carb and sugar intake and see what happens. I know what it's done for me.I upped my carb intake for weight loss by going high fiber.
Yeah, fiber isn't actually used by your body and doesn't really count as a carb, it just fills you up and then leaves your body. You feel full longer so you eat less. Without realizing it, you were lowering your net carb intake.
I eat foods with a lot of fiber. They still have plenty of other carbohydrates. It's not all fiber.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »People are eating more processed, boxed, packaged foods, not to mention eating out more than ever. Yes, sugar and grains are super calorie dense in comparison to the nutrition they provide. Cut out sugar and grains and I wonder how hard it would be to stick to staying under your deficit (or maintenance if you are at that stage)....I know I have a really hard time eating even 1300 calories a day since I stopped eating sugar and grains.
I do not think most anyone can gain weight if one truly cuts out sugar and grains. With them I was able to be obese because of the carb cravings that I had. Now without sugar or any form of any grain I eat until I am stuffed and after three years still am losing about 1/2 pound per month on average with out counting anything calorie wise. Just last night I ate at McDonald's and for the heck of it counted up the calories in my double hamburger, salad and coffee and it came to 435 calories so I had another cup of coffee to bump the meal up to 535 calories since it was free.
Don't be so naive. I know people who are Ketogenic who have gotten fat.
I expect those people were pulling your leg. I tried really hard but had to force myself to over eat to break out to the upside. While eating less than 50 grams of carbs fixed my eating disorder I give you the possibility that it might not fix everyone. No one I expect can eat enough to become obese without some kind of health issue and or they set obesity as their health goal for some sport, etc.
Lol....Wut? People are sedentary as hell...it's super easy to overeat without some healthy issue.
You consistently make these claims that everyone must have some kind of underlying issue or eating disorder which led them to be obese...I'd say those people are actually in the minority and that most people are just eating normally and aren't even giving a second thought to their food. Portions are large and it's pretty stinkin' easy to eat a lot of calories without even trying.
I was lean my entire life and a competitive athlete from 2nd grade all the way through high school...then the military and then college where I didn't own a car and biked and walked everywhere and worked in retail and landscape construction. I gained my weight to the point of just being obese when I took a desk job working 12 hour days and 6-8 hour days on Saturdays and traveling for work 25 weeks out of the year. I went from being a very active person to sitting at a desk all day...I had no disorder or health issue or any other kind of underlying thing that led to me getting fat. I got fat because I stopped moving...it took about 10 years.
People do not get fat because they stop moving as I see it but because for some reason our fuel gauge breaks and we over eat our requirements. My binge carb eating disorder was resolved within the matter of a few weeks so I automatically started recovering health wise and no meds, doctors, etc were required as well as no counting and measuring.
Healthy animals eating the right macro do not typically become obese in nature. There is no medical evidence that I have seen where healthy people become unhealthy without there being some underlying cause. It may be due to the way we think, eat and or move but there is always a cause to becoming obese. Finding and understanding the cause is the $64K question however.
Animals don't tend to become obese in nature because they don't have unlimited access to food and actually have to hunt for it. Humans, especially developed nations, have persistent access to food and have become increasing sedentary. Every major medical organization recognizes that, which is why they recommend limiting food and increasing activity.
Plenty of obese chipmunks on popular trails where hordes of visitors drop unlimited amounts of granola though.
It's not that other chipmunks in wilder places don't want to get fat like their cousins, they just don't have enough food and have to work too hard to get it.4
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