Sugar or fat! any advice?

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Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I am having a wonderful time losing weight cutting sugar and starch on a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet. I had sausage for breakfast and I'll go out and get grilled chicken for lunch, maybe mix in some mayo, bacon, and lettuce wrap. At the moment I'm avoiding all sugars and carbs including those from fruit but when I reach my goal weight I'll introduce some of those back in. I'm losing weight and I'm not hungry. When I am hungry I eat.

    Some great resources:
    dietdoctor dot com
    Go to hulu and watch a movie/documentary called 'Fat Head' - He eats fast food every day and loses weight
    Go to youtube and search 'Gary Taubes' - There is a great speech he gave at Google last spring

    Good Luck

    Grats on your weight loss but to call Fat Head and Taubes "great" resources would be stretching it
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Wow...
    So if sugar is eaten anytime other then right around a workout it just turns to fat?

    Not only that, it goes straight to whatever body part you don't want it to go to.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    why would you cut whole wheat and beans and legumes? are you saying consuming that in general or if they're trying to watch sugar and fat intake?

    I would say that if you want to lose weight then cutting the wheat out would help enormously. The beans and legumes to a lesser extent. Based on GI.

    If you are trying to maintain a weight then discovering what your carb tolerance is would be a good step.

    Everyone's body is obviously different and some people have been knocked around so much by the 'low fat good' message that their body will ultimately tolerate very few carbs.

    I was stalled until very recently then I cut the wheat, beans and all that. As a by-product I seem to crave them less and do not snack.

    I also drink wine like it's going out of fashion (I know, carbs, but hey, it aint a religion), I consume more calories and I exercise less. And my dry skin condition has cleared up. Sounds unreal while also losing weight but those things have happened.

    In my opinion and all that. :)
    GI has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss. It's only relevant for Diabetes.
  • drewstl
    drewstl Posts: 4
    why would you cut whole wheat and beans and legumes? are you saying consuming that in general or if they're trying to watch sugar and fat intake?

    I would say that if you want to lose weight then cutting the wheat out would help enormously. The beans and legumes to a lesser extent. Based on GI.

    If you are trying to maintain a weight then discovering what your carb tolerance is would be a good step.

    Everyone's body is obviously different and some people have been knocked around so much by the 'low fat good' message that their body will ultimately tolerate very few carbs.

    I was stalled until very recently then I cut the wheat, beans and all that. As a by-product I seem to crave them less and do not snack.

    I also drink wine like it's going out of fashion (I know, carbs, but hey, it aint a religion), I consume more calories and I exercise less. And my dry skin condition has cleared up. Sounds unreal while also losing weight but those things have happened.

    In my opinion and all that. :)
    GI has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss. It's only relevant for Diabetes.

    The glycemic index ranks foods and beverages based on how they affect your blood sugar level. Some food is thought to disrupt this natural balance by creating large spikes in your blood sugar level. When your blood sugar and insulin levels stay high, or cycle up and down rapidly, your body has trouble responding and over time this could contribute to insulin resistance.

    Insulin resistance is associated with a host of health problems, including:
    Type 2 diabetes
    Obesity
    High blood pressure
    Stroke
    Heart disease

    ... some evidence suggests that a diet higher in protein and lower on the glycemic index may lead to sustained weight loss.

    Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glycemic-index-diet/MY00770
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
    why would you cut whole wheat and beans and legumes? are you saying consuming that in general or if they're trying to watch sugar and fat intake?

    I would say that if you want to lose weight then cutting the wheat out would help enormously. The beans and legumes to a lesser extent. Based on GI.

    If you are trying to maintain a weight then discovering what your carb tolerance is would be a good step.

    Everyone's body is obviously different and some people have been knocked around so much by the 'low fat good' message that their body will ultimately tolerate very few carbs.

    I was stalled until very recently then I cut the wheat, beans and all that. As a by-product I seem to crave them less and do not snack.

    I also drink wine like it's going out of fashion (I know, carbs, but hey, it aint a religion), I consume more calories and I exercise less. And my dry skin condition has cleared up. Sounds unreal while also losing weight but those things have happened.

    In my opinion and all that. :)
    GI has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss. It's only relevant for Diabetes.

    The glycemic index ranks foods and beverages based on how they affect your blood sugar level. Some food is thought to disrupt this natural balance by creating large spikes in your blood sugar level. When your blood sugar and insulin levels stay high, or cycle up and down rapidly, your body has trouble responding and over time this could contribute to insulin resistance.

    Insulin resistance is associated with a host of health problems, including:
    Type 2 diabetes
    Obesity
    High blood pressure
    Stroke
    Heart disease

    ... some evidence suggests that a diet higher in protein and lower on the glycemic index may lead to sustained weight loss.

    Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glycemic-index-diet/MY00770

    Strange protein illicits a insulin spike comparable to most "bad" carbs.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/532251-let-s-talk-about-the-gi-index
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    I watch sugar and eat about 30-35% daily of healthy fat, for me sugar is way worse than healthy fats

    Second this!
  • Sp1nGoddess
    Sp1nGoddess Posts: 1,134 Member
    Sugar is bad.. I'm talking about added sugar not the kind from fruit. Our bodies are designed to burn fat, that's why we are so great at hanging on to it!

    We all have our own eating styles, for me I need to steer clear of sugar ( I actually get a buzz from it) and starchy carbs, and increase protein & good fats.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Cut the garbage foods and eat whole healthy foods as much as possible.
    Change your Ratios to 50% Fat, 25% Protien, 25% Carbs
    Fat is good, but not vegetable or soy fat. Get you fat from Meats, nuts, and oils (coconut, butter, olive)

    Here is a link to help you start thinking differently: http://www.marksdailyapple.com

    Here is are some Documentary movies to watch: Fat Head, King Corn, Food Matters (all available on Netflix)

    DO NOT EAT:
    processed foods
    Sugar
    Grains ( Including wheat and soy products)
    Cow's Milk (and other processed homogenized dairy)
    Beans or Legumes

    DO EAT:
    Vegetables
    Meat
    Water
    Coconut milk or Almond Milk


    Umm what? Not sure if srs
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Cut the garbage foods and eat whole healthy foods as much as possible.
    Change your Ratios to 50% Fat, 25% Protien, 25% Carbs
    Fat is good, but not vegetable or soy fat. Get you fat from Meats, nuts, and oils (coconut, butter, olive)

    Here is a link to help you start thinking differently: http://www.marksdailyapple.com

    Here is are some Documentary movies to watch: Fat Head, King Corn, Food Matters (all available on Netflix)

    DO NOT EAT:
    processed foods
    Sugar
    Grains ( Including wheat and soy products)
    Cow's Milk (and other processed homogenized dairy)
    Beans or Legumes

    DO EAT:
    Vegetables
    Meat
    Water
    Coconut milk or Almond Milk

    So where do people that eat a vegetarian/vegan diet get their protein from?

    They generally don't get that much protein unless they over eat legunes. "Lowish" protein is the main drawback of a vegetarian diet.

    Nonsense. Brand new vegetarians maybe have some difficulty getting enough protein but vegetarians in general do not have any such problems. Vitamin B12 and Iron deficiency are the only common deficiencies, and even those can be prevented. You can even do low-carb as a vegetarian- though I think its pretty limited and boring.

    Vegan diets are more difficult to get protein without dairy and eggs. Still, most vegans know how to properly combine their foods to get sufficient protein. Examples: Corn and Lima Beans (succotash) is a complete protein. Beans and rice or beans and tortillas create a complete protein (no wonder we all love south american food!). Soy is a vegan source that contains complete proteins.
  • loloambush
    loloambush Posts: 15
    Cutting calories is not as important as cutting out poisons....i.e. sugar, wheat, corn, and beans (peanuts, soy, sprouts)
    If you truly want to be healthy and not just thin, eat right and strength train.
    I've heard that wheat & beans are really good for someone need to lose wight cause it keep'em full but this is my first to know this :)

    You may want to read 'Wheat Belly', it's an eye-opener.

    Two slices of wholewheat bread will spike your blood sugar more than a snickers bar.

    I believe the key is to maintain a low insulin level to allow your metabolism to burn off the fat stores. The presence of insulin will prevent any weight loss. Repeated incidences of high insulin will build insulin resistance and then diabetes is a short snack away.

    Hence stick to low GI Real Foods (like the ones Granny would recognise), not processed frankenfoods.

    The wheat we eat today is a poor relation to that of 100 or even 50 years ago.

    Regarding fat, there is nothing wrong with consuming it, as long as it's the right kind of fat, as others have mentioned.

    Anything labelled 'low fat' should be consigned to the garbage and replaced with Real Food.

    Consuming fat will not make you fat, the body needs fats. Don't fear the fat.

    We have been brainwashed by bad nutrition advice based on Bad Science.

    'Why We Get Fat, And What To Do About It' is also worthy of a read.

    Once the body gets what it wants and the blood sugar rollercoaster is tamed people return to their natural state of appetite and the body will get rid of the excess naturally.

    You may want to watch 'Sugar, The Bitter Truth' on YouTube, 15 minutes of why sugar should be minimised.

    There is a reason there aren't any 'essential carbohyrates' ...

    And once again I ramble :) Hope you at least watch the YouTube vid anyway.

    i was shocked about what I've heard in the video & that would defiantly make me read the book
    thank you so much for the advice :)
  • loloambush
    loloambush Posts: 15
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/532251-let-s-talk-about-the-gi-index
    thanks
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    GI has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss. It's only relevant for Diabetes.

    I have no interest in debating, it gets tedious.

    I guess we can both live with our beliefs and still get along :)
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    i was shocked about what I've heard in the video & that would defiantly make me read the book
    thank you so much for the advice :)

    You are more than welcome, I mention other resources in my blog.

    As ever I can only go by what seems natural and works for me.

    The fact that there is scientific evidence behind it (as opposed to the 'low fat' way of doing things) also appeals to me, I'm a techie, I like details :)
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    My theory is try to attain your protein and fiber goal and let the rest fall where it may.
    (1g per 1lb of lean body mass for protein) 30-40g of fiber.
    Actually I just eat what the hell i want and most of the time keep it under my calorie goal =P
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    i was shocked about what I've heard in the video & that would defiantly make me read the book
    thank you so much for the advice :)

    You are more than welcome, I mention other resources in my blog.

    As ever I can only go by what seems natural and works for me.

    The fact that there is scientific evidence behind it (as opposed to the 'low fat' way of doing things) also appeals to me, I'm a techie, I like details :)

    Except it's the exact same "scientific evidence" that was presented against dietary fat.

    And as for GI, chicken breast also spikes insulin more than a Snickers bar. I fail to see the relevance of that argument.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Except it's the exact same "scientific evidence" that was presented against dietary fat.

    And as for GI, chicken breast also spikes insulin more than a Snickers bar. I fail to see the relevance of that argument.

    OK, I take your point about the chicken breast (and numerous others) would you agree that keeping blood sugar stable and insulin low to be the key to weight loss? That is, reducing the need to snack and learning when we are full.

    To drag the thread back on topic ... I think we all agree it's sugar that needs to be cut don't we? We just don't need it in our diets.
  • cimonroe
    cimonroe Posts: 36
    Natural sugars are good for you....Fat has a terrible stigma and actually consuming the right fats can actually help burn fat. I think this has all been mentioned. I don't just believe this...but I know it works for me.
  • cimonroe
    cimonroe Posts: 36
    My theory is try to attain your protein and fiber goal and let the rest fall where it may.
    (1g per 1lb of lean body mass for protein) 30-40g of fiber.
    Actually I just eat what the hell i want and most of the time keep it under my calorie goal =P

    As a former athlete and as advice to very active people I find this to be very widely accepted and effective
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Except it's the exact same "scientific evidence" that was presented against dietary fat.

    And as for GI, chicken breast also spikes insulin more than a Snickers bar. I fail to see the relevance of that argument.

    OK, I sort of took the chicken breast thing at face value ... can someone explain to me how a chicken breast can spike insulin either from a GI or GL point of view.

    I willing to be educated :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Except it's the exact same "scientific evidence" that was presented against dietary fat.

    And as for GI, chicken breast also spikes insulin more than a Snickers bar. I fail to see the relevance of that argument.

    OK, I take your point about the chicken breast (and numerous others) would you agree that keeping blood sugar stable and insulin low to be the key to weight loss? That is, reducing the need to snack and learning when we are full.

    To drag the thread back on topic ... I think we all agree it's sugar that needs to be cut don't we? We just don't need it in our diets.
    Insulin is an appetite suppressant. Insulin peaks and valleys are normal body function. You don't need insulin to store fat, and insulin is also required for transporting nutrients into muscle and other tissue. So no, I do not agree that insulin needs to be kept low. Besides, it's impossible to keep insulin low, as the act of eating itself (regardless of the food eaten) causes an insulin spike.

    A calorie deficit is the only way you lose weight. Period. Biologically, there is no other way to lose weight.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Insulin is an appetite suppressant. Insulin peaks and valleys are normal body function. You don't need insulin to store fat, and insulin is also required for transporting nutrients into muscle and other tissue. So no, I do not agree that insulin needs to be kept low. Besides, it's impossible to keep insulin low, as the act of eating itself (regardless of the food eaten) causes an insulin spike.

    A calorie deficit is the only way you lose weight. Period. Biologically, there is no other way to lose weight.

    I know Tigersword is familiar with this material but since it relates to the above, I'll link it here.

    DeadVim, check this out, it's a multi-series article from James Krieger and to put it bluntly this is a damn good write-up that will help many people:

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    Insulin is an appetite suppressant. Insulin peaks and valleys are normal body function. You don't need insulin to store fat, and insulin is also required for transporting nutrients into muscle and other tissue. So no, I do not agree that insulin needs to be kept low. Besides, it's impossible to keep insulin low, as the act of eating itself (regardless of the food eaten) causes an insulin spike.

    A calorie deficit is the only way you lose weight. Period. Biologically, there is no other way to lose weight.

    I know Tigersword is familiar with this material but since it relates to the above, I'll link it here.

    DeadVim, check this out, it's a multi-series article from James Krieger and to put it bluntly this is a damn good write-up that will help many people:

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

    Great article that explains simply how proteins (and in a measure fat) raise insulin :)
    thanks Side
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    It really doesn't matter in the end. If your sugar comes mostly from fruits and your fat from good sources (peanut butter,olive oil avocados...) then you should be good.

    ^^^This. Just my opinion :happy:
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I think it's all academic when the person you're giving the advice to is living off 500 cals per day, is 5ft5, currently weighs 98lb and has a goal of 88.2lb

    Edited to add: this is in no way meant to attack, the OP is on my friends list, sometimes posters need to look at the bigger picture before arguing amongst themselves :flowerforyou:
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I was asking myself that same question when I couldn't decide between fat free creamer with sugar in it or sugar free with fat that had fewer calories in it. After getting answers from many people, I have chosen to use fat free half and half and add artificial sweeteners to avoid the sugar. I DO NOT FEAR FAKE SUGAR! lol
    It's all about moderation. I wouldn't cut anything out of my diet completely. #1, I don't want to consider myself being on a 'diet'.
    #2 It would be harder to maintain my weight once I reach goal #3 It's all about calories in and calories out.
    I'm trying to ignore all of the 'cleansing' diets. They are nothing but a fad. Your body cleans itself everytime you poop! LOL Just eat healthy food and that includes beans, nuts and dairy, etc. , unlike what one of the previous posters stated.

    Edit: Ok so I just read your profile. Your final goal is 88lbs? I'm sorry but you need some psychological help. Trust me, I've been there. Good luck.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Insulin is an appetite suppressant. Insulin peaks and valleys are normal body function. You don't need insulin to store fat, and insulin is also required for transporting nutrients into muscle and other tissue. So no, I do not agree that insulin needs to be kept low. Besides, it's impossible to keep insulin low, as the act of eating itself (regardless of the food eaten) causes an insulin spike.

    A calorie deficit is the only way you lose weight. Period. Biologically, there is no other way to lose weight.

    Yes, but isn't the point that the size and rate of the insulin rise is the key?

    As I understand it the higher the rise the bigger the comedown so more the cravings and snacking.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I know Tigersword is familiar with this material but since it relates to the above, I'll link it here.

    DeadVim, check this out, it's a multi-series article from James Krieger and to put it bluntly this is a damn good write-up that will help many people:

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

    Thank you I will read up, much appreciated :)

    (edit)

    I have just read it ... It's very interesting but some of the arguments below it speak more to me and my experience of cutting the carbs. 75g of carbs is 'low'?!

    It has certainly made me want to learn more about insulin and it's reaction to different nutrients.

    I do know I have lost weight quicker and easier by consuming more calories (I log everything in MFP religiously) and cutting the carbs. Maybe this is just a by-product of cutting wheat as opposed to sugar ... In any case I feel and look better for it and don't need to snack so this the path for me.

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