Sugar and diet

[pugmom]

Hello all,

Over the years, going back to Robert Atkins, I have tried low-carb diets and had some success taking weight off, albeit not permanently.

This is mostly due to: good Italian bread, croissants, pasta with cream sauce, etc... you doubtless get the idea. Oh, and desserts are part of it.. especially ice cream and Lindts chocolates.

I have just finished reading Robert Lustig's new book "Metabolical" and fully get what he is saying the science keeps converging on: processed food with added sugar is a large part of our weight and health problems.

It seems clear that there are orders of magnitude between eating some non-refined carbs and eating sugar. Yes, the former, especially if taken in large quantities, can be turned into fat via the complex mechanisms involving blood sugar, insulin, etc.

I am wondering if anyone has tried to walk a line like this: essentially cut out all sugar, but still allow very small amounts of bread or pasta (or rice) with otherwise healthy meals (lots of fish)..?

How big a factor is just the sugar, for both weight and health?

All comments welcome!

 

[pacergal]

All I know is my own experience. If DH and I cut out sugar/sweets, etc. we will lose weight without any other change. Not a lot, but some.
It takes about 2-3 weeks before our body stops "wanting" that sugar rush!
We do fine until the kids and grands come over and want Grandmas cookies and cakes
I love to bake, and that is my difficulty with it.

 

[RetiredHappy]

As long as I keep my carbs to under 100g per day, I don't gain weight. 100g can be from sugar, pasta, rice, cake or bread. A gram of carb is a gram of carb. It does not matter. It really has nothing to do with processed, refined or not. On golf days, I allow myself to eat 120g carb. If I want to lose weight, keep carbs under 80g on non-exercise days and 100g on golf days.

Unfortunately I was put on a medication 3 months ago which upset my stomach alot and the only thing to keep it settled was carb. I got off the medication a month ago and I am back to trying to lose the weight which I gained while on that medication. I have to get back to train my body to not crave carbs.

 

[COcheesehead]

I cut out all “white” foods, bread, pasta, potatoes, chips, rice, crackers… I feel better. My weight dropped initially 14 lbs on an already lean frame and today I am in maintenance mode. I will eat a sandwich or burger on a bun every once in awhile, but don’t miss the other stuff, especially rice. Rice is basically sugar in another form.

 

[MRG]

DW and I, together, lost a small person's weight back in 2015 and have kept it off. During the first six months we were extremely conservative about our new diet. No added sugar or other ingredients. We were eating like it was 1900.

We utilized Myfitnesspal to get an idea of what we were doing wrong. Biggest problem was just excessive calories so we cut back. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized my normal portion of pasta, no sauce, was over my total daily calories!!! There were several things we changed adding more fat while reducing carbs was the biggest and portion control the next.

Myfitnesspal gave me the insight into what was going on with our diet and weight. It's free too! Oh yeah, I spent $12.99 on a food scale, it's now the most of utilized tool in our kitchen.

 

[Lsbcal]

...
How big a factor is just the sugar, for both weight and health?

All comments welcome!

I think that the emphasis on reducing sugar is missing the point. What we do is have a Mediterranean diet and get a very healthy dose of exercise. We eat some cookies and some cakes and some candies but not too much. Some light sugar in black coffee for me. Milk is nonfat type. Lots of fresh fruits.

Exercise: For DW it consists of almost daily long walks in the hills plus some aerobic dancing. For myself I do runs and walks in hilly terrain. On most vacations we find ourselves walking or hiking a lot and generally loose a bit of weight or don't gain any.

We eat very little processed foods.

 

[Jerry1]

We utilized Myfitnesspal to get an idea of what we were doing wrong. Biggest problem was just excessive calories so we cut back. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized my normal portion of pasta, no sauce, was over my total daily calories!!! There were several things we changed adding more fat while reducing carbs was the biggest and portion control the next.

Similar experience many years ago when I joined Weight Watchers. I had no concept of portion size. I used to eat the Jethro sized bowl of cereal. I think that come in around 3 to 4 servings. So, instead of eating something like 300 calories (per the box), I was eating over 1,000.

As for sugar, I’m doing my best to cut back, but it’s very hard. Mainly, I try not to add any sugar and stay away from processed foods. However, sugar is hard to avoid and even harder to get rid of the cravings. My main tool for maintaining my weight is to step on the scale every day and control my eating accordingly.

I lost a lot of weight years ago and my number one rule is that if I lose it, I’m not gaining it back. I’ve done pretty good on that measure.

 

[street]

Just to add what others have mentioned not consuming sugar or very little will make it easier to lose weight. I have a habit of eating to many sweets but if I really watch how much I eat (sweets), I can tell the difference in a very short time of a few days.
I have been doing intermittent fasting for ~5 year and really eat anything and all I want to eat in that 6-hour time slot.

If I stopped eating sweets, I would lose more weight than I want to, so I keep on doing what works for me. As far as being health, I don't think it is very healthy but done in
moderation I'm going to enjoy those sweets while I'm here on earth.

 

[Mark1]

Enclosed is link to Peter Attia podcast with Robert Lustig that the OP might enjoy. Also, I believe Lustig's book "Fat Chance" was interesting and helpful.

 

[Jenna]

I have a different point of view after listening/researching Ray Peat and Danny Roddy. I don't avoid sugar. I take my coffee with cream and sugar because that is less stressful on our bodies than have stress hormones released. It's a big mind shift and it takes time. I do avoid all vegetable and seed oils.

If you want to consider a different point of view-listen to one of Tucker Goodrich's podcasts/youtube interview. He is an engineer/scientist. It appears we have been blaming things on sugar and it's actually the seed oils. Eating vegetable oils are like putting jet fuel in your car engine. Since cutting the seed oils I can go in the sun for hours without burning. And that's just the beginning of the benefits.

I know not everyone will agree but it's been a fascinating journey for me. I also think it comes back to thyroid. Broda Barnes has an excellent book with most diseases tied back to low thyroid.

 

[aja8888]

Give up all white stuff.

Exercise an hour a day (on average - walk, run, treadmill, rower, etc). Keep in mind that exercise is 10% of weight loss and eating right is the other 90%.

It's really pretty simple.

 

[Lsbcal]

Give up all white stuff.

Exercise an hour a day (on average - walk, run, treadmill, rower, etc). Keep in mind that exercise is 10% of weight loss and eating right is the other 90%.

It's really pretty simple.

Simple? Simple? Do you realize you are taking away all the joy of discussing the diet of the day? Do you realize that billions are made on pandering to people's obsessions?





P.S. It really is simple.

 

[aja8888]

Simple? Simple? Do you realize you are taking away all the joy of discussing the diet of the day? Do you realize that billions are made on pandering to people's obsessions?





P.S. It really is simple.

Oh dear, I hope I didn't ruin this thread.

 

[pugmom]

Thanks to all. I also believe it is "pretty simple", but not always easy to execute.
I walk 5 miles a day, but need to control my carbs and sugar.

 

[tb001]

You might see if your dr will prescribe a glucose monitor. My dr had not problem doing so. I have to pay out of pocket ($70/mo), but it’s pretty enlightening to see how foods and exercise are changing your blood sugar. White rice is one of the worst offenders for me. My guess is 1-2 months would give you a lot of information. I want to try upping my fermented foods and see if there are changes in how I respond but not there yet.

 

[aja8888]

Thanks to all. I also believe it is "pretty simple", but not always easy to execute.
I walk 5 miles a day, but need to control my carbs and sugar.

I'll have to agree that it is not easy (the sugar part). First thing is get rid of all sweets and other white foods. Then two weeks later, you wont miss them. (easier said than done).

No kidding, our society is based on getting us tempted to eat sweet and starchy stuff. Also, they trick us by adding HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) in a lot of packaged foods.

 

[RetiredHappy]

My home is stocked with lots of my favorite chocolates and cookies. Everything is in moderation. My dinner is typically meat protein with non-starchy vegetables like broccoli. After dinner, I enjoy a couple of cookies or chocolates, which is about 20 to 30g carb. Breakfast is always 20 g carbs, one slice of bread with pure chunky peanut butter, with tea and a little milk for my tea. It leaves me with 30g of carb for lunch.

 

[chassis]

Folks, it's about calories. Sugar and fat are calorie dense. You can't each much of these until your limit (yes there is a limit) is reached.

Eat less, exercise more.

Blood conditions, thyroid conditions, and other conditions do not change the laws of thermodynamics. Calories in must equal calories out for weight to remain constant. To lose weight, thermodynamic principles must be adhered to, which means calories in (eating) must be fewer than calories out (exercising).

If you feel like you exercise "too much", or that you "can't exercise any more than I am", then you are eating too much. In this situation eating must be reduced.

 

[COcheesehead]

Folks, it's about calories.

Eat less, exercise more.

Some calories convert to stored fat more than others. Carbs vs protein.

 

[Jerry1]

Folks, it's about calories. Sugar and fat are calorie dense. You can't each much of these until your limit (yes there is a limit) is reached.

Eat less, exercise more.

Blood conditions, thyroid conditions, and other conditions do not change the laws of thermodynamics. Calories in must equal calories out for weight to remain constant. To lose weight, thermodynamic principles must be adhered to, which means calories in (eating) must be fewer than calories out (exercising).

If you feel like you exercise "too much", or that you "can't exercise any more than I am", then you are eating too much. In this situation eating must be reduced.

Calories are about weight, but it’s way more difficult to eat in a nutritionally sound way. You can eat something like 2,000 calories a day and lose weight, but if it’s all rice, you’re not going to be very healthy.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Folks, it's about calories. Sugar and fat are calorie dense. You can't each much of these until your limit (yes there is a limit) is reached.

Eat less, exercise more.

Blood conditions, thyroid conditions, and other conditions do not change the laws of thermodynamics. Calories in must equal calories out for weight to remain constant. To lose weight, thermodynamic principles must be adhered to, which means calories in (eating) must be fewer than calories out (exercising).

If you feel like you exercise "too much", or that you "can't exercise any more than I am", then you are eating too much. In this situation eating must be reduced.

If only my body was a calculator.

 

[Teacher Terry]

18 months ago I decided that old, fat people with chronic conditions weren’t doing so well with Covid. The only item I controlled was my weight. So I lost 50lbs. I have always exercised. I eat 1600 calories a day except for one day a week when I don’t keep track. I was able to get off of one of my 2 HBP medications. I also quit drinking at the same time. I have a few pieces of candy every night included in my calories.

 

[chassis]

If only my body was a calculator.

Maybe it’s not a calculator. It is, however, a machine. One that operates on the principles of chemistry and thermodynamics.

@Irishgirlyc58 do you agree?

 

[Philliefan33]

Maybe it’s not a calculator. It is, however, a machine. One that operates on the principles of chemistry and thermodynamics.



@Irishgirlyc58 do you agree?

I’m not @Irishgirlyc58, but I agree. To lose weight you must have a net calorie deficit, it doesn’t matter where the calories come from. It would be possible to lose weight eating nothing but cookies, as long as you consumed fewer calories than you burned. You probably wouldn’t feel good and it’s certainly not a healthy diet, but the math works.

Cutting carbs and sugar works because at the end of the day, you’ve consumed fewer calories. Replacing carbs with fats keeps you satiated longer without the blood glucose swings.

I’m in the process of shedding the eight pounds I found over the holidays. I love to bake and used the season as an excuse to indulge in that hobby. Unfortunately not all of the goodies went to friends and I overindulged, so now I need to pay the price. MyFitnessPal works for me; I track the calories in vs burned and shoot for ~300 calorie deficit daily.

 

[Time2]

I'll have to agree that it is not easy (the sugar part). First thing is get rid of all sweets and other white foods. Then two weeks later, you wont miss them. (easier said than done).

No kidding, our society is based on getting us tempted to eat sweet and starchy stuff. Also, they trick us by adding HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) in a lot of packaged foods.

Here are two more links to Peter Attia interviews about the health affects of Fructose.



https://peterattiamd.com/rickjohnso...utm_content=220207-pod-rickjohnson-email-subs