Does Cutting Out Sugar Help You Lose Weight

You’ll Lose A Few Pounds

Eating the same foods, but without the added sugars normally in them, means your total caloric intake decreases. An analysis of dozens of trials and observational studies published in BMJ showed that reducing added sugar in the dietby anywhere from 10 to 71 grams a daydecreased body weight. Participants dropped an average of almost 2 pounds without changing anything else about their eating habits. In two other studies lasting 10 weeks and 6 months, subjects who consumed between 87 and 105 grams more added sugar daily gained 6 pounds on average. The researchers point out that there’s probably nothing special about the effect of added sugars on body weight. It just comes down to excess caloriesalthough the less-satiating nature of simple carbs may also play a role. Another study suggests this can mean a 14% decrease in total calories, which may mean you consume 280 fewer calories when based on a 2,000-calorie day. Keep this up for a month, and you may lose 2 to 3 pounds just by cutting added sugars.

Eating Excess Calories Leads To Weight Gain

Glucose is stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles. However, glycogen storage is limited, and once its limits are exceeded any extra glucose is stored as fat.

But its not just carbs that contribute to these fat storeshigh protein and high fat foods eaten in excess will also prevent weight loss and eventually lead to weight gain.

Quitting Sugar Means More Natural Unprocessed Foods

What do you replace sugary foods with? Usually it’s more fruit and dried fruit , nuts, salads, water or you just eat more chicken, fish meat and vegetables at your meals. Sounds pretty healthy to me.

Here are my 9 simple swaps to limit your intake of sugar junk foods.

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Lesson #: Sugar Is Added To Everything

Over the 10 days, I became very comfortable with a nutrition label and the numerous different terms for hidden sugar. Every single meal, snack, and drink had to be carefully vetted to ensure it met the requirements. The amount of sugar in sauces and dressings surprised me. I bring salads to work almost every day for lunch, and two tablespoons of dressing alone could have 15 grams of sugar. Makes you think twice about adding a little extra! But I was pleasantly surprised to learn prepared hummus doesn’t contain added sugar, and when mixed with plain Greek yogurt, it’s a great substitute for dressing.

I did avoid takeout and restaurants for the 10 days because it’s nearly impossible to know if sugar is added to dishes. But I’ll fully admit this isn’t a sustainable goal 10 days was definitely my max. I missed Indian food takeout! To avoid added sugar when eating out, “be very careful about sauces and dressings, including anything ketchup or BBQ based,” advises Spano. She suggests asking for sauces and dressing to be served on the side so you control the amount. And choose oil and vinegar for salads instead of heavy sauces to avoid even more sugar.

Its Not Healthy To Live This Way Though

According to Readers Digest, while a lot of people report feeling fuller on low-carb diets, theyre most likely eating lean meat and healthy fats to replace all those missing carbs. And those substances take more time to break down. Over time, the heavier foods can be detrimental for your health. In fact, Jessica Crandall, RD, a certified diabetes educator, said that these kinds of diets are not sustainable in the long run.

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Lower Heart Disease Risk

High triglycerides raise your risk of heart disease. Less added sugar can lower those levels and may help stop weight gain and fat buildup linked to heart disease. If you get more than 20% of your calories from added sugar — even if youre at a healthy weight — you may be able to lower your heart disease risk when you cut back.

Read The Nutrition & Ingredients Label

Fortunately, the Nutrition Facts label has been updated to include information about added sugars in grams and as a percent of Daily Value. This will make it much easier to understand exactly how much sugar has been added to a product, and to decide if it fits into your diet. Heres helpful tip to remember when perusing labels at the grocery store:

If a food has no fruit or milk products in the list of ingredients, all of the foods sugar is from added sugars.

Oftentimes, added sugars can be disguised on the ingredients label of your packaged foods, like yogurt, granola bars, and cereal. The next time youre at the store, look for these ingredients on your food labels to identify added sugars:

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Should I Stop Eating Sugar To Lose Fat & Drop Weight

Sugar is Poison. Sugar is going to kill you. Sugar makes you fat.

Do these lines sound familiar? From books to TV shows to the Internet, we have heard it all. It seems that extreme messages such as these are what catches peoples attention. Perhaps its the wow-factor, or maybe its the simple idea that cutting out one thing from your diet will help you lose weight.

To be honest, though, cutting out an entire of group of foods is not that simple. And whether you are trying to lose weight or not, its usually not the best idea for your body and mind. There are frankly several more pieces to this nutrition puzzle.

Always Be Aware Of Portions

However, it is important to remember that serving sizes are still important when it comes to foods with naturally occurring sugars, especially when trying to achieve a healthy weight or fat loss. To meet nutrient needs, men should aim for about 2 cups of fruit per day, while women should shoot for 1.5 to 2 cups per day.* When eating whole fruits, one cup includes a large banana, one medium grapefruit, or one small apple.3

For other foods with naturally-occurring sugars like milk and yogurt, it is recommended that both men and women consume about 3 cups per day to receive adequate calcium, vitamin D and potassium. For cheese, one serving of hard cheeses is 1.5 ounces, and a serving of cottage cheese and ricotta cheese is 2 cups and ½ cup, respectively. Dairy is also a source of protein, which helps keep you feeling fuller longer, and can aid in weight loss efforts.

But, be mindful of any added sugars lurking in your morning yogurt. Instead of buying fruit-flavored yogurts, opt for plain and add berries or sliced banana on top.4

*Its important to note that these recommendations are for individuals who get less than 30 minutes of exercise per day, and those who are more physically active may be able to consume more and stay within calorie limits.

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Ways Sugar And Addictive Drugs Are Similar

While there are numerous wayssugary foods and addictive drugs are similar, these are some of the most common ones:

Anyone that has ever been addicted to drugs or alcohol can attest that they experienced more than few of the items on this list. The same can be said about people who struggle with eating too much sugar. This is because both impact the brains reward system.

The only difference is, except for alcohol, most addictive drugs are either illegal or require a prescription. Sugar is legal, and sugary sweets can be purchased almost anywhere.

Cutting Sugar To Lose Weight

One of the first rules in any weight loss program is to burn more calories than what you eat. This method suggests that for every 3,500 calorie deficit, you lose roughly one pound of fat. This is not an exact science, but it is a good way to estimate weight loss. In contrast, if you eat more than what your body needs, then you will gain weight. Figuring out the balance between the energy in and the energy out can be a challenge, but cutting sugar may be one of the best ways to reduce your excessive caloric intake.

If you use the figure of 82 grams of sugar consumed by the average adult each day, it should be no surprise that you could lose some serious weight from sugar alone. Consider this: if you eat a standard 2,000 calorie diet each day and you immediately cut all sources of sugar from your usual food and drink, you would reduce your caloric load by 330 calories each day, assuming you eat the average of 82 grams of sugar each day. Reducing your caloric load by 330 calories in sugar each day would translate to about 34 pounds of fat loss each year, or close to three pounds per month.

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How Much Sugar Is It Ok To Eat Daily

So, what is meant by the phrase, in excess?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that you consume less than 10 percent of your calories per day from added sugars. For example, if a person consumes around 2,000 calories per day, it is recommended that no more than 200 calories be from added sugars.

However, this recommendation is not given because the sugar itself causes weight gain.

For most peoples energy needs, there are simply not enough calories available after meeting the recommended nutrient needs from whole food groups. In other words, if youre trying to eat a healthy number of calories to maintain or lose weight, and also receive adequate nutrients, only a small part of your calories should come from added sugar.2

Say Goodbye To Processed Foods

Lets face it. Many of the sugary sweet treats you love are highly processed, yet offer minimal nutritional value. When you eliminate sugar, you will have to incorporate more natural, unprocessed foods into your diet. Not only are these foods much healthier, but they tend to have considerably less calories and fill you up faster. Thanks to your decreased caloric consumption and less snacking due to being full, you can expect to lose even more weight.

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Cutting Out Bread To Lose Weight

Weight loss is about changing your calorie equation, meaning the number of calories you take in must be less than the number of calories you burn. To lose 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds a week, your calorie equation must create a negative balance of 500 calories to 750 calories a day. If you’re eating six to 10 slices of whole-wheat bread a day and cut them all out of your diet, then you stand to lose 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds a week.

If you don’t eat that much bread to begin with, you may not lose much by going bread-free. For example, if you only eat one slice of bread a day and cut that slice from your diet without replacing it with another food or making any other dietary changes, it may take you about six weeks to lose a pound. But if you eat bread with every meal, such as an English muffin with breakfast, a large pita at lunch and a roll with dinner, it can save you nearly 400 calories a day, which, over the course of four weeks, can lead to a 3-pound weight loss.

Calories In Bread Products

When you’re plan is to cut bread from your diet to lose weight you first need to know the number of calories you’re getting from the bread you eat calories in bread products vary greatly. For example, a slice of whole-wheat bread has 81 calories, an English muffin has 129 calories, and a large whole-wheat pita has 170 calories. Read the food labels of your preferred bread products to get an idea of the number of calories they contribute to your diet.

If you’re cutting out bread to reduce your carbohydrate intake, it’s important to know that carbs are in a variety of different foods, including rice, pasta, potatoes, peas, fruits and milk. But if bread is your primary carb food, cutting back on how much you eat can help you reduce your total carb intake.

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Lower Odds Of Disease

People who have more added sugar in their diets are more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, and other serious illnesses. You may be able to cut your risk for those conditions if you eat less of it. But its not yet clear whether the problem is added sugar itself or just the extra calories. Scientists are still trying to answer that question.

It Could Improve Your Baby’s Stomach Problems

If you’re breastfeeding, you should know about Cow’s Milk Protein Intolerance , which affects up to 3 percent of infants according to a 2005 review in Pediatric Nursing, and can result in colic-like symptoms like wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, a rash, eczema and/or a blocked nose. It is not the same as lactose intolerance you’d usually see in adults and children. As a course of treatment, going dairy-free as a breastfeeding mother would be necessary for infants already diagnosed according to a 2007 review in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Usually CMPI goes away within the first 12 months, but if you’re worried your baby may have CMPI, talk to your pediatrician, who may refer you to a nutritionist to help you establish the best dairy-free breastfeeding diet plan for you and your baby.

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How Much Weight Can I Lose By Cutting Out Sugar

How much weight you could lose by cutting sugar out of your diet depends on several factors including diet, exercise, and lifestyle. If you follow a typical Western diet that is high in sugar, you get little-to-no exercise, and you live a high-stress sedentary lifestyle, you could expect dramatic results if you quit sugar for two weeks.

Following these guidelines for healthy weight loss, you could expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Why Cut Out Sugar

Reducing sugar intake may improve a persons health.

Many adults eat much more sugar than the authorities recommend. The National Institutes of Health , for example, estimate that adults in the United States get around 15% of their calories from added sugars alone. This sugar intake does not even include natural sugars, such as those in products such as fruit and milk.

Excessive sugar consumption has links to several harmful health conditions, including:

• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• dental plaque and cavities

Reducing the amount of sugar in the diet can help a person reduce their risk of these health conditions.

Replacing high sugar foods with healthful options can help a person get all of their essential vitamins and minerals without the added calories. It may also help them lose weight, if necessary.

Here are eight simple tips a person can use to help cut sugar from their diet:

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Get Used To Reading Grocery Labels

Even if the ingredient list on your favorite food items doesnt specifically list sugar as an ingredient, theres still a chance that it could have a high sugar content under the veil of a different name. There are at least 60 other names for sugar out there, with the most common being high fructose corn syrup.

Pros Of Cutting Carbs

In the short-term, you probably will lose weight on a low-carb diet perhaps more than you might on other types of diet. Studies have found that low-carb diets may cause more weight loss than low-fat diets. However, this is mostly a short-term deal. Other reviews have found there was no statistical difference in the amount of weight lost after 12 months between low-carb and low-calorie diets.

So if youre looking to drop weight for a short amount of time, low-carb eating may get you there. But youll probably pay a price for those lost pounds

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I Felt Lighterat First

As you might expect, I felt great for the first few days. The key word there is felt. A couple of days wasnt long enough for the change to have had a physical effect or move the needle on the scale. Maybe it would have if Id been eating nothing but fast food for three meals a day. But I had gotten so excited at the prospect of cutting back on my sweet tooth that it boosted my motivation. At the end of the 30 days, however, I didnt end up feeling any different.

What To Know Before You Give Up Dairy

Thinking about eliminating milk, cheese, butter, and other dairy products from your diet? You’re not alone. Whether or not to give up dairyand how to do itis “one of the top questions I’m asked these days,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, Health‘s contributing nutrition editor.

One possible reason why so many people are ditching dairy? It’s gotten the A-list stamp of approval: Jessica Biel has said she “just feels better” when she doesn’t eat dairy, gluten, or wheat Australian actress Margot Robbie told ELLE UK she avoids it when filming a movie because she thinks it causes breakouts. And earlier this year, Khloe Kardashian told Health she dropped 11 pounds after just two weeks sans dairy. “If I want to lose weight quickly, dairy-free is the way to go,” she said.

But can a dairy-free diet really help you lose weight, get clearer skin, and generally feel better? The short answer is that it’s different for everyone. “Some people are more sensitive to dairy than others,” Sass says, adding that the effects of giving it up can vary from person to person.

But experts stress that quitting dairy is not something to be done spontaneously or without cause. “You don’t need to eliminate an entire food group unless there’s a legitimate reason,” says Keri Gans, RDN, a nutritionist based in New York City.

That said, if you do decide to give up dairy, here’s exactly what you’re giving up, and six side effects you might experience.

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