Sugar

[Veronica]

Have you had your thyroid checked? I have a friend with Hashimoto's disease (hypothyroid) and she gained weight despite a low calorie diet and lots of exercise. She had none of the classic symptoms (sluggish, moody, skin disorders) except weight gain and infertility.

(side note--I have a new baby kitten sleeping on my lap as I'm writing this. I know you know what that's like my feet are falling asleep, but I can deal).

I know I gained weight through a lowered activity level last year without a dietary change to offset. So I doubt it's a health issue. I do need to go have a blood work up done as part of my yearly exam. The order is on my frig. I keep putting it off. They don't open until 7 AM. I get up at 4:30. I drink coffee. I'm starved and cranky by 7 AM. I'm whining.

Aren't kittens great! I don't want to go back to work. I love how mine follow me around all over the house.

V.

[kelownagirl]

Have you tried the Greek style plain yogurt? I tried quite a few brands of plain yogurt before I found one I really liked. I can eat this stuff plain but I usually toss in a handful of oatmeal and some cut up fresh fruit, maybe a few walnuts. No sugar but it tastes great.

RE: fructose - isn't the naturally-occurring sugar better than the artificial stuff? ie fructose added to a product rather than natural fresh fruit?

[Veronica]

I use the Greek style plain yogurt when I make gyros - combine it with feta cheese to make the sauce. I can't imagine eating it for breakfast.

I actually do really like steel cut oatmeal and most mornings I have the time to cook it.

Thom eats Frosted Mini Wheats for breakfast. They have less sugar than my yogurt.

V.

[farrellcollie]

I usually make a big thing of steel cut oatmeal and refridgerate it. In the summer I don't care if it is not hot. I then use 1/2 to 1 banana to sweeten it with 1/2 C of plain yoghurt.

[kelownagirl]

I use the Greek style plain yogurt when I make gyros - combine it with feta cheese to make the sauce. I can't imagine eating it for breakfast.

I actually do really like steel cut oatmeal and most mornings I have the time to cook it.

Thom eats Frosted Mini Wheats for breakfast. They have less sugar than my yogurt.

V.

1/4 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup boiling water in a thermos. Lid on tight. Sit on counter overnight. Nuke for 1 min in morning. Ready to go, no work, no stirring involved.

[maillotpois]

I love the Greek plain yogurt. I put honey on it, though.

[Flybye]

This thread is pretty interesting. Thanks for all of the information.
I wanted to add that when I was in the throes of major weight loss, I was instructed by a nutritionist not to eat ANYTHING with ANY type of sugar in the first five ingredients. That includes cane sugar, rice sugar, fructose, etc., etc. For breakfast, the only cereal that I found other than oatmeal was Special K in the blue box, the one with lots of protein. I haven't seen it on shelves for about 6 months, I don't know if the store that I shop in has quit carrying it or if it is no longer produced. In addition to that, I was instructed to only have two servings of fruit per day, and to increase the amount of protein that I ate. The weight fell off with so much ease.

[OakLeaf]

I just want you to know that this thread FORCED me to bake a batch of oatmeal bars

[OakLeaf]

For breakfast, the only cereal that I found other than oatmeal was Special K in the blue box, the one with lots of protein.

Any puffed cereal has no sugar added (and only one ingredient)...

[maillotpois]

Staples in my house, Shredded Wheat and Shredded Wheat n Bran both have negligible amounts of sugar. As does plain old Cheerios.

What you do with it after you put it in the bowl is your own business.

[han-grrl]

I am going to second the calorie DOES NOT equal a calorie

when it comes to weight management there is much to consider

- water intake (are you drinking water or juices or coffee or tea or pop any excess of any one can either add calories, dehydrate you etc)

- wheat,milk, soy, corn etc intolerances - water gain, weight gain are SYMPTOMS of intolerances along with headaches etc.

- meds - are you on any? also can affect weight

- added sugar, yeast can cause weight issues as well.

- the whole picture - are you getting all your vitamins/nutrients from FOOD over about 48 hours? If you are low in any one thing, or if your body is struggling to absorb, then your body will "pad you up" to ensure your organs stay safe

- sleep - getting enough?
stress? do you have too much - if you are stressed out or not sleeping well, this can all affect weight, because your body is struggling.


two cents

Smile

Han

[bmccasland]

1/4 cup steel cut oats, 1 cup boiling water in a thermos. Lid on tight. Sit on counter overnight. Nuke for 1 min in morning. Ready to go, no work, no stirring involved.

Kewl! I'm going to have to try this. I think I even have an old wild mouth thermos in the cupboard somewhere, maybe, perhaps.

[Tuckervill]

Thanks for posting that article, Michelle.

I don't think we should throw fruit out. It's the HFCS that's we should avoid. I've been doing so for a few years now. Virtually eliminates all processed food from diet, which is a very good thing.

But fruit, containing fructose, is still good for you.

Karen

[OakLeaf]

But fruit, containing fructose, is still good for you.

Karen

I agree... but I don't eat fruit without other carbs. It just makes me STARVING, hungrier than I was before I ate the fruit.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Can you go to a dietician that specializes in sports nutrition? I agree that looking at the sugar in your diet is a good idea, but getting a good medical history and where you are at now in your exercise/nutritional/body composition is what they will assess and tell you what to look at. Trainers cannot do this unless they have the added training as a dietician (or nutritionist but I am all for the dietician). Be careful with that, I've seen people cut alot of sugar from their diet including the natural kind. And everyone is different so you should get it squared away for you! As an example tho of what I was told, not to eat packaged foods with more than 5-7 sugars listed. Good luck with that one! That is what convinced me why bother with stuff in a box.

But in respect to sugar, for me, I don't eat HFCS, which I swear made a difference for me in the big craving of sugar vicious circle. I don't use artificial sweetners, even Splenda. However, I got this stupid stomach thing and I started eating processed food. Guess what? I feel WORSE! I'm not sure now if it's the stomach bug, some other illness or my diet So for me, there is something to avoiding processed food with lotsa sugar. I still use sugar (raw demera or turbinado) in coffee or tea, but not like I used to. And if I go to Starbucks, I don't get the syrups anymore. I found they really set me off.

But I know people that are runners (how bout them runners) and triathletes that live on sugar. If I ate as much sugar as they did I would feel horrible. But if they ate as little as I did, I think they would probably not feel so good either.

SO now I need to go through sugar detox (aka fake food cold turkey). I still eat fruit and milk of course has it's own sugar (that is why you will always have sugar in yogurt because of the lactose-even if you make your own).