Should I Avoid Sugar to Lose 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 people’s attention. The latest is that sugar has been linked to Cancer. Perhaps it’s the wow-factor, or maybe it’s the simple idea that cutting out one thing from your diet will help you lose weight.

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

Will Eating Sugar Prevent Weight Loss? 

In a word, no, sugar itself will not prevent weight or fat loss. In fact, sugar is glucose, and glucose happens to be the preferred energy source of our bodies. It also primarily comes from carbohydrates. We all need glucose for our organs to function properly, to have adequate energy, and yes — to burn fat. 

Achieving a healthy weight involves a variety of factors, including a healthy diet, balanced exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management, so it’s hard to say that sugar is the one factor deterring your weight loss efforts. You can run into trouble when you eat more sugar than your body can use at one time – this is when weight or fat loss becomes impossible.

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 (by eating more calories than your body needs) any extra glucose is stored as fat. 

But it’s not just carbs that contribute to these fat stores—high protein and high fat foods eaten in excess will also prevent weight loss and eventually lead to weight gain. 

Watch Out For Added Sugars

All that being said, there are certain sugars — “added sugars” – that, when eaten in excess, can deter weight or fat loss efforts. Added sugars refer to any sugar or syrups added to foods during processing and preparation (including that syrup you add to your pancakes during breakfast), and tend to be found in nutrient-poor, high-calorie foods.

Foods and beverages with added sugars, like cakes, pastries, and soda, most likely have very little nutritional value. Plus, they are typically low in soluble fiber, which is a nutrient that has been scientifically proven to aid in weight loss. 

Not surprisingly, studies show that a high intake of added sugar is inversely associated with fiber intake. When cakes, cookies, jams and other foods with added sugars take up too much of the diet, it is difficult to fit in enough nutrient and fiber-rich foods (i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, nuts) without exceeding a calorie range that’s appropriate for weight loss or maintenance.

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 people’s energy (calorie) needs, there are simply not enough calories available after meeting the recommended nutrient needs from whole food groups. In other words, if you’re 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.

What Are the Healthiest Sources of Sugar?

Naturally occurring sugars are those found in milk, cheese and unsweetened yogurt (lactose), and fruit (fructose). These sugars are not considered added sugars. While both lactose and fructose are types of sugar that are broken down into glucose, they are also full of disease-fighting nutrients and should not be avoided in an effort to achieve a healthy weight. In fact, the soluble fiber in fruit helps slow down the metabolism of sugar, providing a steady source of energy. Additionally, foods with natural sugars are naturally low in calories, fat and sodium. 

Refined sugar, on the other hand, rapidly enters the blood stream causing your insulin and blood sugar levels to spike (hence the term “sugar high,” often followed by a crash). 

So now we know that refined sugar is the culprit. natural sugar that we find in whole foods will provide energy for the body and is needed to give you energy. It's refined sugar, a man-made product that you find in manufactured food that you want to avoid.

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