Is sugar making me fat?

I posted this in the weightloss section, with no luck, so I thought I'd try here!

Sugar grams have never been something I've taken into account. By most accounts, I eat clean...All Bran, berries, and whey protein for breakfast, a Luna bar for my morning snack, a salad and lean protein for lunch, a Luna bar for my afternoon snack, some veggies and more lean protein for supper, and then some sort of evening snack...oftentimes popcorn - 'cause I love it!

Anyhow, after taking a peak back at the nutrional value of Luna bars, I see that they have a lot of sugar. Coupled with my All Bran in the morning, and I'm quite a bit over my 40 grams of recommended sugar a day.

I'm thinking that I really need to replace the All Bran with some natural bran, and the Luna bars with whole foods instead. For those who know, could the reduction in sugar give me some better weight-loss results?

Thanks so much!

I dont think cutting out sugar will help you at all. True, many people like you do consume ALOT of sugar because alot of things contain them but all those things you listed are things youre body needs to function. If you cut out all those things your body will go low on vitimins and nutreients. Yea, youll be within the sugar range but youll be low on everything else. Think about it.... even bananas and all fruit have got tons of natural sugar in them but cut out fruit and what good have you done ? Stop focusing on the amount you consume and focus on your food groups. Make sure you get enough of each food gruop and excerise and youll be fine no matter the sugar amount... Besides its not like your candy and thats why it high right ?

The only thing that will give you better weight-loss results is a reduction in calories (but not below 1200 if female, or 1500 if male). Cutting out certain foods (fried foods) or food groups (grains, sugars, etc) will not magically cause you to lose weight.

You can lose just as much weight eating 1300 calories of lean meats, veggies, fruit, and whole grains as you can eating 1300 calories of fries, pizza, hamburgers and anything made by Paula Deen.

It's all about science!

And also, who says you're only allowed up to 40g of sugar a day? I've never heard this. Also, bars are good when real food isn't available, but I wouldn't recommend it as a daily - or twice daily thing. Eat a banana or an egg or something that will still pack an energy boost but without all that refined sugar.

I was just about to start a topic on sugar, but i guess i'll add my question here. so i planned out tomorrow's meal and i have over 80 grams of sugar, but i only have walnuts, oatmeal (maple and brown sugar, which has about 20 g of sugar), 1 banana and apple, and 1 slice of cheese, and some vegetables. besides the oatmeal, is there anything i can cut out that will reduce the amount of sugar i eat, or is it fine, as long as i don't have cookies and stuff? this isnt just for weight loss, but to avoid other health things like diabetes.  

Yrpaine1: I only count grams of ADDED sugar. Natural sugars are unavoidable and are fine on a daily basis. The only way to reduce your daily sugar would be to cut out or change the oatmeal, or switch to fruits/veggies with lower sugar content, but I really wouldn't worry about it at all.

For the oatmeal; there is calorie-reduced/low-sugar versions of maple syrup, and if you're okay with sweeteners, Splenda brown sugar might work in your favour. Or you could simply try adding things that aren't so rich in sugar; yogurt (watch the sugar), frozen or fresh berries, banana, nuts, peanut butter, sugar-free jam, applesauce, cinnamon, vanilla extract, etc. Or, if you enjoy it that much, you could just keep your oatmeal the way it is and not worry about the sugar.

another option to sweeten you oatmeal w/out adding sugar is to put fruit in it...I like bananas or strawberries, or dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, or apricots (just look for ones that say no added sugar on them, sometimes there's a lot of sugar put in dried fruits)

but like toomanymuffins (great name by the way) said don't worry too much about the natural sugars in foods (like fruit, veggies, and oatmeal), you can't avoid them and you do need them to some extent. just watch that your not eating things w/a lot of added sugar in them. and spread out things w/lots of natural sugar throughout the day...don't eat them all at once!

I, too, have found using this website that I eat A LOT of sugar. SOmedays up over 100 grams! I also consider myself a clean eater. The one obvious source is an oatmeal cookie I eat before I run because they are easy on my stomach. How can I possibly be getting so much sugar? I know a calorie is a calorie,but I can't help but wonder if all of this sugar is contributing to my midsection blob....

I used to eat lots of sugar like you and when I cut it out the weight FINALLY came off.  Seriously, I am a gym rat and when I quit smoking I still gained 20 pounds.  Now I eat lean proteins, vegetables, natural fat free dairy products, and only two fruits a day, but a great multi-vitamin.  I do not eat processed foods like energy bars, snack cakes, or anything and seriously I have more energy, weight loss, and am full longer.  Give it a try, once I did I will do my best to stay this way.

Refined sugars are really bad for you.  Cutting those out will help you tremendously.

Sure, you can go strictly by calories in, calories out, but if you are looking to lose the lbs for good, eating healthy, whole foods with no refined sugars is the way to go.

Here is an article on sugar:

http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk/articles/is -sugar-bad-for-you.htm

i have only found weight loss after i have made a conscious effort to not eat sugar. sugars from fruits etc may be fine however, some people do have a natual aversity to sugar (hello hypoglecymia) and may find it more dificult to lose weight if their sugar levels are on the rise. also look for hidden sources of sugar---silly things like cereal, tomato sauce etc. esp high fructose syrup which im just convinced is NO good (as is everyone in science).

Again I know a calorie is a calorie but I swear that what my body does with 1500 calories of foods with no regard to sugar vs. 1500 calories of "good foods" is amazing.