Halloween and Candy, what can you do…???
With Halloween rapidly approaching, and little snack size candies haunting the isles of every grocery store, take a minute and look at the havoc that sugar can take on your weightloss goals!
Believe it or not, sugar is a big contributor to weight gain. To keep it simple, if your body is running on sugar, it is not burning fat for fuel. It really is that simple.
The calories and total grams of "bad carbohydrates" from foods high in sugar add up more quickly than those from yams, beans, oats, veggies, and other natural carbohydrates because:
a.) Sugar is a very concentrated source of carbohydrate - so it’s easier to eat more calories. b.) Sugar has a very pleasant taste - it is easily overeaten out of enjoyment and often used for comfort.
c.) Sugar keeps bad company. Many foods high in sugar are also high in fats, such as pastries, cookies, ice cream, and other sweets.
d.) Sugar is often consumed as beverages - sodas, juices, punch, etc - which contains a lot of calories in a very little volume. A large soda, for example, can contain more than 300 calories alone!
I’m not saying you can never eat sugar; trust me, my world wouldn’t rotate without a bite of chocolate every now and again! But treats are just that, treats, and they should be eaten sparingly on occasion.
But an occasional indulgence shouldn’t completely derail your nutrition program, either mentally or physically. Besides I don’t advocate complete elimination of any food group, sweets included. So to see where treats can fit into your plan, you’ve got to analyze what they are made of.
Most sweets and desserts are high in calories and heavy on carbs and fat. Ice cream, chocolate bars, frozen yogurt, pudding, and other dairy-based treats have some protein in them for milk or nuts, in addition to fat and carbohydrates. Treats such as hard candy, sorbet, donuts, and muffins are pretty much straight, simple carbohydrates. Processed baked goods such as cakes, pies, and cookies contain plenty of carbs, maybe a little protein and a bunch of trans fat to ensure a longer shelf life.
Dessert isn’t the only place you’ll find a ton of sugar: Many condiments, sauces, and dips contain added sugar, as well as many breads, cereals, crackers, and dressings. So before you glop on the barbecue sauce or ketchup, read the label carefully to see how many sugar calories you’re getting per serving.
Of course, sugar will not always be listed as “sugar” on the label. That would be way to easy, right! Usually it hides out under one of these aliases:
- maltodextrose
- dextrose
- sucrose
- fructose
- high-fructose corn syrup
- malt syrup
- corn syrup
- molasses
- maple sugar
- levulose
- lactose
- honey
- galactose
- and glucose
So look out for the sneaky little sugars. Here are a few tips to help you deal with the sugar cravings:
- Wait it out! Sometimes cravings are emotionally driven, and you may be eating sweets in reaction to your emotions. Before you dig into the donut box, stop, recognize your craving, and ask yourself out loud if it is worth the few minutes of pleasure instead of achieving the body you want and can enjoy 24 hours a day.
- Eat more often. You might crave sugar if you haven’t eaten a balanced meal or snack because your blood sugar may be low. Your body knows the fastest way to get its blood sugar back up is to get some simple carbs in there, so it tells you to crave sugar-and you do! That’s just another reason we have you eating balanced meals throughout the day!
- Break the habit! If you always have dessert with dinner or get a treat every day from the vending machine at 4pm, recognize that pattern, and break it! Do something completely different, such as taking a walk or calling a friend instead of hitting the vending machine.
- And, last but not least, give in and have a bite! Before you get too excited, I want it to be loud and clear that I’m not giving you permission to binge! Share a dessert, have a mini size chocolate bar, or a small cookie. Be sure to go out and have it in order to keep the temptation of leftovers out of the house!
Also, be really careful with the sugar substitutes. In many “sugar-free” foods, the sugar has been replaced by either sugar alcohols or synthetic products. Sugar alcohols are not technically sugar, but they still contain calories from carbohydrates and are not calorie free. The alcohol in these sweeteners attracts water into the gut and can cause abdominal discomfort and bloating. My personal favorite when it comes to sugar replacements is Sweete. It is made from the Rubia plant and it 100% natural. You can find it at www.sweete.biz! Or there is just plain old Stevia.
In summary, a diet lower in sugars and higher in complex natural carbohydrates, fiber, and protein is almost always lower in calories, higher in energy, and higher in vitamins and minerals.
These above factors, working together, contribute to a lower rate of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and tooth decay… and you absolutely will achieve much better fat loss results.
It’s okay to eat a little sugar as a treat, but do so in moderation… and be aware and on the look-out for "hidden" sugars that you typically eat each day. They certainly add up and could very well be one of the reasons you’re not achieving the best possible results in the shortest amount of time.
October 11, 2008 at 1:25 pm
All thing in moderation. If you are stupid enough you can OD on water
October 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Shannan, you are really an asset to this site. Thanks for always sharing with your fellow bb.family!
October 11, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Shannan, thanks for sharing. The information you’ve provided can be very helpful. That’s one of the things a like about this site (the sharing of helpful information).
October 12, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Thank you channan,
I know,i am not a b .b…but i need to loose me fat also in me sport !!!
So ,that’s why i stay here,becouse you chare the way ,i have to do it.
YOU ARE ME DAILY MOTIVATION! !
October 13, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Splenda makes my life worth living. I would trade both kids and my wife for a three day supply of Splenda. Fine, two days, but that’s my last offer.
October 14, 2008 at 7:04 am
What an awesome blog…thanks for sharing! Halloween is a very scary (no pun intended) time for those trying to eat clean.
October 16, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Halloween: A great time of year to be bulking!!
October 17, 2008 at 5:00 am
We bought candy this week for Halloween. The rule at our house is, what is not given out is taken to work and anonymously just put out in the break room.
I must have this stuff out of the house or it wakes me up at night and calls to me.
October 17, 2008 at 10:05 am
i’m a sugar addict! so, i needed to read this..i have a pic of a pile of candy wrappers when i had a candy binge..NOTHING nice! but i’m moving and things are goign to change! you can read my clog in regards to that! i hope all is well in your world! you’re still my barbie doll1
lol
October 17, 2008 at 11:02 pm
October 17, 2008 at 11:03 pm
October 17, 2008 at 11:06 pm
no comments please
October 18, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Shannon:
Gosh, thanks so much. I knew sugar is bad and my trainer ALWAYS say to stay away from sugar because it is your enemy, but thanks for the reminder. There are only two desserts I ever crave "banana foster" from Laundrys seafood restaurant and "chocolate meltdown" from applebees but they to dont go often to any of the too. And, I used to use splenda but change to stevia and it is more natural and taste almost the same. To me a sweetner is a sweetner. LOL
October 18, 2008 at 4:33 pm
you only live once. I believe u can eat and train harder. Whatever your doing is working well for you. You are very pretty and great blog.
October 18, 2008 at 4:33 pm
you only live once. I believe u can eat and train harder. Whatever your doing is working well for you. You are very pretty and you have a great blog.
October 19, 2008 at 12:36 pm
iI am so happy that you post this on your blog I think that more people need to understand this point. As a strength coach I am faced wit this all the time with my athletes and my clients. keep posting this type of information, it will help alot of people.
October 19, 2008 at 3:16 pm
nice TITS
October 21, 2008 at 1:50 am
Great article! i do have a bit of a sweet tooth but being deployed helps keep me away from the sugary stuff! I especially liked your information about sugars in sauces, dressings, etc. Too many times I’ve seen a good salad ruined by an un-healthy, sugary dressing. Keep up the good work!
October 21, 2008 at 10:30 am
ewwwy sugar is my nemisis… being prego makes it WAY harder too. i finally made a rule that the only chocolate i can eat is dark chocolate. i tend to not get as carried away wtih it since it’s not quiet as good as the milky stuff… i only want the melt in your mouth texture, so it gives me that and then i can move the eff on and not be thinking about the rest of the bag i didn’t eat the rest of the day!
(or worse yet… thinking about the rest of the bag i did eat!!!)
i read this at a good time though… i was sitting here thinking about a little candy bar!
October 22, 2008 at 1:34 pm
great information, thank you!
now i can’t look at that jar of candy corn on our service counter the same way again!
October 22, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Ok, I make my morning protein shake with 1 banana, 3 strawberries, water and 1 squirt of honey. that should be ok, right? it’s mostly becasue it thickens it up and makes the shake more meaty. I’ve never really liked honey.
I’ve seen some people putting espresso in their shakes. is that ok? I don’t know what it would taste like.
thanks for all the info
October 24, 2008 at 8:57 am
Excellent blog! I am glad that you posted this. I didnt some of the stuff you mentioned. Like the different ways sugar comes. Thanks to you I will be better at watching the different types of sugar! Thank You! =)
October 24, 2008 at 8:42 pm
October 27, 2008 at 10:05 pm
thanks for the info, now some info on silicon under the human skin
October 30, 2008 at 10:24 am
Thanks Shannon, always looking for your blogs.
November 4, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I found peanut m&m’s on the low glycemic chart. So when I am really dying I will buy a regular size, not king size bag, and split it with one of my kids. I get a treat that isn’t so bad
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September 30, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Great information on the candy