As a bigger dude, well overweight, I’m working on eliminating added sugars from my diet as part of my plan for weight loss during my training. I lost 20lbs last year with pretty minor control over my diet, but managed to put most of it back on by taking off-season a bit too literally. None the less, I am trying to figure out how to fuel during workouts as almost everything I can find has added sugar. For those of you trying to dodge sugar, what are you eating during training?
Before you ask why, assuming the studies showing that sugar is addictive are true, I want to at least negate or drastically reduce my need for sugar, as I struggle with a major sweet tooth. I do ok for the most part with the rest of my diet, but I just can’t get away from sugar, which of course quickly becomes fat. Only way to beat it is get rid of it for a while so the dependence disappears.
Do you find that you still have cravings for sugar outside of training? That’s my biggest concern, that if I keep it in my diet at all I will still crave it outside of training.
Do you find that you still have cravings for sugar outside of training? That’s my biggest concern, that if I keep it in my diet at all I will still crave it outside of training.
If you are running a calorie deficit, which you pretty much have to do to lose serious weight, being hungry/craving sugar is pretty much part of the game, so ya just need to suck it up. I feel your pain, by the way, as I ended up shattering my foot, then right as I got well enough to train, got knocked down with an unrelated injury and surgery so I put on a bunch of weight being off my feet for a year. I’ve dropped 25# in the last 3 months, but it has been a constant struggle with craving sweets… and beer. Delicious, delicious beer… mmmmm
If you are only cutting down 5 - 10 pounds, simply eating a lot of slow burn foods (quinoa paired with shredded chicken and spinach is a good start) will go a long way to cut cravings.
Do you find that you still have cravings for sugar outside of training? That’s my biggest concern, that if I keep it in my diet at all I will still crave it outside of training.
If you are running a calorie deficit, which you pretty much have to do to lose serious weight, being hungry/craving sugar is pretty much part of the game, so ya just need to suck it up. I feel your pain, by the way, as I ended up shattering my foot, then right as I got well enough to train, got knocked down with an unrelated injury and surgery so I put on a bunch of weight being off my feet for a year. I’ve dropped 25# in the last 3 months, but it has been a constant struggle with craving sweets… and beer. Delicious, delicious beer… mmmmm
If you are only cutting down 5 - 10 pounds, simply eating a lot of slow burn foods (quinoa paired with shredded chicken and spinach is a good start) will go a long way to cut cravings.
Ha - so basically it is what it is. Fun stuff. I would like to be in the 35-50lb weight loss range. That would leave at an ideal racing weight and body comp (I think) so we’ll see. I’m sure I’m going to open up the “a calorie is a calorie” debate, but it’s truly not my intention. While it may not make a difference with regards to running a deficit, i.e. burn more than you consumer, regardless of make-up will create weight loss, it’s important to me that I kick my sugar problem and still maintain energy for training by maintaining a proper diet all the way around. So in an absolutely perfect world, I’d love to find a proper training snack that doesn’t have added sugars.
I’m sure some experts here will chime in with different opinions than my n=1 experience, but all I can say is what worked for me.
I did some googling after about the first month of being hungry all the time and most of the articles I read pretty much said being hungry is part of losing weight.
Hang in there, being able to look in the mirror and see a 25 or 30# lighter you is so effing worth it.
Agreed. Been trying to figure this out for a long time.
I’ve experimented with UCAN - 1 serving has 0g sugar and no weird pseudo sugars. Does UCAN actually work and what exactly superstarch??? That’s up for debate.
I love Skratch but 1 serving contains 20g of sugar and last I read the WHO says our max daily sugar intake should be 25g so… not sure what to do there… at least it’s cane sugar and not corn syrup?
I think you can cut added sugar in your regular diet no problem, but for workouts lasting much more than an hour, unless you stick to really easy efforts, you are going to need to replenish carbs, which means sugars that you can absorb quickly, or else you will bonk.
Many options are available that really do not taste sweet. I am not sure if sweetness is a factor in craving/addiction or not. I use a custom blend of infinit with the flavor dialed all the way down. Mostly it tastes salty. Not sweet at all. It’s not particularly delicious but not bad either. It’s just fuel. I use this for training and racing.
If you are running a low-carb diet as well, you may have trouble replacing glycogen after workouts, which will probably lead to bonking even if you use something like infinit, so keep that in mind.
You can run a caloric deficit and still replace the glycogen you need. Do not cut out any nutrients. Eat carbs fat and proteins. Just don’t eat as much as you burn (but don’t go nuts and run a huge deficit). You should lose fat, but still have the energy to complete your workouts! You will feel hungry though. A lot of the time. It goes with the territory.
Agreed. Been trying to figure this out for a long time.
I’ve experimented with UCAN - 1 serving has 0g sugar and no weird pseudo sugars. Does UCAN actually work and what exactly superstarch??? That’s up for debate.
I love Skratch but 1 serving contains 20g of sugar and last I read the WHO says our max daily sugar intake should be 25g so… not sure what to do there… at least it’s cane sugar and not corn syrup?
WHO recommendations are not for people doing endurance training 2 hours a day.
Thanks Ed. Are there any recommendations for those of us training 2 hours+ a day? I’m, perhaps stupidly, hung up on that WHO info and obviously would rather operate with all the facts.
I think I take in too much sugar but weight is not really a problem for me. I only really crave it when I workout a bunch, then its impact is minimal given the calorie burn. What’s weird is I don’t train with it (sodas, bars, etc). Just after. In my opinion lots of running will fix or offset any bad cravings you may have now and then.
See my post above. For longer training sessions and races supplemental sugars are a necessity! I’m not a nutritionist, but I used to be a lightweight rower so have some experience in training at a high level while losing weight at the same time. Others may be able to come in with even better info than me.
I think I take in too much sugar but weight is not really a problem for me. I only really crave it when I workout a bunch, then its impact is minimal given the calorie burn. What’s weird is I don’t train with it (sodas, bars, etc). Just after. In my opinion lots of running will fix or offset any bad cravings you may have now and then.
See my post above. For longer training sessions and races supplemental sugars are a necessity! I’m not a nutritionist, but I used to be a lightweight rower so have some experience in training at a high level while losing weight at the same time. Others may be able to come in with even better info than me.
I certainly don’t disagree with this and in theory, so long as I continue to operate at a deficit, my body should use fat stores for fuel and weight loss will be inevitable. The other side of the coin is simply - is sugar addicting? If the answer is yes, then does cutting sugar out of the diet totally with the exception of training enough; or, does one need to completely eradicate sugar from the diet at all times in order to beat the addiction.
Point we have sorted - hunger is inevitable during a deficit. I am cool with that, well as cool as I can be. My concern is when hungry, smart decisions are already a tightrope walk, so if I can find a way not to crave sugar and be able to stick some turkey in my mouth instead, I’d find that to be an additional win as far as nutritional value of my calories goes.
When you say “sugar”, do you mean only refined sucrose (table sugar) or do you mean all carbs?
Refined. So added sugars. Natural sugars - fruit, whole grains, etc are totally fine. I want to get rid of all of the “crose’s” basically and high sugar items like natural honeys and maple syrups.
I think I take in too much sugar but weight is not really a problem for me. I only really crave it when I workout a bunch, then its impact is minimal given the calorie burn. What’s weird is I don’t train with it (sodas, bars, etc). Just after. In my opinion lots of running will fix or offset any bad cravings you may have now and then.
So what do you train with for 1+ hr workouts?
I eat what I would call meals before most workouts (and races). As a result I don’t consume as much while working out.
When you say “sugar”, do you mean only refined sucrose (table sugar) or do you mean all carbs?
Refined. So added sugars. Natural sugars - fruit, whole grains, etc are totally fine. I want to get rid of all of the “crose’s” basically and high sugar items like natural honeys and maple syrups.
Adding to this, sugar with the fibre intact should be fine, it’s when the sugar is separated from the fibre that it becomes problematic. Minus my obviously limited understanding appropriate sugar intake for endurance athletes.
When you say “sugar”, do you mean only refined sucrose (table sugar) or do you mean all carbs?
Refined. So added sugars. Natural sugars - fruit, whole grains, etc are totally fine. I want to get rid of all of the “crose’s” basically and high sugar items like natural honeys and maple syrups.
Adding to this, sugar with the fibre intact should be fine, it’s when the sugar is separated from the fibre that it becomes problematic. Minus my obviously limited understanding appropriate sugar intake for endurance athletes.
Can you break that statement down? My nutritional knowledge is as basic as it comes. Maybe examples?
When you say “sugar”, do you mean only refined sucrose (table sugar) or do you mean all carbs?
Refined. So added sugars. Natural sugars - fruit, whole grains, etc are totally fine. I want to get rid of all of the “crose’s” basically and high sugar items like natural honeys and maple syrups.
This notion that “natural sugar” is fine and whatever unnatural sugar is isn’t doesn’t make any sense. Your calories are all going to come from fat, protein, or carbs. Some carbs hit you harder than others, and what else they’re consumed with also affects that. But during workouts, you’re going to need some fast-acting fuel. And otherwise, minimizing fast-burn carbs is a pretty good idea, and yes, that includes fruit (also known as “candy that happens to grow on trees,” though obviously some more so that others).