Hidden Sugars: The Silent Saboteur

You’re ordering the salmon.
You’re skipping the bread.
You’re choosing the “low carb” option.

So why isn’t the scale moving?

In this episode of the Worth the Weight Podcast, we’re breaking down one of the biggest fat loss mistakes women make—hidden sugars. 

From teriyaki sauce and “healthy” bowls… to dressings, marinades, and restaurant meals that look clean but are loaded with sugar—you might be eating way more than you think without ever logging it.

And if you’re keto, low-carb, or just trying to “eat better”… this could be the exact thing holding you back.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Where hidden sugars are actually showing up (and the ones no one talks about)
• Why restaurant meals can derail your progress—even when they seem healthy
• How these sugars impact fat loss, cravings, and the scale
• Simple ways to stay in control without obsessing or over-restricting

Because it’s not always about what you’re doing wrong…
Sometimes it’s about what you don’t know you’re doing at all.

You can’t change what you’re not aware of… but once you see it, everything changes.

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Transcript

0:00

Hello ladies and welcome to the Worth the Wait podcast, where we talk about the mindset and habits behind real transformation. Because transformation is earned and your best life is waiting on the other side of consistency. I'm your host, Coach Courtney, and today's episode is one that is going to really open your eyes. Because if you've ever felt like I'm doing everything right, but the scale is not moving, this might be exactly why. So hang on to the end and you may find out some things you didn't know. So today we are talking about hidden sugars, the ones no one tells you about, the ones hiding in your quote, healthy meals, your takeout, your sauces, and the ones that can completely stall your progress without you even realizing it. I'm gonna start by telling you what I hear on a weekly basis from women. When I first get new clients and even people that are not my clients who just reach out to me asking me for some quick advice or what I'm thinking, my opinion on something. I have so many women tell me I'm doing low carb or I'm on keto or I'm eating clean, I've cleaned up my diet, I'm eating less calories, I'm making more mindful and healthy choices with food, but the scale is not moving. I am continuing to bloat and have a lot of inflammation, and I'm just having no fat loss. And honestly, I have to say, my heart always goes out to these women because they're not failing, but they're just unaware. And what I mean by that, they are unaware of the hidden sugars that are in so, so many things nowadays. They're not desserts, so they're very easily, it's deceptive. You order salmon from a restaurant, and you're thinking, okay, I logged my salmon, I've had that, that's protein, that's some healthy fat. What's going on? Well, what you didn't log and what the menu didn't tell you that was going to be on that salmon, is some kind of sauce that's drizzled all over it. And nine times out of ten, that sauce is going to have sugar. And that is why it is hidden sugars that you're not logging, so it's not counting, so you're not really seeing the true data of what you're taking in. And it's sabotaging your diet, especially if you're on a ketogenic or an Atkins diet or something where you have very low carbs, though just the sauce in that sugar can eat it up in just one meal without you even realizing you've had sugar. And I'll give you an example. Last night, I actually ordered a low carb bowl from a local uh Japanese takeout restaurant that we have here. I didn't have the menu in front of me. I actually just asked the lady whenever I was calling uh if they had a low carb bowl. She told me what was in it, which was, you know, your choice of meat and veggies, and she told me the veggies that were included. And so I said, yes, let's let's go for that. We get it home, I open up the bowl, and yes, the veggies and the I ordered grilled chicken on this one. The grilled chicken and the veggies were in there, but the entire thing was absolutely soaked in teriyaki sauce. And teriyaki sauce has a lot of sugar, and it was drenched in it. So because I do what I do, I know and I'm already familiar with what's in teriyaki sauce, which is sugar. But when I first started and I wasn't as aware of what was of these hidden sugars that I'm talking to you about today, I would have logged grilled chicken, the sauteed vegetables that I had in there, and would have thought, I've done great, I've had such a low-carb meal. Never accounted for the teriyaki sauce that it was drenched in. But that sauce alone could have 15 to 30 grams of sugar in it. And most people would log, you know, chicken in my fitness pal and call it a day, as would I have done that until I research further and found out that's not the case. That's the trap. And it's things like that that cause you to stumble or to stall, and you get so frustrated and think that it's you when really it is these hidden sugars that you're not thinking about. Uh, I'll give you some more examples. So I mentioned the teriyaki sauce. There's also sweet chili sauce, honey garlic sauce, orange sauce. A lot of uh Chinese restaurants have that orange sauce, bourbon glaze, glazes on salmon, like I've talked about. But there's also uh a lot of glazes on grilled chicken at these different restaurants. And this is anywhere from, you know, just your local chain to, or your just your local restaurant to high chains and very, very popular chains. And they also can put glazes on salmon, like I talked about. And this can go from your local restaurant all the way up to very popular chains and very high-end restaurants as well. Uh glazes on salmon, glazes on grilled smoked chicken. So anything sticky, really, it basically the best way to think about it is if it's shiny, sticky, or even tastes slightly sweet, it has sugar. So healthy restaurant options that you can do, and then I want you to be aware of. If you get the grilled salmon, especially if you're on keto or Atkins, a cream sauce, that's usually okay. Normally the cream sauce for that is normally, you know, your heavy whipping cream and some butter usually is what's in that. Usually there's not added sugar in a cream white sauce like that. But still check with your server, and it's totally acceptable and fine for you to ask, you know, is there sugar in that sauce? I am doing a program where I'm not going to have sugar, and I need to make sure that there's not any hidden sugars in the sauce. They completely understand. I've done it for six years total now when I go to new places. Other places that I've already been, I've asked that when I was doing keto. They're totally used to me. New places don't mind at all. They're normally very, very accommodating with that. And if they're not sure, usually they go and find out. It's a very simple way to make sure that what you are logging is correct and you're not being sabotaged by some hidden ingredient that you weren't aware of and that's not listed on the menu. All right, things like lettuce wraps with sweet sauce, stir fry, loaded with sauce, low carb bowls, as the one I mentioned that I had last night, hidden with marinade sauces, poke bowls, so sweet soy, spicy mayo, some of that stuff is even loaded with sugar. Big one for women, the salad dressings, balsamic vinaigrette, high in sugar, honey mustard, raspberry vinaigrette. All of these light dressings, while they may be lower in calorie, they still have sugar. And you just want to make sure, I'm not saying that you can't ever have them or that they're bad. I'm just saying make sure that when you are logging your food to know what you're eating and to be able to go back and look to see the data of what you've taken into your body to understand your results better, make sure that you are logging that and not just saying, oh, well, that's 20 calories, not a big deal, not going to log it because you're not accounting for the sugar. So make sure that you are thinking about that when you're ordering these things or when you order a protein that you're unaware of that comes with some of this on it. When you get it, if you haven't asked the waiter and here it is at your table, you're starving and you're ready and it's got some kind of glaze on it, or some kind of sauce that you're not aware of. Ask the server at that point and just log it. Make sure that you account for it so that it will count for you and you can add it in to your day. All right. Also, another thing that can get you is coffee and drinks. So flavored creamers. Always be aware of how much sugar that has in them. Even if they say sugar-free, look at the carbs, look at the nutrition label and look at the carbs on the back. Log the correct amount of carbs so you can make sure that you're accurate for the day. Um, Starbucks skinny drinks. Now, I'm a Starbucks person, so I go to Starbucks, I enjoy Starbucks, but I do make sure that I'm very informed of everything that is in the drink. Now, I I understand you can't go and ask them, you know, what what's all your secret ingredients that you put in this? But the internet has helped so much with that now. Google, ChatGPT it, whatever you want to do, what is in your drink, the name of the drink. And it will, it can give you, if not every single ingredient, it gives you a very clear picture of what is in that drink. Just make sure that you're logging that correctly so that it's counting. Juices loaded with sugar, orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, cranberry juice, all of these juices that we, or when I say we, society brings in to children and really pushes the children to have juice. Oh, it's good for you. You're getting your fruit in. It's sugar. So make sure also, parents, that you're aware of that. Look at the label on the back of the fruit juices and look at the ingredients and the label of what you are giving and serving to your kids and calling it fruit. Again, not your fault, absolutely not blaming you. There are millions and even billions of dollars spent on advertising for how good all of these things are for your children and their growth and their development. When you really just turn it around and look at the label and look at the facts, and you will see a very different picture. Uh, also be careful with some of the smoothies, especially if you're not making it at home. When you are going to a smoothie shop, make sure that you're aware of what they're adding in to that. And if you can't ask exactly what ingredients that they're using, just make sure that you know whether it has sugar or not. And again, ask them. If there is sugar in it, how much sugar would you say an estimated amount would you say is in that? And again, I know that may make some people uncomfortable, like having to go that extra mile to ask that, but you are in charge of your health and what you put into your body. And if someone else is offended by that, that is on them. You need to make sure that you are a good steward of what you are putting in your own body. Your drink can undo your entire meal without even knowing it. And it really can undo your entire day if you're on something like keto or atkins when you're having to be very, very, very specific on how many carbs you're having that day. Just one drink that even says sugar-free. Make sure that there are no hidden carbs in it because the way that it's advertised, sugar and carbs are different. So make sure that you're always aware of that. Not saying you can't have it. If it fits in your macros for that day, if it fits within within the amount of carbs that you've allotted yourself to get to your goal for that day, absolutely have that. But just make sure that you're logging it correctly and it's not getting by you. All right, another thing, uh, protein bars. So I'm actually a big advocate of protein bars now. Now, when I was on keto, no. Um the Atkins bars that advertise, you know, it's got two net carbs, so you can have it, and I'm just I'm just going hypothetical here. Um, but it'll say something two to four net carbs. But then you turn it over on the back and you look at the nutrition label, and there's something, there could be 20 or more total carbs in that bar. I personally go on total carbs. There's a lot of controversy out there as whether you should count net or total, and I'm not going to get into that in this episode. That could be a whole episode on its own. And in fact, I may actually do an episode like that in the future so we can dive a little deeper into that and answer some questions, talk about the myths out there and what it truly is about and why. But for the purposes of this, just know that I go with total carbs. So you would really be having 20 or more carbs in that one bar that says Atkins rather than two to four net carbs. So, or just two to four carbs as it's advertising on the label to get you to eat it. Also, granola, yogurt, um, protein shakes with some added sugar. Again, I want to continue to emphasize and re-emphasize. I'm not saying to not have these things or that they're bad. I understand these are our better options, our more healthier options. All I'm saying is, is if you are counting calories or you are counting macros, just make sure that you are aware of some of these hidden sugars that lie within these that are not advertised or readily talked about. Do your research on these, make sure that you're logging the correct thing so you can be fair to your body. Because just because it says protein doesn't mean it's working for your goal. Okay. Um, so some fast food healthy hacks. Uh Chick-fil-A grilled nuggets, and yes, that is good. But what kind of sauce are you having with it? Are you counting the sauce? Uh Chipotle bowls, they have some vinaigrette, which has huge amounts of sugar. Asian takeout, we've already talked about that. All of the glazed stuff, make sure you know what's in it and log that. Barbecue sauce is one of my favorites. So a lot of times when people are trying to do better, especially when they're trying to do a very, very low carb or no carb type of diet, they'll be eating meats. And a lot of times you want to, whether it be grilled, um, roasted, baked, sauteed, whatever, it's not fried. And so a lot of people want to resort to sauces with that or barbecue sauces. And while some of those barbecue sauces can be a little not too bad in calories, make sure that you are looking at the carbs and the sugar because they're a lot of times loaded with sugar. So just always make sure, even though you fix the meal, you want to make sure you're logging the meal, not just the meal, but also the add-ons. All right, so why do we want to pay attention to this? Because sugar spikes insulin, insulin slows fat burning, and hidden sugars just keep you out of fat burning mode. It's really as simple as that. We don't have to go any more complex. You're not in a calorie deficit like you think you are if you are not logging these add-ons and if you're not counting them or being aware of them, you're not in the deficit that you think you are, calorie-wise or carb-wise. Also, another thing that we know that sugar does is cause water retention and inflammation, which that causes the scale not to move, or in some cases, depending on how much inflammation you have, it will cause the scale to go up. Cravings increase, energy decreases. All of these things are side effects of hidden sugars that you may not be aware that you're taking in, but you are. Something I see a lot of my clients do is they log incorrectly because they're just putting their protein in. So you get grilled chicken at, I don't know, chilies, longhorn, applebees, just name one of your well-known chains. Yeah, you're getting the grilled chicken in that, but are you adding the sauces, the add-ons that are not mentioned on the menu? So they log that in correctly. Also, they underestimate portions. That's another thing. The more that you're eating of this stuff and the more sauce that you're intaking with it, the more calories and the more carbs. And you assume if it's grilled, it's fine. Which in I understand that line of thinking, especially when you're going from all fried things to grilled. Yes, that absolutely is better, and you're doing better. But if you're really wanting to lose the pounds, cut the fat, and you're really trying to log accurately and get the data that you need, just make sure that you are logging in and being aware of all of those add-ons because execution matters more than intention. So again, always ask when you're ordering. Um, what are the sauces, or put the sauce on the side? No glaze, no marinade if possible. I've done this, I still do this all the time, and I especially did it when I was on keto in my journey of losing 148 pounds to get to where I'm at now. For dry seasonings, if you're on a low-carb diet, especially low carb, high fat like keto, butter, olive oil, all of that is okay. However, for from a carb perspective, however, still log it because there's still calories in that. Even though it's good fats and low carb, you still want to make sure that you're accounting for whatever calorie goal that you have set to go with your full goal daily goals. All right, again, watch out for words like glazed, sticky, honey, sweet, teriyaki, barbecue, all of that. And when tracking log sauces separately, overestimate, don't underestimate. If you didn't measure it, then always assume it's higher. And that goes really with everything, I would say. Not just sauces. That would be with everything. If you didn't measure it, overestimate. Because time and time again, I've had clients who have underestimated how much they're eating and how much that piece of meat weighs, and it's getting it wrong. And then they're wondering why they're not having the results that they think they should have with the effort they thought they were putting in. But just make sure that you're putting in that effort correctly so that you have the right formula to get to the results that you want. If it tastes sweet and you didn't cook it, question it. I will say that again. If it tastes sweet and you didn't cook it, so you don't know exactly what's in it, question it. And don't be afraid to question that. That's not you being rude, that's not you being unreasonable. It is very, very reasonable. You are paying money to this restaurant, and all you're doing is making sure you don't have to ask them every ingredient that's in it. I understand restaurants want to keep that under wraps, but just make sure you asking, is there sugar in it? Totally acceptable. And as I've said, people are pretty good about that. I have been to many different parts of this country and asked many different servers at many different types of restaurants that question, and almost all of them have been very accommodating in that, and they understand why I would want to know that. But just remember again, you are not broken. Your metabolism isn't slow because of this. You're just missing hidden variables. The difference between stuck and successful is often awareness. That's why I wanted to do this episode, just to heighten your awareness on these hidden sugars that we see so often, way more times than not, that you may not be thinking about when you're logging your food. And also, that goes to the fact of make sure you're logging your food. That's the bare minimum. That is the baseline bare minimum of what you need to do to make the changes that you want to see in the mirror and in your health and on your blood work. So if this episode has made you stop and think about your last few meals, that's the point. Because small things like a sauce, a dressing, or a healthy bowl can quietly keep you from becoming the version of yourself you're working so hard for. And once you see it, you cannot unsee it. And you will remember it. So you're not gonna have to do this every time you go somewhere. You ask a server, you see, you find out what is in what you're ordering, and you mark that down, put it in something, record that, and you'll remember it for next time. If you found value in this episode, I would ask that you share it with someone who is struggling in this area. They're not seeing the scale move, they're telling you they think they're doing the right things, but they're either gaining weight or stalling or plateauing. Please share this episode and let's share the love and empower and help each other. It may not be this as the problem, but it might be. And chances are this could be something that they're missing that they have no idea that they're missing and could really help them turn it around and get back on track to their goals into a happier, healthier version of themselves. And we want to help each other as women get there. And just remember, as always, your best self isn't a quick fix, but she's always worth the wait. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. I love you. Stay well, stay healthy, help each other. Until next time. Bye bye.