Part 2: The Poster I Never Forgot

The Poster I Never Forgot

As I sat down today to recreate the poster that made me stop and think about sugar almost ten years ago, I couldn't help thinking about how much has happened since I first saw it.

I'm revisiting that poster today over 80 pounds lighter—and I've maintained that weight loss for more than three years.

But I'm also revisiting it knowing something I didn't know even a year ago.

In January, after listening to friends in the fitness and wellness industry talk about added sugar, I decided to start watching mine.

I wasn't looking to lose another 50 pounds. I had 8 pounds I wanted to lose.

It took me months.

And I did it.

But along the way, I became fascinated by how much I didn't know about added sugar.

For example:

Did you know the Daily Value percentage for Added Sugars on a Nutrition Facts label is based on 50 grams a day?

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams of added sugar a day for most women.

I didn't know that.

And when I started looking into when some of these recommendations were made, the dates surprised me too.

The American Heart Association's recommendation of about 25 grams a day for most women came in 2009.

And in 2016, it recommended no more than 25 grams a day for children and teens ages 2–18.

2016. 
      

The same year I saw that sugar display.

I grew up in the '80s and '90s. I remember low-fat, fat-free, calories and calorie deficits.

I don't remember anyone talking to me about added sugar.

Maybe that's one reason that original display affected me so much.

And here's the funny part:

It still took me almost nine months after seeing it to really start changing the way I ate.

Apparently, sometimes our eyes see something before we're ready to do something about it.

So today, ten years later, I sat down with a blank board, some markers, empty drink containers, little bags and a bag of sugar.

I'm recreating the poster I never forgot.

I'll show you what I made on Thursday.