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out of sugars by 10 a.m.!
4leighbee
Posts: 1,275 Member
Sugar is definitely my downfall. Yogurt - milk - (my) coffee - granola bars - even peanut butter - everything I eat, even when it seems like a healthy choice - is packed with sugar.
Would you give me some easy ideas for substituting without blending smoothies and being too extreme. I'm a grab and go kind of eater and I almost never eat a big meal.
Thanks!!
Would you give me some easy ideas for substituting without blending smoothies and being too extreme. I'm a grab and go kind of eater and I almost never eat a big meal.
Thanks!!
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Replies
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I don't even track my sugar, just my carbs. Unless you're diabetic, it really doesn't matter.0
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black coffee
plain yogurt
give up the granola bars and have left overs for your snacks
hard boiled eggs make a great snack also.
and I honestly wouldn't sweat your sugars to much unless you have a medical condition.0 -
Sugar (natural or refined) are just carbs. If you already track carbs, there is no point in tracking sugar separately.
:barring any medical issues we don't know about0 -
I switched from tracking sugar to tracking fiber. Much more useful information. One piece of fruit and you're going to be over on sugar.0
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interesting. MFP gives you tracking results for carbs and also one for sugars - are the sugars noted twice then? Should I just ignore that last column entirely ("sugar")?0
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JaRocka - thank you - good suggestions!0
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oh I didn't know I could change it. Let me go figure that out - very helpful!0
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so cool - got it!0
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black coffee
plain yogurt
give up the granola bars and have left overs for your snacks
hard boiled eggs make a great snack also.
and I honestly wouldn't sweat your sugars to much unless you have a medical condition.
All of these. And as others have said, tracking fiber instead of sugar works for me. Fruit has lots of sugar, and so does even plain dairy (lactose), and I see no reason to cut down on those. If you do track sugar and don't have a medical issue, use it as a tool to learn if you are eating things with lots of sugar that you weren't aware of, and consider if you want to eat them anyway. (You might--I eat flavored yogurt as well as plain because I think it's overall a positive contribution to my diet and I like it.)0 -
Plain yogurt...if you want it to taste sweeter add some fruit...I keep frozen raspberries for that purpose. Switch to natural peanut butter...it has no added sugar. Sometimes I put a tablespoon in yogurt...LOVE that. Usually I microwave a couple of eggs for breakfast...takes 90 seconds.0
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Sugar is definitely my downfall. Yogurt - milk - (my) coffee - granola bars - even peanut butter - everything I eat, even when it seems like a healthy choice - is packed with sugar.
Would you give me some easy ideas for substituting without blending smoothies and being too extreme. I'm a grab and go kind of eater and I almost never eat a big meal.
Thanks!!
Personally, unless you have a medical reason for tracking sugar (pre-diabetes/diabetes) or have a problem with serious over consumption (i.e. 40 oz big gulps to wash down the whole cake you just ate) I wouldn't even bother tracking it.
For one thing, the recommendations are for added sugars...but MFP doesn't track added vs naturally occurring sugars independently...and it shouldn't, because it's still all just sugar. Pretty much if you have an apple, you're going to be at your sugar allotment for the day...so again...I wouldn't worry about it.
All that said, this is also where reading labels becomes important...there are plenty of natural peanut butters for example that don't add sugar. Granola bars, etc are going to tend to have added sugar to make them edible...granola bars aren't inherently a "health" food though either...they're just marketed that way...I have a Cliff Bar in a pinch or as a recovery food during/after a long ride...but really, I'd just prefer to have some freshly prepared food.
There are definitely very easy ways to cut back on the added sugars, but it's likely going to require you to reach for something other than processed foods for your grab and go meals...processed foods tend to have a lot of added sugar...which is what tends to make them edible.0 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »Plain yogurt...if you want it to taste sweeter add some fruit...I keep frozen raspberries for that purpose. Switch to natural peanut butter...it has no added sugar. Sometimes I put a tablespoon in yogurt...LOVE that. Usually I microwave a couple of eggs for breakfast...takes 90 seconds.
yeppers.
I have 10% milk fat- and I add protein powder + black and raspberries for my afternoon snack.
- NOMNOMNOMNOM0 -
I stopped tracking sugar and started tracking fiber because of fruit as suggested by this awesome community. You can change the sugar column to something different in your settings if you chose to do the same.
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you guys are so helpful and quick - thanks to all!0
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Yes, unfortunately, the tracker can't tell the difference between added sugars and those found naturally in foods. Also, the recommended MFP numbers for sugars are based on added sugars so it's very easy for the tracker to go over even if all your sugar consumption for the day comes from natural sources like milk and fruit.
It's a good idea, though, to make it a habit to look at the ingredients list of any/all packaged foods you buy. Consider Nutella, for example. Some might think it is a "nut butter" but if you look at the first two ingredients they are sugar and palm oil. Hazelnuts is third meaning there is more sugar and more palm oil in Nutella than nuts. (The order of ingredients is always from most by weight to least.)
Peanut butter can be tricky. Many brands have added sugar. Peter Pan, which has sugar among its ingredients, has 3g sugar per serving whereas Trader Joe's has 1g.
Most almond and soy milks have added sugar. You need to look specifically on the label to find unsweetened.0 -
Don't worry too much about the sweets. As long as you are eating them moderation and staying within your calorie goals (as long as its a reasonable amount, don't starve yourself). You will still be able to lose weight. Eat within your macros and up your protein intake. I love sweets and can't imagine not eating any sugar or counting the amount I take in.0
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Switch to natural peanut butter - way better tasting IMO anyways.
Also, try finding a delicious brand of coffee that tastes good without the sugar. I found that I was only putting sugar in my coffee cause it was mediocre at best. Once I found a good blend, there was no need for sugar.0 -
interesting about the coffee - I will experiment. I put two or three (eek) scoops of sugar in every cup (2 before 8 a.m.). That's not good. There's seems to be something to sugar being addictive.0
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HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »Yes, unfortunately, the tracker can't tell the difference between added sugars and those found naturally in foods.
why's that you say?
oh- that's right- because it doesn't matter.
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interesting about the coffee - I will experiment. I put two or three (eek) scoops of sugar in every cup (2 before 8 a.m.). That's not good. There's seems to be something to sugar being addictive.
that's your brain.
just start dialing it back. I used to have mine "regular" from dunkin- which is at least 2 pumps of sugar- and creamer- so fairly heavily adjusted.
I drink it black- only took me about 6 months to move from less and less sugar- to milk only. To black.
You can do it- don't bother going cold turkey- you'll be miserable and it's not worth it- just start metering it out and dialing it back. it's totally do-able.0 -
I'm having good luck by combining sugar with artificial sweetener i.e. instead of two sugars in my coffee, I use one sugar and one packet of splenda. For yogurt, I eat 1 part plain to one (or 1.5) part flavored. I'm a grab and go person too, so I spoon it into little containers ahead of time, and that way can just grab them out of the fridge on my way to work.0
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HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »Yes, unfortunately, the tracker can't tell the difference between added sugars and those found naturally in foods.
why's that you say?
oh- that's right- because it doesn't matter.
To some extent you are correct but not totally. Added sugars are digested more quickly than sugars occurring naturally in whole fruits and vegetables and therefore lead to a greater insulin spike. This in turn piques the appetite and can lead to insulin resistance and type II diabetes. Yes, fructose in fruit juice is the same sugar as fructose in a whole piece of fruit but the associated fiber and other nutrients in the whole fruit help to slow the absorption of the sugars.
Does that mean one must give up all added sugars? No. Just be aware of them and try to limit their consumption.
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insulin spikes build muscle.
I'll take that.0 -
samantha1242 wrote: »Switch to natural peanut butter - way better tasting IMO anyways.
Also, try finding a delicious brand of coffee that tastes good without the sugar. I found that I was only putting sugar in my coffee cause it was mediocre at best. Once I found a good blend, there was no need for sugar.
I agree with both of these. Most other peanut butters taste sweet to me now, too.
I had to stumble on a local coffee shop that uses a local coffee roaster and trained baristas to even start to consider coffee without a ton of sugar. I'm finally to the point where I'm considering having them make my latte (I know, it's espresso, not coffee, but I have the same issue with both) without the flavoring I've been getting, because I finally found something that doesn't just taste like bitterness to me.
Oh, another tip -- if you use mayo, it often has added sugar, too (I was surprised to find this out after I have my own for a while, then had store bought and it tasted sweet). I prefer to make my own (with this recipe) nowadays, and it really doesn't need sugar.
I'm personally on the boat of "sugar intake does matter, but you don't necessarily need to watch it like a diabetic," but I also agree with the others -- MFP's number is more for added sugar. Trying to consume MFP's recommendation of about 50% of your calories from carbs (which amounts to upwards of 250g or more for anything above the bare minimum) and staying under its default of 75g of all sugar is damn near impossible without living on rice and potatoes, I think. If you're doing fine with the sugars from things like fruit and milk, then there's not much reason to cut them out.0 -
insulin spikes build muscle.
I'll take that.
That only works if you're working them, too, though. You and I can probably agree that everyone should be doing strength training, but unfortunately, not every one does (they're missing out, IMO).
Like most other things with the body, too much insulin can cause problems. If insulin resistance is starting (even at subclinical levels), then it's also possible that glucose is starting to get too high, which is arguably the greater danger, as it causes damage to the body. Too high levels of insulin is more of a nuisance by comparison.
The spike-drop cycle can affect hunger levels and make it more difficult to maintain a caloric deficit, though, even below levels of medical concern, but that isn't just for sugar, but starch, too, and someone with satiety issues would do well to consider tweaking total carb levels (which would likely reduce sugar intake by proxy, depending on the amount of carb reduction).0 -
out of sugar?
Just switch to maple or honey.0 -
That only works if you're working them, too, though. You and I can probably agree that everyone should be doing strength training, but unfortunately, not every one does (they're missing out, IMO)
seriously- I don't understand that at all LOL- because yeah- totally missing out on so many things- but shrug- whatever- you can't fix everyone. LOLThe spike-drop cycle can affect hunger levels and make it more difficult to maintain a caloric deficit, though, even below levels of medical concern, but that isn't just for sugar, but starch, too, and someone with satiety issues would do well to consider tweaking total carb levels (which would likely reduce sugar intake by proxy, depending on the amount of carb reduction).
concur- (actually with most of your post LOL) but this which is one reason I tip toward lo-carb- only because I never feel full eating lots of carbs.
But I guess in general if you're eating a balanced diet- you don't have room to eat a crap ton of flat out sweets- you'll burn through your diet before you are even close to being full- I can sure eat my weight in sugar (Friendly hunkachunkapeanut butter sunday anyone- 1770 delicious calories and I can/will eat ALL of it) ..,. but if you're doing a good job in GENERAL of eating variety- hitting your calories- and hitting your macros- you're just not going to have room to be effing up the sugar content- or the carb content that much.
I guess I tend to never take a localized approach- it just winds up panicking people- take a step back- look at the broader picture and roll with it.
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