sugar

heatherw_27

I did MFP a while ago and was unsuccessful. I was baffled as to what I was doing wrong. Back then my friend pointed out that although I was in my calorie allowance and my ratios of protein, fat and carbs was usually pretty close to target my sugar was higher than recommended. My goal for sugar was 31 grams for the day. Some days I would hit that but other days I would be around 40-60 and if I had a treat (maybe a holiday or birthday) if would be at 100 (very rarely). The sugar usually came from fruit, a protein bar or yogurt with fruit on the bottom. I have since altered my diet and I am eating pretty clean and my sugar intake is on target now. I have cut out a lot of sugar. Do you think this would help? In the past I wouldn't have thought sugar could hinder your weight loss goals so much but now that I have learned more about clean eating and reducing sugar intake I am thinking this may be what hindered me in the past. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance

spingirl605

Sugar is bad...It probably wasn't helping you in the past. I am pretty sure if you keep your sugar down to a minimum this time, you will notice a big difference! Good luck! I am also trying to keep my sugar levels very low, but love sugar so it's sometimes hard to do...

paperpudding

My thoughts are that if you are within your calorie allowance you will lose weight.

If you were not losing weight although you were within your calorie allowance then either

• you were actually eating more ( and/or excercising less) than you thought
• Your calorie allowance was set too high.

heatherw_27

Thanks spingirl! yes it is. Everything seems to have sugar in it even if you wouldn't think it would...lol

thanks for responding paperpudding. My calorie allowance was 1200 and I was very anal about logging everything. I also have a garmin running watch that calculates my calories by gps, age, height, weight, HR and pace so I know I was not inaccurate with that. I am hoping reducing the sugar will help

heatherw_27

whoops I wrote a word that I didn't realize would be blocked. I replace it with meticulous

LolBroScience

Sugar is not inherently bad. You were eating too many calories for your current activity level, regardless if it was from sugar or not. The only potential "link" between it being bad would be if you're unable to control yourself when eating foods which contain sugar and cause you to overeat as a result.

Track your calories and remain in a deficit.

heatherw_27

Lolbro I have always thought it was bad to go below 1200 calories. I was not above my calorie allowance so I am a little confused.

LolBroScience

Open your diary

LolBroScience

You're either overestimating your calorie burns, or underestimating your intake.

heatherw_27

how do I do that? I look under settings.

I just started over on Monday and this time I was more accurate about my job and my base calories are now 1300 or so. I work in health care so I am up and on my feet all day.

Today if looks like I am over but I haven't gone for my run yet. I will be doing that after work tonight.

Thanks for your help!

heatherw_27

I think it is open now.

Sabine_Stroehm

LolBroScience wrote: »

You're either overestimating your calorie burns, or underestimating your intake.

Or have chosen the wrong deficit calculation altogether.

LolBroScience

You've only logged food on a handful of days... So I'm going to assume it's a consistency issue and you're more than likely not actually in a deficit.

heatherw_27

how would you correct that? I did the guided one

Holly_Roman_Empire

LolBroScience wrote: »

You've only logged food on a handful of days... So I'm going to assume it's a consistency issue and you're more than likely not actually in a deficit.

Agree with this. Log consistently and accurately for a month or so first.

Blueberry09

I could have written your post OP - I was exactly the same right down to the occasional treat that would put at about 100g. I cut my sugar to about 35g a day by eliminating my apple at lunch, swapped out bran buds for pumpkin seeds in my yogurt and switched from 0% fruit yogurt to plain greek and lost 5lbs. My calorie goal remained the same 1650 but I switched up my macros and saw results. I too, weigh and measure everything and use a HRM for exercise so my estimates are NOT off. I just think our bodies can have slight intolerances - not necessarily resistance - to various things that affect our weight loss. Things that are not found in a medical diagnoses but can affect your body none the less.

On that note, 1200 cals is probably too few for you as well. Good luck - I hope you find what works!

heatherw_27

Thanks Blueberry! Yes, it drives me crazy to be so on top of logging, creating recipes and being so diligent and seeing no results. that is why i gave up before. I measure everything. my poor husband let's me make my own plate because he knows I want to know exactly what I am eating. I am hoping this is the answer I actually don't miss the sugar and have done some of the same things you have done.

LolBro, yes I just started over on Monday but that is generally how I eat. I might swap the cashew butter for raw almond butter or an poached egg but I am a pretty regular with my eating.

That brings me to another questions. Regarding consistency and deficit...I am wondering how to handle a "cheat" day. For example, if I know I am going to a party or special occasion, and say there is going to be pizza, I usually under eat my calories another day/days in the week to make up for going over on the "off" day. Does that work?

heatherw_27

I forgot to say Congratulations of your 5lb weight loss Blueberry!

LolBroScience

heatherw_27 wrote: »

Thanks Blueberry! Yes, it drives me crazy to be so on top of logging, creating recipes and being so diligent and seeing no results. that is why i gave up before. I measure everything. my poor husband let's me make my own plate because he knows I want to know exactly what I am eating. I am hoping this is the answer I actually don't miss the sugar and have done some of the same things you have done.

LolBro, yes I just started over on Monday but that is generally how I eat. I might swap the cashew butter for raw almond butter or an poached egg but I am a pretty regular with my eating.

That brings me to another questions. Regarding consistency and deficit...I am wondering how to handle a "cheat" day. For example, if I know I am going to a party or special occasion, and say there is going to be pizza, I usually under eat my calories another day/days in the week to make up for going over on the "off" day. Does that work?

That's fine if it's how you generally eat. However, if you don't really have a baseline established for your maintenance level, it's a shot in the dark whether or not you're in a calorie deficit.

Yes, it averages out. Or, should....

jkwolly

spingirl605 wrote: »

Sugar is bad...It probably wasn't helping you in the past. I am pretty sure if you keep your sugar down to a minimum this time, you will notice a big difference! Good luck! I am also trying to keep my sugar levels very low, but love sugar so it's sometimes hard to do...

In for lulz.

heatherw_27

I am not really sure how to establish the maintenance level :-/ I just used the guided option. When I tried MFP in the past I know 1200 calories didn't work and a lot of day after working out my net calories were more like 1000. Running can be challenging to plan into the calorie allowance because I meet up with other runners at night after work. Ex: I may have planned on running 4 miles and then the group wants to do 6 miles. That late in the day it is hard to make up the extra 150-200 calories with food so my deficit would be higher than it should have been. That would often make my net calories drop below the 1200. Members on the board suggested increasing my calories but I was afraid too since I wasn't losing as it was. It scared me to eat more. I am now running in the morning most days so I can plan better.

mangogirl272727

A deficit will cause you to lose. Period. The estimation may be off if you have some sort of medical problem like PCOS or hypothyroidism. If you weren't losing it was a) your calories were set too high (I doubt this since 1200 is very low again unless you have some medical problem) b) you were underestimating your consumption c) you didn't stick with it long enough to see results (weight loss is a slow process and often comes in bursts). Cutting out sugar (or any carbs) would lead to water loss, but not necessarily any more fat loss than if you were eating sugar at the same deficit level. At one point I was eating 2000 calories in FRUIT alone so maybe 500ish grams of sugar a day with 200 calories of fat. I was at a deficit, so I was losing weight like crazy. Not necessarily recommending that way of eating, but a deficit will cause weight loss regardless of how much sugar you are consuming unless you have some sort of medical problem like diabetes, etc.

LolBroScience

To establish maintenance you would eat at a set caloric amount as closely as possible for a period of time and see how your weight responds. If it is sticking around the same spot, you'd be in maintenance.

For example, if you're consistently eating at 2,000 calories and maintaining a weight of 150 lbs (with obvious fluctuations +/- a few lbs) over the period of several weeks - maintenance.

heatherw_27

Thanks MangoGirl. That is good to know about how many grams of sugar you had. There are so many articles out there about going too low and causing your body to hold onto weight if you go below 1200 calories that I thought maybe that was part of the problem :-/ I have a hard time accepting that I am logging wrong since I measure everything If I am measuring and still not logging correctly I just feel defeated. As in I should just give up because measuring isn't working I guess and there isn't another solution.

heatherw_27

Thanks LolBro!

mangogirl272727

How long were you eating at that calorie level before?

heatherw_27

I think about 3 months or so. It was about a year and a half ago. I only have 10 lbs that I want to lose.

ndj1979

unless you have some kind of medical condition that makes you sensitive to sugar then it has nothing to do with weight loss. If you eat in a deficit, and are truly in a deficit, AND eat sugar then you will lose. I regularly eat ice cream, bread, etc, and have had no issues losing and/or maintaining weight.

ndj1979

spingirl605 wrote: »

Sugar is bad...It probably wasn't helping you in the past. I am pretty sure if you keep your sugar down to a minimum this time, you will notice a big difference! Good luck! I am also trying to keep my sugar levels very low, but love sugar so it's sometimes hard to do...

lol...pray tell, why is "sugar bad"....

mangogirl272727

Hm. Maybe the Garmin is not calibrated correctly. I would try sticking to your calorie goal, logging everything exactly (food scale! not cups/tablespoons), and then only eating back half your exercise calories (to ensure they are not being overestimated) for a month. If you are still not losing you need to go see a doctor at that point as the only explanation for that would be medical issues like hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, etc.

lemurcat12

LolBroScience wrote: »

You've only logged food on a handful of days... So I'm going to assume it's a consistency issue and you're more than likely not actually in a deficit.

She's not saying she's not losing now, I don't think, but that she didn't when she did MFP before.

But I agree, the reason wouldn't have been eating too much sugar if she was really eating 1200 net. Logging can be tricky when you first start, especially if you add in exercise.