out of sugars by 10 a.m.!

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4leighbee
4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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!!
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Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I don't even track my sugar, just my carbs. Unless you're diabetic, it really doesn't matter.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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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.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    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 about
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    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.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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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")?
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    JaRocka - thank you - good suggestions!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    lgutches wrote: »
    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")?

    You should replace it with tracking fiber instead in my opinion.

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    lgutches wrote: »
    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")?
    you can change what you want to track.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    oh I didn't know I could change it. Let me go figure that out - very helpful!
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    so cool - got it!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    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.)
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    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.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited January 2015
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    lgutches wrote: »
    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.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    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.
    - NOMNOMNOMNOM
  • emilyrigh
    emilyrigh Posts: 55 Member
    edited January 2015
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    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. :)
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    you guys are so helpful and quick - thanks to all!
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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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.
  • katya_be
    katya_be Posts: 227 Member
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    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.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
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    katya_be wrote: »
    I love sweets and can't imagine not eating any sugar or counting the amount I take in.

    This.
  • samantha1242
    samantha1242 Posts: 816 Member
    edited January 2015
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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.

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