MFP Sugar recommendation and sources

Options
xXSarahPrincessXx
xXSarahPrincessXx Posts: 9 Member
edited May 2015 in Food and Nutrition
With all my stats put in, MFP recommends 56g sugar a day. Does that sound right?100lb/45kilos, 5ft1, 23yr old, female. Does that include table sugars? Does it matter how much comes from sugar in black coffee (like a packet of sugar in the raw), or from an apple? My goal is to just tighten up really. Skinny-fat to skinny-fit! :D

Replies

  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    I believe it is supposed to be added sugar...like the added sugar in coffee, cookies, etc. That is what the major medical organizations say that we should be limiting. But the way mfp counts it, it counts everything...fruit, vegetables, milk, etc. I'm not sure what they base their recommendation on.

    If you want guidance from a respected medical organization, The World Health Organization recently lowered added sugar recommendations to this:
    "A new WHO guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. A further reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day would provide additional health benefits." http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    Options
    MFP currently includes total sugar, which includes added sugar, in its goals; as it is currently listed on the US Food and Drug Administration Nutrition Facts label.
    Sugar Following the recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable intake in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, and using an average of the sugar found of sample menus provided by the USDA, recommended sugar intake limits have been set to 15% of total calories.
    Reference:
    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1375583-a-message-about-myfitnesspal-s-updated-nutrition-goals

    ​The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed to add Added Sugars to the Nutrition Facts label. The new rules are expected to be final in 2015 and manufacturers will have up to two years to comply with the new rules.

    I expect MFP will have to update its Food Database based on the updated Nutrition Facts label, to include Added Sugars.
    Reference:
    fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm

    doh9bd262hh1.jpg
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    xXSarahPrincessXx wrote: »
    With all my stats put in, MFP recommends 56g sugar a day. Does that sound right?100lb/45kilos, 5ft1, 23yr old, female. Does that include table sugars? Does it matter how much comes from sugar in black coffee (like a packet of sugar in the raw), or from an apple? My goal is to just tighten up really. Skinny-fat to skinny-fit! :D

    It is simply 15% of your calorie goal. Sugars of all types from all sources.
  • xXSarahPrincessXx
    xXSarahPrincessXx Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Thank you, this helped a lot :) I changed it to 25g. If I eat fruit I will just quick add the calories so it won't effect that I suppose! Wonder if sugar causes bloat also.
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    I believe it is supposed to be added sugar...like the added sugar in coffee, cookies, etc. That is what the major medical organizations say that we should be limiting. But the way mfp counts it, it counts everything...fruit, vegetables, milk, etc. I'm not sure what they base their recommendation on.

    If you want guidance from a respected medical organization, The World Health Organization recently lowered added sugar recommendations to this:
    "A new WHO guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. A further reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day would provide additional health benefits." http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/
    MoiAussi93 wrote: »
    I believe it is supposed to be added sugar...like the added sugar in coffee, cookies, etc. That is what the major medical organizations say that we should be limiting. But the way mfp counts it, it counts everything...fruit, vegetables, milk, etc. I'm not sure what they base their recommendation on.

    If you want guidance from a respected medical organization, The World Health Organization recently lowered added sugar recommendations to this:
    "A new WHO guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. A further reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day would provide additional health benefits." http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/sugar-guideline/en/

  • KingsGirl4
    KingsGirl4 Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    I had a question about the sugar micro too. I feel like it's impossible to stay within the sugar goal every day. One small apple that I eat contains the full daily amount of sugar I need which is so un-sustainable. Any tips or further explanation for this?
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Options
    KingsGirl4 wrote: »
    I had a question about the sugar micro too. I feel like it's impossible to stay within the sugar goal every day. One small apple that I eat contains the full daily amount of sugar I need which is so un-sustainable. Any tips or further explanation for this?

    I would recalculate your goals or double check the apple entry you're using. The lowest sugar recommendation MFP should give is 45g -- which is considerably more than what's in a small apple.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    AlabasterVerve wrote: »
    KingsGirl4 wrote: »
    I had a question about the sugar micro too. I feel like it's impossible to stay within the sugar goal every day. One small apple that I eat contains the full daily amount of sugar I need which is so un-sustainable. Any tips or further explanation for this?

    I would recalculate your goals or double check the apple entry you're using. The lowest sugar recommendation MFP should give is 45g -- which is considerably more than what's in a small apple.

    This is correct--what is your goal set at?
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    Options
    CyberTone wrote: »
    MFP currently includes total sugar, which includes added sugar, in its goals; as it is currently listed on the US Food and Drug Administration Nutrition Facts label.
    Sugar Following the recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable intake in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, and using an average of the sugar found of sample menus provided by the USDA, recommended sugar intake limits have been set to 15% of total calories.
    Reference:
    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1375583-a-message-about-myfitnesspal-s-updated-nutrition-goals

    ​The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed to add Added Sugars to the Nutrition Facts label. The new rules are expected to be final in 2015 and manufacturers will have up to two years to comply with the new rules.

    I expect MFP will have to update its Food Database based on the updated Nutrition Facts label, to include Added Sugars.
    Reference:
    fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm

    doh9bd262hh1.jpg

    Thanks for sharing this-interesting how they're going to track different micros on the new label.
  • KingsGirl4
    KingsGirl4 Posts: 152 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    My sugar goal is 45g/day. I have been having an average of 70g/day so almost double the goal amount. I do track carbs but I also want to track my sugar intake for health reasons. I'm tired of seeing my numbers in the red every day.

    I'm more concerned with the amount of added sugar I guess, but there is no way to find that out.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    KingsGirl4 wrote: »
    My sugar goal is 45g/day. I have been having an average of 70g/day so almost double the goal amount. I do track carbs but I also want to track my sugar intake for health reasons. I'm tired of seeing my numbers in the red every day.

    I'm more concerned with the amount of added sugar I guess, but there is no way to find that out.

    A regular-sized apple has about 16 grams, so if your entry is giving you more I'd check on it.

    That said, I also don't think sugar from fruit or dairy is something to worry about. You can stop focusing on total number and just look at where the sugar is from, if you aren't sure about it, or subtract out sugar from plain dairy and fruit and veggies (and some percentage from flavored yogurt, etc.). I tend to just look to see if there are any surprises.

    Another option, as mentioned above, is to consider that tracking sugar is really a not particularly good way to see if your carbs are too heavily made up of low nutrient items, like soda or candy, or things that have more sugar than you might want (like sugary cereal, if you'd be as happy with a less sugary option). A better way to achieve this same thing might be to track carbs and fiber (and not sugar), as most fiber comes from nutrient-dense carbs. If you are getting adequate fiber and aren't over carbs, you probably aren't eating lots of low fiber, low nutrient sugary things.

Categories