Sugar issue

Any ideas for non-sugary snacks?

I'm meeting my 1,200 a day goal just fine. Lots of nice, healthy snacks of fruit are pushing me over the sugar limit every day, though. I'm veggie, so meat is out, and I don't think I could face yogurt without some sweetness.

I know the answer is probably 'don't snack', but do you know how much I can eat when I get to a meal ravenous?!
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Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    Why do you have a sugar limit?
  • isthatpoisontoo
    isthatpoisontoo Posts: 21 Member
    Because eating lots of sugar isn't healthy. I'd like to have a balanced diet.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    there is no need to worry about it unless you are a diabetic. The MFP goals are minimums actually so hitting those and going over is not a bad idea.

    Esp if you are eating fruit...
  • rachelbouc
    rachelbouc Posts: 65 Member
    I seen it said on this message board several times before that if you don't have problems with sugar (diabetes) then sugar is okay. Many people also switch tracking sugars for tracking fiber. MFP also doesn't know the difference between natural sugars and added sugars. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in with a better response.
  • isthatpoisontoo
    isthatpoisontoo Posts: 21 Member
    Thank you all for the info! I'm not diabetic, sugar doesn't really affect me.

    I guess I believe it because all the healthy eating advice I've been given since childhood says too much sugar is bad. It also says that fruit is good, though. I'll take your advice and not worry about it as long as I'm meeting the other requirements.

    Thank you!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Because eating lots of sugar isn't healthy. I'd like to have a balanced diet.

    you can eat sugar and be healthy, the two are not mutually exclusive.

    make sure that you get the majority of your foods from nutrient dense sources, and then have some treats that you like.

    I eat ice cream every day, and have no issue hitting my micro/macro/calorie targets.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    edited July 2015
    Thank you all for the info! I'm not diabetic, sugar doesn't really affect me.

    I guess I believe it because all the healthy eating advice I've been given since childhood says too much sugar is bad.
    Too much anything is bad. That's what "too much" means. if you're meeting your goals, you're probably not eating too much sugar.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Because eating lots of sugar isn't healthy. I'd like to have a balanced diet.

    Really? Unless you have a medical condition, this isn't something you should be worried about. Get it out of your head that there are bad foods.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    So, I've a hypothesis.

    I think the reason past weight loss advice focused on "low this, low that" is because it was a simplified way to reduce kcal. A candy bar isn't bad for you, but it can easily pop you over maintenance. This plus that you don't get much else but calories in one gave us the "bad sugar" mantra (though when I was young fat was evil!)

    I think we can put these ideas to rest in his age because we have tools like MFP which you can access anywhere to keep track of your calories.

    I've found that I tend towards more nutritionally dense foods now that I'm counting. Sure that candy bar is good, but I don't have 250kcal to spare. I learned that fast when I tried to eat one for dinner!

    When I'm in maintenance It'll be easier to work these things in, but I'm still gonna be hungry and miserable if my whole day is cake.

    So count away, my guess is that you have defaulted to a balanced diet as it pertains to your body. Good luck!

    Also, cheese. High in protein, comes in stick form, low in sugar.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I would say to reduce extra sugarsas much as it works for you. There is no essential minimum level of sugar per day so you can safely cut it if you wish.

    I would be careful with your 1200 calorie per day goal though. That is quite low. It appears to be MFP's default for low calories and many if not most people will do better with a few more calories per day.

    Best wishes in whatever you decide to do.
  • ewhip17
    ewhip17 Posts: 515 Member
    edited July 2015
    I solved it by not tracking sugar in my diary... :smile:
    Seriously though, when I DO look at it, I'm "over" my MFP sugar every day by at least 50%. But nearly all of it is from fruit because I seriously love fruit. I'm not going to sweat that. It's still about calories for me. 150lbs lost so it seems that going "over" on sugar every day isn't hurting me. Your body, your rules though, so if scaling it back makes you feel better, then give it a go.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2015
    Because eating lots of sugar isn't healthy. I'd like to have a balanced diet.

    Lots of low nutrient sweet treats as a percentage of your diet doesn't make for a healthy diet, true.

    But sugar from fruit and yogurt (even if some in the yogurt is from added fruit or even added sugar) is not a problem unless you aren't meeting your calorie, protein, or fat goals or failing to eat sufficient fiber or vegetables. That MFP conflates all sugar and has a goal that's quite low (15% of calories) for someone on 1200. If you find it helpful to snack on fruit and yogurt (and even to include some sweet treats in moderation), that's not unhealthy. Fruit and yogurt are nutrient dense additions to your diet.

    1200 is pretty low, though--I think it can be the right goal for some people, but it might not be necessary.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I think the reason past weight loss advice focused on "low this, low that" is because it was a simplified way to reduce kcal. A candy bar isn't bad for you, but it can easily pop you over maintenance. This plus that you don't get much else but calories in one gave us the "bad sugar" mantra (though when I was young fat was evil!)

    I think we can put these ideas to rest in his age because we have tools like MFP which you can access anywhere to keep track of your calories.

    I think this is right. It's also consistent with what the WHO says about it's sugar limit (which applies only to non-intrinsic sugars and NOT fruit, vegetables, and dairy).
  • Apud85
    Apud85 Posts: 74 Member
    I've been on a La Croix water kick lately. I feel like I need something sweet after every meal and it was killing my calories allowance, so I started buying fun La Croix flavors and having one of those after I eat. It works for me. It's just carbonated water with a subtle fruit taste. No calories, artificial sweeteners, just water.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I say eat fruit with impunity. It's good for you. Keep with your snacks as they keep you from getting hangry. Add fat and protein where you can fit it in, and by proportion, your daily sugar will go down. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

    Non-yogurt vegetarian proteins include beans, lentils, tofu, edamame (just another way of getting in your soybean).
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    Thank you all for the info! I'm not diabetic, sugar doesn't really affect me.

    I guess I believe it because all the healthy eating advice I've been given since childhood says too much sugar is bad. It also says that fruit is good, though. I'll take your advice and not worry about it as long as I'm meeting the other requirements.

    Thank you!

    I like this, it's a sign of an open mind. The nice folks above me can give you all the guidance you need, if you continue to check your preconceived notions at the door. Good job!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    mantium999 wrote: »
    Thank you all for the info! I'm not diabetic, sugar doesn't really affect me.

    I guess I believe it because all the healthy eating advice I've been given since childhood says too much sugar is bad. It also says that fruit is good, though. I'll take your advice and not worry about it as long as I'm meeting the other requirements.

    Thank you!

    I like this, it's a sign of an open mind. The nice folks above me can give you all the guidance you need, if you continue to check your preconceived notions at the door. Good job!

    agreed...


    MFP forums was just turned upside down....
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    The only time you should worry about limiting your sugar intake is if your diet consists of mostly pre-packaged foods. Since most of them have a lot of corn syrup in them, you will easily blow past what would be a healthy sugar intake. I'M NOT SAYING CORN SYRUP IS EVIL. It's just that it's an easy way for companies to add flavor, so it gets put it a TON of things. Personally, I prefer corn syrup because my body hates hates HATES MSG, so since a lot of companies are going back to that as reaction to the corn syrup is evil people, there's a lot of foods I used to treat myself with that I can't anymore. ><

    Really, if you're cooking most of your meals yourself and most of what you drink for hydration isn't soda or high-sugar drinks, you should be fine. It's ok to have that piece of cake, just don't eat 4 or 5 slices. It's ok to have that candy bar, just don't follow it with a large soda. Moderation is the key here, and while it's good to be aware of your intake of everything, don't let fear of specific foods make you cut something out.