Sugar-Do you count natural sugars?

Every day I go over my sugar "goal" but when I subtract my fruit and veggie sugars I am well under. I don't think natural sugar should count but curious what everyone else thinks.
An example: Today I prelogged my diary and I have 63g of sugar and my goal is 45g. I subtracted my two servings of fruit and the sugars in my homemade vegetable soup and I have only had about 24g of actual added sugar.
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Replies

  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Unless you have a need to track sugar, don't bother, and track something like fibre instead.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    No, I don't worry about sugar from vegetables, fruits, and dairy. I sometimes watch sugar just to see if there are any surprises or if I'm eating more added sugar than I thought (I haven't been surprised by anything, though). I don't care about the overall sugar number so long as I have enough protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and of course am within my calories.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I don't track sugar at all.
  • MikeAV8s
    MikeAV8s Posts: 85 Member
    I don't track sugar at all.

    ditto
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Yes, but I was prediabetic and try to keep my carbs very low. Zero sugar in a day is a good day for me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    After I reduced baked goods I never went over sugar and swapped it out for fiber. I might be over now that I eat more fruit, but I'm not worried about it.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I track fiber rather than sugar.
  • summerkissed
    summerkissed Posts: 730 Member
    I always watch processed sugar but not naturally occurring sugars
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    I always watch processed sugar but not naturally occurring sugars

    Me too but mfp doesn't automatically exclude natural sugars
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Sugar matters for me so I just generally avoid all foods containing it, even whole foods. And I track fibre too, in order to avoid it. Fibre is not the friend we've all been lead to believe imo, especially the insoluble type. But my experience only relates to metabolic disorder and T2 diabetes, depression/anxiety, GERD, chronic joint pain, headaches, sleep problems, difficulty to lose weight regardless of supposed calorie deficit, dental problems..... etc etc. lol
  • summerkissed
    summerkissed Posts: 730 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    I always watch processed sugar but not naturally occurring sugars

    Me too but mfp doesn't automatically exclude natural sugars

    Yeah that sucks doesn't it!!!! I just have a quick look at where the sugars have come from
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    To your body sugar is sugar, whatever its source, so don't be fooled by the whole idea of natural vs. processed and one being better or worse than the other.

    There's a thought that too much sugar isn't good for you, it's an inflammatory, etc. etc. However, unless you have a reason to be watching sugar, there's no real need to track is separately from carbs, of which sugar is one. Change sugar to something else you'd rather check. I prefer to track things like calcium and iron intake, personally.
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    To your body sugar is sugar, whatever its source, so don't be fooled by the whole idea of natural vs. processed and one being better or worse than the other.

    There's a thought that too much sugar isn't good for you, it's an inflammatory, etc. etc. However, unless you have a reason to be watching sugar, there's no real need to track is separately from carbs, of which sugar is one. Change sugar to something else you'd rather check. I prefer to track things like calcium and iron intake, personally.

    I will just have to agree to disagree, natural sugars IMO are different from processed sugars.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    To your body sugar is sugar, whatever its source, so don't be fooled by the whole idea of natural vs. processed and one being better or worse than the other.

    There's a thought that too much sugar isn't good for you, it's an inflammatory, etc. etc. However, unless you have a reason to be watching sugar, there's no real need to track is separately from carbs, of which sugar is one. Change sugar to something else you'd rather check. I prefer to track things like calcium and iron intake, personally.

    I will just have to agree to disagree, natural sugars IMO are different from processed sugars.

    How?
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    One is from things that grow in nature and the other is processed and refined
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    One is from things that grow in nature and the other is processed and refined

    Uhm... do you know where the processed sugar comes from and how it is refined?
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    edited February 2016
    I am not going to argue, you're not gonna change my mind, I limit artificial sugar and not natural sugar. Do what you want and I'll do what I want.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    edited February 2016
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    I am not going to argue, you're not gonna change my mind, I limit artificial sugar and not natural sugar. Do what you want and I'll do what I want.

    I take that as a "No." to my question then.
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    I have a problem with saying no to too many processed sugars. I don't binge on fruit. There's your answer.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    I am not going to argue, you're not gonna change my mind, I limit artificial sugar and not natural sugar. Do what you want and I'll do what I want.

    It's fine to have an arbitrary restriction, nobody is saying that you can't. It's just that it's arbitrary. But if you're going to state that things are different (as you did above), falling back on an arbitrary distinction isn't much of a response when people ask about it.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    I have a problem with saying no to too many processed sugars. I don't binge on fruit. There's your answer.

    Honest question: You eat processed sugar straight out of the sugar bowl? Or is the "processed" sugar mixed with other ingredients?
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    edited February 2016
    You know I never understood the attitudes on this forum that if someone doesn't do things the way you do, it's wrong. I will do things my way, you continue doing things your way.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2016
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    To your body sugar is sugar, whatever its source, so don't be fooled by the whole idea of natural vs. processed and one being better or worse than the other.

    There's a thought that too much sugar isn't good for you, it's an inflammatory, etc. etc. However, unless you have a reason to be watching sugar, there's no real need to track is separately from carbs, of which sugar is one. Change sugar to something else you'd rather check. I prefer to track things like calcium and iron intake, personally.

    I will just have to agree to disagree, natural sugars IMO are different from processed sugars.

    I don't think they are, but the foods they are in are often quite different.

    To me, some rhubarb sauce or oatmeal with a little sugar isn't much different than a non-sweetened apple or apple sauce. But an apple and a chocolate chip cookie are quite different (although neither is "bad"). Although the apple likely has more sugar* (going by an average apple and the recipe in my recipe box), the cookie has fewer vitamins, less fiber, and more calories (due to butter and, to a lesser degree, flour). I don't think added vs. not is the be-all, end-all, then, but I do pay attention to where it comes from (what foods I am eating).

    *The sugar in an apple is a mix of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, and sucrose is broken down by the body into glucose and fructose. The sugar in the cookie is sucrose. So whatever the difference, I don't think it's the sugar -- I think it is other things about the foods. For example, adding butter and flour and a bit more sugar to the apple (as in an apple crisp) makes me more likely to overconsume it, yet I'd never eat sugar straight, ick, and have no desire to consume lots of sugar-containing things, like soda.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited February 2016
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    One is from things that grow in nature and the other is processed and refined

    Sugar cane "grows in nature," though, too. <confused>
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    You know I never understood the attitudes on this forum that if someone doesn't do things the way you do, it's wrong. I will do things my way, you continue doing things your way.

    People aren't disagreeing with the way you're doing things (nobody cares if you personally don't want to consume added sugar), they're disagreeing with what you are presenting as facts. Someone stated a fact (sugar is sugar and your body will process sugars the same way) and you replied by saying they were different. If what you meant was they were different *for you* based on your personal preference, that's one thing. But that wasn't how your statement came across -- it seemed as if you were disagreeing with the fact that sugar is sugar.
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    To your body sugar is sugar, whatever its source, so don't be fooled by the whole idea of natural vs. processed and one being better or worse than the other.

    There's a thought that too much sugar isn't good for you, it's an inflammatory, etc. etc. However, unless you have a reason to be watching sugar, there's no real need to track is separately from carbs, of which sugar is one. Change sugar to something else you'd rather check. I prefer to track things like calcium and iron intake, personally.

    I will just have to agree to disagree, natural sugars IMO are different from processed sugars.

    Read this part again. See where it says IMO? That doesn't mean fact.
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    People telling me to stop counting sugar and count something else IS telling me how to do things.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    You know I never understood the attitudes on this forum that if someone doesn't do things the way you do, it's wrong. I will do things my way, you continue doing things your way.

    We're trying to assess your idea that refined sugar is in any way, shape or form "fake". Maybe try informing yourself on something before demonizing it as the source of all evil in your diet.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    Melmo1988 wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    To your body sugar is sugar, whatever its source, so don't be fooled by the whole idea of natural vs. processed and one being better or worse than the other.

    There's a thought that too much sugar isn't good for you, it's an inflammatory, etc. etc. However, unless you have a reason to be watching sugar, there's no real need to track is separately from carbs, of which sugar is one. Change sugar to something else you'd rather check. I prefer to track things like calcium and iron intake, personally.

    I will just have to agree to disagree, natural sugars IMO are different from processed sugars.

    Read this part again. See where it says IMO? That doesn't mean fact.

    I apologize for misunderstanding what you meant. When I have an opinion, it is usually based on my understanding of what the facts in the situation are.
  • Melmo1988
    Melmo1988 Posts: 293 Member
    I have informed myself. I like how I feel when I avoid it instead of consuming lots of it. Why do you care?