Going Over in Sugar

thenicolie

Advice...I count my calories, protein, carbs, etc... I try to make healthy snack choices that are low in sugar. My typical snacks are a hard boiled egg, lunch meat such as turkey, air popped popcorn, and an apple (spread out through the day). It's healthy to eat fruits and vegetables, but every time I have an apply, I go over my sugar intake. My breakfast meal and my lunch meal consist of Herbalife protein shakes, which don't have a lot of sugar. Some days I feel like giving up because I don't notice progress.

gjmunguia

I had the same problem. Apples have 19 grams of sugar, the goal is 45 grams of sugar. So one apple almost puts you halfway there. I have found that kiwis have less sugar. But if I want apples, I do one of these:
1. I only eat half of it, and I either give the other half to my husband or save it in fridge wrapped in plastic (I cut it in half, so when I am ready to eat the next half I cut off the brown part). I do the same with bananas (except I don't keep those, just give or throw away the other half).
2. I have also bought dried apple chips that are made with granny smith apples only (no other ingredients). I weigh the chips I eat to make it a half portion. Then I don't feel I waste because the rest remain in the sealed bag.

Don't feel discouraged, persevere and you will get there. Check the nutrition tab in the app to see how much sugar each food added. Is the turkey "honey roasted" by chance? Sugar can sneak in everywhere.

quiarga

I would never worry if my sugar goes over because of an apple. Natural sources of sugar are much better than something with HFCS or other added sugars. Just make sure that the other parts of your meals don't have extra sugars. Oven roasted instead of honey roasted turkey, or black forest ham instead of honey baked ham. Choose a peanut butter that doesn't have sugar in it, just peanuts and salt for example. Sometimes low fat and reduced fat products have more sugar than the regular versions. Just make sure you are checking the labels and you'll see where the extras are coming from.

sardelsa

MFP doesn't differentiate between natural and added sugars. Unless you are eating so much fruit that is is crowding out the rest of your nutrition (protein, fats etc) I wouldn't worry about it.
I don't like fruit so most of my sugar comes from ice cream, candy and cookies. My cal goal is really high though, so it is like a spec on a football field

The reason why you may not be seeing progress: you are underestimating your intake/not measuring properly, you may be overestimating your exercise burn. The closer you get to goal, the more accurate you have to be.