Fruit and sugar

kellyfeb78

That's my struggle at the moment, where my daily calories has dropped I'm finding it harder to cut back so going to the gym more to earn extra calories to munch on. Need to work on my will power next!

psuLemon

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

That's my struggle at the moment, where my daily calories has dropped I'm finding it harder to cut back so going to the gym more to earn extra calories to munch on. Need to work on my will power next!

Anecdotally, I saw greater will power when I didn't aggressively cut calories (aimed for around 1lb per week or a bit less) and I incorporate small treats daily or almost daily. So in my case, restriction was worse than anything else.

kellyfeb78

I've changed my settings from 2lb loss to 1 but still only on 1300 a day so unless I'm at the gym I don't move about much, fork truck driver at work so sitting a lot of the night and yes I work nights so I sleep during the day. Makes life quite complicated at times but I don't want to be fat anymore lol. I've started strength training too to assist with the loss plus always enjoyed weights

lemurcat12

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

Yer like in sweets and ice cream

You mean they have fat and they have sugar?

Sugar is being blamed for the calories in fat now, super.

lemurcat12

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

I log everything I eat and drink I just wanted to know about the sugar in fruit as some days I eat a lot of it and my sugar goal was going over due to it but as someone said it's natural sugar and not something to worry and about too much. I've lost 2 stone since starting MFP so I'm doing OK

Sugar is sugar, but sugar is not a problem in and of itself. It's a problem if you eat so much of it that you go over calories (common with dessert type items if someone likes them a lot and is not logging, as they are easy to overeat, and this is less common with fruit, or when logging, of course). It's also a problem if you crowd out nutrients (again, not so much of a problem with fruit, since it has nutrients, but there are important nutrients not in fruit).

I'd say that I wouldn't worry about the sugar from fruit if I were (1) getting enough protein, (2) getting good sources of healthy fats in my diet (like nuts, avocados, olive oil, fatty fish), (3) getting a good amount and variety of vegetables, and (4) were within my calories.

For many people focusing on the sugar number is less helpful than making sure you hit other numbers and looking over the day to make sure it includes vegetables and not too many low nutrient sources of calories, depending on your specific goals.

kellyfeb78

Just my way of explaining what I meant I didn't say anything about calories being in fat!

lemurcat12

But the sugar is not fatty. Those foods are high cal compared to fruit because they have sugar AND fat.

Comparison: cookie in my recipe box -- 200 cal, 14 g sugar (lots of calories from butter too)
apple -- 80 calories, 16 g sugar.

The sugar isn't different (it's a mix of fructose and glucose, mostly, in both). Other things about the foods of course are.

(I'm not saying you should avoid apples and eat cookies or that an apple is a cookie.)

kellyfeb78

My main goal is to not go over my calories and to hit the protein target which I can do now I've adjusted my eating habits but it's getting harder as my daily goal changes with weight loss that's when I started eating more fruit and found myself going over sugar goal

kellyfeb78

It was just me trying to explain what I meant it was bad wording I know the difference between sugar and fat

lemurcat12

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

My main goal is to not go over my calories and to hit the protein target which I can do now I've adjusted my eating habits but it's getting harder as my daily goal changes with weight loss that's when I started eating more fruit and found myself going over sugar goal

Eating lots of fruit can make it more difficult to hit protein on a low calorie target. (MFP's protein target on low calories can be too low, too.)

I wouldn't worry about the sugar target alone if it's mostly from fruit, but not because fruit sugar is qualitatively different, as it is not.

kellyfeb78

Chocolate sugar =bad....fruit sugar = not so bad was what I should have put but when I've just woken up my brain isn't fully functioning lol

sijomial

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

Chocolate sugar =bad....fruit sugar = not so bad was what I should have put but when I've just woken up my brain isn't fully functioning lol

Sugar is sugar. Foods are different but the sugar in the foods is the same.
Focus on your entire diet (noun) and what to include in it and the rest becomes far easier.

J72FIT

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

Chocolate sugar =bad....fruit sugar = not so bad was what I should have put but when I've just woken up my brain isn't fully functioning lol

Sugar is sugar...

kellyfeb78

Yep I get that now and also did look on Google so will just cut back on my fruit intake

david_1988

Sugar is sugar is sugar. Doesn't matter if its natural or added or which food it comes from.

If you think you're consuming too much, the solution is to eat less, not exclude things you eat from your logs.

Gamliela

lemurcat12 wrote: »

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

My main goal is to not go over my calories and to hit the protein target which I can do now I've adjusted my eating habits but it's getting harder as my daily goal changes with weight loss that's when I started eating more fruit and found myself going over sugar goal

Eating lots of fruit can make it more difficult to hit protein on a low calorie target. (MFP's protein target on low calories can be too low, too.)

I wouldn't worry about the sugar target alone if it's mostly from fruit, but not because fruit sugar is qualitatively different, as it is not.

I think more fruit could lead to low protien, but not necessarily. I added a lot of fruit to my daily intake, I was craving sweets and carbs. I found it easy to get more than the rcommended amount of protien at 1200 calories a day.

Its possible to do it, even plus a lot of vegetables. Its the fat that suffered when I did this.
Now I realize that a problem for me is over restricting and not allowing for my personal cravings. So if I want sweets, I might eat more fruit even if it seems excessive and still fits around my calorie goal. By day two, I find I'm less interested.
Since I began to take notice of my psychological attatchment to some foods I make sure I satiate those cravings. Nuts do well if its fat, or whole fat yogurt for example. Fruit if its sweet tooth.

I got around 100 grams protien most days ( for my body weight that is almost twice what I need) when adding a lot of fruit. It just means noticing what other adjustments are necessary.
I admit on 1200 calories something has to go, but by alternating every few days toward the foods that I like, its still doable to eat in a way that is satisfying and enjoyable. This makes me sure I can do this in the long term, its not just a faddy food regime.

And at maintenance levels, I'd say there should be no problem eating a lot of fruit. At least that is my experince when I maintaine.

psuLemon

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

Chocolate sugar =bad....fruit sugar = not so bad was what I should have put but when I've just woken up my brain isn't fully functioning lol

The body will break down the nutrients down to the lowest chemical level. The sugar from both will be broken down to glucose and will either be stored as glycogen (for energy use later), used immediately or stored as fat (if you are in a net surplus). The difference isn't the sugar, it's the accompanying nutrients. Fruit has fiber and a better micronutrient profile (which is why it's deemed healthier). These other nutrients would support health. Where chocolate doesn't have those nutrients and may be processed faster, if and only if, it's eaten in isolation.

Overall, both can be incorporated in a very solid diet.

lemurcat12

Gamliela wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

kellyfeb78 wrote: »

My main goal is to not go over my calories and to hit the protein target which I can do now I've adjusted my eating habits but it's getting harder as my daily goal changes with weight loss that's when I started eating more fruit and found myself going over sugar goal

Eating lots of fruit can make it more difficult to hit protein on a low calorie target. (MFP's protein target on low calories can be too low, too.)

I wouldn't worry about the sugar target alone if it's mostly from fruit, but not because fruit sugar is qualitatively different, as it is not.

I think more fruit could lead to low protien, but not necessarily.

Yeah, agree, which is why I said it "can make it more difficult on a low calorie target." Not that it will. If someone (like OP) is wondering if fruit consumption is out of whack, looking at protein and healthy fats and vegetables is important. If you are replacing those more than you should be, then you are eating too much fruit.

kellyfeb78

I eat plenty of protein