Sugar grams - how can I stick to it?

Cazzitaesther

Hello,
I am new to this so please bear with me if I am asking too obvious a question. On MFP, the sugar grams I am allowed are 32g. However, by the time I have had 1 apple and 1 tablespoon of almond butter, I have already busted that goal! So, is natural sugar the same as added sugar for the purpose of losing weight? Thank you

diannethegeek

Did you set a custom goal on MFP? I ask because MFP defaults to 15% of your daily calories for the sugar goal, so it shouldn't set a goal below 45 grams unless you've dropped your calories below 1200 or setup custom goals.

That said, sugar is sugar. If you have health reasons to watch it then you'll want to learn more about your particular needs to balance it. If you don't have health reasons, then you get to decide whether or not it's super important to you. Personally, I ignore the sugar goals. What you decide to do is up to you.

Cazzitaesther

Thanks so much Dianne! I have not set a custom goal but calories are set at 1200 as need to lose weight. I might set it at 45 then and feel better about it! I would have thought it would be okay to have 2 pieces of fruit per day without worrying about it but maybe fruit isn't that good after all. So much confusing information out there! Love your attitude about ignoring it! Thanks again

PixelPuff

It really depends on the person and their needs for sugar. I eat a ridiculous amount of fruits per day. I love them! Apples, peaches, nectarines, apricots, mango... Then comes the berries! Strawberry, blueberry, yum! They are usually fairly low calorie for their volume, too. Look up how many calories a pound of strawberries is. Ridiculously low for that amount, and soooo filling!

kimny72

Sugar doesn't make you gain weight, calories do. If you have other reasons you want to track sugar, go for it. But for weight loss, calories are king. Nothing wrong with a couple of pieces of fruit.

Marilyn0924

Unless you need to track sugar for medical reasons (i.e. diabetes), I wouldn't even worry about it. I swapped out tracking sugar for fiber.

kommodevaran

Cazzitaesther wrote: »

calories are set at 1200 as need to lose weight.

To lose weight, you only need a calorie deficit. 1200 is just the lowest MFP will allow, and usually what you get if you pick top speed. 1200 calories is not necessarily necessary, and 2 pounds per week isn't always possible. 1% of your bodyweight is an often used maximum-rule of thumb.

I might set it at 45 then and feel better about it! Love your attitude about ignoring it!

Just ignore it - don't track sugar.

TavistockToad

Marilyn0924 wrote: »

Unless you need to track sugar for medical reasons (i.e. diabetes), I wouldn't even worry about it. I swapped out tracking sugar for fiber.

this

LivingtheLeanDream

Ignore the sugar, its the calories that matter.