Help needed sugars in food diary.

reveerie

I have been logging all food in my diary last 5 days. I have been trying to cut down sugars. I have been able to cut down granulated sugar intake from 5-8 tbsp. to 1tbsp a day. But I have added fruits in my diet, like banana and apple , cranberry juice.
My diary shows my sugar intake as approximately double of my daily goal.
Can anyone suggest if fruit sugars count towards the total sugar intake?
Thanks.

pinktoesjb

yes they do count, it's still sugar even if it is from fruit.

CuteAndCurvy83

I count the fruit sugars, but I don't count them against myself. Pure sugars from fruit and artificial sugars are way different things.

Goal179

Can you possibly drop the cranberry juice and replace the granulated table sugar with raw stevia? Just a thought. I have the same problem. If i eat more than one fruit per day, it is going to put me over in my sugar column. I have eliminated ALL sugar except for fruit. I try to eat the fruit that has the smallest amount of sugar and I only eat half portions. For example, I will only eat half of my apple or half of my banana. Good luck. =0)

markiend

Lots of us struggle with the sugar goal... but I don't think it's worth worrying about.. unless you are overloading with sweet things , multiple sugars in coffee and those sorts of things.. choc , candy etc

I too cut back on sugar in hot drinks and I like whole milk... by breakfast my sugar macro has been blasted away.

What I look at is my carbs over all... which are lower every day and I add the sugar which is over onto that list and try and keep the 2 macros below the over all total. Hope that makes sense

ie sugar 84/ 41 = +40 .. carbs 189/327 ... = total minus.... thats the goal I try and achieve. Sugar is a carb

I cut back from 3 sugars in my coffee and now only drink 3 per day... where it used to be 6. No more sweets, candy etc but I won't cut back on fruit / veg etc

many here don't even bother tracking sugar but it's good you're aware enough to watch out and ask and therefore taking steps

bakerygirl12345

I too have had issues with the sugar intake, and this is my first day. I have already decided that fruit is not something I should cut back on, the nutrients are needed. But, the non-natural sugar is cut out instead.

reveerie

I take unsweetened cranberry. But I can cut down that. I will eliminate the last spoon of sugar too very soon.

tryclyn

Not necessary to track sugar unless you have a medical condition that warrants it.

More info here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

reveerie

Lots of us struggle with the sugar goal... but I don't think it's worth worrying about.. unless you are overloading with sweet things , multiple sugars in coffee and those sorts of things.. choc , candy etc

I too cut back on sugar in hot drinks and I like whole milk... by breakfast my sugar macro has been blasted away.

What I look at is my carbs over all... which are lower every day and I add the sugar which is over onto that list and try and keep the 2 macros below the over all total. Hope that makes sense

ie sugar 84/ 41 = +40 .. carbs 189/327 ... = total minus.... thats the goal I try and achieve. Sugar is a carb

I cut back from 3 sugars in my coffee and now only drink 3 per day... where it used to be 6. No more sweets, candy etc but I won't cut back on fruit / veg etc

many here don't even bother tracking sugar but it's good you're aware enough to watch out and ask and therefore taking steps

That's a good way to calculate. Thanks a lot. I will follow the same. That way I can consume fruits without worrying. Thanks again.

reveerie

I count the fruit sugars, but I don't count them against myself. Pure sugars from fruit and artificial sugars are way different things.

Yes, even I thought so. Wanted to confirm with all you guys from MFP . Thanks

Quasita

My focus for sugar isn't so much how much I get but where I get it and how sustainable it is. Fruit sugars are more sustainable in a diet, are more nutrient dense and filling. With the exception of the juice, I think you're probably fine. Granted, for me, I do 100% pure juice only, make sure you're not getting a cocktail.

I disagree that you shouldn't monitor unless you have a medical condition. Many of us on here are teetering close to a medical condition if we don't have one already, and causing glycemic index spikes all day long can be bad for you. Just make sure you make some smart choices with your fruits. For example, instead of red apples, do green. Replace bananas, which are notorious for glycemic index spikes, with something less sugar filled.

Do as you best see fit though. Just keep things moderate, and remember that veggies are the only thing the food authorities say you should eat without worry.

FizikallyFit

real fruits are great and the sugar in them is not harmful if in moderation (like everything else) Fruit juice tends to be really high in sugar so that may be where you are adding extra without meaning to. I would cut back on the juice or buy unsweetened fruit juice.

Confuzzled4ever

Unless you are diabetic sugar from natural foods it's not going to be a huge problem. If you eat a balanced diet, your sugars from natural sources will even out.

Cut out as much added sugar as you can and you will see a huge difference.

Fruit juice is water and sugar basically. Cut that out.

A banana is not a low natural sugar food. Oranges, apples, berries, grapefruits are.

I am eating almost 0 added sugar. It makes a huge difference.

KristinNicole82

Excess sugar is stored as fat. Natural sugar from fruit is not as bad as refined sugar but eating too much fruit and not burning off the sugar will not help your weight loss.

georgesanchez7737

as I understand, in nature no food has just sugar. by making juice from fruits you remove the fiber, fiber is what slows down the absorption of sugars into our blood and then into fat cells. I do not juice, I make green smoothies and add fruit in moderation, or just eat the fruit. the way our hunter gatherer ancestors did!

I have followed this for the last 6 months and lost 47 lbs and have my type 2 diabetes in remission!

sklebar

I track sugar and found that this has helped me make a lot healthier choices in my food..

blankney94

I just started tracking on MFP about three days ago - and I'm having sugar problems too. I've got 24 units to use throughout the day, and honey on toast is 8 sugar units gone in a flash. I don't drink fruit juices. I'm weaning off Coke Zero and my only other drink is a no calorie cordial. I'm getting a bit of unwanted sugar from fruit yoghurt but figure it is otherwise a good source of protein and calcium. I'm eating 1-2 pieces of fruit a day (apple/banana/mandarin). I'm keeping all my other units (calories, protein, sodium etc) under control.

I've gone from a diet of around 80% processed/junk food and some serious binging in the evenings to this, my first week of trying to eat healthy. I'm finding it hard to remember what healthy foods are! I've lost 4lb in the first 5 days - which I figure is mostly gastric emptying and release of water retention.

ndj1979

I count the fruit sugars, but I don't count them against myself. Pure sugars from fruit and artificial sugars are way different things.

please explain the difference....and why fruit sugar is superior..?

ndj1979

OP - Are you in a calorie deficit? If yes, then do not worry about. Sugar will not make you fat....eating over your maintenance calories will.

ndj1979

I too have had issues with the sugar intake, and this is my first day. I have already decided that fruit is not something I should cut back on, the nutrients are needed. But, the non-natural sugar is cut out instead.

lol so fruit sugar good, non fruit sugar "bad" ....

you realize the molecular level that all sugar looks the same...and our bodies do not distinguish between fruit from sugar, and fruit from a candy bar right?

I mean its not like your body says "oh, this is fruit sugar we are good" and then says "danger, danger, candy sugar onvert to fat immediately..."

Springfield1970

Glucose would slam into the bloodstream straight away as opposed to fructose (and other types of sugars)from a banana would release slowly, depends on your needs. So yeah they are different in that context. All fine as long as you aren't over your maintenance calories then it doesn't make any difference, off to the fat cells it goes!

psuLemon

Sugar doesnt matter unless you have a medical condition. Sugar is simply a carb weather its candy or fruit. The advantage to fruit is ita loaded with minerals and vitamins and has fiber. So from a nutrition standpoint its more advantageous to eat fruit over candy but its ok to eat other sugary things. Heck I eat a Klondike every night and its never stopped my weight loss. In fact I am at a 15 year low. And I eat 100g + of sugar daily. While the article is really long in this thread I suggest reading. It has research from some of the top nutrition researchers in it.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1112412--the-problem-with-sugar-is-your-problem-with-sugar

alisonsayers

The same is happening to me. Between a bit of dried cranberries in my morning oatmeal and creamer for coffee, I'm over my limit in the AM. Good thing is, I'm aware of it now; but, hard to find a way to cut down. Will have to change how I eat breakfast, b/c the coffee will be more difficult.