No protein/no sugar foods?

wardances

I was wondering if anyone knew of any foods that came without protein or sugar in them. Simple recipes for one would also be welcome.

I AM making sure to get adequate amounts of protein during the day and I'm hesitant about sugar because diabetes is hereditary in my family but it seems no matter how much fruits/veggies I eat... well, I just keep eating too much protein and sugar. I've tried omitting meat out of my diet except for once a day (and even then I ensure it's venison or chicken or tuna) and I've excluded all candy/sweets/soda/etc but somehow I'm still not eating enough calories. After exercise and pre-planning meals it seems I'm still 300 to 600 calories in deficit, I think. (As in, I'm only eating 600 to 900 calories daily which I don't think is healthy even though I feel quite full during the day.) Then again, I'm still slightly confused as to how this all works so if anyone has any suggestions please share.

elyelyse

Why are you trying to reduce protein? You can eat a lot of protein without it being detrimental to your health. The goal MFP sets for protein is pretty much a minimum.

_Amstel_

What is your goals for macronutrients? I highly doubt you consume more than the recommended amount of protein

wardances

Why are you trying to reduce protein? You can eat a lot of protein without it being detrimental to your health. The goal MFP sets for protein is pretty much a minimum.

Ah, see, and here I was thinking that it meant I couldn't eat more than that. All I saw was the angry red negative sign on my MFP chart and I just hung my head in shame like a berated schoolchild, haha. I don't even really know what protein does. A lot of people I've mentioned it to (not on MFP) say it makes you reduce weight whereas an equal half of other people say it makes you gain weight. I'm so confused!

_Amstel_

Why are you trying to reduce protein? You can eat a lot of protein without it being detrimental to your health. The goal MFP sets for protein is pretty much a minimum.

Ah, see, and here I was thinking that it meant I couldn't eat more than that. All I saw was the angry red negative sign on my MFP chart and I just hung my head in shame like a berated schoolchild, haha. I don't even really know what protein does. A lot of people I've mentioned it to (not on MFP) say it makes you reduce weight whereas an equal half of other people say it makes you gain weight. I'm so confused!

Eating more calories than you burn is what makes you fat, whether it comes from protein, fat or carbs it does not matter. Protein is necessary for building and maintaining muscle mass and other bodily functions such as wound healing, healthy hair, nails etc.

vvvalentines

MFP's sugar and protein numbers are both stupidly low. The sugar number they cite is for added sugar, not all sugars from fruits, etc. and I use their protein number as a minimum.

I recommend not tracking sugar (even if you have diabetes in the family) and instead just paying attention to where your carbs come from or learning about glycemic index (which is a measure of how much a given food affects your blood sugar.)

Ainar

Protein is not bad for your health. MFP suggests recommended minimum. But you could safely ate over 300 grams a day without any risk to health. Protein should be limited if you have a health problems already what does not permits you to ate too much, but it alone can not cause health problems, unless you ate like kilos of it every day, what is hardly possible to do even if you would want to.

Same for sugar. If you ate too much of it it can cause problems. But too much of it is not easy to do if you are not trying hard. Also, for people who exercise, they can ate so much more sugar than people who doe snot, without making any problems to health. Theoretically you could get a diabetes by eating too much brown rice as well ya know, since when it's processed it all becomes a sugar in bloodstream.

Just don't worry about these things that much. There's nothing to worry about. Just ate as healthy as you can and count cals - these are the only numbers you should be worried about, if your goal is just to be healthy and/or lose/maintain weight.

Protein doesn't make you fat and it doesn't make you lose weight. It's just there, your body needs it... like water. Protein is mostly responsible for repairing and creating new cells in body. While carbs are mostly responsible for pure energy. Fat are mostly responsible for right hormone levels. Each of those nutrients can do all of those things but this is a generalization of what they do the most. You need all of them.
Sugar is just a type of carbs.

coral_b

Protein is amazing for weight loss! Not directly but it helps your body recover better after work outs and helps you feel fuller than fat or carbs!
A lot of people on here, including myself, even have protein shakes to get extra. MFP sets it very low. I personally ignore sugar and changed it to fibre amounts. Sugar is in fruit and I try not to beat myself up about getting fruit! I try not to worry about carbs either, just their source- If they're from veg, nuts and wholegrains I don't worry- it's when I'm eating processed white bread/ flour/cakes type foods I worry when it's high. Personally I prefer eating food that fits macro-nutrients that way I can have small treats without feeling like I'm on a diet!
You can reset your macros yourself, mine are at 40 carbs, 35 protein, 25 fat, however I'm still playing around as my loss is slow!

Jewlz280

They don't exist. Unless you want to eat straight oil. LOL Ignore the pre-sets on here. You can eat quite a bit of protein before it's an issue. And the 'sugar' one is set for the amount for added sugar from what I can see, yet it counts ALL sugar. And really, unless you have a sugar problem or tend to eat buckets of the stuff, it's not an issue. Eat the best you can at a deficit and let the other stuff go. If it really bugs you, go into your settings and change your percentages for protein and even swap out fiber or something for sugar. That way you don't have to see that darn red. Good luck!

mortuseon

Protein is not bad for your health. MFP suggests recommended minimum. But you could safely ate over 300 grams a day without any risk to health. Protein should be limited if you have a health problems already what does not permits you to ate too much, but it alone can not cause health problems, unless you ate like kilos of it every day, what is hardly possible to do even if you would want to.

Same for sugar. If you ate too much of it it can cause problems. But too much of it is not easy to do if you are not trying hard. Also, for people who exercise, they can ate so much more sugar than people who doe snot, without making any problems to health. Theoretically you could get a diabetes by eating too much brown rice as well ya know, since when it's processed it all becomes a sugar in bloodstream.

Just don't worry about these things that much. There's nothing to worry about. Just ate as healthy as you can and count cals - these are the only numbers you should be worried about, if your goal is just to be healthy and/or lose/maintain weight.

Protein doesn't make you fat and it doesn't make you lose weight. It's just there, your body needs it... like water. Protein is mostly responsible for repairing and creating new cells in body. While carbs are mostly responsible for pure energy. Fat are mostly responsible for right hormone levels. Each of those nutrients can do all of those things but this is a generalization of what they do the most. You need all of them.
Sugar is just a type of carbs.

Note from the above post: if it wasn't clear, protein and fats can also be used as an energy source, they simply have other functions in the body too as mentioned, which is why meeting your macros is a good idea (to maintain these essential processes).

If you're worried about diabetes then perhaps you should speak to your doctor about what a safe range to eat in is? Also, risks of protein are low unless you consume a great deal. However, if you eat a LOT of red meat there is some evidence to show it can increase your risk of bowel cancer. It's unlikely that you'll be eating enough for this either, though, especially with your current restriction.

diadia1

MFP's sugar and protein numbers are both stupidly low. The sugar number they cite is for added sugar, not all sugars from fruits, etc. and I use their protein number as a minimum.

I recommend not tracking sugar (even if you have diabetes in the family) and instead just paying attention to where your carbs come from or learning about glycemic index (which is a measure of how much a given food affects your blood sugar.)

exactly this.
i do not even bother looking at sugars in MFP bc i p y attention where my sugars come from and i am always over the line. so i stopped using this. Carbs are more important and even there it really depends where it comes from (carbs from veggies are excellent, carbs from white bread not so much).

Protein is important for lean bone mass (LBM) and muscle. So you want to make sure you eat enough proteins otherwise your body will use the ones in your bones (matter of speaking, more complicated than that!) and then reduce your LBM and enhance your metabolism too.
Usually the ratio recommended is about 0.8-1,1g for 1kg of body weight. and that is just a minimum.
if you exercise or lift weight , it can be way more (not sure how many!!!).

if you eat around 1200 cal, then do not worry about the amount of sugars & protein MFP tells you to eat bc you are litterally at the minimum requirement anyway. so you can eat more as long as you do not go over daily calories total.
daily calories is what you pay more attention to.

Akimajuktuq

MFP's sugar and protein numbers are both stupidly low. The sugar number they cite is for added sugar, not all sugars from fruits, etc. and I use their protein number as a minimum.

I recommend not tracking sugar (even if you have diabetes in the family) and instead just paying attention to where your carbs come from or learning about glycemic index (which is a measure of how much a given food affects your blood sugar.)

NO, actually it's the fat macro that is stupidly low. "Don't track sugar" brilliant advice, especially for someone saying that diabetes is a concern. The sugar matters. GI is pretty meaningless actually. Old, inaccurate info there.

OP, if you want to prevent diabetes, and many other illnesses, or even resolve the ones you have, I recommend a high fat, moderate protein and low carb (especially sugar!) eating plan based on unprocessed foods. I set my sugar even lower than MFP defaults and I am still able to eat lots of veggies and a serving of fruit or two per day.

wardances

Thank you all so much for replying! Now I am a lot more informed than I was earlier today. I will definitely take into consideration everything everyone has had to say. Thanks again! :happy:

3foldchord

I eat 100-140 grams of protein a day. I don't track sugar, as usually my sugars are from fruits/vegs. I just try not to do a lot of 'added sugars'.

Having adequate protein when losing weight keeps my body from using the muscle I already have to get energy. At least that's what I was told! and it seems to have worked. I lost the weight and am stronger than I was!

geebusuk

As per the others - I have my protein set to 175g, which is around the weight in lbs I'm aiming for.
Don't mind going over it a bit.
If I wasn't doing weight training I'd actually happily go over it by even more - but at the moment I'm focusing on making sure I get plenty of carbs and enough fat too - and eating more protein takes away from them with the same total calories.

Shellz31

They don't exist. Unless you want to eat straight oil. LOL

Glad you pointed that out. Even veggies have protein in them. All whole natural plant foods contain a combination of fats, proteins, and carbs. Some animal products have no carbs, but they have protein. Common misconception that veggies are only carbs.

Sarauk2sf

Thank you all so much for replying! Now I am a lot more informed than I was earlier today. I will definitely take into consideration everything everyone has had to say. Thanks again! :happy:

I would recommend reading this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

CyberEd312

Eat to your goal caloric intake and track your protein, carbs, and fats. I personally do not track sugar instead feel watching my fiber intake to be more productive. I am a type 2 diabetic and pay far more attention to carbs than straight up sugar... As long as you are eating to your intake and hitting your macros, I think you will be just fine.....

Ainar

Protein is not bad for your health. MFP suggests recommended minimum. But you could safely ate over 300 grams a day without any risk to health. Protein should be limited if you have a health problems already what does not permits you to ate too much, but it alone can not cause health problems, unless you ate like kilos of it every day, what is hardly possible to do even if you would want to.

Same for sugar. If you ate too much of it it can cause problems. But too much of it is not easy to do if you are not trying hard. Also, for people who exercise, they can ate so much more sugar than people who doe snot, without making any problems to health. Theoretically you could get a diabetes by eating too much brown rice as well ya know, since when it's processed it all becomes a sugar in bloodstream.

Just don't worry about these things that much. There's nothing to worry about. Just ate as healthy as you can and count cals - these are the only numbers you should be worried about, if your goal is just to be healthy and/or lose/maintain weight.

Protein doesn't make you fat and it doesn't make you lose weight. It's just there, your body needs it... like water. Protein is mostly responsible for repairing and creating new cells in body. While carbs are mostly responsible for pure energy. Fat are mostly responsible for right hormone levels. Each of those nutrients can do all of those things but this is a generalization of what they do the most. You need all of them.
Sugar is just a type of carbs.

Note from the above post: if it wasn't clear, protein and fats can also be used as an energy source, they simply have other functions in the body too as mentioned, which is why meeting your macros is a good idea (to maintain these essential processes).

If you're worried about diabetes then perhaps you should speak to your doctor about what a safe range to eat in is? Also, risks of protein are low unless you consume a great deal. However, if you eat a LOT of red meat there is some evidence to show it can increase your risk of bowel cancer. It's unlikely that you'll be eating enough for this either, though, especially with your current restriction.

How it wasn't clear, hehe? I even said "Each of those nutrients can do all of those things but this is a generalization of what they do the most." Glasses, girl? :flowerforyou:

Ed98043

You can change which macros you want to track under "settings".

To change your carbs/protein/fat got to My Home - Goals - Change Goals - Custom, and then enter different percentages. I have 40% Carbs, 30% Protein and 30% Fat which gives me 113 grams of protein a day (pretty close to 1 gram per lb of lean body mass). I really only pay attention to calories and protein. I don't track sugar at all.

gigglesinthesun

people with kidney problems need to keep an eye on protein levels, just sayin'

Meloonie

If you eat more protein than your body needs, you excrete it, so I wouldn't worry too much about protein. You actually don't need that much protein for general health but more protein isn't bad for you helps you to feel full. I try to keep processed sugar to a minimum. I have found they best way to eat is low gi, which is the best way for a diabetic to eat as it helps to keep blood sugar levels steady, maybe you could have a look at that?

mortuseon

Protein is not bad for your health. MFP suggests recommended minimum. But you could safely ate over 300 grams a day without any risk to health. Protein should be limited if you have a health problems already what does not permits you to ate too much, but it alone can not cause health problems, unless you ate like kilos of it every day, what is hardly possible to do even if you would want to.

Same for sugar. If you ate too much of it it can cause problems. But too much of it is not easy to do if you are not trying hard. Also, for people who exercise, they can ate so much more sugar than people who doe snot, without making any problems to health. Theoretically you could get a diabetes by eating too much brown rice as well ya know, since when it's processed it all becomes a sugar in bloodstream.

Just don't worry about these things that much. There's nothing to worry about. Just ate as healthy as you can and count cals - these are the only numbers you should be worried about, if your goal is just to be healthy and/or lose/maintain weight.

Protein doesn't make you fat and it doesn't make you lose weight. It's just there, your body needs it... like water. Protein is mostly responsible for repairing and creating new cells in body. While carbs are mostly responsible for pure energy. Fat are mostly responsible for right hormone levels. Each of those nutrients can do all of those things but this is a generalization of what they do the most. You need all of them.
Sugar is just a type of carbs.

Note from the above post: if it wasn't clear, protein and fats can also be used as an energy source, they simply have other functions in the body too as mentioned, which is why meeting your macros is a good idea (to maintain these essential processes).

If you're worried about diabetes then perhaps you should speak to your doctor about what a safe range to eat in is? Also, risks of protein are low unless you consume a great deal. However, if you eat a LOT of red meat there is some evidence to show it can increase your risk of bowel cancer. It's unlikely that you'll be eating enough for this either, though, especially with your current restriction.

How it wasn't clear, hehe? I even said "Each of those nutrients can do all of those things but this is a generalization of what they do the most." Glasses, girl? :flowerforyou:

Always good to be explicit :flowerforyou: