Under calorie limit but exceeding sugar/carb limit

CalorieGuru
CalorieGuru Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
Is it bad that I'm consistently at or exceeding my sugar limit (the source of all that is bad in our modern diets) despite maintaining my calorie limit? I notice that in my diet, I obtain plenty of sugar from milk and fruits (plus the occasional treat and granola bar). Is this bad? This also goes for carbs, which I understand aren't beneficial when trying to lose weight.

Replies

  • breannadeshae23
    breannadeshae23 Posts: 1
    I keep eating too much sodium so I know how you feel im suppose to eat 2500 calories but I only eat 13500 calories and still be over my limit your not alone ^o^
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    Ignore the sugar count. Contrary to popular belief and pseudoscience, sugar is not the root of all evil in our diets. Try to hit or exceed your protein and fat numbers every day, which will leave you close to hitting or under your carb number.

    Good luck.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    No, as long as you are in a calorie deficit you can eat sugar and you will be fine ..

    I had about 64 grams of sugar today and I am not concerned as I maintained my deficit..

    repeat after me…sugar is not evil, sugar is not evil, sugar is not evil ….
  • omgcherrybomb
    omgcherrybomb Posts: 7
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
    Agreed re: ignoring sugar... It's really misleading since most reputable sources will focus on "added sugar" rather than total sugar, and current nutrition labels don't make any distinction (with luck, that'll be changing relatively soon).

    With that said, if your sugar / carbs are over because you're eating a lot of added sugar (coffee with a load of sugary syrup, sweets, highly processed / packaged snacky foods, sugary cereals, etc.) then yeah... maybe make some adjustments. :)

    But, outside of that, it's probably better to focus on carbs where, if you're still going over on a regular basis, then it might be worth making some adjustments. Macro balance is a more reasonable goal.

    MFP's defaults are fine, but a lot of folks -- and especially those doing resistance / weight training -- will customize the macro goals to increase protein relative to carbs (for example, 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat, or 40/40/20).
  • omgcherrybomb
    omgcherrybomb Posts: 7
    Yeah, it does, but if you cut it out of your diet, all that sugar that turns into carbs you won't have. the less carbs you eat the more weight you lose.
  • neveragain84
    neveragain84 Posts: 534 Member
    Yeah, it does, but if you cut it out of your diet, all that sugar that turns into carbs you won't have. the less carbs you eat the more weight you lose.

    No. Being within you calorie goal helps you lose weight. People demonize carbs and fat, yet don't need to. Calories in vs. Calories out.

    Eat more calories than you burn = weight gain
    Eat less calories than you burn = weight loss.

    Plus, hate to tell you, but sugar is sugar. Eating fruit just gives you added vitamins and minerals. People have lost a lot of weight eating "dirty" and snacking on junk food as long as they are within their calorie goal.

    ETA: everything in moderation! :drinker:
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Yeah, it does, but if you cut it out of your diet, all that sugar that turns into carbs you won't have. the less carbs you eat the more weight you lose.
    eat in a calorie deficit = lose weight/fat…if you eat in a deficit and consume the same amount of carbs that you normally do, you will still lose weight.

    if you consume sugar, and are in a deficit, it cannot be stored as fat..you would have to have execs energy, i.e. a calorie surplus for that to happen.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.

    bahahahahahahahahaha thats a rare one ..since you regularly post stuff and never back it up ..so I will give you your own standard answer..google it yourself...
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.

    bahahahahahahahahaha thats a rare one ..since you regularly post stuff and never back it up ..so I will give you your own standard answer..google it yourself...

    kk good, because the truth is actually that your body treats added sugars differently from fruit sugars in that added and white sugars create a heightened insulin response in the body whereas fruit sugars do not because of the pectin/fiber the sugar is bonded with.

    thus, white/added/refined sugars are "worse" than fruit sugars from a GI/GL perspective.

    yikes.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.

    bahahahahahahahahaha thats a rare one ..since you regularly post stuff and never back it up ..so I will give you your own standard answer..google it yourself...

    kk good, because the truth is actually that your body treats added sugars differently from fruit sugars in that added and white sugars create a heightened insulin response in the body whereas fruit sugars do not because of the pectin/fiber the sugar is bonded with.

    thus, white/added/refined sugars are "worse" than fruit sugars from a GI/GL perspective.

    yikes.

    I dont suppose you have a study to back that one up….?
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    this is exactly why I stopped looking at anything but calories. i was getting too wrapped up in the numbers game of all that crap. i just do my best to eat right each day, stay within my calories and move on. my diary is open btw
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Is it bad that I'm consistently at or exceeding my sugar limit (the source of all that is bad in our modern diets) despite maintaining my calorie limit? I notice that in my diet, I obtain plenty of sugar from milk and fruits (plus the occasional treat and granola bar). Is this bad? This also goes for carbs, which I understand aren't beneficial when trying to lose weight.

    You have only been at it for about a week - get used to logging your foods properly - I am always over on my sugar also - but the numbers I watch are my sodium which I try not to go over and proteins which I like to make sure I meet or go a bit over - I am rarely over on carbs or fats which I don't pay a lot of attention to (not sure exactly why probably because they hardly ever show red). I did notice I was low on fiber so I started tracking that instead of sugar, but haven't seen much change there either :ohwell: Regardless of the numbers - I try not to go over my calorie goal and have been losing...so far so good :drinker:

    Like I said - just get used to your logging and be consistent and you will figure out what works for you. Good luck.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.

    bahahahahahahahahaha thats a rare one ..since you regularly post stuff and never back it up ..so I will give you your own standard answer..google it yourself...

    kk good, because the truth is actually that your body treats added sugars differently from fruit sugars in that added and white sugars create a heightened insulin response in the body whereas fruit sugars do not because of the pectin/fiber the sugar is bonded with.

    thus, white/added/refined sugars are "worse" than fruit sugars from a GI/GL perspective.

    yikes.

    I dont suppose you have a study to back that one up….?
    I'll make you a deal. You show me yours, I'll show you mine. :flowerforyou: :love:
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.

    bahahahahahahahahaha thats a rare one ..since you regularly post stuff and never back it up ..so I will give you your own standard answer..google it yourself...

    kk good, because the truth is actually that your body treats added sugars differently from fruit sugars in that added and white sugars create a heightened insulin response in the body whereas fruit sugars do not because of the pectin/fiber the sugar is bonded with.

    thus, white/added/refined sugars are "worse" than fruit sugars from a GI/GL perspective.

    yikes.

    I dont suppose you have a study to back that one up….?
    because I feel like playing your game tonight…here you go reddy…

    "We conclude that most foods containing sugars do not have a high GI. In addition, there is often no difference in responses between foods containing added sugars and those containing naturally-occurring sugars."

    http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=895280
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I would say if you're exceeding your sugar limits from junk food and soda, then yeah i'd say its bad, but if its coming from healthy fruits and vegetables, then no. I'm on the Atkins diet, and i stay under 20 carbs a day. Its easy, just eat more protein and stay away from soda, sweets, and bread.

    LOL your body treats sugar from "junk" the same as it treats sugar from fruit….

    study please. prove it.

    bahahahahahahahahaha thats a rare one ..since you regularly post stuff and never back it up ..so I will give you your own standard answer..google it yourself...

    kk good, because the truth is actually that your body treats added sugars differently from fruit sugars in that added and white sugars create a heightened insulin response in the body whereas fruit sugars do not because of the pectin/fiber the sugar is bonded with.

    thus, white/added/refined sugars are "worse" than fruit sugars from a GI/GL perspective.

    yikes.

    I dont suppose you have a study to back that one up….?
    I'll make you a deal. You show me yours, I'll show you mine. :flowerforyou: :love:

    and because I feel generous…
    "Sugars added to foods have no different effect on blood glucose from those of sugars alone. The natural sugars in fruit and fruit juices raise blood glucose approximately as much as does sucrose and less than do most refined starchy carbohydrate foods. The optimum amount of sugars in the diet is not known. However, undue avoidance of sugars is not necessary for blood glucose control and is not advised because it may result in increased intakes of fat and high-glycemic-index starch."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/62/1/212S.short
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
    While the last few exchanges have been "interesting" ...

    Just to clarify, I never said "sugar is bad" or "carbs are bad." Simply saying that sugary, "junk" foods tends not to be well-balanced.

    My point being that the sugar from a piece of hard candy, while arguably no different from the sugar in a piece of fruit, is typically not rounded out by the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that the fruit provides.

    While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops, I'm not sure it's the best decision.

    On the other hand, if folks really want to advocate a diet of twinkies, go for it. It's a (mostly) free Internet.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    While the last few exchanges have been "interesting" ...

    Just to clarify, I never said "sugar is bad" or "carbs are bad." Simply saying that sugary, "junk" foods tends not to be well-balanced.

    My point being that the sugar from a piece of hard candy, while arguably no different from the sugar in a piece of fruit, is typically not rounded out by the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that the fruit provides.

    While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops, I'm not sure it's the best decision.

    On the other hand, if folks really want to advocate a diet of twinkies, go for it. It's a (mostly) free Internet.

    I agree with you ..i was just challenging the assertion that added sugar is somehow worse for you then fruit sugar..

    if you have an apple with 15 grams of sugar in it and a milano cookie with about 19 then overall impact on your body - based on the sugar content - is the same ….
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,265 Member
    While the last few exchanges have been "interesting" ...

    Just to clarify, I never said "sugar is bad" or "carbs are bad." Simply saying that sugary, "junk" foods tends not to be well-balanced.

    My point being that the sugar from a piece of hard candy, while arguably no different from the sugar in a piece of fruit, is typically not rounded out by the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that the fruit provides.

    While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops, I'm not sure it's the best decision.

    On the other hand, if folks really want to advocate a diet of twinkies, go for it. It's a (mostly) free Internet.
    And you'd be right.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member

    While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops, I'm not sure it's the best decision.

    To be fair - no you couldn't. Unless you set up your macros in such a way that no one in history ever has.

    For the OP - unless sugar is some kind of trigger food for you - Id suggest swapping it out of your diary with something like calcium. That's what I did because the red numbers annoyed me.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member

    While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops, I'm not sure it's the best decision.

    To be fair - no you couldn't. Unless you set up your macros in such a way that no one in history ever has.

    Fair point... I should have said, "While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops for your carbs..." :-)
  • Of_Monsters_and_Meat
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat Posts: 1,022 Member
    Another strong first post.

    I'm going to go eat a bag of sugar and carbs now.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
    Another strong first post.

    I'm going to go eat a bag of sugar and carbs now.

    thumpercantsay.png
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member

    While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops, I'm not sure it's the best decision.

    To be fair - no you couldn't. Unless you set up your macros in such a way that no one in history ever has.

    Fair point... I should have said, "While it's possible to keep your macros in line while consuming nothing but lollipops for your carbs..." :-)

    Sorry i was cranky this morning :p:laugh:

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