Newbie trying to control my sugar levels.

SCC88

Hi there! I've been using myfitnesspal for a fortnight now and I'm actually enjoying entering my foods in every day and finishing logging at the end of the day.

One thing though, although I manage to stay well within my calories and WELL UNDER my fat, my sugar, vitamin A & C are always over!?

By lunch time I had blown my sugar intake on 1/2 a banana, a small clementine and a bowl of oatmeal!! Is this right!? Is my sugar allowance of 30g too small or should I just not be worried because theyre naturally occuring sugars?

Also I dont know how I keep managing to go over my vitamin A & C by 150% nearly every day! Again - is that so bad? Is anyone else having these problems?

Thanks for your help,

Sophie.

Amarillo_NDN

Welcome to MFP, it is a great tool to help you.

Kminor67

I find that the sugar levels are ridiculously low on this site. For that reason, I don't track sugar. I try to restrict refined/added sugars, but realistically fruits and veggies contain sugar. I track Calories, Fat, Calcium, Fiber, Protein, and Sodium.

ganesha303

The RDA minimum values for vitamins are WAY low. Going over on them is good. You have to take a lot of Vitamin C to overdose. I take 2000 mg per day, and know people who take much more. Vitamin A can be overdosed on. As an adult you do not want to take more than 20,000 IU's per day.

I also would not sweat natural sugars from fruit if you are under your calorie goal. They are not the same as refined sugars, but MFP treats them the same.

LMP2012

Welcome to MFP! I started out that way, and I have cut out a lot of my sugar. I am replacing carbs with protein, and I feel a lot better. A normal snack for me now is a muscle milk light (no sugar), small apple & 1 oz nuts. I am also trying to eat gluten free, which is actually easier than I thought it would be. And it helps control the sugar a lot. I would not be concerned with the vitamin overages, but watch the fat & sugar....Remember, it is a journey~

SCC88

Thanks for the tips guys and nice welcoming comments.
I'll stick to avoiding foods and drinks with added sugar and worry less about about fruits that might knock my sugar-gram allowance out!

After all ... eating an apple when I'm craving a chocolate bar is always going to be better !!
Can't wait for my first weigh-in tomorrow! WOOHOO! :happy:

CraftyGirl4

Hi there! I've been using myfitnesspal for a fortnight now and I'm actually enjoying entering my foods in every day and finishing logging at the end of the day.

One thing though, although I manage to stay well within my calories and WELL UNDER my fat, my sugar, vitamin A & C are always over!?

By lunch time I had blown my sugar intake on 1/2 a banana, a small clementine and a bowl of oatmeal!! Is this right!? Is my sugar allowance of 30g too small or should I just not be worried because theyre naturally occuring sugars?

Also I dont know how I keep managing to go over my vitamin A & C by 150% nearly every day! Again - is that so bad? Is anyone else having these problems?

Thanks for your help,

Sophie.

First of all, welcome! :-) I hope this site helps you meet your goals.

Don't be concerned going over on your Vitamin C. It's a water soluable vitamin that once your body reaches the maximum tolerable limit for the day, you'll just pee the rest out. It's not harmful at all.

Vitamin A, as someone mentioned previously, can build up and become dangerous if you're not careful. This is a fat soluable vitamin. It is stored in the liver. Do you know what source this is coming from? There is retinol (pre-formed vitamin A) and beta carotone (found in carrots, for instance -- makes them orange). Retinol is generally considered the dangerous type of Vitamin A because your body so readily absorbes it. Beta carotene is a precursor to Vitamin A actually, so it's much harder to overdose on. Try to get as much of your vitamin A from beta carotene as possible. The only harm that eating too much carrots will do to you is make your skin turn orange (when your liver becomes overloaded with Vitmain A from beta carotene, it starts to show in your skin). It goes away if you stop eating so much of it. :-)

SCC88

Hi!
I've checked my diary, and you're correct!
Every day that I have gone over my limit of vitamin A, are the days when I put carrots together with my dinner! The info states that one portion of carrots is 120% of vitamin A! How strange!
I'll try and swop the carrots for another vegetable from now on - although turning orange doesnt sound so bad seeing as I'm as white as a ghost LOL

Thanks for that handy info ;-)

Sophie

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