Sugar count

lbeasey

I am allowed 36 g sugar when I exercise...but I go over every day. It wouldn't bother me if I was eating crap everyday but I am not. I eat fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat et. al. I rarely have a cookie or candy. Any suggestions on what to do to stay under my sugar level?
Thanks,
Lori

deb_rn

I was trying to research that topic today as well...seems our allowance is rather low? I also end up with too much sugar every day, mostly d/t Greek yogurt and fresh fruit, both of which are good for me!

kmcgill20

It's amazing how much sugar is in fruits, especailly banans and grapes. A medium banan can have 15 gr. Try reducing some of those and see what happens. Sugar is in milk too even skim milk.:flowerforyou:

Kassielin13

You can go into your diary settings and change your sugar allowance to whatever you feel would be best for your body!

anacsitham5

As my nutritionalist told me....Sugar is Sugar regardless of its source. I limit my fruits to one piece a day and don't drink any juice at all. The veggies aren't quite so bad. Try logging what you are going to eat for the day before you eat it. If it will put you over you can choose something else instead. Don't log after you eat...it's sort of pointless. Its sort of like not knowing whats in your bank account and writing checks, then checking to see if you have enough money to cover them. Too late....

When you are checking labels at the store check that calories, fat and sugars. Sodium if you have blood pressure (luckily mine is too low) so I don't worry about the sodium. Some low fat food is loaded with sugar and should be avoided! If you need to sweeten a drink or food use Stevia. Stay away from Spenda, sweet n low, equal, etc... they are aspartame or suclarose, which is chemically altered.

Good luck.

jmseeman

If you are eating good foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, I would ignore the sugar count. The guidance on MFP is generic, but cannot really account for the differences between "good" and "bad" sugars. I have to believe their guidelines assume the typical diet, which is loaded with added sugars. It's the added sugars that you need to limit.

I found this helpful bit on Rodale.com:

"Naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains don't need to be avoided, and make up part of a healthy diet," says lead author Rachel K. Johnson, PhD, MPH, RD, associate provost and professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Even the occasional soda isn't a bad thing. "We're not saying that you should eliminate sugar from your diet or that you can't have sugar-sweetened foods," she says. But when you can't stay within the recommended sugar allowances, you need to make up for it with extra exercise. And rather than waste your sugar intake on sodas and other empty calories, she adds, "use it in a way that enhances the flavor and palatability of already nutritional foods like flavored yogurt or flavored milk."

Don't let the absolute number of sugar grams bother you.

AdAstra47

It's amazing how much sugar is in fruits, especailly banans and grapes. A medium banan can have 15 gr. Try reducing some of those and see what happens. Sugar is in milk too even skim milk.:flowerforyou:

This. Yes.
And watch your dairy: when they make things lowfat or nonfat, they often replace that fat with sugar. Go with full-fat yogurts and eat cheeses instead of drinking milk. Ironically, sugar will make you gain more weight than fat, so if you have to make a choice, choose fat. Also, pay attention to the kinds of fruit you're eating: sugar content varies greatly. Berries are usually better than larger, starchy fruits. And avoid juices as well.

Good luck!

lbeasey

If you are eating good foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, I would ignore the sugar count. The guidance on MFP is generic, but cannot really account for the differences between "good" and "bad" sugars. I have to believe their guidelines assume the typical diet, which is loaded with added sugars. It's the added sugars that you need to limit.

I found this helpful bit on Rodale.com:

"Naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains don't need to be avoided, and make up part of a healthy diet," says lead author Rachel K. Johnson, PhD, MPH, RD, associate provost and professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Even the occasional soda isn't a bad thing. "We're not saying that you should eliminate sugar from your diet or that you can't have sugar-sweetened foods," she says. But when you can't stay within the recommended sugar allowances, you need to make up for it with extra exercise. And rather than waste your sugar intake on sodas and other empty calories, she adds, "use it in a way that enhances the flavor and palatability of already nutritional foods like flavored yogurt or flavored milk."

Don't let the absolute number of sugar grams bother you.

thanks that helps me out. I do not drink juice, soda and rarely tea with a nutra-sweet so it is only WATER. Most of my sugars are coming naturally and not from junk food. Since I am losing weight I guess I am doing okay.