Sugars?

TaraJ16

i noticed that we have the option of seeing our sugars just like carbs and fat ect.

i've never taken that into account before because i didn't realize it until now.

so my question is: if i go over on that how much is that going to affect my weightloss? or is it not that big of a deal?

i didn't think it was super important if it wasn't one of the main things mfp tracked

TaraJ16

i noticed that we have the option of seeing our sugars just like carbs and fat ect.

i've never taken that into account before because i didn't realize it until now.

so my question is: if i go over on that how much is that going to affect my weightloss? or is it not that big of a deal?

i didn't think it was super important if it wasn't one of the main things mfp tracked

MTGirl

Most people go over a little - if you eat fruits and drink milk. Generally not a problem that I've noticed, as long as it's not Snickers or Milky Ways :laugh: Or a lot of junk.

Dave198lbs

Most people go over a little - if you eat fruits and drink milk. Generally not a problem that I've noticed, as long as it's not Snickers or Milky Ways :laugh: Or a lot of junk.

my thoughts also

watch the labels if you eat yogurt also
some has only 7 g some has 35g

happygirl518

To answer your question, sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrates, it is recommended we have no more than 300 gms of sugar in a 2,000 calorie diet, so of coarse, with that said, the lower your calories the lower your carbs or sugar.

So best advise I can share with you is watch and count the sugar you add to a dish you are making, your cup of coffee or tea, begin reading labels.....

Sugar is digested and burned quickly which can sometimes leave you craving more, so begin cutting back slowly and you may soon see that your cravings for them will subside as well. Its so easy for those extra calories to creep into our day and if not accountable for them it can and usually does lead to weight gain.

Hope this helps you, have a wonderful day and great question.
Debbie

MTGirl

Yes Happygirl - but MFP only has the setting for sugars for the default setting for 33 grams. (or at least for mine - @1600 calorie diet) So this would be very easy to go over with just a couple of servings of fruit and/or dairy (milk or yogurt). And it counts all sugars - not just table sugar. So I guess, my opinion is going over is almost impossible to avoid just make sure they are sugars that are "healthier" i.e. fruit, dairy and be careful to read labels like Dave said - yogurt can vary widely. And try to leave out as much refined sugar as you can - which I think was your main point!

Jessamine

But are sugars from fruits better than sugars from candy and other junk foods?

I can eat an apple or a banana and EASILY use up my sugar allottment for the day - but that can't possibly be as bad as drinking a soda or eating candy.

MTGirl

But are sugars from fruits better than sugars from candy and other junk foods?

I can eat an apple or a banana and EASILY use up my sugar allottment for the day - but that can't possibly be as bad as drinking a soda or eating candy.

Now, this is just my opinion, but yes naturally occuring sugars are better than processed, refined sugars. Fructose (sugar in fruit) comes naturally with vitamins, minerals and fiber and in it's natural form is healthier. Refined sugar is used in candy bars, added to some yogurt, put in neat little cubes and packets to add to coffee, etc. and is processed much quicker by your body than fructose or lactoce (milk sugar). That said - if you like sweetner in tea or coffee, it is probably better to use sugar or raw sugar than artificial sweetner - but I still use my Splenda occassionally! I'm down to about 1 packet a week now instead of 6 - 10 a day. With my T2 diabetes I limit sugars from all sources - but that's my issue not a general need. Sorry - long winded! :laugh: Hope something in there helped!

KKluvUSC

In my opinion- it's okay so long as it's natural sugars from fruits or tomatoes for example. I go over every day. I don't drink milk or eat regular sugar, but I eat fruit (berries, grapefruits), have straight balsamic vinegar (both regular and white) on my salads, and eat tomatoes in my salads quite often. In that, there is always natural sugar. Can't avoid it. However, if you're eating cereals, snacks, candy, sauces, condiments,SODA, juice, dairy products like yogurt, etc. all may have hidden, real sugar in there in the form of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, chemical sugars (say malitol, dextrose, sucralose), etc. Even evaporated cane juice is thought of as more "healthy" for you than it really is.

Don't be fooled by supposed natural food stores either that use products containing naturally milled sugar, evaporated cane juice, beet sugar, fruit juice concentrates, etc. Sugar is sugar. If I do bake, I usually use either agave nectar (it's low on the GI), or raw honey (pure, unfiltered, unheated, etc.), or no sugar at all (banana bread I make is usually yummy and sweet enough with the natural sugars of the bananas).

I can't stress enough the juice thing either- Juice is supposedly healthy and if it's juiced right before your eyes, it can be... to an extent. But juice from Corp. giants- Tropicana (owned by Pepsi), Minute-Maid (owned by Coca Cola) remove most of the really important nutrients when they process, filter, pasteurize the juice. Don't even get me started on Ocean-Spray who uses either sugar or it's evil cousin Splenda. Even precious little Odwalla (also Coke owned) is basically just packaged sugar. Some of their juices even have sugar in them. Juices like Minute Maid are from concentrates and that's like the worst b/c it's juice sucked of all it's nutrients and basically all you have left is the sugar from the juice. Juice is many ways is probably worse than soda,.. scary thought.

If you really want to lose weight and treat your body with the respect it deserves, do what I do- become a label reader. Read every ingredient that you're putting into your body. If you don't recognize half of the names, think twice before putting those ingredients in your body. Often, things you're not familiar with, your body probably isn't either and scrambles to find a way to process it. And sometimes, it may give up, and your consuming nutrient-empty foods that are anything but empty calories.

Hope this helps! Keep up the good work! When it pays off, I know you're gonna beam from ear to ear. We all feel better about ourselves when we feel better. The physical better will affect the emotional and mental better!

terri0027

Sugars are carbohydrates so they are included in the overall carb count. However, not all carbs are created equally. Fiber and startches are also included. Starches turn into sugar in the body so they are considered sugars. Simple sugar processes quickly in the body so it impacts blood sugar levels and is easily converted to fat. This is what causes the tired slump after eating a heavy sugar snack like a candy bar. Some people report that a lower sugar intake helps with mood and sleep. People who have blood sugar issues or are diabetic, might need to track the sugar portion of the carbs. Simple sugars aren't "bad" but they should comprise the least of your overall carb count.

Your body needs carbohydrates to supply energy. 50-55% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. While they are still considered sugars, more complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products are better choices. They still provide energy but are not as easily processed by the body so they are less likely to be converted to fat.

With all that said, the problem with tracking the sugar in the food dairy is that all sugars, simple and complex, are counted as sugar.

The following articles talk about sugar intake.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=616
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/wellpage/limiting-sugar-intake