Sugar, Sugar, Sugar

iuew

good thread.

azazelrabbit

Pour some sugar on me.

I approve of this.

carrie_eggo

Very good explanation! :drinker:

I always say Sugar = Carbs, and I already track those. No need to track it twice. Don't sweat the small stuff. Get adequate protein and fat, eat at a deficit (if fat loss is your goal), and the rest will follow. Diabetics don't even monitor sugar in grams, they monitor their carbs.

sweet_lotus

Is eating too much fruit bad for you though?!?! I don't want to over do it?!?!

Eating a lot of fruit is fine. Fruits are full of good stuff - fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. It's becoming more scientifically accepted that it's better to get this stuff from food than supplements, so, eat as much fruit as you like.

However, fruit don't have much in the way of protein or good fats, though, so it's best to balance out your meals to include different micro- and macro-nutrients.

UponThisRock

Is eating too much fruit bad for you though?!?! I don't want to over do it?!?!

Eating a lot of fruit is fine. Fruits are full of good stuff - fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. It's becoming more scientifically accepted that it's better to get this stuff from food than supplements, so, eat as much fruit as you like.

However, fruit don't have much in the way of protein or good fats, though, so it's best to balance out your meals to include different micro- and macro-nutrients.

This. If you diet has a reasonable amount of balance and you're controlling your calories, it's nothing to worry about. Don't miss the forest for the trees.

Sublog

Bump for night folks.

taylorannedickson

Hopefully this clears up some of the confusion.

It probably won't.

Thanks for the admirable effort, but I'm sure it won't. This wouldn't be myfitnesspal without the daily posts about "Should I eat my exercise calories?" and "Why I am not losing five pounds a week when I only eat 1200 calories and work out for three hours a day??" and "Should I worry when my sugar is high from eating fruit???"

LOL my thoughts exactly

Why should it matter how many times these questions are asked? They are legitimate questions and for new people starting out, such as myself, completely valid.

This is supposed to be a place where people can come together and support one another. We shouldn't be making others feel stupid for asking questions that may contribute to their weight loss journey.

InTheInbetween

Bumping this cause I had the question but rather than ask it on the forum where it's been asked a million times I did a SEARCH and this came up. It answered what I needed!

Cheers to you for posting :drinker:
Cheers to me for searching :bigsmile:

shellsrenee01

What a great thread! I'm glad I searched for it. I am over my sugar level on a daily basis...by a LOT! And I was wondering if it made a difference. Now, my sugar isn't coming from fruits (not on most days, anyway). It is coming from soda, which is a whole other issue I need to work out about my eating habits. But this thread helped to calm my worries about the menacing RED number on my food diary for sugar. Thanks! :drinker: (Yes, that is soda in my glass... )

mexy04

A lot of people seem to be confused about their sugar intake. They're worried about going over the MFP allotted sugar intake, and people seem to agree that it's ok as long as it's "fruit sugar."

First of all, sugar is sugar. It ALL turns to glucose in the body to be used as energy. In fact, ALL CARBOHYDRATES turn to glucose to be used by the body. The only thing that's different is the speed with which the energy is available (some people will argue that it's the speed that makes a difference, I'm not having that debate now).

So what is "fruit sugar?" Fruits contain 2 types of sugars. They are roughly half fructose and half glucose. It's actually not much different than common table sugar, which is also half fructose and half glucose. The only difference is that with table sugar the molecules are joined by a chemical bond, making it a disaccharide, rather than a simple sugar. Here's a good picture of what I'm talking about:



(Side note: the much maligned "high fructose corn syrup" is actually just 55% fructose rather than the 50-50 split you see in an apple. Some people think this means it makes your balls fall off or something).

My point? No matter what kind of sugar you're eating, it's all very, very similar in chemical structure. No matter the type, it won't make a difference in your weight loss, as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Of course, there are certain people, like diabetics, that have medical issues that cause their bodies to not process sugar properly, I'm obviously not talking about them

The reason you might want to limit processed sugars is that it typically part of a food that isn't nutrient dense, which could leave your diet devoid of certain nutrients, if you don't use moderation.

Hopefully this clears up some of the confusion.

It probably won't.

OMG My cellular biology class just kicked in when you said that. You are totally right and your deliver was excellent. Thank you

OceansForever

True

It again comes down to eating reasonable amounts of everything. I completely stopped tracking my sugar intake since I hardly ever add actual sugar and only get it in my daily sorbet snack


Edited to add that I can't see the picture

lilbpixie

Thank you so much for this post. I have been searching for the answer to "Should I worry when my sugar is high from eating fruit" Now I know :flowerforyou:

yarwell

The reason you might want to limit processed sugars is that it typically part of a food that isn't nutrient dense,

Debatable, a nice fruit pie with cream and nuts sprinkled on top springs to mind.

Watching various "bluff calling" shows of late on the TV it's clear that fruit intake is behind a lot of overeating and obesity. One lady didn't count calories from fruit because they were "healthy". Pass another 300 calorie fruit salad :-)