Added sugar vs. naturally occurring sugar

fmbomzo
fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
edited December 16 in Food and Nutrition
I am doing pretty well at managing my caloric intake. However, someone advised me that if my sugar intake is over the daily limit, my weight loss can still be stalled by that.

When monitoring sugar intake, should fruit sugars and dairy sugars be taken into account in the daily limit? I read an article that says women should aim for 24g or less of sugar daily. But I drink kefir and eat yogurt daily and one of those can easily approach that limit.

Replies

  • jamaicanlady
    jamaicanlady Posts: 878 Member
    I don't know the answer to this, but I do what works for me: I eat lots of fruits so I tend to subtract that from the total sugar MFP shows me to see if I'm over or under my sugar intake. Like I said, not sure if this is the right thing for everyone, but it works for me.
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    I don't know the answer to this, but I do what works for me: I eat lots of fruits so I tend to subtract that from the total sugar MFP shows me to see if I'm over or under my sugar intake. Like I said, not sure if this is the right thing for everyone, but it works for me.

    I think that's what I'll do -- subtract the dairy and fruit sugars if the products don't have added sugar before determining if I'm over/under on sugar intake. The probiotics in the kefir and yogurt really help keep tummy bloat away.

    Thanks for the response!
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    bump
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Sugar is sugar no matter if its added or natural, your body will process it the same way. Anything you eat with sugar should be included in your count.

    That being said, generally speaking if one day your sugar is over but your fat is below then it kinda breaks even since sugar tends to be turned into fat if not burned off. So if you think you are gonna go over your sugar one day just eat foods low in fat to balance it out. It's worked for me.
  • amsparky
    amsparky Posts: 825 Member
    It's funny you asked this - I was just looking into this. I eat a bunch of fruit and I don't feel like is a bad thing, but on the flip side sugar is sugar as far as the bod is concerned. I'm going to try limiting fruit to no more than 5 servings a day, but at night when I want to munch on something, I'm not going to feel bad about eating an orange or pear, you know?

    If you eat a bunch of processed foods, that will add a lot of hidden sugars. I figure as long as most of it is natural, I'm ok! :)

    Good luck!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I am doing pretty well at managing my caloric intake. However, someone advised me that if my sugar intake is over the daily limit, my weight loss can still be stalled by that.

    When monitoring sugar intake, should fruit sugars and dairy sugars be taken into account in the daily limit? I read an article that says women should aim for 24g or less of sugar daily. But I drink kefir and eat yogurt daily and one of those can easily approach that limit.

    Someone lied to you then, see;

    Metabolic and behavioral effects of a high-sucrose diet during weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Apr;65(4):908-15.

    http://www.ajcn.org/content/65/4/908.full.pdf+html
  • You really need to browse the following and definitely read his two books. It will open your eyes to the impact of sugar to wit fructose in your diet.

    http://www.howmuchsugar.com/
  • freesej
    freesej Posts: 4
    while it's true that "sugar is sugar" it is defferent when comming from a natural source. When you eat an apple you are getting all the sugars in it but it is also in the presence on all the fibers provided by nature to break down with it. these thisng create more of a balance in you digestion then if you are consuming sugar as something added. This is different than the foods that advertise things naturally sweetened with apple or grape concentrates. In those cases it is pretty much only the sugar you are recieving from these fruits and none of the benificial elements. I don't know an exact formula to calculate for you. I do count my fruit when i count my sugar, but as long as I get if from the right sources it doesn't seem to work as negativly for me. I am less restrictive if it comes from a fresh piece of fruit full of fiber, vitamines, and antioxidents. Each persons body is different though.
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    Thanks for information, especially the article links.
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