Calorie Explanations?

waltzie

I still new at this calorie counting thing so bear with me.

I am frequently under my caloric intake (I've read your metabolism info and am working on this) but notice that I "run out of" something like sugar, carbs or fat even though I'm still within my total number. What does that mean exactly and what can I do about the rest of the day?

For example: Today, at this moment, it is lunch and although I did pretty good on my meals, the yogurt I ate put me over the sugar numbers. I am obviously not done with my day and to say I need to eat less sugar is redundant. What I want to know is how to balance everything else out now? (Most likely, nothing I eat for dinner with my family will have 0% sugar!).

Or is it even possible to fix this now?

Dee

gibsy

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about completely avoiding any sugar at all for the rest of the day, although I definitely wouldn't eat any desserts. I would consider switiching yogurt brands if the one you're eating now has that much sugar in it. Try plain 0% greek yogurt and if that's too bland for you try a drizzle of honey or spoon it over some peaches canned in juice and not syrup. It will stil satisfy your sweet tooth but it's a much healthier way to do it. If you're used to highly sweetened things, it might take a little while for your taste buds to adjust their expectations, but I promise it does taste good!

I don't like to be too absolutely strict about the numbers, but to think of them as just an opportunity to check out what's going on in my diet, and making adjustments where needed over time, rather than trying to nail each category on the dot each day. It has shown me a few times that items I thought couldn't be all that bad were really putting me over the edge, and so I've been able to avoid those things or find replacements. (I for one used to always buy the full fat (10%!) medittereanean yogurt because it was so thick and creamy and I thought that non-fat yogurt was always so runny.... then I discovered that the non-fat greek yogurt was just as thick and satisfying, and that it gave you a whole lotta protein per-calorie to boot. I'll never look back, I love the stuff.)

Basically, just take at look at what item or ingredient is really making the difference and see if you can find another product to substitute with. Chances are, another brand might taste just as good but you just hadn't thought to look out for this before!

waltzie

Thanks Gibsy! I'll try all that. I'm not addicted to the sweet yogurt...just thought I was making a good choice. LOL Little did I realize.

I still struggle with the sugar but it seems to be coming from places I don't expect it to come from. But at least I'm more aware of it now.

Dee

mgs68pony

When I first started logging my food it was crazy how much sugar I was consuming during the day. I am now to where I no longer have to watch my sugar unless I eat a lot of fruit or desserts. I try not to stress about the sugars in fruits and veggies just the unnatural sugars.

Good Luck!

twaltemade

I still struggle with the sugar but it seems to be coming from places I don't expect it to come from. But at least I'm more aware of it now.

Dee

My sugar is usually high too, but I think using the generic term "sugar" doesn't really allow for an accurate representation of what we are eating. Below is a clip from another site...so as long as I keep my sugar sources from low Glycemic Index items (fruits and honey) and avoid table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, I don't think it's worth worrying about.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/032281_HFCS_sugar.html

THE GLYCEMIC INDEX
Glucose is released into the blood stream when the body metabolizes carbohydrates. The glycemic index (GI) is the rate at which the body processes the glucose. A high GI indicates a food that is rapidly absorbed by the body. A low GI indicates a food that is slowly absorbed and prevents spikes in blood sugar by releasing small amounts of insulin from the pancreas. In turn, your body is more likely to use the glucose as fuel, rather than store it as fat. Mass release of insulin causes a rapid drop in blood sugar, signaling hunger in the brain. This is why (controlled) diabetics use carb-counting as a method of sugar control: eating small meals every two to three hours to moderately release glucose and avoiding rapid spikes and dips in blood sugar.

Type of Sugar Glycemic Index
Artificial Sweeteners n/a
Stevia 0
Xylitol 7
Agave Nectar 15-30
Fructose 17
Brown Rice Syrup 25
Raw Honey 30
Organic Sugar 47
Turbinado 65
Raw Sugar 65
Cola 70
Corn Syrup 75
Table Sugar 80
High Fructose Corn Syrup 87
Glucose/Dextrose 100
Maltodextrin 150

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032281_HFCS_sugar.html#ixzz20phy72cD

kandrews24

It would help if we could see your dairy.

Generally it is super tough to pull it all together, but perfection isn't the goal. You might try working on one thing at a time. If you are staying within your calories, that's great. Next add exercise. Then maybe try to eat more fruits and veggies, etc. Very few of us hit all our goals, all the time.

In terms of sugar, just try to keep processed or artificial sugar in check. No worries about fruits and veggies.

Good luck!