please dont tear me a new one... just a question...

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Replies

  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Unless you're diabetic or becoming so....probably not a huge issue.
  • martim3
    martim3 Posts: 18 Member
    I am often over in the sugar as well. I sometimes have a bucket of veggies in my day to feel like I've pigged out without going over in the calories. The high sugar days I am left with cravings. The bucket of veggie days I fall closer to the sugar goal and am left more satisfied. I'm not sure about the belly fat but I know falling off the sugar wagon will just leave me fat.
  • NatashaShen
    NatashaShen Posts: 295 Member
    I'm sorry if someone has already said this...

    I googled "slow carbs vs. fast carbs". It helped explain a lot about how your body processed different types of carbs(sugars).
  • Julicat6
    Julicat6 Posts: 231 Member
    I don't track sugar, I eat a good amount of fruit, dairy and healthy carbs, all of which were putting me over so I now track; protein, fat, carbs, and fiber. I wish MFP had it so I could track added sugar in processed food, but not naturally occuring sugars. I would like to set a limit on that kind of sugar intake, but find the naturally occuring sugar keeps me from being the Wicked Witch...(Low carb makes me plain mean:explode: ) I would just change what Macros you are tracking. I had to adjust mine as despite being on a higher carb diet by choice than many people on MFP the default settings were too low in protein and too high in carbs for me.
    Also I would recommend actually measuring and weighing portions for a few weeks, when I was still doing WW instead of MFP anytime I started to gain, it was related to getting complacent about portion sizes and eyeballing instead of measuring. I try to do a week of actually measuring most foods anytime I stall to reset my visual reference point.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i stopped tracking it because i'd have morning protein smoothies made with almond milk, gnc protein powder, frozen berries, and half a banana and would be over the goal MFP set for me.

    i think unless you're diabetic or pre-diabetic then it isnt really an issue
  • MrsDrk
    MrsDrk Posts: 153 Member
    I stopped tracking it because every piece of fruit gave me anxiety!
  • bwdcjk
    bwdcjk Posts: 96 Member
    I essentially ignore carbs/sugars and focus on the following 6:
    • Calories
    • Fat
    • Sodium
    • Protein
    • Potassium
    • Fiber
    The first 3 are ceilings and the last 3 are floors. That's worked for me, but YMMV.

    I'm sorry - what does ceilings and floors mean?
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I think it's the added sugar that is a problem, not natural sugars found in fruit and dairy products. I've read before you are not supposed to go over 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day. I am a total sugar addict and breaking the habit is HARD

    So by this rationale total sugar doesn't count if it's from natural source? And how does the body tell the difference between "added" sugar and "natural" sugar?
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
    So by this rationale total sugar doesn't count if it's from natural source? And how does the body tell the difference between "added" sugar and "natural" sugar?

    I don't think that's quite the right interpretation, no. Total sugar matters, but most dietary recommendations focus on added sugar. From what I can tell, MFP's sugar recommendations match up to "added sugar recommendations", but it's difficult to separate that out (and frankly impossible to track using the tools MFP gives us).

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/added-sugar/my00845
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I'm sorry - what does ceilings and floors mean?

    Ceilings are where the values/RDA are the max you should have and floors are when the recommended values are the minimum you should have.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I have no idea if this is true, but I've heard in the past that extra sugar can cause that bit of stubborn belly fat. So, maybe lowering your sugar intake and getting your calories from other sources like proteins could help your belly fat?

    Overeating causes fat storage. No single food source can be to blame.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I think it's the added sugar that is a problem, not natural sugars found in fruit and dairy products. I've read before you are not supposed to go over 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day. I am a total sugar addict and breaking the habit is HARD

    So by this rationale total sugar doesn't count if it's from natural source? And how does the body tell the difference between "added" sugar and "natural" sugar?

    hehe. This.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I have no idea if this is true, but I've heard in the past that extra sugar can cause that bit of stubborn belly fat. So, maybe lowering your sugar intake and getting your calories from other sources like proteins could help your belly fat?

    Overeating causes fat storage. No single food source can be to blame.

    That seems too easy....It has to be more complicated than that.
  • jasy76
    jasy76 Posts: 4 Member
    Hi is anyone else going over in protein,fat or carbs but staying under your calories? How do I avoid one or the other? which one would be better to go over if I do?
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Depends on what your macros are set at. It doesn't matter which one you go over as long as you're eating close to your calorie target each day and ~1g protein per pound of bodyweight. The rest is just a minor detail that won't have much of an impact--assuming you're not doing a fat free diet or something like that.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    So by this rationale total sugar doesn't count if it's from natural source? And how does the body tell the difference between "added" sugar and "natural" sugar?

    I don't think that's quite the right interpretation, no. Total sugar matters, but most dietary recommendations focus on added sugar. From what I can tell, MFP's sugar recommendations match up to "added sugar recommendations", but it's difficult to separate that out (and frankly impossible to track using the tools MFP gives us).

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/added-sugar/my00845

    I totally get that. That's why I think, in the absence of a health probelm like diabetes, it's a useless metric here. Just set a good overall carb goal and hit it. Now, my assumption is that there is some common sense coming into play and that most here are sensible enough to know that 6 twinkies per day is probably not a smart choice and that nutrient dense food are important for health.

    That might be a hasty assumption as I see this whole "added sugar" vs. "natural sugar" thing pop up here all the time and it's nonsensical. Sugar is sugar is sugar. If it's from fruit, it's sugar. If it's from a slice of cake, It's sugar. Parsing that just doesn't matter unless one is truly clueless enough from a nutritional point of view that they don't know an apple is healthier than a twinkie. And hey, if it fits in your macros, have a twinkie every once in a while if you want. The key phrase being "every once in a while". If one has poor self control and decision making skills, measuring sugar probably is not the probelm.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    So by this rationale total sugar doesn't count if it's from natural source? And how does the body tell the difference between "added" sugar and "natural" sugar?

    I don't think that's quite the right interpretation, no. Total sugar matters, but most dietary recommendations focus on added sugar. From what I can tell, MFP's sugar recommendations match up to "added sugar recommendations", but it's difficult to separate that out (and frankly impossible to track using the tools MFP gives us).

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/added-sugar/my00845

    I totally get that. That's why I think, in the absence of a health probelm like diabetes, it's a useless metric here. Just set a good overall carb goal and hit it. Now, my assumption is that there is some common sense coming into play and that most here are sensible enough to know that 6 twinkies per day is probably not a smart choice and that nutrient dense food are important for health.

    That might be a hasty assumption as I see this whole "added sugar" vs. "natural sugar" thing pop up here all the time and it's nonsensical. Sugar is sugar is sugar. If it's from fruit, it's sugar. If it's from a slice of cake, It's sugar. Parsing that just doesn't matter unless one is truly clueless enough from a nutritional point of view that they don't know an apple is healthier than a twinkie. And hey, if it fits in your macros, have a twinkie every once in a while if you want. The key phrase being "every once in a while". If one has poor self control and decision making skills, measuring sugar probably is not the probelm.

    Great post! :flowerforyou:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Why thank you! :flowerforyou:
  • Apellet1
    Apellet1 Posts: 14 Member
    I've noticed this on mine too! I am eating well, and the only thing I can guess is that's it's picking up the natural sugar found in fruits and such. Glad to know it's not a big focal point...that eases my mind a lot!

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