How the heck do I eat as little sugar as MFP tells me to?

tisane42

I allow myself a relatively high number of carbs from what I've seen: I leave my MFP at the recommended 55%. And still I have a really difficult time eating the amount of sugar that the plan says I should.

I've had a lot of success with using whole milk in my coffee and cereal...the extra fat helps me feel satisfied and I don't need to put sugar in my coffee. For cereal, I eat granola, and try to find less sweetened versions, but that's annoying.

(My diary is open, though I took some days off while I was sick and started logging again only yesterday ...and kept snarfing peanut butter cups post-workout yesterday. So today is more typical.)

I'm vegetarian and need to limit soy due to hypothyroid, which adds some challenges. I feel like I've cut way down on sugar, since I'm not getting spikes like I used to before I changed my diet.

I feel okay, but that big red negative every day makes me feel like I've failed somehow.

berumotto

I have the same problem. I would have days when I would be very much under my goal, but yet still surpassing my sugar limit, sometimes by more than twice as much! I've NEVER had a day when I went under my sugar limit.

CkepiJinx

My sugar is always over, it is really to low on here, I don't worry about it.

AddieOverhaul

I go over every day too. Sometimes just on fruit and a granola bar. I think their suggestion is unrealistic for most people.

BarbellBlondieRuns

Ignore MFP. I just try to make smart choices and stay within my calorie allowance. I exercise regularly (but not crazy hard). In the last 6 months I have lost 50 pounds, putting me pretty close to my goal weight, and making me feel healthier and more fit than ever.

spangey13

If I have a banana and a coffee with skim milk I'm over my sugar. Its a joke and I ignore it.

DopeItUp

Do you have a specific reason for limiting sugar? If not I wouldn't sweat it.

girlnamedlee

I just try to be aware of where my sugar is coming from. I've been over the mfp limit by 10am because I ate a nonfat yogurt & a piece of fruit.

CrimsonDiva7

I try to stay under 40 g a day (closer to 30 g on a good day). I use it as a challenge plus I've heard you can reduce your midsection by reducing sugar.

Debbe2

If you're not diabetic you can always stop tracking sugar. Watch that your carbs stay reasonable without restricting them and you should be good.

jekissa729

I've been doing this for over 60 days and have gone over on my sugar every. single. day. I'm allotted 26 g of sugar, which is hardly any. I think you would probably have to eat lettuce and protein all day to stay under that.

DebbieLyn63

I set my max for 25g a day and usually don't have a problem staying under. Don't know what MFP says you should eat. But I just don't eat sugar. It makes me crave more. Fruit juice is horribly high in sugar. I usually have 1 serving of fruit a day. Apples and strawberries are low in sugar. Sugar causes inflammation in my body, so my pain levels are so much lower without it. That is motivation enough for me to not eat it. At first it was a bit hard to give up, but now I don't miss it at all.

tisane42

Do you have a specific reason for limiting sugar? If not I wouldn't sweat it.

I have a really strong family history of diabetes, so I'm better off eating less. "Less" is kind of relative, though. I used to eat a lot more than I do now, and I feel a lot better now.

I set my max for 25g a day and usually don't have a problem staying under. Don't know what MFP says you should eat. But I just don't eat sugar. It makes me crave more. Fruit juice is horribly high in sugar.

For my carb/calorie level it's 38g. Drinking one glass of orange juice shoots that to hell. But lactose counts as sugar, too, so a glass of milk will wreck sugar counts.

FitGirl329

I eat practically no added sugar at all. I get sugar from berries, some whole grains and the occasional dairy. I'm always over. I know I eat healthy so I've stopped worrying about it.

onyxgirl17

I don't track sugar... and as long as I make sure I do not overdo the sugary beverages I'm just fine...

sarahslim100

Ive only gone under one day-the day i had no fruit. And thats not healthy. Ignore mfp. Listen to websites like the mayo clinic instead

DebbieLyn63

Do you have a specific reason for limiting sugar? If not I wouldn't sweat it.

I have a really strong family history of diabetes, so I'm better off eating less. "Less" is kind of relative, though. I used to eat a lot more than I do now, and I feel a lot better now.

I set my max for 25g a day and usually don't have a problem staying under. Don't know what MFP says you should eat. But I just don't eat sugar. It makes me crave more. Fruit juice is horribly high in sugar.

For my carb/calorie level it's 38g. Drinking one glass of orange juice shoots that to hell. But lactose counts as sugar, too, so a glass of milk will wreck sugar counts.

My mom passed away this summer from Diabetes, so I understand that motivation completely. It is a horrible, slow painful death. Don't worry so much about the sugar in dairy and whole fruits, as they can use your whole days allowance. The sugar you need to really watch is the ones without fiber or protein. Juices are terrible, they take all the fiber out of the fruit and leave you with pure sugar that spikes your blood sugar quickly and makes you crave more. Stick to whole fruits in natural state. Look for hidden sugars in spaggetti sauce, etc. There are plenty brands out there that have no 'added sugar'. Breads and other simple carbs not only have sugar added to them many times, but the processed flour in them turns into sugar immediately in your body and will spike your blood sugar just like eating a spoonful of granulated sugar. You body treats them the same. If you are going to eat breads and pastas, make sure they have a high fiber content. Read the labels, not just the 'healthy' words on the package. Wheat bread has the same fiber as white bread and usually has even more sugar. Look for WHOLE grains. The higher the fiber content, the better. The fiber slows down the breakdown of carbs into sugar, giving your pancreas time to make and release the insulin needed to counteract the sugar. You will stay fuller longer and you won't have the cravings and binges that simple carbs can bring on.
I don't eat things with plain sugar in them, however, I do eat Atkins bars for breakfast or a snack. I know they are processed food, contain fake sweetners and sugar alcohols, so they aren't exactly 'clean' eating, but for me, they help me keep my protein and fiber higher, and they also give me the chance to eat something sweet and chocolatey so I don't feel like I am 'deprived'. I am able to not go overboard on them, but for some people, they feel too much like eating candy bars and are triggers for them. For me, they work, and help keep me on track. I eat pretty cleanly other than that.

Myself, I have cut out all breads, pastas, and grains, and get all my carbs from non starchy vegs. It was a little hard for the first few days, but once the carbs are out of your system, you feel great and the weight comes off pretty steadily. I don't have the water fluctuations like I had before either. My arthritis pain level is so much better on low carb. I try to 'net' around 50g carbs a day, and have an additional 25g of fiber. Watching my fiber and carb totals, I automatically stay under my sugar goal and don't need to even worry about it now.

Feel free to add me if you like and you can check out my diary. Now, you will see I had a mini Heath bar and a bag of kettle corn from my son's halloween bag last night, and that put me a few grams over, but that was the first real chocolate I have had in 2 months and it was a very tasty 38 cals. But I won't have any more.

You won't make drastic changes over night, but if you continue to tweak here and there, you can get your sugar lower without too much pain.

Koldnomore

If you want to drop your sugar it is not that hard - I also do 24g /day and am normally under or quite close (apart from the obvious Halloween candy binge last night)

Some things you can do include:

Find alternatives to regular milk - I use unsweetened Almond milk but there are other options out there.
Limit yourself to 1 serving of fruits a day (low sugar ones like berries)
Don't eat granola or other 'bars' unless you have very low sugar that day anyway.
Snack on high protein things instead of fruits and carbs - I have boiled eggs as snacks but any other protein is good too.
Don't eat 'cereal' unless it's things like 'shredded wheat' that has no sugar anyway.
Cut out ketchup and other sauces
Drink nothing but water and black coffee/tea

Some people use artificial sweeteners - I don't believe in those either so YMMV.

tisane42

If you want to drop your sugar it is not that hard - I also do 24g /day and am normally under or quite close (apart from the obvious Halloween candy binge last night)

Some things you can do include:

Find alternatives to regular milk - I use unsweetened Almond milk but there are other options out there.
Limit yourself to 1 serving of fruits a day (low sugar ones like berries)
Don't eat granola or other 'bars' unless you have very low sugar that day anyway.
Snack on high protein things instead of fruits and carbs - I have boiled eggs as snacks but any other protein is good too.
Don't eat 'cereal' unless it's things like 'shredded wheat' that has no sugar anyway.
Cut out ketchup and other sauces
Drink nothing but water and black coffee/tea

Some people use artificial sweeteners - I don't believe in those either so YMMV.

All of those things sound like torture to me. :laugh: Maybe just because I hate boiled eggs.

citizencrp

1. remove the sugar from the macros that you watch.
2. Pay extra attention to your carbs.
3. Try to eat under your carb allowance by a little and increase your protein by a little.
4. Try to make most of your carbs come from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

This is what I did, I'm no wiz but I'm losing weight, my blood sugars are making my doctor happy and I don't see the red negative numbers.

Shaybug

I agree, worrying about every gram of sugar isn't exactly necessary if you are making a point to balance your daily choices with proper protein, fat, and fiber intake.

That 1-2 glasses of OJ a day is where it looks like you are getting the most sugar bombs in your day. Whole fruit would at least give you the fiber to go along with some of the sugar. I wouldn't worry about the milk sugar as much since you are getting protein, calcium, vit D etc. Oatmeal instead of granola would be helpful as well.

Just a few small changes might be enough to make that red number look a lot less daunting.

cindl24

Hi. I started doing this diet because I was pre-diabetic, knocking on the door to diabetes and it completely freaked me out. I thought giving up sugar would be really hard, because I am a confirmed sugar-holic. I love my sweets!

I eliminated almost all regular sugar from my diet and went low-carb. I make my own almond butter (peanutbutter, but with almonds instead) and that has some honey, but very little. I also give myself a single serving of reddi whip on deserts because it has fewer calories and carbs than the artificial Cool Whip. Other than that, the only sugar in my diet is from fruit.

You would be amazed at how many things have added sugar to them. Sandwich meat, for example, often has added sugar to it. It took me a while to find carb-free and sugar free foods. That being said, with 99 percent of the sugar in my diet coming from fruit and that which occurs naturally in unprocessed foods, I still go over my daily sugar allowance on MFP. I really just don't worry about it. The diet and weightloss have been successful, by the way. I had my A1C levels checked recently and it was down to 5.1, which means it is normal and I'm no longer pre-diabetic. Yes!

tmauck4472

Processed foods have a lot of sugar in them, you can get yogurt that doesn't have as much sugar in it. I eat yogurt but mine has half the sugar in it than you get. Before you purchase stuff look at the sugar content. I go over my sugar a lot too but it's done with fruits mostly, so I don't worry to much. Start making your own foods, quit buying the processed foods. If your food has natural sugar in it then it's better than the processed sugars.

jmzz1

1. remove the sugar from the macros that you watch.
2. Pay extra attention to your carbs.
3. Try to eat under your carb allowance by a little and increase your protein by a little.
4. Try to make most of your carbs come from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

This is what I did, I'm no wiz but I'm losing weight, my blood sugars are making my doctor happy and I don't see the red negative numbers.

whole grains contains a good number of carbs and they usually exceed my carb to more than 150 gm per day if i have 3 servings of carbs.........is it a healthy carb or is it alright to have carb from whole grains since they are healthy?

MontaukGirl1973

I have the same problem with the thyroid! I have no problem with the sugar and the carbs... I eat so many vegetables and reduced the fruits and cerials... Give it a tryl :ohwell:

MontaukGirl1973

Thank you for posting. I am doing the same thing and have had success as well.

like_milk

MFP sets my sugar intake to 30g. In the UK the recommended amount of sugar is 90g and since I fail at being under on the MFP one I like to attempt to be under 90g instead.

jmzz1

bump

DebbieLyn63

1. remove the sugar from the macros that you watch.
2. Pay extra attention to your carbs.
3. Try to eat under your carb allowance by a little and increase your protein by a little.
4. Try to make most of your carbs come from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

This is what I did, I'm no wiz but I'm losing weight, my blood sugars are making my doctor happy and I don't see the red negative numbers.

whole grains contains a good number of carbs and they usually exceed my carb to more than 150 gm per day if i have 3 servings of carbs.........is it a healthy carb or is it alright to have carb from whole grains since they are healthy?

Look at the fiber content. If something has 48g of carb, but only 2 g fiber, its not that healthy, even if it says Whole grains. That doesn't tell you how MANY whole grains are used. If it says 100% Whole grain, then it should have a lot more fiber. I try to stay with foods that have 1/2 of their carbs as fiber. This generally leaves me with non starchy veggies and some products that have fiber added to them, i.e. Mission Carb Balance tortillas. A medium tortilla only has 6 NET carbs after you subtract the fiber. For other people I would suggest having fiber make up at least 25% of the total carb if they can.

Protein mixed with the carbs also helps slow the breakdown into sugar, so dairy products are better, even tho they have a higher sugar content, than something with only a high sugar/carb count.
If you shoot for getting in 20-25 g of Fiber every day, you will find yourself looking for healthier carbs.
I limit myself to lower carbs for health reasons, but not everyone needs to go as low as I do. 100-150 g p/day is still fairly low, and many people are fine with 200 or more per day, especially if they work out a lot.
Fiber is the key!

dillydally123

turn off the notification! if you know you're eating as little processed food as possible then that's fine. don't let it bring you down you're doing great!

748marie

I agree. even if you have a couple of apple you could go over lol. I stay away from junky sugar eat fruits and If I go over I just let it go. Especially If I am l;osing weight anyway!