Eating too much sugar...Help!

meggwtw

I just added a sugar column to my food diary and I was shocked at how much sugar I'm getting every day - some days it has been about 90 grams and I'm supposed to aim for 30 grams. Is there a way I can cut back on my sugar intake without driving myself crazy? Thanks!

EDIT: So, why does MFP count natural sugars coming from milk and fruit, then? I'm freaking out, but I think if it's just from added sugar I might be OK...if anyone wants to take a peek my food diary to assess, that'd be great!

dlg1467

Take a look and see where your sugar is coming from. Is it fruit and veg? is it coming from sweets and treats?

harvo

Natural sugars are not as bad for your body as processed sugars are...

tinytasha7

You need to really be aware of what is in the food you are eating. Some sugar is better than others....often foods that are "low fat" are high sugar...read your labels. Stay away from processed food as much as possible. MAKE time to prepare your own. Then you KNOW what's in something...even then it can surprise you.

I made cookies the other day, and swapped the 1 c sugar for 3/4 c Splenda, and 1/2 c packed brown sugar to 1/2 cup loose brown sugar. I thought that would make a huge difference in the calories, and I was right. What I didn't take into account was how much of the calories were fat calories. I brought down the calories of these little wee choc chip cookies to 120 cal each...Can't imagine what they were before...don't wanna know! Now I'm working on killing as much of the fat calories as I can.

But it just goes to show you how much you really want to KNOW what's in the food you're eating. I pretty much stay away from anything processed now. It was hard, but it's worth it now.

thelovelyLIZ

First of all, the sugar amount that MFP gives you is really just supposed to be for ADDED sugar. Generally speaking, we're not supposed to consume more than 40g of added sugar a day, so that's honey you add to your tea, sugar on your cereal, or a cookie at the end of the day.

What that doesn't account for is naturally occurring sugars. Milk and dairy naturally contain lactose (a type of sugar) and fruit is also obviously rich in fructose. These things will make your sugar count look like it's off the charts, but really, there's no recommended "maximum" amount of naturally occurring sugar a day. Back when I was logging, my rule was to try and keep my sugar intake under 100g a day, and make sure the vast majority of it was from fruit, dairy, etc. It's good to track your sugar, but don't take what MFP gives you as law, as it's much more complicated than that.

20tulipgirl20

Processed sugar like Skittles would not be good, but natural sugars coming from fruit and veggies I think are ok... I am addicted to sugar( of the bad, evil kind)

skinnybitchbarbie27

I had the same problem and then I started looking at the sugars in everything. One thing I unfortunatly cut out is any kind of flavored yogurt.( but to be honest I do not miss it) They have just processed sugar (and some have fruit as well) and some yogurts have topped 30G of sugar. I started making my own. I get a plain greek yogurt *which is gross to me on it's own* and gently blend a half a banana or somthing into it. That way I know there isn't a bunch of granulated sugar added and my sugars are coming from fruit. Concidering I can't see your diet, Also look for any drinks that you buy out of the home. Even picking up a green tea from a bottle can have hidden sugar in it. Have you thought about opening your diary for us to pick through?

deb3129

I am way over on sugar every day, but it comes from fruits and veggies, so I don't worry about it. If yours is from natural sources, I would not worry about it either. But if it is from stuff with added sugar then you probably should try to cut back

jrsey86

I had the same concern, so I did some research. From what I read, natural sugars (like those in fruits and vegetables) are absolutely fine. However, if you're taking in over 26g of refined/added sugars, then that's a problem. Unfortunately, MFP doesn't distinguish between natural and added sugars. Evaluate what you're eating and go from there. Don't panic.

XtyAnn17

Thats why i took the sugar column off lol

Narla444

I was wondering the same thing! I'm a bit of a sugar/chocolate fiend, but even on the days I behave myself my sugar was really high. I was replacing candy with fruit so I guess that would explain it. I guess I'll just try to ignore the sugars.. unless that candy habit starts back up!

Koldnomore

I just added a sugar column to my food diary and I was shocked at how much sugar I'm getting every day - some days it has been about 90 grams and I'm supposed to aim for 30 grams. Is there a way I can cut back on my sugar intake without driving myself crazy? Thanks!

Easy peasy.. From your diary:

1. Limit fruit to no more than 1 per day (try to keep to the lower sugar ones, berries are not bad, banana will kick your *kitten*)
2. Stop drinking calories - water and tea/coffee (as long as its plain)
3. Keep to green veggies (carrot, sweet potato, corn..all HIGH sugar - carrots are my bane right now) cucumber & celery are great 'crunchy' snacks.
4. Get rid of the 'sweetened fruity' yogurts. Switch to Plain Greek yogurt and add berries for a little sweetness or use it with your protein powder.
5. Avoid anything in 'packages' (same as with sodium) try to make all your own meals at home if you can.
6. Try to avoid 'sauces' and dressings that aren't oil based
7. Don't add honey, brown sugar, ketchup, syrup etc to food.

For you, it's the fruits that are putting you way up there. You will get different views on fruit sugar vs added sugar. To me sugar is sugar and ALL sugar contributes to craving MORE sugar so cutting as much as you can is a great way to stop the cravings. If you want more idea check my diary - on a 'normal day' I manage between 30-40.

meggwtw

Awesome tips, thanks Koldriana!