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MyFitnessPal Community

whats your opinion on sugar?

stephyy4632

I`ve been at a weight loss stand still for awhile now (about 5months) I have just within the last month changed up my workout and lifting and now I`m thinking about cutting some or most non-natural sugars from my diet. So wanted to see what others thought of limiting sugars ( for the record I`m not talking about fruits I mean more like the sugar I add to coffee or the ocasional pop that kinda thing).

I`m 5foot 5inches bounce between 158-156 and eat around 1850 plus exercise cals

Replies

MightyDomo

Natural Sugars are good for you, refined sugars should be limited. If it's refined it usually has no real nutrition to go with it, consider it an empty calorie.

avasano

Well I think that is good. You can set a goal like 40g and try not to go over that too.

Rhonnie

Haven't done the math, but it seems like "1850 plus exercise cals" is a lot of calories for your height/weight. Perhpas you should not be eating your exercise cals.

jzammetti

Haven't done the math, but it seems like "1850 plus exercise cals" is a lot of calories for your height/weight. Perhpas you should not be eating your exercise cals.

i agree with this. 1850 seems like TDEE and with that method you do not eat back your exercise calories. Cutting sugar can have health benefits (like lack of cravings) but is not necessary unless you want to live like that forever

WendyTerry420

Sugar is pure energy. Enjoy it in smallish amounts. Use caution when measuring.

carrieous

My opinion is that added sugar should be avoided entirely and natural sugar in fruit should be monitored. There are better sources of energy than sugar (in any form)

WendyTerry420

Haven't done the math, but it seems like "1850 plus exercise cals" is a lot of calories for your height/weight. Perhpas you should not be eating your exercise cals.

Hmmm, sounds about right to me, if she's trying to lose. She's average height and not very overweight and average for women is about 2000 calories a day.

BogQueen1

What if she's a construction worker or some other fairly physically active job? Without knowing her activity level it is difficult to immediately jump on the whole 'eat less foods' bandwagon.

That being said, I weight twice as much as you, and eat 150 calories more then you without eating back exercise calories. Maybe try boosting your daily intake by a bit, but not eating any exercise calories. Like 1900 flat, no exercise calories.

Edit: because I failed to address the OP. I think sugar is mostly bad. I try and avoid it as much as humanly possibly, which can be hard seeing as how it's in just about everything on the grocery store shelves these days.

fancycupcake

I've been wondering about sugar lately, too. I have a sweet tooth, that's for sure, and everyone is always telling me how I need to eat yogurt...So i've tried alllll kinds of yogurts and the only ones that I can finish without forcing it down my own throat is the YoCrunch ones that come with a tiny amount of candy pieces. I know they're not great, and they have like 25 g of sugar in them, but they are a great snack or breakfast that keeps me surprisingly full. :ohwell: I can understand cutting out ice cream and cookies and candy bars and things...but will these yogurts with a bit of candy hurt me that much? I don't really watch my sugar but it tends to be between 50-100. I have no clue what the limit is supposed to be!

majinuni

I'm 5'5" as well, started at 145 and have lost 6 lbs in 7 weeks. I eat at 1220 cals and eat 100% of exercise cals back (I work out 5 days a week). The way I look at sugar is I subtract fruit sugars from my total daily number and with that lower number, try to stay under the MFP guidelines (which are quite low!)...don't know if this helps any. But I thought I would let you know what is working so far for me!! Sugar intake has probably been the hardest thing to control for me, I simply didn't know how much I was eating in a day before I logged. I think lowering my refined sugars has made a HUGE difference in my body shape as well as my weight.

Feel free to message or reply if you have any other questions--also, my diary is open :-)

paxbfl

Hmmm, sounds about right to me, if she's trying to lose. She's average height and not very overweight and average for women is about 2000 calories a day.

Per this calculator (which I like) using 32yo female, 65", 158lbs

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

BMR: 1430
TDEE: 1716

So I agree that 1850 plus exercise calories seems like a LOT.

I generally stay away from sugar because I find once I start eating sugar I need to eat MORE sugar. There's actually a reason for this - sugar causes your blood sugar to spike then crash. When it crashes, you crave more sugar to get your blood sugar level back up. You'll also notice energy variations - you'll have a sugar buzz with lots of energy then you'll be ready to nap when you crash. I call it the sugar roller coaster.

Simple carbs affect me the same way - white bread, pasta, etc. These convert rapidly to sugar in your bloodstream. Better to stick with complex carbs (whole wheat bread, whole grains) which are digested much more slowly.

Hope that helps!

supermodelchic

I don't consumme sugar period. nothing I use Stevia in my coffee and oatmeal. No need to have it in uyour diet at all. Does nothing for your body..

devan33

I've been wondering about sugar lately, too. I have a sweet tooth, that's for sure, and everyone is always telling me how I need to eat yogurt...So i've tried alllll kinds of yogurts and the only ones that I can finish without forcing it down my own throat is the YoCrunch ones that come with a tiny amount of candy pieces. I know they're not great, and they have like 25 g of sugar in them, but they are a great snack or breakfast that keeps me surprisingly full. :ohwell: I can understand cutting out ice cream and cookies and candy bars and things...but will these yogurts with a bit of candy hurt me that much? I don't really watch my sugar but it tends to be between 50-100. I have no clue what the limit is supposed to be!

I eat light & fit yogurt every morning. I cut up strawberries or blueberries and put in some bran flakes. I like the granola yocruch...but this is way better and with a cup of fruit and the half cup or so of bran flakes...I am filled up and it's yummy!!

I try avoid sugar all week...no candy, no cakes, no soda, juice...I do eat fruit every day and I know it is in somethings I eat, like the yogurt....but I don't add it to anything. On Saturdays I allow myself a treat...but sometimes that sugar hits me hard after not having it and can make me feel freaky!!!

stephyy4632

thank you all
I have never done my TDEE before so that info posted on here was very helpful I may try to lower my cals some as well as the sugar now and see if that helps. My 1850 was set as a suggestion on upping cals to help loose and it did work for awhile but then I stalled out. I lift 3days a week (heavy free weights) and do cardio 2/3days a week. I`m a stay at home mom 2school age girls and a 2year old boy to keep me on my toes all day. I have a fitbit ultra and a good HRM so I`m pretty sure of my cal burns

sallyaj

I'm eating less than 30 g carb per day, so sugar was the first thing to go. Stopped craving it at all after a week.

jilliew

I try to cut back on my refined sugar intake, however if the choice is between that and some sugar substitute, I'll choose refined sugar every time. I see it less as a weightloss thing and more of an addiction-managment thing. If I start eating too much food with added sugar (sweets, baking, chocolate, cookies...mmmm...coooooookies) I simply can't stop eating it.

ngyoung

It is easier said then done for many people but cutting out sugar is usually one of the easiest ways to get results, as long as you don't go and compensate with some other bad habit. The only sugar that I try to consume comes from moderate consumption of whole fruits, no juice.

magerum

Just eat it. Rely on science, not myth.

Sugar! Consumption of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup does not increase liver fat or ectopic fat deposition in muscles

http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/apnm-2012-0322

(Thanks ACG)