eating too much sugar ... but its fruit!

xoeva

I had this problem too and I contacted MFP and they told me that they still haven't figured out how to separate natural (fruit) sugar from processed sugars (almost everything else including ketchup!).
So, I just watch the portions, and make sure I also add vegetables... yummm I suddenly got a craving for pineapple .... but I have 10 lbs of Italian plumbs sitting on my kitchen table...

Momjogger

I think Strawberries are lower in sugar than many fruits, but I keep reading research that suggests eating fruit is good/does not hinder weight loss. I do not stress about natural sugar in fruit. It comes with water, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Navtendon

On food labels, anyone know why sugar is the only item that doesn't have a recommended daily intake % value, but everything else does? Alan Aragon says that the toxicity of sugar is dose dependent, so doesn't that oblige the governing bodies to put a recommended daily intake % beside the amount of sugar in a labelled food?? I'm sure someone just forgot and it's nothing to worry about..... Those fear mongering anti-sugar people can't possibly have a legitimate concern.


Regarding fruit, best to favor high antioxidant low glycemic fruit like berries and to moderate the higher glycemic fruit. Of course, fruit is important b/c of micronutrients and phytonutrients, and they are whole foods. Nature's packaging is always a better alternative to anything mankind can come up with.

Barry2513

take the sugar meter off of your macros bar, replace it with something else. You can eat as much fruit as you want. Sugar does not make you fat, fat makes you fat. I eat 200-300 grams of carbs/sugar a day. Don't worry about fruits.

http://www.30bananasaday.com/

"fat makes you fat"

Not in this lifetime.

LOL

yarwell

On food labels, anyone know why sugar is the only item that doesn't have a recommended daily intake % value, but everything else does?

In the US an RDI has not been set. The EU and Australia have 90 grams a day from memory as an upper limit. The WHO has proposed 10% of calorie intake as "free sugars" which is 50 grams at 2000 cals a day.

J72FIT

After having this problem myself and seeing tons of other posts to it most people seem to agree to just not track their sugars.

^^^This...

Track fiber instead...

J72FIT

Eat low sugar fruits such as plums or berries rather than say apples or bananas. A lot of bodybuilders don't eat fruit

This is out of context. Bodybuilders reduce their fruit consumption leading up to a competition when getting to ridiculously low body fat levels becomes a priority.

IMO, eat all fruit. Variety is the spice of life.

J72FIT

Sugar does not make you fat, fat makes you fat.

No.

Excess calories make you fat, regardless of the macro...

J72FIT

However, if your goals are for good health now and going into the future, it is best to have only 1 or 2 servings of fruit per day and the rest should come from vegetables.

Why?

J72FIT

Eating too much fruit actually CAN make you fat. With an average 2000 calorie diet you should be eating around 2 cups of fruit. Fruit has calories and sugar even if it's good for you. Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad. Try keeping your fruit servings down to 2 cups and eating around 2 1/2 cups of veggies.

No... Excess calories regardless of the macro make you fat.

jrline

How are your calories in general? I would not specifically worry about sugar if your calories are under goal.

Navtendon

On food labels, anyone know why sugar is the only item that doesn't have a recommended daily intake % value, but everything else does?

In the US an RDI has not been set. The EU and Australia have 90 grams a day from memory as an upper limit. The WHO has proposed 10% of calorie intake as "free sugars" which is 50 grams at 2000 cals a day.

Sugar has been around for decades, yet an RDI has not been set. Everything else on food labels has an RDI.
That's the smoking gun.

Navtendon

Check out the glycemic index. Some fruits have more sugar and will raise blood sugar than other fruits. The higher the glycemic index number, the more sugar and the more it raises blood sugar. For example: apples are a 38, while bananas are a 52. Just put "fruit glycemic index" into google and you should be able to find it.

Also don't think the glycemic index is to lose weight; it is a tool for diabetics to make food choices that will keep their blood sugar steady. But if you're worried about sugar, it should help.

Paying attention to glycemic index absolutely is important for weight loss!!!! It is NOT just a tool for diabetics!!!!

A low glycemic index diet alone without cheating can absolutely result in substantial weight loss, and relatively rapid dramatic weight loss at that. Even without substantial exercise.

neanderthin

Check out the glycemic index. Some fruits have more sugar and will raise blood sugar than other fruits. The higher the glycemic index number, the more sugar and the more it raises blood sugar. For example: apples are a 38, while bananas are a 52. Just put "fruit glycemic index" into google and you should be able to find it.

Also don't think the glycemic index is to lose weight; it is a tool for diabetics to make food choices that will keep their blood sugar steady. But if you're worried about sugar, it should help.

Paying attention to glycemic index absolutely is important for weight loss!!!! It is NOT just a tool for diabetics!!!!

A low glycemic index diet alone without cheating can absolutely result in substantial weight loss, and relatively rapid dramatic weight loss at that. Even without substantial exercise.

Well, no that's not true at all. Pasta is a low glycemic food, so are snickers bars.

lemurcat12

sugar and calories from fruit don't just dissapear into a black whole becasue fruit is *good* for you

How much is too much? log it all, if it's over your calorie target it IS too much for you to expect to reach the weight loss goal you want. Eating above your calorie target and sugar is a calorie provider wherever it comes from, will stop you loosing weight .

Of course, but this is why there's no need to track sugar separately. It's included in carbs and calories.

I believe the question is, absent medical problems, does it matter if you go over your sugar limit due to eating lots of fruit while still under or at your calorie goal. Of course the answer is no, it does not matter. The various recommended limits on sugar have to do with added sugar and, specifically, that eating foods that are calorie and not nutrient dense as a significant part of your diet will lead to weight gain. That's not an issue here.

Ack, responding to a post from months ago; never mind.

lemurcat12

However, if your goals are for good health now and going into the future, it is best to have only 1 or 2 servings of fruit per day and the rest should come from vegetables.

The rest what? The amount of fruit I eat doesn't affect the amount of vegetables I eat. I eat a lot of vegetables (never sure how one is supposed to count servings) all year round. In the summer I also eat lots of fruit (it's just when I tend to want it), whereas in the winter I eat some, but not nearly as much. The amount of vegetables I eat does not change. More likely I substitute fruit for starchy carbs or sometimes dairy. Lots of people probably substitute it for dessert. Seems odd to see it as interchangeable with veggies.

Oops, again--just realized these were from months ago.

Navtendon

take the sugar meter off of your macros bar, replace it with something else. You can eat as much fruit as you want. Sugar does not make you fat, fat makes you fat. I eat 200-300 grams of carbs/sugar a day. Don't worry about fruits.

http://www.30bananasaday.com/

Fat does not make you fat and NO you can't eat as much fruit as you want.

Well, I guess it depends on what your goals are. If your goals are just to watch some arbitrary number called a calorie count and exercise yourself to death to lose weight, then fine eat as much as you want.

However, if your goals are for good health now and going into the future, it is best to have only 1 or 2 servings of fruit per day and the rest should come from vegetables.

This is the most intelligent post that I have seen on this forum so far. Well done. OP you need to listen to this post. Look up primal/paleo lifestyle if you haven't already.

8sep2014

I don't track my sugar, per se, but did find that I was taking in a lot from fruit. I make a smoothie every morning and had a day's worth of fruit in it, then would have more fruit at lunch and maybe supper. My smoothie has a frozen banana, 3 cups spinach, 1 c almond milk and a cup of frozen strawberries. I cut the berries in half and added a scoop of Vega One, a plant-based protein smoothie powder. Adding that gave me the protein I needed, and allowed me to lower the sugar from the berries. I'm not paying attention to the grams, just trying to cut back where I can, which is, in my head, less work!

LeslieTSUK

Sugar once ya body can't burn it gets stored as fat, just like fat once it cant get burnt off is stored as fat, no difference.

as breakfast goes....
this is just to give you an idea of how healthy foods [supposedly healthy] can really hurt ya

milk on average per 100ml is around 5g to 6g of sugar.
kellogg's Special K® Original Cereal per 1 serving of 31g is 4g of sugar.

So that tiny breakfast is up to 10g of pure fast acting sugar.

an apple can have up to 12g of sugar for a small to medium size, up to 15g for a large apple.
1g of sugar be it added sugar or natural sugar is like having a teaspoon full.

So say 5 medium apples, 5 x 12g of sugar, 60g thats a lot of sugar to try burn up.

As a diabetic was something I had to give up to keep tight control of my levels, as they sent glucose levels through the roof, and many other fruits same way.