Sugar

lemontress
lemontress Posts: 21
in Food and Nutrition
So ever since I started using MFP I've kept a closer eye on specific nutrients and I've been trying to stay close to the RDA for everything, but I've noticed that almost always I go well above the recommended sugar intake. I look at it week by week, and it's almost always twice what MFP says it should be, sometimes even higher. I've been trying to keep it in check, but it's kind of difficult.
My sugar comes almost exclusively from fresh fruit and vegetables. Every now and then I'll treat myself to a granola bar, peanut butter, or sugar in my coffee or tea, but generally it all comes from produce, which makes it harder to cut down.
Since it's not refined sugar, is it still something I should worry about? Or does it make it less bad or something?
I'm not really sure what I'm trying to ask. I guess, is it significantly hindering my weight loss?

Replies

  • fablevins
    fablevins Posts: 111 Member
    I'm watching my sugar too. Maybe you could switch what kinds of fruit you eat. Grapefruit and granny apples aren't bad. If you eat your fruit earlier in the day it shouldn't impact your weight loss.
  • lemontress
    lemontress Posts: 21
    That's a good idea. I usually eat things like peaches and sweeter apples, but I did just buy a few granny smiths this morning.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I don't worry about sugar from fruits/veggies
  • cheerforsteelers
    cheerforsteelers Posts: 686 Member
    I don't worry about sugar from fruits/veggies

    This.
  • skinnynerd
    skinnynerd Posts: 110
    I don't worry about sugar from fruits/veggies

    This.

    This.
  • rcthale
    rcthale Posts: 141
    Sugar is bad if it's empty calories. Fruits are great because they have fiber and other nutrients, so they're far from empty. Even if you challenged yourself to binge on fruit, you'd be full or in the bathroom before the calories become excessive.
  • columbus27
    columbus27 Posts: 178 Member
    Fruit sugar or refined sugar it's all sugar. I watch my sugar so I don't have to do a lot of cardio.
  • wechoosenow
    wechoosenow Posts: 15
    I believe that sugars from fruits and veggies have a lower glycemic (sugar level) impact on us because fruits and vegetables are a whole food containing other nutrients and fiber to help with the absorption and digestion of these sugars.

    Having said that I also believe that we can abuse these natural sugars by consuming sweet fruits, too often and in too big of quantity. MFP has helped me be aware of the sugar load from my fruits and veggies so that I can make a better effort to make more balanced decisions.

    Does that help?? :)
  • pandabratt1
    pandabratt1 Posts: 36 Member
    The FDA has not decided on a daily value for sugar, this is because it does not differentiate between natural and refined sugars. I personally do not count sugars from produce. I noticed that MFP doesn't account for the value of the sugar that is coming from fruits and veggies in its RDA, so it makes it look bad even though you should still be getting your 3 to 5 a day.

    You might consider doing a custom goal in MFP to counterbalance the sugars you are getting from your fruits, so that it doesn't look like you're going over all the time unless you actually have that refined sugar in your tea and whatnot. Just look at your averages on your healthy days and weeks and add another 10g of sugar to that, and then try your best to stay below. The benefit is you won't be stressing about it as often. Stress makes you gain weight...

    Fruit has fiber, which is proven to aid in weight loss. High fiber low fat diets have been very successful for a large number of people, and fruit is a popular focus in those diets.

    Another side note is that in weight watchers fruits count as no points to encourage people to eat as much fruit as they can since it is so good for you.

    Hope this helps!
  • RKAY89
    RKAY89 Posts: 45
    This is exactly what I was goin to ask about! The Guideline Daily allowance for sugar is 90g and for carbs is 270g, which is about 33% of it.. I intake about 160g carbs, which would leave me with 53g sugar for the day judging on the 33% theory.. The sugar that I intake in a day is only from fruits/veg.. but I've been told to stay away from fruit because of its high sugar content.... what do you guys think?
  • lemontress
    lemontress Posts: 21
    Maybe I should have mentioned that MFP had my sugar allowance at 24g.

    I was just planning out my meals for tomorrow and saw that I was already over the sugar just from a tomato (5g) a cucumber (5g) and a granny smith apple (16g). So when I look at it that way, it does seem like the goal was way too restricting.

    I changed my goal to 55g (1/3 of my carbs). Does this seem more reasonable?
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    For me, blood sugar spikes were an issue. So I watch it no matter what the source. Sure, eating fruit is going to give you the vitamins and minerals... but sugar is sugar. Plain and simple. I don't think sugar necessarily hinders weight loss in the average person, it's about calories in vs. calories out. But if you notice irritability, moodiness, etc. and it's related to your sugar intake... that's really when you should be concerned about your sugar intake. Otherwise, don't obsess over sugar in a candy bar vs. sugar in a peach... complex carbs will allow for a slower release or whatever into the bloodstream, so that's another benefit, along with extra vitamins & minerals. Hope this makes sense.

    When I first started MFP (under another name) I jumped all over the pop-tarts, ice-cream, sugar bandwagon because I was lifting weights, lol... and I did Intermittent Fasting as well. But what I didn't know and what no one seemed to tell me was that my extreme moodiness, irritability and even anger issues were arising from the blood sugar havoc I was causing by indulging mindlessly in all the sugar.

    I figured it out the hard way.

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