How important is sugar?

Jenada79
Jenada79 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Now please forgive me if this has been answered but how much important is sugar? I am always over the amount on my food diary. I do not drink soda or juice or booze at the minute. I do not use many dressings or condiments. I will have ice cream and chocolate but within or close to my calorie goals. So what I really want to know is how important is it to weight loss, muscle gain, general health. I am under no advice to monitor my sugar levels.

Replies

  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    It doesn't matter at all.
  • nphect
    nphect Posts: 474
    sugar is the energy we all run on. you should be getting 150-300 carb grams on average, unless your on some lo carb diet.
  • alyson513
    alyson513 Posts: 8 Member
    For me, it's really important to keep those numbers down. I try to make fruit my only real source of sugar. Sure, I'll splurge sometimes, but I find I stay on track so much better when I avoid the white devil all together.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    If your sugar is from refined sweets and garbage, then take a look and rethink some of your choices. If it's mostly from fruits (and the occasional sweet), don't worry about it.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    I try to keep my added sugars (ice cream, cakes, etc.) on the lower side, but I don't care about fruit and veggie sugars.... Soooo, I guess I'm saying they don't matter lol
  • HealthyGinny
    HealthyGinny Posts: 821 Member
    I don't think it's that important. I mean I'm always (always) over my sugar goal too and I only drink water, I don't eat cookies, I eat a lot of natural foods. I have lost 16kgs in total so far and I keep losing. I think it's important if you have health issues or sth. Otherwise, if it's good sugar (from grapes for instance), I think it's okay but I'm no doctor ;)

    Anyway, I just don't track it anymore!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Very important, like vital
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    I go a little over my sugar almost everyday and I'm still losing..I do watch how much over I am but I can figure between 10 - 30 sugars over. My grapes throw me over and yogurt throws me over so I pretty much knock off the grape ones..and I will have some sort of snack during the day so I figure the added sugars in food are the only sugars I'm worried about.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    My sugars are always high from eating several servings of fruit each day, which I find a very low-cal way to stay full. I suppose if I was hungry all the time, i would look at too much sugar and replace it with protein, but I'm all set. My overall carbs are actually low.
  • guardian419
    guardian419 Posts: 391 Member
    Glucose is absolutely required for brain and a few other vital organs to function... but you can get enough from eating a few pieces of fruit a day, after that... it's not necessary. Your body can metabolize fats you eat (triglycerides) into energy. It is less efficient than glucose/glycogen, but would you rather burn off the bread you just ate, or use the body fat you currently have stored for energy?

    It's achievable, but just like everything else, is a big difference from how people "normally" eat.
  • lucyricky2
    lucyricky2 Posts: 450 Member
    i really watch my sugars. i think it has helped me lose. i try to keep all my numbers under.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It doesn't matter at all.

    ^^^ This

    You are already tracking carbs, right?
  • 1182sheep
    1182sheep Posts: 22 Member
    I am learning that sugar matters very very much! Sugar turns to Glucose and stores as fat around the stomach very quickly. I have a large abdomen disproportionate to my hips. My doctor told me to try to eliminate all sugar and processed foods which also turn to glucose and are store around the middle very easily. She said watch out for sugar in sneaky places like ketchup and packaged foods.

    Another thing my doctor said is that using meats and salads in the same amount of calories are more apt to melt the fat around the belly.

    In addition to this, I have Fibromyalgia which Science has discovered is worsened by sugar and processed food consumption. So I think I tasted my last birthday cake.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I am learning that sugar matters very very much! Sugar turns to Glucose and stores as fat around the stomach very quickly. I have a large abdomen disproportionate to my hips. My doctor told me to try to eliminate all sugar and processed foods which also turn to glucose and are store around the middle very easily. She said watch out for sugar in sneaky places like ketchup and packaged foods.

    Another thing my doctor said is that using meats and salads in the same amount of calories are more apt to melt the fat around the belly.

    In addition to this, I have Fibromyalgia which Science has discovered is worsened by sugar and processed food consumption. So I think I tasted my last birthday cake.

    I think it might be time for you to look for a new doctor
  • T34418l3angel
    T34418l3angel Posts: 474 Member
    I am learning that sugar matters very very much! Sugar turns to Glucose and stores as fat around the stomach very quickly. I have a large abdomen disproportionate to my hips. My doctor told me to try to eliminate all sugar and processed foods which also turn to glucose and are store around the middle very easily. She said watch out for sugar in sneaky places like ketchup and packaged foods.

    Another thing my doctor said is that using meats and salads in the same amount of calories are more apt to melt the fat around the belly.

    In addition to this, I have Fibromyalgia which Science has discovered is worsened by sugar and processed food consumption. So I think I tasted my last birthday cake.

    I think it might be time for you to look for a new doctor

    This^ yes I am a low Carber but I agree with him, nobody should advise you to ELIMINATE sugar and carbs, lower them fine, but cut them out completely? no.
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    I'm giving up my sugars totally -- SAID NOBODY EVER
  • april522
    april522 Posts: 388 Member
    I try to keep my added sugars (ice cream, cakes, etc.) on the lower side, but I don't care about fruit and veggie sugars.... Soooo, I guess I'm saying they don't matter lol
    ^^This!
  • HMToomey
    HMToomey Posts: 276
    I don't even track it. I track Potassium, iron, fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    what matters is if you are doing better now, than you were before.
    (I'm a big fan of small sustainable changes... rather than changing everything at once pick a few things to improve after a while they become habit. Then change a few more things and so on and so on.)

    I may not be meeting MFP standards, but...
    1) I'm eating less food than I was before
    and
    2) a better ratio of healthy food to sweets.
    So I'm not perfect, but I've improved

    That being said I try to watch my sugar since,

    BOTH sugar and artificial sweeteners increase your appetite.... (The more you get the more you want. )

    I DO have a sweet tooth, so I try really hard to watch out for sugar in *real* foods.

    The brand of pasta sauce I was using had 9g sugar per 1/2 cup serving.
    My favorite cookies have 9g sugar per 15 cookies. --- I'd rather have the cookies.

    I started reading labels and found sauces I liked in the 1-3g sugar per serving range.
    I get plain yogurt and add my own flavorings so I can have more control over the sugar content.

    Food manufactures love adding sugars, because they are cheap and they make you want more.
    HFCS is much sweeter than regular sugar AND food manufacturers use MORE of it. (Huh?)
  • Jenada79
    Jenada79 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks for all the responses guys. See I always thought I was pretty good as I do not drink soda, condiments, milk or add sugar to anything. I am currently on a 12 weeks booze break as well which cut a lot of sugar out for me. But no matter what I am always over carbs and sugar. Because I was under calories I figured I could eat my chocolate and ice cream but I am probably gonna try harder to cut down on those ones and up the fruit. Ohhh ice cream I miss you already!:brokenheart:

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