Sugar Sugar... ohhhh honey honey. Count my sugars!??

tiatiamaria
tiatiamaria Posts: 40 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone out there watching their sugars closely? My sis lost a ton of weight by cutting sugar alone. She doesn't even count calories! I've noticed that I am consistently over on sugar but I'm thinking I should try hard to stay within my range. This is poor timing because I just bought a bunch of low calorie icecream treats...darnit.

MFP gives me 191 carbs and 28 sugars. I am always under on carbs and over on sugar. I get so confused because I thought carbs were digested like sugar. Anyway, when I count my sugars, should I subtract the natural sugars like fruit, greek yogurt, etc or will they turn to fat too? Here's an example. Today, I've had plain greek yogurt, blueberries and almonds only and I am already up to 16 sugars. I'd assume I can subtract my naturally occuring sugars in greek yogurt and hopefully the blueberries... right?

Is a low sugar diet basically a low carb diet?


** I've read a lot about people who are insulin resistant or who can not process sugars like other people. I have also heard that sugar is what is going to turn to fat if its not burned off. I agree that you could lose weight by counting calories alone, but I just wonder if you would lose it a little faster and control cravings more easily by laying off the sugar...

What do you guys think?

Replies

  • janahcarter
    janahcarter Posts: 42 Member
    I'm interested in this, as well. I usually eat a piece of fruit with my breakfast and for a snack and I always go over on sugar.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    The reason people lose by cutting out sugar is that it drastically reduces your calorie intake. Pay attention to your calories and stay in budget. There's no big benefit to setting limits on your sugars, carbs, etc unless you have a health issue that needs you to do that. You can lose weight eating Twinkies if you stay in your budget.
  • tiatiamaria
    tiatiamaria Posts: 40 Member
    Well I've read a lot about people who are insulin resistant or who can not process sugars like other people. I have also heard that sugar is what is going to turn to fat if its not burned off. I agree that you could lose weight eating twinkies, but I just wonder if you would lose it a little faster and control cravings more easily by laying off the sugar...
  • cyberiarob
    cyberiarob Posts: 229 Member
    I wonder what a Box-of-Twinkies-a-Day Diet would be like... That's only 1,500 calories a day. :laugh: Too bad Hostess went bankrupt.


    I don't pay attention to natural sugars (like those in fruit, veggies, milk, etc.), but I cut out [almost] all processed sugar a long time ago. I would suspect that's what your sister did as well, and definitely makes a big difference even with no other dietary changes.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    I wonder what a Box-of-Twinkies-a-Day Diet would be like... That's only 1,500 calories a day. :laugh: Too bad Hostess went bankrupt.


    I don't pay attention to natural sugars (like those in fruit, veggies, milk, etc.), but I cut out [almost] all processed sugar a long time ago. I would suspect that's what your sister did as well, and definitely makes a big difference even with no other dietary changes.
    Even if you cut out most sugars and eat a surplus in "healthy" foods?
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    I wish I could adjust the levels in MFP, already it says that I will be over my sugar today if I eat that one small orange later today, having already had a bit of milk in my coffee and a bit of greek yogurt in my lunch. Crazy low.

    I think my protein level in MFP is too low also and wish I could adjust it, I don't thing 40ish grams of protein are enough for me.
  • jdooks
    jdooks Posts: 91 Member
    I wonder what a Box-of-Twinkies-a-Day Diet would be like... That's only 1,500 calories a day. :laugh: Too bad Hostess went bankrupt.


    I don't pay attention to natural sugars (like those in fruit, veggies, milk, etc.), but I cut out [almost] all processed sugar a long time ago. I would suspect that's what your sister did as well, and definitely makes a big difference even with no other dietary changes.

    This was what made me a super tubby all through elementary school. :P

    As for processed sugars and non-processed, end of the day doesn't really matter, they all turn into the same amount of calories. It just so happens that sodas and what not prefer to use the more readily available form of sugar (corn syrup) but that's just blaming the messenger really without looking at the content.
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
    I wish I could adjust the levels in MFP, already it says that I will be over my sugar today if I eat that one small orange later today, having already had a bit of milk in my coffee and a bit of greek yogurt in my lunch. Crazy low.

    I think my protein level in MFP is too low also and wish I could adjust it, I don't thing 40ish grams of protein are enough for me.

    Why can't you adjust them? Everyone else can, just go to the custom page not the guided one.

    Edit: click My Home, then Goals, then at the bottom Change Goals, then custom and you can type in whatever you want for macros
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Well I've read a lot about people who are insulin resistant or who can not process sugars like other people. I have also heard that sugar is what is going to turn to fat if its not burned off.

    In both sentences you mean blood sugar (glucose) coming from dietary carbs in all forms not dietary sugar I think.

    Ultimately yes all digestible carbs convert to blood glucose so they all have somewhat similar effects. However some convert much faster than others so causing spikes and troughs, some much slower. Some foods supply other beneficial nutrients alongside the carbs, others supply little to no other nutrients or only ones with largely negative effects (eg. certain fats).

    Even protein can convert to body fat (via sugar!) if an excess is eaten and not used for repair, refuelling or immediate energy but the process is less efficient than for certain fats and carbs.

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