too much sugar !

sallym38
sallym38 Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
Hi I have just started using fitness pal today! A real newbie. I want to lose quite a lot of weight and have tried other diets. So this tool is hopefully going to sort me out. Anyway having set it all up I find that sugars are going to be a real problem. Wondered if any tips? I am referring to fruit and veg rather than anything else bad?

Appreciate any help?

Also is it a major issue if my sugars are over but all else is ok or under?

Thank you

Replies

  • theSlippery1
    theSlippery1 Posts: 8 Member
    Sugars from whole fruits aren't an issue as long as you keep an eye on the daily calories... best to avoid juices tho, as the sugar is a lot more concentrated + void of all the fibre to slow it's absorption down
  • stacexox20
    stacexox20 Posts: 2
    Hey! Welcome to MFP :)

    I think the best resource of understanding sugar would be for you to read David Gillespie's book "Sweet Poison" which informs us of his theory about how sugar makes us fat. He presents his theory in a way that shows us how sugar consumption has changed through history, our recommended intake to what we actually are ingesting, helps us understand the different kinds of sugars and how they are digested in our bodies. Its really fascinating and enlightening.

    After you read the book, it will make your journey a whole lot easier :)
  • tawanda6329
    tawanda6329 Posts: 139 Member
    I don't stick to the suggested numbers for sugar, carbs, sodium, etc. I just make sure I stay under my calorie intake and I still lose weight.
  • Ella_la_la
    Ella_la_la Posts: 17
    I was worried about my sugar intake too! The sugars i'm eating are mostly from fruits. so do i ignore when i go into the red?
  • Tykk
    Tykk Posts: 153 Member
    Check out this link to see how much sugar is in fruit:

    http://www.sugarstacks.com/fruits.htm

    It's rather shocking. A large apple has almost as much sugar as a Snickers bar.

    Unfortunately, there's nothing magical about sugar from fruit. Sugar is sugar.
  • theSlippery1
    theSlippery1 Posts: 8 Member
    Concern yourself with:

    1) Avoiding 'Processed' sugar... i.e. any food that's high in sugar thanks to it's time spent in a factory (inc. fruit juices)

    and

    2) Staying under the daily/weekly calories.... fruit isn't ' calorie free but it is damn good for you!
  • mww12
    mww12 Posts: 7 Member
    I agree with the notion that "sugar is sugar," except that when you eat an apple, you at least get good things along with the sugar. I like to think of my macros as cash, and I try to "spend" them on food items that give me the best "pay off" nutritionally. It might be the same sugar cost to eat an apple or a Snickers bar, but if I eat an apple, I get fibre and vitamin C - better pay off.

    Just my two cents :)
  • cshourds
    cshourds Posts: 2
    Hello and welcome to My Fitness Pal.
    I wouldn't worry about the sugar from fruits. There is a lot of sugar in breads and other processed carbs that people usually don't think about. I watch my calorie intake and try to work out for at least 30 minutes 4 times a week. I also follow these three rules from the book "in the Defense of Food", eat food (meaning real food not processed garbage), less of it, mostly vegetables. I have lost 40 pounds in 9 months. So it's working for me. I also understand that this isn't a diet for me, it's a life change.
    Good luck!!!
  • Tykk
    Tykk Posts: 153 Member
    I agree with the notion that "sugar is sugar," except that when you eat an apple, you at least get good things along with the sugar. I like to think of my macros as cash, and I try to "spend" them on food items that give me the best "pay off" nutritionally. It might be the same sugar cost to eat an apple or a Snickers bar, but if I eat an apple, I get fibre and vitamin C - better pay off.
    Ha ha! I wasn't saying that people should eat Snickers bars! I was just pointing out that it's often a shocker that fruit contains so much sugar, and so it's something to be a bit careful about.

    Raspberries and strawberries are among the best fruit choices (for sugar).
  • elainemorris1982
    elainemorris1982 Posts: 104 Member
    I was worried about this too! The sugars i'm eating are mostly from fruits. so do i ignore when i go into the red?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    The fact is, sugar doesn't prevent weight loss, and MFP's setting is rather low. I lose weight consistently and I eat milkways, ice cream bars and all types. But I also eat fruits and veggies. In the end, for weight loss, it's all about calories. I would be more concerned with Fiber then sugar.
  • Tykk
    Tykk Posts: 153 Member
    The fact is, sugar doesn't prevent weight loss...
    Well, there was this article in Nature:

    http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v482/n7383/full/482027a.html?WT.mc_id=TWT_NatureRevEndo

    Or here is a layman's version:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html

    From Lustig's Nature article:

    "A growing body of epidemiological and mechanistic evidence argues that excessive sugar consumption affects human health beyond simply adding calories. Importantly, sugar induces all of the diseases associated with metabolic syndrome. This includes: hypertension (fructose increases uric acid, which raises blood pressure); high triglycerides and insulin resistance through synthesis of fat in the liver; diabetes from increased liver glucose production combined with insulin resistance; and the ageing process, caused by damage to lipids, proteins and DNA through non-enzymatic binding of fructose to these molecules. It can also be argued that fructose exerts toxic effects on the liver that are similar to those of alcohol."

    So in short, sugar consumption contributes to diabetes, high blood pressure and premature aging.

    Anyway, I wasn't trying to get into a big argument about the effect of sugar on health. All I've been trying to say is that fruit has a surprising amount of sugar in it. If you're not worried about sugar, then... no problem!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    The fact is, sugar doesn't prevent weight loss...
    Well, there was this article in Nature:

    http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v482/n7383/full/482027a.html?WT.mc_id=TWT_NatureRevEndo

    Or here is a layman's version:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html

    From Lustig's Nature article:

    "A growing body of epidemiological and mechanistic evidence argues that excessive sugar consumption affects human health beyond simply adding calories. Importantly, sugar induces all of the diseases associated with metabolic syndrome. This includes: hypertension (fructose increases uric acid, which raises blood pressure); high triglycerides and insulin resistance through synthesis of fat in the liver; diabetes from increased liver glucose production combined with insulin resistance; and the ageing process, caused by damage to lipids, proteins and DNA through non-enzymatic binding of fructose to these molecules. It can also be argued that fructose exerts toxic effects on the liver that are similar to those of alcohol."

    So in short, sugar consumption contributes to diabetes, high blood pressure and premature aging.

    Anyway, I wasn't trying to get into a big argument about the effect of sugar on health. All I've been trying to say is that fruit has a surprising amount of sugar in it. If you're not worried about sugar, then... no problem!

    I can see where the article goes and for the general public I can agree as it will lead to increase in caloric intake. But from an MFP standpoint, we are working in a controlled environment in terms of calories, so I doubt it would lead to any of those situations.

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