sugar....

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sarmef86
sarmef86 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
So my daily sugar goal is between 24-33 grams a day.... I am having a hard time getting below 35-40 a day... I would say 90% of my sugar is from fruits and veg is... So its not added sugar, but is this still bad... I've been told it will spike insulion levels and make it harder to loose weight... Help?!

Replies

  • mkocol
    mkocol Posts: 18 Member
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    Hey girl,

    You need carbs and sugar and it will not make it harder to loose weight!!!! Believe me. I have already lost 40 lbs and still am loosing and I eat carbs like crazy. Well, I'm still on a low carb diet but I do consume a lot. Do you have your calorie calculations done correctly? Did you set your macros? What are your macros btw? I have been through this process and believe me you want to make sure you will have everything calculated the way it;s supposed to be and it will than be a walk in the park. I would be more than happy to help if you would like. Just give me a shout.

    best of luck hun.

    -Marta
    martakocol@yahoo.com
  • sarmef86
    sarmef86 Posts: 9
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    35% carbs 45% prot 20% fat.... My cal goal is 1200 ... I work out 5 days a week and have been eating back my cals, that's what I was told to do. I am usually pretty spot on with all my goals, usually under carbs and fat but too high on sugar....
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I ignore the sugar completely, I track other nutrients instead.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Sugar is completely irrelevant in terms of body composition. All that matters is total macros: protein, carbs, fats, and total calories consumed a day. If you're not going over your total carb goal, then eat as much sugar as you want.
  • sarmef86
    sarmef86 Posts: 9
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    Are my macros set correctly ?
  • shutterbug56
    shutterbug56 Posts: 10
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    If your sugar is coming from "good" carbs like fruits and vegetables, don't worry about your pancreas being slammed. The complex carbs in fruits and veggies (and whole grains) take the body longer to break down and metabolize because of the fiber and pectin found in these foods. It is refined carbs (things like white bread, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.) that are so bad because they quickly raise your blood sugar which in turn makes the pancreas produce floods of insulin (which, btw, is a fat storage hormone) to bring down the abnormally high glucose. This is a simplified explanation but there are two quite excellent books I recommend reading: "Your Body On A Diet" by Dr. Mehmet Oz and "The South Beach Diet" by Dr. Arthur Agatston. They are both good but the later, in particular, provides an excellent explanation of what happens when you eat refined carbohydrates. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about the sugar you're getting from fruits and vegetables - but don't overdo it. Everything in moderation. Make sure your protein intake is adequate to help stave off hunger. Hope this helps. Good luck!
  • Karinlin25
    Karinlin25 Posts: 11 Member
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    So my daily sugar goal is between 24-33 grams a day.... I am having a hard time getting below 35-40 a day... I would say 90% of my sugar is from fruits and veg is... So its not added sugar, but is this still bad... I've been told it will spike insulion levels and make it harder to loose weight... Help?!

    I was thinking the same question today! My goal is 24 grams a day and I met that with my morning smoothie in half a banana and a cup of non fat milk :( I have PCOS which I always blame as a pretend syndrome for fat people but doing a little research it says it's difficult to lose weight unless you cut sugar. How is it humanly possible to eat only 24 grams in a day and still get your vitamins and calcium?
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
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    The sugar question is asked numerous times a week, so there definitely needs to a FAQ on this topic.

    Sugar in whole fruit isn't that offensive to blood sugar since it contains fiber which slows digestion of sugar thus not causing blood sugar spikes and high insulin production which lead to cravings and lack of energy. Fruit juice on the other hand contains no fiber, so that will spike your blood sugar.

    I would suggest looking into the Glycemic index here: http://www.glycemicindex.com/. it is an interesting site because bananas at different stages of ripeness will have different effects on blood sugar, the less ripe it is the less it spikes blood sugar.

    Some fruit like Watermelon and dried fruits will spike your blood sugar too just like candy.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    So my daily sugar goal is between 24-33 grams a day.... I am having a hard time getting below 35-40 a day... I would say 90% of my sugar is from fruits and veg is... So its not added sugar, but is this still bad... I've been told it will spike insulion levels and make it harder to loose weight... Help?!

    I was thinking the same question today! My goal is 24 grams a day and I met that with my morning smoothie in half a banana and a cup of non fat milk :( I have PCOS which I always blame as a pretend syndrome for fat people but doing a little research it says it's difficult to lose weight unless you cut sugar. How is it humanly possible to eat only 24 grams in a day and still get your vitamins and calcium?

    I have PCOS as well.

    I have cut added sugars but not natural sugars. It is working well for me. You can always try cutting sugars more if you aren't losing.
  • Karinlin25
    Karinlin25 Posts: 11 Member
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    So my daily sugar goal is between 24-33 grams a day.... I am having a hard time getting below 35-40 a day... I would say 90% of my sugar is from fruits and veg is... So its not added sugar, but is this still bad... I've been told it will spike insulion levels and make it harder to loose weight... Help?!

    I was thinking the same question today! My goal is 24 grams a day and I met that with my morning smoothie in half a banana and a cup of non fat milk :( I have PCOS which I always blame as a pretend syndrome for fat people but doing a little research it says it's difficult to lose weight unless you cut sugar. How is it humanly possible to eat only 24 grams in a day and still get your vitamins and calcium?

    I have PCOS as well.

    I have cut added sugars but not natural sugars. It is working well for me. You can always try cutting sugars more if you aren't losing.

    Thanks! The sugar cravings, fatigue and depression have made it difficult to try very hard at becoming healthy but after a little research that PCOS is to thank for that, I'm going to try again!

    If you have an 'oops' day and carb load, do you gain weight back really easily?
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
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    So my daily sugar goal is between 24-33 grams a day.... I am having a hard time getting below 35-40 a day... I would say 90% of my sugar is from fruits and veg is... So its not added sugar, but is this still bad... I've been told it will spike insulion levels and make it harder to loose weight... Help?!
    No worries eating raw whole fruits and vegetables. It won't hurt you and won't make it harder to lose weight. I never worry about the quantity of raw whole fruits and vegetables at all. What I do avoid is sugar in any other form -- that will spike insulin levels and add empty calories.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
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    If your sugar is coming from "good" carbs like fruits and vegetables, don't worry about your pancreas being slammed. The complex carbs in fruits and veggies (and whole grains) take the body longer to break down and metabolize because of the fiber and pectin found in these foods. It is refined carbs (things like white bread, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.) that are so bad because they quickly raise your blood sugar which in turn makes the pancreas produce floods of insulin (which, btw, is a fat storage hormone) to bring down the abnormally high glucose. This is a simplified explanation but there are two quite excellent books I recommend reading: "Your Body On A Diet" by Dr. Mehmet Oz and "The South Beach Diet" by Dr. Arthur Agatston. They are both good but the later, in particular, provides an excellent explanation of what happens when you eat refined carbohydrates. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about the sugar you're getting from fruits and vegetables - but don't overdo it. Everything in moderation. Make sure your protein intake is adequate to help stave off hunger. Hope this helps. Good luck!
    [/quote

    THIS!! I am not sure about the books, but unprocessed carbs are good for you with fiber and water and nutrients. Fruit and veggies are so good for you.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    If your sugar is coming from "good" carbs like fruits and vegetables, don't worry about your pancreas being slammed. The complex carbs in fruits and veggies (and whole grains) take the body longer to break down and metabolize because of the fiber and pectin found in these foods. It is refined carbs (things like white bread, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.) that are so bad because they quickly raise your blood sugar which in turn makes the pancreas produce floods of insulin (which, btw, is a fat storage hormone) to bring down the abnormally high glucose. This is a simplified explanation but there are two quite excellent books I recommend reading: "Your Body On A Diet" by Dr. Mehmet Oz and "The South Beach Diet" by Dr. Arthur Agatston. They are both good but the later, in particular, provides an excellent explanation of what happens when you eat refined carbohydrates. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about the sugar you're getting from fruits and vegetables - but don't overdo it. Everything in moderation. Make sure your protein intake is adequate to help stave off hunger. Hope this helps. Good luck!

    There is no such thing as "good carbs" and "bad carbs" in terms of body composition. There's no difference between eating 200g of sugar vs eating 200g of carbs from whole grains when it comes to body composition. Granted, there may be a difference in energy level, and insulin spikes, which i'm not arguing, but in terms of how it affects body composition and fat loss, there is no difference, so please stop telling people to only eat "good carbs" when that is a made up term, just like "clean foods". Carbs are carbs, eat what you want. As far as insulin spikes and fat storage, think of it this way, yes insulin spikes will increase fat storage, but if you are under your maintenance calories for the day, that fat just gets broken down again for a net loss of fat for the day, thus no difference in body composition...ta da! One last point, most people who talk about "good carbs" refer to the glycemic index, which is basically irrelevant when carbs are consumed as a part of a whole meal with protein and fat. Protein significantly slows digestion which cancels out the fast digestion from high glycemic carbs. Read scientific papers people, they are informative
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    Options
    If your sugar is coming from "good" carbs like fruits and vegetables, don't worry about your pancreas being slammed. The complex carbs in fruits and veggies (and whole grains) take the body longer to break down and metabolize because of the fiber and pectin found in these foods. It is refined carbs (things like white bread, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.) that are so bad because they quickly raise your blood sugar which in turn makes the pancreas produce floods of insulin (which, btw, is a fat storage hormone) to bring down the abnormally high glucose. This is a simplified explanation but there are two quite excellent books I recommend reading: "Your Body On A Diet" by Dr. Mehmet Oz and "The South Beach Diet" by Dr. Arthur Agatston. They are both good but the later, in particular, provides an excellent explanation of what happens when you eat refined carbohydrates. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about the sugar you're getting from fruits and vegetables - but don't overdo it. Everything in moderation. Make sure your protein intake is adequate to help stave off hunger. Hope this helps. Good luck!

    There is no such thing as "good carbs" and "bad carbs" in terms of body composition. There's no difference between eating 200g of sugar vs eating 200g of carbs from whole grains when it comes to body composition. Granted, there may be a difference in energy level, and insulin spikes, which i'm not arguing, but in terms of how it affects body composition and fat loss, there is no difference, so please stop telling people to only eat "good carbs" when that is a made up term, just like "clean foods". Carbs are carbs, eat what you want. As far as insulin spikes and fat storage, think of it this way, yes insulin spikes will increase fat storage, but if you are under your maintenance calories for the day, that fat just gets broken down again for a net loss of fat for the day, thus no difference in body composition...ta da! One last point, most people who talk about "good carbs" refer to the glycemic index, which is basically irrelevant when carbs are consumed as a part of a whole meal with protein and fat. Protein significantly slows digestion which cancels out the fast digestion from high glycemic carbs. Read scientific papers people, they are informative

    She asked about insulin spikes. Sorry, but eating a lower amount of calories is harder for me when I eat processed carbs as opposed to fruit and vegetables. Plus because of the fiber and water and nutrients, and the body taking longer to process them - it slows down the insulin reaction, fruit and veggies have been a life saver for me and are healthier. I am not disagreeing with your last sentence, the protein and fat paired with carbs is helpful, but fruit and veggies are better for many reasons you are disregarding.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Options
    If your sugar is coming from "good" carbs like fruits and vegetables, don't worry about your pancreas being slammed. The complex carbs in fruits and veggies (and whole grains) take the body longer to break down and metabolize because of the fiber and pectin found in these foods. It is refined carbs (things like white bread, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.) that are so bad because they quickly raise your blood sugar which in turn makes the pancreas produce floods of insulin (which, btw, is a fat storage hormone) to bring down the abnormally high glucose. This is a simplified explanation but there are two quite excellent books I recommend reading: "Your Body On A Diet" by Dr. Mehmet Oz and "The South Beach Diet" by Dr. Arthur Agatston. They are both good but the later, in particular, provides an excellent explanation of what happens when you eat refined carbohydrates. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about the sugar you're getting from fruits and vegetables - but don't overdo it. Everything in moderation. Make sure your protein intake is adequate to help stave off hunger. Hope this helps. Good luck!

    There is no such thing as "good carbs" and "bad carbs" in terms of body composition. There's no difference between eating 200g of sugar vs eating 200g of carbs from whole grains when it comes to body composition. Granted, there may be a difference in energy level, and insulin spikes, which i'm not arguing, but in terms of how it affects body composition and fat loss, there is no difference, so please stop telling people to only eat "good carbs" when that is a made up term, just like "clean foods". Carbs are carbs, eat what you want. As far as insulin spikes and fat storage, think of it this way, yes insulin spikes will increase fat storage, but if you are under your maintenance calories for the day, that fat just gets broken down again for a net loss of fat for the day, thus no difference in body composition...ta da! One last point, most people who talk about "good carbs" refer to the glycemic index, which is basically irrelevant when carbs are consumed as a part of a whole meal with protein and fat. Protein significantly slows digestion which cancels out the fast digestion from high glycemic carbs. Read scientific papers people, they are informative

    She asked about insulin spikes. Sorry, but eating a lower amount of calories is harder for me when I eat processed carbs as opposed to fruit and vegetables. Plus because of the fiber and water and nutrients, and the body taking longer to process them - it slows down the insulin reaction, fruit and veggies have been a life saver for me and are healthier. I am not disagreeing with your last sentence, the protein and fat paired with carbs is helpful, but fruit and veggies are better for many reasons you are disregarding.

    She asked about insulin spikes in regards to losing weight, and they have no effect on weight loss. Total calories consumed affects weight loss. As far as fruits and vegetables,I never mentioned that you shouldn't eat them. It is important to get micronutrients for long term health, but once again, they don't affect body composition. None of my comments were in regards to how different carbs will affect your appetite or energy level, only that all carbs are equal in regards to body composition. All carbs = 4 cal/g

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