MyFitnessPal says too much sugar?!?

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Bentlly
Bentlly Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Just started a new diet using MyFitnessPal, a vitamix, and meal replacement shakes to help achieve my goals.

I am concerned because as of mid day, MyFitnessPal says I have barely put a dent in my allotment of calories, carbs, fat, or protein yet have almost consumed my daily allotment of sugar. Should I be concerned about the sugar level if all the other numbers are good?

So far today:
428/1840 calories
64g/243g carbs
6g/61g fat
15g/69g protein
34g/37g sugar

Thanks for your feedback. Additional info:

For breakfast I had coffee and a kirkland complete nutrition shake. For lunch I made a vegetable smoothie with tomatoes, carrots, spinach, lemon juice, garlic, and a jalapeño pepper. These led to the totals above.

For a snack I plan to have a protein bar or a fruit smoothie with protein powder. For dinner I will have a chicken breast, veggies, skim milk, maybe bread. Probably some popcorn before bed.

So, I would like to do this, similar, daily. But as you can see, my sugar intake will be through the roof by the end of the day, according to MyFitnessPal. But my calories, fat, carbs, and protein numbers should look pretty good. Aren't they what matters?

Replies

  • Bentlly
    Bentlly Posts: 12
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    If it is relevant, I am 45, male, 245#, sedentary, trying to get to 200# in 6-9 mos. Exercise to be 30 minutes cardio 3 times a week to start. Maybe weight lifting twice a week.

    Thanks for any advice!
  • Bentlly
    Bentlly Posts: 12
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    6'2". :)
  • lifeskittles
    lifeskittles Posts: 438 Member
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    If you are exercising along with your diet then you can certainly go over MFP's sugar allotment. Exercise really helps your body regulate sugar. Carbohydrates are sugar in a sense, so if you are under in carbohydrates, going over on sugar doesn't really have a big impact.
  • epie2098
    epie2098 Posts: 224 Member
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    MFP can't distinguish between fruit sugars and added processed sugars. Don't worry about it. In your settings, you can change sugar to another nutrient if you like :)
  • SkepticallyFit
    SkepticallyFit Posts: 71
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    Yeah, the sugar limit should really only apply to added sugar, such as sodas or sweets. If my sugar comes from fruit, then I don't worry about it at all.
  • bellaa_x0
    bellaa_x0 Posts: 1,062 Member
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    i usually try to stay under 55g of sugar a day, but obviously it is really easy to go over if you have a lot of fruit which i wouldn't be too worried about since its natural sugar.. however i would look at the amount of sugars in any protein bars/mixes you are using because some of them have a relatively (and unnecessary) high sugar content.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Sugar is just a carb. As long as you're eating enough fats and protein, your carbs/sugar aren't particularly important unless you have a medical issue that requires carbs/sugar to be monitored.

    However, it should be noted that fructose and sucrose can only be stored as liver glycogen and not muscle glycogen. The liver can hold 100-120g glycogen so anything more than that will be converted to triglycerides. As long as you still have a calorie deficit this will even out. Just try to make most of your carbs glucose and not sucrose or fructose. Fructose in particular has been shown to decrease exercise performance, increased likelihood of gastrointestinal distress, and increase perception of exertion.

    Here are some studies:
    http://www.setantacollege.com/wp-content/uploads/Journal_db/the effects of glucose....pdf

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3592616


    As long as you're under your calorie goal, you'll lose weight. Some people find that sugar (even from fruit) causes them to have more sugar/carb cravings so keep that in mind.

    For information on setting your macro target, read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/911011-calculating-calorie-macronutrient-needs?page=1#posts-13821336
  • Bentlly
    Bentlly Posts: 12
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    Ok. Thanks for the replies. ;)
  • buzzcockgirl
    buzzcockgirl Posts: 260 Member
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    But if you're already at 34g of sugar and you've only had that shake, as well as what sounds to be a low sugar smoothie you made yourself with tons of veggies, then the bulk of that is coming from that 'complete meal shake'. And since it's not really 'food' per se - it must have a lot of added sugar? Maybe you can search out another meal replacement shake that has less sugar?
    Good luck! Rest of your planned meals sounds great!
  • Mariposa_Lily
    Mariposa_Lily Posts: 38 Member
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    I make a smoothie with 2-3 cups of greens, half a large cucumber and a couple of modest servings of different fruits every day, and that single smoothie (only around 150 calories) usually puts me over my MFP sugar target. But, you know what? My good fats, protein, and fibre are all great, my total carbs are usually below target (which is fine with me), and I almost never have significant refined sugar.

    So.... I just ignore the sugar target, particularly after I read some of the other threads in these forums that indicate lots of other people do, too.... :-)
  • Bentlly
    Bentlly Posts: 12
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    Thanks! :)

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