how many grams of sugar per day

erg2013
erg2013 Posts: 84 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello!
I am struggling with trying to figure out how many grams of sugar to eat per day. What should I shoot for if I am: 5'2, 154 lbs, 31% body fat. Eating 1,600-1,700 calories per day.

I am working towards 100 grams of protein per day minimum. Just not sure how to target sugar.
My diary is also open.

thanks in advance,
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Replies

  • langsyne
    langsyne Posts: 106 Member
    I have struggled with this one too, until I was told that not all sugars are equal. You can add sugars to your food diary and it will tell you how much is in your foods and your total daily. I go over mine every day because I eat a lot of fruit, but I minimize all other sugars as best as possible.
  • SGT_Reg
    SGT_Reg Posts: 186 Member
    Try to stay away from added sugar, granulated sugar, and the like. Stick with the natural sugars from foods, and in my opinion, eat as much as you like.
  • ChocoMello
    ChocoMello Posts: 74 Member
    You kniw how many calories your peotein has (100x4) Then you know you need about 60g of good fats a day and add tese calories. (60x9)
    The rest can be sugars then to fill up your calories.
    Sugars should be aut of fruit and veg and some whole grain things like bread and pasta or potatos.
    A littlw sweet treat sometimes is also good to prevent cravings.
  • Nickeisha2
    Nickeisha2 Posts: 2 Member
    I also eat a lot of fruit, so most times I go over my recommended sugar intake. However, I rarely if ever use sugar and I substitute water for beverages. Fruit sugars are way better for you and come naturally in the correct portion as opposed to a soda that may have over 16 tsp of sugar. Hope this helps...
  • loombeav
    loombeav Posts: 391 Member
    For a women the AHA recommendation is 20g a day. This is just added sugar. Sugars that occur naturally in fruits & vegetables don't count towards that number. I have read that your total sugar should not exceed 25% of your total intake.
    MFP doesn't distinguish between added and natural so I track all of it but am mindful of what's added sugar and what is natural.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    If you have a medical condition that requires you to track sugar you need to ask your nutritionist for a target. If you don't have a medical reason, I wouldn't even track sugar. A piece of fruit sends sugar numbers pretty high - but there are plenty of vitamins and minerals in fruit that make it worthwhile. Rather than counting sugar, just track carbs. Carbs should be the source of 30 - 50% of your calories. That is a big range, but it will depend on your health issues and goals. If you are doing a lot of strength training, you might want to stay to the lower end of the range to make sure you are getting enough protein. If you have high cholesterol or hypertension, you may want to stay to the higher end of the range (suggested by the DASH diet).

    If you decide to go with 40% of your calories from carbs and you are eating 1800 calories per day:
    1800 x 0.4 = 720 calories from carbs
    1 carbohydrate gram = 4 calories
    180 grams carbohydrate = 720 calories

    Once you've determined how many grams of carbohydrate you need, focus on getting them from whole, unprocessed sources. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains. These should be the sources of most of your carbohydrates. Processed carbs should be limited.
  • erg2013
    erg2013 Posts: 84 Member
    Great info, thanks everyone.

    I have one treat a day (around 150 to 200 calories) - not "diet" food, but real yummy splurges. Like today I had a few carmels. And that is where most of my sugar is coming from.

    The only other thing that I tend to add sugar to is oatmeal and sweet potatoes. I need to break the brown sugar on sweet potato habit.... they are already sweet enough, lol!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Never tracked a gram of sugar through 300+ lbs. of weight loss.... I track calories and my 3 main macro's Protein, Carbs, and Fat.... Best of Luck...
  • erg2013
    erg2013 Posts: 84 Member
    Good info, I guess it is just something to be aware of - rather than track to the gram (like I do protein)

    I just looked through my diet log and it seems like that darn salad kit (and dried cranberries) had the most sugar. More than a handful of carmels.

    I am starting to notice a difference because to get to my protein goal I am eating meats and what goes better with meat than veggies!

    Thanks again everyone
  • erg2013
    erg2013 Posts: 84 Member
    Never tracked a gram of sugar through 300+ lbs. of weight loss.... I track calories and my 3 main macro's Protein, Carbs, and Fat.... Best of Luck...

    AND CONGRATS on 300 lb weight loss! Way to go.... :)
    Very inspiring!
  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
    I was worried about my sugar intake and talked to my DR about it. He said he could care less how much sugar I take in as long as it is from fruits and such.

    Junk sugar NO
    Fruit sugar YES
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    I don't track sugar or sodium
  • bpmartyr
    bpmartyr Posts: 141
    Sugar is not my enemy. Don't worry about it one bit.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    It's really a common sense thing. Sugars from fruit and vegetables are good for you. Sugars from fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes and processed food are bad. Other than that I tend not to worry about it.

    If you are worried about it then I would recommend not buying processed foods with 'hidden' sugars and stay away from sauces which often have added sugar.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    target your macros, not your micros unless you have a medical condition that would necessitate such. You can manually adjust your macros...if you do this to have higher protein, higher heart healthy fats, your carbs and thus sugar will fall into line. I don't really worry about sugar specifically, though I try to limit the amount of refined sugar/added sugar in my diet...most of my sugar comes from fruit and veg which also is a bi-product of my macro goal settings.
  • jc0425
    jc0425 Posts: 1 Member
    I wish there was a way to show added sugar grams and natural sugar grams on my tracking. Because I do go over my 24 grms a day because if you have two fruits, i.e, peach, cherries, I've already reached that.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I wish there was a way to show added sugar grams and natural sugar grams on my tracking. Because I do go over my 24 grms a day because if you have two fruits, i.e, peach, cherries, I've already reached that.

    No...there really is no formal recommendation for sugar. The recommendation for sugar on MFP is per the recommendation of the American Heart Associations recommendation for ADDED sugar due to the fact that people eat so much processed ****...sodas, etc. There is no formal recommendation for just sugar or total sugar. Just watch your intake of added sugar and eat your nutritious fruit and don't worry about it. Unless you have a medical condition or are otherwise insulin resistant, it doesn't matter. Manage your macros, not your micros.
  • BKaderabek
    BKaderabek Posts: 1
    For the person that worries about the brown sugar on her sweet potatoe... SUGAR TWIN makes a substitute brown sugar that really tastes good. If you cannot find it any more in your local grocery - you can buy it on line... just google sugar twin...

    Good luck.
  • sara_jean_15
    sara_jean_15 Posts: 25 Member
    I was worried about my sugar intake and talked to my DR about it. He said he could care less how much sugar I take in as long as it is from fruits and such.

    Junk sugar NO
    Fruit sugar YES

    Thanks! This is good to know. I have been plateauing with my weight so I looked through my log and I am ALWAYS over in sugar. BUT, I eat LOTS of fruit. Now I am not freaking out so much after reading your post. Thanks! Now I just need to figure out how to lose these 4 pounds!! Maybe my body does not want to lose them??
  • stitchvalkyrie
    stitchvalkyrie Posts: 51
    Hello all, ive been interested to know about sugar intakes and such. I've been tracking my food now through MFP and ive noticed that i'm going wayyy over in sugars. Sometimes I eat fruit, sometimes I don't. Now I know people have been saying that not to worry about sugars, but carbs instead, and I don't think I have a medical condition - just a slightly high heart rate, I have been putting on a little bit of weight and I think it's the sugar. Coke, redbull, chocolate etc, I don't have the first two often, but I was thinking of cutting sugar for a month and see if my weight drops back down a little, because then I'll understand why i'm putting it on. Just doesn't seem right that my sugar is always way over. If im concentrating on just general exercise - cardio for fitness and endurance, and eventually weights for toning up, should I really watch my carbs so that they are on the low end?
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  • sharlenethornton
    sharlenethornton Posts: 2
    Hi all, I seem to struggle with my sugar intake as well. I'm always going over , not by much, but enough to make me wonder. I have a thyroid problem and take Synthroid for it, so I need to watch my weight. I also quit smoking a year and a half ago and have been on the gradual incline in weight. I'm not happy with my weight. I seem to yo-yo right around the same weight. Up and down within a 5 pound span. I just started doing Zumba on my WII to help me. So far it seems to help. I just wish I could see quicker results but I know that's not feasible. Slow and steady it will be. Have an awesome day all.
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
    If you don't have any medical issues don't worry about sugar.

    I personally don't believe the whole "good" sugar, "bad" sugar mentality. If it were true then I would never have been able to lose weight and get healthy. For me fiber rich fruits and veggies are detrimintal to my health so for me these would be "bad" sugars
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    I dont track sugar, as I don't have a medical condition that requires me too.
  • cathyg321
    cathyg321 Posts: 155 Member
    Never tracked a gram of sugar through 300+ lbs. of weight loss.... I track calories and my 3 main macro's Protein, Carbs, and Fat.... Best of Luck...

    Thanks for the advice, and inspiration! HUGE congratulations on your weight loss!! :happy: :happy: :happy:
  • gbreault87
    gbreault87 Posts: 18
    im no health expert and i certainly have to get in shape/healthy myself but in my opinion go for diet coke instead of coke you will be saving your self at least 150 calories if its a 120z can more if its a bottle and the red bull i think that you should drink black coffee it has 0 calories and has plenty of caffine and it has tons of antioxidants there have been tests done that coffee has more anti oxidants than any other fruit blueberies, ect... its an acquired taste but you will start to like it trust me all that creamer and sugar prob makes it worse than the red bull so keep it black
  • evolvevlove
    evolvevlove Posts: 1
    This is a good article that breaks down sugar guidelines based on empirical evidence.

    http://www.rodalenews.com/recommended-sugar-intake

    Keep in mind that if weight loss is the only goal, this can be achieved merely by tracking calories and macronutrients, but if HEALTH is the goal then you will need to pay attention to micronutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, sugar content etc. I find it interesting when people say that one should not be concerned about sugar unless they have a medical condition that requires sugar vigilance, how do you think people got these medical conditions in the first place?

    Also, the safety of artificial sweeteners has until recently been contingent upon short-term studies. However, a long-term study that was released last year observed safety concerns. "...a recent large study that assessed aspartame intake throughout the life span in rats suggested an increased risk of lymphomas, leukemias, and transitional cell carcinomas of the pelvis, ureter, and bladder in a dose-dependent manner within ranges that are considered to be safe for human consumption..."

    References:

    Aune, D. (2012). Soft drinks, aspartame, and the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 96(6), 1249-1251.
  • lululu22
    lululu22 Posts: 1
    You are overweight for your height. I also am about 5' 2" and weigh 106. For example, if you want to weigh 130 lbs, multiply that times 10 which equals 1300 calories per day. In that case, the most added sugar grams you should eat would be 26 per day. 20 would be preferable. I can only consume 1300 per day and not gain weight at my height. If you cut your calories by 300-400 calories per day, you will be in better health. Be careful not to overdo the protein - too much can harm your kidneys.
  • centauriod
    centauriod Posts: 1
    According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are (7):

    Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons).
    Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Try to stay away from added sugar, granulated sugar, and the like. Stick with the natural sugars from foods, and in my opinion, eat as much as you like.
    How do you think the body differentiates between added sugar and natural sugar?

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