Sugars??? and my food goals...advise needded!

Alegre70
Alegre70 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
My fasting sugar level from my latest lab work was 145. The doctor did a A1c test in the clinic which came back at 5.5, he said that was normal and has me on a 2,000 calories a day diet.

MFP has my sugar goal at 31g a day, even though I have cut on my sugar intake tremendously I still can't make this goal. Are sugars from fruits different than other sugars?

Sodium is another thing I can struggle with. Please feel free to look thru my diaries and advise.

Thanks!

PS: This is the first time in my life that I count calories or diet for that matter. It is also the first time I exercise, mostly walking on the treadmill. I''m 43 yrs old, 6' tall and started out at 214 pounds and I'm down to 205 pounds in a little over three weeks. The weight lost has started to slow down which I think it's normal.

Replies

  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    Unless there is another direct medical reason for sugar concerns and you are intentionally lowering your sugar (e.g., no soft drinks, etc.), don't sweat it. OTOH your calorie count seems low and you can leave a certain amount of calories "on the table." If you've already set your goal (e.g., 1 pound per week) don't compound that by coming up short by an additional 1000 calories per day. That will mean that you are about 1500 calories "short" each day. That is generally not a winning formula in the long run.

    Getting into the routine of both logging and getting active is plenty to start with. I started at 250 and have gotten down to 170 (as low as 165 but I'm on a slightly higher protein intake in prep for a marathon. I'm 60 years old prepping for my first marathon).

    Just mind your calorie intake and your energy expenditure at first. You've made some good progress and stick with big stuff. You can fine tune later on when you hit a plateau where you aren't making any progress. That does not mean weight... I sat at 190 pounds for an entire year but I lost 4 inches I my waist and chest.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    MFT doesn't differentiate between fruit sugars and processed sugars. Unless your Dr requires it, don't worry about the sugar goal.
  • Alegre70
    Alegre70 Posts: 13
    STrooper, I'm lowering my sugars because of the difference between the lab glucose test and the a1c done at the doctors office. I know the doctor told me that it was fine after the a1c test but there must have been a reason why the lab numbers were so high.

    As you noticed, I'm having a little trouble reaching my calorie intake, I think the reason is that since I'm so new at all of this I find it difficult time figuring out what to eat and how much. Every day I tell my wife what my total calorie intake was and she tells me that it's too low and I should eat more.

    I'm used to eating out most of the time so I could reach my goal and then some with just one big meal but now that I'm not doing that I'm having a hard time reaching 2,000 :(
  • Alegre70
    Alegre70 Posts: 13
    Uff...I think I'm unintentionally starving myself. I really need to get with the program and quick!!
  • Alegre70
    Alegre70 Posts: 13
    Can I bump?
  • callas444
    callas444 Posts: 261 Member
    To add healthy calories, add lean proteins and dairy. You just have to watch stuff like yogurt because one sweetened greek yogurt can have about 16-19 grams of sugar. Make sure your carbs are whole grain because they don't mess with your blood sugar like the white bread/rice/cereal type carbs do.

    As for counting sugars, it's really hard because if you eat an apple and a banana in the same day, you'll go over your sugars. I don't think any doctor is going to tell you that eating a couple servings of fruit a day is going to hurt your health. (Then again, I am not a doctor.) I think looking at grams of sugar that you eat each day is a valuable number, even if I do go over most days. I choose to leave it in my food diary because I want to be aware of what I am eating. Sometimes foods that you wouldn't think have sugar end up having quite a bit. There are 9 grams in a big cucumber. If I didn't leave that on my food diary, I'd never know where the hidden sugar lies.

    Good luck with your journey.
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
    Uff...I think I'm unintentionally starving myself. I really need to get with the program and quick!!

    Yep...that is just what I was going to say...Please start eating your calorie requirement . And for heaven sake, stop with the pretzels already!!! Total empty calories...those almonds you had on Tuesday were a much better choice...COOK more food if you can. The sodium levels in cold cuts and prepared foods are so high I can't ever eat anything out of a box or the deli. Try boiling some eggs and eat a few with some fruit instead yogurt or pancakes...cook an entire package of chicken breast and use that on salads and sandwiches instead of cold cuts or "ready to eat' chicken...try to eat lower carb fruit...strawberries, blueberries, peaches - oranges are nearly as high in sugars as bananas...better idea, make friends with cherry tomatoes! Also, try the "natural" peanut butter that is just ground peanuts in a jar...some grocery stores let you grind your own so you don't have to buy a whole jar...

    Good luck to you...just keep on logging and substituting when you find a better food item...
  • Alegre70
    Alegre70 Posts: 13
    To add healthy calories, add lean proteins and dairy. You just have to watch stuff like yogurt because one sweetened greek yogurt can have about 16-19 grams of sugar. Make sure your carbs are whole grain because they don't mess with your blood sugar like the white bread/rice/cereal type carbs do.

    As for counting sugars, it's really hard because if you eat an apple and a banana in the same day, you'll go over your sugars. I don't think any doctor is going to tell you that eating a couple servings of fruit a day is going to hurt your health. (Then again, I am not a doctor.) I think looking at grams of sugar that you eat each day is a valuable number, even if I do go over most days. I choose to leave it in my food diary because I want to be aware of what I am eating. Sometimes foods that you wouldn't think have sugar end up having quite a bit. There are 9 grams in a big cucumber. If I didn't leave that on my food diary, I'd never know where the hidden sugar lies.

    Good luck with your journey.

    Thanks for the great advise, I very much appreciate it!!
  • Alegre70
    Alegre70 Posts: 13
    Uff...I think I'm unintentionally starving myself. I really need to get with the program and quick!!

    Yep...that is just what I was going to say...Please start eating your calorie requirement . And for heaven sake, stop with the pretzels already!!! Total empty calories...those almonds you had on Tuesday were a much better choice...COOK more food if you can. The sodium levels in cold cuts and prepared foods are so high I can't ever eat anything out of a box or the deli. Try boiling some eggs and eat a few with some fruit instead yogurt or pancakes...cook an entire package of chicken breast and use that on salads and sandwiches instead of cold cuts or "ready to eat' chicken...try to eat lower carb fruit...strawberries, blueberries, peaches - oranges are nearly as high in sugars as bananas...better idea, make friends with cherry tomatoes! Also, try the "natural" peanut butter that is just ground peanuts in a jar...some grocery stores let you grind your own so you don't have to buy a whole jar...

    Good luck to you...just keep on logging and substituting when you find a better food item...

    LOL...Thanks for the tough love advise!! I'm just a hot mess right now.....don't know what to eat and what not. Went to the supermarket today with my wife and left super frustrated...I barely bought anything and felt like crying.

    I thought that I was going to reach my goal today after my chicken dinner but....nope! So frustrating!!
  • Alegre70
    Alegre70 Posts: 13
    I just hope I don't go back to eating unhealthy just to get those calories in.....

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