How much sugar?

jhloves2knit
jhloves2knit Posts: 268 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?
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Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I use the protein & fiber goals as minimums & ignore the rest. But if you ask 100 MFPers, you'll get 100 different opinions. It will take trial & error to find what works for you.

    Deprivation can lead to binges. Eat "good" or "clean" or "healthy" (whatever those words mean to you) 80% of the time. Fit yummy, portion-controlled treats into your calorie goal.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • Dougf90
    Dougf90 Posts: 95 Member
    I've honestly never tracked my sugar. Unless you need to track it for medical issues, I don't really see it affecting weight loss that much in my opinion.
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Sugar absolutely needs to be tracked... Study after study after study is pointing to sugar being the number one cause of obesity. The number to look at is 10 percent of your calories. That is for all of us, not just for someone with diabetes.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    eh, I would not even bother tracking it…I have mine listed but that is more for just curiosity sake ..

    I saw a study somewhere that said 90 grams a day is not harmful or beneficial….
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Sugar absolutely needs to be tracked... Study after study after study is pointing to sugar being the number one cause of obesity. The number to look at is 10 percent of your calories. That is for all of us, not just for someone with diabetes.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group

    yea, overeating causes obesity not sugar consumption..

    you can eat in a calorie deficit AND eat sugar AND lose weight...
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    I definitely find tracking sugar leads me to realise my goals.
    I also have fructose mal absorption, diagnosed recently.
    I have had to re evaluate my fruit intake. I have dropped a couple of kilos in under a month right there.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?
    Moderation is the key. I am set at 45 grams, but often I go over due to the sugar in fruit and other things. You've reminded me that I would like to cut back on sugar, though, due being a bit sensitive when I have too much. I also have diabetes in my family, which gives me a stronger chance of getting it. :smile:
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Sugar absolutely needs to be tracked... Study after study after study is pointing to sugar being the number one cause of obesity. The number to look at is 10 percent of your calories. That is for all of us, not just for someone with diabetes.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group
    Joanne, sugar is does not cause obesity. Overeating of anything is what causes us to get fat.
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Fructose (which is part of sugar) does not get metabolized the same as glucose (the other part of sugar) and excess sugar converts to fat.. one of the MAJOR causes of obesity. There are numerous medical research studies that you can read for confirmation.

    But the best proof is in the pudding.

    Get your sugar down to 10 percent of your calories and see what happens.... Do don't have to listen to anybody; you can see for yourself. You will not have to wait long to get your answer. It happens almost immediately.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I do not see any reason to demonize sugar. I don't worry at all about sugar. . . I've been at my goal weight for over a year. I did not gain weight because of sugar; I gained weight because I ate too many calories. So even though I now eat a healthy variety of fruits, veggies, lean meat, dairy and whole grain, I always save room for treats, sometimes even processed ones. I consume artificial sweeteners as well.

    Among some of those studies cites is that Dr. Mercola guy, who has been discredited by many scientists. He also doesn't believe in vaccinating children.
  • MyFoodGod
    MyFoodGod Posts: 184 Member
    How many treats are you having? Are you measuring it and accurately logging it?

    Are you drinking lots of soda or other sugary beverages?

    Are you also adding sugar to your recipes, coffee, tea etc? Sugar can be a sneaky thing.

    Probably having one treat each and every day is too many.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    OP - read this ..
    http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/?bcsi_scan_7b2bc02449b2137d=0
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Fructose (which is part of sugar) does not get metabolized the same as glucose (the other part of sugar) and excess sugar converts to fat.. one of the MAJOR causes of obesity. There are numerous medical research studies that you can read for confirmation.

    But the best proof is in the pudding.

    Get your sugar down to 10 percent of your calories and see what happens.... Do don't have to listen to anybody; you can see for yourself. You will not have to wait long to get your answer. It happens almost immediately.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity

    excess calories get converted into fat stores, not sugar….
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    How many treats are you having? Are you measuring it and accurately logging it?

    Are you drinking lots of soda or other sugary beverages?

    Are you also adding sugar to your recipes, coffee, tea etc? Sugar can be a sneaky thing.

    Probably having one treat each and every day is too many.

    I accurately log all my food. I hit 100% of my vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, etc. I've maintained my goal weight for over a year. I do not drink my calories because there are so many wonderful things to eat. Nothing said here has convinced me that I need to be fretting over my Safeway angel food cake. My daily treats are never more than 10% of my total calories. I think I'm fine.

    I hate alarmists.
  • MyFoodGod
    MyFoodGod Posts: 184 Member
    Some people can eat treats in moderation; some cannot. By the posters own admission, she "tries" to limit how many. I believe her own profile reveals she has a lot if trouble limiting food and this is a lifelong struggle.

    Greatly reducing the sugar is a great first place to start. Also identify those other trouble foods that make her want second, thirds, etc. Food can be so powerful.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Sugar absolutely needs to be tracked... Study after study after study is pointing to sugar being the number one cause of obesity. The number to look at is 10 percent of your calories. That is for all of us, not just for someone with diabetes.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity Group

    Absolutely false.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Some people can eat treats in moderation; some cannot. By the posters own admission, she "tries" to limit how many. I believe her own profile reveals she has a lot if trouble limiting food and this is a lifelong struggle.

    Greatly reducing the sugar is a great first place to start. Also identify those other trouble foods that make her want second, thirds, etc. Food can be so powerful.
    no, actually greatly reducing calories is a great place to start...
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    OP, my advise is to replace the sugar with something else worth tracking. Like fiber. The only people who need to track sugar are diabetics.
  • LTKeegan
    LTKeegan Posts: 354 Member
    There is AMPLE evidence for sugary drinks causing weight gain. I can't find anything on sugary snacks, but this is at least keeping in mind:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/2/274.short

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/6/1149S.full

    "It is important to understand whether sweet-tasting foods and drinks exert a special influence on satiation and satiety. Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/4/721.short
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    *checks log*

    92 grams.

    Actually 75 grams is my average amount.
  • jhloves2knit
    jhloves2knit Posts: 268 Member
    Thanks to everyone for their replies. I learned a lot and have set a sugar allowance that I'm comfortable with.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    There is AMPLE evidence for sugary drinks causing weight gain. I can't find anything on sugary snacks, but this is at least keeping in mind:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/2/274.short

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/6/1149S.full

    "It is important to understand whether sweet-tasting foods and drinks exert a special influence on satiation and satiety. Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/4/721.short

    so if people just stop drinking sugar drinks that will cure the obesity epidemic…??
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    There is AMPLE evidence for sugary drinks causing weight gain. I can't find anything on sugary snacks, but this is at least keeping in mind:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/2/274.short

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/6/1149S.full

    "It is important to understand whether sweet-tasting foods and drinks exert a special influence on satiation and satiety. Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/4/721.short

    so if people just stop drinking sugar drinks that will cure the obesity epidemic…??

    Thats not what she posted.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    There is AMPLE evidence for sugary drinks causing weight gain. I can't find anything on sugary snacks, but this is at least keeping in mind:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/2/274.short

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/6/1149S.full

    "It is important to understand whether sweet-tasting foods and drinks exert a special influence on satiation and satiety. Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/4/721.short

    so if people just stop drinking sugar drinks that will cure the obesity epidemic…??

    Thats not what she posted.

    the implication was the sugar drinks cause obesity/weight gain? We all know that is false….overeating causing weight gain.
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member


    "It is important to understand whether sweet-tasting foods and drinks exert a special influence on satiation and satiety. Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/4/721.short

    so if people just stop drinking sugar drinks that will cure the obesity epidemic…??

    Thats not what she posted.

    the implication was the sugar drinks cause obesity/weight gain? We all know that is false….overeating causing weight gain.

    The implication is stated above. "Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances." And I agree overeating does cause weight gain.
  • jazzcatastrophe
    jazzcatastrophe Posts: 54 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Fructose (which is part of sugar) does not get metabolized the same as glucose (the other part of sugar) and excess sugar converts to fat.. one of the MAJOR causes of obesity. There are numerous medical research studies that you can read for confirmation.

    But the best proof is in the pudding.

    Get your sugar down to 10 percent of your calories and see what happens.... Do don't have to listen to anybody; you can see for yourself. You will not have to wait long to get your answer. It happens almost immediately.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity

    Actually during glycolysis (the first bit of metabolism), glucose gets turned INTO fructose before being further broken down.
    So yeah, no.
  • MyFoodGod
    MyFoodGod Posts: 184 Member
    There is AMPLE evidence for sugary drinks causing weight gain. I can't find anything on sugary snacks, but this is at least keeping in mind:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/2/274.short

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/6/1149S.full

    "It is important to understand whether sweet-tasting foods and drinks exert a special influence on satiation and satiety. Their high palatability could trigger overeating, at least in some individuals under certain circumstances."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/4/721.short

    so if people just stop drinking sugar drinks that will cure the obesity epidemic…??

    As individuals we are only able to work on our own weight and health issues. We may be able to support and help others but it's unrealistic to think we're going to cure the rest of the world.
  • bigboyhealth
    bigboyhealth Posts: 6
    Sugar is a type of carbohydrate and should most definitely be tracked. Losing weight is not just about creating a calorie deficit, it's about eating the right calories. I highly recommend the following video which explains why carbs are bad:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE

    This clips is from the movie "Fat Head" which I also recommend everyone to watch (it's free to do so on YouTube).

    Try to reduce the amount of sugar (particularly processed sugar) and carbs in your diet. Carbs from veggies and fruit is the exception, these should form a large part of your diet.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Sugar is a type of carbohydrate and should most definitely be tracked. Losing weight is not just about creating a calorie deficit, it's about eating the right calories. I highly recommend the following video which explains why carbs are bad:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE

    This clips is from the movie "Fat Head" which I also recommend everyone to watch (it's free to do so on YouTube).

    Try to reduce the amount of sugar (particularly processed sugar) and carbs in your diet. Carbs from veggies and fruit is the exception, these should form a large part of your diet.

    umm that is why we track 'carbs'….

    right, fruit sugar "good", all other sugar "bad" …rolling eyes...
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I've started tracking sugar because I almost always go over - not because of fruit but the daily "treats," which I try to eat in moderation. I have a strong sweet tooth and would feel deprived without them. I don't know what a reasonable sugar goal is. How many sugar grams should you eat a day?

    Fructose (which is part of sugar) does not get metabolized the same as glucose (the other part of sugar) and excess sugar converts to fat.. one of the MAJOR causes of obesity. There are numerous medical research studies that you can read for confirmation.

    But the best proof is in the pudding.

    Get your sugar down to 10 percent of your calories and see what happens.... Do don't have to listen to anybody; you can see for yourself. You will not have to wait long to get your answer. It happens almost immediately.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity

    Actually during glycolysis (the first bit of metabolism), glucose gets turned INTO fructose before being further broken down.
    So yeah, no.

    Actually, sucrose is digested into it one molecule of fructose and one of glucose.

    345px-Saccharose2.svg.png

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