Sugar Consumption and Weight Loss

AmelodyAngel
AmelodyAngel Posts: 152 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi MFP family,

I am struggling with sugar! It is in everything and I am having a hard time staying at 25 grams of sugar in a day. I have an extreme sweet tooth and just eating fruit with every meal puts me over. I also really enjoy frozen yogurt and sugar in my coffee. These things really help me get through my stressful days. Any advice? Do you think you still get good weight loss if you go over only on sugar?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • hiphopbunnie
    hiphopbunnie Posts: 37
    I have the same problem! I think you can still lose weight even though you go over in sugar a bit. I think if you try to ween yourself off sugar you'll eventually just get used to it in a few weeks and won't crave it as much. I have done that before and it works, but as soon as you start eating sugar again it's back on. I guess the other thing you can do is use artificial sweetners but thats probably not that healthy =/
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    I just don't track my sugar.

    Track Fibre instead
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Unless you're diabetic, pre-diabetic, or have a reason to watch sugar intake, then there's no reason to track sugar. Instead track fat, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, and fiber. Total carbohydrate intake is far more important than sugar intake.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    As long as it fits into your calorie goal, it doesn't matter what you eat, you will lose weight.
  • thesaraaah
    thesaraaah Posts: 17 Member
    Lost over 30lbs still drinking cokes and eating ding dongs. I honestly don't pay too much attention to sugar and fat, protein on the other hand I try to hit my daily goal.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    Join the group "The Skinny on Obesity" for more information.

    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    I love sugar too, but I feel much better when I stay below a certain amount.
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  • PeauxPeaux
    PeauxPeaux Posts: 71 Member
    If most of your sugars are coming from Fruit, I would especially not worry. I agree with whoever said to Track Fiber instead.

    I have a HUGE sweet tooth, and I make sure I have room for dessert of some kind every day.

    Here is a GREAT dessert that satisfies my sweet tooth but also has a lot of good stuff in it:

    http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/05/strawberry-rhubarb-crisp-bars/

    I usually make it with mixed berries or blueberries or apples, though, as I never have Rhubarb on hand.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Join the group "The Skinny on Obesity" for more information.

    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    I love sugar too, but I feel much better when I stay below a certain amount.

    No. There is zero evidence that this is true.

    Unless you are a diabetic, get rid of the suger and track something useful like fiber.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Unless you're diabetic, pre-diabetic, or have a reason to watch sugar intake, then there's no reason to track sugar. Instead track fat, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, and fiber. Total carbohydrate intake is far more important than sugar intake.

    Unless you have kidney issues, tracking sodium is not necessary either. The current RDA recommendation is what doctors put hypertensive patients on. It is woefully low for people who work out a lot or do manual labor in the sun.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    Join the group "The Skinny on Obesity" for more information.

    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    I love sugar too, but I feel much better when I stay below a certain amount.

    Don't join this group
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Join the group "The Skinny on Obesity" for more information.

    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    I love sugar too, but I feel much better when I stay below a certain amount.

    From 1970 to 2007:

    Meats, eggs, and nut kcals decreased 4%.
    Dairy kcals decreased 3%.
    Percentage of fruit kcals stayed the same.
    Percentage of vegetable kcals stayed the same.
    Flour and cereal product kcals increased 3%.
    Added fat kcals are up 7%,
    Added sugars kcals decreased 1%
    Total energy intake in 1970 averaged 2172 kcal. By 2007 this hiked up to 2775 kcal, a 603 kcal increase.

    Stop blaming sugar. People are unhealthy and overweight because total calorie intake has gone up and exercise energy expenditure has gone down. Stop trying to blame one subset of a macronutrient for an over consumption problem...
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Hi MFP family,

    I am struggling with sugar! It is in everything and I am having a hard time staying at 25 grams of sugar in a day. I have an extreme sweet tooth and just eating fruit with every meal puts me over. I also really enjoy frozen yogurt and sugar in my coffee. These things really help me get through my stressful days. Any advice? Do you think you still get good weight loss if you go over only on sugar?

    Thanks!

    As long as you stay under your overall calorie target, going over on sugar a bit won't matter.

    If you are looking to cut calories though, then sugar is a good place to start.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Unless you're diabetic, pre-diabetic, or have a reason to watch sugar intake, then there's no reason to track sugar. Instead track fat, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, and fiber. Total carbohydrate intake is far more important than sugar intake.

    Unless you have kidney issues, tracking sodium is not necessary either. The current RDA recommendation is what doctors put hypertensive patients on. It is woefully low for people who work out a lot or do manual labor in the sun.

    I didn't so much add that for health reasons, more so that if you track it and keep it consistent, it helps with water weight fluctuation which can discourage people trying to lose fat.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Join the group "The Skinny on Obesity" for more information.

    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    I love sugar too, but I feel much better when I stay below a certain amount.

    Don't join this group

    Unless it's for the lulz
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    Join the group "The Skinny on Obesity" for more information.

    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    I love sugar too, but I feel much better when I stay below a certain amount.

    Don't join this group

    Unless it's for the lulz

    One day, I will invade the temple of doom...but I think my name might give me away as a spy
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    Added sugars are the primary cause of many health problems today.

    No...
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Hi MFP family,

    I am struggling with sugar! It is in everything and I am having a hard time staying at 25 grams of sugar in a day. I have an extreme sweet tooth and just eating fruit with every meal puts me over. I also really enjoy frozen yogurt and sugar in my coffee. These things really help me get through my stressful days. Any advice? Do you think you still get good weight loss if you go over only on sugar?

    Thanks!

    MFP's sugar tracker is set ridiculously low!!!! I've turned mine 'off' and no longer track it. I rely on commonsense when it comes to sugar. When the sugar is coming from fresh fruit I don't worry about it as long as I stay within my calorie goal. As far as treats - 2 cookies is ok, the whole bag is not.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    As many have already stated - absent of a medical condition which would require you to limit sugar, tracking sugar for weight loss is an exercise in futility. Calories in vs out determine overall weight loss, even in individuals with a medical reason to limit sugar. You can eat a whole bag of cookies - if it fits your caloric goal to lose weight, you will.

    Your issue may be understating food and overstating (or overcalculating) your caloric burn from exercise. Looking at your diary, there are days you log 900cals, and days you log 1500cals. Your exercise diary has you burning 300+ calories from walking or doing jumping jacks. If you are logging normal daily activities as exercise and eating back your calories, you may be eating at your TDEE, instead of in a deficit.

    Sugar isn't the culprit, and cutting it out won't help if you are over-consuming.
  • AmelodyAngel
    AmelodyAngel Posts: 152 Member
    Thanks for the feedback everyone! It was very helpful to me and I know others did too
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    If your diary is correct, your calorie counts are very low. If it were me, I'd stop worrying about sugar and start worrying about the lack of protien and fiber.
  • AmelodyAngel
    AmelodyAngel Posts: 152 Member
    Thank You! I thought of that as well, sometimes your never really sure if the estimates are quite right, the days you see the 900 calories are what I am doing now... MFP has me set at 1200 so now I am trying to eat only 1000 to lave room for errors and I am no longer eating back my exercise calories.... so hopefully that will do it!
  • AmelodyAngel
    AmelodyAngel Posts: 152 Member
    Thank you! Some days are right some are not.... I try to stay around 1200, but I will add in more protein and fiber!
  • cwoyto123
    cwoyto123 Posts: 308
    I eat 400+ grams of sugar a day.

    Sugar doesn't make you fat, excess calories do.

    Stop tracking sugar, seriously the dumbest thing to do unless you are diabetic.
  • isp3986
    isp3986 Posts: 21 Member
    Unless you're diabetic, pre-diabetic, or have a reason to watch sugar intake, then there's no reason to track sugar. Instead track fat, protein, carbohydrates, sodium, and fiber. Total carbohydrate intake is far more important than sugar intake.

    Unless you have kidney issues, tracking sodium is not necessary either. The current RDA recommendation is what doctors put hypertensive patients on. It is woefully low for people who work out a lot or do manual labor in the sun.

    Ditto on the sodium intake. I am very active and can't get through the day on the RDA.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Unless your doctor has put you on a very restrictive sugar diet, don't worry about them. If you decide that you want to cut your sugars a little and don't want to go to artificial sweeteners, how about substituting some veggies for the fruit? They may help your fiber too.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    I haven't it seen it myself yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.

    Go see the movie "Fed Up."
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I haven't it seen it myself yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.

    Go see the movie "Fed Up."
    Xmen is much more exciting to watch.

    It's not a "movie" it's a documentary. And like most food documentaries, it's biased towards whatever belief the writer/promoter follows.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    I actually heard about the documentary (which IS a movie, by the way) on Good Morning America.
    It had nothing to do with Joanne said.

    Sometimes people go to movies or documentaries to educate themselves, not just for pure entertainment.

    I did see Days of Future Past, and liked it.

    Why take the topic away from what the OP wanted to know? The more she researches on her own, the better off she will be.

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