Over on Sugar because of fruit

jgoff3003 · February 2011

Hi All,

I have been really good this week and under or just over my Cal goal, but I find I am over on sugar but most of my sugar intake is from fruit (like grapes or peaches) that I am having for snacks. Is this still bad or should I cut down on fruit to keep my sugars down or is it ok?

mjf0461 · February 2011

I notice mine is the same way.I don't indulge on any sugars other than naturals in my fruits, like apples and tangerines and I go over as well...

messyanderson · February 2011

I personally don't count fruit sugars...I have a major sweet tooth and fruit is my only way to satisfy that. I would say, unless they are bad sugars, don't worry about it as long as you are doing good on your calories.

6Janelle13 · February 2011

MFP doesn't see a difference between fruit and refined sugar. Most people suggest ignoring any fruit / veggie you consume. Someone told me that unless I have a reason to track sugar (diabetic) I shouldn't. Basically you know when you have sugar because rarely is it hidden. Processed foods, refined grains, refined sugars, candy, cakes etc. I was cutting my calories too much because of the sugar count on MFP so I stopped counting it and focused on other things.

samrockrocks · February 2011

my sugar is always over because of fruit. just don't worry about it!

Naomi91 · February 2011

Alright everyone :] lemme explain. The actual breakdown of fructose and sucrose is no different. Neither is better or worse. The reason we eat fruits is to get the fiber and other nurtients, but the sugar all breaks down the same. We want low sugar becuase high sugar foods are generally high in calories (empty ones) so we do not get the other vitamins and minerals in our calorie limit.

So if you are eating a ton of fruit everyday, you should count the sugar
but remember that fruit sugars are no better then sucrose... we just want the other good stuff fromn the fruit

Curves73 · February 2011

I love fruit and it is good for you. Unless it is keeping you from losing I say eat your fruit.

carajo · February 2011

I simply quit tracking sugar because i was always over, and it was becasue i usually eat 2 occasionally 3 apples per day! I now do fiber and sodium(as well as calories, carbs, fat) as long as your not eating candies and man made sweets, i wouldn't track the sugar, just the carbs, and for me i am never over in that....GOOD LUCK!

jgoff3003 · February 2011

Thanks everyone I usually have two serves of fruit a day, for eg today I had a peach and a cup of green grapes

and yes I do have a sneaky chocolate or lolly every now and then but not in excess but about 80% of my sugar intakes is from fruit. I figured it was better to have a piece of fruit for a snack than a chocolate or a muesli bar that is packed with 'sugar' I am not diabetic but I guess I just dont want that fruit sugar to turn into fat and calories

I will keep an eye on it but not going to worry about it majorly then.

jwd28 · February 2011

I've been seeing a naturopath and he says you should be careful about fruit because the sugar content is so high. So, he would disagree with most of the previous posters and say YES it is a problem to go over on sugar even if its because of fruit.

Maybe try more veggies and less fruit...

samb · February 2011

I always wonder the same thing, I know there's definitely a difference between good sugars and bad sugars though, so I think if you keep eating the fruits that is fine, just don't overindulge in bad sugars aka candy/soda/etc

reasonablyvain · February 2011

I've stopped eating fruit because it put me so far over my daily recommended serving of sugar,because it is not allowed in the 4-hour body slow-carb diet and I haven't been able to lose weight previously. I read that fructose, the sugar in fruit, is readily stored as fat by the body (as opposed to being used for energy) and causes other foods to be stored as fat instead of being used as well. Though the high fibre content in fruit does cause it to be released more slowly into the blood stream, hence the low glycemic index. I would say that you should try to eat it, like any simple carb, after a workout or immediately before to ensure that your body uses it instead of storing it.

mindspinmegs311 · February 2011

Alright everyone :] lemme explain. The actual breakdown of fructose and sucrose is no different. Neither is better or worse. The reason we eat fruits is to get the fiber and other nurtients, but the sugar all breaks down the same. We want low sugar becuase high sugar foods are generally high in calories (empty ones) so we do not get the other vitamins and minerals in our calorie limit.

So if you are eating a ton of fruit everyday, you should count the sugar
but remember that fruit sugars are no better then sucrose... we just want the other good stuff fromn the fruit

Yes, a carb is a carb is a carb. They all break down to glucose (sugar) in our body and glucose is used by our body for fuel. That being said... if you are staying at or under your calorie goal but over with your carbohydrates, that's not really a huge deal, especially if it is because you are eating a lot of whole grains and fruits. It is important to keep a good balance of the other macronutrients (protein, fat) though because your body needs those too. The "standard" balance is 15-20% of calories from protein, 50-60% of calories from carbohydrate, and 25-35% of calories from fat.

The nutrients from the fruit are what make it "better for you" than say, a chocolate bar. The fiber and phytonutrients are good for you. Remember that it is best to have your fruit in whole form, not from juice, because juice has those extra sugars and less of the good nutrients you need from fruit!

So eat on!

mindspinmegs311 · February 2011

I've stopped eating fruit because it put me so far over my daily recommended serving of sugar,because it is not allowed in the 4-hour body slow-carb diet and I haven't been able to lose weight previously. I read that fructose, the sugar in fruit, is readily stored as fat by the body (as opposed to being used for energy) and causes other foods to be stored as fat instead of being used as well. Though the high fibre content in fruit does cause it to be released more slowly into the blood stream, hence the low glycemic index. I would say that you should try to eat it, like any simple carb, after a workout or immediately before to ensure that your body uses it instead of storing it.

This IS true, about fructose being store more easily as fat. I learned that in my human metabolism/advanced nutrition class my senior year of college. We discussed it more in relation to high fructose corn syrup, though. But I wouldn't let that shy you away from fruit all together. As many others have said, fruit contains lots of nutrients that are good for you and essential to human health - a lot of chemicals and nutrients that we haven't even discovered yet! I definitely would not cut fruit out of your diet, but maybe cut down on what you eat. The "food pyramid" is around for a reason, and if you're eating a smaller amount of calories the amount of fruit servings is much lower, too. For example - I eat about a 1600 calorie per day diet and my fruit serving allowance is 1 1/2 cups as opposed to the 2 or 2 1/2 cups for a 2000 calorie diet.

Moderation is KEY.

Over on Sugar because of fruit

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