Question about sugar

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Airesz
Airesz Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
My name is Michael I am 37 years old. I've been using MyFitnessPal for 18 days. Just about 3 weeks ago I went to visit my doctor because I was having some horrible back pain that was keeping me awake at night. During the visit the doctor told me I should lose some weight and if that would help my back issues. I am 5 foot 8 and had weighed 211 or 207 pounds depending on the scale I was on. So to continue for the past 18 days I have been using MyFitnessPal in an attempt to lose weight.

I have my daily goal set to 1550 calories a day and since starting a diet I have not had any issues keeping my calorie intake to 1550 or a little less. I have stopped drinking soda or my much loved mocha latte from McDonalds I cut out all fast food and tell me anything that was helping me maintain my weight I am currently down to 200 pounds. I have also started exercising in the form of walking started off with just five mile walks what's that got to easy so I'm going longer longer distances as my time permits usually 8 miles.

Now on to my question when looking at the nutrient details in the MyFitnessPal app it says that I should keep my sugars under 82. My issue is that even after cutting out fruit juices, pops, and coffees with sugar I still seem to have some difficulty keeping my sugars under what has been suggested . I am eating more fruits then I ever have I usually have grapes maybe a pair or peach with lunch and dinner how worried should I be about the sugars are coming from these fruits?

Replies

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    Unless you have a metabolic disorder like diabetes, don't worry about your sugars as long as your total carbs are in line. Many people even remove the sugars tracking and add something they feel is more important like fiber (which is what I have done, and I am T2 diabetic)
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to monitor your sugar intake, I wouldn't worry about it. It seems what you've been doing is working and going over in sugars isn't posing you any problems.
  • LadyBos
    LadyBos Posts: 30 Member
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    I used to eat tons of fruit. I found that I was substituting fruit for vegetables. I cut back on fruit, added veggies and my sugars for the last week or so have been under 30. Broke through a plateau almost instantly. Just my two cents.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    If you're already watching your carbs, you don't need to watch your sugar, in my opinion. As long as you're within your calorie goal, you'll lose weight. I would change your diary to track fiber instead of sugar.
  • Jecka987
    Jecka987 Posts: 47 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Hi Michael - first off congratulations on doing something about your health, it sounds like you have made an AWESOME start to a new healthier lifestyle and are already seeing great results.

    In my personal experience trying to change too much all at once has never worked - I can maintain a completely perfect food diary and exercise regime for about 2 weeks before i fall back into my old ways and everything unravels. I think making incremental changes to your lifestyle and cementing them as habits is a much more sustainable way to see long term results.

    So given that you have cut out so many unhealthy habits and started exercising and you are seeing results I wouldn't get too hung up about your sugar intake - especially from fruit. True that sugars from fruit are just like sugars from any where else (essentially) but the nutrients in fruit and the low calories mean they are much better choice than other high sugar snacks.

    I would say keep doing what you are doing and in a couple of months when you are getting into the habit of exercising and making good choices or when your results start to slow down you could look at reducing your sugar/fruit intake.

    Good luck!
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    PikaKnight wrote: »
    Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to monitor your sugar intake, I wouldn't worry about it. It seems what you've been doing is working and going over in sugars isn't posing you any problems.

    This. Also, while it's working for you thus far, that's an awfully small calorie total for an adult male. I'm a smaller (and older) guy than you, with a higher calorie goal on 'sedentary.'
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    you don't really have to worry about THAT sugar because it's naturally paired with fiber, which counts as a carb. I try to pay attention to my fiber to sugar ratio, but since I cut added sugar to a minimum, I don't really even pay attention to the ratio much any more.

    Good luck with it all!
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    PikaKnight wrote: »
    Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to monitor your sugar intake, I wouldn't worry about it. It seems what you've been doing is working and going over in sugars isn't posing you any problems.

    +1
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    kayemme wrote: »
    you don't really have to worry about THAT sugar because it's naturally paired with fiber, which counts as a carb. I try to pay attention to my fiber to sugar ratio, but since I cut added sugar to a minimum, I don't really even pay attention to the ratio much any more.

    Good luck with it all!

    Oh boy. Sugar is sugar. Fruit sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar. It's all sugar. And it all counts as a carb.
  • Airesz
    Airesz Posts: 2
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    Thanks for all of the replies. I guess what I was most worried about is the sugar turning into fat.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Sugar turns to fat if you eat more total calories for the day than your body needs.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I have never worried about sugar. I try to limited all processed foods, but I am over in sugar nearly every day, mostly because I do eat a lot of fruit. But I'm under my calorie goal and feel great, so I've not been concerned.
  • Jecka987
    Jecka987 Posts: 47 Member
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    RodaRose wrote: »
    Sugar turns to fat if you eat more total calories for the day than your body needs.

    This. So since you are eating a pretty substantial deficit you won't be storing it you'll be burning it up and then some :)
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    edited November 2014
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    mccindy72 wrote: »
    kayemme wrote: »
    you don't really have to worry about THAT sugar because it's naturally paired with fiber, which counts as a carb. I try to pay attention to my fiber to sugar ratio, but since I cut added sugar to a minimum, I don't really even pay attention to the ratio much any more.

    Good luck with it all!

    Oh boy. Sugar is sugar. Fruit sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar. It's all sugar. And it all counts as a carb.

    you're probably right, but since fiber is considered a carb in the US, I really only pay attention to "net carbs" or added sugars, because I want fiber in my diet.

    in other words, yes, sugar is sugar, but not all carbs are sugars and mfp (& the US) does not separate added sugars from carbohydrates which is where this whole thing is coming from in the first place.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    for clarity, what I mean is the SAD has an average ration of 1:18, fiber to sugar, I try to keep mine to about 1:3 because that's the average ratio for a whole food (some whole foods are high, like 1:8 (peaches), but others are very low, 1:1 or lower). The body needs some sugars or it wouldn't show up in our natural food (even despite breeding) but as sugar is energy, one needs to be able to burn it.

    for me (and only speaking on my own behalf), I need some carbs to keep me moving. I like to keep the ratio so I don't keep eating more energy than I can burn.

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