What if I go over on Sugar or Fat but stay within my deficit?

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Summer16354
Summer16354 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just getting started here. Never realized how hard it is to keep the sugar down> Its in everything from my breakfast smoothie to the peas I ate for dinner. Anyway, I aim to keep the fat intake around the goal number, but sugar will be hard. What if I am consistently going over- will I still lose weight? Are the goals for each thing being tracked for optimal weight loss? Such as protein - I didn't get nearly enough of that today. How will that affect my weight loss goals?
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Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Calories are what matter for weight loss. As long as your calories are within the right range you should lose weight.

    Macros (carbs, fat, protein) help with different things. For instance, fat helps with vitamin absorption, hormonal balance, and keeps your skin and nails healthy. Protein helps to keep you fuller longer and helps your body retain that lean muscle mass. And carbs help give you energy. How you set your macros are your choice and MFP has suggested one possible set of goals for you. You're welcome to adjust them as you see fit, but many of us think that MFP sets their protein and fat goals too low.

    Sugar is a form of carbohydrate. Some people have medical reasons or choose to keep their sugar lower. But, for what it's worth, MFP's limit is based on the recommended limit for added sugars, but the site doesn't differentiate between added and natural sugars. Personally, I don't worry about my sugar at all. I'm usually over the number by breakfast. But you can do your research and decide whether or not it's important to you.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    I don't even track sugar; it's a carb, there's no reason to track carbs twice. I replaced the sugar with something more useful; for me it was fiber. You can change that under your diary settings.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Keep an eye on your calories instead of your macros.
    Excess calories will stop you losing, not sugar.
    I am always over on my sugar by lunch time because of all the fruit I eat. Now, I track fibre instead
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    Calories are what matter for weight loss. ....

    ....Some people have medical reasons or choose to keep their sugar lower. .... I don't worry about my sugar at all. I'm usually over the number by breakfast. But you can do your research and decide whether or not it's important to you.

    Yes! Don't worry about it unless it's for a medical issue. Focus initially on getting your calories in line.

  • DeWoSa
    DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
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    If you maintain a calorie deficit, you will continue to lose weight regardless of the source of those calories.

    To help your body perform optimally, you need to spread your calories over carbs, protein, and fat (these are called macros). MFP lets you choose which percentage you want to assign to each macro. 40 / 30 / 30 or 35 / 35/ 30 or whatever you want.

    You can either go with MFP's defaults or set your own. You'll have to talk to people more knowledgable than me to find out what the best percentages are for your situation (height, weight loss goal, activity level, etc.)

    You should hit near or at your macros daily, but if you are over or under it's no big deal as long as you are at or under your calories. Going over your calories once in a while is no big deal as long as you are consistently at your calories over a significant amount of time -- a week, say.

    Sugar is just a carbohydrate so if you are over sugar but not over carbs then you are doing fine.

    Good luck!
  • emmoen
    emmoen Posts: 218 Member
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    there are also good sugar that comes from natural foods and good fats. Don't worry to much. I focus on Calories, Protein and Carbs.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
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    Great Job!!!

    /end thread
  • jnv7594
    jnv7594 Posts: 983 Member
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    I wondered this a while back and asked a similar question. I don't really track sugar, but I was going over on fat even while not quite hitting my calorie goal. I was told by a couple people to see my fat macro number as a minimum...like a goal. I had a hard time believing I could go over fat, even with healthy fat items like nuts...my brain was still trained with the "high fat is bad' idea. So I did an experiment. I started looking at my fat as a minimum, and let myself go over it but stayed within my calories. Some days I have eaten as much as 80 to 90 grams when my goal is set at 58. Hasn't changed a thing. I'm still losing steadily. I had a major epiphany with that little experiment. :) It's not the fat that makes you fat. It's exceeding calories. I've heard that time and time again on here, but had a hard time believing it myself until I tried my little experiment. Some may disagree with me, but this is just my experience. It was rather freeing when I realized it was true. :)
  • DeWoSa
    DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
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    jnv7594 wrote: »
    So I did an experiment. I started looking at my fat as a minimum, and let myself go over it but stayed within my calories. Some days I have eaten as much as 80 to 90 grams when my goal is set at 58. Hasn't changed a thing. I'm still losing steadily. I had a major epiphany with that little experiment. :)

    It was rather freeing when I realized it was true. :)

    Isn't it wonderful?! I love calorie counting.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I utterly ignore macros as numbers and just worry about calories. At my stage in the game, as long as I'm eating plenty of fresh produce (yes, that tends to mean salads) and getting enough protein and fat to keep me feeling full, I don't really care.

    If I need to worry more about it in the future due to healthy, energy or athletic performance, I will.

    (Admittedly, I tend to eat more carbs in the form of whole grains as I'm ramping up my training than I did when I was starting)
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
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    There is more to just calories in vs calories out. You should be concerned of sugar. Eating 500 cal of sugar vs 500 cal of complex carbs and fiber are not the same for your gut. Sugar increases insulin production. Insulin places the excess calories to fat storage. Those that go on low carb diets can eat a lot of calories without storing anything to fat. "Good" sugar vs "bad" sugar is also controversial. I would suggest "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It changes your mind about fats and carbs.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    besee_2000 wrote: »
    There is more to just calories in vs calories out. You should be concerned of sugar. Eating 500 cal of sugar vs 500 cal of complex carbs and fiber are not the same for your gut. Sugar increases insulin production. Insulin places the excess calories to fat storage. Those that go on low carb diets can eat a lot of calories without storing anything to fat. "Good" sugar vs "bad" sugar is also controversial. I would suggest "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It changes your mind about fats and carbs.
    Taubes has been debunked over and over again.
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
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    I don't think its as simple as macros like carbs vs fats. Its types of carbs. Fibers vs refined sugars. Complex vs. simple.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I agree partly with tracking carbs, only because for me personally, the more I eat, the more I want
  • Summer16354
    Summer16354 Posts: 3 Member
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    I don't really see how you can NOT go over the sugar. Today I had a little bit of smoothie, some raisin bran, and peas, and I was done for.. So I will instead avoid eating cake, cookies, and the like.. and just try to be mindful not to consume too much of my calories in sugar..It will be hard. I don't like many veges, and so when I try to eat healthier, I eat a lot of fruit.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    besee_2000 wrote: »
    There is more to just calories in vs calories out. You should be concerned of sugar. Eating 500 cal of sugar vs 500 cal of complex carbs and fiber are not the same for your gut. Sugar increases insulin production. Insulin places the excess calories to fat storage. Those that go on low carb diets can eat a lot of calories without storing anything to fat. "Good" sugar vs "bad" sugar is also controversial. I would suggest "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It changes your mind about fats and carbs.
    Taubes has been debunked over and over again.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=ITwViBD0wmY

    eric is this what you are talking about? The comments did not seem to support this guy so well.

  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    besee_2000 wrote: »
    There is more to just calories in vs calories out. You should be concerned of sugar. Eating 500 cal of sugar vs 500 cal of complex carbs and fiber are not the same for your gut. Sugar increases insulin production. Insulin places the excess calories to fat storage. Those that go on low carb diets can eat a lot of calories without storing anything to fat. "Good" sugar vs "bad" sugar is also controversial. I would suggest "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It changes your mind about fats and carbs.
    Taubes has been debunked over and over again.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=ITwViBD0wmY

    eric is this what you are talking about? The comments did not seem to support this guy so well.

    Just one of many:
    http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.ca/2011/08/carbohydrate-hypothesis-of-obesity.html
  • ViennaRoma
    ViennaRoma Posts: 4 Member
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    I try to stay in the range of 24 carbs a meal and it really helps
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    besee_2000 wrote: »
    There is more to just calories in vs calories out. You should be concerned of sugar. Eating 500 cal of sugar vs 500 cal of complex carbs and fiber are not the same for your gut. Sugar increases insulin production. Insulin places the excess calories to fat storage. Those that go on low carb diets can eat a lot of calories without storing anything to fat. "Good" sugar vs "bad" sugar is also controversial. I would suggest "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It changes your mind about fats and carbs.
    Taubes has been debunked over and over again.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=ITwViBD0wmY

    eric is this what you are talking about? The comments did not seem to support this guy so well.

    Just one of many:
    http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.ca/2011/08/carbohydrate-hypothesis-of-obesity.html

    Thanks for posting this.
  • ketorach
    ketorach Posts: 430 Member
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    besee_2000 wrote: »
    There is more to just calories in vs calories out. You should be concerned of sugar. Eating 500 cal of sugar vs 500 cal of complex carbs and fiber are not the same for your gut. Sugar increases insulin production. Insulin places the excess calories to fat storage. Those that go on low carb diets can eat a lot of calories without storing anything to fat. "Good" sugar vs "bad" sugar is also controversial. I would suggest "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It changes your mind about fats and carbs.
    Aaaaannnnndddd, here we go.


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