What's up with sugar

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brollender
brollender Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
hi,

I've just started using myfitnesspal and I'm learning that I can't keep my sugar under the daily allowable. Everything has sugar! and natural fruit is the worst but I gotta believe some is worse than others. When I started researching, I appears that 'additional sugar' consumption is used a lot. So what does this mean? If I eat bananas/oranges/apples which are healthy and I go over my limit...? any expert sugar people out there?? Thanks!

Replies

  • gaelowyn_pt_duex
    gaelowyn_pt_duex Posts: 135 Member
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    I'm not a nutritionist, so take this with a grain of salt. I would think that processed/additional "sugars"- those found in premade cakes, cookies, crackers, breads, added to soups, dressings, etc are what you want to concentrate on keeping in check. Natural sugars that are in whole fruits and some veg aren't as much of a concern- in my humble opinion. Unless you are a diabetic, then all bets are off and you need to follow orders of a doctor and nutritionist. I've set my settings to have a slightly lower "carb" content than the default. I almost always go over! I'm ok with that, as my meals I feel are balanced, I'm back to a calorie deficit, and am not diabetic or insulin resistant.
  • MustLoveCats21
    MustLoveCats21 Posts: 137
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    Sugar alone has no effect on weight loss. If you eat less calories than you need per day, you WILL lose weight regardless of where they come from.

    However, you still need to make sure you hit your macros and getting good nutrition. So all your calories should not come from sugar.

    With the above in mind, sugar has its place. It gives you a quick burst of energy so you can get through your workouts, and it also replaces glycogen lost during your workout very quickly if you eat it afterwards.
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
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    seriouse kitn probably doesn't mean a slow 20 minute trot around your neighborhood when kitteh says sugar has its place. It takes a lot more than that to burn off your glycogen stores. You can also train in a ketogenic state and some athletes do fine with it. Me, I'm not an athlete and I have craving issues when I eat high carb and/or sugar, so I happily do my short-legged little trot without consuming compensatory carbs and sugar at all.

    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

    Sugar, stored in your liver and muscles bound into large chains called glycogen, is the prime fuel for a distance runner. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn. Much of the lore about the marathon being “half over at twenty miles” has to do with the fact that this is about as long as the average person’s muscle glycogen stores will last.
  • MustLoveCats21
    MustLoveCats21 Posts: 137
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    Jolinia wrote: »
    seriouse kitn probably doesn't mean a slow 20 minute trot around your neighborhood when kitteh says sugar has its place. It takes a lot more than that to burn off your glycogen stores. You can also train in a ketogenic state and some athletes do fine with it. Me, I'm not an athlete and I have craving issues when I eat high carb and/or sugar, so I happily do my short-legged little trot without consuming compensatory carbs and sugar at all.

    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

    Sugar, stored in your liver and muscles bound into large chains called glycogen, is the prime fuel for a distance runner. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn. Much of the lore about the marathon being “half over at twenty miles” has to do with the fact that this is about as long as the average person’s muscle glycogen stores will last.

    I don't know that much about it. All I know is I kill my workout when I've had something sugary or carby before and I don't have the same result otherwise. This is my personal experience.
  • MustLoveCats21
    MustLoveCats21 Posts: 137
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    MustLoveCats21 wrote: »
    Jolinia wrote: »
    seriouse kitn probably doesn't mean a slow 20 minute trot around your neighborhood when kitteh says sugar has its place. It takes a lot more than that to burn off your glycogen stores. You can also train in a ketogenic state and some athletes do fine with it. Me, I'm not an athlete and I have craving issues when I eat high carb and/or sugar, so I happily do my short-legged little trot without consuming compensatory carbs and sugar at all.

    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

    Sugar, stored in your liver and muscles bound into large chains called glycogen, is the prime fuel for a distance runner. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn. Much of the lore about the marathon being “half over at twenty miles” has to do with the fact that this is about as long as the average person’s muscle glycogen stores will last.

    I don't know that much about it. All I know is I kill my workout when I've had something sugary or carby before and I don't have the same result otherwise. This is my personal experience.

    I should also add that I'm not a runner. All I do is weight lifting.
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
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    MustLoveCats21 wrote: »
    Jolinia wrote: »
    seriouse kitn probably doesn't mean a slow 20 minute trot around your neighborhood when kitteh says sugar has its place. It takes a lot more than that to burn off your glycogen stores. You can also train in a ketogenic state and some athletes do fine with it. Me, I'm not an athlete and I have craving issues when I eat high carb and/or sugar, so I happily do my short-legged little trot without consuming compensatory carbs and sugar at all.

    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

    Sugar, stored in your liver and muscles bound into large chains called glycogen, is the prime fuel for a distance runner. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn. Much of the lore about the marathon being “half over at twenty miles” has to do with the fact that this is about as long as the average person’s muscle glycogen stores will last.

    I don't know that much about it. All I know is I kill my workout when I've had something sugary or carby before and I don't have the same result otherwise. This is my personal experience.

    Sorry, thought you meant bonking!
  • MustLoveCats21
    MustLoveCats21 Posts: 137
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    Jolinia wrote: »
    MustLoveCats21 wrote: »
    Jolinia wrote: »
    seriouse kitn probably doesn't mean a slow 20 minute trot around your neighborhood when kitteh says sugar has its place. It takes a lot more than that to burn off your glycogen stores. You can also train in a ketogenic state and some athletes do fine with it. Me, I'm not an athlete and I have craving issues when I eat high carb and/or sugar, so I happily do my short-legged little trot without consuming compensatory carbs and sugar at all.

    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

    Sugar, stored in your liver and muscles bound into large chains called glycogen, is the prime fuel for a distance runner. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn. Much of the lore about the marathon being “half over at twenty miles” has to do with the fact that this is about as long as the average person’s muscle glycogen stores will last.

    I don't know that much about it. All I know is I kill my workout when I've had something sugary or carby before and I don't have the same result otherwise. This is my personal experience.

    Sorry, thought you meant bonking!

    :trollface:

    Not a troll...but I LOVE that face.
  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
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    MustLoveCats21 wrote: »
    Jolinia wrote: »
    MustLoveCats21 wrote: »
    Jolinia wrote: »
    seriouse kitn probably doesn't mean a slow 20 minute trot around your neighborhood when kitteh says sugar has its place. It takes a lot more than that to burn off your glycogen stores. You can also train in a ketogenic state and some athletes do fine with it. Me, I'm not an athlete and I have craving issues when I eat high carb and/or sugar, so I happily do my short-legged little trot without consuming compensatory carbs and sugar at all.

    http://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

    Sugar, stored in your liver and muscles bound into large chains called glycogen, is the prime fuel for a distance runner. While your body can burn fat directly for energy, it tends to prefer glycogen, as it is easier to burn. Much of the lore about the marathon being “half over at twenty miles” has to do with the fact that this is about as long as the average person’s muscle glycogen stores will last.

    I don't know that much about it. All I know is I kill my workout when I've had something sugary or carby before and I don't have the same result otherwise. This is my personal experience.

    Sorry, thought you meant bonking!

    :trollface:

    Not a troll...but I LOVE that face.

    Don't mind me, I just wish I could go long and hard enough at any exercise to burn off full glycogen stores. *resisting urge to make dirty joke here*
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited February 2015
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    brollender wrote: »
    hi,

    I've just started using myfitnesspal and I'm learning that I can't keep my sugar under the daily allowable. Everything has sugar! and natural fruit is the worst but I gotta believe some is worse than others. When I started researching, I appears that 'additional sugar' consumption is used a lot. So what does this mean? If I eat bananas/oranges/apples which are healthy and I go over my limit...? any expert sugar people out there?? Thanks!

    This isn't the place to look for sugar experts. There is a reason MFP has a disclaimer re: info found on these forums.

    The MFP sugar limits are based on either national or global recommendations, which are set by experts. Do with those generic and broad recommendations what you will.
  • Stim100986
    Stim100986 Posts: 8
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    You can always change your sugar goals as a percent of allowance!

    But seriously... you may want to ensure you're eating balanced foods. Personal experience tells me that some days are high sugar while some are lower. I have Type 2 so Ive actually ratcheted down my sugar allowance to help me stay under. If you're staying under daily goals, something else is too low, right? Perhaps your protein intake is low? Are you a meat eater? If not, perhaps up on the Tofu. Either way, perhaps up the beans? Avocados for fat is popular!
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    Eh, if you don't have a medical condition, don't sweat it. I dropped both sugar and sodium from my tracking and follow fiber and calcium instead.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
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    I kept getting the sodium warning. Bah. Upped up to a Gazillion. No longer bothers me.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    You can pretty much ignore that sugar number unless you are diabetic or prediabetic, or have any other medical condition it would affect. If you're healthy, I agree with EWJL, have it track something else that you care more about.
  • sugardetox
    sugardetox Posts: 149 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    brollender wrote: »
    hi,

    I've just started using myfitnesspal and I'm learning that I can't keep my sugar under the daily allowable. Everything has sugar! and natural fruit is the worst but I gotta believe some is worse than others. When I started researching, I appears that 'additional sugar' consumption is used a lot. So what does this mean? If I eat bananas/oranges/apples which are healthy and I go over my limit...? any expert sugar people out there?? Thanks!

    This isn't the place to look for sugar experts. There is a reason MFP has a disclaimer re: info found on these forums.

    The MFP sugar limits are based on either national or global recommendations, which are set by experts. Do with those generic and broad recommendations what you will.

    This^^^^

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