How much is too much sugar?

Mackeyjab
Mackeyjab Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm wondering how worried I should be about my sugar intake. In a typical day, I go over my sugar allowance (according to MFP). However, I'm not eating candy, cakes, soda etc. I have a protein shake in the morning with milk, a piece of fruit at lunch, other things here and there with a few grams of sugar like peanut butter or a piece of sandwich bread and all of a sudden i'm over my allowance. My logic is that it's natural sugar so I shouldn't be concerned, I mean 2% milk has 12 g of sugar!

Should I be concerned?

Replies

  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    Sugar is sugar, regardless of its source. The sugar from fruit is no different than the sugar in a donut, the sugar in bread, etc. Sure, fruit has other nutrients, but that's not what we're talking about here. Anyway, the amounts MFP gives you should be thought of as minimums. I go over my sugar almost every day and have lost and maintained weight without difficulty.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If you don't have a medical reason to be concerned with your sugar intake, don't worry about it. I don't even bother tracking it.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    MFP sets sugar goals really low and they don't differentiate between natural and added sugar. I ignore it and added fiber instead.
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    I usually go way over my Sugar allowance (as i have a bit of a sweet tooth), so i wouldn't worry about it too much.
    I am going to try to cut down on Sugary treats though,..... not for weightloss reasons, but to cut down on visits to the Dentist. ;)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Mackeyjab wrote: »
    I'm wondering how worried I should be about my sugar intake. In a typical day, I go over my sugar allowance (according to MFP). However, I'm not eating candy, cakes, soda etc. I have a protein shake in the morning with milk, a piece of fruit at lunch, other things here and there with a few grams of sugar like peanut butter or a piece of sandwich bread and all of a sudden i'm over my allowance. My logic is that it's natural sugar so I shouldn't be concerned, I mean 2% milk has 12 g of sugar!

    Should I be concerned?
    How much sugar to eat per day is an individual decision, unless you have an underlying medical condition and your doctor tells you to limit sugar intake and/or carbs for some reason.

    If you are concerned sugar will cause weight gain, that is really not the way it works. It's the overall consumption of food that causes that.

    I personally pay no attention to sugar intake, but I try to make sure my diet is well balanced so I reasonably meet my macros.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Mackeyjab wrote: »
    I'm wondering how worried I should be about my sugar intake. In a typical day, I go over my sugar allowance (according to MFP). However, I'm not eating candy, cakes, soda etc. I have a protein shake in the morning with milk, a piece of fruit at lunch, other things here and there with a few grams of sugar like peanut butter or a piece of sandwich bread and all of a sudden i'm over my allowance. My logic is that it's natural sugar so I shouldn't be concerned, I mean 2% milk has 12 g of sugar!

    Should I be concerned?

    if you are not a diabetic or have another medical condition than no.
  • Mackeyjab
    Mackeyjab Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone! I was hoping for those responses! Something about the negative red still bothers me.. but that's my ocd. :-)
  • sandryc79
    sandryc79 Posts: 250 Member
    edited May 2015
    Yeah, bothers me too but I just eat my 200 grams of cherries (or whatever) and ignore the MFP criticism of my sugar level. After all, I am not diabetic or living off candy. :wink:
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    If you have no medical condition, then don't worry about it.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Nope, ignore it. Sounds like you are eating well.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2015
    Mackeyjab wrote: »
    Thank you everyone! I was hoping for those responses! Something about the negative red still bothers me.. but that's my ocd. :-)

    Try tracking fiber instead, as someone else mentioned. My logic is this: sugar is included within carbs, so is already tracked, and doesn't distinguish between that in low nutrient foods and nutrient dense foods, so isn't a particularly good measure to see if your carbs are largely nutrient dense ones anyway. Fiber does that better, as typically your whole food carbs, like beans, fruit, veggies, and whole grains are your source of fiber.
  • kgb6days
    kgb6days Posts: 880 Member
    edited May 2015
    If you have NetflixPLEASE watch Fed Up. You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of sugar in the foods you eat. MFP actually is a little high for what I think my sugar allowance is per day. Recommended is only 10% of daily calories should come from sugar. For a 1200 cal diet that's only 30 grams ( which is 7 1/2 teaspoons a day). You can get that in a bowl of cereal. I see most responses say don't worry about it but I do. That show will explain why it's so very important.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Mackeyjab wrote: »
    I'm wondering how worried I should be about my sugar intake. In a typical day, I go over my sugar allowance (according to MFP). However, I'm not eating candy, cakes, soda etc. I have a protein shake in the morning with milk, a piece of fruit at lunch, other things here and there with a few grams of sugar like peanut butter or a piece of sandwich bread and all of a sudden i'm over my allowance. My logic is that it's natural sugar so I shouldn't be concerned, I mean 2% milk has 12 g of sugar!

    Should I be concerned?

    Are you experiencing any problems eating this way? Are you not losing? Are you always hungry? Have you been adviced by a medical professional to eat less (other than general recommendations)?

    If you don't have any problems, then why be concerned?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    kgb6days wrote: »
    If you have NetflixPLEASE watch Fed Up. You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of sugar in the foods you eat. MFP actually is a little high for what I think my sugar allowance is per day. Recommended is only 10% of daily calories should come from sugar. For a 1200 cal diet that's only 30 grams ( which is 7 1/2 teaspoons a day). You can get that in a bowl of cereal. I see most responses say don't worry about it but I do. That show will explain why it's so very important.

    not this ^
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kgb6days wrote: »
    You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of sugar in the foods you eat.

    Uh, in that she's tracking it currently, how could she be "amazed"?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    kgb6days wrote: »
    If you have NetflixPLEASE watch Fed Up. You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of sugar in the foods you eat. MFP actually is a little high for what I think my sugar allowance is per day. Recommended is only 10% of daily calories should come from sugar. For a 1200 cal diet that's only 30 grams ( which is 7 1/2 teaspoons a day). You can get that in a bowl of cereal. I see most responses say don't worry about it but I do. That show will explain why it's so very important.

    NOPE
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2015
    I also love how Fed Up is the expert on how much sugar WE eat.

    I know how much sugar I eat, and nothing in Fed Up is relevant to that.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Luckily, most know that Fed Up has been debunked.
  • zeinmr
    zeinmr Posts: 79 Member
    Sugars are not the same. Any one study biochemistry can understand the difference between different kinds of sugar. In short human body metabolizes glucose through different enzymes(in the liver) however it is not the case with Fructose(found in table sugar and almost all kind of sweets). This fructose is trurned directly into triglyceides whic is one of the major factor predisposing to Cardio-vascular accidents. Not to mention the glycemic index and its effect on Insulin peak(Insulin is lipogenesis and fat storage hormone)
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    kgb6days wrote: »
    If you have NetflixPLEASE watch Fed Up. You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of sugar in the foods you eat. MFP actually is a little high for what I think my sugar allowance is per day. Recommended is only 10% of daily calories should come from sugar. For a 1200 cal diet that's only 30 grams ( which is 7 1/2 teaspoons a day). You can get that in a bowl of cereal. I see most responses say don't worry about it but I do. That show will explain why it's so very important.

    We really need a "Do not follow advice in this post" flag for advice like this.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    kgb6days wrote: »
    If you have NetflixPLEASE watch Fed Up. You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of sugar in the foods you eat. MFP actually is a little high for what I think my sugar allowance is per day. Recommended is only 10% of daily calories should come from sugar. For a 1200 cal diet that's only 30 grams ( which is 7 1/2 teaspoons a day). You can get that in a bowl of cereal. I see most responses say don't worry about it but I do. That show will explain why it's so very important.

    Nope. It is a fear mongering "documentary" at best (if it can even be called that since the "science" they use is questionable).
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