confused on where to get or not on nutrition

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Donna_Byrd
Donna_Byrd Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I can't imagine it not mattering where you get your calories from. Some say they don't track sugar but what if you are consuming a lot of sugar which is where most of the calories are coming from? Then if you eat foods with a lot of sugar doesn't that lead to sugar spikes?( my daughter has redbulls which is very high) then also I have been here a month now and the first week lost 3 lbs which I am sure is water. I have not lost anything since and today I am up a lb. I am so discouraged.

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  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    The people who are not tracking sugar are only concerned about weight loss, not general health. For weight loss, sugar doesn't matter. For general health, what you eat is very important.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    Tim...I think that is too much of a general blanket statement. Simply because someone doesn't track sugar doesn't mean that they are not concerned about their health.

    I don't track sugar...rarely even look at that data. Why??? I just don't eat that many foods that have a lot of added sugar. 75% of my sugar intake comes naturally packaged in fruits and vegetables. It is rare for me at this stage to consume what you might call a "sugary food".

    To the OP...

    If you are making sure that...

    1. You are eating foods that will give you what you need to meet the daily recommended amounts of nutrients
    2. Staying within your daily calorie allotment

    Your sugar levels will adjust accordingly.

    If you are eating up all of your available daily calories with high sugar foods then ya got a problem. If you choose your foods wisely you can meet your macro/micro goals and still have enough calories left to have that indulgence...unless you are eating a "low" calorie level.

    There are extremists on both sides here OP...there is the "eat whatever you want regardless" and then there is the "never let a granular of sugar touch your lips. Then there are those in the middle..."eat a balanced diet".

    Again Tim...I don't track sugar...yes I want to lose weight but at my age...a hot sexy body ain't gonna happen so I opt to do what is healthy for me.
  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
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    What you eat does not matter in terms of weight loss, it can however make it very difficult to track. Most people tend to eat the same kinds of food on a regular basis, but if you happen to change alot then your sodium intake will vary which can lead to peeks and drops in your water weight which can skew your results and discourage you.

    To be honest I preach that if you eat like a 'normal' human being, you do not need to worry about the TYPES of food you eat. By normal I mean someone who eats a balance of percieved 'good' and 'bad' food and has the common sense to know they shouldn't go full retard with the junk food. Similarly you shouldn't go OTT with the clean eating.

    It's called balance, I call it common sense.
  • Donna_Byrd
    Donna_Byrd Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you, I usually get my sugar from just natural foods, berries, bananas, ext. This question was more for my daughter who gets a lot of sugar.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    Depending on how old your daughter is there might not be much that you can or should do about it.

    If she is a child then what she eats is dependent upon you. If she is an adult then that is her choice.

    Now if she is in between...those crazy teenage years...you can control what she eats at home but when she is out somewhere then...it's a no go...out of your hands.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The people who are not tracking sugar are only concerned about weight loss, not general health. For weight loss, sugar doesn't matter. For general health, what you eat is very important.

    Um, no. I don't track sugar, not because I'm lazy or don't care about my health, but because MFP sets a really low sugar goal and doesn't differentiate between added sugar and natural sugar. So when I eat fruit, it will show my sugar levels high for food that's actually healthy for you. Don't be misled into thinking that all sugar is bad.

    Plus sugar isn't a macro that I really care about. It has no bearing on my weight. I would rather track something like fiber or sodium than sugar.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The people who are not tracking sugar are only concerned about weight loss, not general health. For weight loss, sugar doesn't matter. For general health, what you eat is very important.

    That's incorrect and a pretty bold statement.

    I don't track my sugar. I care about my health. I track Carbs, Fat, Protein and Fiber. Since I am already tracking and staying within my Carbohydrate macro I find it redundant to track sugar.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    edited June 2015
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The people who are not tracking sugar are only concerned about weight loss, not general health. For weight loss, sugar doesn't matter. For general health, what you eat is very important.

    That's so not true (and you know it).

    I track my macros and fiber. If I get close to those goals, then everything else falls into place. The only way I can hit my macro & fiber goals is to eat mostly (~80-90%) high nutrient food and then fill the rest in with what I want to eat.

    I can't hit my macros with eating most of my calories from sugar. That doesn't mean that I avoid sugar (I certainly eat something sweet everyday), but I can't waste half of my calories on sugary food and expect to hit my protein goal. I just can't. So I don't worry about sugar and just focus on the rest.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I track fiber instead of sugar. I don't have a medical need to watch it, so I don't look at it. Same with sodium. That doesn't mean I'm eating NOTHING but sugar...I try to make more nutritious choices throughout the day. And you can easily go over the intake eating a few pieces of fruit.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I don't track sugar - but I do pay attention to my macros (carbs, fat, protein). Sugar is a carb, and by making sure I get enough protein & fat it helps keep my carbs in balance. I also avoid drinking calories - with the exception of fat free milk and occasionally a no added sugar juice. So indirectly, my sugar stays in check as it is a carb.

    As to the daughter - as its been pointed out your influence depends on her age. Child/youth or even young adult living at home: you can discuss health/nutrition and set a good example. Beyond that, you can offer advice but be careful not to nag as that won't accomplish anything.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The people who are not tracking sugar are only concerned about weight loss, not general health. For weight loss, sugar doesn't matter. For general health, what you eat is very important.
    Yeah, no.

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Donna_Byrd wrote: »
    I can't imagine it not mattering where you get your calories from. Some say they don't track sugar but what if you are consuming a lot of sugar which is where most of the calories are coming from? Then if you eat foods with a lot of sugar doesn't that lead to sugar spikes?( my daughter has redbulls which is very high) then also I have been here a month now and the first week lost 3 lbs which I am sure is water. I have not lost anything since and today I am up a lb. I am so discouraged.

    It doesn't matter for weight loss alone where the calorie comes from. For your general health what you eat matters.
    I don't know how old your dd is. If she is an adult there isn't much you can say or do. If she is still a child, you can talk about nutrition and getting enough nutrients. You can find books or web sites to help you talk about nutrition that are appropriate for your child's age.
    I don't track sugar because I don't have a medical reason to do so nor do I have a problem with excessive sugar consumption. I track fiber and sodium.
    If you have not been losing for a couple of weeks you might check your logging to see if you could be more accurate. If you have been entering exercise and eating back exercise calories maybe what you are entering there is off and you should be eating less.
  • Donna_Byrd
    Donna_Byrd Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you all again, I have taken the sugar off on my own page because I didn't want it controlling me. as for my daughter she is going to cut down slowly.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,865 Member
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    Annie_01 wrote: »
    I don't track sugar...rarely even look at that data. Why??? I just don't eat that many foods that have a lot of added sugar. 75% of my sugar intake comes naturally packaged in fruits and vegetables. It is rare for me at this stage to consume what you might call a "sugary food".

    I'm the same. I eat a lot of veg, whole grains, along with some lean meat, dairy, and fruit. I also do not drink my calories ... water, black coffee, tea without milk or sugar ...

    There is, no doubt, some sugar added to some of the stuff I eat, but it isn't a significant amount and I don't worry about it. And there are occasions where I eat something I know has sugar ... like the pastry I had on Saturday. But I don't do that very often, and it fit within my calorie limits.

    You can, of course, lose weight eating a diet that is high in sugar as long as the calories you intake are less than the calories you burn ... but to me, that doesn't seem like a very filling or tasty way to go. I'd much rather eat a large bowl of veggies ... filling, low cal, and taste great!

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Donna_Byrd wrote: »
    Thank you all again, I have taken the sugar off on my own page because I didn't want it controlling me. as for my daughter she is going to cut down slowly.

    I grew up with an old-school diet - home cooked food, veg from garden, cake/cookies etc. consumed only rarely - and that totally set my taste for life, it's my preferred way of eating*. Habits set in childhood can definitely stick - great that you're helping her on the nutrition side of things.

    *I got lost a bit thanks to acquiring the habit of not cooking my own food, and choosing convenience items because of no time. Also restaurants. But my baseline preference is what I grew up with.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Donna_Byrd wrote: »
    I can't imagine it not mattering where you get your calories from. Some say they don't track sugar but what if you are consuming a lot of sugar which is where most of the calories are coming from? Then if you eat foods with a lot of sugar doesn't that lead to sugar spikes?( my daughter has redbulls which is very high) then also I have been here a month now and the first week lost 3 lbs which I am sure is water. I have not lost anything since and today I am up a lb. I am so discouraged.

    If YOUR sugar intake is putting you above your calorie goals, then YOU need to cut down on sugar. For someone else, it might be too much fat. Or too much bread. Or too much of everything.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Troutsy wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    The people who are not tracking sugar are only concerned about weight loss, not general health. For weight loss, sugar doesn't matter. For general health, what you eat is very important.

    That's incorrect and a pretty bold statement.

    I don't track my sugar. I care about my health. I track Carbs, Fat, Protein and Fiber. Since I am already tracking and staying within my Carbohydrate macro I find it redundant to track sugar.

    this - and I track Protein and Fat as a minimum, set fiber to a minimum and let carbs fall where they will .. so the sugar content makes no difference to me at all

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