confused on where to get or not on nutrition

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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