On the topic of Sugar....

Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't distinguish between inherent and added sugar. If sugar isn't a medical issue for you, it's personal preference.

Well, it's not really yelling. It's just letting you know. Even eating too much fruit isn't always the best idea.

There was a link floating around... WHO recently dropped its sugar suggestion for adults from 10% daily calories (about 50 g) down to 5% daily calories (25 g)... The confusion was around fruit. WHO is only talking about ADDED sugars here for the general population. Naturally occurring sugars in fruit & veg are fine with them. Separate from this, however, diabetics & prediabetics must be cognizant of ALL sugars whether they occur naturally or are added. I think that's where the confusion set in...

jgnatca wrote: »

Sugar is sugar but it's not that bad. The MFP community is pretty well agreed that the MFP sugar settings are too low. Fruit is good for you as it is loaded with fiber and vitamins too. I would not give up fruit just to keep below the sugar settings here on MFP.

Sugar does not contribute to fat. Calorie surplus contributes to fat and that may come from any food we eat.

I don't think that there is a general agreement here on that topic AT ALL.

Sugar is sugar and too much is not good for your long-term health. Instead of eating so much fruit, try consuming more low-starch vegetables.

Turn off notification for sugar and don't tracktrack it as a macro. Or go into your settings and change that. Like a lot. It's a largely irrelevant number if you're eating a balanced diet not a low - carb person.

Kalin7 wrote: »

And I do not eat a lot of carbs either... Mostly a couple servings of whole grain breads. Or a Belvita breakfast bar. And the rest is veggies and fruits. Its discouraging BC I'm trying to eat better (and I am losing weight) but I don't want to be a sugar addict.

Sugar isn't sugar in the way you are probably asking. The calories are calories, absolutely. But 'sugary' foods low in glycemic load don't spike blood sugars the same way foods higher in glycemic load do. The spiking can have health implications (like with insulin resistance, etc).

So it's very cool that most fruit is low GL/GI Whole grains are, too. Veggies are bound to be better than pastries, even if certain veggies start getting high on the glycemic index. Basically, 'whole foods' do end up being better than the processed foods in this case. So keep using your common sense and it ends up fitting nicely with the science within this topic

If there are no blood sugar problems at all, it's debatable whether it even matters, too. Of course, you get more nutrients with certain choices, so again the foods you are eating are a great choice and not bad for you, no. You're good

jgnatca wrote: »

And you know, the sugar settings are even too low for a diabetic. I must watch my overall carbohydrate intake and take care to eat it with protein to prevent sugar highs. I would react far stronger from a couple slices of white bread or a cup of rice. An apple, because of the added fiber, offers a nice slow release of glucose.

The fact that the government and ADA say that is just very very disturbing to me...

cafeaulait7 wrote: »

Kalin7 wrote: »

And I do not eat a lot of carbs either... Mostly a couple servings of whole grain breads. Or a Belvita breakfast bar. And the rest is veggies and fruits. Its discouraging BC I'm trying to eat better (and I am losing weight) but I don't want to be a sugar addict.

Sugar isn't sugar in the way you are probably asking. The calories are calories, absolutely. But 'sugary' foods low in glycemic load don't spike blood sugars the same way foods higher in glycemic load do. The spiking can have health implications (like with insulin resistance, etc).

So it's very cool that most fruit is low GL/GI Whole grains are, too. Veggies are bound to be better than pastries, even if certain veggies start getting high on the glycemic index. Basically, 'whole foods' do end up being better than the processed foods in this case. So keep using your common sense and it ends up fitting nicely with the science within this topic

If there are no blood sugar problems at all, it's debatable whether it even matters, too. Of course, you get more nutrients with certain choices, so again the foods you are eating are a great choice and not bad for you, no. You're good

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10281199/james-krieger-on-glycemic-index#latest

Kalin7 wrote: »

Okay I have a question. I've been doing really swell and losing the weight consistently since I started. But here's my question. MFP only gives me 45 grams of sugar I believe. I am not a soda or artificial sweetener kinda gal. I strictly eat whole grains, healthy sugars from fruits like blueberries, strawberries and pineapple. Also lean meats like salmon and turkey. I never "drink" my calories and only drink water.

If the sugars I am getting are from healthy sources like fruits and whole grains is that bad? I have found during my research that sugar contributes to fat. Is this the same sugar in the healthy fruits and whole grains?

Why does MFP "yell" at me for going over my sugar limit if it comes from healthy sources??

Kalin7 wrote: »

Or is sugar still sugar? And something to be limited?

Sugar is sugar. Unless you have a medical issue where you must limit sugar/carbs, there is no reason to track it. I suggest finding the limit that sounds right for you and work with it.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10197460/sugar-faq-june-2015.

WHO and and other guidelines are based on population data where the median consumption of fruit is 1 or fewer servings. MFP's limit is based on total sugars using 15% of calories. If you find the allocation a problem just use custom goals to increase it, using more of your carbs for sugar.

I couldn't go on without eating about half my calories worth of fruit. So I say eat as much fruit as you want, unless there's a medical issue.

I just don't bother tracking sugar; I track fiber instead. If you want to change what nutrients show on your diary, just go here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

RodaRose wrote: »

For people who have to watch their sugar number, it does not matter if the sugars are so called "healthy" or not. Sugar is still sugar.

This isn't true. For diabetics fructose usually doesn't have the same impact on blood sugar levels. Grapes, for example, are a high sugar fruit but they are also high in fructose and usually don't spike blood glucose levels like candy will.

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

RodaRose wrote: »

For people who have to watch their sugar number, it does not matter if the sugars are so called "healthy" or not. Sugar is still sugar.

This isn't true. For diabetics fructose usually doesn't have the same impact on blood sugar levels. Grapes, for example, are a high sugar fruit but they are also high in fructose and usually don't spike blood glucose levels like candy will.