Cutting Sugar?

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LittleRainbow123
LittleRainbow123 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I seem to be struggling with cutting my sugar intake appropriately. I tend to be very close to on par or slightly above (with 10-15 grams) which of course, isn't ideal. Does anyone have any feasible, reasonable tricks for cutting it a bit? I've been trying to eat more fruit but that hasn't exactly been helping the sugar :(
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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Do you have a medical reason to reduce sugar? Otherwise it does not matter for weight loss. I have not tracked sugar in over a year.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,618 Member
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    15 grams of sugar is 60 calories. You can burn that off just walking for 10 minutes. While it's fine to reduce sugar intake, one doesn't need to go to the extreme to do it. Especially since glycogen is much more easily derived from sugars than fat and glycogen is your first source of energy in physical activity.

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  • umaarte
    umaarte Posts: 4 Member
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    I eat a lot of fruits though for sugar, that's a healthy sugar there rather than anything from refined sugar, process food.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
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    umaarte wrote: »
    I eat a lot of fruits though for sugar, that's a healthy sugar there rather than anything from refined sugar, process food.

    What is different about the fructose is fruit that makes it healthier than the fructose in soda?
  • youdontknowwhatyousaw
    youdontknowwhatyousaw Posts: 221 Member
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    Sugar is not evil. If you don't have a medical reason to watch it, I wouldn't worry about it. I don't track sugar, because, I don't feel like there's a reason for me to.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Look at your log and figure out where your sugar is coming from now. Cut some of those things and add protein. There are health benefits to reducing sugar even if you gong have a formal medical diagnosis.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    pollypocket1021 wrote: »
    umaarte wrote: »
    I eat a lot of fruits though for sugar, that's a healthy sugar there rather than anything from refined sugar, process food.

    What is different about the fructose is fruit that makes it healthier than the fructose in soda?

    Nothing, but fruits are different from soda, and come with more micros and fiber. It makes sense to think of foods as a whole and not just sugar or macros, IMO, beyond getting enough.

    This is also why I wouldn't worry about the sugar limit. Who credible says that 15% of calories in total sugar in a deficit calorie amount that has enough protein, fiber, healthy fat, and is satiating and overall a healthy balanced diet, is too much?
  • bright_fit
    bright_fit Posts: 6 Member
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    Keeping your sugar in check is super important!! When you eat starchy or sugary foods your blood sugar spikes and then drops quickly and your body wants to raise the blood sugar again hence the cravings. The less sugar you eat the less hungry you'll feel!

    Took me years of dieting and mfp to pay attention to how sugar was making me gain weight - not just from the calorie side of things, but from a mental health cravings side of things. Of course I have been addicted to sugar (yes it is a DRUG) since I was a kid - family food was very sugary, packaged. Its a hard battle, really hard to control but the less sugar you invite in the less you'll crave food period.

    If you're struggling with cravings read the labels and have a no sugar day or week and tell me you don't feel better!
  • VykkDraygoVPR
    VykkDraygoVPR Posts: 465 Member
    edited December 2015
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    bright_fit wrote: »
    Of course I have been addicted to sugar (yes it is a DRUG) since I was a kid - family food was very sugary, packaged.

    Can't tell if trolling, or ...

    Sugar most definitely isn't a drug, either way. That's a pretty ridiculous thing to claim. I mean, if you're being serious... I don't even...



    @LittleRainbow123 Unless you need to cut it for medical reasons, or you're specifically trying a low carb way of eating, then don't sweat it. Fruits are tasty, and packed full of good stuff. Sugar won't hurt.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    If your goal is simply to lose weight, it isn't necessary to worry too much about sugar intake! Count your calories and make sure you aren't going over your allowance, of course - but don't over complicate it when you don't need to :)

    I lost 40 lbs and I am now in maintenance (and actually still losing here and there!) and I was 'over' my sugar 'allowance' almost every single day.

    Unless there is a medical reason to keep an eye on your sugar intake, I wouldn't worry!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    LittleRainbow123 wrote: »
    I seem to be struggling with cutting my sugar intake appropriately. I tend to be very close to on par or slightly above (with 10-15 grams) which of course, isn't ideal. Does anyone have any feasible, reasonable tricks for cutting it a bit? I've been trying to eat more fruit but that hasn't exactly been helping the sugar :(

    I swapped out sugar tracking for fibre tracking over a year ago

    I find it much more useful

    but then I have no medical need to track sugar, it may be different for you

    if you're not hitting your macro (specifically protein and fats) and micro-nutrients then I would suggest concentrating on upping those rather than worrying unduly about sugar content .. by hitting a widespread of nutritional vegetables, lean proteins, dairy and carbs to tastes
  • percolater
    percolater Posts: 55 Member
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    bright_fit wrote: »
    Keeping your sugar in check is super important!! When you eat starchy or sugary foods your blood sugar spikes and then drops quickly and your body wants to raise the blood sugar again hence the cravings. The less sugar you eat the less hungry you'll feel!

    Took me years of dieting and mfp to pay attention to how sugar was making me gain weight - not just from the calorie side of things, but from a mental health cravings side of things. Of course I have been addicted to sugar (yes it is a DRUG) since I was a kid - family food was very sugary, packaged. Its a hard battle, really hard to control but the less sugar you invite in the less you'll crave food period.

    If you're struggling with cravings read the labels and have a no sugar day or week and tell me you don't feel better!

    Agree 100%. I track two numbers, calories and sugar. If the sugar goes too high, even from fruit, I get overly hungry and binge. Sugar causes insulin to flood your system and insulin is a hunger hormone. Watch Dr. Lustig's videos on you-tube if you need motivation to cut sugar.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    percolater wrote: »
    bright_fit wrote: »
    Keeping your sugar in check is super important!! When you eat starchy or sugary foods your blood sugar spikes and then drops quickly and your body wants to raise the blood sugar again hence the cravings. The less sugar you eat the less hungry you'll feel!

    Took me years of dieting and mfp to pay attention to how sugar was making me gain weight - not just from the calorie side of things, but from a mental health cravings side of things. Of course I have been addicted to sugar (yes it is a DRUG) since I was a kid - family food was very sugary, packaged. Its a hard battle, really hard to control but the less sugar you invite in the less you'll crave food period.

    If you're struggling with cravings read the labels and have a no sugar day or week and tell me you don't feel better!

    Agree 100%. I track two numbers, calories and sugar. If the sugar goes too high, even from fruit, I get overly hungry and binge. Sugar causes insulin to flood your system and insulin is a hunger hormone. Watch Dr. Lustig's videos on you-tube if you need motivation to cut sugar.

    Not true -

    and please - avoid Lustig on you-tube the man has been debunked, over and over again

    want a killer? protein results in insulin spikes too

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2015
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    https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/

    http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    Insulin is not a hunger hormone. Leptin is increased by insulin and leptin is the thing that reduces your hunger.
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Do you have a medical reason to reduce sugar? Otherwise it does not matter for weight loss. I have not tracked sugar in over a year.

    Please stop suggesting that a medical reason is the only allowable or valid reason to minimize sugar. People need to discover through trial and error what dietary goals work best for their own body. Don't discourage perfectly valid experimentation.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    umayster wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Do you have a medical reason to reduce sugar? Otherwise it does not matter for weight loss. I have not tracked sugar in over a year.

    Please stop suggesting that a medical reason is the only allowable or valid reason to minimize sugar. People need to discover through trial and error what dietary goals work best for their own body. Don't discourage perfectly valid experimentation.

    she said "it does not matter" and it doesn't

    whether it suits you is something different

    people come to this site having believed the current hype and the current media hype is noooooo sugarrrrr baddddd

    please stop suggesting that others have some kind of pro-sugar agenda because you have an anti-sugar one
  • ericGold15
    ericGold15 Posts: 318 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    15 grams of sugar is 60 calories. You can burn that off just walking for 10 minutes. While it's fine to reduce sugar intake, one doesn't need to go to the extreme to do it. Especially since glycogen is much more easily derived from sugars than fat
    Glycogen is not made from fat.

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    ericGold15 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    15 grams of sugar is 60 calories. You can burn that off just walking for 10 minutes. While it's fine to reduce sugar intake, one doesn't need to go to the extreme to do it. Especially since glycogen is much more easily derived from sugars than fat
    Glycogen is not made from fat.

    No one said "made". He said "derived" which is a different word with a different meaning. Assuming he is talking about gluconeogenesis...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    umayster wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Do you have a medical reason to reduce sugar? Otherwise it does not matter for weight loss. I have not tracked sugar in over a year.

    Please stop suggesting that a medical reason is the only allowable or valid reason to minimize sugar. People need to discover through trial and error what dietary goals work best for their own body. Don't discourage perfectly valid experimentation.

    Avoiding unnecessary stress by tracking something that may well be pointless to track is also a valid experiment.
    Personally I don't worry about carbs let alone a subset of carbs.

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