How can I control sugar in my diet?

TonyB0588
TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm doing fairly well with this MFP calorie deficit concept, but although most days I fall within the range for calories, the sugar count is always over.

At this rate I'm losing weight okay, but I've been recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic and would like to keep the sugar under control as well.

Anyone else with the same problem or have any suggestions?
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Replies

  • thiosulfate
    thiosulfate Posts: 262 Member
    do you drink anything with added sugar (coffee/tea/etc.)? it's also important to note that MFP does not distinguish between natural and added sugars
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    thiosulfate wrote: »
    do you drink anything with added sugar (coffee/tea/etc.)? it's also important to note that MFP does not distinguish between natural and added sugars

    I don't put sugar in my tea or coffee anymore, but I think you're right that there's natural sugar even in good things like fruit.
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
    Read the ingredient listing on the nutritional label. If sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and any of the other names for sugar is in the first three ingredients, find something else.

    Salad dressings, spaghetti sauces, BBQ sauces, and dry breakfast cereals are BIG offenders. You just have to read a lot of labels to find the brands that aren't packed with sugar.

    Prelogging meals is also excellent advice.

    In addition to sugar, watch the quality of carbs you are consuming (carbs high in fiber are going to be better for blood sugar levels.) Avoid foods with high GI (glycemic index) and opt for those with a low GI rating. You can Google for lists.

    The good news is that simply losing weight will likely fix the issue, so you are on the right track! Best of luck to you.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    I log everything, and when I do, I go over the data for the day. MFP won't tell you what food choices to make (low GI choices), you'll need to get that from places like websites for diabetics and your doctor and/or nutritionist; but MFP will let you keep track of your sugar consumption (as well as fiber consumption).
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,900 Member
    I know you are feeling upset and self defeated hun.
    I am sure you've been trying hard, but untill you learn something your going to make mistakes, we all do.

    It's ok and you are on the right track, do what all successful ppl do hun.
    We pick ourselves up, learn what went wrong and how to avoid it and keep going.

    You are doing the right things hun, and if you aren't, I'm proud of you luv.
    This journey is a mental journey before physical, it's all in your head

    If you think you can you can
    If you think you can't you can't

    I know you can, you've already been doing it, just make a few tweeks to your habbits and incorporate any of these wonderful tips mentioned above

    <3
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    My sugars are pretty low. I keep them that way because I have a bad reaction to high sugar, and I'm low-ish carb (when I'm in a deficit) so they are naturally a bit low. It's not that hard. Don't add sugar to things. Don't eat things high in sugar.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    teagin2002,

    Thanks for the inspiration. I'm not feeling as bad as you describe it, because the calories and weight loss are going fine. Just needed those additional tips to get the sugar sorted out as well.

    Just going to bed now and it seems today was "perfect". Sugar was -4 but came back up to zero when I added back on some exercise. Also 431 calories left over for today, and total weight loss 4.4lbs in 31 days.
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,900 Member
    <3<3<3
  • cinnag4225
    cinnag4225 Posts: 126 Member
    If you're drinking juices, cut your serving in half and water it down. It takes some getting used to flavor-wise, but it's well worth it (especially if sugar cravings are keeping you over consuming sodas and juices).
  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
    You want to worry about getting your carbs in check if you're "pre" diabetic. The sugar is included in the carb count on nutrition labels. If your doctor didn't mention that, you might want to get a check up from someone else. You really don't even need to look at sugar. You don't want to cut carbs completely out of your diet though. You need a good balance of carbs. Not too many, not too few.

    You may have already known that, but I figured I would mention it anyways just in case.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Good job on your weight loss. :)
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    You want to worry about getting your carbs in check if you're "pre" diabetic. The sugar is included in the carb count on nutrition labels. If your doctor didn't mention that, you might want to get a check up from someone else. You really don't even need to look at sugar. You don't want to cut carbs completely out of your diet though. You need a good balance of carbs. Not too many, not too few.

    You may have already known that, but I figured I would mention it anyways just in case.

    Thanks for the tip but it doesn't seem to be quite so simple. Going back through the charts I see some days where the carbs were within range but sugar was over the limit. This will surely need more thought and deeper analysis of every meal.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    You want to worry about getting your carbs in check if you're "pre" diabetic. The sugar is included in the carb count on nutrition labels. If your doctor didn't mention that, you might want to get a check up from someone else. You really don't even need to look at sugar. You don't want to cut carbs completely out of your diet though. You need a good balance of carbs. Not too many, not too few.

    You may have already known that, but I figured I would mention it anyways just in case.
    Yup. ALL carbohydrates (except dietary fiber and sugar alcohols) will be broken down into sugar through digestion. Personally, what foods affect my blood sugar is way more intricate than carbs and sugar: fat, protein, and glycemic index can affect how quickly the food I eat is digested (and subsequently how quick of a spike I may see). I can certainly eat sugar, but what is more important is that I pair it with some protein/fat and take enough insulin to cover for it.
  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    You want to worry about getting your carbs in check if you're "pre" diabetic. The sugar is included in the carb count on nutrition labels. If your doctor didn't mention that, you might want to get a check up from someone else. You really don't even need to look at sugar. You don't want to cut carbs completely out of your diet though. You need a good balance of carbs. Not too many, not too few.

    You may have already known that, but I figured I would mention it anyways just in case.

    Thanks for the tip but it doesn't seem to be quite so simple. Going back through the charts I see some days where the carbs were within range but sugar was over the limit. This will surely need more thought and deeper analysis of every meal.

    It could be that you are eating too many carbs at one meal. You can't eat a bunch of carbs for breakfast and then eat no carbs for lunch or your blood sugar is probably going to freak out.

    My grandfather eats 5-6 meals a day and his carb limit looks like this--50,20,50,20,50,20 He eats every 2-3 hours. He can't save carbs for a later meal or he'll get sick.

    I'm not telling you to eat like this cause you need to figure out what works for you. I just wanted to give you an example. It's probably a good idea to see a dietician about this and try to work out a plan that works for your specific needs. Most medical doctors I've been to don't have a clue about diet.
  • louisepaul16
    louisepaul16 Posts: 261 Member
    The sugar count counts everything including sugar in fruits and veggies.
    Try to cut down on the added sugars. As others have suggested cut out sugars in tea and coffee, cut down on juice as that is basically just sugar, soda If you drink that.

    Cereals, sauces, dressings, and bread can all be very high in sugar. read the ingredient labels on the back, and the percentage of sugar. If anything has more than 20g sugar per 100g it is very high in sugar. Under 3g per 100g is very low.
    Good luck with cutting down. :)
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    If you you want to open your diary, we can help you with specific suggestions.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,920 Member
    Read labels and don't get food with added sugar in it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
    edited June 2016
    Everyone in my family develops Type II Diabetes as they get older, so this issue is definitely on my radar. I've noticed as I get older I now have much less of a sweet tooth. I think it's because I've changed my diet gradually to have less and less sweet things, so now I really notice it when something is sweet. So many packaged foods are needlessly sweetened. I avoid them and make homemade when I can. Even when I follow recipes, I'll cut the sugar in half or even eliminate it. I made rice pudding a couple months ago, and I used 1/4 the amount of sugar it called for and it still tasted SO sweet to me.

    Here are my general strategies for having very low sugar intake:
    • I do limit fruit to one or two servings a day. They taste like candy to me now.
    • It's rare that I use any kind of bottled sauce. I make my own spaghetti sauce, salad dressing,etc.
    • I don't take sugar in my coffee or tea. I don't drink soda. I don't drink bottled fruit juice. I sometimes make a homemade green juice but there will be one piece of fruit in it and the rest is green veggies.
    • I rarely eat bread - most sliced bread tastes sweet to me.
    • I don't eat cereal for breakfast. Most breakfast cereals are SOOO sweet!
    • Very small servings of other "white" carbs like rice, potatoes, pasta. Make up the missing bulk with roasted green veggies.

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