Sugar intake...

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k8edge
k8edge Posts: 380
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone else think that the sugar allowed each day on MFP is low?

I just had non fat greek yogurt (plain) and a half cup of blueberries for breakfast.... This reached my 24 grams of sugar for a day. I try to have all natural sugars from fruit, yogurt, etc... But still it seems a bit extreme.

What is your take?

Replies

  • jcaa2011
    jcaa2011 Posts: 34 Member
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    Yes I think it is low! I have only had breakfast today and I have already almost reached my daily sugar allowance already!
  • cinico
    cinico Posts: 294 Member
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    i can never manage to stay under! I wonder what is a more realistic number!
  • bununu
    bununu Posts: 12
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    bumpity bump bump

    I eat so much fruit and it destroys my sugar-- but I've heard natural sugar is okay? Do you know how honey weighs in? Is it a natural sugar?
  • Alexa1471
    Alexa1471 Posts: 52
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    I just had a look at mine, and whilst I sometimes have chocolate or cereal bar (today both oops!) I get my sugar from eating fruits and having smoothies. I usually stay within my calorie limits, and my fats but always go over on sugar....

    Gone over on carbs today too... eeek!
  • auticus
    auticus Posts: 1,051 Member
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    A few hundred years ago, average sugar intake was about 15g a day. Coincidently there were few diabetics back then.

    The sugar we intake now is insanely unhealthy for us. I'm a recovering fat person that suffered from diabetes from my poor eating.

    I too have a hard time fitting my sugar within the healthy limits. But now... the limits enforced by MFP are not too low. In fact I think they are a bit too high. It's just that everything we eat today is loaded with sugar.

    Your best bet is to stay away from processed sugar, sodas, sugary drinks like juice and kool aid, etc... and stick to natural sugars. I tend to stick with honey and fruit like grapes, which I love. I go over my sugar allowance, but the sugars in fruits and honey are a lot better than the sugar I'd get from eating the crap that they sell in grocery stores.
  • Zen_Master_B
    Zen_Master_B Posts: 78
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    My take is as long as I don't go over my carbs that is all that matters, If you know your eating good naturals sugars and not high GI sugar like honey and table sugar then I don't see the point in tracking it. FYI for those who don't know you can change the setting so it will track the stats you want Fiber,Carbs,Fat....whatever.

    I think mine was like thirty- something I could never adhere to that, I like milk and fruit too much.
  • editara13
    editara13 Posts: 384 Member
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    All the sugar that I take is only natural from all the fruits and vegetables that I have everyday, so I don't worry at all for as long as my sugar intake is natural and I feel with so much energy sine I quit granulated sugar....:-) Natural is the best......


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  • candistyx
    candistyx Posts: 547 Member
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    Technically the sugar in fruit (and honey) is just as bad, but because its trapped in the fiber its released over a much longer time so it doesn't get absorbed as quickly and the body handles it much better than sugar (or fructose) on its own.

    But too much fruit is not an impossible feat.
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
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    I even limit myself to certain fruits. Most tropical fruits (oranges, papaya, grapes, etc.) are extremely high in sugar. I eat berries and melon and that's about it. Everything else is just too much sugar to justify and sends my blood sugar sky-high, leading to a crash and ravenous hunger later. My emphasis is on proteins, fats (even so-called "bad fats"--I only avoid trans fats), and vegetables with limited amounts of whole grains and lower carbohydrate fruits. I'm not constantly starving and I rarely go over my calories.
  • michelleion
    michelleion Posts: 122 Member
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    It is extremely low - I think the sugar limit MFP gives you by default is impossible to go over. When I first started, I was going over my limit of something like 25g by breakfast time (fruit, yogurt, etc.) - I looked up the UK recommended allowances (http://www.gdalabel.org.uk/gda/gda_values.aspx), and for a woman eating 2000 cals a day, the limit is 90g apparently. I upped mine to 65g (I eat 1450 cals before exercise), which allows me pretty much all the fruit and other foods naturally containing sugar I would want in a day without feeling deprived (I don't really eat that much refined sugar etc - only occasionally), and those foods I do eat aren't going to do me any harm.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I think they use the USDA RDA. But if I remember correctly the USDA number is for added sugars (honey, syrup, table sugar, etc.) and not those found naturally in foods. But MFP does not make that distiction.
  • hinksa
    hinksa Posts: 8 Member
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    the problem is that refined sugar is in almost everything manufactured.. my son was recently diagnosed with a fructose malabsorption.. yes fruits have a lot of sugar, melons are the worst! (cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew), mangoes, papayas, pears, plums and apricots.. but if you stick to berries, bananas, grapes, grapefruit, avocado and kiwi you will drive your sugar intake down... the riper the fruit the more sugar there is in it... so if you eat bananas they should be eaten just as they turn yellow.

    as for vegetables, the darker the green the better.. (iceberg lettuce - is the worst!).. carrots, obviously are extremely high in sugar.. stick to broccoli, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, cauliflower and mushrooms.

    another way to reduce your sugar is to read the label on everything you buy that has been processed/manufactured. for example BREAD.. you will notice that almost EVERY brand of bread has "glucose-fructose", HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), sugar.. there are a number of other ways/words that manufacturers like to 'hide' sugar.. i know of (in CANADA) ONE brand of bread that has NO SUGAR ADDED (yes you will of course have the sugar from the wheat.. but no refined sugar is added to the mix) - this bread is made by "Country Harvest" and its called "Vitality - no fat, no sugar added - 100% whole grain" - 90cal/piece. Rye bread is a good bread to get and there are a couple of them that have no sugar added (lower in calories too - 80cal/piece).. as for other grains stick to white rice (brown rice is higher in sugar), quinoa and barley.

    a lot of processed meats have sugar added to them, especially the seasoned ones.. or even the pre-seasoned roasts you can buy (the meat is not processed - but the seasoning/marinade they use is high is sugar).

    peanut butter - organic has been the only kind i have found that has no sugar added...

    yogurt has a LOT of sugar.. especially the sweeter, fruitier, fattier ones

    I was completely surprised as to how much refined sugar is added to almost everything pre-packaged.. all i can suggest is to read the label and know what you are eating..

    because of my son I have cut out everything that has sugar in it whether its pre-packaged, bread, yogurt etc.. I make sure the snacks and the little processed food i do buy has NO sugar; corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, glucose-fructose.. and this allows me to eat fruits and the occasional treat and I still come in under the MFP sugar intake suggestion..

    and of course don't drink your sugar!!!

    as overwhelming as it is.. you get used to it!
    hope this helps =)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    as for vegetables, the darker the green the better.. (iceberg lettuce - is the worst!).. carrots, obviously are extremely high in sugar.. stick to broccoli, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, cauliflower and mushrooms.

    The sugar in carrots is simple sugar and therefore has a high glycemic index, but they actually contain very little sugar and therefore have a low glycemic load.
  • k8edge
    k8edge Posts: 380
    Options
    A few hundred years ago, average sugar intake was about 15g a day. Coincidently there were few diabetics back then.

    The sugar we intake now is insanely unhealthy for us. I'm a recovering fat person that suffered from diabetes from my poor eating.

    I too have a hard time fitting my sugar within the healthy limits. But now... the limits enforced by MFP are not too low. In fact I think they are a bit too high. It's just that everything we eat today is loaded with sugar.

    Your best bet is to stay away from processed sugar, sodas, sugary drinks like juice and kool aid, etc... and stick to natural sugars. I tend to stick with honey and fruit like grapes, which I love. I go over my sugar allowance, but the sugars in fruits and honey are a lot better than the sugar I'd get from eating the crap that they sell in grocery stores.

    I ate a peach, a half cup of blueberries, and plain non fat Greek yogurt... Put me way over. If eating fruit is a bad thing... Then we must all be insane for eating it.

    I agree sugar that comes from processed foods is completely unhealthy...

    I still think it is low.
  • hinksa
    hinksa Posts: 8 Member
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    Yes they have a low glycemic load.. and you would have to eat quite a bit (more than 3 cups) for them to really be bad for you.

    However we aren't comparing carrots to cookies.. 3 cups of carrots are better than 3 cookies.. we are comparing carrots to other vegetables.. and if they are your 'go to' snack, by replacing them with celery or cucumbers you will notice a difference in your weight loss...

    1 cup of carrots has 6g of sugar
    1 cup of celery has 1g

    carrots have their benefits for sure! they just might not be your 'best' choice in terms of vegetables for snacking on everyday...
  • hinksa
    hinksa Posts: 8 Member
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    I think they use the USDA RDA. But if I remember correctly the USDA number is for added sugars (honey, syrup, table sugar, etc.) and not those found naturally in foods. But MFP does not make that distiction.

    back to MFP - you are right, they do not distinguish natural occurring sugars with refined sugars found as an added ingredient. which is why the plain yogurt with fruits goes over because yogurt has carbohydrates (which count as sugar) and that would put you over your daily limit along with the fruit..

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