Correct max for sugar

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I am not (yet) pre-diabetic but my blood sugar numbers were changing the wrong direction so I have been trying to ensure I do not land on the wrong side of that number. FitnessPal has been a great help in being aware of what I'm putting in my body BUT I feel I'm being constantly flogged for too much sugar. I'm not eating junk sugar. But e.g. a banana shows as 17g sugar. Diabetes society and USDA updated guidelines show max sugar as 26g which seems crazy low. FitnessPal auto sets to 40-45g. It seems either are easy to exceed if you eat the daily recommended servings of fruits and veggies. THOUGHTS? (Also, what macronutrient ratios have worked best for you for weight loss and WHY?)

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  • cyprant
    cyprant Posts: 14 Member
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    Tagged for interest
  • kksmom1789
    kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I myself am also not quite in the pre diabetic range but I was close also everyone in my family has diabetes except me and my mom so I try to be careful about my sugar intake and MyFitnessPal has really helped me see just how much sugar was actually consuming and how sick I felt now I stay within what MyFitnessPal gives me and I feel loads better and I've lost almost 30lbs since November 1, 2016
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    USDA recommendation is 25 grams of added sugar. MFP's sugar goal is 15% of total calories and can't distinguish between natural and added sugar. Unless your doctor has specifically said to watch your sugar now, I wouldn't worry about it.

    I lost fine following the default macros.
  • cacesq
    cacesq Posts: 2 Member
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    So when I see people saying they are going no sugar I've got to wonder what they are counting.
    Seems like the sugar meter is good for tagging things like my morning yogurt at 10g and finding a new lower sugar brand at 5g, but its bad for deciding what fruits/veggies one should eat. How can you set a max sugar that makes sense in FitnessPal? Does USDA/CDC mean 25g REFINED sugar as max or just ALL sugars? If you are staying within your 45g FitnessPal sugar max (or lower), are you eating fruits and veggies? How are you staying in the parameters?
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    If you are concerned about sugar intake for medical reasons then it would be wise to stick with fruits with a low GI. Berries are great, bananas and mangoes not so much as they are high in natural sugar. Also be wary of refined carbs which can play havoc on blood sugar levels as they are low in fibre. Whole grains all the way!
    However, rather than take advice from people on a forum I'd make an appointment with a registered dietitian who can give you better information to suit your condition.
  • Lizzypb88
    Lizzypb88 Posts: 367 Member
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    My dietician set mine at 36g- so kind of inbetween! I don't have diabetes but she knows it runs in the family, I've definitely noticed a difference from going down from 45g
  • Lizzypb88
    Lizzypb88 Posts: 367 Member
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    And I agree, 26g?! That's low! I could not do that! 36 seems to be my magic number, I generally try to stay under 40
  • mohamedahmed07
    mohamedahmed07 Posts: 161 Member
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    I don't really see any benefits from having sugar, there are none, if there are benefits please list them to me, many diseases feed on sugar, even cancer, acnes, diabetes, they don't call sugar white poison for nothing, so simply take as little as you can, 25 is optimal.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    I don't really see any benefits from having sugar, there are none, if there are benefits please list them to me, many diseases feed on sugar, even cancer, acnes, diabetes, they don't call sugar white poison for nothing, so simply take as little as you can, 25 is optimal.

    And who calls it this o_O
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,222 Member
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    I don't really see any benefits from having sugar, there are none, if there are benefits please list them to me, many diseases feed on sugar, even cancer, acnes, diabetes, they don't call sugar white poison for nothing, so simply take as little as you can, 25 is optimal.

    I'm 44 and this is the first time I've ever heard anyone call it that.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    cacesq wrote: »
    I am not (yet) pre-diabetic but my blood sugar numbers were changing the wrong direction so I have been trying to ensure I do not land on the wrong side of that number. FitnessPal has been a great help in being aware of what I'm putting in my body BUT I feel I'm being constantly flogged for too much sugar. I'm not eating junk sugar. But e.g. a banana shows as 17g sugar. Diabetes society and USDA updated guidelines show max sugar as 26g which seems crazy low. FitnessPal auto sets to 40-45g. It seems either are easy to exceed if you eat the daily recommended servings of fruits and veggies. THOUGHTS? (Also, what macronutrient ratios have worked best for you for weight loss and WHY?)
    Fruits that are relatively low in sugar: strawberries, grapefruit, avocados, raspberries, blackberries. :)

    Low sugar veggies: romaine, other lettuces, cucumbers, yellow squash, broccoli, kale and other greens, asparagus.

    Are you talking about the A1c?
    That number will go down when your weight goes down.