Grams of sugar?

I don't track it. Unless you have a medical reason to watch your sugar intake, you're fine.

I've been trying to cut back my sugar recently, thinking it might help with a couple of health problems I'm dealing with. I do track it, and I've found that it's actually not as hard as you think. However, I'm not a big fan of fruit, so... If you have a sweet tooth (like me), sugar substitutes help. But xylitol is really rough on my digestive system, so I stopped using it, which is a shame, because that's what most manufacturers use to replace sugar. One of my friends recommended Swerve, which I researched and found was just overpriced stevia. So, I'm learning to bake with stevia. It's pretty good.

gebeziseva wrote: »

megpie41 wrote: »

I personally like to limit/reduce my sugar intake. Yes, sugar is sugar, but I really only am concerned with added sugar. Bananas, apples etc are pretty high in sugar, but you get nutrients with it. I'd try and keep your added sugar to less than 50g (I think that's what is recommended).

The recommendations assume that the general person doesn't count their calories. So if you don't count calories but keep your added sugar under 50g then there is a higher chance that you will not eat too many calories.
That's all there is to it.

So what exactly do you disagree with in my post?

My total sugar is widely varying mostly depending on how much fruit I eat. Since most of what I eat is from whole foods and I know I eat a calorie-appropriate and nutrient dense diet and moderate sweet treats, I don't care how much total sugar I eat.

If I was concerned I might be eating too much added sugar I was unaware of or too high a percentage of my calories from low nutrient foods I'd look at my overall day and consider total added sugar as part (but not the only part!) of that consideration, but I already know I get very little added sugar from unexpected sources and I don't eat a lot of sweets (occasional dessert, like after Easter dinner today!).

I tend to eat very little food with added sugar so I don't pay attention to it - I get quite a bit, but it's from vegies, fruit, dairy... Not things I need to worry about imo. I will have the odd day with high sugar, but in the context of my long term diet I don't think it's an issue.

PAV8888 wrote: »

megpie41 wrote: »

gebeziseva wrote: »

megpie41 wrote: »

I personally like to limit/reduce my sugar intake. Yes, sugar is sugar, but I really only am concerned with added sugar. Bananas, apples etc are pretty high in sugar, but you get nutrients with it. I'd try and keep your added sugar to less than 50g (I think that's what is recommended).

The recommendations assume that the general person doesn't count their calories. So if you don't count calories but keep your added sugar under 50g then there is a higher chance that you will not eat too many calories.
That's all there is to it.

So what exactly do you disagree with in my post?

I believe that the input she offered comes from the perspective that the added sugar restrictions in various health recommendations has traditionally been implemented in response to concerns about dental health and about what happens when people who don't count calories overeat highly palatable foods.

Since she assumes that people on MFP brush their teeth and count their calories she feels that the restriction doesn't confer any concrete benefits.

Furthermore MFP tracks total sugar, not added sugar, making it extremely difficult to track.

People affected by insulin resistance / PCOS / etc might still want to place limits appropriate to their individual circumstances.

#justtranslating
#icouldbewrong

Thank you for taking the time to try and explain it future. I appreciate it.

OP said NOTHING about whether she should limit added sugar, but asked about TOTAL sugar. She said she already limits processed stuff (which might have unexpected sugar, I suppose) or stuff with refined sugar, and no one objected to that. (I also see no reason to assume she's drinking sugary soda.)

Personally, I don't get why she's being told to limit added sugar, given what she said (that she already doesn't consume much of it). Her concern seems to be that MFP tracks TOTAL sugar and she's wondering if she's too high (and the answer is probably not, the total sugar counter on MFP is irrelevant for most people -- and this is what most people said).

The added sugar recommendation is under 10% (US Dietary Guidelines), which is often shorthanded as about 50 g if you eat 2000 cal, or under 10% (but better to keep it under 5%) (WHO), which is often shorthanded as 25 g for the lower recommendation -- but the reasons for the recommendation explained above are correct.

None of this seems applicable to OP.

My advice for OP would be to make sure she's not hungry, is getting enough protein and essential fats (basically sources of healthy fats, especially omega 3s), and plenty of fiber. Beyond that, sugar doesn't matter, although I personally review my diary for total sugar occasionally out of curiosity and to make sure there are no surprises (no more from added sugar -- based on my knowledge of what foods have it -- than expected).

I don't get telling someone who doesn't eat a lot of added sugar that it should be limited; not everyone consumes lots of added sugar or doesn't automatically limit it without focusing on sugar just because it's usually high cal/low nutrient, and OP seems like someone who already decided to limit the foods that have lots of added sugar (as many of us who don't worry about total sugar or sugar grams do).