OMG Sugar

MamaNess2018 · May 2018

I’ve been tracking my eating habits for almost a month. I’ve been noticing that I regularly go over the daily sugar goal, which is 45 grams. Today I just googled it, and it turns out the daily recommendation for wemon is 25 grams!
I’ve been trying to reduce my daily sugar intake since I noticed that I was going over the goal, and it’s a lot harder than I thought! Now that I realize even 45 grams is too much I’m kinda in shock!
Anyone else come to this realization when you started tracking eating habits?

malibu927 · May 2018

The daily recommendation is for added sugar. The goal MFP gives you is 15% of total calories for all sugar, as it currently cannot be distinguished whether sugar is natural or added on food labels. Unless you have a medical reason to watch your sugar intake, it's fine to go over. I don't even bother tracking it.

AnnPT77 · May 2018

I went over my MFP default sugar goal every day while losing weight, when most days the only added sugar I ate was a bit of concentrated fruit juice well down the ingredient list in a single 30-calorie tablespoon of all-fruit spread. The rest of the sugar was from whole fruit, and the inherent sugars in no-sugar-added dairy products (plain nonfat Greek yogurt, skim milk, some cheese).

My solution: Remove the sugar column from my MFP food log page, and replace it with fiber. Since I'm not diabetic or prediabetic, this worked great.

So, I lost 50+ pounds in less than a year despite so-called excess sugar, and have maintained a healthy weight for 2 years since. Now, in maintenance, I even occasionally eat candy, baked goods, or ice cream. Imagine that.

Sugar is potentially harmful if you're diabetic, if you're prediabetic/insulin resistant, or if you eat so much of it that those calories drive truly necessary nutrition out of your daily eating (because you need certain minimums of protein, fats, and micronutrients). Otherwise, you can ignore it.

doux_et_fort · May 2018

Sugar is one of the major things i watch out for as well. Before this journey, i'd eat sugar all day and think i was ok, until i took my 26 year old self to the doctor and was told i was now pre diabetic... It was hard only for a short time to stay within my new goal for sugar intake. But the solution is finding things that you love to eat....that happen to be low in sugar. For me, its 1/2 cup of blue berries or 1/2 a banana in my morning oatmeal, a green granny smith apple w a tbsp of peanut butter (which also counts as protein) or whatever amount of sugar is in my sweet potato at dinner. Find what u like, and allow the sugar to be from whole foods is the take home.

100_PROOF_ · May 2018

I don't even track it. I don't have any medical conditions that warrant be to be mindful of carbs . I know carbs do not cause weight gain,a calorie surplus does. So I'm not worried about it. I eat a well balanced wide variety diet with plenty of whole foods and also some treats.

serindipte · May 2018

100_PROOF_ wrote: »

I don't even track it. I don't have any medical conditions that warrant be to be mindful of carbs . I know carbs do not cause weight gain,a calorie surplus does. So I'm not worried about it. I eat a well balanced wide variety diet with plenty of whole foods and also some treats.

This is me, as well. I removed sugar from my display and showed fiber, instead.

AnvilHead · May 2018

serindipte wrote: »

100_PROOF_ wrote: »

I don't even track it. I don't have any medical conditions that warrant be to be mindful of carbs . I know carbs do not cause weight gain,a calorie surplus does. So I'm not worried about it. I eat a well balanced wide variety diet with plenty of whole foods and also some treats.

This is me, as well. I removed sugar from my display and showed fiber, instead.

Same. I don't track sugar, nor do I worry about it.

MamaNess2018 · May 2018

Thanks, all. It’s good to hear other perspectives on this. I think I’m going to keep it for a little while longer because I am prone to eating candy and it’s been good motivation NOT to eat any.

quiksylver296 · May 2018

serindipte wrote: »

100_PROOF_ wrote: »

I don't even track it. I don't have any medical conditions that warrant be to be mindful of carbs . I know carbs do not cause weight gain,a calorie surplus does. So I'm not worried about it. I eat a well balanced wide variety diet with plenty of whole foods and also some treats.

This is me, as well. I removed sugar from my display and showed fiber, instead.

Me, three.

estherdragonbat · May 2018

I track iron instead

Sabine_Stroehm · May 2018

It's good to watch, while you're learning. When you see a big number, look at where it comes from. See which foods have it, and what kind. My breakfast this morning is plain, full fat yogurt (with peanut butter) and the yogurt has 12.
As mentioned earlier: the guidelines are for added sugars.

And then when you're acclimated it, replace it with fiber. When I travel I *only* track fiber (mentally). Am I getting enough? Great.

CarvedTones · May 2018

Sometimes I go over at breakfast when I go heavy on fruit. Like others, I ignore it.

amusedmonkey · May 2018

Just checked my sugar for yesterday (which I knew was high because I had nearly a liter of milk), and I was right. Plain boring milk alone shot me over MFP target. That, in addition to lots of strawberries and tomatoes, and my sugar shot right up. I didn't have even a gram of added sugar (which I believe is fine in moderation, by the way). Stop worrying too much. Unless you're overeating it or undereating nutritious foods you should be fine.

amusedmonkey · May 2018

AnvilHead wrote: »

serindipte wrote: »

100_PROOF_ wrote: »

I don't even track it. I don't have any medical conditions that warrant be to be mindful of carbs . I know carbs do not cause weight gain,a calorie surplus does. So I'm not worried about it. I eat a well balanced wide variety diet with plenty of whole foods and also some treats.

This is me, as well. I removed sugar from my display and showed fiber, instead.

Same. I don't track sugar, nor do I worry about it.

I don't track it either. I had to dig it out from reports. I didn't even track it when I was nearly diabetic because total sugar grams are meaningless for that purpose. For blood sugar control, you pay attention to total carbs per meal/snack, food combinations, food portions, and your specific blood sugar triggers.

dsboohead · May 2018

I'm a type 1 diabetic and I don't even look at sugars. My glucose is good as long as my macros are balanced within my calorie bank.

lemurcat12 · May 2018

MamaNess2018 wrote: »

I’ve been tracking my eating habits for almost a month. I’ve been noticing that I regularly go over the daily sugar goal, which is 45 grams. Today I just googled it, and it turns out the daily recommendation for wemon is 25 grams!
I’ve been trying to reduce my daily sugar intake since I noticed that I was going over the goal, and it’s a lot harder than I thought! Now that I realize even 45 grams is too much I’m kinda in shock!
Anyone else come to this realization when you started tracking eating habits?

No, because I was aware the 25 g rec was for added sugar, and I don't eat that much added sugar.

I am unaware of any credible recommendation for limiting total sugar, so instead I focus on having enough protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

CarvedTones · May 2018

LSmith0018 wrote: »

I feel high level of sugar intake can very much mitigate, if not override, physical exercise at times. You definitely need the exercise, but you also need to watch the sugar like a hawk. Just my humble thoughts.

2.5 times the recommended limit is not uncommon for me. I am in the best shape I have been in for decades.

lemurcat12 · May 2018

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

It's good to watch, while you're learning. When you see a big number, look at where it comes from. See which foods have it, and what kind. My breakfast this morning is plain, full fat yogurt (with peanut butter) and the yogurt has 12.
As mentioned earlier: the guidelines are for added sugars.

And then when you're acclimated it, replace it with fiber. When I travel I *only* track fiber (mentally). Am I getting enough? Great.

Good advice.

CharlieBeansmomTracey · May 2018

doux_et_fort wrote: »

Sugar is one of the major things i watch out for as well. Before this journey, i'd eat sugar all day and think i was ok, until i took my 26 year old self to the doctor and was told i was now pre diabetic... It was hard only for a short time to stay within my new goal for sugar intake. But the solution is finding things that you love to eat....that happen to be low in sugar. For me, its 1/2 cup of blue berries or 1/2 a banana in my morning oatmeal, a green granny smith apple w a tbsp of peanut butter (which also counts as protein) or whatever amount of sugar is in my sweet potato at dinner. Find what u like, and allow the sugar to be from whole foods is the take home.

please understand that eating sugar in excess doesnt cause diabetes or prediabetes,thats an old myth. other factors cause diabetes and it can be hereditary as well.

fuzzylop72 · May 2018

I go over almost every single day. I removed it from display, since it didn't seem like there was much point to it. Here's my top 10 sources of sugar, of which halo-top is the only one that's highly processed. I'm not really planning on eliminating/reducing any of them.

Momepro · May 2018

DanR_85 wrote: »

It's a huge can of worms this one.

I eat a lot of fruit, therefore my sugar goal is *always* over the recommended target. No fitness app, nor human, will ever convince me that eating fruit is bad for me.

...but there are people, even in this community, who'll have you believe that eating fruit is as bad as eating chocolate all day.

Take a look at the sugars you're eating, if they're not refined, and mostly coming from whole-food sources (fruits) then you're probably fine.

If you have a problem or risk for bigh blood sugar, and apparently if you are pregnant (I assume a gestational diabetes thing) than even fruit sugar really needs to be watched. It can cause serious health issues if you are already at risk.
Otherwise, a certain amount of fruit sugars is good for you, especially when it comes with all the other naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. Just be aware of how quickly sweet, fruity, calories can build up.

OMG Sugar

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