I am ALWAYS over my recommended daily sugar allowance...

scotrunner
scotrunner Posts: 87 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
I am trying to maintain and in the new year will be setting myself some fitness and nutritional goals. I notice that MFP recommends I eat no more than 38g of sugars a day. I always go over this. Sometimes just having cereal and fruit for breakfast takes me nearly to that level. Does anybody play about with their sugar levels to account for fruit etc which bumps up sugar levels? Can anybody recommend a goal for me that isn't ridiculous? I'm not an angel and I like to give myself some treats occasionally. I'll open my diary but please don't judge me on this past weekend-most unusual for me!!!

Thank you :)

Replies

  • AussieNikki
    AussieNikki Posts: 168 Member
    When I was tracking with MFP (I am actually doing Weight Watchers and only used this as a secondary tool for a little while) I always went over my sugar recommendation, but I rarely eat much processed food. It was the fruit that pushed me over.

    It hasn't affected my weight loss though.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Sugar is not a problem for people with a healthy pancreas. And even then, its the carbs that do the most damage. I don't even bother myself to consider it honestly.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I don't worry about it when it is mostly fruit. I try to stay away from the obvious sugary snacks and eat healthy and I don't worry about the number on MFP being over. That said, I did indulge in some ice cream over the weekend, but as long is the trend is mostly healthier foods, I think I'm doing good.
  • DinaLKeil
    DinaLKeil Posts: 95 Member
    I have the same problem!:sad:
  • tageekly
    tageekly Posts: 3,755 Member
    I'm also over every day, but if you have a banana AND an apple in the day... you're over! As long as most of my daily sugar comes from natural sources like fruit, I don't worry, just limit the processed sugars.
  • CrystalMarie253
    CrystalMarie253 Posts: 128
    The sugar gets me too any time I eat fruit! LOL! I don't worry about if too much if it's natural sugar.
  • Laurayinz
    Laurayinz Posts: 930 Member
    The MFP sugar allotment sucks, especially when you have any fruit. I always go over because of that. I think it's meant to mean "added", but who knows. Sorry I can't give you a good number, just wanted to let you know you're not alone in your confusion/frustration with that number. You can either increase it in the customization screen, or just disregard if it you know the majority is from fruits and other "good" sugars. Unless you have pancreas/diabetes issues, then you should probably check with your doc. as to what an appropriate amount for you would be.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Keep in mind the MFP sugar allowance is a little messed up. Generally nutritionists will recommend no more than 40 grams of ADDED sugar a day. This doesn't include sugars that naturally occur in fruit, milk, etc. I've done some reading, and natural sugars there's a much higher allowance for. One website said around 100g is acceptable. I just try and keep my sugar below 100g a day and get most of it from naturally occurring sources. Because with the 26g they give me right now, I easily max that out by breakfast.
  • toasterlisa
    toasterlisa Posts: 100 Member
    I don't fret about the individual counts, like carbs, sugars, etc.

    I just make sure that I stay at or just under my Total Calories. There is no magic formula of carbs, fat, sugar, protein that will make your weight loss easier.

    Did you see the article about the guy who ate 1,400 calories of total junk food every day and still lost weight? Well, there's your "proof" (sort of). Total calories are the only thing to count!

    Best wishes on your health and wellness journey ...
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
    I would limit fruits to no more than 2 servings a day. Cut out processed foods and stick to vegetables and starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, corn.

    Under the McDougall diet, you can have a teaspoon of brown sugar over your oatmeal or a teaspoon of honey over your pancakes.

    Cutting out processed foods will help you control your sugar and sodium.

    This advice, means you follow the McDougall diet. I follow it and I add sugar only if I do really long jogs (over 10 miles).
  • jordanlell
    jordanlell Posts: 340 Member
    I have been on MFP for nearly a year now, and I can say with absolute confidence that there has not been a single day that I did NOT go over on sugar. I still lost weight and am considered healthy by my doctors standards
  • runwithmike
    runwithmike Posts: 145 Member
    Substitute one of your snacks with a protein drink, that way you can eliminate a little bit of carb intake for some good protein.
  • scotrunner
    scotrunner Posts: 87 Member
    Thanks for all the replies! I didnt realise it is added sugar, makes sense now. I think 100g sounds like a good start for me. I don't have any health issues that means I should watch my sugar carefully, I just want to be healthy. I've already upped my fibre to 30g a day because that is meant to be a better target for good health. Thank you for the support!
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
    a Livestrong.com article says the daily recommended amount for men is 36g and 24g for woman. And Quote:
    "These limits only pertain to added sugars, not sugars that occur naturally in some foods." Since sugars from fruit occurs naturally then I wonder if MFP should be counting sugars from fruit in the same manner as we count sugars we ADD to a cup of coffee or a bowl of cereal.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Don't worry about it. Seriously, the recommended limit on sugar is no more then 25% of total daily intake from ADDED sugar, not from natural sugars. MFP sets the limit way lower then 25% and doesn't separate natural and added sugars into separate categories. So, I ignore that field as it isn't accurately tracking. You can use the notes section to track added sugar like if you add sugar to tea or coffee or if you have a processed food that has an unnatural sugar, if you want to track it.
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
    Sugar is sugar once you ingest it, mostly your body doesn't give a crap if it was white processed table sugar or a banana. I probably take in less than 10g of sugar a day from any sources personally and it works for me. Most stuff is overly sweet and packed with added sugar these days.

    Start reading labels on everything you are about to eat and you'd be shocked how much sugar you may actually be taking in. I personally also don't beleive that fruit gets a free pass...
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
    I eat as much damned fruit as I want. Fruits are filled with essential nutrients and antioxidants; they're hardly the "same" as processed sugar (empty calories).
  • scotrunner
    scotrunner Posts: 87 Member
    I agree that fruit is full of sugar but I also think the vitamins, minerals and fibre you get from fruit cannot be overlooked and there are much worse things we can eat. I will always eat fruit in order to have what I think constitutes a healthy diet. Been really interesting getting other people's perspective of this, thanks.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    ive posted about this before, the general reply was if it is natural sugar found in fruit, milk etc, don't worry about it. If you are going over due to ADDED sugar then you need to reduce it.
  • lsgordon02143
    lsgordon02143 Posts: 37 Member
    I think I set mine at 100 g and then I get some more from exercise. I eat a lot of fruit (which is fantastic for you) and dairy products, and just don't worry about it. MFP works just fine for me anyway. (I don't even track sugar on my homescreen, but it annoyed me to see myself going "over" when I checked, so I raised the limit to something more humanly feasible.)

    My understanding is that if you're not diabetic or borderline so, that the sugar doesn't make a difference at all. That said, not everyone's body reacts the same to things. For instance, I cannot approach MFP's opinion on how much protein I should have - I feel sick when I eat that much protein.

    The goal is to eat a balanced diet, have enough fruits/veggies (and for women, iron/calcium should be watched too), and meet your weight/fitness progress. You can do all of that and eat a heck of a lot more "sugar" than MFP allows for by default.

    That said, I like almost everything else about MFP!

    --LG
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