sugar

after i log in my foods for the day, i always go over on sugar! i'm not eating sweets or anything, it's just in the stuff i eat that's "supposed" to help you lose weight.

breakfast: 1 cup of special k, 1 cup of fat free skim milk
lunch: usually a lean cusine or sandwich (i get the lean cusines that don't have a lot of sugar in them)
snack: usually a slim fast bar or fiber one bar
dinner: varies from night to night
sweets: occasionally i will allow myself a Smart One's icecream cup

am i eating bad? i don't understand why i go over on sugar every day!

Replies

  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    You're eating a lot of convenience, pre-packaged foods (so do I). Most "diet" items are going to be higher in sugar (and salt), because they need to add that stuff in to make it taste good.
  • Usually it's the "low in fat, fat free, and light" stuff that'll kill ya on sugar and/or salt. Fat adds taste (and boy don't I know it) so if you take the fat out and you still want people to eat something that doesn't taste like cardboard then you have to substitute with something else that is yummy... usually salt or sugar.

    Of course I could just be overthinking it and you probably just want to ignore the sugar allowance and mostly keep track of your calories unless you're diabetic or something.

    Edit: And apparently Brenda beat me to it... :happy:
  • BABYLILAC
    BABYLILAC Posts: 148 Member
    Special k has sugar and semi skimmed milk has a lot of sugar as well.Substitute special K with oats and semi skimmed milk to soya milk light.I now use SO good Light soya milk no sugar and my oats has got no sugar.If I have these two for breakfast I will not have sugar till lunch time .Slim fast bar I have checked it today it has a lot of sugar.Today I was naughty I had a macdonalds icre cream:mad:,a pear 15g sugar and today my sugar is really high :explode: .Just go aroung checking your sugar content and you will be fine.Good luck:flowerforyou:
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Usually it's the "low in fat, fat free, and light" stuff that'll kill ya on sugar and/or salt. Fat adds taste (and boy don't I know it) so if you take the fat out and you still want people to eat something that doesn't taste like cardboard then you have to substitute with something else that is yummy... usually salt or sugar.

    Of course I could just be overthinking it and you probably just want to ignore the sugar allowance and mostly keep track of your calories unless you're diabetic or something.

    Edit: And apparently Brenda beat me to it... :happy:

    Ah well...great minds, and all that. :tongue:
  • czewwhat
    czewwhat Posts: 8,715
    try more made in your kitchen foods. Prepackaged is full of preservatives and sugars. so they live through the frozen foods state without getting freezer burned etc. Milk has a lot of sugar too, lactose. Not all sugars are bad! Fruits and veges have their own natural levels, easier to metabolize. Hope that helps!
  • Demetria
    Demetria Posts: 178
    Ditto what BrendaLee and GreenEyedMonster said. So focus more on whole foods instead of the other stuff and don't worry about the sugar that occurs naturally in the whole foods like fruit, veggies, milk. You have to be on the lookout for the artificial and added sugars which again are mostly in the processed stuff.

    HTH,
    Demetria
  • gc2052
    gc2052 Posts: 183
    OK folks: I have come to the conclusion you can not meet all the numbers. You have to decide which ones are important to you and your health. I tend to concentrate of low fat and calories but I found it impossible to be on target for calories, carbs, protein, fat, fiber and sugar.
    The problem is we want food to taste good so it has to have some fat or sugar.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    OK folks: I have come to the conclusion you can not meet all the numbers. You have to decide which ones are important to you and your health. I tend to concentrate of low fat and calories but I found it impossible to be on target for calories, carbs, protein, fat, fiber and sugar.
    The problem is we want food to taste good so it has to have some fat or sugar.

    I respectfully disagree. I meet my numbers pretty consistently. I started working on calories, then added fat, then sodium and so on. It's about little tweaks and learning through entering the foods in MFP.

    At first I thought I would never be able to cut down on sodium because I love lunch meat and sandwiches- now I buy the meat and slice it myself. I think sometimes it's just about looking at things in a different way.

    Taking a few hours on Sunday to cook your lunches for the week is worth it because you can get more food, better food, healthier food and stay within your caloric goals so much easier.

    Took me a good couple of weeks to realize that 'low fat' and 'diet' foods weren't doing ANYTHING for me caloricaly. So I switched.

    It's all about figuring what will work for your lifestyle, and what's worth it to sacrifice. Each journey is different :)
  • OK folks: I have come to the conclusion you can not meet all the numbers. You have to decide which ones are important to you and your health. I tend to concentrate of low fat and calories but I found it impossible to be on target for calories, carbs, protein, fat, fiber and sugar.
    The problem is we want food to taste good so it has to have some fat or sugar.

    I respectfully disagree. I meet my numbers pretty consistently. I started working on calories, then added fat, then sodium and so on. It's about little tweaks and learning through entering the foods in MFP.

    At first I thought I would never be able to cut down on sodium because I love lunch meat and sandwiches- now I buy the meat and slice it myself. I think sometimes it's just about looking at things in a different way.

    Taking a few hours on Sunday to cook your lunches for the week is worth it because you can get more food, better food, healthier food and stay within your caloric goals so much easier.

    Took me a good couple of weeks to realize that 'low fat' and 'diet' foods weren't doing ANYTHING for me caloricaly. So I switched.

    It's all about figuring what will work for your lifestyle, and what's worth it to sacrifice. Each journey is different :)

    I respectfully disagree with your disagreement. It seems the only way not to bust the fat, sugar, and salt is to kill your own meat and grow your own fruits/veggies/etc. But honestly you really shouldn't focus that stuff. Lets say you eat a lot of apples. Suppose to be one of the better fruits for you but you've busted your sugar. Fish is suppose to be super good for you but salmon is full of fat. The thing is it's Omega3 which, unless it's all hype, is really good for you. Until you start breaking down your sugars and fats specifically by types you're only going to drive yourself nuts by tracking it too closely.
  • czewwhat
    czewwhat Posts: 8,715
    I have been here for months and don't think I have hit my numbers right once! I have still lost 22 pounds! I just can't turn myself into a crazed point counter over every bite of food I eat! I say don't sweat the petty stuff, and definitely don't pet the sweaty stuff! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Relax a little and live too!
  • talrcat
    talrcat Posts: 97 Member
    ... I say don't sweat the petty stuff, and definitely don't pet the sweaty stuff!

    hahahahahaha... I love it!!!
  • talrcat
    talrcat Posts: 97 Member
    ... I say don't sweat the petty stuff, and definitely don't pet the sweaty stuff!

    hahahahahaha... I love it!!!

    oops. double-clicked..
  • Shelley130
    Shelley130 Posts: 142
    I just finished reading Jillian Michaels book "Master Your Metabolism" she goes into detail about so called diet food and what it does to your metabolism and often sabotaging you weight loss efforts. Her advice - If it doesn't come from the ground, or have a mother, don't eat it.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    OK folks: I have come to the conclusion you can not meet all the numbers. You have to decide which ones are important to you and your health. I tend to concentrate of low fat and calories but I found it impossible to be on target for calories, carbs, protein, fat, fiber and sugar.
    The problem is we want food to taste good so it has to have some fat or sugar.

    I respectfully disagree. I meet my numbers pretty consistently. I started working on calories, then added fat, then sodium and so on. It's about little tweaks and learning through entering the foods in MFP.

    At first I thought I would never be able to cut down on sodium because I love lunch meat and sandwiches- now I buy the meat and slice it myself. I think sometimes it's just about looking at things in a different way.

    Taking a few hours on Sunday to cook your lunches for the week is worth it because you can get more food, better food, healthier food and stay within your caloric goals so much easier.

    Took me a good couple of weeks to realize that 'low fat' and 'diet' foods weren't doing ANYTHING for me caloricaly. So I switched.

    It's all about figuring what will work for your lifestyle, and what's worth it to sacrifice. Each journey is different :)

    I respectfully disagree with your disagreement. It seems the only way not to bust the fat, sugar, and salt is to kill your own meat and grow your own fruits/veggies/etc. But honestly you really shouldn't focus that stuff. Lets say you eat a lot of apples. Suppose to be one of the better fruits for you but you've busted your sugar. Fish is suppose to be super good for you but salmon is full of fat. The thing is it's Omega3 which, unless it's all hype, is really good for you. Until you start breaking down your sugars and fats specifically by types you're only going to drive yourself nuts by tracking it too closely.

    Well I don't kill my own meat (uhh no) and I live downtown so growing my own veggies is out :laugh: Salmon, I can't afford salmon lol. There are plenty of lower-sugar fruits besides apples.

    Like I said- each person' path is different- mine simply runs close to what MFP reccomends. No more no less. :flowerforyou: