How important is it to watch sugar?

amillee
amillee Posts: 20
in Food and Nutrition
Question... I've been looking at some other people's diaries and not many seem to be keeping track of sugar... do you not feel it's important?

I have been told (and have been trying) to keep my sugar under 25g/day, but a couple pieces of fruit will max that out and I notice many of you eat 4-5 servings of fruit a day. Just wondering if I'm putting too much emphasis on it. Thoughts?
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Replies

  • GoddessAndraste
    GoddessAndraste Posts: 28
    I think a lot of us gave up fairly quickly with the sugar tracking on here, because it's ridiculous. I was usually over the limit three bites into breakfast. :) I deleted the sugar column from my diary all together.
  • ghsamia
    ghsamia Posts: 18 Member
    Keep in mind that there is a difference in the way your body uses natural sugar versus refined sugar. If you include natural sugar in the 25 grams, then it is very difficult to strive for. Google Jillian Michaels for info on this. I have read some good articles on her site. She even tells you which fruits to not pick as your first choices, due to sugar.

    Good luck.

    P.S. I have a lot of trouble controlling my sugar. This is a daily issue for me.
  • amillee
    amillee Posts: 20
    Keep in mind that there is a difference in the way your body uses natural sugar versus refined sugar. If you include natural sugar in the 25 grams, then it is very difficult to strive for. Google Jillian Michaels for info on this. I have read some good articles on her site. She even tells you which fruits to not pick as your first choices, due to sugar.

    Good luck.

    P.S. I have a lot of trouble controlling my sugar. This is a daily issue for me.

    Yes, I have several "lists" that show which fruits to choose, but I have been counting natural sugars in my daily limit. I eat very little processed foods... no bread, an occasional (less than once a week) whole wheat pita... no pasta, no cereal...

    Perhaps I need to read a little more on this.
  • braga1992
    braga1992 Posts: 23
    Just becareful. Sugar is a great insulin spiker. Anytime insulin is released, fat is stored.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Just becareful. Sugar is a great insulin spiker. Anytime insulin is released, fat is stored.

    But in the absence of insulin related medical conditions and while eating at a caloric deficit, fat oxidation will exceed fat storage and the net result will be fat loss regardless of the acute effects of insulin.

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

    EDIT: That being said OP, I would take a "common sense" approach to it. If the bulk of your calories come from candy bars and brownies then you're probably going to want to fix that even if you're within your energy allowance. On the flipside, if you're not diabetic and you've got at least some sense with your food choices (not much junk food but maybe a little here and there) then you probably don't need to bother tracking it at all.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    My thing here is there is a difference between fructose and sucrose... Yes, fructose is sugar but it is so much better than the processed sugars.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Just becareful. Sugar is a great insulin spiker. Anytime insulin is released, fat is stored.

    broscience......Protein is a great insulin spiker as well....The second part of your statement is false.
  • ChrisGoldn
    ChrisGoldn Posts: 473 Member
    i watch and moniter my sugar intake and have for quite some time.... i will say 25g is very very low. I would up that to 50g til you get near goal weight then u can up it gradually. Currently i upped my intake to 70g now that im 9lbs from my goal.
  • weisegirl1119
    weisegirl1119 Posts: 122 Member
    bump
  • KrisyKat
    KrisyKat Posts: 740 Member
    I watch sugar all the time...especially right before devouring it :laugh:
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I watch sugar all the time...especially right before devouring it :laugh:

    I thought about making a similar joke but I was instead driven to post a rebuttal about the effects of insulin.

    You win this time, m'am.
  • brittanylock09
    brittanylock09 Posts: 194 Member
    Most people don't count their fruit sugars into their daily total b/c it's just natural. like when I look at people's diaries to see how they did and they are over in sugar, I check to see if it's b/c of fruits. if it is, I don't mention it b/c it's fine. you're really looking and counting refined sugar and such
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    I have my sugars listed b/c I have an issue with sweets & am trying to cut them down or completely out (refined sugars) - Also I am not a big fruit eater so the sugar I consume is NOT the good sugars from fruit....I wish we could put more things to watch on there though b/c I would love to add at least one more thing to watch so I have to switch it around to see different things....
  • KrisyKat
    KrisyKat Posts: 740 Member
    I watch sugar all the time...especially right before devouring it :laugh:

    I thought about making a similar joke but I was instead driven to post a rebuttal about the effects of insulin.

    You win this time, m'am.

    YAY for rebuttals which make me humorous by default :drinker:
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    The thing about tracking sugar on MFP is it's really designed to track ADDED sugar. However, MFP can't distinguish between added sugar and natural sugar, which is why you max it out by eating some fruit and having a glass of milk.

    Generally it's recommended that added sugar remains under 40g. There is not really a set amount of sugar total that's recommended unless you're diabetic. I try to keep mine under 100g a day, but as long as most of it is coming from sugar, I don't stress too much about it.
  • brittanylock09
    brittanylock09 Posts: 194 Member
    also, see how you react to sugar. some people's weight is sensitive to sugar. normally people with sugar problems...diabetics, ppl close to being diabetic... just like some people are sensitive to sodium. there's no magic number. you have to experiment and see what works for you. my sugar, I don't think affects me too much until I get into the 50s or higher.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Keep in mind that there is a difference in the way your body uses natural sugar versus refined sugar. If you include natural sugar in the 25 grams, then it is very difficult to strive for. Google Jillian Michaels for info on this. I have read some good articles on her site. She even tells you which fruits to not pick as your first choices, due to sugar.

    Good luck.

    P.S. I have a lot of trouble controlling my sugar. This is a daily issue for me.
    This is false. Sugar is sugar. Sugar in fruit and refined sugar are the exact same sugar molecules, and they are processed by the body in the exact same way. The human body doesn't recognize "fruit," it recognizes individual molecules. Sugar from a candy bar looks exactly the same as sugar from an apple.
  • Kayley
    Kayley Posts: 327 Member
    I used to track it just to encourage myself to eat less processed sweet stuff, but I stopped once I got the hang of not eating 5 granola bars a day. :drinker:
  • reyopo
    reyopo Posts: 210 Member
    I haven't had refined sugar, or honey, or maple syrup or any other high-glycemic index sugars in years. I'm very allergic to them, so I use stevia and Xylitol exclusively. SOMETIMES I'll have something that's date sweetened. I can't do wine or much alcohol and even too much fruit messes me up, I use almost all (naturally low sugar) berries in my smoothies in the morning. I'm about as careful with sweets as any one (poor, deprived) human can be. AND I STILL go over my sugar "goal" almost every day. I think the goal is set WAY too low, and don't think it's a big deal at all if most of your sugars come from natural unrefined sources. I'm guessing most people who bother trying to eat healthy in general, and track calories, aren't bingeing on candy...but I could be wrong...
  • amillee
    amillee Posts: 20
    For the record, I don't have any sugar "issues" - just trying to lose weight. I "eat clean" mostly - RARELY have processed sugar/flour products (seriously, less than once a week I'll have half a whole wheat pita or something) and I couldn't tell you the last time I had candy, ice-cream, cake, or even dried fruit (which is usually sweetened, too)... my sugar almost entirely comes from fruits and veggies. My concern was really about an overall healthy amount... for instance... today, I made a smoothie using 8oz almond milk, some strawberries and blueberries, later had a banana for a snack, then a salad for lunch - at which point I was already at 30g of sugar according to MFP.

    So, I was wondering if I shouldn't eat any more veggies and/or fruit for dinner or an evening snack... seems crazy.
  • ChrisGoldn
    ChrisGoldn Posts: 473 Member
    You are aware you can manually go in and update your goals and up your sugar grams per day??? MFP generally sets it very very low. Just FYI
  • reyopo
    reyopo Posts: 210 Member
    Keep in mind that there is a difference in the way your body uses natural sugar versus refined sugar. If you include natural sugar in the 25 grams, then it is very difficult to strive for. Google Jillian Michaels for info on this. I have read some good articles on her site. She even tells you which fruits to not pick as your first choices, due to sugar.

    Good luck.

    P.S. I have a lot of trouble controlling my sugar. This is a daily issue for me.
    This is false. Sugar is sugar. Sugar in fruit and refined sugar are the exact same sugar molecules, and they are processed by the body in the exact same way. The human body doesn't recognize "fruit," it recognizes individual molecules. Sugar from a candy bar looks exactly the same as sugar from an apple.

    NOT SO! What the first post says:
    All forms of concentrated sugar - white sugar, brown sugar, malt, glucose, honey and syrup - are fast releasing, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. If this sugar is not required by the body, it is put into storage, eventually emerging as fat. Most concentrated forms of sugar are also devoid of vitamins and minerals, unlike the natural sources such as fruit. Without vitamins and minerals our metabolism becomes inefficient, contributing to poor energy and poor weight control. Fruit contains a the simple sugar fructose, which needs no digesting and can therefore enter the bloodstream quickly, like glucose or sucrose. However, UNLIKE them it is classified as slow releasing. This is because the body cannot use fructose as it is, since cells run only on glucose. As a result, the fructose first has to be converted by the body into glucose, which effectively slows down this sugar's effect on the metabolism. Some fruit, such as grapes and dates, also contain pure glucose and are therefore faster releasing...but apples and dark berries contain almost exclusively fructose so they are slow releasing. It's ALL about glycemic response, ask any diabetic about that.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    I'm diabetic. It's not important for me to watch sugar - it is important for me to strictly watch carbs. By restricting my carbohydrates, I naturally reduce my sugar intake.
  • reyopo
    reyopo Posts: 210 Member
    I'm diabetic. It's not important for me to watch sugar - it is important for me to strictly watch carbs. By restricting my carbohydrates, I naturally reduce my sugar intake.

    Yeah, because it's the same thing... Refined carbs such as white flour baked goods, white rice, and refined cereals have the same effect as refined sugar. Energy surge followed by energy drop as the body scrambles to balance blood sugar levels. Glycemic Index...
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Here's a great post about the glycemic index and how it's mostly useless:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/532251-let-s-talk-about-the-gi-index
  • reyopo
    reyopo Posts: 210 Member
    I'm a nutritionist. GI index is not just a weight loss issue to me, it's a health issue. I will never advocate high GI, refined sugar/carb foods...it ain't gonna happen. My job is to advise those, and ONLY those, who come to me ready and willing to make good food choices, and ultimately any one of them can still eat as they please.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    I'm diabetic. It's not important for me to watch sugar - it is important for me to strictly watch carbs. By restricting my carbohydrates, I naturally reduce my sugar intake.

    Yeah, because it's the same thing... Refined carbs such as white flour baked goods, white rice, and refined cereals have the same effect as refined sugar. Energy surge followed by energy drop as the body scrambles to balance blood sugar levels. Glycemic Index...

    Actually, I've found the glycemic index fairly useless in gaining control of my BG levels. Refined carbs or those wonderful "whole grains" ...doesn't matter. Fructose has an effect similar to sucrose ... for me. Oatmeal might as well be white rice (or brown rice) A sweet potato has the same effect as an Idaho potato. I can eat about 1/4 c of berries or beans without an appreciable rise in BG. I concentrate on hitting my macros for protein and fat and staying under my limit for carbs. YMMV, of course.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I'm a nutritionist. GI index is not just a weight loss issue to me, it's a health issue. I will never advocate high GI, refined sugar/carb foods...it ain't gonna happen. My job is to advise those, and ONLY those, who come to me ready and willing to make good food choices, and ultimately any one of them can still eat as they please.

    And how then, under a controlled diet where energy intake does not exceed expenditure, are high glycemic foods unhealthy?

    Are refined sugars inherently bad for you in the context of a diet that meets micronutrient sufficiency and is not hypercaloric?

    And what do you think of James Krieger's work?
    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
  • melodymist
    melodymist Posts: 43 Member
    I watch my sugar. It's also set to 25g a day but I notice that if I have 1 glass of milk, 1 serving of low fat yogurt and 1 fruit I'm already over. Aaaah well haha
  • nasja1984
    nasja1984 Posts: 98 Member
    Question... I've been looking at some other people's diaries and not many seem to be keeping track of sugar... do you not feel it's important?

    I have been told (and have been trying) to keep my sugar under 25g/day, but a couple pieces of fruit will max that out and I notice many of you eat 4-5 servings of fruit a day. Just wondering if I'm putting too much emphasis on it. Thoughts?

    That is natural sugar and at times can be difficult like sodium, to keep a lid on it. The only way to keep it under control is to not eat anything unnatural and even then it's no guarantee you'll stay under. It is good that we are aware of how easy it is to get excess sugar. Natural sugar still is bad for some people. Refined sugar is EVIL. lol Good thing you are noticing that!

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