how the heck do i say under my sugar goal??

CassandraMarie3
CassandraMarie3 Posts: 147 Member
in Food and Nutrition
As a habit, I do not eat candy or "sweets", but I do try to get my fruit in every day. I am finding that two servings of fruit and a tiny bit of jam are putting me well over my sugar limit, and I find that extremely frustrating. I love my veggies, but I need fruit too!

Suggestions? Anyone else have similar issues? Should I up my goal? My diary is open, so feel free to take a look.
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Replies

  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    Personally, I don't worry about sugar...unless you have specific concerns, such as diabetes, I would suggest you focus more on your macros - carbs, fat and protein. I know how you feel, because I hate seeing the red numbers!
  • skinny4baby2
    skinny4baby2 Posts: 19
    Simple answer: I ignore it. Haha. The way I see it, fruit is super healthy, and that always puts me over. I just try to limit myself to one real goodie per week and avoid high fructose corn syrup in everything else. As long as I'm doing that, I don't seem to see sugar affecting my weight loss.
  • Laurayinz
    Laurayinz Posts: 930 Member
    Try to ignore the fruit "contribution" to the sugar bucket... easier said than done, but MFP doesn't distinguish between banana sugar and bonbon sugar...
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    You don't. Ignore it. The sugar goal on MFP seems to bear no resemblance to reality. The macros are somehow set to give you a bunch of carbs, but have an apple and you fly past the sugar limit. The protein is way too low as well. Focus more on staying under your total calorie limit than on hitting the preset targets. When you're more comfortable using MFP, you can reset your macros so the subcategories aren't so easily in the red.
  • NYCDutchess
    NYCDutchess Posts: 622 Member
    Personally, I don't worry about sugar...unless you have specific concerns, such as diabetes, I would suggest you focus more on your macros - carbs, fat and protein. I know how you feel, because I hate seeing the red numbers!
    I agree, if your not eating UN HEALTHY it shouldn' really matter how many natural sugars you have.

    Remember white carbs are ALL sugar, so cut them out too...do Whole Wheat etc.
  • PJFonz
    PJFonz Posts: 41 Member
    I only worry about added sugar, not the sugar that comes in food naturally.
  • kittyhasclaws
    kittyhasclaws Posts: 446 Member
    I have that same problem. And I've basically just given it a big middle finger because it's stupid.
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
    Probably not the best advice ever, but I don't worry about my Sugar Goal that is set my MFP. Like you, I eat fruit and ALWAYS go over on sugar. I have never had a probably with sugar levels so I just let it happen.

    My sugar will go over with a breakfast "green monster" smoothie and lunch salad with some fruit on top.

    As long as I'm not going way over every day with candy bars or other junk, I just can't bring myself to worry about it.
  • Tashmayes
    Tashmayes Posts: 244 Member
    I'm the exact same way. If I have two pieces of fruit... I'm over. It's ridiculous. That being said... sugar is my enemy and is what usually causes me to gain.. so I try my darndest to stay within the guidelines. I try to eat fruits that are low on the GI and avoid and processed foods. This helps me and i definitely see my weight drop more when i stick to it.
  • cfregon
    cfregon Posts: 147
    I can't get into your diary (It's not open to the public), but personally, I don't worry about it too much, I just track overall carbs. I get plenty of fruit in and sweets sometimes too, but I don't stress. I personally think tracking the sugar would be more important if you're diabetic or pre-diabetic. Just make sure you're balancing your sugar with plenty of fiber and protein- those will help the system counteract and use the sugar properly. To me, there are more important macros for health...as long as you aren't way over doing it (like getting 200g sugar a day) or something it should be fine.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Easy - eat less things that contain sugar.
    If it's that important to you, weigh and size up your portions perfectly and just do it.
    As for me, I try to come close. And contrary to what some preach, sugar from fruit is not as worrisome as processes sugar from processed foods.
    Just do your best - Good Luck:smile:
  • NNAhuja
    NNAhuja Posts: 669 Member
    I had to cut out sugar to stay under. Some of my MFP'ers don't count natural sugar.
    It really depends on you and your body. My body is super sensitive to sugar so I avoid it when possible.
  • malins2
    malins2 Posts: 154 Member
    I can't see your diary. Are you trying to lose weight and not seeing the results you want to, then I would suggest you try to eat less sugar 8even if it comes from fruit) eat berries instead. But if you see the results you want to see, then just ignore it because fruit is good for you!
  • 2Blackbirds
    2Blackbirds Posts: 4 Member
    Switch to sugar-free jam and low-sugar fruits like berries. Like Tashmayes said, avoiding processed food and sticking to whole natural food sources is a simple way to avoid sugar, too. So much processed food has unnecessary sugar added to it! Bread, salad dressing, condiments....things you'd never suspect.

    Sugar is my enemy, too, and I've found that my health has improved in so many areas (not just weight) since drastically cutting back on it.
  • JESSJESJ
    JESSJESJ Posts: 121 Member
    I have the same problem. I tend to focus on the carbs generally, rather than sugars specifically, since most of mine come from fruit.
  • CassandraMarie3
    CassandraMarie3 Posts: 147 Member
    Thanks everyone! Intuitively I would think that I should be able to eat the recommended servings of fruit without worrying about my sugars, but I have started to pay attention to my macros, and didn't want to be screwing the whole thing up with just my sugars.

    I fixed my diary settings, it was previously set to "only friends".
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    If you eat fruit, you cannot meet MFP's recommendation. I have actually cut back on fruit (where I could find easy replacements for the nutrients), but still eat at least 2 pieces a day (a banana and an apple) and routinely break my sugar goal (the banana, apple, plus a half cup of oatmeal and a few carrots leaves me with 4g of sugar for the day).

    Sugar is sugar, but fruit sugars tend to come with nutrients, and are generally still attached to fiber and other things that reduce the speed at which the body can process them. And it sure beats the Snickers bar I used to have in the afternoon for my pick-me-up! :happy:
  • antiqueembryo
    antiqueembryo Posts: 4
    The sugar goal is really hard for me, because I love to bake. On really bad days, I've noticed I can eat way over the sugar limit, but stay within the calorie restrictions, and still lose weight. Not healthy, but still meeting my overall goal. I have a serious weakness for fruit and coconut sesame seed cookies, and mochi. So hard. An apple will give you more nutrition than a cup of soda, but the sugar it contains is still bad for you. Too bad veggies aren't more delicious.
  • angelalf1979
    angelalf1979 Posts: 244 Member
    This was my same concern. Thank goodness cuz I love my fruit!!
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 429 Member
    I wouldnt worry about it, but if this helps,
    3. What Fruits Are Low In Sugar?

    That said, if you are determined to eat low-sugar fruits to boost your weight loss (and your morale) during the early days of your weight management plan, the following fresh fruits are low in sugar:

    Apple (sliced)
    Apricot (4 oz.)
    Blackberry
    Blueberry
    Boysenberry
    Cantaloupe
    Cherry (sour, sweet, 10 medium)
    Coconut meat (1 oz. or 1 cup shredded/grated, not packed)
    Coconut milk
    Currant (red, black, white)
    Elderberry
    Gooseberry
    Grape (10 medium)
    Honeydew melon
    Kiwi fruit (1 medium)
    Kumquat (1 medium)
    Lemon/Lime (2 inch diameter)
    Lemon/Lime Juice (1 oz)
    Mulberry
    Orange (sections, without membrane)
    Peach (1 med, 4 oz.)
    Persimmon (American, Japanese, 1 medium)
    Pineapple (1 oz)
    Plum
    Raspberry
    Strawberry
    Tangelo (1 medium)
    Tangerine (1 medium)
    Watermelon

    Except where noted, all have less than 10 gm carbs in a half cup serving.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/5375-lowsugar-fruits/#ixzz1youEqBkl
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    I have the same problem and started eating less fruit. Seems to be conflicting opinions on whether or not fruit sugar matters.
  • etrader24
    etrader24 Posts: 21
    dont worry about the sugar in fruit....it is completely natural, and if you worry about diabetes, natural food that comes from the earth cant give you an illness like that, only processed food can. i suggest that you dont worry about the sugar in fruit, but make sure you dont eat too much processed sugar. good luck (:
  • Carri1
    Carri1 Posts: 82 Member
    Yes it seems your diary is NOT open. I agree about the fruit. Actually anything in moderation is best. I knew this guy who helped out in one of the third world countries...he came home after just a few months and looked Great and had lost weight. I asked him about it and he said he'd been eating bananas because "Fruit Loops" cost like $12.00 a box and bananas are really cheap there.

    I don't think Weight watchers have you count fruits....idk...they keep changing things!
  • shanice_22
    shanice_22 Posts: 202 Member
    I'm the same but I agree with other posts - just ignore it. I do like veggies, but I much prefer fruit but the sugar is a killer. I just focus on the calories in the fruit and ignore the sugar. The way I see it is that fruit is healthy but it's much better to be getting that sugar from fruit than from a chocolate bar.
  • angieleighbyrd
    angieleighbyrd Posts: 989 Member
    I ignore my sugar. I am over everyday just from fruit. I stay away from white sugar so I don't worry about it so much.
  • Angie_1MR
    Angie_1MR Posts: 247
    I usually do not exceed 15 g. of sugar per day. You are taking a huge hit from Greek yogurt, and all of your fruit. I am an extreme example, but I avoid all fruit, milk, yogurt that isn't artificially sweetened, and any single food item with 5 or more grams of sugar. I have found that it has helped me drop fat faster, but I'm sure 100 people will tell you 100 different things!
  • bluebird321
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
    My personal choice is to stay very low in sugar; it just depends on what you want. I try to stick to berries when I do have fruits.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Yeah MFP's limit on sugar is near impossible to stay under. I upped my sugar limit a little and when there are "no sugar count" options for the fruit I log those.
  • fudgebudget
    fudgebudget Posts: 198 Member
    If you don't have a condition like diabetes to make you need to really pay attention to sugar, I would change your food diary to track another nutrient so you won't worry about it. If your sugars are coming from mostly natural sources, like fruit, then you're getting it with fiber, which will negate some of the sugar.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    Part of the issue is that the sugar number in MFP is retardedly low to start with. As others have said, there is a difference between natural sugar and added sugar. The American Heart Association just released new guidelines that state that women should take in no more than 20 grams of "added" sugar daily and men should not exceed 36 grams of "added' sugar. They aren't that concerned with sugars that are naturally occurring. MFP doesn't distinguish between the two and neither do most food labels.

    In general, if you avoid the "chocolate covered sugar bombs" type of food, you'll probably be ok in the big picture. I upped my daily sugar level from 30 grams to 70 grams and I feel comfortable with that when I look at my diary.

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