MFP and Sugar

SPNLuver83
SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So a lot of us know that MFP puts a huge limit on your sugar intake and there is no way to separate naturally occurring sugars and added sugars. Generally these naturally occurring sugars are hunkey-dorey, it's the added sugars that can hurt your weight loss goals.

I just googled trying to find what is the average amount of sugar the average adult can consume in a day and came across this article

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_grams_of_sugar_are_appropriate_per_day_for_the_average_adult

It basically says that 40 grams is the average, for ADDED sugars. If you eat a lot of fruit and veggies prepare to go above and beyond this number.

So I just set my daily goal on here to 40, then it goes up with exercise, so today it is at 47. So what I am gonna do is use this info to help me judge my good/bad sugar intake.... If I go above my goal due to naturally occurring sugars I will know not to sweat it- it's the added sugars we have to watch out for!

Replies

  • eponine1976
    eponine1976 Posts: 143 Member
    I've often wished that food labels would list ADDED sugars separately under the carbs section. I'm okay with naturally occurring sugars but I would like to track the amount of added sugars in my foods.
  • MsNewBooty83
    MsNewBooty83 Posts: 985 Member
    good to know! :smile:
  • Girl_Bomb
    Girl_Bomb Posts: 195
    i hate how you cant seperate it!! im almost always way above my sugars but never worry about it when it comes from fruit or veg, i just keep in mind the things i may eat that are terrible, like tim hortons iced coffee, it has horrible amounts of sugar, like 56g
  • KayVee
    KayVee Posts: 34 Member
    Totally agree! It really should have two categories. I'm always WAAAY over but I hardly eat things with added, processed sugars.. It's mostly from fruit and naturally sweetened things... Maybe we should suggest it??

    Thanks for looking into that, I feel better now!
  • _stephanie0
    _stephanie0 Posts: 708 Member
    thanks for this!!

    so many diet plans and fitness models say never go over 35g of sugar per day, and for this reason they dont eat fruit... SERIOUSLY!? sweet potato can give me 20g of sugar!! throw an apple in there and im headed straight for "fat storage"... anyways, thanks for the link :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't differentiate because the human body doesn't either. Sugar molecules are sugar molecules, the glucose and fructose in a candy bar is the same as the glucose and fructose in an apple.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    What the big cat said.

    And, unless you have diabetes or some other medical reason to avoid sugar, it is one macro that really doesn't matter. Same with sodium.
  • DeMarraDontStop
    DeMarraDontStop Posts: 342 Member
    thanks for this!!

    so many diet plans and fitness models say never go over 35g of sugar per day, and for this reason they dont eat fruit... SERIOUSLY!? sweet potato can give me 20g of sugar!! throw an apple in there and im headed straight for "fat storage"... anyways, thanks for the link :)

    Yes!!! Same here!! Really watching my sugar intake and one apple or kiwi or cherries throws me over and beyond!
  • mcnelson718
    mcnelson718 Posts: 2
    on a slightly related note i recently learned that it is also true that naturally occurring sugars are much easier for your body to process than salty foods.... we often find ourselves craving sweet or salty things... go for something naturally sweet!
  • BOLO4Hagtha
    BOLO4Hagtha Posts: 396 Member
    Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't differentiate because the human body doesn't either. Sugar molecules are sugar molecules, the glucose and fructose in a candy bar is the same as the glucose and fructose in an apple.

    ^^This. Same goes for artificial sweeteners and natural sugar.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't differentiate because the human body doesn't either. Sugar molecules are sugar molecules, the glucose and fructose in a candy bar is the same as the glucose and fructose in an apple.

    ^^This. Same goes for artificial sweeteners and natural sugar.

    Maybe, but some people like to track it and don't know how much of it they should be allowing themselves. Either way MFP doesn't give you a high enough allowance.
  • NostalgicMuse
    NostalgicMuse Posts: 340 Member
    you rock in so many ways! Thanks for the post!
  • agreenmess
    agreenmess Posts: 94
    This is just what I needed, I seem to already be over tomorrow due to fruit, so it's nice to know I'm not alone :)
  • eathealthy2live
    eathealthy2live Posts: 10 Member
    Too Much Sugar is really bad for you and here is why...

    My information I base this on is in the book, THE BELLY FAT CURE by Jorge Cruise

    "Like I mentioned, too much sugar fails to produce a critical hormone in your body called leptin.
    Leptin has proven in study after study to be a key player in how your appetite center functions
    and how much fat your body uses or preserves. This essential hormone is released by fat cells
    and has many functions, but its primary job is to signal to your body that you’ve had enough
    food—think of it as the street signal that switches to red when it’s time to stop eating. Sounds
    like a pretty important hormone, right? Well, guess what sugar does—it suppresses your body’s

    production of leptin. A study done at the University of California, Davis determined that fructose
    (one of the most common sugars, often consumed as high-fructose corn syrup) failed to stimulate
    leptin and insulin production, claiming it “contribute to decreased satiety and increased food
    intake.” 10 When you don’t produce enough leptin, three negative things follow:
    • Your Body Stores Belly Fat. Research studies have shown that leptin directly
    contributes to a decrease in abdominal fat11—without it your body is programmed to
    store fat in your abdominal region.

    • You Overeat. When your leptin “signaling center” isn’t working, you don’t know when
    to stop eating—and pretty soon you end up with a traffic jam of food in your body ready
    to get stored as fat. Where this fat gets deposited depends on your genetics, but most of
    us start storing it in our midsection, while others carry it in their butt, hips, or thighs. And
    the snowball effect of missing leptin doesn’t stop there—once you’ve gained this weight
    your body can actually become leptin resistant. You see, when you gain weight, your fat
    cells get bigger and because that’s where leptin comes from, you produce TOO much of
    it to the point where your body doesn’t respond to it anymore. And this is why you will
    just continue to feel endless hunger and gain an endless amount of weight.

    • You Turn Off Fat-Burning Mechanisms. In addition to signaling that you’re full, leptin
    also fulfills an essential role in fat burning. Leptin triggers an enzyme in your body to
    burn fat. One study done at Harvard Medical School stated that leptin “can directly
    stimulate fatty acid oxidation” which is a scientific way of saying fat burning. They even
    went on to call what leptin does a “fat-melting” activity. 13 So when you eat too much
    Confidential Material. All Rights Reserved ©2009 JorgeCruise.com, Inc. 17
    sugar and your leptin production goes down, you actually stop your body from burning
    fat.

    I hope by now you get how truly important the hormone leptin is to regulating your appetite and
    belly-fat-burning abilities. But sugar consumption has also been linked to belly fat in other ways,
    too. A study done at UC Davis determined that “intra-abdominal fat was significantly increased
    in subjects consuming fructose”14; they suggested that it was because the sugar produced excess
    triglycerides (fat found in blood). Because fructose does not promote insulin production, it often
    goes directly to the liver to be processed and is converted into triglycerides. The researchers
    hypothesized that simple sugars such as fructose create an excess of this fat in the blood, which
    may be more likely to get deposited in abdominal fat cells. Bottom line: reducing sugar intake
    is critical to managing dangerous abdominal belly fat"

    You shouldn't eat more the 15g of all sugars all day. This includes fruits, Veggies, Meats, Processed Foods, sugar additives, sugar alternatives and of course Junk food, Fruit and Soda Drink
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't differentiate because the human body doesn't either. Sugar molecules are sugar molecules, the glucose and fructose in a candy bar is the same as the glucose and fructose in an apple.

    ^^This. Same goes for artificial sweeteners and natural sugar.

    Maybe, but some people like to track it and don't know how much of it they should be allowing themselves. Either way MFP doesn't give you a high enough allowance.

    but that's the point. unless you can't have sugar, there's no reason to worry about tracking it. if you are eating within a calorie goal, your sugar will be just fine.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Too Much Sugar is really bad for you and here is why...

    My information I base this on is in the book, THE BELLY FAT CURE by Jorge Cruise

    "Like I mentioned, too much sugar fails to produce a critical hormone in your body called leptin.
    Leptin has proven in study after study to be a key player in how your appetite center functions
    and how much fat your body uses or preserves. This essential hormone is released by fat cells
    and has many functions, but its primary job is to signal to your body that you’ve had enough
    food—think of it as the street signal that switches to red when it’s time to stop eating. Sounds
    like a pretty important hormone, right? Well, guess what sugar does—it suppresses your body’s

    production of leptin. A study done at the University of California, Davis determined that fructose
    (one of the most common sugars, often consumed as high-fructose corn syrup) failed to stimulate
    leptin and insulin production, claiming it “contribute to decreased satiety and increased food
    intake.” 10 When you don’t produce enough leptin, three negative things follow:
    • Your Body Stores Belly Fat. Research studies have shown that leptin directly
    contributes to a decrease in abdominal fat11—without it your body is programmed to
    store fat in your abdominal region.

    • You Overeat. When your leptin “signaling center” isn’t working, you don’t know when
    to stop eating—and pretty soon you end up with a traffic jam of food in your body ready
    to get stored as fat. Where this fat gets deposited depends on your genetics, but most of
    us start storing it in our midsection, while others carry it in their butt, hips, or thighs. And
    the snowball effect of missing leptin doesn’t stop there—once you’ve gained this weight
    your body can actually become leptin resistant. You see, when you gain weight, your fat
    cells get bigger and because that’s where leptin comes from, you produce TOO much of
    it to the point where your body doesn’t respond to it anymore. And this is why you will
    just continue to feel endless hunger and gain an endless amount of weight.

    • You Turn Off Fat-Burning Mechanisms. In addition to signaling that you’re full, leptin
    also fulfills an essential role in fat burning. Leptin triggers an enzyme in your body to
    burn fat. One study done at Harvard Medical School stated that leptin “can directly
    stimulate fatty acid oxidation” which is a scientific way of saying fat burning. They even
    went on to call what leptin does a “fat-melting” activity. 13 So when you eat too much
    Confidential Material. All Rights Reserved ©2009 JorgeCruise.com, Inc. 17
    sugar and your leptin production goes down, you actually stop your body from burning
    fat.

    I hope by now you get how truly important the hormone leptin is to regulating your appetite and
    belly-fat-burning abilities. But sugar consumption has also been linked to belly fat in other ways,
    too. A study done at UC Davis determined that “intra-abdominal fat was significantly increased
    in subjects consuming fructose”14; they suggested that it was because the sugar produced excess
    triglycerides (fat found in blood). Because fructose does not promote insulin production, it often
    goes directly to the liver to be processed and is converted into triglycerides. The researchers
    hypothesized that simple sugars such as fructose create an excess of this fat in the blood, which
    may be more likely to get deposited in abdominal fat cells. Bottom line: reducing sugar intake
    is critical to managing dangerous abdominal belly fat"

    You shouldn't eat more the 15g of all sugars all day. This includes fruits, Veggies, Meats, Processed Foods, sugar additives, sugar alternatives and of course Junk food, Fruit and Soda Drink

    uh yeah ok NOT. good luck eating anything.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't differentiate because the human body doesn't either. Sugar molecules are sugar molecules, the glucose and fructose in a candy bar is the same as the glucose and fructose in an apple.

    ^^This. Same goes for artificial sweeteners and natural sugar.

    Maybe, but some people like to track it and don't know how much of it they should be allowing themselves. Either way MFP doesn't give you a high enough allowance.

    but that's the point. unless you can't have sugar, there's no reason to worry about tracking it. if you are eating within a calorie goal, your sugar will be just fine.

    But that's not always the case. You can eat high sugar foods and still be within calorie goal but have like 100 grams of sugar. I know, I've done it lol.
  • MNguerita
    MNguerita Posts: 199 Member
    Well that makes me feel better! I was surprised by how quickly the sugar added up. I even would cut out fruit because it would rocket me over...guess I will be eating fruit again.
  • ashquin
    ashquin Posts: 248 Member
    how do you go about changing your sugar on your food log??
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Sugar is sugar. MFP doesn't differentiate because the human body doesn't either. Sugar molecules are sugar molecules, the glucose and fructose in a candy bar is the same as the glucose and fructose in an apple.

    ^^This. Same goes for artificial sweeteners and natural sugar.

    Maybe, but some people like to track it and don't know how much of it they should be allowing themselves. Either way MFP doesn't give you a high enough allowance.

    but that's the point. unless you can't have sugar, there's no reason to worry about tracking it. if you are eating within a calorie goal, your sugar will be just fine.

    But that's not always the case. You can eat high sugar foods and still be within calorie goal but have like 100 grams of sugar. I know, I've done it lol.

    but that's not a daily thing, I'm sure.
  • eathealthy2live
    eathealthy2live Posts: 10 Member
    Too Much Sugar is really bad for you and here is why...

    My information I base this on is in the book, THE BELLY FAT CURE by Jorge Cruise

    "Like I mentioned, too much sugar fails to produce a critical hormone in your body called leptin.
    Leptin has proven in study after study to be a key player in how your appetite center functions
    and how much fat your body uses or preserves. This essential hormone is released by fat cells
    and has many functions, but its primary job is to signal to your body that you’ve had enough
    food—think of it as the street signal that switches to red when it’s time to stop eating. Sounds
    like a pretty important hormone, right? Well, guess what sugar does—it suppresses your body’s

    production of leptin. A study done at the University of California, Davis determined that fructose
    (one of the most common sugars, often consumed as high-fructose corn syrup) failed to stimulate
    leptin and insulin production, claiming it “contribute to decreased satiety and increased food
    intake.” 10 When you don’t produce enough leptin, three negative things follow:
    • Your Body Stores Belly Fat. Research studies have shown that leptin directly
    contributes to a decrease in abdominal fat11—without it your body is programmed to
    store fat in your abdominal region.

    • You Overeat. When your leptin “signaling center” isn’t working, you don’t know when
    to stop eating—and pretty soon you end up with a traffic jam of food in your body ready
    to get stored as fat. Where this fat gets deposited depends on your genetics, but most of
    us start storing it in our midsection, while others carry it in their butt, hips, or thighs. And
    the snowball effect of missing leptin doesn’t stop there—once you’ve gained this weight
    your body can actually become leptin resistant. You see, when you gain weight, your fat
    cells get bigger and because that’s where leptin comes from, you produce TOO much of
    it to the point where your body doesn’t respond to it anymore. And this is why you will
    just continue to feel endless hunger and gain an endless amount of weight.

    • You Turn Off Fat-Burning Mechanisms. In addition to signaling that you’re full, leptin
    also fulfills an essential role in fat burning. Leptin triggers an enzyme in your body to
    burn fat. One study done at Harvard Medical School stated that leptin “can directly
    stimulate fatty acid oxidation” which is a scientific way of saying fat burning. They even
    went on to call what leptin does a “fat-melting” activity. 13 So when you eat too much
    Confidential Material. All Rights Reserved ©2009 JorgeCruise.com, Inc. 17
    sugar and your leptin production goes down, you actually stop your body from burning
    fat.

    I hope by now you get how truly important the hormone leptin is to regulating your appetite and
    belly-fat-burning abilities. But sugar consumption has also been linked to belly fat in other ways,
    too. A study done at UC Davis determined that “intra-abdominal fat was significantly increased
    in subjects consuming fructose”14; they suggested that it was because the sugar produced excess
    triglycerides (fat found in blood). Because fructose does not promote insulin production, it often
    goes directly to the liver to be processed and is converted into triglycerides. The researchers
    hypothesized that simple sugars such as fructose create an excess of this fat in the blood, which
    may be more likely to get deposited in abdominal fat cells. Bottom line: reducing sugar intake
    is critical to managing dangerous abdominal belly fat"

    You shouldn't eat more the 15g of all sugars all day. This includes fruits, Veggies, Meats, Processed Foods, sugar additives, sugar alternatives and of course Junk food, Fruit and Soda Drink

    uh yeah ok NOT. good luck eating anything.

    I'm just showing the facts it's up to us if we want to follow what the facts show. Thank you for the "Good Luck" It can be done...Check out my food diary...Pls add me as a friend...Salamat
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    you forgot to include quotes around facts ... so you should have said you were just sharing the "facts."
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Wait, The Belly Fat Cure has facts in it? Junk science yes, but not facts.

    For example, the junk about fructose not spiking insulin. First, fructose affects blood sugar almost equally to glucose, and even if fructose didn't cause leptin production or satiety signals, glucose does. And the ONLY time a human being will ever consume fructose without glucose is in a laboratory experiment. There is no food on Earth, natural or manufactured, that contains fructose without glucose.

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