Help with understanding sugars

I looked at the sugars in my diet for the first time today and it has me set at around 50 and i conusmed over 140+. I'm trying to figure out how concerned I should be about my sugars and if I need to cut them back dramatically down to the 50 number?

Replies

  • noirnatural
    noirnatural Posts: 310 Member
    That is a great question, I have wondering the same thing, the only thing I figure to do is to cut out the fruit I eat, I eat about 3 servings a day...but that is where most of the sugar I eat comes from..
  • shodaimetruth
    shodaimetruth Posts: 135 Member
    Yeah most of my sugars come from fruit, except i drink a shamrock protein shake and that has like 43 grams. Starting tomorrow that will be coming out of my diet.
  • shodaimetruth
    shodaimetruth Posts: 135 Member
    shameful bump
  • debbiestine
    debbiestine Posts: 265 Member
    I read online that you should have no more than 22 grams of added sugar a day. My protein powders (muscletech from Sams, ON Gold Standard) have 0-2 and my protein drinks (Eas AdvantEDGE/Premier Protein) have 0/1grams of sugar.

    Fruit is good, but don't eat it all day long, as it's high in carbs/sugar.

    You can add spinach leaves,kale or avacado to a protein shake and I promise it will still taste good!
  • ncwall
    ncwall Posts: 64 Member
    http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/sugar-wise-how-fruit-stacks

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/394197-is-the-sugar-in-fruit-bad-for-you/

    http://bodyecology.com/articles/25_reasons_to_avoid_sugar.php

    here are 3 articles i found about sugar. Yes you will want to limit your sugar intake and some of it may just be simply changing the type of fruit you eat


    HOpe these help
  • mollyW2012
    mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
    Good thread, thanks for posting.
  • HausfrauB
    HausfrauB Posts: 104 Member
    First, congrats on your weight loss. :)

    I never paid too much attention to sugar before. It was only after I found myself craving more and more carbs and sweets that I began to wonder about it.

    Two weeks ago, I started with my own modified version of Atkins induction...and my sugar consumption is averaging about 8 grams/day. Before the change I was averaging about 50 grams/day--mostly from fruit and grains--(and that's quite low compared to what I ate years ago).

    For the first time in a really long time I'm feeling balanced inside. I no longer have that feeling of insatiable hunger...I walk away from meals with the feeling of being satiated. I can't help but wonder if sugar was driving my appetite.

    My advise is to try reducing your sugars to under 20 grams/day (total) for a week or two and see if you feel any different. Good luck. :)
  • walkner88
    walkner88 Posts: 165
    I would switch protein shakes. Myoplex has 42 grams protein and only 20 sugar, or gold standard whey you can do two servings for 48 grams protein and only 6 carbs. Sugar should always be limited in anything like protein shakes. From fruit its ok, but you should be careful about what kind of fruit you are eating. You can always try things like dragon fruit, that have a good amount of fiber and lower sugar. 140+ grams a day is pretty extreme, and really isn't natural if you think about what our ancestors would have been able to get ahold of. So maybe try switching to some vegetables as snacks and you should be fine.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Firstly you can turn off sugar tracking altogether, or set a higher limit.

    The number MFP uses is the "added sugars" recommendation for the US, I think. So it's probably inappropriate as the column adds up all sugars, added or not.