Good Morning~Hope you are having a good week so far. I'm amazed at how quickly time is flying. For almost 2 weeks (already) I've been using the FitnessPal app and I absolutely love it. I used one last year and the food database was terrible so logging was a pain in the rear. I was very resistant to start this time but I'm sure glad I did~they even have specific recipes that I've gotten from my Clean Eating Magazine already in there....how awesome is that?
One of the main reasons I wanted to begin logging my food is to try and see exactly what my macros are so I can get a clear picture of what I need to tweak. I mentioned macros before ~they are the ratio of fat/carbs/protein and for me SUGAR! This is the calculator I use http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm. There is a link at the bottom of my blog also as this is one of my go to sites for info.
These days the calories aren't quite as important since my weight goal has been achieved. I'm more concerned about fat loss & gaining more muscle (which may even lead me to consume more calories). This is where the macros come into play and most importantly for me~the SUGAR! I can't begin to tell ya what an eye opener the journaling has been. If you ask me I will flat tell you that I avoid sugar and don't consume very much~well, boy was I WRONG!! I cannot believe how much sugar I am still consuming and I'm trying to avoid it like the plague~YIKES! Imagine people who don't even pay attention to their sugar consumption....they are probably eating cups per day! It's scary, scary, scary! I can't even begin to imagine how much sugar my husband consumes as he puts sugar on Raisin Bran and it almost gives me a heart attack, sigh. That's one for another day....:-(
If you haven't already~find the ABS expert on Facebook and friend him~he has all sorts of tips and he said something the other day that really struck a cord with me~if you want to see your abs you need to get your sugar consumption down to 18 grams per day!!!!! Ha~I'm not even close. Even the veggies that I juice have some sugar in there~I mean, red cabbage, which is one of my favorites to juice has quite a bit of sugar in it~who knew!
I know a lot of us (including my hubby) who watched the Dateline or 20/20 special about Sugar being poison a few weeks back and I tell ya~I do believe it! One of the leading causes of the onset of Type 2 Diabetes in adulthood is sugar and white carbohydrate consumption since our bodies convert that to sugar also~and it's in everything!! Always read your labels, try to stay below 5 grams of sugar, and try to get sugar from natural sources~fruits and veggies. Even staying below the 5 grams on packaged items (we do have to consume some unfortunately), the 2 grams here~1 gram there adds up over the course of the day! Now, the guideline for 18 grams or less is to see abs but for most of us on a normal basis~it's virtually impossible to stay below that amount~even if you just eat two pieces of fruit per day, early in the day, we are going to be over that! So that's just something I threw out there and not a realistic number to follow~interesting stuff though!
My point is this~sugar, in any form other than natural, is bad, bad, bad. It's highly addictive~when you go without sweets for some time, the craving for them goes away, and as soon as you eat something sweet, what happens~you start wanting it again!! Happens to me too! Read your labels~ if ends in "ose" or syrup~it's sugar!!! If you don't have your settings on your FitnessPal calculating your sugar consumption~set it up to see what you are consuming! It's a big part of the process especially in loosing belly fat and a real eye opener!! Don't give up the fruit though~just don't eat it like candy either!! I'll definitely have to watch it since berry season is upon us and I love my berries!!! Have a great weekend!!
Food for thought:
Drinking sugar is the easiest form of sabotage!! Be careful especially with the fruit juices. Eat your fruit~don't drink it! Believe it or not, it took an entire bag of apples, juiced, to make 2 cups~now that is scary! Would you eat an entire bag of apples?
What breaks my heart is having to limit my honey. Raw honey has so many good benefits for you but the sugar content is insane. I would have a tablespoon every day if I could.
ReplyDeleteAnd, like you, I am a berry fanatic. I use it sparingly in my green monster drinks but I do have a little every day.
It really is a lot easier to eliminate processed sugars than you think. But the natural ones that are in foods that are otherwise very good for you are so very hard to let go of. I just try to make sure I have my fruit or honey fix early enough in the day to burn it off.
I know!!
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