How much sugar is app. for each day?

[kab1278 3]

I do not know how much sugar I should be eating each day. What is the app. limit?

[jensmallwood 0]

What do you mean by sugar? Total sugar, including milk and other dairy products, sugar from fruits and veggies, sugar from carbohydrates-- or are you talking about added sugars?

I would be wary of thinking in terms of "how much," etc. (and of course I'm not a nutritionist) but I know for me, getting into the "diet" mindset makes me binge. I try to stick to a healthy diet, which doesn't include a lot of added sugar, but does include all the naturally occurring sugars in healthy foods.

If you're diabetic on the other hand, that's an entirely different story and your doctor would give you guidelines.

[BetsyB 9]

The current recommendation for added sugar is that it make up no more than 6-10 percent of your daily calories. So for a 1000-calorie diet, no more than 100 calories should come from added sugar. (As reference, a teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories.)

To me, this seems like a lot of added sugar, at least on a routine basis. We have such limited stomach space these days, so using 10 percent of that space on foods that offer the body nothing nutritive seems wasteful---at least on a routine basis. (I am all for occasional treats.)

Also, keep in mind your doctor's recommendations. Mine's a low-carb guy, and added sugar is a no-no. Yours may be completely different.

If your doctor is okay with it, and you don't have any blood sugar issues, then sticking with the recommendation is probably okay. If you hit the wall in terms of weight loss, you can always re-evaluate and tweak.

[kab1278 3]

Thanks for your responses.

I am trying to learn all of these nutritional things, having been banded 4 days ago. I guess I was asking about added sugars. Right now, sugar is easy to avoid because I am on a soft diet (sugar-free Jello, popcicles, fruit juices, etc.) but once I start incorporating regular foods, sugars are hidden everywhere. I'll be sure to ask my doctor.

Thanks again!