omg sugar...

i eat a lot of sugar. the sugar is mostly from healthy or decently nutritional food like granola bars, yogurt, or skinny cow popsicles. i also eat lots and lots of fruit so i eat lots of sugar.

i think my refined sugar amount i would eat every day is around 40 - 60 g.

my fruit sugar amount is around the same amount. i usually eat around 60 - 90 g of sugar in total every day.

is this too much? i feel like i'm getting fat whenever i eat something that tastes like it's bad for me, but isn't really bad for me.

Well, if you're still eating your veggies and other caloric sources, sugar really isn't that much of an issue. It's bad for your teeth, but aside from that. Eh. I wish I still had the article, but I remember reading that you should limit your processed sugar to 100g. In general, sugar isn't that great for you, but if it's coming from fruit, it's fine.

I honestly wouldn't concern yourself with it too much. -shrug- Unless you have a health issue relating to your sugar intake, it's not really an issue at all.

BTW: calories in vs calories out = Weightloss/Weightgain/maintenance

What you do with your calories doesn't matter. Want to feel better and fuller? Listen to your body and eat more unprocessed foods that come directly from nature. I know when I eat too much bread and not enough veggies/fruits/beans/nuts I feel a bit "bleh" and unhealthy.

If you feel.. "fat" eat less processed foods for a little while and see if that floats your boat. If you still feel "fat" consider looking into your mental facilities and pinpoint why you feel guilty so you can solve that issue. Being happy with your food is a key to being healthier and weight loss. :D

G'luck homeskillet.

I hope that you are not just eating sweet processed foods (granola bars, etc) and fruits because you need complex carbs to keep your body functioning throughout the day. Also, fiber intake is a must for a healthy digestive and cardiovascular system. Therefore, you should incorporate whole grains/veggies into your diet.

I don't believe that you need to cut out your sugar intake. You just have to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet, not a diet heavily focused on one macronutrient. For example, someone can stay skinny eating just snickers bars if he/she eats just 3 bars a day and that's all they eat. However, although skinny, such an individual will have health problems, including malnutrition.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is the caloric balance as mentioned above. However, you need to also make sure that you are getting all your macronutrient needs including CHOs, Proteins, and healthy fats, especially essential fatty acids (fats that your body cannot make) such as Omega 3 fatty acids.

There's this huge debate about high fructose corn syrup, which is usally found in processed foods, such as those Honey Nut granola bars (but I still eat them anyway!! :)   ) but I personally think that if you just keep the intake to a minimum and just a small part of a balanced diet, then it's probably fine.

Everything that you eat is eventually broken down into sugars in your body so technically, it shouldn't matter where the "sugar" came from. However, the concern about a high sugar intake is that an individual with such a diet will probably not be eating a balanced diet. So all in all, try to eat a bit of everything (veggies, fruits, meat, dairy, sweets etc) and don't ever make a ban list. Just learn how to limit yourself.

Good luck!

Popsicles, flavored yogurts, and Skinny Cow bars are not "healthy" sugars. They are all processed and added. I'd stay away from them as much as possible and try out making your own fruit bars with real pureed fruit and also switching to plain yogurt and adding your own berries or vanilla. As for the ice cream bars, wean yourself off those or at least reduce your intake.

As for fruits - no worries. I get 150 grams of sugar a day on average (3,000 calories) but I don't eat ANY added sugars whatsoever. No honey. No syrup. Nothing. Just fruits. There is nothing wrong with eating fruits with sugars since they are naturally occuring and are typically accompanied by fiber, which helps to set your blood sugar straight.

And heck, food that's good for you can taste good too! It can taste AWESOME! No guilt needed!