How Many Grams of Sugar Should You Have to Lose Weight? (2024)

FAQs

How Many Grams of Sugar Should You Have to Lose Weight? ›

When it comes to losing weight

Choosing a healthy eating pattern low in added sugars can have important health benefits. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to no more than 10% each day. That's 200 calories, or about 12 teaspoons, for a 2,000 calorie diet.

Do they have benefits? Any dietary pattern that decreases or cuts out added sugar is likely to reduce obesity and benefit health, especially among people who regularly consume high amounts of added sugar.

What's the AHA's recommendation on added sugar? Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. Women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.

Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes). Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes). Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes).

Target sugar

One good place to begin improving your food choices is to eliminate sugary drinks — and not just soda, but juices. Sugar increases belly fat and fiber reduces belly fat; thus when you're juicing fruits, you're removing the fiber, leaving pure sugar.

For example, if a person consumes around 2,000 calories per day, no more than 200 calories should come from added sugars. Sugar will not necessarily prevent you from losing weight or fat.

Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.

Your taste buds and palate can be “retrained” to adopt a less sugary lifestyle, and eventually you will not crave the same high-sugar foods as before. During this time, you can still eat foods with natural sugars, like fruit, as these are packed with nutrients and fiber.

To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.

Does fruit count as added sugar? ›

Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose). Added sugars include any sugars or caloric sweeteners that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation (such as putting sugar in your coffee or adding sugar to your cereal).

We get folate—a group of naturally occurring B vitamins known as B9 which aid in the production of red blood cells—from citrus fruits, apples, melons, and papaya. The worst fruits for people with diabetes include mango, jackfruit, banana, chikku and grapes. These fruits are high in sugar and low in fiber.

Epidemiological data also suggests that among other factors, diets high in sugar—even in diets that are not necessarily high in calories—cause the body to store visceral fat around the middle, and that can lead to insulin resistance and a diabetes diagnosis.

Is honey better for you than sugar? Honey has a lower GI value than sugar, meaning that it does not raise blood sugar levels as quickly. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you may need less of it, but it does have slightly more calories per teaspoon so it's wise to keep a close eye on your portion sizes.

Stevia and monk fruit are both naturally derived from plants and some people feel they have a flavor very similar to regular sugar. The FDA says these sweeteners are “generally regarded as safe,” which means they are safe to use for their intended purpose.

Well, 25 grams is about 6 teaspoonfuls of sugar and looks like this. Sugar comes in many forms, and the 25 grams adds up fast. Some years ago, musician Tom Lehrer, who is still going at age 95, composed a song in which he sang the full Periodic Table of Elements. He now could do the same with all the hidden sugars.

100g of sugar may sound like a lot, and for some people this amount may be more than their body can or should handle. For example, if you are consuming 1600 calories per day, then your daily maximum should be 80g of total sugar.

Women should have no more than 25 grams of sugar per day, and men should have no more than 37 grams. “The yellow stoplight is for foods that may add up and put you over those limits,” says Wohlford.

Which sugar is best for weight loss? Both brown and white sugar are similar in terms of calories. However, there are alternatives that can be an excellent choice if you are looking to cut down on sugar. Stevia, jaggery, honey or maple syrup are great options and aids weight loss.