Tips on Tracking Hidden Sugar from Inova Wellaware Team

Carlo Alfano has a degree in Health and Fitness Management from Marymount University.  During his 15 years in the health and fitness industry, he’s worked with a wide variety of people, coaching them to lead healthier lifestyles.  The last 8 years his main focus has been in the corporate environment working one on one and in group settings to help employees work more efficiently by improving their overall health.  After all, a healthy employee makes a happy, more efficient employee. 

I’ve never met someone who couldn’t use help from another professional. In the health and wellness industry it’s important that you practice what you preach. However, like most people, the goals we set are sometimes met with obstacles that we can’t overcome. And when that happens, rather than giving up, we look to others in our field for help.

That was my situation post-holidays. So recently I completed a 7 day weight loss challenge a fellow health coach I know was putting on. This was someone I’ve known for years now and one I could trust.

One of the goals was to watch your sugar intake; specifically to keep your sugar intake at or under 25g a day (normal for men is 35g/normal for women is 24g). I have to admit this was a challenge. Not because I eat a lot of sweets, but because sugar is everywhere and hidden in foods. It really made me aware and look at where my sources of sugar were coming from and really made me focus on what I was eating.

Was I able to keep my sugar that low? Most days yes! And here’s what’s really neat. Ice cream is my kryptonite. Happy to say it’s been over a week now and I’m ice cream free.

My point to all this – watch your sugar intake. Check your food labels before you eat/drink. You’ll be surprised by how just one meal or snack can send you over the recommended daily limit for sugar! Try tracking your sugar for a week at www.myfitnesspal.com. It is a great tracking tool and can be eye opening to see where hidden sugars may lie.

The American Heart Association also provides great info!

 

6 Comments

  1. Karen Brown on February 13, 2017 at 7:20 pm

    Well done and thought provoking! I have been on a 6 month journey to eat less and watch labels. This is just one more thing for your weight loss and healthy toolbox!

  2. Sadir on February 19, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    Poorly written article. I expected genuine tips about hidden sugar only to read that we should check the label. That’s the big tip?!!?

    • Carlo on February 21, 2017 at 6:48 am

      Sadly Sadir, many people are ill-informed on just how much sugar they consume on a daily basis. Do we want to become label checkers? No. But education has to start somewhere and if it means getting people to turn the box over and read the label first before they eat, so be it. Based on your comment it sounds like you do not fall into this category. And for that I applaud you!

  3. Laura on February 19, 2017 at 3:32 pm

    Unfortunately the average American consumes 4 to 10 times that amount of sugar daily. I stopped eating added sugar for 2 years now and use dextrose instead of sugar for family goodies. A good read for the lay person–Sweet Poison by David Gillespie.

  4. Sajjad on October 23, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    Hi, is 25g Total sugar or added sugars? An apple contains 18g of sugar and I don’t see how 25g is even realistic if one apple almost knocks it out.

  5. angel on October 23, 2019 at 9:12 pm

    Good information. It would be “GREAT” information if you would provide what to look for in the labels.

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