How much sugar are you allowed to eat on low carb?

July 29 2017 by , medical review by in Addiction, Dairy, Low carb & high fat, Q&A, Sugar/fructose, Weight loss
Ask Bitten Jonsson

Can you include berries and dairy if you want to lose weight? How much sugar are you allowed to eat on low carb? And a big thank you to Bitten for what she does!

These and other questions are answered this week by our food-addiction expert, Bitten Jonsson, RN:

How much sugar are you allowed to eat on low carb?

If something has sugar in it, what is the highest amount we should avoid? And how is sugar alcohol different?

Quiana

Hi Quiana,

If you are a sugar addict I recommend zero added sugars in any way, shape or form due to it’s triggering effect both in sweetness on the tongue, insulin release and that it will keep your sweet tooth going. We sugar addicts can trigger our reward system (i.e dopamine release and we want more) by looking at trigger foods.

If you only have harmful use, I will recommend you to keep it as low as possible and keep an eye on if it triggers you to eat more. Due to our biochemical individuality it is impossible to say a specific number of grams.

Take care,
Bitten

Berries and dairy?

I’m confused. It says that in order for women to lose weight, they need to avoid fruit but a few berries with cream or greek yogurt.

I have around 42 lbs (19 kg) to lose but am returning to LCHF after unsuccessfully following a vegan diet and feeling ill.

Do you think it’s OK to include berries and yogurt with a few flaked nuts once a day?

I think I will go insane if it’s all just meat and eggs.

Esther

Hello Esther,

I hope you enjoy chicken and fish too in your LCHF diet.

There is a big difference in carb content in fruit and berries. For example, a banana is 22 g carbs per 100 g fruit while raspberries only 4 g of carbs per 100 g.

You can try yogurt and berries and watch out for nuts. They have carbs too if you are sensitive. You can google carbohydrate charts and check.

But many people have a hard time losing weight on cream and yogurt. What about some nice above-ground growing vegetables?

Wish you the best in finding a “fuel mix” you feel well on and lose weight.

Bitten

THANK YOU!

Your talk on sugar addiction forced me to stop pretending that I was better off than ‘drug addicts’!

I was ignorant and thought myself a tad superior because I had given up smoking and I had never touched “drugs” in my life. Thank you so very much you helped me and I am no longer ignorant. Thank you.

I am a sugar addict and carefully guide myself now. I also have the strength now to avoid those people who will not accept that they must NOT offer me sweets. I know myself now better than before.

Thank you,
Ruth

Thank you for sharing so honestly your “surrender”.

I truly can identify with that feeling in the beginning. I was the one that could control it! :) Not!

Almost everyone has walked that road. When we accept we are sugar addicts and start being honest with ourselves, thats when recovery really starts.

Wish you a fantastic recovery,
Bitten

 

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12 comments

  1. 1
    Beverly Rushing
    July 29 2017
    What is the best lo carb wine ?
  2. 2
    Bob Hill
    December 29 2017
    Hi,Im a low carber for 3 months now---lost 32 pounds--my question is--now Im keeping up with Carbs--Calories an Sugar,s-----sugars in food is already there BUT I so far have kept sugars under 10 a day----carbs 20--25 a day--Calories 1200; how can I prevent the sugar,s ???? Im only eating whats on my food list ????? Thank you for a response

    ;

  3. 3
    Barbara Steele
    April 4 2018
    I have just started on low carb,you have lost that much in 3 months? I'm going into my 4th week and and I lost 5 lbs first week then gained it back the second week.can you please give me some pointers I must be doing something wrong.I have a drink with only 2 grams of sugar,drink one aday,eating veggies no starches,the only sugar I get is in the drink. I eat
    meats eggs ànd cheese
  4. 4
    Martha
    April 11 2018
    Me too! 6 weeks in and 4 pounds lost. I'm in ketosis, but still no weight loss
  5. 5
    Mira
    April 13 2018
    What about sugar alcohols, like erythritol (sugar alcohol with stevia)? Are they okay to use occasionally when following a Keto plan?
    I just read that sugar alcohols will take the body out of ketosis, yet another site said this is more often the case with xylitol instead of erythritol. Is this true?
  6. 6
    Vee1
    April 18 2018
    What about sugar free gum?
  7. 7
    Ladydarksky
    July 28 2020
    Sugar in any form will take your body out of ketosis, most veggies have sugar also. Specially sweet ones like sweet bell peppers. I lost the most weight with lentils curry and meats. Protein meats beef chicken and fish. Even 1g of sugar, sugar alcohol ect are still sugars
    Reply: #8
  8. 8
    Reply to comment #7 by Ladydarksky
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    July 28 2020

    Sugar in any form will take your body out of ketosis, most veggies have sugar also. Specially sweet ones like sweet bell peppers. I lost the most weight with lentils curry and meats. Protein meats beef chicken and fish. Even 1g of sugar, sugar alcohol ect are still sugars

    You are correct in that vegetables contain natural sugars. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/vegetables For most, ketosis will occur when fewer than 20 Net Carbs (from whole foods) are consumed within a day. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/ketosis

  9. 9
    Fay A Jackson
    February 10 2021
    I usually have no more then 20 to 25 g of total carbs a day. Breakfast is my main meal, and coffee is the one thing I truly enjoy. I have one to two cups a day and I use heavy cream, which has no carbs. But here's the problem. I've tried every artificial sweetener out there, and to me, I can definitely tell the difference between them and sugar. I have tried so hard with just them, and I'm no longer enjoying my coffee. You said absolutely no sugar of any kind. Well, the sugar I put in my coffee's are the only sugar I have. The rest of the day is salads, cheeses, meats and veggies. I have no problem with that at all. In fact, not hungry much. But, unfortunately, I have to draw the line when it comes to my coffee. So needless to say, breakfast is where most of my carbs come from. But my question is...... I'm keeping my carbs very low. Even a tsp of sugar don't have a hell of a lot of carbs in it. And maybe having that sugar will keep me out of ketosis. But because of the low amount of carbs I'm having every day, will I still lose weight??
    Reply: #10
  10. 10
    Reply to comment #9 by Fay A Jackson
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 10 2021

    I usually have no more then 20 to 25 g of total carbs a day. Breakfast is my main meal, and coffee is the one thing I truly enjoy. I have one to two cups a day and I use heavy cream, which has no carbs. But here's the problem. I've tried every artificial sweetener out there, and to me, I can definitely tell the difference between them and sugar. I have tried so hard with just them, and I'm no longer enjoying my coffee. You said absolutely no sugar of any kind. Well, the sugar I put in my coffee's are the only sugar I have. The rest of the day is salads, cheeses, meats and veggies. I have no problem with that at all. In fact, not hungry much. But, unfortunately, I have to draw the line when it comes to my coffee. So needless to say, breakfast is where most of my carbs come from. But my question is...... I'm keeping my carbs very low. Even a tsp of sugar don't have a hell of a lot of carbs in it. And maybe having that sugar will keep me out of ketosis. But because of the low amount of carbs I'm having every day, will I still lose weight??

    That is going to vary by person. If you're stalled or not seeing the weight loss you'd like, it would be worth experimenting with eliminating the sugar.

  11. 11
    Aini
    February 17 2021
    I am doing low- carb diet and my plan is :

    Breakfast - 2eggs one slice if bran bread and a cup of tea
    Lunch - Grilled chicken salad
    Dinner - baked fish with butter and salad or Bar BQ
    Two cups of tea in a day.

    I have only reduced 1.5 to 2 kg in two weeks
    Please advise, I am doing right ?

    Reply: #12
  12. 12
    Reply to comment #11 by Aini
    Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
    February 17 2021

    I am doing low- carb diet and my plan is :
    Breakfast - 2eggs one slice if bran bread and a cup of tea
    Lunch - Grilled chicken salad
    Dinner - baked fish with butter and salad or Bar BQ
    Two cups of tea in a day.
    I have only reduced 1.5 to 2 kg in two weeks
    Please advise, I am doing right ?

    1.5 to 2 kg in two weeks is an admirable weight loss. The meals you outlined above should fit well in a liberal low carb plan. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/how-low-carb-is-low-carb

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