Reducing sugar can help with weight loss

Weight Loss Tip 74 – Go Low or Sugar-Free

Sugar Free

Sugar is the ultimate in empty calories.  When you begin to reduce your sugar intake, you will likely not only lose weight but also feel better.  There are many reasons to reduce my sugar consumption.  I decided to make a lifestyle change because sugar just made me feel terrible.  Every time I had a larger sugar intake, I felt tired and sluggish.  Sure I am trying to lose weight but reducing my sugar was more of a lifestyle change.  Making a change in your sugar intake is not going to result in fast or effortless weight loss.  You still need to increase your activity and watch your portion sizes, but it sure does help to not eat so many empty calories.  

There are hidden sugar calories in everything.  It is difficult to buy a ketchup or barbeque sauce without sugar or high fructose corn syrup in it.  Almost every food that you buy at the store has sugar added to enhance the flavor.  The best way to avoid sugar is to make you own foods and sauces.  

So why should you reduce your sugar intake?  Changing your sugar intake will reduce the insulin spikes.  Insulin is the problem, and because sugar is so rapidly absorbed, it results in a rapid spike in your insulin level.  The problem with sugar is that it does not create long-lasting satiety that higher fiber and protein-containing foods have.  The other problem with high sugar foods is that they tend to low in vitamins and minerals, so it is easy to both obese and malnourished.  

Can I still have my daily soda?  I would recommend against soda consumption.  Just drink water or have unsweetened black coffee or tea.  One 20 ounce bottle of soda has 65 gram of sugar and 240 calories.  That is well over 10% of your daily calories if you are on a 2000 calorie diet or 25% if you are one 1000-1200 calorie a day diet.  You just cannot recover from that.  

The bottom line: Sugar is the ultimate in empty calories. I recommend that you make your foods and sauces to avoid hidden sugars.  If you have to buy foods premade, read the labels for hidden sugar.  If the ingredient ends in an -ol or -ose, it is a sugar or sugar alcohol.