Sugar is not our friend to lose weight. Sugar and simple carbohydrate foods are empty calories and provide no nutrition. Have you ever noticed when you eat sugar and simple carbs that you want more and more. The cycle doesn't end. If you want to have weight loss success, make friends with foods that don't have large amounts of sugar. Complex carbs have long-lasting fullness for your body. Sugar is a big zero. Make your calories count.
Do you realize that the average American consumes an astounding two to three pounds of sugar each week? Sugar is disguised in many different forms such as sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup. Sugar is used in many foods you wouldn't consider to contain sugar. Sugar is added to bread, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and in many microwave meals. Some restaurants even add sugar to their French fry batter. Sugar is used to add or enhance flavor.
In the past 20 years, our sugar consumption has increased to a whopping 26 pounds per person per year! The rate of people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer have increased as well.
Sugar is an empty-calorie food. It contains zero nutrition. If you want to lose weight, foods containing large amounts of sugar are detrimental to our weight loss, maintenance, and overall health. We are eating less food so it is important to make certain what we eat counts nutritionally to our bodies,
Have you ever noticed that when you eat an item that contains mostly sugar or simple carbohydrates, you want more? You don't feel satisfied. You want more and more. Sugar and simple carbs are not satisfying or allow you to feel full. Eating sugar is a vicious cycle of eating and wanting more resulting in excess calories and weight gain. With you decrease your intake of sugar, you truly lose the taste for it. Lose the habit of sugar for successful weight loss.
The "glycemic index" measures how specific foods affect blood-glucose levels, with food being assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the absorption is slower in the digestive tract process. This slower absorption provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into our bloodstream. Alternatively, a high rating means blood-glucose levels are injected into our bodies much faster. This "dump" stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. The drop of blood-sugar levels results in rapid fluctuations which are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.
Sugar has many negative consequences to impact our health. Some of the dramatic ones are:
* Sugar can suppress the immune system.
* Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
* Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
* Sugar can reduce the important high density cholesterol (HDLs).
* Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
* Sugar can cause kidney damage.
* Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
* Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
* Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
* Sugar can lead to tooth decay and periodontal disease.
* Sugar can speed the aging process.
* Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
* Sugar can contribute to diabetes and osteoporosis.
* Sugar can decrease insulin sensitivity.
* Sugar can dramatically increase the amount of fat in the liver.
* Sugar can cause hypertension.
* Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
* Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
* Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which can alter the mind's ability to think clearly. Sugar may be sweet to consume but the results to our body and health are not so sweet. The ultimate sweetness of all is weight loss success and to enjoy our good health.
Being Perfect On Your Diet As Set Up For Failure
It's very important that you begin your healthier lifestyle with an understanding that there will be days when you will stray from healthy eating and exercising. You will not be perfect in your diet and exercise program, nor should you be. Success doesn't come from being perfect. Success comes to you from a balance and moderation of healthy habits.
It Is About Why You Eat, Not What You Eat
Your weight and body issues don't have anything to do with food. It isn't what you eat but why you eat. One of the problems with weight loss surgery and diet programs is our belief that they hold the answer. If only we can follow them, they will work for us. Unfortunately for many of us, we didn't experience long-term weight loss success. Did we fail? No. Absolutely not! The diets failed because they are not the answer.
Commitment List versus Wish List
Do you want to lose weight? Are you hoping for a way of life that includes losing weight, feeling good in your body, wearing a smaller size, and have strong sense of confidence? You can have it. To reach any goal, you need to be committed. To lose weight requires persistence and consistency. It requires saying no to food choices when you'd rather indulge. It requires a commitment to your diet and along with a promise to yourself.
