How can you lose 30 pounds?

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As I wrote about yesterday, sugar is a big problem for me.  I decided I needed to do a little research.  I always feel the more you know about something, the better your chances to defeat it.

In researching sugar addiction I learned a few new things, most of the information I already knew.  I have been experiencing it for a long time.

Is Sugar A Real Problem??

Well, it certainly increases your risk for a few health issues

1. Type 2 Diabetes
2. Higher Triglycerides
3. Low HDL, which is your good cholesterol
4. Heart Disease
5. More Weight,  Especially Belly Fat
6. It allows you to lose control and eat more than you intend

Sugar intake is also connected with:

• Depression
• Migraines
• Poor Eyesight
• Autoimmune Diseases, such as Arthritis
• Gout
• Osteoporosis

I talked about how sugar feels like a drug, that is because it has the same type of effect.  Sugar releases a large dose of Serotonin, the "Feel Good" chemical.  Sugar releases hormones that affects you the same as street drugs.  Of course, it is not as strong as taking street drugs.  After eating sugar you crash, you feel very tired.  I wrote about how I felt tired, headachy, and nauseous the next day after overeating on sugar.  

One of the problems with sugar is your tolerance increases as you eat more sugar.

Scientists have found that when you eat too much sugar it alters the part of the brain that controls how much you eat.  In studying lab rats they have found those changes that parallel drug addicts trying to get off drugs.

When people were shown pictures of sweets it triggered brain effects like those seen in drug addicts.  Women reacted more often.

There are two type of sugars, those in the simple carbohydrate range and those in the complex carbohydrate range.  Simple carbs give you a rush because they break down so quickly.  Complex carbs take longer to break down and enter your body slowly.  Starchy carbs break down into simple carbs.  I guess that is why we react as we do to chips and other starchy carbs.

Fake sugars can be a real problem too.  They react in our bodies just like real sugars.  

Sugar is sugar, no matter what form it comes in.  Honey is no better than regular sugar, nor are the sugars they have been putting in our foods, such as high fructose corn syrup.  Beware of hidden sugars on your labels.

In the U.S.  people average about 19 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is 285 calories.  An extra 285 calories a day means an extra 104,025 calories in a year.  That would equate to almost 30 pounds a year.   If I lost 30 pounds in the next year, I would be around the amount I think I would like to weigh.

 Women should get only 6 teaspoons daily, which is 100 calories. If you would drop just the extra 185 calories you could lose 19 pounds in a year.  

 Men should have about 9 teaspoons daily, or 150 calories.  A man dropping the extra 135 calories a day could lose around 14 pounds in a year.  Personally I think you should just avoid simple sugars entirely.  I haven't had the greatest of luck with that so far, but I am trying.

I don't know if this information about sugar is new to any of you, but occasionally it helps to think about what is going into our bodies and how it can affect them.