There is so much refined sugar in foods these days. Even many of the foods and snacks marketed as “health foods” contain refined sugar. I never realized my addiction for sugar until I started working with my personal trainer last year and he advised me to cut sugar completely, even fruit. So, I know it sounds crazy to cut fruit since it is a natural sugar, but when I took sugar out of my diet, I started seeing a dramatic change in my body and I felt so much better! I lost my love handles and was able to become more toned from my workouts.
Is Sugar Holding You Back?
I hear so many people talk about how they are exercising and trying to eat healthy but they aren’t seeing the results that they want. So I have a few tips that might help you shed that extra weight you just can’t seem to get rid of.
Learn to read labels.
You would be surprised at the sugar that is hidden on your food labels. You can read my blog post about how to read food labels and what ingredients are best to look for here.
Cut out Sodas
I know so many people who try to eat healthy but still drink sodas every day. There are 39 grams of sugar in just one 12 oz can of Coca Cola….that is outrages! Even diet sodas have ingredients in it like aspartame that can be problematic for your joints (but that’s a completely different topic). Water is much better for you and it’s a lot cheaper!
Research your coffee order
So, I love coffee! I will admit it; I am a bit of a coffee connoisseur *sigh* but I have learned to stop ordering coffee with loads of sugar. Did you know that a medium frappachino has around 66 grams of sugar?!?! I will be the first to say that I used to order them all the time but 66 grams of sugar? In one drink? That is more than I consume in 4 days now. I had to learn how to train my palate to like coffee with less sugar. I mean come on peeps, a frappachino is just a fancy name for an adult milkshake. If you like your coffee sweet, opt for an iced latte with honey or add honey to a regular cup of joe, and don’t get me started on artificial sweeteners. Whew, okay I am off my soap box now.
Consume all natural sugars
If you have a sweet tooth and you just can’t stay away from a sweet treat then select a treat that has all natural sugars instead. Fruit or fruit smoothies are good options. You can even make your own dessert and keep it in the freezer when you have a sweet craving, that’s what I do (yes, I still indulge in sweets on occasions). The health food industry is on the rise so there are some good treats you can find that do not contain refined sugar. My personal fave is Hail Merry’s Caramel Sea Salt Macaroons. They also sell vanilla, cookie dough, and dark chocolate for all you chocolate lovers out there. *You can buy them at Whole Foods or Amazon.
Sugar is a hard demon to break, yes I said demon! I have a huge sweet tooth but I have learned that if I want to look my best and feel my best then I cannot consume it in large amounts. Also, I do indulge sometimes and I have added fruit back into my diet in small amounts but it is all about what works for your body. I am sharing my experience and what works for me. At the end of the day, you cannot outwork a bad diet. So if you just can’t seem to shake those pounds you have been trying to lose, try cutting some sugar. I promise you won’t regret it!
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