I am definitely not the first person to tell you that sugar is bad for you, right? At least I hope so. But has anyone ever explained the logic and reasons behind it? why is sugar so detrimental to weight/ fat loss and our health in general? So many people nowadays just throw out random statements without giving the reasoning behind it. For most of us, it’s a lot harder to truly accept and adopt something if we don’t under the why behind it.

The “calories in versus calories out” theory is what most doctors, media and social influencers talk about. Explain to me how some people on a calorie surplus diet are able to stay relatively lean and people on caloric deficit diets seem to be gaining weight over longer periods of time? Might it just be that we’re looking at this all wrong? Is it just easy to say calories in versus calories out will make you lose weight without having the actual science to back it up? Do you know anyone that has sustained their weight loss while continuously being on a low-calorie diet? …..probably not.

There are really important reasons behind the statement “sugar is bad for you”, and why it’s the key ingredient that keeps you from losing weight/fat and improving your overall health. This blog will show the science behind all of it, so next time you have a sugar craving you can make a more informed choice. .

Insulin production = weight and fat gain

So, if I am telling you that calories in versus calories out does not always lead to long-term sustainable weight loss, then what does?

Countless studies that most people have never heard of have linked an increase of insulin production to weight and fat gain. Where does insulin production come from and what does it do? You might have guessed it already……. sugar. The purpose of insulin is to regulate our blood sugar levels. Insulin makes sure that we can transform carbohydrates from its state inside the bloodstream (glucose*) to it stored state inside the muscles and liver (glycogen*). The higher our blood sugar levels spike, the more insulin our body has to produce in order to bring that level back down (more insulin = more weight & fat gain).

The reason this takes time to develop is because of our body’s adaptive capabilities. The dangerous thing about blood sugar levels spiking up and down is that it’s extremely hard to stabilize. It’s like being on a rollercoaster that keeps on going; you have control over when it stops but you’re looking for the off button with your eyes closed. The term we use to describe the process of needing more and more insulin is: insulin resistance.

*glucose = the broken-down form of carbohydrates/sugar that can be found in the bloodstream

*Glycogen = the broken-down form of carbohydrates/sugar that is stored in the muscle cells or liver

While you’re on this roller coaster, your body needs to produce more insulin in order to get the same amount of work done. To visualize this concept, imagine a long hallway with doors on either side and insulin is the key to opening up those doors that lead to our muscles and liver. At the start, everything runs smooth, the doors open up all the way and everything seems to be fine. But after a while the doors start to show signs of wear and tear, they’re creaking and don’t swing all the way open like they used to. The doors are now only able to open half-way, not enough to let everyone (glucose) come in. This is a sign for your body to produce more keys (more insulin) to help force the doors to open up all the way.

This example shows what goes on inside our body. In order to get the same amount of glucose through to the muscles cells and liver while lowering our blood sugar level. Our body has to produce more insulin each time. As we know insulin production equals weight and fat gain, more insulin means more weight gain.

How do we turn this around?

This leads us back to the title of this blog: why avoiding sugar is the key to weight and fat loss. Now, we know that sugar has a huge impact on our blood sugar level, that insulin is produced to bring our blood sugar levels down and that more insulin leads to weight and fat gain. I think we know the answer to the question of how we can turn this around? Yes, you probably figured it out by now…. AVOID SUGAR!

Carbs in general and even protein impact your blood sugar levels, but there are levels to it. We can order our food in a couple different tiers ranking from biggest impact to least impactful.

1. Sugar
2. General carb sources
3. Protein
4. Fats (minimal to none)

A common misconception

Just because fruits are healthy in the sense that they provide us with a lot of nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and antioxidants, doesn’t mean that the sugars they provide us with aren’t equally impactful as other sugars could be. Sugar is still sugar. Now don’t go avoiding fruits at all cost, just be aware of how much you’re eating and when.

IMPORTANT!

To measure how big of an impact certains foods have on your blood sugar level there’s a measurement system called the Glycemic Index (GI for short). This GI shows us how impactful foods are on the blood sugar level and by now we know that the lower that number is, the less insulin our body needs to produce. Over time, this can aid in weight and fat loss. At the very least, it will prevent weight or fat gain and save you from preventable disease like DIABETES!

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