When it comes to dieting, sugar is arguably the most frowned upon food. People often tend to say they are cutting out sugar if they are looking to lose fat or become more healthy. In this blog we will look at whether it really is sugar that is holding you back from reaching your goals.
Is Sugar That Bad?
It is a common strategy to cut sugar out of your diet when trying to lose fat. Although cutting sugars is a healthy decision, it isn't necessarily key for fat loss. Some experts believe that sugar is the primary cause of many health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Although this can be true, if you have sugar in moderation, you are unlikely to witness any of these health problems. Sugar becomes bad when you are excessively binging however fruits are full of sugar and we all know that adding fruits into your diet is beneficial meaning it would be wrong to just say all sugars are bad.
The most important factor when trying to lose weight is to stay in a calorie deficit. This is where you are consuming less calories than you are burning on a daily basis. This means that you can still enjoy some sweet treats as long as you are staying in a calorie deficit.
Simple Carbohydrates
There are two types of carbohydrates, complex and simple carbs. Sugar is a simple carb that can be useful for providing a quick release of energy for your workouts. This is an example of how you can introduce sugars into your diet to help improve your physical performance. Some examples of simple carbs that you can add before a workout are, fruits, cereal bars, cereals.
Sugar Cravings
If you are trying to reduce the amount of calories that you are eating per day and clean up your diet. Having foods that are high in sugar can have a knock on effect and make your crave even more sweet treats. If you are following a clean diet, you are less likely to get these cravings and you will feel more full throughout the day. sugar is highly addictive, and consuming large amounts can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This can lead to a cycle of cravings and overconsumption, which can contribute to a host of health problems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, by consuming high amounts of sugar it is more likely to negatively affect your health than your body composition. By following a diet and having sugar in moderation you should be able to see all the gains that you are looking for if you are training with intensity.
