Step Four: Cut Out The Sugars!

Step Four: Cut it out!!!  Sugar, that is.

Probably one of the hardest steps, this is also one of the most important. Obviously, it is impossible to remove all sugar from your diet unless you only eat meats and eggs. There are actually two parts to this step. First, no added sugars should be the goal. Second, keeping tracking of sugar grams will help you keep your intake reasonably low. 


Two things lower sugar can help with are reducing insulin resistance and lowering blood sugar ups and downs. There are other factors I will talk about later, mostly to do with additional fiber, protein, and good fats.

I avoid too much fruit also, as fruit is high in sugar. But I don't cut it out of my diet, because it has a lot to offer, health-wise, as well as being delicious! Generally speaking, I keep my sugar under 60 grams per day. However, there are times when I find it getting out of hand, and then I cut out fruit for a few days. 

Another factor that contributes to excessive sugar can be dairy in the diet. Milk, yogurt, ice cream (of course) and even sour cream contain sugars. There are numerous reasons to cut dairy out, but it is hard. I have cut all dairy out before, only to find it sneakily working its way back into my diet, until I am having it every day! Unfortunately, that is where I am currently.

The truth is, all of the rules I make here are arbitrary, but they have worked for me, for the most part. I am currently at 165 pounds, which is right around the top end of normal weight for my height. It also seems that I have made some progress (from 174 on November 19), despite the lure of holiday foods. A lot of my success is dependent on being active every day, which I will talk about in the next installment of the blog.