Sugar part 1

      When speaking about weight maintenance, I encourage three fundamental tips.  Manage stress, make small realistic changes, and eat less sugar.  I knew sugar was detrimental, but I wasn't aware of the full extent until I listened to a podcast by Monica Reinagel.  The following is the first in a series of brief highlights on the consequences of excessive sugar consumption.

Sugar Provides Excess calories
Sugar is a very concentrated calorie source void of fiber.  It is not filling and it is easy to overindulge, which can lead to unintended weight gain. In his book, The Secret Race, Tyler Hamilton, an athlete with extensive experience in blood doping, claims that a 3 pound weight loss is much more beneficial than a 3 point Hematocrit increase.  From his perspective, being lean provided a greater boost than the drugs and blood transfusions.

If you need additional evidence, look no further than Luke McKenzie, pictured above, who had the race of his life after trimming down for the 2013 Ironman WC.  Being lean makes it easier to go fast.  A friend once shared her experience on an antigravity treadmill that allows you to run at various percentages of your body weight.  She started running 5:30 min/miles at 100% body wt.  She then reduced her wt by a mere 6 pounds and it helped her run 4:30 min/miles with the same effort.  

Sugar is also very addictive stimulating Opioid receptors in the brain.  Sugar was not as plentiful in the past, but it was a necessary nutrient to help gain weight for the winter months.  In our current culture, food is abundant year round and there is no longer a need to bulk up for the winter.  The challenge we all face is  that our Opioid receptors are strong.  When I go through phases where I increase my sugar consumption, usually around holidays or after races, it is hard to break the cycle.  On the flip side, if I can get through a week without eating sugary foods, the temptations subside.

What to do
Become friends with vegetables, such as celery and green beans.  Vegetables will increase satiety and reduce over-indulgence of other foods.  Set goals for your vegetable consumption.  My wife's new "small realistic change" is to eat a vegetable with two of her meals each day.  Try filling 50% of your plate with vegetables.  Be innovative with your vegetable consumption.  Check out Pinterest or the Food Network.  (e.g. Eggplant Seasoned with Garlic Salt)