--- layout: post title: "Stop eating sugar" date: 2020-03-03 10:37:00 +0000 tags: paleo diet image: https://siriusbusiness.fi/assets/images/posts/cheesecake.jpg description: "If you're struggling to lose weight, just remove sugar from your diet. I promise you: you'll be thinner." --- ![Cheesecake](/assets/images/posts/cheesecake.jpg) _Photo: [Marco Verch](https://foto.wuestenigel.com/cheesecake-with-blackberries-slice-on-the-plate/)_ If you're struggling to lose weight, just remove sugar from your diet. I promise you: you'll be thinner. Even better if you also skip white flour and other ingredients with a high [glycemic index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index). This should be common knowledge by now, but can't stress it enough. **If you're fat and continue eating sugar, you're choosing to be fat.** But I can understand why: sugar is addictive. Not only it tastes good, but it also gives you a dopamine reward. But the cravings will go away after a withdrawal period. Leave out all added sugar. It's in everything, so you'll need to be careful. If you want mayonnaise or salad dressing, you'll have to do it yourself. Olive oil or vinaigrette is a good alternative. No juice or fruit smoothies. Personally, I drink just water, coffee and tea (and beer on rare occasions these days). You should also skip high-sugar fruits that our ancestors did not have: plants that have been artificially bred to contain a lot more sugar than they naturally had. That includes bananas, dates, raisins etc. **"Calorie is a calorie" is thermodynamically correct, but idiotic when it comes to diet.** It's like saying "it doesn't matter if you drink booze or beer as long as you get the same amount of alcohol". Alcohol intake is much easier to regulate with mild beverages. The same applies to energy intake with low-glycemic-index products. When you eat sugar, it gives you an initial energy boost, but insulin soon catches up and metabolizes it into fat. Soon you'll be hungry again. Get your calories from good-quality fats and (optionally) slow carbs instead. Never eat "light" products. I have two heavy meals a day and sometimes nuts (but no peanuts) for breakfast. I don't get hangry like I used to and skipping or postponing a meal is not as much of a problem. I hear some hardcore folks even do one meal a day. Nuts _Good stuff._ I've never been fat, but I used to be nearly 10 kg heavier when I did energy drinks, sugary snacks and desserts. I stopped eating sugar (and grains) altogether 6 years ago because of skin problems, and as a byproduct I'm lean af. Sugar gave me acne and grains (especially wheat) gave me skin rashes. If you want to be healthier, don't eat stuff that your hunter-gatherer ancestors didn't have. It's not always easy, but it's worth it. Listen to what your body says **after** you eat something. That cheesecake probably feels like a good idea _before_ rather than _after_ eating it. Whereas, a good steak in your stomach feels like pure satisfaction. Don't look at "official diet recommendations", look at results.