Brian St. Pierre, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S.

Ive suggested this to hundreds of my clients through my fitness and nutrition coaching at <a href="https://www.precisionnutrition.com/" id="35179ab0-af90-3f91-ab93-93efc4ce44ac"> Precision Nutrition </a> . Most are surprised by the idea, and skeptical it will work.

If you actually attempt my challenge youll learn one thing: Youll get sick of sugar. Fast.

Im seeing a trend where misinformed trainers, diet coaches, and Instagram professionals are labeling sugar as evil and pleading with people to remove every gram of the stuff from their lives.

The most extreme among them argue that sugar by itself causes weight gain, diabetes, and may even be as addictive as drugs.

Im a Dietitian and I Dont Believe Sugar is Evil

None of these claims are true. For every ounce of sugar you put into your system, you do not gain an ounce of fat. The relationship between sugar and diabetes is far more complex than glucose-in-blood-glucose-way-way-up. And <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154616300638" id="11fcdc9c-e5f8-3b44-a85b-af260e3e734d"> research </a> <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6" id="b656e717-866c-3962-af9c-9340b8c9f237"> shows </a> that sugar alone is not addictive.

Sugar by itself is not some demonic force controlling your actions, adding pounds to the scale, or making you feel terrible. Its just a piece of the puzzle.

So, if sugar alone isnt addictive, why does it feel that way?

If you feel addicted to foods, and many guys do, its likely to highly-processed, highly-engineered, hyper-palatable, hyper-rewarding foods: ice cream, potato chips, french fries, cookies. (Ive never had a client claim they were addicted to kale).

Sugar is in most indulgent foods, yes, but so are other refined carbohydrates, as well as fat and salt. This triumvirate of nutrients is what drives craving and overeating. The combination has a powerful way of alighting the pleasure centers of our brain.

Whats also interesting about these nutrients is that rarely, if ever, will you find all three together in <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a25305351/healthy-whole-grains/" id="953c965b-14fb-3afa-a749-6f4bebb955c4"> whole foods </a> .

But its not just these nutrients. Its the entire eating experience. Think of fresh soda versus flat soda or crispy potato chips versus stale chips. Think about it: Have you ever felt like you couldnt stop eating bags of stale chips or bottles of flat soda? Texture, mouth feel and other specifically engineered characteristics play important roles too.

All of this is complicated, I understand. But thats exactly the point. You cant simplify the complex nature of highly-engineered treats into a boilerplate recommendation of stop eating sugar.

First, stop using sugar as your only basis of if a food is healthy or not.

Second, run any food you feel addicted to through these criteria, which are referred to as The Big 5.

1. Is the food calorie-dense? These foods are often high in sugar and/or fat.

2. Is the food intensely flavored? These foods often have very strong tastes. Think of Flamin Hot Cheetos or Key Lime Pie Oreos.

3. Is the food immediately delicious? These foods deliver a love-at-first taste experience.

4. Is the food easy to eat? These are often finger foods that are portable and long-lasting, or require minimal chewing.

5. Does the food melt? These foods dissolve in your mouth and, thus, are easy to eat quickly and over-consume.

Does the trouble food satisfy many or all of these? Then it might be one worth removing or limiting in your current intake.

The bottom line: Sugar is not a health-promoting compound. Eating a lot of sugar doesnt make our bodies better, stronger, healthier, or more functional. It doesnt contain any vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, or offer much of any real physiological benefit for most of us. And it can be easy to over-consume (especially in <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a21346165/how-to-quit-drinking-soda/" id="90556d7e-cb04-38e8-a520-9206efa8e31c"> sweetened drinks </a> and other highly-processed foods).

But its not singularly evil either. Were all allowed some discretionary calories, including sugar.

I’m a Dietitian and I Don’t Believe Sugar is Evil

If you think that sugar is the cause of all your health problems, I urge you to try to eat nothing but sugar for an entire day.

Weight loss can feel like a moving target. What works one month doesnt seem to work another month and stepping on the scale can often feel like a game of roulette.

At <a href="https://www.precisionnutrition.com/" id="35179ab0-af90-3f91-ab93-93efc4ce44ac"> Precision Nutrition </a> , where I work as a Nutrition Director, I frequently see clients who are frustrated and, at times, mystified by why theyre not losing weight.

I often try to tell them that weight loss is way more complex than trendy diets lead you to believe. There are all sorts factors that contribute to losing weight that include, but are not limited to sleep, exercise, genes, body composition, age, gender, diet, hydration, stress, mindset, outlook, and probably 14 other things Im currently forgetting.

But just because weight loss is complex doesnt mean it has to be difficult. In fact, most of the work I do with clients involves them simplifying their approach to diet and exercise.

For instance, here are four examples of simple steps you can take to dramatically improve your odds of building the body you want.

4 Things That Could Seriously Help You Lose Weight

Feeling hungry and deprived is a significant challenge for most people on a diet. But it doesnt have to be that way. In fact, it shouldnt.

The best way to do that? Eat a diet rich in varied protein (eggs, fish, lean meats), vegetables and fruits, healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts), and quality carbohydrates (potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans and legumes). This approach provides you with the nutrients you need to feel more satisfied from fewer calories.

Naturally, because you feel full, youll move away from highly-rewarding foods that dont provide much satiety despite their high calorie content: pastries, donuts, pizza, fried foods, ice cream, etc.

<h1> 2. Dismantle the Carb Pedestal </h1>

Research certainly supports the use of a well-thought-out, low-carb diet for fat loss. However, research also supports several other well-thought-out diets for fat loss (low-fat, Mediterranean, plant-based, etc.).

There isn't anything inherently magical to low-carb. What is magical is finding an intake that you enjoy and can comfortably follow. Because what research shows, and what our experience coaching more than 100,000 people confirms, is that consistently being able to follow an eating style is the biggest factor in reaching your goals.

"Low-carb" is also a somewhat subjective statement. For keto purposes, low usually means less than 50 or even 30 grams of carbohydrates. For approaches that are a little less drastic, 130 grams is often the target number. Even then, what's low for a 160-lb., relatively sedentary man will be different for what's low for a highly active 230-pound man.

Generally, we prefer not to have your clients count grams or calories. If your goal is to aim for a more ketogenic intake, you would eliminate all starchy carbs (e.g. grains, potatoes, beans, etc.), all sugary items (e.g. juice, soda, sports drinks, etc.) and all fruit. If youre aiming for that less-restrictive 130-gram target, you would still eliminate all sugary items, but allow for 2 to 3 total handfuls per day of starchy carbs and/or fruits.

Calories from alcohol play a significant role in weight management. There are about 110 to 150 calories in most standard servings of alcohol. But craft beers, which are ever more popular, can sometimes cross the 200-calorie-per-beer threshold. Toss back a few of those with dinner and you've added 400-plus calories to your meal.

The back way to cut back your intake is slowly. Dial it back by drink per day, or every other day. Do keep in mind, that for many people, alcohol is a way to unwind. So it also helps to work on other coping skills and stress management strategies-things like meditation, yoga, taking short walks, getting outside, playing with your pet, or whatever makes you happy. Building these skills often makes it significantly easier to decrease alcohol intake without feeling like youre depriving yourself.

<h1> 4. Have Some Fun in the Kitchen </h1>

Shopping and cooking for yourself and your family is one of the best things you can do for your overall health right now. If you hate cooking, try to problem-solve why.

Strategize ways to involve more fun. Incorporate the family. Aim for relatively simple meals. Put on some music. The key is to not overwhelm yourself, or to try to bite off more than you can chew. Find what you already do well and start there.

Then as your comfort level grows, look to push the boundaries of that comfort zone bit by bit, and slowly expand your knowledge and skills until you reach a point you are content with.

Brian St. Pierre, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., is a member of the Men's Health Advisory Board.

These 4 Weight Loss Tips Could Drastically Help You Drop Pounds

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Brian St. Pierre, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S.

Articles written by the author

I’m a Dietitian and I Don’t Believe Sugar is Evil

These 4 Weight Loss Tips Could Drastically Help You Drop Pounds