If you’re trying to figure out how to get sexy and sculpted arms and you’re addicted to sugar, a long road lies ahead. As I’ve stated before in many articles, you have to keep insulin levels as low as possible in order to maximize arm fat loss. And high levels of sugar intake make this impossible.
How do you know if you’re addicted to sugar? If you present any of the following you are probably addicted:
- An inability to reduce intake no matter how hard you try.
- Symptoms of withdrawal: bad moods, headaches, vivid cravings, etc.
- The tendency to create elaborate and detailed reasons as to why you are NOT addicted.
- The ability to ignore the risks, especially if you have a serious health issue like diabetes or obesity.
- Using sugar to offset other “negative “ areas of life: bad relationships, abuse, negative emotions, etc.
What evidence is there that sugar addiction even exists?
- Sugar acts as a powerful analgesic (painkiller) for newborns. It’s used to reduce crying during circumcision and during other procedures.
- Sugar-binging mice show alterations in dopamine receptors similar to drug addiction.
- Mice that are addicted to opiates can be satisfied with sugar.
- Naloxone ( a drug used to counter drug overdose) can eliminate sugar addiction.
Now you have to be brutally honest with yourself, are you addicted to sugar?
If you are serious about getting toned arms, you have to overcome the addiction. Period.
No single method is going to work for every woman because the root causes of addiction are many. So you have to experiment a little to figure out what works best. The good news is that there are a lot of effective tools within your immediate grasp that can help you win this battle.
In this article I will discuss 4 tools for overcoming sugar addiction:
1. Sugar substitutes. Gone are the days of drinking diet Coke’s and getting that strange aftertaste. Sugar substitutes have come a long ways. And although they won’t give you an energy spike, they sure do taste just like regular sugar. In fact, one study showed that sugar substitutes significantly reduce crying time in infants. I don’t recommend sugar alcohols, however, because they do contain significant calories and aren’t very stomach-friendly. My top choice is the all-natural herb, stevia. The powdery white substance is very light and tastes very similar to sugar. But just because something is all natural doesn’t mean it’s safe all the time. There is some evidence that stevia converts into a mutagen within the intestine. Nonetheless, there simply haven’t been enough human studies on stevia. My recommendation is to have no more than a couple servings per day. Until more studies are done, I wouldn’t go stevia crazy.
2. Yerba mate. I know I’ve mentioned this one many times already, but I have to mention it again. In addition to its fat-burning and mood-enhancing properties, it’s also a very powerful appetite suppressant. But you have to be careful with this loose leaf tea because it takes about an hour to kick in and it’s very easy to overestimate how much you need. Start off with 1tbsp, no more. It will suppress your craving for sugar, just make sure you don’t abuse it. You have to keep on eating healthy food even though you aren’t hungry. If you don’t, once the effect wears off and your hunger returns, you’ll end up bingeing. Use yerba mate wisely or you’ll end up at square one.
3. Weight lifting. Weight lifting increases your hunger, a lot. How does increased hunger help you consume less sugar??? Because the increase is so large that your palate readjusts to liking foods that you wouldn’t find pleasurable otherwise. A couple hours after an intense workout, for example, that salad with chicken and olive oil dressing will taste much better than if you were to eat it after sitting on the couch all day. Besides, a targeted weight lifting program is critical when trying to tone up your arms. Moreover, you are more likely to eat “clean” after a workout because of the time and energy already invested.
4. Cognitive therapy. Although effective, all the tools I have discussed thus far are simply band aids on a giant wound. Once you reach the addicted level, psychological treatment should be considered. Unfortunately, many women rely on self-help books and motivational speakers for healing. While these sources may provide temporary relief—the classic buzz you get after hearing a riveting speaker—they do not provide lasting relief. The short-lived injection of motivation and resolve begins to fade within a day. Why? Because these methods do not attack the problem at its core: thought processes. Enter cognitive therapy. It’s the main psychological treatment—backed by peer reviewed research—for modifying your thoughts and emotions. I strongly recommend reading Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns M.D. before making any appointments. A best-seller, Felling Good, will show you how to modify your emotional state from every angle possible with an easy-to-follow method. It’s my default “go to” resource whenever I need to figure out how to modify an emotional behavior.
I’ll be honest, overcoming an addiction is not easy. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope. You should try the aforementioned tools and see how they work. And if you are still having trouble, you should consider seeking professional care. This doesn’t mean there is something inherently wrong with you, it simply means that you haven’t found the right approach. And a qualified professional can help you find the right approach. Remember, if you really want to figure out how to get toned arms, you’re going to have to nip that sugar addiction in the butt!
CLICK HERE to discover how to get rid of flabby arms!
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