Each week you read in the newspaper about articles concerning the rise in obesity. With that rise, so many people are desperately doing what they can to lose weight. Supplement companies are out there preying on these people with brand new products that miraculously lose weight in so many days. There are new diets coming out left and right, claiming this is the diet that will get that weight off and keep it off. Meanwhile, as nutritionists cringe at seeing all these wacky diets and products being displayed they maintain to eat a balanced diet that usually contains fruit. Fruit has always been viewed as a healthy choice, but is this one of the reasons why people don’t lose weight as fast as they want to?

I know what you’re saying, “That can’t be. Fruit is..well fruit.” Here is the deal and it all breaks down to sugar. Fruit has a lot of natural sugars in it and if people who are looking to lose weight eat a lot of fruit or fruit juices, they could be preventing the breakdown of bodyfat.

When you eat something that is comprised of a lot of sugar, let’s say Coke®, your body is feeling a sugar spike. Your pancreas releases a lot of insulin, which helps to remove the excess insulin and store it in your liver and muscles as glycogen. It usually releases a lot more insulin than necessary. The insulin gets rid of a ton of sugar, so that in a short time, you will hit a low sugar level and will start craving even more sugar. Which means you will probably eat something you know you shouldn’t like a candy bar; something that has absolutely no nutritional value or benefit to you.

Here is the second effect of that Coke®. Your pancreas secretes another hormone called glucagon. It helps to release bodyfat as a fuel for your cells. If the pancreas is secreting all this insulin for the sugar, then it suspends the secretion of glucagons which keeps your fat stored in your body. This is not good. We want to get rid of that bodyfat so you can feel and look better. But fruit is good for you, right? Obviously, Coke® has a lot more to it than just sugar, but if you compare 100 calories of Coke® to 110 calories of orange juice, the Coke® has 27 grams of sugar and the OJ has 24 grams of sugar. Pretty close comparison, don’t you think?

The orange juice and fruit in general obviously have some other important nutrients in it. I’m not saying that it is bad, but what I am saying is that if you seriously want to lose weight you might have to modify your fruit intake. If you really enjoy the taste of fruit have it for just one serving of the day. Also, eat the fruit with a combination of a high protein source. This will help delay the absorption of the fruit and not spike the insulin levels so much. To make up for the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that you might be missing from the fruits, you need to eat more vegetables.

Fruit isn’t bad and I don’t want anyone to not eat fruit again. But if you are overweight and serious about the weight loss that you desire, you need to take a hard look at your diet and cut back on the sugar that your body is ingesting. Good carbohydrate sources that won’t spike your insulin levels so much are sweet potatoes, brown rice, or whole wheat sources. Combine this game plan with a good exercise program and you will be shedding the pounds in no time.