Sugar....and being 29.

So today is my birthday. I'm 29. My body is in better shape now than it was ten years ago. But WHY. CAN'T. I. LOSE. WEIGHT?! Ahhhhhh!

Okay. I'm done yelling. But seriously. I have lost two pounds in the last 4 months, and I have fought hard for those two pounds. I'm thinking it may be my addiction to refined sugars. I stay within a certain calorie goal that will (supposedly) enable me to lose two pounds a week. The scale stays the same. Even with working out HARD three times a week. 

At first I chalked it up to losing fat but building muscle at the same time. Now I'm not so sure. I've read recently that simple carbs (read: sugar!) can trigger an insulin spike in our bodies which, in turn, causes a starvation response. The body is like "Omg! When is she gonna eat again? I'd better save all this fat just in case! Hmm. Where to put it? Oh look her butt could use more padding!" 

Now I'm not going crazy and saying all carbs are bad. There are carbs everywhere (including fruits and veggies) and our bodies need those complex carbs to be balanced. But doughnut carbs are not the same as strawberries and Greek yogurt carbs. Doughnuts, while they may have the same calories do not have the same nutritional value. And that's a shame. Because man they're good! But one thing I'm learning is that eating is not just about feeling good or tasting good. It's about fueling the body. Now to convince my sugar addicted self of this concept. 

So the "no refined sugar" experiment will begin....right after I have birthday cake......