Ice Cream, cakes, cookies, brownies, candy, donuts, pastries, chocolate,
sundaes...you name it...they all taste good.  But as you know, the better it
tastes, the worst it is for you.

I know when I was a kid; my mission in life was finding and consuming as
much sugar as possible. 

Well, at least I tried anyway.  But I didn't have much success.  My mother
raised me to eat very healthy, so sugar, was never really an option. 

It was only when I went to my grandmother's did I get to eat "Entenmann's
chocolate donuts"; otherwise..."Honey-nut Cheerios" and the occasional cookie was as close to sugar as I ever came.

I remember in middle school when kids often traded food during lunch/recess,
they would NEVER want to trade with me because my meals were so healthy and sometimes they poked fun.

Even though this bothered me as a kid, I'm SOO glad my mom was this way because it helped me learn at an early age that sugar-based foods are unhealthy and should be avoided as much as possible. 

Sugar also known as simple sugars or simple carbohydrates is the antithesis
for getting into shape. 

In addition to the foods I mentioned earlier, I would classify simple
carbohydrates as anything that is refined, processed or man-made. 
If you look at the "nutritional facts" of a food and it says 20+ grams of sugar...it's too much.   

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When you consume sugar, your body immediately produces huge amounts of
insulin causing you to have cravings and sets you up to overeat.

Ever wonder why when you eat Chinese food your hungry an hour later?

...because it's packed with sugar!

Sugars break down super quick in your digestive system causing your energy
levels to plummet.  The reason for this is because the molecular structure of
sugary foods is very simple...these foods lack protein and fiber.

If you're trying to lose weight, simple carbs are not the types of foods
you should be eating!

Instead, the foods you should consume are called complex carbohydrates. 
Complex carbohydrates are double-molecule stranded and break down slowly in your body.

These foods are high in fiber and in essence create spikes in your
bloodstream/glucose, causing your body to be more efficient so you have
sustained energy throughout the day.

Complex carbs consist of the following: Fruits and vegetables, Whole grain,
unrefined products such as multigrain breads and cereals, Pastas made with whole wheat or vegetable flours, and also beans such as lentils, black beans, navy beans and many more examples I'll most likely tell you in the future.

Ultimately, if the majority of your meal plan consists of
complex carbs you will achieve the best results.

Jim Coughlin is a personal trainer and the owner of Coughlin Fitness & Results, a nationwide personal training company. He is also the author of The In-Home Personal Trainer, a helpful guide to successful in-home personal training in addition to other products and many other popular fitness articles.

Jim is very passionate at motivating people to empower themselves to live a healthy lifestyle through consistent exercise and proper nutrition. He has free weekly success tips which you are welcome to subscribe to on his website http://www.fitnessandresults.com