By Paul A. Achoa, Eagle Health & Fitness Expert

If you’ve been dieting without success, you may be asking, why am I not losing weight? According to a recent study, your tendency to sneak sugary snacks isn’t necessarily to blame.

After a review of past studies, researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto say that sugar does not necessarily promote weight gain any more than vegetables, lean meats or whole grains. When comparing research examining the effects of sugar on weight loss and weight gain, Dr. John Sievenpiper and his associates found no correlation between increased sugar intake and overall body mass, provided that subjects consumed the same total number of calories in each study.

What it Means

For years, nutritionists have blamed sugar for promoting weight gain; however, according to Dr. Sievenpiper, it appears that the number of calories in food has more to do with weight gain than whether the food consists of protein, complex carbohydrates or sugar. That said, if you’re not losing weight, sugar could still be playing a role.

Sugar and Fat Loss

Although this study may prove that sugar doesn’t necessarily promote weight gain, it fails to examine the link between sugar and fat accumulation. Because sugar tends to create increased insulin production, it is thought to prompt the body to create and store fat.

Dr. Sievenpiper admits that his study did not look at how weight was distributed amongst subjects in each study; and the researcher suggests that sugar may very well lead to increased fat accumulation around the belly.

Why You Are Not Losing Weight

To effectively drop unwanted fat, dieters need to create a caloric deficiency, meaning they must burn more calories than they consume. That said, most dieters are more interested in losing fat than anything else.

Healthy weight loss programs, such as the Ryan Reynolds workout and diet, are likely to increase muscle mass. This means dieters may not notice a big difference when they weigh themselves; however, they are likely to look better with and without clothing.

Ultimately, when dieters forgo sugar in favor of a healthy eating strategy, such as the Dukan diet plan, they see more fat loss, especially when they adopt a regular aerobic exercise routine.