I’m currently juggling 10 things in my mind… which one to blog about? Should it be about that new recipe book I got which claimed to be clean (but there’s honey in every recipe?) Or 10 snacks you can get from M&S which don’t have sugar in? (that’s a struggle)… Or about Liz Hurley’s appearance back on the scene and how it’s tempting to look at your own 50 year old reflection and wonder why your bosoms aren’t as pert and your hip bones as pronounced? (because her life, career, whole reason for being depends upon her looking cinched in, lean, sculpted and hungry… can she lie on the sofa in front of Britain’s Got Talent with a takeaway and a tub of Ben & Jerry’s?… can she heck. Every woman on this earth is scrutinising her body for the odd stray ounce of body fat).

No, I decided it must be something much more sobering. Through my inbox came an email from a friend who knew I would relish this. An article from the British Journal of Sports Medicine about the myth of physical inactivity and obesity… you cannot out train a bad diet.

Meaning, if your goal is fat loss, there’s no point in taking up running, bootcamp, zumba, cycling or any one of the huge range of fitness classes now available to us, if you don’t change your diet. Absolutely none. It will do diddly squat. You will still have fat. You’ll be much fitter but you will still have fat. And here is a smidgen from the article which caught my eye:

Coca Cola, who spent $3.3 billion on advertising in 2013, pushes a message that ‘all calories count’; they associate their products with sport, suggesting it is ok to consume their drinks as long as you exercise. However science tells us this is misleading and wrong. It is where the calories come from that is crucial. Sugar calories promote fat storage and hunger. Fat calories induce fullness or ‘satiation’.

Fat isn’t something to worry too much about. It is when you have a diet that contains a lot of sugar, that is the problem. When you next go to the supermarket, pick up something which you least expect to have sugar in, and read the label. Check out roast chicken in M&S, or hummus or even guacamole.

(And on the subject of weight loss and exercise… it is ever so slightly misleading to say that weight loss won’t come about with exercise… your metabolic rate will definitely rise – that’s the amount of calories you burn just sitting still – and your musculature will be tighter and firmer, making your new smaller frame look much more, shall we say, controlled. With less of a mind of its own).

Sugar is a cheap way to boost the taste of a food… and also acts as a preservative. Hence food manufacturers hold it close to their hearts. And especially when it’s combined with something savoury, the punter thinks twice about the damaging effects.

Have a look at the packaging for these honey and mustard cashews… don’t they look appealing? Then on the back of the packet you’ll see the damage in all its glory. Sugar is second on the list.

I’m sure Liz Hurley isn’t going to be tucking into these anytime soon. So my point of today was this. Don’t listen to people (yes, even your doctor may say this) that you should cut down on fat to lose weight. Instead rid your diet of sugar for 85% of the time (yes, even the booze) for a life without dinner lady arms, muffin waistlines and tummy tyres. (And a whole host of serious diseases).

On that merry thought, I shall bid you a fabulous day. Annie x