When trying to lose body fat, the real concern is sugar. There’s only one way to lose fat. You can’t sweat it out. You can’t massage it away. You can’t advance fat into muscle, or muscle into fat.

Fat dissolves into the blood stream, then travels to the liver. The liver metabolizes, or burns the fat to produce energy. Think of it this way; fat is the fuel and the liver is the furnace. The thyroid is the thermostat.

Remember, the body has two fuel tanks. It has a sugar fuel tank, and a fat fuel tank. Here’s the thing, the body will never burn both fuel tanks at the same time. Simply put, if sugar is in the blood stream, the body will not dip into its fat stores.

There are three types of sugars: monosaccarides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.

Monosaccarides (that means one sugar): These are millions of one molecules that flood the blood stream at one time. Examples are glucose (dextrose) and fructose (fruit sugar).

Disaccarides (that means two sugars): These are clusters of two molecules the body has to break apart. Examples are sucrose, lactose (milk sugar), and maltose.

Polysaccarides (that means many sugars). These are many clusters of molecules the body has to break apart. These don’t even taste sweet. Examples are bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes.

Remember, once these are broken down, they are still sugar, and as long as sugar is in your blood stream, your body won’t let go of its fat.

Before we go further, let me make it clear we can’t live without sugar or “carbs.” Our bodies convert these carbs or sugars into a commodity called glycogen. Glycogen is to you what starch is to a potato. It’s animal sugar. This conversion takes place in the liver. Glycogen fuels both your brain and muscles.

The problem is many people have sugar or carbs all through the day, so they don’t metabolize their body fat. My recommendation to lose body fat is to start going one meal a day eating just lean meat and fresh vegetables. I also recommend  that this be the same meal each day. Your body will, after a few days, anticipate the type of diet you eat, and when you eat it.

Meals that contain carbohydrates (carbs or sugars) cause the small intestines to release enzymes beforehand, in anticipation, to digest these carbs. Meals without carbs don’t cause this release. Eating carbs at times of the day when you haven’t had carbs in a while will leave these sugars in your small intestine without the enzymes needed for proper digestion. This can cause gastrointestinal problems.

If you do “change up” the time you have carbs, I recommend you eat a tiny amount of carbohydrate (couple of small crackers, spoon of rice, or pasta) an hour before your carb filled meal. This will trigger enzymes needed for proper digestion.

One thing I recommend when cutting out carbs for one meal a day, is to keep a can of Coke handy. Real coke, not diet. Keep it in your car, or if you operate machinery, or anywhere. If you feel light headed, because of low blood sugar, stop, drink the Coke to raise your blood sugar, then get help.

Diet or exercise question? Email me at dwcrocker77@gmail.com or visit fitness4yourlife.org. David Crocker of Landrum has been a nutritionist and master personal trainer for 28 years. He served as strength director of the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., head strength coach for the USC-Spartanburg baseball team, S.C. state champion girls gymnastic team, Converse college equestrian team, water safety consultant to the U.S. Marine Corps, lead trainer to L.H. Fields modeling agency, and taught four semesters at USC-Union. David was also a regular guest of the Pam Stone radio show.