3 Pounds of Sugar

Those of you who know me well know how big of a nerd I can be. Over the last few years, I have developed a love for research science, and now I get to conduct my own little experiment.

 

My boyfriend Matt drinks on average 4-5 cans of Dr. Pepper a day. Despite my best efforts, his diet isn't the greatest either- he has been a picky eater ever since he was a child, and that's obviously not going to change. He began training with me in January- 5 days a week of strength training, 1-3 days a week steady state cardio and he will sometimes do a HIIT workout with me ;) I have managed to sneak in some extra protein to his diet via protein powder supplements, bars and other 'protein snacks' to replace his usual 3 fruit roll-ups and a rice krispy treat. He has dropped about 10 pounds just adding exercise to his routine, as well as started putting on some muscle and seeing some gains. He's a smart man, so when he listens to me lecture on about the harmful effects of sugar, the overwhelming benefits of exercise, and so on, and so on... He knows that in order to SEE the muscles he's building and get the 'cut' look he's going for, he has to reduce not only his calories, but his super high-sugar diet has to change. He has decided to cut soda out of his diet all together and is allowing me to collect data about his experience to show first-hand how a change in dietary habits can change the human body.

 

I've done the calculations, and the amount of soda Matt drinks in a week adds up to 5,250 calories and 1,400 grams of sugar! Did you hear me.....? That equates to 3 POUNDS OF SUGAR A WEEK. WTF?!?!?!?!?!

 

We are going to be charting his body weight, body fat %, body circumference measurements, cardiovascular health (via Harvard Step Test) and 1 Rep Max (bench and squat) during the course of his 'detox' from soda over the next few weeks. I expect to see him lose 1.5-2 lbs per week, which will let him start to see some more muscle definition in the next month, and some serious physique changes within the next 3 months. Not to mention the strength gains and increased cardio endurance I expect to see!

 

Now, I know that I don't have to lecture YOU about the harmful effect of sugar, namely soda can have on your body, but here is an excerpt from Medical Daily that I think sums it up pretty well...

 

"As soon as soda's swallowed, the pancreas is notified and rapidly begins to create insulin in response to the sugar. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to move sugar from food or drink into the bloodstream, where cells are then able to use sugar for energy. Within just 20 minutes, blood sugar levels spike and the liver responds to the insulin by turning sugar into fat for storage.

Within 45 minutes of gulping down a single 20-ounce glass of soda, caffeine from the drink is fully absorbed, and as a result your pupils dilate and blood pressure rises. The body produces more dopamine, which stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain — just like a low-grade line of cocaine.
When the hour chimes, the body begins to experience a blood sugar crash, which is around the same time a person reaches for their second soda, or for another sweet and sugar snack to suffice. Soda’s connection to the obesity epidemic is so intertwined, Harvard researchers have calculated each additional soda consumed increases the risk of obesity 1.6 times." -Medical Daily

Matt's Initial Data (4/26/15):
Body Weight: 165.4lbs                   Body Fat %: 8%           Resting HR: 73BPM
Right Bicep: 13.5in                         Chest: 36.5in                Waist: 35.5in
Hip: 34.25in                                    Right Quad: 19in          Right Calf: 13.25in

Stay tuned to see how this experiment goes  :) Feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below!