The first thing you must awaken to is the truth about what causes belly fat and obesity, and let go of the misguided effort to count calories or fat grams. It is critical you understand that the foods you eat are packed with hidden sugars. The latest breakthrough research has proven that losing and gaining fat isn’t determined by how many calories you eat, but by the kind of calories you eat. That’s why the focus of the Belly Fat Cure is about eating the right amount of sugar and carbohydrates to maximize fat loss while still satisfying your sweet tooth. The reason we single out the sugar and carbohydrates, not the calories and fat, has to do with the science of a naturally occurring hormone we all have—insulin.

You may be thinking, I’m not diabetic; my insulin is fine! Or I’ve always known that it’s bad to eat sugar, so I hardly ever have candy. That’s where the breakthrough research about insulin and the huge amounts of hidden sugar in our everyday “healthy” foods comes into play. It is absolutely vital that you know that insulin is the hormone controlling your body’s ability to push fat into fat cells. Without lowering insulin levels, it’s impossible to lose weight, regardless of calorie intake or exercise intensity.

If you control your insulin, you’ll have your foot on the brake pedal of your body’s ability to store fat. This method of weight loss is the car that will drive you to the destination of your ultimate self.

The only way to control your insulin level is to eat the right amount of sugar and carbohydrates—a ratio I call the Sugar/Carb Value, or S/C Value™. The ideal S/C Value is less than or equal to 15/6: 15 grams of sugar and 6 servings of carbohydrates. It’s sugar and carbs, not fat or protein, that lead to weight gain and belly fat. Allow me to explain how this process works.

First, let’s imagine that you eat a piece of fruit or a candy bar, or drink a glass of milk. Simple sugars (like the ones found in these foods) are immediately released into your bloodstream and trigger the pancreas to pump a rush of insulin into the blood. The insulin transports sugar to the cells, but this hormone also pushes fat into them, especially in that dangerous area around the midsection. Remember, insulin is the primary regulator of fat cells, and only sugar will trigger insulin.

Then why track carbohydrates? Technically, carbohydrates are big sugars that your body needs time to break down. They affect your insulin because they’re broken down into sugar, which is then released into your bloodstream. The difference is that these complex sugars are released at a much slower rate than simple sugars and therefore cause a more modest release of insulin. In order to release stored belly fat, though, you must keep your insulin level low and track your carbohydrate intake.