BY EMMET RUSHE: Carbs are public enemy No1!!!!! It’s common knowledge that if you want to lose weight, you simply cannot eat carbs because they make you fat….right?
Not exactly.
Carbohydrates are probably the most misunderstood of all the macronutrients. A few years ago, the humble potato was outlawed and only fools ate them.
So which is it to be? High carb, low carb, no carb; which will give us the best results? The answer is…all of them.
It depends on what your objective actually is.
For weight loss, the simplicity of reducing carbs or eliminating them from the diet is a big selling point. You have reduced or eliminated an entire food group, so overall calories have reduced and weight loss will be inevitable. Simple!
What isn’t simple is actually sticking to it. A diet that is based on deprivation is never easy and the end result after the diet has finished is usually a return to normal eating habits and a return to your previous weight.
What we want to achieve when we decide to change our health for the better, is a way that we can do this and be able to enjoy life. If you can’t do this then what is the point?
I look awesome, but I’m miserable inside??
Not exactly a long term solution.
So the question is……CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT AND STILL EAT CARBS???
Yes, yes you can.
What people need to realise is what low carb actually is.
0-50g carbs is classed as Ketogenic. You are basically eating green leafy vegetables so our bodies can transition to burning fatty acids for energy. This is a great way to lose body-fat fast, but for most, it is not sustainable long term. Performance will also suffer if you lift weights or play sports.
50-100g is classed as Low Carb
This is a good range for slow, healthy weight loss. Starchy carbs are reduced and fruit and veg are eaten liberally. Insulin production will be low so fat burning should be high.
100-150g is classed as moderate Carb.
If you are active, train regularly and have your body where you want it, this is the bottom end of your carbohydrate intake. (If you are highly active and train 6+ times per week, this would be too low.)
150-300g+ is classed as High Carb
This is where you can get slow weight gain, great if you lift weights and are trying to pack on muscle, not so great if you are trying to drop a dress size. But again, this is a guide line. I have had female clients lose body-fat and gain muscle in and around consuming 250g of carbs per day.
Like I said earlier, the amount that you eat is goal dependant.
If you are a triathlete who trains 2-3 times per day 5-6 days per week, going low carb is not the best choice. You would be at the upper levels of the high carb diet and even higher on days leading up to an event. They are needed for energy and for optimal performance.
If you have 1 stone to lose in order to drop a dress size then you could do this by going low carb and not over restricting the types that you eat. Just allow an appropriate amount of time to do this.
If you are severely overweight with impending health problems, high blood pressure, over producing insulin due to chronically high blood sugars, then the lower end of the scale would probably be your best starting point.
As you may be starting to figure out, there is no one-size-fits-all prescription here. We are all different weights, we have different activity levels, and we have different fitness goals. But I hope this will help you to understand that carbs are not bad. Inactivity and the over consumption are the real problems. #TrainSmart
If you have any question on this article or for getting a tailored program based on your starting point, please contact me through the link below. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushe-Personal-Training-and-Performance/120518884715118 * Emmet is the owner and operator of Rushe Personal Training and Performance
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