09 May Will Carbs Make Me Fat?

When you begin a weight loss journey there is always the myth or perception that if you eat carbs you will not lose weight. For years everyone, and I will even put myself into this category, thought if a carb passed your lips, you would not lose weight and overall this was going to have a negative effect on your goal. 

In reality carbohydrates do not make you fat or put on weight. It is more the fact of the portion sizes and that you may be are overeating certain foods, which is why you are not reaching your goals. 

In each 1g of carbohydrate there is 4 calories, therefore if you over eat carbs the calories will soon start to add up, and you will more than likely put on weight, as this is additional calories which you may not require. 

On the other hand if you cut carbs out of your diet, you will begin to lose weight quickly, and not because carbs as a food source makes you ‘fat’, but because you have cut a whole food group out of your diet. 

To add to this, if carbs is something you have cut out your diet and you lose weight, then begin to include them back in, you may notice that your weight may start to increase. The reason for this is down to you now consuming more calories than previously when avoiding carbs fully. 

Carbohydrates can be categorised into two groups,’bad’ carbohydrates and ‘good’ carbohydrates. The ‘good’ carbohydrates can be more beneficial for our bodies. The ‘bad’ carbohydrates are the ones which may not be the best, especially if we are reaching a goal. These are the ones which have been processed, simple carbs, such as pastries, refined pasta, white rice etc. Complex carbs are the ones which are naturally found in plant based foods, the ‘good’ carbs. These can assist with weight management, as they promote a healthy metabolism and digestive system. Foods which include complex carbs are items such as fruits, lentils, whole grains, brown rice, pasta and many more. 

It is not to say you should avoid white rice and other breads, however, for your body to process and utilise the carbs in your body for energy and fuel, it can be better to consume complex carbs. 

Carbohydrates are an essential food group and should not be excluded from your diet. There are many benefits of carbohydrates and these include; an energy and fuel source to allow our bodies to function and complete day to day tasks, as well as exercise, assisting with exercise recovery after a training session and aiding weight management. 

In summary, when we are in a weight loss or calorie deficit phase we should not cut carbs out of our diet completely. We can of course reduce the amount we consume and increase other macronutrients to hit our calorie target. In reality having carbs in our diet will assist us reach our goals much sooner, as all food groups are needed for our body to function, repair and recover. 

Christy