“Carbs” have now become the one thing that make health freaks cry like little girls. The question is though, should we all fear them?
Carbs are basically sugars in many different forms, and they are the body’s main source of energy. These include fruit sugar, table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or any other kind of sugar you can think of, and also fiber. Because the body needs them (only source of energy the brain can use), we shouldn’t treat them as the enemy.
However, some foods, especially foods with simple sugars such as cereal, donuts, etc., have such a high amount of sugar that will cause huge spikes in blood sugar which quickly crash afterwards, making us hungry even though we already ate (a huge problem with breakfast cereals). This causes us to eat a lot more, or eat larger servings than we really need to.
We usually think eating fat is what makes us fat. But the reason a lot of people gain so much weight over their adult years is because of the excess carbs we eat in a day, not the fat. That’s right, those fat free snacks aren’t really going to help you lose weight if they’re filled with sugar.
When we eat excess carbs, they are stored in fat cells to save that energy for when the body needs it. But if you’re never using that energy, it just keeps piling up while you keep changing your pant sizes. But your body still needs carbs to survive, and they shouldn’t be seen as the obstacle towards your goal. You can easily prevent weight gain without having to get rid of carbs from your diet by following these simple steps:
1. Eat Less Sugar– Don’t eliminate it from your diet, but be more conscious of what you’re eating. Some tips to do this:
- Don’t drink your sugar – A lot of the sugar we get in a day come from the juices and sodas that we drink, even though it doesn’t seem like much. Doing this gives you more room to have that dessert you’ve been craving.
- Pass snacks that have sugar in the first three items of the ingredients list.
- If you really are craving something sweet, try to have a little, or eat it after meal so you don’t eat more than you need. Eat slow and savor every bite as well, you might need less than you think.
- Eating less sugar throughout the day will give you more space to have that sweet when you really want it.
2. Eat More Fiber– Keeps you fuller for longer (no blood sugar spikes/crashes), and also helps the digestive system and lowers cholesterol.
- Go for whole grains, and check label for fiber content.
- Eat more beans and vegetables.
- Go with whole fruit instead of fruit juice.
3. Eat carbs/sugars after your workout – Your muscles use a lot of stored sugar when you work out, and its important to replenish that, so its not as big of a deal if you eat a sweet snack after your workout compared to a day when you don’t workout.
4. Switch sweet Breakfast cereals for other Breakfast foods – Sweet breakfast cereals such as cornflakes, cause huge blood sugar/insulin spikes which will make us hungry soon afterwards even if we just ate. Eat more fiber filled cereals or have some form of protein for breakfast so you don’t feel hungry.
5. Add grains to your snacks – Put granola or oats on your yogurt, or eat muesli for breakfast, etc.
6. Watch out for potatoes – High amounts of carbs, try to limit the amount of potatoes you eat.
7. **Workout! – One of the biggest things you can do for your health, and this includes resistance training (lifting weights, body weight exercises)
- High intensity exercise mainly use carbs for fuel
- Increases sensitivity to insulin, helping prevent diabetes
- Burns calories and builds muscle, both of which will help to losing fat
Watching your diet is incredibly important, but don’t make it too difficult on yourself. You don’t need to count calories, or completely cut out all your favorite sweets (I know I’m never getting rid of cookies). Just don’t overdo it. And keep yourself consistent with your workouts; if you’re doing resistance training regularly, having sweets won’t be as big of a deal. Change up your workout if you get bored of the one you’re on. Try some of the workouts I have posted in the Training Programs section!