Are Carbohydrates Killing Your Fat-Loss?
Here’s a little known secret about carbs, and how they affect fat loss…
Carbohydrates are not only NOT BAD for fat loss, they can be highly beneficial.
Many of us believe that carbs are horrible; we are told that they’re evil, toxic and single-handedly responsible for making us fat!
We all know someone who claims that their entire world changed once they stopped eating carbs. In their eyes, they are now the living personification of a Greek God…
To make matters worse, the media has spread this idea that carbohydrates are bad news, promoting low-carb diets as being “The End All Be All, Quick Fix For Fat Loss”.
The reality is, it’s not that simple; there is NO quick fix.
Simply put, any macronutrient (like carbs, fats and proteins) can be consumed in excess. If your body is in a caloric surplus, you will gain weight.
Carbohydrates can actually be a very HANDY tool in pursuit of fat loss, they just need to be strategically utilized and derived from the proper sources. The best carbohydrates are known as “simple carbs”, as opposed to its evil cousin, “complex carbs”.
So, Why Do People Say Carbs Are Bad?
The myth about “carbohydrates causing you to get fat” is based on insulin spiking.
Carbohydrates are insulinogenic, so the pancreas secretes insulin when they’re consumed to help transport them to the rest of the body. In healthy people who have a fully functioning pancreas, the body will sustain homeostasis, which means if correct portion control is exercised consistently, spikes in insulin will NOT cause fat gain.
All food causes some insulin response anyway, not just carbs! To keep it simple, if you’re not gorging yourself with excessive portions of carbs and taking in more calories than you burn daily, your body will have NO REASON to store fat as its internal systems will be in balance.
The reality is, a CALORIC SURPLUS causes fat gain.
If you’re eating a whole food well-balanced diet, taking in a proper ratio of macronutrients for you, you will be able to reach your goals and achieve your desired physique while still enjoying those delicious energy-rich carbohydrates!