30 Dec Carbs are not the enemy!
When I first started writing meal plans for others, it was evident that there was not enough mainstream information circulating about healthy fat loss. The ever so popular fad diets, such as Atkins, had promoted the idea that to lose weight you needed to cut out carbohydrates. Although I knew this was a popular theory, what I hadn’t realised, is that a lot of people didn’t understand that most fruit and vegetables are in fact, carbs! Now, if your reading this and you are one of these people, you are not alone! So, with New Years’ resolutions fast approaching, I thought it fitting to stir the pot and get you thinking about carbs.
It still has carbs
Most people consider their diet to be ‘no carb’ when they cut out starches (rice, potato, sweet potato, etc.), sugar and junk food. They’ll consume mainly meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs and nuts (how we all really should eat), which isn’t actually a no carb diet or even a low carb diet, depending on the quantities of foods being consumed. Fruit and vegetables are mainly carbs with a few exceptions, like avocado. It is true that starches and sugars have a higher number of carbs per serve, if comparing it to broccoli however, this just means you can eat a lot more broccoli than rice.
For example; 50g of long grain white rice, is equivalent to approximately 200g of raw broccoli – I personally go for the broccoli as I feel more satisfied with a larger amount of food and it also has additional micronutrient benefits.
Creating the yo-yo effect
Yes, low carb diets will help you to lose weight rapidly, a lot quicker than a diet with moderate to high carbs. It’s what I like to call a “quick-fix” however, the results will only remain temporarily, unless you want to remain on a low carb intake. Including a sufficient amount of carbs is a slower process, it won’t happen overnight but, the results will be maintainable. Without confusing you all with nitty gritty scientific jargon; low carb diets make it a lot easier for you to undo all your hard work. Restricting carbs increases your sensitivity, meaning that when you start consuming carbs again, your body will gain fat more rapidly. You are essentially setting yourself up to be trapped in the yo-yo effect – the constant fluctuation in weight.
There’s so much more…
I could write for hours on carbs; there is too much information for me to get across in one post. For beginners, this is probably enough information to get you questioning the mainstream ideals of fat loss and for those of you who are well-aware of the above, it probably sounds like common sense but, to some beginners it’s not. Instant gratification isn’t easy to pass up and we all love to see the results NOW! When planning your New Years’ diets consider this… including sufficient carbs will help you to keep the weight off, long -term. Commit to a lifestyle change, not a quick-fix and the results will follow!
Note: The Chief Life meal plans are 30/40/30% protein/carbs/fats with the exception of our muscle gain meal plan which is higher in good fats.
