Eating Carbs and Losing Weight: The Truth About Losing Weight
Let's get one thing straight—carbs are not your enemy. If you've been brainwashed into thinking you need to cut them out to lose weight, it's time for a reality check. Carbs are not making you gain weight or causing you trouble losing it. You'll start gaining weight when you eat more calories than you burn. Period.
Why Carbs Get a Bad Rap
Somewhere along the way, carbs got demonized as the reason people struggle with their weight. Low-carb diets became trendy, and suddenly, eating bread was seen as a sin. Sure, cutting carbs might lead to quick weight loss at first, but that's mostly water weight. Also, removing any one food group from your diet will cause weight loss. However, living without carbs forever is not realistic. The moment you reintroduce carbs, the scale goes back up, and you think you "failed." Yoyo-ing is more dangerous for your body than staying at a heavier weight.
Carbs Fuel Your Body
If you're active (and you should be), carbs are your best friend. Your body runs on glucose, which comes from carbohydrates. When you cut carbs too low, you might feel sluggish, irritable, and weak during workouts. That's because you're robbing your body of its primary fuel source.
For endurance athletes, strength trainers, and even casual gym-goers, carbs help with performance and recovery. Without them, you're just making things harder on yourself.
The Right Way to Eat Carbs for Fat Loss
Instead of fearing carbs, focus on planning for them. Here's how:
Track your food – Plan your day out. Put the carbs you want to eat in your plan.
Watch Your Portions – When counting your calories, make sure you're weighing your food to make sure you're actually accounting for the amount of food you consume. It's very easy to underestimate how much you're eating. If you're trying to lose, you need to be in a deficit, and those extra 50 calories here and there add up!
Be Mindful When Eating Carbs
Carbs aren't the problem—mindless overeating is. If you're serious about losing weight and keeping it off, focus on sustainability over extreme restrictions. You don't need to eliminate an entire macronutrient to get lean. You just need to eat in a way that supports your goals while keeping you fueled and satisfied.
So, go ahead and eat the damn carbs. Just be smart about it.
Ready to lose weight without extreme restrictions? Let Dr. Charlie Seltzer Lifestyle Medicine help you create a sustainable plan that works. Get started today!
