WARNING: This post is about carbs and is long but that’s because there’s a lot to this and I took the time to do the research and I want to share it with you all since this is one of the biggest topics I have been asked to write about on this blog. Ready, set GO!
I was asked last week by one of the young ladies in my FREE online private fitness group to please share how she can cut carbs to lose weight.
Wait, hold up – I don’t believe in cutting out any food group to lose weight or for health reasons and I definitely don’t believe in no-carb diets.
I think just the opposite, you NEED carbs so your body can function properly throughout the day and night. I told her I would write up this post and share it with her and discuss how to lose weight eating carbs.
Let’s get into the discussion.
Why do you need carbs in your life?
Carbs = energy. Cut them out you will have low to no energy to perform your daily functions like walking, running, sitting, and even thinking, etc.
Here are some other major ways carbs benefits you:
- It helps with moods
- It helps your brain to think and memory
- It gives you energy to workout and burn fat
So as you can see, eating carbs is an extremely important part of your daily nutrition plan.
There are 3 key areas one should keep in mind when consuming carbs though.
- The quality of the carb
- When you are eating the carb
- How much of carbs are you eating
The Quality Of Carbs
Everyone has heard to stay away from white carbs because it will make you gain weight, blah blah blah. I have also had friends go to the extreme and completely cut out carbohydrates from their diet and yes they lost weight because they cut out an entire macronutrient and food group.
When they reintroduced carbohydrates back into their diet, in my observation, they gained back more weight than what they lost. So it counteracted all of their effort.
You want to pay attention to the quality of carbs you are eating. Low quality carbohydrates are generally carbs that are highly processed such as:
- White sugar
- White flour
- Pasta
- Soft drinks
- Packaged oatmeal
- White rice
- Baked goods (i.e. cookies, pie, cake, brownies, etc.)
- Donuts
These foods tend to spike your blood sugar so you feel good when you eat them but an hour later you are starving and ready to eat everything in sight.
Plus they have low to no nutritional value. Your body doesn’t need it for energy because it doesn’t supply enough for a period of time to help keep you going.
High quality carbs are:
- Sweet potato
- Regular potato (don’t add a bunch of unnecessary fat to it or fry it to death)
- Vegetable pasta
- Steel-cut oatmeal
- Brown rice
- Fruit and vegetables
Why are they considered high quality carbs? Because they are complex and your body is fueled by them over time.
They also help stabilize blood sugar levels so you don’t crash and your body is left feeling depleted.
Timing
This is a very important point. Plainly put – you should eat the majority of your carbs during the time of day you are most active. That’s because you will burn it off with your activity.
As you wind down later on in the day, you should also taper the amount of carbs you eat with your meal or as a snack since you are expending less energy.
Portion Size
This actually goes hand-in-hand with timing. For those meals you eat during your most active time of day, depending on your plan, perhaps you are eating up to 50% carbs at that meal. As your day progresses and you become more sedentary and move less, you should reduce the portion size of your carbs during your later meals (mid-afternoon snack and dinner).
I’ve seen people have excellent weight-loss success from not eating any type of carb after 4 pm or 5 pm. The later it gets, the less carbs they eat and they have amazing results.
So when you come home after a long day at work and you are sitting around watching your favorite television show, don’t go reaching for the potato chips, brownies, cakes or ice cream and then fall asleep.
This snacking habit leaves folks frustrated because you are banging it out at the gym and getting in your cardio but still not seeing results. That’s because you are eating your carbs, not burning them right away, going to sleep and your body is storing it.
Stop that cycle NOW and you will begin to see the results you want. A trimmer you.
Sample Meal Plan with Carbs
Here’s a sample meal plan to give you an idea of how to taper your carbs later on in the day. This assumes high activity is in the morning.
In addition here’s a quick video on how to make a baked sweet potato which is an excellent complex carb. It’s filling, fueling and delicious.
Tools of the Trade
The great thing is there are several tools available that can help you manage how much you are eating in general to support your weight loss goals. These are the items I highly recommend.
- My Fitness Pal app – this app helps you track your macros, calories, water intake, exercise, etc. It’s really powerful.
- Portion plate – helps you weigh your food to help with portion control
- Portion plate – this is a great visual indicator of how much food to put on your plate
There you have it. I hope this answers the majority of your questions related to how you can lose weight while still eating carbs. If there are other questions please leave a comment below.
Have you ever tried a no carb diet?
Do you have a love/hate relationship with carbs?
//SHOP THIS POST//
23 Replies to "How To Lose Weight Eating Carbs"
Cassi
Twitter: lawrtw
December 18, 2015 (6:44 am)
I love my carbs and never want to give them up!
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (7:25 am)
Me either but I have started to do swaps the later it gets in the day.
Deborah
Twitter: deborahbrooks14
December 18, 2015 (8:46 am)
I do not believe in cutting carbs to lose weight either it is not sustainable or realistic. People need carbs to function properly and to fuel their workouts.
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (8:57 am)
Exactly
Margo
Twitter: brooklynfitchik
December 18, 2015 (2:01 pm)
Excellent article with great research!!!
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (2:54 pm)
Thank you!!!
dixya December 18, 2015 (2:42 pm)
such a wonderful reminder!!! it really comes down to the quality, portion, and timing.
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (2:54 pm)
Exactlu
Tricia
Twitter: dblred0728
December 18, 2015 (4:08 pm)
Diatta you have really put in the research on this. I am saving it to read when I can focus on each and every word and info in it because this is EXACTLY what I need. I do have the love/hate relationship with carbs. Thanks for taking the time for such and informative article.
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (4:33 pm)
Why thank you!!!
Marcia
Twitter: teamarcia
December 18, 2015 (4:53 pm)
I think you nailed it when you differentiated nutrient-dense carbs from the starchy ones. All carbs are not created equal and they aren’t the enemy. Thanks for all of this great information!
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (4:54 pm)
Thank you for stopping by.
GiGi Eats
Twitter: dubagee
December 18, 2015 (6:49 pm)
It’s truly about body type, metabolism, etc… I can only function on animal proteins, where I know others can only function on the carbs! To each their own, there is definitely NO one-size fits all!
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (6:51 pm)
You are so right. Everyone must find what works best for them because there are many factors as to why some can eat more carbs for a balanced nutrition plan than others.
MCM Mama Runs
Twitter: mcmmama
December 18, 2015 (6:50 pm)
Great information! I have to keep enough carbs in my life or my running falls apart. I can always tell when I cut back too much because I feel like I’m running through mud. So, I do my best to make sure I get enough but that the ones that I get are good choices.
o
Carmy
Twitter: runcarmyrun
December 18, 2015 (7:06 pm)
I LOVE carbs. I really don’t know how people survive without carbs! It’s so delicious 🙂
o
Wendy December 18, 2015 (8:12 pm)
As a society we are such an all or nothing kind of people. Just like anything else there are good carbs and bad carbs. Which is why I LOVE this post. Quality, people. I try to convince patients that not all carbs are equal or bad. But what do I know?
Great post, Diatta!
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (10:41 pm)
Amen!!!
nicole December 18, 2015 (11:01 pm)
OMG I love my carbs. For the longest time I would eat carbs when ever. Only recently am I having most of them in the morning to early afternoon . I think it is help. I am definitely going to have to pin this post. Thank you so much for the post. Very helpfule
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 18, 2015 (11:15 pm)
Yes eating them earlier in the day and then tapering off definitely helps.
jill conyers
Twitter: jillconyers
December 19, 2015 (1:34 am)
Once I got passed the practically all carbs are bad mindset (thanks Atkins haha!) I’ve found what works for me and that includes carbs. Lots of fruits, veggies, beans and gf grains and my body is happy.
o
Nicole
Twitter: fitfulfocus
December 19, 2015 (2:31 pm)
Great post! Even if you are a fan of Paleo-style eating, carbs are still important, especially post-workout, and if you are an endurance athlete, you still need quality carbs for fuel. I love that you broke down the not-so-nutritious and most-nutritious kinds of carbs – fruits and veggies for the win!
o
Diatta
Twitter: DSTPRL
December 19, 2015 (2:59 pm)
Thank you Nicole.