It is a common belief that carbohydrates (‘carbs’) such as potato’s, fruit, bread, pasta, rice, grains etc, need to be eliminated in order to get results in weight loss or body transformation. The truth is, for a lean body, you should never eliminate carbs and in fact, you want to eat as many as you can.

This post gives a short overview into why I never eliminate carbs in a body transformation and/or weight loss protocol.

1: IT’S NOT NECESSARY.

Your body’s fat burning capacity depends on far more than carbs. Your metabolism, overall health, stress levels and total calorie consumption are more important. In calorie controlled weight loss studies, the fat/carb ratio was not a determining factor in success; adherence and total calorie deficit were.

Women also tend to put on more muscle, and perform better in the gym, with carbs.

2: CARBS ARE OUR PRIMARY FUEL SOURCE.

…And a crucial nutrient overall.

If you abstain from eating carbs, your body will eventually find its way back to them. They are nutritionally important, especially if you are physically active.

When the body’s need for carbs is resisted too long, biological mechanisms can take over and your ‘self-control’ takes a back seat. Nutritional needs win over aesthetic goals, any day.

Additionally, carbs are required for your brain to work properly.

3: LOW-CARB DIETS DON’T WORK WELL UNDER STRESS.

The process of converting fat into energy is longer and more difficult for the body, as carbs are our natural first choice.

Secondly, stress/anxiety induces sugar cravings, causing many women reach for carb-rich foods to ‘comfort’ themselves, and they now don’t have the same capacity to utilise them as they did when carbs were consumed regularly. This no-carb/high-carb binge cycle is damaging to the metabolism, as well as women’s emotional health as she feels like she’s ‘failed’ over and over again.

This picture is my client Regi, , when we met (bottom images) she was following a ketogenic diet, but wanted to compete in bodybuilding. We increased her carbs to 120gms/day over the course of a few months (seen in the above pictures) while lifting weights.

Regi didn’t want to gain weight, which is why the carbs are quite low (the average carb consumption across each of my weight loss clients is around 150-190gm per day). If they don’t want to lose weight, then carbohydrates average 220gm/day.

To close this article, please don’t fall for marketing around carbs being ‘bad’ – they’re essential for women’s health, muscle and strength gain, and long term weight loss success.

If you want to know more about this, check out the Nutrition & Flexible Dieting program, right here on this website!

Jen X