Do Carbohydrates Make You Really Fat?

Fancy Diets nowadays have become popular to those who would like to lose weight, especially without the need to exercise. To name one, we have Keto Diet that prohibits the consumption of starchy foods such as yam, potatoes, and rice that are rich in carbohydrates. 

But even before the popularization of Keto Diet, we’ve been hearing advice from our friends advocating a very low carb diet, making it the villain and the only cause of weight gain. Is it really the case?

Is it really the culprit?

If you simply avoid carbs, how certain are you to lose weight?

The Science Behind the Belief

Advocates of low-carb diets argue that carbohydrates raises our blood sugar that recruits the production of insulin, which is a fat-storing hormone. But some forget that there are carbohydrates that are broken down slowly, and do not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels. This is what we call Low Glycemic Carbohydrates.

Not All Carbs Are Equal

Low Glycemic Carbohydrates may be manageable even to those with diabetes. This includes whole grain, oats, brown rice, and beans. These foods are quite complex to be broken down by your body, thus, there shall be a gradual increase in your blood sugar level. It will not be as significant as when you eat a slice of pizza or a cheesy baked macaroni.

On the other hand, high glycemic or simple carbohydrates such as donuts, bubble tea, cakes, syrup and chocolates are easily broken down and cause significant fluctuation in our blood sugar. They may also be calorie-dense and eating too much of them can truly influence weight gaining.

It’s also important to mention that fibrous carbs such as oats are high in antioxidants, lower bad cholesterol, and aid digestion. Hence, not all carbohydrates are equally bad, and should be avoided.

Why Does a Low-Carb Diet Seems to be Effective to Others, when Actually It’s Not?

You probably have heard a testimony of your friend who lost inches of his waistline by simply eliminating carbs to his diet. 

You then tried it but you just disappointed yourself because it didn’t work for you after several months of implementing it. Here are two possible reasons why your friend lost weight and why correlating it to his low-carb diet may be flawed:

He exercises. If he incorporates resistance training, cardio, and/or yoga workouts, know that he has a competitive advantage to anyone who is just sitting the entire day. He might have drastically removed carbs from his diet, but for sure, he’ll go hungry without replacing the food that he used to eat. So, he then eats protein-rich food instead such as chicken breast. Let’s assume this tweak in diet, he still consumed the same amount of calories. But because he burns them through weight training, he still lost weight. Weight loss can be optimized by expending the calories that you take for the day. 

The argument that the low-carb diet caused him to lose weight is flawed because upon analysis, its real driver is the act of burning calories, not the avoidance of carbohydrates.

His cravings happen to be in the form of Carbohydrates. I am an advocate of Calorie-in, Calorie-out (CICO) diet. That is eating what your body needs, and going either beyond or below that will lead to weight gain, or weight loss, respectively. If, before, your friend consumed a lot of chocolates, cake, rice, and pizza, and he eliminated these items from his diet, it is thus expected his calorie intake for the day will be lower than usual, thus may promote weight loss. 

But you’re not exactly the same with him, are you? 

Before you try low-carb diet, assess if the foods that contribute to the calories that you consume are really in the form of carbohydrates. Will you sacrifice a healthy form of carbs such as fruits and vegetables, if your cravings are in the form of fat such as pork? Are you eating a lot of processed or fast foods that are high in fat? Re-consider if carbs are really your enemy. You might be surprised, it’s actually not!

Gluconeogenesis and Why Low-Carb Diet May be Futile

Carbohydrates are the only source of energy your brain uses except for ketones when you are in a fasted state. When you’re depriving your body of carbohydrates and detects its glucose level is lower than usual, it shall send a signal to synthesize glucose production from non-carbohydrate substrates. One source can be protein.

No matter how much you avoid carbohydrates, your body will find ways on how to generate and produce normal levels of glucose to your bodies, even if it means breaking down protein or even your own muscles! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

Still Go for a Balanced Diet

Will I recommend Low-Carb Diet? As a Fitness Coach, I won’t. I will still advocate for a balanced diet of having Go, Grow, and Glow foods on our plate every time we eat. Carbohydrates remain to be an accessible source of energy and it is essential for us to perform our daily physical tasks for the day.

All personal trainers and sports coaches I know would not prohibit carbohydrates to their clients and athletes. In fact, they leverage them so they can perform better and eventually bring home the trophy!

Carbohydrates are meant to fuel our body, brain, heart muscles, and central nervous system. Fiber, which is found in the foods that we consider as carbs, aids digestion and keeps cholesterol levels in check.

Conclusion

If you’re considering completely eliminating carbohydrates in your diet, think again. Carbohydrates are not the real culprit here. It’s the quality that you will put into your mouth.