So what's the deal with all of this talk about carbs? Some people say that they're good for you and others say they're bad for you. Who do you believe? Hopefully this will educate you on the different carbs that you should and shouldn't eat...and why. First of all, where did this idea of staying away from carbs come from? It mainly started with the Atkins diet. Their big thing is to count the amount of carbs you're eating to lose weight instead of calories. This is somewhat crazy due to the fact that your body uses these carbs to actually fuel itself throughout the day. The only reason it has any credence is that when we don't use all of the carbs we've consumed the body can store them in the liver or tissues as fat.
What Type of Carbs Are There?
You have two main groups of carbs. The first is simple carbs, also known as bad carbs. The second is complex carbs, also known as good carbs.
Simple Carbs
Simple carbs are bad because they are high in sugar. They also don't provide you with any sort of nutritional benefit. Simple cabs serve as a short burst of energy to your body. It's nothing long lasting, and with no nutrients they body isn't getting any healthier. Some examples of things to stay away from with simple carbs are: sodas, fruit drinks, candy, white bread, etc.
Eating or drinking these sort of things causes your blood sugar to spike. It makes you feel good in the moment, be leaves you feeling down in the dumps when it's all used up. I know many people who experience this and it can cause weakness, shakiness, fatigue, and more. It's not fun...not from what I've seen!
Complex Carbs
Complex carbs are good for you because they promote good digestion through fiber, provide you with other nutrients, and last a long time. The reason they last a long time is that they first have to be broken down by the body into a simpler form to be transported and used. Many foods with complex carbs have fiber in them, which will help aid in digestion. Many foods also contain a lot of nutrients. Here's a list of some to help you see what type of nutrients would be in them: Oats, potatoes, beans, corn, wheat, etc.
This is a general overview of carbs. If you'd like more information on them, e-mail me for my free report. It contains more information on what are good and bad carbs, as well as what they do to the body.
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Why Can't I Lose Weight on Low Calorie Diets?
Have you ever asked yourself the question, "Why can't I lose weight when I'm on a low calorie diet?" I know many people who have. If you haven't asked yourself that question, then perhaps you've asked, "How come I gain all of the weight back after my diet is done?" Either way, the answer is pretty much the same. The first thing we have to understand is what happens to your body when you go on a low calorie diet.
So it probably makes sense to most people that if you cut your calories, you'll lose weight. That is true in theory, but here's what really happens. Let's say you have a diet that says to only eat 1,000 calories per day. If you live an active lifestyle, you probably need around 2,000 - 2,500 calories to maintain your weight. If you are sedentary, you'll only need between 1,500 and 2,000. Obviously this varies depending on how active you are, how much muscle mass you have, etc. These are general rules of thumb. Now, usually what happens when you start a diet like that is you initially lose weight. Perfect! That's exactly what you wanted! More often than not though, you hit a weight loss brick wall. Not another pound is coming off. Why? You've been doing everything right! There's a couple of reasons.
1) Your body adjusts to the new diet.
2) Your metabolism slows as a result of the adjustment.
So your new weight maintenance is the 1,000 calories. If you start eating more than that (like you used to), you will gain weight back. Usually it's more weight than you started with. I've seen it too many times. Since your metabolism is running slower, you're not burning as much as before. Kind of a stinky situation. So what can you do from here to start fixing the problem? Well, that's what I'll cover in my next post. If you'd like some more information, just sign up for my newsletter. For now, just know that diets are temporary solutions that don't work in the long run.
So it probably makes sense to most people that if you cut your calories, you'll lose weight. That is true in theory, but here's what really happens. Let's say you have a diet that says to only eat 1,000 calories per day. If you live an active lifestyle, you probably need around 2,000 - 2,500 calories to maintain your weight. If you are sedentary, you'll only need between 1,500 and 2,000. Obviously this varies depending on how active you are, how much muscle mass you have, etc. These are general rules of thumb. Now, usually what happens when you start a diet like that is you initially lose weight. Perfect! That's exactly what you wanted! More often than not though, you hit a weight loss brick wall. Not another pound is coming off. Why? You've been doing everything right! There's a couple of reasons.
1) Your body adjusts to the new diet.
2) Your metabolism slows as a result of the adjustment.
So your new weight maintenance is the 1,000 calories. If you start eating more than that (like you used to), you will gain weight back. Usually it's more weight than you started with. I've seen it too many times. Since your metabolism is running slower, you're not burning as much as before. Kind of a stinky situation. So what can you do from here to start fixing the problem? Well, that's what I'll cover in my next post. If you'd like some more information, just sign up for my newsletter. For now, just know that diets are temporary solutions that don't work in the long run.
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