Will Carbs Make You Fat?

“Why do I have so many carbs in my plan?! Can I have less?!”

This is something I often hear from my clients (along with the fact that I have given them too much food, but that’s a post for another day). My answer is simple; “why do you want less?” They can never really give me an educated answer and instead their answer is emotive; it doesn’t make them feel good; they don’t feel like they process them well, it makes them sluggish, etc.

They say this for a number of reasons:

1. They have become conditioned to believe that carbs are ‘bad’ and will make them fat; therefore the thought of eating carbs (even if they enjoy them) can make them feel guilty and/or anxious they will be unable to achieve their body comp goals.

2. For that reason they have become so accustomed to a low carb / zero carb diet that introducing carbs back into their life can seem overwhelming.

3. They have brainwashed themselves into believing that carbs make them sluggish, they don’t process them well and they ‘do better’ on fat as a way of excusing the fact they don’t want to eat them.

This all comes down to fear, and I have found through professional and personal experience that females in particular have developed a fundamental fear that carbs will make them fat. A fear that the fitness industry and the media have time and time again strengthened and supported through various diets such as the Low Carb or Keto diet.

Do these points above resonate with you? Then ask yourself the same question; why do you think that carbs make you fat? Can you tell me exactly what they are doing within the body to make you think that? Or is it just a ‘gut’ feeling? Even when people's energy is poor, body comp results are terrible and performance in the gym is non existent they will still maintain to me that low carb is best for them.

Why Carbs Are Made Out to be the Devil

First of all we need to understand what happens when we eat carbs. Carbs are essentially sugar which, when eaten, gets released into our blood stream. The body wants the sugar out of the blood stream as soon as possible therefore releases the hormone insulin to move the sugar from our blood to either our muscles, liver or to store as fat. The belief therefore is; if we eat a low carb diet, we won’t produce insulin therefore we won’t store sugar as fat.

However this is fundamentally flawed:

1. It doesn’t take into account that other foods such as beef and dairy products also induce the insulin response.

2. It doesn’t take into consideration energy in vs. energy out.

What is Energy Balance?

Energy cannot be made or destroyed, it can only be transferred from one entity to another. Energy enters our bodies in the form of calories via food and drink, and leaves our bodies through physical expenditure and our general metabolic rate: this is energy balance.

So if we over eat, no matter if it comes from protein, fat OR carbs our body will store the excess energy as fat to use for a later day. Your diet could be 100% raw, gluten free, paleo, zero carb etc but if you are consuming more energy than you are expending it will spill over as fat storage.

Why I Love Carbs!

So where does that leave carbs?

First off let me tell you a little story; I cut carbs for the last week of my latest photo-shoot prep and it was not a pleasant experience. For someone who has a moderate to high carb diet cutting all carbs affected my mood, my motivation, my appetite, my energy, and my general health. (On a side note I did not cut carbs to drop FAT, I cut carbs to drop water, a protocol specifically used by coaches for clients who have reached their body fat goal and in a final phase for a prep of some kind). As soon as I finished my shoot the one thing that was reintroduced immediately was carbs and my life was instantly better. Why?

Carbs offer high satiety
That is, they fill you up! A diet high in plant based carbs (such as vegetables and fruits) can actually keep blood sugar more stable and help you feel fuller for longer.
The can suppress appetite
Insulin suppresses appetite, so eating a high carb meal can actually help reduce hunger for an extended period of time avoiding over eating and a binge mentality.
They assist with maintaining muscle, great for metabolism and fat loss.
They aid quicker recovery post training by balancing cortisol after a workout.

Don’t Get Caught In the Fads

One thing that is clear without any need for research is that everyone is after a quick fix. Whether its money, career, or body comp related; if there is a quick way to get there without hard graft people will take it.

This is why fad diets are so popular and, although research proves time and time again that the majority do not work for the long term, people continue to try and buy into them.

Low carb diets are just that, a gimmick or quick fix for people who think they can lose weight fast. I am not saying there is not a place for them in some of societies population, there most definitely is for those that struggle with blood sugar levels and so forth. But for the majority of the population that are somewhat healthy this won't be the best approach for their long-term body comp and health goals.

People are always asking me what I eat or what my macro and calorie intake is, or obsessed with knowing how the fitspo girls on social media eat, but here is the thing; what works for me or what works for the leanest/fittest girl on Instagram is not going to work for you.

Why? You can pay me money to make you the most unique and personalised plan in the world, but if you can’t follow it 12 months from now, you might as well throw your money down the drain. If you can’t see yourself continuing to eat a certain way in 12 months don’t start the plan! And in many cases this is what happens in the zero carb approach.

It also sends the wrong message about what good nutrition is…I’ve said it once and I will say it again, training is not a punishment for the body and food is not a reward NOR a punishment!! Food nourishes your body, improves your energy and helps your goals. Start viewing your nutrition as something to nourish, heal and grow your body over the long term rather than looking for quick fixes and in a years time you will be thanking yourself you made the metal shift today.

Happy Eating!