Could too many carbohydrates, or carbohydrate consumption at the wrong time be cannonballing your fat loss? Discover the dirty little secrets of these fast fat producing macronutrients.
Understanding what to eat and when is complicated. Carbohydrates by themselves aren’t bad. The issue is in the type of carbs we eat, when we eat them, and, of course, the amount. If you are trying to lose weight, these little devils could be hurting your progress if you aren’t approaching these three factors correctly.
Let’s break down what carbs to target, when to avoid them, and how much to eat so you don’t waste your workout.
What Carbs to Eat
This one is easy. Just eat real, whole foods, and you will be eating the right carbs. That means cutting the packaged goods! Cereal, pretzels, bread, chips, and added sugar may taste good, but they are doing more harm than good for our health. Get your carbs from fiber-rich veggies, fruits, and real food!
When to Eat Them
Timing might be the most important aspect of carb knowledge to put into play. Many of us burn stored carbs in the blood and barely tap into burning stored fat. If a hard workout is worth 500 calories (don’t trust your watches here-- they are just an algorithm), then how often might you eat 500 calories worth of carbs after your workout and only burn off what you just consumed?
Try to eat fiber-rich fruits and vegetables early in the day for energy but avoid eating carbohydrates right before or for 2 hours after completing your workout. If one must eat post-workout to assure you burn stored fat and not just carbs in the bloodstream, then nuts, lean meats, and even a good number of vegetables are a good choice.
How Much to Eat
Portion control, particularly with carbs, is a nightmare. Let’s use a couple examples to drive this point home. It’s normal to eat a whole bag of microwave popcorn for most, right?
Did you know that little bag has 6 servings in it?
When it comes to refined carbs and processed foods, we can plow through a day’s worth of calories without even satisfying our hunger. We love to “guesstimate” serving size.
The American Academy of Nutrition recommends we get 45% of our diet from carbohydrates. I call bullshit. It never was this way prior to 1982 and the introduction of the nutritional pyramid. It’s only been in the last 100 years since the Industrial Revolution and the growth of the “big four” food industry that carbs have been pushed on us at such a high level.
The macros here aren’t important but understand if you eat 45% carbs, it will be hard to stay under your calorie limit because they simply aren’t filling.
If you're struggling to lose weight, start cutting back on carbs and trying to eliminate all refined and processed ones that provide empty calories to your diet. Furthermore, play around with limiting your eating post-workout for 2 hours or at least only targeting protein and or healthy fats.
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