Exposing Myths & Revealing The Truth About Carbs

The main staple food in an average Asian diet is rice, and depending on the proportion, it can add up to a lot of carbs consumed. Many foods in Asian countries are high in carbohydrates.

So, are carbs really bad for you? The truth is, if you’re overeating your salads and take in too many calories, you will still gain weight, regardless of whether your meal contains carbs or not. In fact, eating salads can spell disaster for you if you’re dousing your greens with dressings as it vastly increases the calorie count without offering much nutritional value.

Low-carb diets are not the only way to achieve eye-catching body transformation results. While they often help, especially at the start of a transformation process, it is actually beneficial to bring carbs back into your diet in a structured way to help with performance in the gym and building lean muscle as time goes on.

A mistake that is often made when choosing the low carb approach is to go low fat too. This leads to massive hunger cravings and a too aggressive deficit which doesn’t allow for sustained results. You would likely find that you will easily gain back the weight you’ve lost when you take yourself off the low-carb diet if you start off too hard.

This is where the reintroduction of carbs slowly and at specific times allow for the sustainability of your nutrition approach and your continued progress with your body composition.

Myths about carbohydrates

Due to misinformation, there are now many untruths about carbohydrates. Here, we discuss more on the facts about carbs.

Myth #1: Carbs will make you gain weight

If you have been on a period of low carb and your muscles are genuinely depleted of glycogen you may increase in weight initially when carbs are reintroduced. However, if they are part of a well structured nutrition plan (and you are in a deficit) then you can still continue to lose weight/bodyfat.

Myth # 2: Carbs are unhealthy

Many people think that carbs are bad due to the processed food that fall into the simple carbs category. These most certainly should be avoided. Healthier examples of unrefined simple carbs include dairy and fruit. Carbs also include complex carbohydrates which are high in fiber and starch. The high content of fiber and starch in these carbs slows down the process of digestion and steadies your blood sugar levels instead of a sharp spike when drinking a soda or eating junk food.

Myth #3: Carbs are detrimental to your health

The general belief out there seems to revolve around carbohydrates increasing risks in diabetes and heart diseases. This is a justified concern and is sometimes ignored. Poor quality carbohydrate choices, especially in excess will often lead to weight gain and poor health over time.

This said, carbs can be good for you, but knowing when is the best time to eat them (arguably around a workout) and what types are important to seeing positive returns.

Carbohydrates are a very versatile macronutrient and when you know how to use carbs in your diet correctly, it will drastically aid in fat loss and hypertrophy. One method that utilises carbs intelligently and strategically to get the best results from exercise is carbs cycling.

Carb cycling is straightforward and easy to follow. It works in three stages where you alternate the amount of carbs consumed each week. When you cycle your intake to low, medium and high, it allows you to switch between gaining muscle mass and shedding weight. This makes carb cycling an incredible method at achieving results while using carbs efficiently. No good diet can promise you instant results as you have to continue putting in effort in your gym commitments. An important note when you’re carb cycling, is to consider the effects of nutrients on hormones for fat loss and muscle gain, as this is where methods of carb cycling for fat loss and hypertrophy differ.

Get in touch with us at UP Fitness if you would like to understand more about carb cycling and how to plan your exercise routine and nutrition around your busy schedule. See what an experienced coach can offer to guide you through the minefield of nutritional (mis)information out there!