Carbs Are Not The Enemy
I recently saw a crazy post by some random person on instagram with two progress photos
Written under the photo of her when she was heavier it said, “CARB LIFE” and written under the slimmer one it said “KETO LIFE”. Her post was carb-shaming and giving people a misconception that by eating carbs you will get fat. Let me put a disclaimer here, this is not a post trying to convince the Team No-Carb people to cross over to the other side – how you choose to eat is up to you. I just happen to choose the “CARB LIFE”. However, this post IS going to contain some sciencey goodness on how weight loss in general works.
Ok here’s the science part. Excess calories, (no matter if they are carbs or fat or protein or all of the above) will cause weight gain, and a deficit of calories will cause weight loss. Take a look at the comparison photos I have chosen. I happen to be heavier on the left and I also happen to not be eating carbs at that point in my journey. On the right I am leaner but I am also eating carbs. The fact that I did or did not eat carbs did NOT contribute to the weight I was carrying at the time. What contributed to my fat loss was the fact that I was consistently eating in a slight calorie deficit. I may have not been eating carbs on the left, but I sure as hell was still eating an excess of food. So don’t be fooled, if someone is having success with their journey and are choosing not to eat carbs, it is because they are in a calorie deficit. No one gets to eat endless amounts of any type of food and still achieve their weight loss goals. If you don’t believe me, then we can put it to the test and have you eating 6000 calories per day of strictly bacon and eggs. You will be Paleo AND Keto all at the same time (double whammy must mean double the progress, right?!) and we can see how well your weight loss journey fairs then.
I choose to eat carbs because they work best for my lifestyle. I like the way they fuel and recover me for my workouts. I find I can go to a birthday party & enjoy a piece of cake with the birthday boy or girl and still make it work. I find I don’t have to “live for the cheat day” because I’m not restricting anything from my diet and am constantly enjoying the foods that I love in moderation.
Again, don’t confuse this with a “low-carb shaming” or “carb promoting” post, because that is not what it is. It is simple facts about weight loss, and if you believe that the only diet that works for you is when you eat while standing on your head, just know it is because you are in a calorie deficit 😉