I know that might shocking, especially if you’ve been stewed in the Paleo culture.
Why Are Carbs Important For Fat Loss?
There are 3 main reasons:
1. Thyroid Health
Your thyroid is your “master gland” – it’s what regulates your metabolism – your metabolic rate – the amount or number of calories your body burns per day.
There have been some studies that show your thyroid needs – and wait for this – it’s kinda shocking – 125g of carbs a day to maintain its health.
One of the problems with ultra-low carb diets is that in the long run you can damage your thyroid.
I’m not going to get too deep into this, but side-effects include decreased testosterone levels and increased total cholesterol levels and increased LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.
2. Leptin levels
Leptin is sometimes thought of as the “master hormone” or the one that regulates all other hormones. It sends a signal to the brain for that “full” feeling, among other things.
When you drop your calories, and your carbs, leptin levels can drop by 50% in about a week. Coincidentally, if you’ve ever been on a diet, that’s about the point when the cravings hit.
Not only that, this 50% decrease signals your body to stop burning fat – to actually hold it in reserve for a future emergency situation.
3.Energy Demand
Regardless of what any of the gurus say, your body is designed to run on – wait for it – SUGAR.
And guess what carbs are made of?
Yep, SUGAR.
Sure, you’re body can also run on fat, but – and wait for this – it’s a BACK UP or SURVIVAL mechanism.
That is – fueling your body SOLELY on fat – like ketosis – or the state your body is in when you eat a low/no carb diet.
Weird, huh?
Yeah, I thought so too when I went back and started really looking at bioenergetics – especially the ol’ Krebs Cycle.
So how do you incorporate carbs into your diet to lose fat?
STRATEGICALLY.
First, you have to make sure your training is down pat.
You have to be able to actually USE the carbs that you’re putting into your body.
We’ve talked about this before, but the absolute BEST way is to make sure you’re recruiting your “sugar-hungry” muscle fibers – the big ol’ Type 2b’s.
And how do you do that?
Simple.
Lift HEAVY. Use tension.
And –
Lift EXPLOSIVELY. Move as fast as you can.
And how do we do this with ye olde kettlebells?
Double grinds for the “heavy” and double ballistics for the “explosive.”
You start with a 4-5 rep max and do multiple sets with it.
You know you can eat carbs – sometimes lots of carbs – and still lose fat, right?
Here’s how you do it – you have to eat the RIGHT carbs at the RIGHT times.
But first, here are the WRONG carbs to eat – in fact these will almost guarantee you’ll get fat.
– sodas
– fruit juices
– chips
– cookies
– pretzels
– crackers
– breads (except sprouted)
– any processed foods
– baked goods
That list is obviously not extensive, but it’s a start and there’s a lot covered under “processed foods” which is basically anything that comes in a box, bag, or wrapper.
Ok, now how about the carbs you CAN eat?
Well some of this may be “old hat” to you yet you may find yourself surprised at some of the carbs on the list.
– potatoes
– sweet potatoes
– beans
– rice
– chick peas
– bulgur
– quinoa
Yeah, potatoes and rice – thought those were supposed to be “no-no’s”.
As long as you stick to brown rice most of the time you’ll be fine. (I’ll eat white rice post workout for the insulin release but the jury’s still out as to the results – just tinkering…)
When To Eat The Right Carbs For Max Fat Loss
There’s lots of confusion on this issue –
Morning, evening, post-workout…
Well consider this: As kids, we never considered this. :
We just ate what we wanted when we wanted.
Right?
Well, more like what Mom wanted, but still, we didn’t worry about stuff like “nutrient timing” and all that.
We just ate.
But now?
Well, life seems to be a little more complicated.
Here’s the thing:
There are lots of “programs” and lots of ideas out there, each “proven” by “the science.”
And there’s one thing they pretty much all agree on:
Your body is most sensitive – that is – most able to tolerate carbohydrates AFTER your workouts.
That’s Big Secret Numero Uno.
That seems to be the “best” time – the one time that just about everybody can agree upon.
Sure, you can eat them only at night, like what is currently popular in the Intermittent Fasting world right now.
Sure, you can eat them in the morning and taper them off through the evening.
But here’s another thing all the experts can agree upon:
There’s a limited number of carbs your body can use.
What’s that number?
Well the more overweight you are, the smaller it is.
And the leaner you are, the bigger it is.
So, the goal, then, is to get as lean as possible so you can enjoy your carbs.
Here’s Big Secret #2:
You should pick a way of eating that matches your lifestyle.
You want to eat 3 meals a day?
Cool.
Just do it consistently. And make sure those meals are set up – balanced correctly between protein, carbs, and fat – so you will burn fat.
(Cereal and OJ for breakfast is awesome for storing fat.)
You want to eat 5 to 6 mini-meals each day?
Knock yourself out.
Again – make sure they’re balanced correctly so you’re burning fat.
Oh, and speaking of records, for the record, not eating all day and coming home and eating a large pizza – that’s NOT the way to go.
That’s arguably THE best way to store fat.
At the end of the day, whichever eating style suits your needs, you have to ensure that you’re still getting enough protein, fat, and of course, getting in the right carbs at the right times.
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