Why Are You Still Cutting Carbs?

Have a conversation around fat loss and somewhere, somehow carbohydrates will likely come up in conversation…

-Well, I’m cutting back on my carbs

-I was low carb-ing it last week to give myself a kickstart

-Every time I eat carbs I feel bloated

And it’s helpful to understand “why” this may be happening.

For one, I normally need some clarification:

“What types of carbs are you cutting out?”

And it may be some combination of white starchy carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc.

Or it may be something that seems more carb-heavy but can actually be an energy dense carb-fat combo like pizza, cookies, cakes, crackers, or chips.

Because when I drill down a bit further, I rarely hear of people cutting out fibrous vegetables (those are carbs) and some of the fear-mongering around fruit is starting to die down (also carbs).

However, one thing that can be frustrating about carbs is the fact that they hold 3-4g of water per gram.

So, if you’re consuming 200g of carbs per day from a variety of sources, you may also be holding on to 600-800g of water as well.

Slash that intake down to 50g of carb per day, like many keto enthusiasts might do, and you’re dropping 450g-600g of water from your body.

Chances are, you’ll notice that on the scale as well.

And for as much as those of us in the fitness space champion protein intake, the other variable worth focusing on is fiber.

And where do we find fiber?

Grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. All of which are predominantly carbs (although nuts, seeds and avocadoes have some fats in them as well.)

The other thing that we tend to notice is that people who are getting in an appropriate amount of carbohydrates tend to perform better with physical activity, as the body will tend to favor that fuel source to help get you through your workouts.

However, just as every digestive system is uniquely different not everyone can tolerate carbs in the same amounts or even from the same sources. I’ve written a lot about this on this website when looking into the low FODMAP approach for IBS and IBD.

So, while you may need to experiment a bit to find the right sources and the right amounts of carbohydrate containing foods that agree with you, it’s an experiment worth working with.

The gut microbiome thrives on fiber diversity and sometimes people can become so fixated on driving the scale down that they forget to give their digestive system the type of “good bacteria” that keeps everything functioning appropriately. And here’s a hint: probiotics won’t be the answer for everyone.

If you’ve ever heard the term: “build a colorful plate”, you can credit the wide array of colors from carbohydrate containing foods.

And ultimately, who doesn’t want the most efficient and effective body they can get?

Yes, for some people, they can cut back on the sweets or some of those fat-carb combos mentioned above to help see better success on the scale.

But for everyone else, you have a huge range of beneficial foods to pick from to help you reach your goals and optimize your health.

Maybe cutting carbs isn’t the answer after all.

(Photo courtesy of Engin Akyurt)