Don't Fear the Potato: Why Carbs Aren't the Enemy of Fat Loss
How many times have you heard that you need to completely cut carbohydrates if you want to lose weight? It’s basically an unspoken “rule” at this point.
But if we look at the actual science, that rule is kind of silly.
Here is the truth:
As long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose body fat perfectly fine without dropping carbs.
This isn’t just my opinion…it’s math.
At its core, fat loss is a simple equation: energy in versus energy out. If you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you will lose weight, whether those calories come from a sweet potato or an avocado. In fact, some research has shown that, calorie for calorie, eating less dietary fat can actually result in more body fat loss than cutting out carbohydrates (Hall et al., 2015).
So, stop fearing the potato. Having carbs in your diet isn’t just okay…it might actually be asecret weapon to boost your performance in the gym. Here’s why:
Carbs are fuel for training: If you want to perform better in the gym, you need energy. Carbohydrates are your body's preferred and most efficient energy source for intense workouts because they break down into glucose more quickly than protein or fats. Better workouts mean better results (Haff et al., 2003).
They protect your muscle: When you’re in a calorie deficit, your body looks for energy anywhere it can find it. Eating carbs helps your body burn stored fat for fuel instead of breaking down muscle. Ideally…we’d like to keep that.
They manage your stress hormones: Carbohydrates prompt a controlled rise in insulin. While insulin gets dumped on by some people (ahem…Dr. Jason Fung…Obesity Code), it actually plays a crucial role in lowering cortisol…your body’s primary stress hormone. Less stress means better recovery (Soltani et al., 2019). The obvious exception is if you already have pre-existing insulin resistance or Diabetes.
Here’s the takeaway: eat your carbs, count your calories, and trust the process. You can lose fat, build muscle, and start proving to yourself that you are capable of change.
You don't need a restrictive diet that makes you miserable. You just need a strategy that works.
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Works Cited
Hall, Kevin D., et al. "Calorie for calorie, dietary fat restriction results in more body fat loss than carbohydrate restriction in people with obesity." Cell metabolism 22.3 (2015): 427-436.
Haff, G. Gregory, et al. "Carbohydrate supplementation and resistance training." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 17.1 (2003): 187-196.
Soltani, Hoda, Nancy L. Keim, and Kevin D. Laugero. "Increasing dietary carbohydrate as part of a healthy whole food diet intervention dampens eight week changes in salivary cortisol and cortisol responsiveness." Nutrients 11.11 (2019): 2563.
