Milly Gaines
Dieting can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing your favourite foods. Carbohydrates, or carbs, are often seen as the enemy in modern diet culture, but they are an important part of a healthy diet. Complex carbs, which come from whole, unprocessed plant foods, are typically full of nutrients. However, simple carbs derived from highly processed foods do not provide additional nutrients and can be cut down. If you're looking to lose weight while still enjoying carbs, a balanced approach is best. This involves watching your carb portions and choosing quality carbs like high-fibre options, while also incorporating other nutritious foods like lean protein and healthy fats.
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What You'll Learn
You don't have to cut carbs, just limit them
You don't have to cut carbs from your diet, just limit them. Carbohydrates are an important part of most diets, and complex carbs, which come from whole, unprocessed plant foods, are typically full of nutrients.
If you're looking to lose weight, eating fewer carbs may help. The number of carbs you should eat daily depends on your age, sex, body type, and activity level. For example, if you're eating a 2,000-calorie diet, the daily value for carbs is 275 grams per day. However, a low-carb diet typically contains fewer than 20 to 120 grams of carbohydrates per day.
You can gradually reduce your carb intake by consuming fewer sweetened drinks and eating more foods containing lean protein. When eating out, keep an eye on portion sizes and consider ordering a side salad or extra vegetables to increase your fiber intake and help you feel fuller.
If you're having a meal with bread, you can choose whole grain bread, which contains vitamins and minerals, instead of white bread. You can also try wholemeal pasta instead of white pasta and sweet potato or cauliflower instead of potato. These small substitutions will help you limit your carb intake without cutting carbs out completely.
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Focus on complex carbs
If you're dieting but don't want to give up carbs, it's important to know that not all carbs are created equal. Simple carbs, which are derived from highly processed foods, can be nutritionally deficient and cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. On the other hand, complex carbs are full of nutrients like fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and they cause a more gradual increase in blood sugar.
Complex carbohydrates come from whole, unprocessed plant foods. Examples of complex carbs include starchy vegetables (like potatoes and corn), legumes (like beans and lentils), and whole grains (like brown rice and wholemeal bread). These foods are rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
When trying to lose weight, some people find success by reducing their intake of simple carbs and focusing on complex carbs instead. This approach can help to lower blood sugar and reduce your risk of developing health conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Additionally, because complex carbs take longer to digest, they can make you feel fuller for longer, reducing your overall calorie intake.
To incorporate more complex carbs into your diet, try choosing brown rice or long-grain rice over white rice, wholemeal pasta instead of white pasta, and whole-grain bread instead of white bread. You can also try swapping potatoes for sweet potatoes, or adding more legumes and beans to your meals. These simple substitutions can help improve your health and make it easier to manage your weight.
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Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks
Sugar-sweetened drinks are a major source of added sugars in our diet. These drinks can add a lot of extra carbs to your diet, in the form of sugar. For example, one can of non-diet cola contains 35 grams of carbs, and these carbs come almost entirely from sugar.
Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to the onset of type 2 diabetes, so cutting back on these drinks could help reduce your risk of developing this condition. Here are some tips to help you avoid sugar-sweetened drinks:
- Gradually reduce your intake. If you regularly consume sugary drinks, slowly start incorporating less sweet alternatives. For example, mix half sweetened iced tea with half unsweetened iced tea, or gradually reduce the amount of sugar you add to your coffee or tea until you can cut it out completely.
- Choose water. Water is the best way to hydrate your body, and it's naturally sugar-free. Carry a refillable water bottle with you or keep a cup at your desk to make water your go-to choice. You can add slices of your favorite fruits or herbs for a boost of flavor or try seltzer or sparkling water if you prefer fizzy drinks.
- Read nutrition labels. Drinks that seem healthy, like bottled smoothies or fruit juices, can be loaded with added sugars. Look for ingredients like sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, syrups, concentrated fruit juice, agave, and honey. One container may contain more than one serving, which can increase the amount of added sugar you're consuming.
- Choose low-sugar alternatives. Instead of sugary drinks, opt for low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or sugar-free, diet, or no-added-sugar drinks. If you enjoy fizzy drinks, try diluting no-added-sugar squash with sparkling water.
- Make your own smoothies. When you crave something sweet, skip the soda and make a homemade smoothie with fresh fruits and/or vegetables, ice, and low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.
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Combine carbs with protein and fibre
While some diets recommend cutting out carbohydrates, this is not necessary for weight loss. Carbohydrates are an important part of most diets and can be full of nutrients. However, if you are looking to lose weight, eating fewer carbs may help.
If you want to continue eating carbohydrates, it is important to combine them with protein and fibre. This is because protein and fibre provide satiety, meaning you will feel full for longer. For example, whole wheat pasta (fibre) with a sauce of meat or meat substitute (fat and protein) and vegetables (fibre) will fill you up for longer than white pasta with only tomato sauce. This means you will be less likely to reach for an extra sandwich.
Protein and fibre also ensure that your food stays in your stomach for longer, slowing down the absorption of glucose and preventing your blood sugar from rising too quickly. This is especially important for people with diabetes. For example, the carbohydrates from milk are absorbed more slowly than the carbohydrates (sugars) from cola due to the presence of protein and fat.
To add more protein to your diet, include foods such as meat, chicken, fish, legumes, unsweetened (vegetable) dairy products, cheese, and eggs. To increase your fibre intake, eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
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Exercise to maintain muscle while losing weight
Carbohydrates are an important part of most diets and should not be cut out entirely. Complex carbs, which come from whole, unprocessed plant foods, are typically full of nutrients. However, if you are looking to lose weight, eating fewer carbs may help.
If you are looking to reduce your carb intake, you can start by removing the unhealthiest carb sources from your diet, such as refined wheat and added sugars. You can also cut down on sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas or sweetened iced teas, which can add a lot of extra carbs to your diet.
When reducing your carb intake, it is important to replace the carbs with other quality foods. Focus on eating more foods containing lean protein, as protein helps promote protein synthesis, which forms muscle mass. Aim to get 25 to 30 grams of protein in each meal, and spread your protein intake throughout the day.
In addition to a well-balanced diet, exercise plays a key role in maintaining muscle mass while losing weight. Resistance training is one of the most important factors in maintaining muscle mass, and it can be done with or without weights. The CDC recommends strength training at least 2 days per week, targeting your major muscle groups. Examples of exercises that use your own body weight include pushups, squats, and lunges.
Incorporating aerobic (cardiovascular) exercises with resistance training may also benefit fat loss while preserving muscle mass. However, it is important to limit doing too much cardio before resistance training, as it may negatively impact muscle strength.
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Frequently asked questions
No, you don't need to cut carbs. Carbohydrates are an important part of most diets, especially complex carbs derived from whole, unprocessed plant foods, which are typically full of nutrients.
The number of carbs you should eat per day depends on your age, sex, body type, and activity level. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbs provide 45% to 65% of your daily calorie intake for all age groups and sexes. According to the FDA, this translates to 275 grams of carbs per day in a 2,000-calorie diet.
You can gradually reduce your carb intake by consuming less of certain foods and beverages, like sweetened drinks, and eating more lean protein and high-fiber foods. Eating lower GI options, such as brown rice, wholemeal pasta, and whole-grain bread, can also help.
Low-carb diets can aid in weight loss and provide additional health benefits, such as lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, which is especially important for people with diabetes. They can also reduce appetite and lead to a reduction in calorie intake.
You can lose weight by ensuring you eat fewer calories than you burn, regardless of your carb intake. Combining protein and fiber can help you feel fuller and boost your metabolic rate. Additionally, regular exercise can help maintain muscle while losing weight.
