Carbohydrates are not only good for you to eat, but they are absolutely essential if you are looking to get permanent weight loss and fitness results. Say goodbye to those violent yo-yo shifts in weight, and crazy crash-diets, when you apply to your life what Sarah explains in the 10th post of her free extreme weight loss series (after battling binge eating disorder & maintaining over 100 lbs of weight loss). You’ll soon know what she has learned about both eating carbs and weight management.
I have found that there is an absurd amount of misinformation out there when it comes to eating carbohydrates. I have tried pretty much every fad diet out there, and absolutely none of them gave me both the peace of mind that I have found in getting rid of everything that I thought I knew about carbs…as well as the jaw-dropping lasting results that I have gotten by applying what I have learned to my every day life.
When I think about American’s and the obesity epidemic, I think about the invention of the microwave and the unfortunate change in eating habits that also came with it.
When all the food started becoming super processed …”quick”, and for “convenience” to accommodate people’s busy lives (because around the same time is when life started to require both parents to work just to make ends meet, so no one had time to cook)…the busy-ness and convenience seemed to also mean that people forgot to think about their basic nutritional needs and an awful lot of fitness knowledge was lost… and didn’t get passed down to the future generations.
Of course, that is just my personal theory and opinion and another reason I think that we, as a country, got into the chubby situation that we are in (you can also read about what I think the great depression did to our eating as well in my “Everything you need to know about fitness journaling” post)… anyway, so take my advice or leave it… but as someone that struggled with my weight for a good twenty plus years (15 of that I had a full on eating disorder)…and now I have been healthy and fit for a long time…this post should definitely be taken into consideration/to heart.
Best carbs to eat for weight loss/weigh management
Carbohydrates that have not been altered/processed/or broken down are the carbs that we all should be eating (unless a Dr tells you otherwise…but my dad’s Dr. has a saying “the lighter your bread, the sooner you’re dead“…so there’s at least one Dr that I know that recommends whole grains…lol).
The reason that whole grains are better/good for us is not just in the amount of nutrition in them, but the way that the fiber filled carbs break down in our bodies.
The added fiber, and the nature of the whole grain in general is a harder/longer process for our bodies to digest them, so we not only fill full much longer, but we are burning more calories in digestion than we would otherwise with processed foods/white flours.
I mostly just want to encourage you to start thinking about your own carbohydrate intake and figure out some easy ways to swap the unhealthy carbs for the whole grains…you could even baby-step it if you do any of your own baking and use half whole wheat and half white flour until you develop the taste preference for the whole grain option.
An easy rule of thumb to look for is to check the nutritional information on anything that you are thinking about eating, and if it has high carbs but also very little to no dietary fiber, that means that it is likely very processed and should be considered junky carbs.
If you’re still unsure, here is a good resource that will teach you more about healthy quality carbs, and they even have some gluten-free options.
How to lose weight and still eat what you want
When it comes to eating those junky, mostly zero nutrition carbohydrates, there is a little bit of technique that I like to use to stay skinny but still indulge my daily sweet tooth.
Some of you are probably surprised when I say that you can still eat cheesecake, candy, candy bars, cookies, and pretty much any dessert on a fairly regular basis if you just learn to balance out your eating. Yep! No need to go without those favorites because of a fad diet that is too restrictive.
When is the best time to eat junk food?
I mentioned in my post about “How much protein do I need for weight loss?” about how I have gotten into the habit, that if I’m eating junky carbs, I make sure to eat them just after I have had a high-protein-filled lunch. I try not to go too crazy, I typically eat less than 300 calories of junk carbs per day…however, on the days that I strength train/get in a heavy workout, I often allow myself to indulge in a slice of cheesecake or two.
When I am eating the junk food carbs I have found that my body won’t lose weight (even with a calorie deficit) if I am eating them without enough protein at the same time. I find that a ratio of 10 grams of protein per every 300 grams of junk carbs is my “sweet spot” to be able to eat the junk and still stay on track with my goals of losing weight or even just for weight management to maintain my current size.
You basically just have to learn how to balance out your protein to junky carbs ratio… and then another thing I like to do is that I really try not to eat any junky carbs after about 4pm each day (I stop eating in general every day at about 7pm and you can ready why here)…but I definitely do still eat the whole grain carbs throughout any and every day.
That is all that I can think of to share about healthy Carbohydrates and bad balancing the bad carbs today. I hope that I was able to give you something helpful that you can use to enrich your life.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and supporting my endeavors to make people’s lives a little easier/healthier/better. If you liked this fitness post, or found it helpful in any way, please make sure to share it with your family, friends, and co-workers via social media…or you could even send them the direct link via email. Whichever way you choose to spread the love, I super appreciate it! ~Sarah
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Here are the direct links to all the posts, in order of what information I deem as most important,in my fitness series(these are continually updated as I learn and grow):
Direct links to free fitness series:
Step 1: How to overcome binge eating disorder:
Step 2: How to understand fitness in general:
Step 3: Everything you need to know about fitness journaling:
Step 4 : What you actually need to know about strength training:
Step 5: Why drinking enough water needs to become part of your daily fitness routine:
Step 6: Intermittent Fasting For Long Term Weight Loss:
Step 7: How to be more physically active your everyday life:
Step 8: How much protein do I need for weight loss?:
Step 9: What you need to know about the link between sleep and fitness:
Step 10: The Skinny On Eating Carbs And Weight Management
Step 11: The Importance Of A High Protein Breakfast
For those of you that would like another option of a “pinnable image” to share on Pinterest, here you go, thanks again for the support!
*Please note: This post was originally published to this website on March 2nd, 2022 and has since been, and will continue to be periodically updated in order to improve user experience, remain relevant, as well as to stay as shareable as possible on social media.
**Also, please keep in mind that I am no Dr. or Nutritionist, nor do I claim to be an expert at anything…these are just my personal opinions and experiences that I learned through some good old fashioned trial and error/learning things the hard way.