The Truth About Carbs
Carbs: a bigger picture
Carbs, a magical 5 letter word that triggers joy for some and PTSD for others. Carbs get a bad reputation, many saying they gain weight looking at them. But there is more to the pie than meets the eye. Today, I’d like to provide some context to help you understand carbs better!
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient. Food items contain three macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fat. These macronutrients are what make up total calories. One gram of carb and one gram of protein is equivalent to 4 calories, while one gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories.
Carbs and fat are used by our bodies for energy. When too much energy is consumed and not being utilized, our bodies store it as fat. While our bodies use both macronutrients for energy, our bodies naturally utilize carbs first, when available, and use fat when your body is depleted of its glycogen, which is the storage unit for carbs.
This is what leads to the misunderstanding that removing carbs from your diet helps you burn fat; while it is true that your body will use fat as its source of energy when carbohydrates are unavailable, this is not the same thing as using stored fat. Your body only resorts to stored fat when it reaches a deficit of energy (or calories), no matter where your calories are coming from.
Want to know how to split up your macros? Check out our resources page, where you can use our TDEE calculator to get a wonderful look!
What foods are carbs?
Carb sources are foods like bread, potatoes, and pasta. If you feel like the family dog and I just said the word “walk,” you’re not alone. We all love carbs, and they are not the enemy, but they do need some guard rails to avoid overconsumption.
The problem is that the most delicious and carb filled foods are easy to consume fast. A bowl of rice or pasta can easily add 40-50 grams of carbs before you say Heroes Fitness.
One of the easiest ways to avoid over-consuming carbs is to eat single ingredient carb sources. When you combine multiple ingredients into one spoonful, it often creates a tasty meal, but it also condenses calories. One spoonful of rice versus one spoonful of rice pudding.
I typically tell people that foods that require a scientist and a lab to create are best avoided.
Opt to eat more potatoes, rice, and oats, and less cake and pasta. Fair?
Heroes Fitness is not a gym that will slap you on the wrist for eating cake, we just want you to change your ratio. Let’s try to have 3 single ingredient carb sources for every 1 multi-ingredient carb source per week.
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