Why cutting carbs fails, every time!

Carbs have been given a very bad name over the years. Firstly it’s important to note that all carbs are not equal. There is a big difference in nutritional value between a slice of white bread and a sweet potato – but in food group classification, they are both carbs.

When you cut carbs out, this happens…

Now, when the generic ‘fad diet’ recommends that you cut out carbs, you naturally end up cutting that sweet potato out as well.  Now the problem comes in with blood sugar. If you cut ALL sources of carb energy out, you will naturally have a drop in blood sugar. In some of us, this drop in blood sugar may cause a CRAVING for something sweet or salty – but something unhealthy, processed and low in nutrition.

I get why it’s hard to cut out carbs, but how come its so effective in weight loss?

So I know what you’re all thinking - so if there are good carbs and bad carbs, why does it work when it comes to losing weight to cut them out? Cutting out carbs in general is effective in weight loss because when you cut all carbs from your diet, you automatically have a calorie restriction, and a calorie restriction definitely induces short-term weight loss.

The problem is, we are not robots. Despite our best intentions, by blanketing carbs as bad and cutting all the carbs we often crave or binge on the higher calorie carbs and that’s where the problem begins. Rather just cut out the processed, low nutritional carbs, and this will prevent the binge, by maintaining a steady blood sugar!

‘No ones craves tuna and avo!” And this is why cutting out all carbs fails. By going NO CARB we end up craving a bad carb, and often binging on bad carbs and then feeling angry with ourselves or guilty, or some negative emotion. Cut the processed carbs out – why because they are low in nutrition. But keep the real carbs in, like vegetable carbs, whole grains (like brown rice and quinoa) and fruits. These carbs will save you from the craving zone and feeling like yet another diet has failed!

10 carbs I would try to avoid:

Bread

Shop-bought juices

Baked goods like muffins, croissants and pastries

Crackers and biscuits

Fizzy drinks

Pasta

Table sugar

Pizza

Chocolate - the higher % cacao chocolate is better as it contains less sugar

Crumbed fish and chicken - the crumbs are the bad part