How to Still Enjoy Carbohydrates and Still Lose Weight!

Ok, let’s get this straight. You can still eat carbohydrates and lose weight. Back when the Atkins diet come out along with associated spinoffs people mistakenly got the message that carbs when bad. This simply isn’t true. It all comes down what type of carbs and what time of the day you eat them. There are two types of carbs, complex and simple.

Complex carbs have a low GI rating which means that energy is released slowly into the blood stream. This is essential for fat loss as you will only burn body fat if your energy levels are stable. It is impossible to burn fat if they are elevated which is what simple carbs do. They cause an insulin spike, the hormone which regulates your blood sugar, which in turn gives you the yo-yo effect of feeling full of energy, then flat. I recommend that the majority of your carbohydrate intake consist of low GI, complex carbs.

The only time it is beneficial for your body to consume high GI, simple carbohydrates is within 45 minutes of you finishing your workout as it replaces energy to your muscles fast and helps with protein absorption along with muscle repair. A healthy choice be would fruit, especially bananas or citrus fruit. However, if you do like your simple carbs immediately after your exercise is the time.

Some examples of complex carbs are.....

Spinach Whole Barley Grapefruit

Turnip Greens

Buckwheat

Apples

Lettuce

Buckwheat bread

Prunes

Water Cress

Oat bran bread

Apricots, Dried

Zucchini Oatmeal

Pears

Asparagus

Oat bran cereal

Plums

Artichokes

Muesli

Strawberries

Okra

Wild rice

Oranges

Cabbage

Brown rice

Yams

Celery

Multi-grain bread

Carrots

Cucumbers Pinto beans

Sweet Potatoes

Dill Pickles

Yogurt, low fat

Soybeans

Radishes

Skim milk

Lentils

Broccoli

Navy beans

Garbanzo beans

Brussels Sprouts

Cauliflower

Kidney beans

Eggplant

Soy milk

Lentils

Onions

Multigrain bread

Split peas

Wholemeal spaghetti

Some examples of simple carbs are.....

Table sugar

Corn syrup

Fruit juice

Chocolate

Cake

White Potatoes

Bread made with white flour

Pasta made with white flour

Soft drink

Lollies

All baked goods made with white flour

Most packaged cereals

When can you eat carbohydrates?

If you are looking to lose some weight, I would recommend a healthy diet consists of consistently 5 meals per day, with breakfast, morning tea and lunch being 50% complex carbs, 30% protein and 20% good fats then afternoon tea and dinner consisting of 20% complex carbs, 60% protein and 20% good fats.

Other tips

Read the labels.

If the label lists sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, white or "wheat" flour, they contain simple carbs. If these ingredients are at the top of the list, they may contain mostly simple carbohydrates, and little else. Avoid them like the plague.

Look for foods that have not been highly processed or refined.

Choose a piece of fruit instead of fruit juice, which is very high in naturally occurring simple sugars. Choose wholegrain breads instead of white bread. Try choosing wholegrain oatmeal instead of packaged cold cereals.