Metabolic Transformation Carbs
Low-carb diets have been the rage for a couple of years now with the reincarnation of Dr. Atkin's theories from the ‘70's. Actually, giving him all the credit wouldn't be appropriate; ketogenic (high-protein, low-carb) diets were introduced much earlier though he was the first to popularize them. Once again, they're the latest repackaged diet fad with several new authors touting the benefits and myriads of followers who have switched from counting grams of fat to counting carbs.
The most important thing to understand about carbohydrates is that they are the body's primary source of energy. All carbohydrates, whether classified as sugar, starch, or fiber, end up being digested into glucose, the smallest form of sugar possible, which the body then uses for energy. Your body can convert protein and fat into glucose, but it's very arduous process, thus the body will always use the much easier carbohydrates first. If the body's preferred energy source, carbohydrates, is all supplied through food, you won't force your body to use a secondary source. If our goal is to lose weight, then you want your body fat to be used for energy. This is why decreasing your carb intake is the easiest way to lose body fat. When you drop your carbohydrate intake lower than your body needs AND your overall caloric intake is lower than your body needs, you force your liver to convert stored body fat into new glucose for the body to use. This mechanism, gluconeogenesis, now provides the glucose necessary to make up for the deficiency caused by eating fewer carbohydrates.
This fat burning state, once started, will continue as long as you keep your carbs at the appropriate levels. If you binge on carbs for a day or two, you will refill all of your glycogen (stored carbs) stores in your body and you will have to deplete them once again to get back to burning body fat. This is one reason dieters often fail to see results. After a few days of dieting, they have successfully depleted their glycogen stores and are just about to dive into body fat usage, but they binge. Frustrated, they restart the diet, depleting glycogen, and binge again. Instead of ever going full force into a long run of fat burning, they just flirt with it and then back out. A large part of this is very physiological. When your body is using stored carbs for energy during the first few days of dieting, it's not that difficult to maintain. You'll cross a line, however, when your brain gets nervous about glucose levels getting too low so it will cause you to get hungry, possibly weak and shaky, and some will also experience headaches and fatigue. This is your brain's way of making you eat carbs. These powerful cravings usually result in major binges like an entire box of cereal, a gallon of ice cream, etc. If, however, you don't give in, your body is forced to start converting stored body fat into glucose and you rebound with incredible energy and decreased hunger. This is due to your glycogen levels rising, and the good news is that your body fat is disappearing! Once you've made it through the tough transition, stay there and burn fat!
I recommend specific amounts of carbohydrates to my clients based on their age, gender, activity level, body structure, and goals. You should create a specific carbohydrate deficit in your diet to make sure your plan will give you consistent and precise levels of body fat loss. I'm completely against the super low-carb diets because the lower you drop your carbs, the more you will also break down muscle tissue. You'll also end up decreasing your metabolism slowly until you have a difficult time losing weight at all. As soon as you begin eating carbs again, the body fat is regained at a rapid rate. Studies have shown that prolonged low-carb diets make your body so insulin sensitive that it will convert carbohydrates to body fat at a rate up to ten times faster than normal! Know anyone who went on one of these diets only to regain all their weight back? Long-term studies concluded that over 85% of those dieters do!
So, carbs are the key to losing body fat, but you still need to eat enough to buffer against muscle loss and metabolic decline. I usually recommend a small “re-load” once a week or so with a controlled increase to keep from slipping too low into depletion. A single meal with foods that you've avoided can actually be helpful metabolically without taking any steps backward in your goals. A few pieces of pizza, a steak, a cheeseburger and fries, or a stack of pancakes with bacon and eggs can be had once a week and actually be helpful.
In my nutrition manual, I also cover the importance of types of carbohydrates. As mentioned, carbs can come in the form of sugary foods, starchy foods, or fibrous foods. Often referred to as simple or complex, the difference in form can make a huge difference in your progress. As long as you're consistent with overall calories and carbohydrate intake levels, you can get away with eating some simple carbs once in awhile, but they can make you much hungrier. I'll skip these details for a later article due to the length of explanation necessary. For now, a qualified nutrition coach should be able to help you determine how many calories and how many grams of carbohydrates will be right for you to reach your goals safely and predictably. As always, we welcome all readers to request information about our online consultation program. I personally communicate with all clients in designing the perfect program and my staff assists me in updates, progressions, and weekly communication with every client.
Dr. Joe Klemczewski, author of Metabolic Transformation: The Ultimate Fat Loss Guide, works with fitness competitors, models, homemakers, and everyone in between with his unique online nutritional consulting program. Visit www.thedietdoc.com for information on how to transform your body. He can be reached at dr.joe@thedietdoc.com.
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