Posted on October 08, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

 

How many carbohydrates should I eat? What carbohydrates should I eat? Can I eat carbs if I want to lose weight? These are questions asked by our personal training clients who wish to lose weight. It is important to ensure that you eat the correct amount and type of carbs but equally important is ensuring when these carbohydrates are consumed.

At motive8 north we believe that eating a low GI carbohydrate, high protein diet is the best way to lose weight and maintain health. It is important to understand that cutting out carbohydrates completely is not the answer but ensuring that you eat the right carbohydrates is key to success.

The Right Type of Carbohydrates for Weight Loss

Avoid eating processed carbs such as pasta and bread, they cause sluggishness,
digestion problems and inflammation , hence why you feel bloated after eating them. Eat naturally sourced, low GI carbohydrates such as bulgar wheat, wholegrain rice and quinoa. as these are slow release carbs and have a higher protein content than other grains, meaning you’re energy levels will remain more stable and not follow the rollercoster sugar rush if you eat high GI carbs.

Although these carbs are much better than the processed kind it is important to not eat too
many to maximise weight loss. A great way is to only consume carbohydrates in one
meal per day. So if you have porridge for breakfast then don’t eat more high carb meals for
24 hours. Although, the only exception to the rule here is vegetables, apart from root veg. Vegetables are a source of carbohydrates BUT they are good for you especially green veg such as broccoli, spinach, kale etc.

To maximise weight loss the motive8 North personal training team would recommend that you completely avoid such carbohydrates as bread and pasta completely from your diet with a maximum of 1 portion per week. Even wholegrain pasta and bread is processed and although better should still be avoided.

When Should You Eat Carbohydrates? 

When thinking about what time of the day to eat carbohydrates lunchtime is a great time to ensure your body uses the carbohydrates effectively.  People often think they need carbs before they work out but let us let you into a secret, carbohydrates are not essential to get you through a session which is an hour or less. They are not needed to create glucose or have a reliable energy source as sufficient glucose can be generated from healthy protein and fats.

Planning your meals is key and understanding that you don’t need to have carbs in every
meal will be a massive step towards weight loss. Make protein and good fats your new best friends!