refined carbs...cut to tone up??

balancedbrunette

Hi just looking for opinions from people, i'm working on loosing my last 7lbs approx to get down to 8stone, since joining here i've cut refined carbs from my diet and found it has helped me personally because i feel better more so than weigh less i guess but have been loosing the weight slowly but surely ...i'm not particularly overweight as such but i want to get down on bf%...should i limiting my carb intake or carb sources as such for this....

and what exactly are refined carbs....my guess is its anything like white bread, cereals, biscuits, pizza??

Lyadeia

Why do you feel that you need to cut any foods out of your diet as long as you are working in a calorie deficit? This is what leads to fat loss, not some food combination. I consistently lose fat eating pizza and pasta all the time. Refined carbs! GASP!!! (LOL, not trying to be rude, just funny...just a disclaimer for all those sensitive types)

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Nope. Calorie deficit controls weight loss not carb consumption.

SteelySunshine

I guess I get to be the voice of dissent cutting out as many refined carbs as you can is an excellent idea. I am not saying never have cake again especially if you are healthy. But, no one has ever done harm to their body by not eating refined sugar or other white carbs. They can actually be all but eliminated from a diet and you would still be able to find foods to replace them and they would most likely be better for you. Whole foods are almost always better. But, the most important thing as always is to log log log, so that you can see what effect your diet has on you over time.

KarenJanine

There is no reason to cut carbs to reduce BF%. Lift heavy and eat at a small calorie deficit with a good balance of carbs, protein and fats.

gainwait

Yes I agree with SteelySunshine, It is better to stay away from refined carbs as they are higher in sugars and go straight into your bloodstream and turn to fat a lot quicker then complex carbs such as wholegrain breads,brown rice,wholemeal pasta etc. Of course you will lose weight by eating less but what are you losing. There is a term called skinny fat. These people can live on junk food, stay under their calorie intake and are still thin but are classied as obese because they carry more fat on them than muscle tissue. You are feeing better since cutting refined carbs because your not getting that insulin spike from the high GI carbs and your right about the white breads,pizzas.most cereals besides oatmeal and biscuits being bad (if you eat them often). I tried cutting carbs but I felt tired most of the time so I started eating 40% complex carbs 30% protein 30% good fats and I found I had alot more energy with enough protein so I didn't lose muscle tissue. Losing those last few pounds takes time but its more of a lifestyle change. I have found since I started cardio and getting my heart rate up to between 60-70% which is the fat burning zone I am a lot more toned. Was 109kg, got down to 66kg and trying to put a few healthy kilos back on slowly. I don't know what your exercise regime is but they say excercise is about 25% of the weight loss process so good luck with your goals.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I eat a lot of refined carbs, and junk food. I am not "skinny fat". Protein intake and strength training are what ensures fat lose instead of muscle. Carb intake has nothing to do with it.

balancedbrunette

Thanks very much everyone for the helpful replies, honestly i know people are probably tired of seeing these topics about refined carbs and overall worry about carbs in the diet so it helps people took the time to reply.

I guess for the last few pounds it is about balance i know myself now i need to try and up my protein take even more as i find im not reaching my target every day and im full target on carbs so just need to make a few changes and be smart about.

being doing julian michaels shred as well as some dancing during the week so going to keep this up, if im honest i would say im skinny fat and a lot of that is from 2011 when i was doing my final exams and ate a lot of junk and most likely overate, its really just showing on my tummy so trying to reduce this.