Diet Myth #4: Avoid carbohydrates to lose weight

Yep, I feel like I am telling people this every single day.

I agree. Carbs are essential in muscle development.

I only eat "green carbs". Meaning: veggies and fruits. No white potatoes, no grains, no legumes. I'm on a paleo style diet, and I've never felt better in my whole life. My macros are: 50% fat (good fats from extra virgin coconut oil/extra virgin olive oil, nuts, meats, eggs, avocados, etc.), 30% protein, and 20% carbs from vegetation and the occasional spoonful of raw honey. When I ate in the dietary guidelines that you outlined, I was skinny fat and miserable. Now, I actually have lean muscle and feel fantastic. Do what works for you and gets you the best results.

OH, and I'm not in ketosis. I watch my health vigilantly.

This is true! I see so many bodybuilders and such on the protein overload mentality, but without any notion of carbs as well,

Everything works together in coordination so you need a balance of each at every meal to function at optimal levels.

I see a ton of people downing protein shakes after their workouts....which is fine....but if they don't contain any carbohydrate content, they're really not doing much since you need to replenish the muscle glycogen stores which comes from carbohydrate.

Then, since your carb intake is being used as fuel, it sends a signal to break down fatty acids (aka burn fat) rather than convert excess to Store fat).

It's all a cycle of taking everything together in proper proportions....not cutting things out. :-)

Cheers to you!

Carbohydrates make your body release insulin. Insulin allows your body to convert essential acids into energy to keep you moving. Without carbohydrates, nothing from your food can be metabolised into energy so your body rapes your fat stores and muscles for daily energy.

Now there's a difference between simple carbs you get from refined sugar, white bread etc and complex carbs you get from veggies and wholegrains. Simple carbs are fast burning so they make your body release lots of insulin in one go, which means that you have more energy from your food than you need to use as you're getting about so your body stores the excess as fat - as an aside, this is also the cause of sugar crashing, but that's another subject. Complex carbs give a slow release of insulin so the energy from your food is released over the whole period between meals, meaning you get the right amount of nutrients to keep you going throughout the day with little excess being stored as reserves.

If you cut out carbs completely, you will lose weight but it will be indiscriminately fat and muscle. Also, insulin is linked to diabetes so it's certainly not something you want to cut out of your diet - hence it's not recommended for a long term eating plan.

And if you're trying to build muscle without carbs, you'll definitely fail as you need the insulin released by the carbs to allow the protein to be assimilated into your body. It's a physical impossibility to build muscle with no carbs no matter how much protein you eat.

This is a bit of a back of a *kitten* packet explanation but the basics are there I think.

In summary - Yes you can cheat your body. No it isn't clever or healthy.

Do you know how many cups of organic baby greens, brussel sprouts, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, etc. you can eat and still only spend 20% of your daily calories on them? A TON.

I hear that! When I started this thing, I was eating some massive salads for my lunch but thanks to my food diary on MFP, I noticed that although I was eating a ton of food and struggling to get through it all, it was only about 80 calories! Couldn't hit my paltry 1200 calorie daily target no matter what I tried. I switched out half the salad for some turkey or chicken or tuna and I'm finding myself more satisfied, less stuffed and it's easier to match my target calories each day - and now I've switched them up to 1400.

So true!! If someone had asked me I would have said I eat a high carb diet. But since I started logging I find myself struggling to get my daily carbs and not go over on protein. I'm doing better with the carbs, but still can't keep the protein down (it's those darn almonds!!!)

I believe it's the carb choices that are more important and personally prefer to get them from vegetables mostly and fruit. On MFP I've set my ratios to 20% carbs, 50% fat, 30% protein. Fat does not make you fat, and my fat choices are plant fats (i.e., avocado, olive oil, coconut milk/oil etc.) as well as found in fish, lean red meat (grass fed when I can get it), and poultry, and finally nuts like walnuts, macadamia and such.

BTW, carbs are not a food group :-)

^^This.

As an interesting aside on the subject of choosing which types of carbs to get, I've read that professional bodybuilders often stick to complex carbs most of the day but purposely take simple carbs like pure white sugar along with a protein shake directly after workouts to put their body into a state whereby it will take as much of the acids from the protein to increase the muscle recovery.

Not something I'd go for but interesting to stimulate thought about the timing of different macro nutrients in with your bodies needs.

Or am I overthinking it all? lol!

I have to confess that I opened your post thinking I'd disagree with it completely. However, I whole-heartedly 100% agree with you! You are SO right!

jayb0ne: Check out this thread for some great tips on muscle building and macros:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/276660-i-do-dvds-so-i-don-t-need-to-strength-train

Thanks! That's a great thread full of some top advice.

I am a type 2 non-insulin or medication dependent diabetic, and trying to keep it that way. I understand that your body needs carbs, but when I eat them, I feel terrible and get EXTREMELY tired. Especially if I eat pasta or bread. Can someone give me some advice about this? Thanks

You know the story about the guy who went to see the doctor and said, "Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this" to which the doctor responded, "Well, then don't do that"?

I am a type 2 non-insulin or medication dependent diabetic, and trying to keep it that way. I understand that your body needs carbs, but when I eat them, I feel terrible and get EXTREMELY tired. Especially if I eat pasta or bread. Can someone give me some advice about this? Thanks

You know the story about the guy who went to see the doctor and said, "Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this" to which the doctor responded, "Well, then don't do that"?

The doctor actually did tell my dad that once. lol

I agree. Carbs are essential in muscle development.

Carbs are NOT essential in muscle development...protein is. You need more protein to build muscle. You can live quite happily with carbs from plant material alone. All form of processed carbage are man-made frankenfoods and should be avoided like the plague.

Eat only protein and no carbs and see where that gets you with your muscle gain.

Great post! I thought this was true for a long time and realized without carbs I dont have the energy necessary to get thru my workouts. I eat sweet potatoes at lunch and salads full of veggies, a fruit with breakfast and a carb with dinner and I have continued to lose. I generally do not eat the white stuff....just real foods. :-)