You can use carbohydrates and feel keeping them as high as possible WHILST allowing for fat loss to occur is only a positive thing. Here are some of the many reasons why this is -
1. Keeping your carb intake higher will often mean your muscles are fuller which improves aesthetics
2. Keeping your carb intake higher will help sustain metabolic output
The
theory that carbs are "evil" where fat loss is concerned is down to the
fact that they illicit an insulin response. However, a rise in insulin
levels doesn't necessarily mean that lipolysis will grind to a halt
forever!!! It's not so much a case of "on and off" - a sliding scale
would be a more accurate description.
The
idea that insulin shuts fat loss down is based on the idea that it
binds to receptors on fat cells. However, in trained individuals who are
pushing the boundaries in the gym and are following a nutritious diet
the reality is insulin will also be binding to muscle and liver cells to
aid in the uptake of amino acids and glucose.
Remember
certain proteins will also illicit an insulinogenic response (not
necessarily on par with carbs) so to say if you elevate insulin you
can't drop body fat is kind of crazy
right?
Instead
to maximize fat loss it comes down to optimizing insulin sensitivity
which can be done through diet and training. I've had multiple clients
who feel they are carb sensitive come to me and end up dropping body fat
and gaining lean tissue after I increase their carbohydrate intake.
Here are some key points to optimizing insulin sensitivity in relation to diet -
1.
Focus on
including adequate fiber and essential fatty acids to help blunt the
insulin response of a meal (NO, insulin isn't necessarily bad but we
want to help mediate this and not create aggressive spikes)
2.
Eat every 2-4 hours throughout the day. This means that your calorie
intake per meal will be less than if you were eating the same calories
across maybe 2-3 meals. As a result less insulin is secreted per meal
and you're going to retain balance
easier.
3.
Pick high quality carbohydrate sources which won't contribute to a high
GL (glycemic load) unless you need this. I'd also recommend limiting
fructose to around 20% of your total intake of carbs during the day.
Certainly
some people will be more tolerant of carbohydrates than others, however
my point is that in my experience people are overly cautious of
carbohydrates and tend to avoid them too
much to their own detriment.
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