You probably answered yes to that. Didn’t you?

Alarmingly, carbohydrates don’t make you fat. Zero activity level will make you gain weight. Too many carbohydrates in relation to your body’s energy requirements will encourage weight gain and the storage of fat. But so will too many protein or fat calories. Too many calories means too many calories, irrespective of the source. If you’re body requires 1600 to 1800 kcal per day 2000 kcal is too many calories unless your goal is to actually gain weight (in which case it probably wouldn’t be enough).

I’m not going to single out any one diet club, I’ll make a vague statement about how same same they are. They all tend to go off scale weight alone which is not the way to go. Scale weight will only give us one metric, and not what the weight is made up of. They all have extensive lists of ‘free’ foods and the truth is, there’s no such thing, everything has calories in it, if it doesn’t it holds no real nutritional value and is pointless consuming. Pretty much all of them advocate low fat or fat free alternatives. Whilst they’re lower in fat than your normal go to ingredient or food item they’re probably higher in sugar, or other chemicals hiding behind the capital E.

So, do carbohydrates make you fat?

In short- no, carbohydrates don’t, they are the body’s primary source of energy. Having a lazy lifestyle and poor awareness of portion control is what makes you gain weight and body fat.

Longer answer- whilst carbohydrates are the body’s primary energy source they’re usually the macronutrient you can reduce to boost fat loss. I said reduce, not remove! Your body still needs all three macronutrients. Speaking from experience our clients have done so well because we’ve worked out their macronutrients and gave them an education into the best sources of each macronutrient, which ones to avoid or favour over the other. There is a lot to be said about ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Always remember, your energy needs are individual to you. So why would you turn up to a diet club and follow the SAME high carb ‘free food’ ‘no sin’ diet as the other people (who also have individual energy requirements). These energy requirements are based on your current scale weight and body composition, activity level, age and gender. The only way two people would have the same energy requirement is if they had the same weight and body composition, were the same age and gender and had the same activity level.

 

Bottom line- Carbohydrates don’t make you fat!