Carbs are not the enemy

I've done the no-carb diet thing (last summer) and you know what? It's a great way to quickly lose weight. The weight of course crept back on when I reintroduced carbs, but that was to be expected. 

TOWIE has a lot to answer for

A life without rice was not one I was willing to make a conversion to, and since it doesn't fit into my 2013 philosophy (everything within moderation), I've been embracing carbs. Hell, I've been loving them like there's no tomorrow, I'm a little carb monster.

See that? That's me, that is. Toast? RAWWWWWWWR!

Given the rep carbs have been given in the dietsphere, I was expecting this to be a bad thing, but it's been flippin' wonderful. I've not any adverse effects; there's been no bloating or tiredness, and if I have a bit of a 'carb face' then I don't mind;  that just helps plump out my wrinkles a little!

The wonder of Weight Watchers is that I don't count calories, but out of curiosity I entered a few days onto MFP last week to see how my macros were looking. I'm hovering around 45-52% carbs per day now (in reality this can be anything between 100 - 150g per day) and then the rest is split evenly down the middle between fats and proteins. That's very different to how I used to eat last year, but it's within my daily WW Points totals then I'm not worrying about it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sticking with the good stuff. Wholemeal and granary breads, pasta, brown rice, oats and lots of vegetables.

Some of my favourite breakfasts and dinners from last week

If we start looking at the sciencey-stuff; carbohydrates are pretty much the most important sources of energy for your body. The digestive system changes these nutrients into glucose, which charges up your energy cells throughout your whole body, in fact the brain solely relies on carbohydrates for energy. The right level of complex carbohydrates can help regulate your blood sugar, which helps control energy dips and hunger pangs - which is why they're ideal when you're trying to clean up your eating habits and lose a little weight. 

I can only think the bad rep that carbs have has stemmed from two things; the lack of portion control when it comes to the amount we consume and our overuse of refined carbs (like white flour used in white bread, cakes, sugars and so on). Refined (or processed) carbs spike our insulin, lead to drops in energy and can actually help store fat in certain areas of our body (this is where my huge gut came from when I was younger - all that processed crap that I used to eat!). 

If we stick with the mantra everything within moderation then we know we can have refined treats from time to time, but not make them a major part of our daily diet. After all, I'm pretty certain that a life without cake or beer would be a very sad one. 

Funtimes at the Great British Beer Festival 2012

And that folks, is why you shouldn't fear the carbs, for carbs really are not your enemy.