Macronutrients can be broken down into protein, fats, and carbohydrates, and are the primary nutrients your body needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Each macro plays a different function in improving your overall well being, and without all three in play your body may suffer, actually making it more difficult to lose or maintain weight.
However, both carbohydrates and fats get a bad rap within the dieting industry for allegedly being the primary causes of weight gain, and while this may be true if they’re consumed in excess and in the less healthy variations, it’s unlikely that any macros are to blame for your weight gain. That being said, there’s one nutrient that may actually be standing in your way of seeing healthy changes in your body when removed from your diet: carbs.
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Carbohydrates
Carbs are often one of the first food groups to go on a diet for weight loss, and while they are often higher in calories than most protein or fat, carbs are also the primary source of energy for the body. Although certain carbs that are highly processed may stall weight loss when eaten regularly, cutting carbs entirely can have just as much of an adverse effect over time. “While this may seem counterintuitive in today's Keto-obsessed society, there is enough evidence to support that low-carbohydrate diets promote significant weight loss in the short-term, but long-term these diets are not sustainable,” explains Amy Adams, RD, LDN.
Cutting carbs may work temporarily for some in an effort to lose weight, but over an extended period of time it may be difficult to maintain this eating habit and it’s likely your energy levels will become depleted, stunting your exercise abilities as well. Carbs are what quickly offers the body a boost of energy and remedies low blood sugar, so keeping this nutrient within your diet is essential for overall functionality.
“While fat and protein digests more slowly than carbohydrates, and therefore keeps us full for longer, our body and brain naturally crave carbohydrates,” notes Adams. “Restricting carb-rich foods can cause us to overindulge once we introduce carbohydrates into our diet again.” With weight loss it’s important to look at the long game, and just because something will give you results quickly, doesn’t mean it’s healthy or worth following over time.
It is important to note, however, that not all carbs are good carbs and you should be prudent about which ones you’re allowing into your daily diet as you work to achieve your weight loss goals. “That’s not to say we should incorporate chips or mac and cheese at every meal, but our body thrives on carbohydrates,” explains Adams. But even these “unhealthy” carbs offer some level of energy, so cutting them entirely will undeniably slow you down.
“Our brain prefers carbohydrates (specifically glucose) for fuel. When we do not eat enough carbohydrates, this puts our body into a state of ketosis, where we switch from burning carbs to burning fat, and ketone bodies for fuel. For some people, especially diabetics, this can be detrimental,” warns Adams.
Ultimately all three macronutrients should be included within any diet to provide balance, but as these are broad categories it’s all about the individual ingredients you opt for that will determine your weight loss success. Carbs such as oats, whole grains, veggies and beans are all great contributors of energy to the body, promoting weight loss and beneficial to the diet as they also include fiber which will increase satiety, reducing overeating. “If you are balancing your meals with nutritious carbohydrates, it is less-likely that you will overindulge later on,” says Adams.
