FEAR OF CARBOHYDRATES
If this is your latest, and hopefully final attempt at finding a fat loss plan which helps you improve your body composition forever, the chances are you have experienced the fear of carbohydrates. This will be thanks to some stupid fad diet which tells you eating carbohydrates will stop your body from using fat as fuel!
The Atkins Diet is the most well-known and unfortunately most used of the lot. It promotes complete eradication of carbs at first, then allows a very small reintroduction in later weeks.
The theory behind the Atkins diet is that because glucose from carbohydrates is the body’s preferred source of fuel, less fat will be burnt. However, you should be exercising hard if you want to improve your physique and this just isn’t possible on a zero or low carb diet for more than a few days maximum! Remember, in times of starvation the body will do all it can to preserve fat which includes making you less physically active!
If you just want to become “skinny fat” or have the appearance of some unfortunate people who become anorexic, then this may be a good option for you! You should not subscribe to any systems which help you lose weight without exercise. Intense exercise is not possible without the presence of carbohydrates because fat takes too long to process.
On a low carb diet you will eventually get so tired and irritable that not only will you begin to p**s off your friends and family, but your work and social life will suffer culminating in a binge. Now that your body is looking for any opportunity to store fat, you won’t just go back to square one but you’ll end up a few squares behind that with a higher body fat percentage than you did in the first place!
High fat diets have been suggested to increase the body’s fat burning potential but this was only found to be true in elite athletes engaging in low intensity activities such as trekking across the North Pole. As it is unlikely you will be taking part in such an event therefore you need to get this idea out of your head for good!
To sum up this section, high intensity exercise and a controlled calorie deficit are what the doctor ordered to stimulate your metabolism at rest when fat will be the preferred source. Don’t worry about carb intake so long as it is within the parameters set out in the Underground Functional Fitness meal plans.
