Is there anything to this "Carbs" thing?

Carbs, carbs, carbs... That's all I seem to hear about these days, when it comes to getting/staying fit and eating right. But are carbs really of the devil? Do they short-circuit your training and fitness goals?

The first time I ever heard anyone talk about carb-limiting was many years ago when a friend did the Atkins Diet. The gist I got of the diet, was that one could basically eat all of the fats and proteins they desired, but no carbs. I thought it sounded like a crazy plan. After all, the FDA has given us Minimum Daily Requirements and the Food Pyramid, which have been drilled into us from an early age. The foundation of which, is The Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group. Surely, if we don't consume these "essential" foods, we will be unhealthy, and maybe even die!

But the (Atkins) diet worked! My friend lost (a lot) of weight, and seemingly effortlessly. He could eat as much of the meats, fat, eggs, and dairy he wanted, just no carbs. He seemed not to have any significant hunger, and the pounds definitely dropped off him. His health seemed okay, too. He didn't fall into a coma, or develop palsy, or have convulsions, as my schooling had lead me to fear.

The only negative that stands out to me from observing this person on that diet, is that when he was done with the diet, all of the weight slowly returned. Though, each time he'd do the diet again, the fat would drop right back off. Very ponderous!

Fast forward to today. A workout buddy has been getting the coaching advice of a competitive body builder, who has shared a cutting regimen used for getting super lean, in preparation for competitions. I'm over simplifying here, but two major components involve a day of "carb loading" or consuming a huge (huge!) amount of carbohydrates, followed by several days of nothing but (a lot of) proteins.

My primitive understanding is that the "carb day" tricks your body into burning fat in a different way, and at a different rate for a period of time, while the protein days support muscle growth and general lean-ness, without having you go into starvation mode, or reduced metabolism.

This is actually a super-intense (understatement!) version of what I've been doing for my normal eating regimen for about 6 years now, and in my experience it works extremely well (browse through my pics if you need proof).

Sorry, FDA and USDA, but I think your advice has made for a lot of fat Americans! And there is lots of research and evidence to back that up.

The basics of my regimen come from two main sources: "The Slow Carb Diet" from the Tim Ferriss book titled: The 4 Hour Body; and from an amazing nutritional program by Joel Marion called: Cheat Your Way Thin.

You can find the Tim Ferriss book at Amazon. It helped me understand the damage done by consuming too many of the wrong kinds of carbohydrates. The Cheat Your Way Thin program really revolutionized my eating plan into one that is very sustainable (for life), and is extremely effective. I found out that I don't need to totally deprive myself of sweets, carbs, and the foods I really enjoy to maintain a lean and fit body. Like my body building friend, mentioned earlier, I discovered that I can use carbs in a specific way to "trick" my body, while enjoying the foods I love, and having an incentive to follow my plan.

It's easy, and I have not abandoned it in over 6 years now.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I needed a nutritional plan that: 1) Worked; and 2) I could live with for the rest of my life. I think I can now safely say that I'm living proof that those criteria have been successfully met. What good is a diet if it's not something that easily just becomes normal and habit? That's the thing... The best diet in the world is nearly worthless if you ultimately abandon it.

So, yes, there is something to this "Carbs" thing. And there is an easy road map to show you the way - FOR LIFE!

Browse my links in this post, and over in the right hand column. They have all been useful tools I personally continue to use to support a long, healthy life.


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