Carbs, Weight Loss & Wellbeing: What You Need to Know
Growing up, one of my favourite shows to watch was the Fast Show. For anyone not familiar, it was a sketch show with a cast of regular characters and very memorable catch phrases. This show came to mind recently while I was writing a recent Instagram post about carbohydrates—stay with me, I promise this will make sense!
One of the characters was an enthusiastic teenage from Manchester who thought everything was “brilliant”. He would stomp across different landscapes in his shell suit and beanie, extolling the virtues of his chosen subject that week, and frequently proclaiming them to be “brilliant”. Subjects included:
Milk – brilliant
Holidays – brilliant
Cricket – brilliant.
You get the idea.
I thought of this character when writing about how important carbohydrates are for our health and wellbeing and wanted to summarise by saying they are, in fact, brilliant.
Poor carbs, they’re the much misunderstood and frequently demonised macronutrient. Protein, on the other hand is definitely having its moment in the sun. On a recent trip to the supermarket, I discovered protein bread (why?), protein yogurt (it already has protein in it) and even protein mars bars (no comment). Protein’s incredibly important of course, more on that in a minute, but I’m feeling the need to bring carbohydrates in from the cold.
In diet culture, carbohydrates have been unfairly blamed for weight gain and other health concerns. Many people cut carbs and see quick weight loss, but let’s look at what’s really happening and let’s start with glycogen.
What is glycogen?
Glycogen is stored glucose. When you eat carbs, any glucose not immediately used is stored in the form of glycogen as a backup supply of energy which the body uses to help regulate your blood sugar and provide energy for your organs and muscles. Glucose is our body’s preferred energy source, with some cells in the body, including brain cells and red blood cells, only able to produce energy from glucose, so it’s very important your body has a way of manufacturing and storing glucose.
Why this is important for weight loss.
Glycogen is stored in your muscles and liver and is bound to water molecules, 3g of water for every 1g of glycogen, making it a heavy molecule.
When you cut carbs, your body depletes its glycogen stores. Since glycogen is stored with water, this leads to a noticeable drop on the scale, but this weight loss is temporary and comes at a cost—lower energy, slower recovery from exercise, increased cravings, and even a reduced metabolism over time.
Why Your Body Needs Carbs
Carbs are more than just an energy source; they support multiple functions in the body:
✔️ Fuel for movement & recovery – Glycogen helps power your workouts and aids in muscle repair. Those on a low carb diet may notice they fatigue more quickly during exercise or take longer to recover between sessions. This is important to consider if you’re exercising on a regular basis. Are you fuelling your workouts sufficiently?
✔️ Stable blood sugar – Your blood sugar needs to have a sufficient amount of glucose at any one time to help balance blood glucose levels. This typically equates to 4g of glucose for someone weighing 70kg. Cutting carbs too low depletes glycogen stores, making it harder to regulate blood sugar effectively.
✔️ Nutrient intake – Many carb-rich foods provide, b vitamins, and essential minerals like magnesium and iron as well as antioxidants. By removing or reducing a significant source of micronutrients you may be at risk of nutritional deficiencies if you’re not mindful about finding alternative sources. Carbohydrates also provide fibre, essential for when thinking about gut health and heart health.
✔️ They are protein sparing – remember when I asked you to hold that thought on protein. Here’s why. Protein is incredibly important; it essentially helps build more of you and we want it to keep doing its job. When we use protein as a fuel source, instead of carbs, protein is deviated away from its main role to provide the raw ingredients to synthesize glucose. If we use carbohydrates instead, a good idea as it’s our body’s preferred energy source, we spare protein, and allow it to help synthesize hormones and enzymes and build and repair tissues.
✔️ They make food more satisfying – how satisfying you find your food warrants a blog post in and of itself, but for now I just want to highlight the role that carbs play in making your meal feel more satisfying. How many times have you finished a meal that was low in carbs feeling full but not satisfied. This is where a lot of my clients come to me confused as to why they need to rummage through the cupboards after a low carb meal looking for something sweet. By adding the carbs back in, they then felt their meal was complete. You deserve to feel full AND satisfied after eating.
One final consideration
Fearing carbs and trying to cut them out of our diet may seriously affect your relationship with food. Pause for a second, has your low carb diet made it difficult to socialise? Do you feel anxious about eating at friends’ houses in case carbs are on the menu? Has it left you craving sweet foods, and feeling out of control when you eat them. Are you able to give yourself a bowl of pasta or noodles without feeling guilty or feeling the need to compensate?
These are all signs your relationship with food is struggling. All foods can fit within a balanced diet. Yes, we may need to consider quality and quantity but there is no reason not to give yourself the foods you love and enjoy, which can often bring connection to others and moments of pleasure and satisfaction.
We don’t need to fear carbs. They leave us feeling energized, satisfied, and at ease with food and we all deserve that.
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