By Let’s put an end to the doubt.
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to food combinations that can, overall, leave novices confused about what path to take. This is an exciting matter and one I’ve not revisited since my bodybuilding days when nutritional choices are scrutinised to the core. The primary aim of your nutrition is to eat as healthy as you can whilst eliminating refined sugars and carbs. It’s those empty calories that may taste good but make it easy for insulin to rise and to shuttle the energy source into your fat cells. Along my journey to weight loss, the main culprit is insulin sensitivity, which I believe is most people’s challenge. What I mean by this is how your body reacts when you ingest food and whether the food is stored as glycogen — reserved for your next workout or stored as fat. Unfortunately, most of us experience a lot more fat storage increases. This is just a matter of hormones and can be fixed with proper nutrition. That’s why I’m passionate about transitioning as many people as possible to Intermittent fasting. This way of eating is easy — it might just solve all your weight loss problems. Now, back to the question regarding carb and fat combination. Let me mention a study that was conducted. This trial looked at the effects of two diets on weight loss. This study occurred in hospitalised men and women. The diet involved separating carbs and fat; the other option was an overall balance of carbs, fats and protein. Both diets provided the same caloric range and the same number of macros. If the theory of eating carbs and fats together increased fat accumulation, you would expect to see a slower rate of weight loss in the balanced group. But this didn’t happen! After the 6-week trial, those in the balanced group lost an average of 16.5 pounds. Those in the disassociated group (the ones that separated carbs and fat) lost an average of 13.6 pounds. From this trial, you can see that the people who ate a balanced diet lost the most weight, but the difference wasn’t significant enough to make a huge difference. It shows that the biggest winner in the weight loss war is the reduction of calories — not the combination of food groups. But, if this makes it easier for you to plan your meals and stick to your diet, please go ahead and keep doing it (if you are experiencing success with weight loss). But there isn’t a need, and it doesn’t make a difference that’s large enough to start changing your food combinations. I have found that the most effective way to stop gaining weight and maintain the weight loss is to stop eating for long periods, give your digestion a break, forcing your body to start using fat stores for energy. It’s a way to reduce calories but not cause the metabolism to slow down or excessive hunger long term. This is, in fact, one of the best ways to bypass these silly food theories. Therefore, the best outcome is eating a balanced diet and implementing some exercise into the mix. Stressing out about carbs and fat in one meal isn’t detrimental to your results. Instead, focus on the quality and implement fasting for the best results.
Reference to this study can be found:
Golay A, Allaz AF, Ybarra J, Bianchi P, Saraiva S, Mensi N, Gomis R, de Tonnac N. (2000). Similar weight loss with low-energy food combining or balanced diets. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders.
NOTE: The health information in this post is for general information and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based on such information, I encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. I do not provide any medical/health advice.
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