Don't let anyone tell you that you can't eat carbs while body building. See how you can incorporate carbs into your body sculpting diet.
The bad news: more than 80% of American adults don't meet theirĀ strengthening and cardio minimums. The good news: you're no longer one of them.
If you've committed to making this the year you start your body sculpting diet, or if you're just ready to switch up your old eating plan, have we got some good news for you: You can have carbs.
Keep reading to learn more about how carbs can improve the effectiveness of your body sculpting diet and to get your questions answered when it comes to all things carbs and fitness.
Let's Get A Few Things Straight
No matter what you've heard, carbs are not the enemy. In fact, according to national health standards, they should make up between 45-65% of your daily caloric intake.
In fact, there are tons of different takes on carbs, macros, proteins, and everything in between.
Though demonizing carbs may be the "in" thing to do, the reality is that you need to incorporate them into your body sculpting diet and exercise routine. If you don't, you won't have the strength to make it through your killer workouts.
In fact, many carbs contain fiber that can help to curb your appetite for the rest of the day, and can even make you feel more energized.
Now, let's move on to talking about the typesĀ of carbs you need to be eating to get all those benefits.
Simple Vs. Complex Carbs
Carbs are a crucial part of your body sculpting diet because they fuel your body with glucose. If you don't get enough of it, you'll feel exhausted, worn down, and your muscles won't develop at the rate you want. They can even help you get through tough cardio workouts, like kickboxing.
Complex carbs break down slowly in the body, meaning that they're the "good" kind of carbs. Simple carbs are easily processed by your body, and they don't always do a lot to fuel your body or to keep you full. These are the "bad carbs."
A partial list of the "good carbs" include things like...
- Whole grain products like whole wheat bread, barley, oats, buckwheat, whole rye
- Legumes like beans, lentils, and peas
- Fruits, especially pineapples, mangoes, and oranges
- Refined grains like white flour
- Pizza and hamburger buns
- Cookies and chips
- Soda
- Anything with High-Fructose Corn Syrup
You may feel like you're addicted to simple carbs, but the habit of consuming processed foods is easier to break than you might think. Once you adjust to a body sculpting diet, you won't crave those empty-calorie foods anymore, because your body will be fueled by complex carbs.
Complex carbs are high in fiber, loaded with vitamins and proteins, and are low in fat. Some of them might even help to lower your risk of heart disease. Of course, these foods can also help to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes, as they help to lower your blood sugar.
What Is Carb Cycling?
You've heard (and maybe you've even tried!) about a million and one fad diets with little to no results. Have you thought about incorporating the idea of carb cycling into your new body sculpting diet?
Carb cycling is a great way to blast belly fat and to keep your body in shape when you're doing especially strenuous workout routines (like when you're preparing for a beach trip or your wedding.)
Carb cycling can also help to get you over those frustrating stalls or plateaus in weight lossĀ because your body will respond to the adjustments you've made in your diet and routine.
OK, so you know carb cycling has benefits, but how exactly do you do it?
Basically, you mix up the type and frequency of how you eat carbs on a weekly, monthly, or daily basis.
You can have a high-carb week immediately followed by a more restrictive carb diet, and can adjust your intake based on the amount and type of physical activity you're doing per cycle.
The amount and length of each carb cycle will depend on what you're trying to achieve. For example, if you're into bodybuilding, you might want to tailor a body sculpting diet that cuts back on carbs initially, then loads up on them when you enter your serious lifting phase.
If yourĀ main goal is to lower your body fat (whether by your doctor's orders or because you've got a competition or big event coming up) then adjust your carb intake based on the rate of fat loss you need to achieve.
Usually, this pattern will go...
- 2 days of high carb intake
- 2 days of medium/average carb intake
- 3 days of minimal carb intake
Carb cycling also adjusts the way your body produces leptin, a hormone that helps to control both your appetite and your body weight.
Word to the wise: when carb cycling, don't forget to keep loading up on protein, no matter what cycle you're currently in. On low carb days, be sure to increase your protein intake to maximize results and keep things healthy.
Ready To Kickstart Your Body Sculpting Diet?
We get it - both starting and maintaining a new workout routine can be super tough. That's why it's important to consider what types of factors keep you motivated.
Get an accountability buddy - somebody who will check to see if you made it to the gym or join you in workouts, who you can cook with or text pictures of your meals, or just exchange the latest workout tips and techniques you've discovered.
Another thing that can help any routine feel interesting? Stocking up on some new workout gear. While understanding and implementing carb intake adjustment is a huge part of weight loss, if you're serious about your health, you're still going to need to hit the gym.
For more top tips and tricks about diet, workout routines, and where to find the best gear, check us out or reach out to us.