Can I eat carbohydrates if I am trying to lose weight?

Here’s the second installment of my blog on the topic of carbohydrates. See Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for the background.

Cutting out carbohydrates when trying to lose weight

If you want to lose weight you do not need to completely cut out carbohydrates from your diet. In fact, I don’t think it’s the best idea to cut out entire food groups at all. It’s probably not sustainable for transforming lifestyle change long term and it can also make us crave these foods even more.

Is it about the number of calories?

Rather than thinking in terms of calories, it’s better to focus on the types of food you are consuming. For example, you could eat the same number of calories in a piece of cake and a vegetable curry but one is much healthier than the other.

top tips for carbohydrates and weight loss

If you are trying to lose weight, and be as healthy as possible, then aim to follow these carbohydrate based golden rules…

Stick to a diet of mostly complex carbohydrates. Opt for wholegrains and one ingredient foods: brown rice and pasta, wholemeal bread, lentils, pulses, vegetables, fruits etc. See my previous post Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for more details.
Try to limit processed carbohydrates as much as possible. Eat them once or twice a week at the most and ensure you are following the other tips here too to counteract the impact of processed carbs. Examples of procesed carbs are pizza, white bread, pastries, biscuits, crisps and most supermarket pre-prepared meals (most of the foods we crave and love to eat – which is no coincidence). See my previous post Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for more details.
Pay attention to food labels: Generally it’s good to avoid any foods containing long lists of ingredients, especially those which you don’t recognise. These will usually indicate that the food is a processed carbohydrate. See my previous post Are carbohydrates really “bad” for us for more details.
Check for sugar content: Food companies cleverly disguise the amount of sugar in products. Aim to avoid products with more than 15g of sugar per 100g.
Eat lots of fibre in your diet to counteract the effects of carbohydrates – the best sources of fibre are: beans, lentils, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables, wholemeal and wholegrain breads, pasta and cereals. Bran cereals, figs, strawberries, peas and baked beans contain high percentages of fibre per 100g.
Aim to eat 5 different coloured vegetables each day
Cut down on snacking – allow for 4-5 hour breaks between eating. If you need to snack choose fruits, nuts or a yogurt.
Give your digestive system a long rest over night – aim for at least 12 hours of consuming nothing but water most days a week for 12 hours or more (this includes milk in coffee and tea and alcohol). Research has shown that when the digestive system is given a proper rest the body starts to burn stored fuel. If you give yourself at least 12 hours without consuming food the body will kick into fat burning mode. See my previous post on intermittent fasting here.
Reduce alcohol consumption, especially in the evening. Alcohol contains lots of hidden sugars. If you drink alcohol most nights a week you won’t be giving your body the rest time it needs to start to burn fat stores. It will be harder to stick to a 12 hours or under eating window if you drink in the evening.
Review your breakfast choices: Avoid fruit juices, most breakfast cereals (porridge, bran based cereals and weetabix are OK), toast and pastries – they are full of hidden sugars – stick to protein based breakfasts such as eggs and avocado or porridge, nuts, fruit and yogurt.
Eat the majority of your calories earlier in the day. This has been shown to be an effective way to stay full in the evening and prevent overeating at night.
Exercise and be as active as possible: Last but not least and my favourite activity!

It’s important to note that we are all different and what works for one person may not work for another. It’s also worth noting that the odd day every now and then where you break any of these rules won’t mean your diet plan has gone down the pan. You can simply return to where you were the next day. Experiment with some of these tips and see what works for you!