Why Cutting Carbs Fails (And What Works Instead)

Do you notice that when you cut out your carbs, you drop weight and feel leaner? Complicated, nerdy things happen in your body when you reduce the amount of carbs, and it is forced to use protein and fat for energy. This process appears to lead to a rapid reduction in weight. I have done this successfully many times in the past. It actually does work. So what’s the problem with cutting out carbs? Let’s discuss that.

The problem with carb depletion is that, for most of us, it is not sustainable. If you follow my work, you’ll know that one of the things I often say is that “In order to succeed at this game, this must be something that you can sustain long term.” Depleting your carbs, in my opinion, is not sustainable for the long term. I don’t think it’s the healthiest approach, and more often than not, people end up reverting back. That said, I know some people who swear by it and live by it, but that’s not the case for most of us.

Another thing to consider is what happens the minute you ingest any carbs after a period of depletion. If cutting carbs makes you feel and appear leaner, what do you think happens when you start eating carbs again? If you said the complete opposite, you’re right. You will begin to hold water, and your body will try to store the energy. Feel free to test it yourself: cut your carbs for a week or two, then eat some carbs and watch how your body changes. Sometimes it feels like that part of you will blow up like a balloon.

I thought about all this this morning as I chose my breakfast. Over the last couple of days, my workouts have been a bit inconsistent due to some personal matters I had to attend to. Along with that, I’ve been a bit loose and careless with my food intake because of the celebratory nature of those moments. As a result, I’ve been feeling bloated, heavy, and generally off with myself. I considered cutting carbs hard for the next few days, but then I remembered exactly what I’m talking to you about now. I remembered the YouTube video I’m working on about binging and the cheat meal.

I decided to be smart about it. I chose my usual breakfast, which is low calorie but still has a nice balance of proteins, fats, and yes, carbs! I let my body return back to normal by simply being normal, rather than trying to rush things with extreme measures. Thinking this through and doing it the way I believe is right didn’t happen overnight. It’s been a long learning process that came with experience. I made the decision while at home, then thought I’d quickly share this article before heading into work and getting busy. After I leave, I work my day job and then teach at the gym in the evening. My time is limited.

Even so, I wanted to share this observation with you. This is a learning process, and as I discover things about myself, I share them in hopes it may help at least one person out there! I think that if I had known all this in my 20s, I might never have ballooned to nearly 300 pounds and could have stayed fit all this time. The problem was taking things to extremes, and cutting out carbs is one of those extremes. A better approach is to cycle your carbs, take them earlier in the day and after training, and keep them low or absent the rest of the day. This way you can sustain it and avoid developing carb sensitivity.

Thanks for reading. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, thoughts, or concerns!