Clean vs. Dirty Carbs for Weight Loss

Lately, the “is a carb a carb” debate has come up frequently. In the past, the “a calorie is a calorie” debate was the reason people always argued. Personally, I find carbohydrate vs. most fascinating carbohydrate debate. There’s something about carbohydrates that makes them so much fun to talk about.

So what is the debate? The debate is whether you can lose the same amount of weight or fat by eating “junk” carbs or “healthy” carbs. Junk carbohydrates are loosely defined as simple carbohydrates, such as cakes and sugary cereals. These are elements that are known to rapidly raise blood sugar, which subsequently causes a large amount of insulin to be released to stabilize blood sugar, which can lead to fat storage.

Healthy carbs are the typical oatmeal and brown rice items that you may have been encouraged to eat in the past. These carbohydrates have a lower glycemic index and filter into the bloodstream at a slower rate, which keeps blood sugar stable and leads to a slower release of insulin, which is less likely to lead to fat storage.

In this debate, fat is kept in check when junk carbs are eaten. In other words, you’re not eating total junk food like donuts and pastries because these items are typically high in fat and carbohydrates. For example, 2 Pop-Tarts® with 400 calories, 76 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of fat can be used during the “diet”, but a cherry tart with 480 calories, 68 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of fat can be omitted. . Some people like to eat junk carbs with as little fat as possible, while others are more liberal. Some will readily eat a low-fat Pop-Tart® that has 2.5 grams of fat, but would not eat a regular Pop-Tart® that has 5 grams of fat. That is another debate for another day.

So what do I think? First of all, the results speak for themselves. Some people have been able to get incredibly slim and fit by eating junk food while on a diet. The reason is that it makes dieting tolerable, so you don’t feel like you’re on a diet. My main criticism is that people who promote junk food diets are exposing themselves, so compliance rates are higher than they would be for the average person. If you’re telling the world that you’re on a junk food diet and trying to prove a point, then you’re more likely to go on a junk food diet without cheating.

In the real world, people are overweight for a reason and it’s usually due to a lack of willpower or motivation. Most people won’t be able to stop at a cake, especially if they know they’re not being watched. I know it’s hard for me to eat just one donut, but it’s easy for me to eat a serving of oatmeal. That’s why I recommend that people make the majority of their diet around “boring” foods and have one day a week where they can skip the oatmeal for cakes or whatever. This way they can measure their self-control when eating these foods. Did one cake lead to 3 more on your cheat day? If so, then you can’t possibly diet on junk food because you can’t eat just one. If you can eat a cake and walk away, then you can go on a junk food diet.

You won’t lose more weight if you eat 800 calories of oatmeal a day instead of 800 calories of cake, but in my opinion you’re more likely to stick to your diet. Also, have you ever heard of an oatmeal binge? Now, how about a jello donut binge?