Carbs, Protein, Fat...what is the real deal?

We've all been on diets that cut carbs, are low fat, eliminate anything ending in the letter T...I'm kidding about the last one of course but the thing about all diets is that they are DIETS!! You can't sustain any of these for the rest of your life. You need to learn how to eat healthy, natural food and not refer to an abacus every time you put a morsel of food in your mouth.

Here's the truth about carbs vs protein vs fat. You need all three to have a complete diet. Unless you are a professional athlete these are the guidelines for a healthy diet.

Carbohydrates - fuel your muscles, brain and give you energy. Your diet should be 40-65% carbs. Choose complex carbs (whole grains, oats, brown rice etc). Your body can only process so many calories of carbohydrate a day any excess is stored as fat. I ate 80% of my calories in carbohydrates the other day and guess where those extra calories were stored? That's right, as fat on my body! There are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate.

Protein - helps with muscle repair and is a fuel source for the body. Eating a ton of protein does not give you large muscles, lifting heavy weight gives you large muscles. Your body can only process so much protein any excess is stored in the body as fat. Your diet should be 20-30% protein. There are 4 calories per gram of protein.

Fat - your body needs fat to process fat and it is also used as fuel. We all cut fat from our diet and look, we all got fat. Get rid of the "light" "low fat" "slim" foods and eat natural products. You want to consume more unsaturated fats (typically liquid at room temperature) than saturated (typically animal fat and solid at room temperature) and you want to avoid trans-fats at all times. Your body can only process so much fat and any excess is stored in the body as fat. Your diet should be 20-25% fat. There are 9 calories per gram of fat.

Did you see that carbohydrates and protein each have 4 calories per gram....so if I hear one more person say carbs are fattening I will literally lose it. Excess calories of any kind are what make us gain weight. By following the guidelines above you will ensure a complete diet and get all the nutrients your body requires. Spend a few days counting your carb, protein and fat intake, you may be surprised at what you see. I ate too many carbohydrates and too much fat. Being aware of what you put in your body is the first step in healthy weight loss.