The fat fear of decades past has given way to a new anti-carb movement. With trendy eating styles like Paleo, the Whole30 diet, and the ketogenic diet as popular as ever, it seems like everyone is ditching bread (and maybe even oatmeal!) these days. But what’s a life without carbs? Besides sluggish, crabby, and riddled with brain fog, that is.
After all, when most people cut carbohydrates, they are forgetting (though maybe they never knew in the first place) the fact that carbs are a macro nutrient, meaning that people need to consume them in large quantities for optimal health, explains registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Vandana Sheth, R.D.N., C.D.E, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“Carbs are one of the best sources of energy,” Sheth says. “When we drastically cut all carbs from our diet, we are making our bodies work less efficiently.” Like protein and fat (the other two macronutrients), carbs can be broken down in the body to yield ATP, a.k.a. cellular energy.
Here’s the thing: your brain is especially hungry for carbs. It runs primarily on glucose, which is why going super low-carb can leave you feeling foggy and forgetful. Current Dietary Guidelines suggest that 45 to 65 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates—that’s a pretty significant chunk, and for good reason.
That’s especially important when it comes to exercise. When performing high-intensity workouts like strength training or max effort running or cycling, the vast majority of your energy comes from a combination of glucose (the sugar you break carbs down into) in your bloodstream and glycogen (carbs stored in your liver and muscles). If you don’t have enough carbs in the tank, your workout performance—and thus the amount of calories you burn and muscle you build—suffers, Sheth says.
Think of it this way: your muscles can store somewhere around 400 to 600 grams of glycogen when you’re well-trained. That’s a pretty impressive fuel tank! But when you’re running on empty because you’ve been skipping carbs, you might notice:
- Your weights feel heavier than usual
- You can’t push through as many reps
- Your energy crashes halfway through a workout
- You’re more sore afterward than you’d expect
What’s more, carbs are crucial to your body’s ability to recover after every workout, explains Georgie Fear, R.D., C.S.S.D., author of Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss. So without them, your workouts become a greater and greater stress on your body, breaking you down rather than building you up. “Athletes with inadequate carb intake place themselves at increased risk for overtraining syndrome, immune system impairment, and thyroid and sex hormone abnormalities,” she says.
Related: 4 Possible Reasons Why You Still Feel Wrecked Days After A Workout
Plus, all macronutrients aside, it’s important to remember that carbs don’t end up on your plate in isolation. Many carb-containing foods (we will get to exactly what those are later) are rich in nutrients like folic acid, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber—all of which are necessary for adequate health, and that includes a healthy bodyweight. By drastically cutting carbs, you may be risking nutritional deficiencies that put your general health at risk, while potentially also spurring weight gain.
Whole vs. Refined: What’s It All Mean?
‘Whole, refined, complex, simple’… these carb-related terms get thrown around a lot, especially when it comes to weight loss. After all, some are far better at promoting healthy weights than are others, which is why it’s so important to understand what they really mean.
Most simply put, whole carbs are carb-containing foods that come pretty much straight from nature, with tons of fiber and vitamins and minerals. Examples include fruit, veggies, legumes, potatoes, dairy, quinoa, oatmeal, and even whole-wheat bread and pasta. Refined carbs, however, have been significantly altered through processing. During this processing, sugars are often added and fiber and other nutrients are stripped away. Common examples of refined carbs include white bread and pasta, desserts, candy, and soda. It’s pretty obvious which foods are going to support your weight-loss efforts, right?
Why Fiber Makes All the Difference
Aside from the differences between nature-made and factory-produced carbs, it’s also important to know the differences between complex and simple carbs. Complex carbs have molecular structures that are long and branched, meaning that they take longer for your body to digest, make you feel fuller, and also feed the good bacteria in your gut. Complex carbs also contain fiber, and one study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that increasing fiber intake may be as equally effective a weight-loss strategy as going on a full-fledged ‘diet.’ Examples of complex carbs include whole grains, legumes, potatoes, and other starchy vegetables.
Here’s something cool about fiber: it literally slows down your digestion, which means the energy from your food gets released gradually instead of all at once. That helps keep your blood sugar steady and prevents those energy crashes that send you hunting for snacks an hour after eating. Plus, when you’re feeling satisfied for longer, you naturally tend to eat less overall—no willpower required.
Some standout high-fiber carb choices include:
- Black beans and lentils (bonus: they’re packed with protein too)
- Sweet potatoes with the skin on
- Berries of any kind
- Broccoli and Brussels sprouts
- Whole grain bread with visible seeds and grains
Simple carbs, however, are easier for the body to break down and digest—and tend to be somewhat synonymous with refined carbs like sugar. But, there are a couple of important exceptions: fruits and dairy. While fruit and dairy contain simple carbohydrates, those carbohydrates can provide a great, quick energy boost during an afternoon slump or before a workout, and are also jam-packed with other nutrients like fiber and antioxidants (in the case of fruit) and protein, healthy fats, calcium, and vitamin D (in the case of dairy).
Your move: Focus on swapping out refined carbs for whole ones whenever possible, and while it’s good to make sure that the bulk come from complex sources, it’s still important to include some healthy simple carbs like apples and Greek yogurt.
Easy Swaps That Actually Work
If the idea of overhauling your entire diet feels overwhelming, don’t worry. Small switches add up over time. Here are some painless swaps to get you started:
- Trade white rice for brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
- Swap regular pasta for whole-wheat or legume-based pasta
- Choose whole grain bread instead of white (look for “100% whole wheat” as the first ingredient)
- Reach for fresh fruit instead of fruit juice
- Snack on air-popped popcorn instead of chips
Still, that doesn’t mean that you have to cut out refined carbs entirely. Added sugars and white bread won’t derail your health in a single portion. There’s room for the occasional low-nutrition treat in an overall healthy diet, plus they can be a big relief mentally, says Fear.
“I teach my clients to build daily meals with whole food carbohydrates, such as beans, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and fruit, in proportion to their activity needs, and to choose only their absolute favorites when it comes to working in low-nutrition starches and sugars,” Fear says.
How Many Carbs Should You Eat to Lose Weight?
No matter what carbs you are eating, it’s important to remember that getting too many calories from any macro (carbs, included) can lead to weight gain. So, yeah, you need to keep your portions in check.
“I encourage my clients to practice skills that help them avoid excess portions of carbs, like having something sweet only after a healthy meal, eating mindfully, and, if needed, developing strategies for squashing the temporary urge to go for seconds,” says Fear. Try grabbing a glass of water (thirst loves to masquerade as hunger!) and ask yourself, “Am I really hungry, or do I just want to eat?”
Related: How Much Protein Do You Really Need?
Currently, the National Academy of Medicine recommends that the average person eat at least 130 grams of carbs per day (you’ll get that amount from 10 slices of whole-wheat bread) for proper brain function, but the exact amount you need varies depending on your weight and activity levels.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, somewhere in the range of 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrates daily is a safe target for most people trying to lose weight. That gives you plenty of room to fuel your body and brain while still creating the calorie deficit you need for fat loss.
So, as a general rule of thumb, anyone who is working out regularly and wants to lose weight should shoot for consuming about three grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight (one kilogram equals 2.2 pounds) each day, Fear says. So, for instance, a 200-pound (91 kg) man would need to get roughly 273 grams each day.
Timing Your Carbs for Better Results
Ideally, those carbs would be spaced out relatively evenly over the course of the day through both meals and snacks so that your body stays continually fueled. What’s more, when you stockpile your carbs into any one meal, you risk consuming more energy than you need at that moment to keep your glycogen levels topped off. When this happens, any extra energy tends to be stored as fat, Fear says.
Here’s a practical way to think about timing:
- Before a workout: A small carb-rich snack about 30 to 60 minutes beforehand can give you the energy to push harder
- After a workout: This is when your muscles are primed to absorb glucose and rebuild glycogen stores
- At meals: Spread your carbs across breakfast, lunch, and dinner rather than loading up at just one meal
Some people find it helpful to eat slightly more carbs on days when they’re more active and a bit less on rest days. This isn’t about being restrictive—it’s just about matching your fuel to your activity. If you hit the gym hard on Monday but spend Tuesday mostly at your desk, your body simply doesn’t need as much energy on that second day.
Eyeballing Portions Without Counting Every Gram
Another way to think about it if you’d rather eyeball your portion sizes than track your macros, is eating one to two servings of carb-rich foods at every meal, Sheth says. What’s a serving? Some examples include ½ cup of lentils, a slice of whole-wheat bread, ½ cup vegetables, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup whole-wheat pasta or grains.
Here’s what that might look like in real life:
- Breakfast: A bowl of oatmeal topped with berries (that’s roughly two servings of carbs)
- Lunch: A sandwich on whole-grain bread with a side of veggies (two servings)
- Dinner: Grilled chicken with quinoa and roasted sweet potato (two servings)
- Snacks: An apple with almond butter or some hummus with whole-grain crackers (one serving each)
The beauty of this approach? You don’t have to obsess over numbers or carry a food scale everywhere you go. Just aim for those one to two servings of quality carbs at each eating occasion, and you’ll be in a good spot.
What About Those Stubborn Cravings?
Let’s be real: cravings happen. And when they hit, they’re usually not for quinoa and steamed broccoli. The good news is that understanding why cravings strike can help you manage them without going off the rails.
A few strategies that might help:
- Don’t skip meals. Getting too hungry makes everything look tempting, especially quick-energy refined carbs.
- Include protein and fat with your carbs. This slows digestion and keeps you satisfied longer.
- Stay hydrated. Sometimes what feels like a carb craving is actually your body asking for water.
- Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can increase cravings for high-carb, high-sugar foods.
- Allow yourself treats in moderation. Complete restriction often backfires and leads to overdoing it later.
Remember, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. You can absolutely enjoy carbs, lose weight, and feel good doing it. It just comes down to choosing the right kinds most of the time and being mindful of portions.
Pin this handy infographic for an easy-to-reference guide to dropping pounds without sacrificing carby goodness: