Avoid Plateaus with Carb Reloading!
When you receive your Macro Blueprint here in store, one of the things your Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach will emphasize is Carb Re-Loading. You may have heard of Carb loading or re-loading and wondered if this was something you needed to do to maximize your results. The truth is, carb re-loading is critical to achieve the best results. Here are some things to consider:
Carb re-loading is designed to help the body avoid plateaus. When we restrict carbs over an extended timeframe, the body will decrease the production of Leptin. Leptin is a hormone designed to let the body know it can “burn fat” freely. Plateaus are usually the result of restricting carbohydrates for too long. When this happens, fat loss becomes nearly impossible and muscle loss will most likely occur. When we lose muscle, we store more fat.
The reality is, it is very easy to overeat carbohydrates. For one thing, carbs are what elevate our blood sugar levels, which is why when you’ve gone hours without eating you begin craving foods like candy, chips or even soda. This is one of the reasons why frequent dosages of protein throughout the day help so much with weight loss goals. Protein will keep your blood sugar levels regulated, which reduces the urge to eat the wrong foods. Carbs are also less expensive than protein and generally taste great. When doing your macros, you become more aware of what types of carbohydrates you’re eating and in what amounts. Rest assured your Macro Blueprint will have just the right amount of carbohydrates to give you daily energy based on individual needs but you may even find at first that you still feel hungry. This is because without necessarily realizing it in the past you have overeaten your carbohydrates. The key is to get the right amount, and that “right amount” will likely be less daily grams of carbohydrates than you have been eating!
With that in mind, it is important to not throw your body too many “curveballs”. Once you have adjusted to eating the proper amount of carbohydrates daily, your metabolism will get up to speed and work in your favor. What you are trying to accomplish is a consistent daily intake of grams of carbohydrates with a day mixed in where you re-load carbs. This sends your body the signal that it has a reliable amount of energy to expect to have available. If your body doesn’t receive this signal, muscle loss will begin and fat storing will re-start and perhaps even accelerate.
How often you should carb re-load depends on numerous factors, including your dominant body type. If you have already done your Macro Blueprint be sure to know how often your carb re-loading should be executed to ensure you continue burning unwanted fat! If you are not sure how to get started we invite you to come into Max Muscle Davis County TODAY and meet with a Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach. We invite you to watch the video below on Carbs and keep in mind some of the points highlighted. We look forward to seeing you soon.