Carbohydrates, in and of themselves, do not cause weight gain; however, they can be a contributing factor depending on a person’s level of activity.

Carbs come in two forms. Simple carbs are pure sugars found in sweets like colas and candies. They have little dietary benefit. Complex carbs are refined sugars and starches found in food foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. Complex carbs contain nutrients, vitamins and minerals and have nutritional value.

Carbs are a source of energy. Eating a donut or candy bar, or drinking soft drinks or sugar-laden coffee provide an instant infusion of energy into our bodies, as we all have experienced. The problem with carbs, especially simple carbs, is that if they are providing more energy than we burn off through activity, they prevent fat from being burned.

Our bodies will always burn carbs before fat. Fat is our stored energy reserve. It is what burns when we engage in rigorous physical activity. If we are introducing large amounts of carbs into our diets without doing enough activity to burn them off completely, they store in our bodies as fat. What’s more, the fat reserve already stored in our bodies remains untouched. So instead of burning the fat we already have on-board, we add to it. Professional athletes seek lots of carbs because they need massive amounts of energy to perform strenuously and with endurance. They also have very little fat because they are so highly active they are able to burn off the both carbs first, and then fat storage.

But for those of us not so active we have two ways to burn fat and control weight. One is to limit the amount of carbs we put into our bodies so when we engage in activity we are not only burning those carbs but also tapping into our fat reserves. This is burning fat through diet. Or, two, engage in enough physical activity like a regular exercise program to ensure we burn off the carbs and get to the stored fat. Remember, carbs that are not burned off become fat. This is burning fat with exercise.

The healthiest approach is a balanced program of meals and exercise. One need not have to commit to an unrealistic diet plan or a demanding exercise regimen to burn fat, lose weight, and look and feel healthy.

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