How Do I Lose Weight Without Cutting Carbs

However, top dietitian Helen Bond has finally debunked this myth - and claimed that eating carbs may actually help speed up the weight loss process.

The registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association told The Sun carbs contain fibre - which is key in keeping our digestive system healthy and reducing bloating.

Despite this, she says there are other things we need to focus on when it comes to shedding those pesky pounds including not having too many fatty toppings and getting active.

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But the latest scientific evidence confirms foods rich in starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, noodles, oats, breakfast cereals, quinoa, barley, couscous, bulgar wheat, millet, spelt, freekah, teff, sorghum, amaranth and buckwheat are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet.

These foods provide us with energy and ideally, we should enjoy them at each meal – after all, they are all plant foods!

Carbs provide us with energy and ideally, we should enjoy them at each meal – after all, they are all plant foods!Helen Bond, registered Dietitian and Spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association

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Starchy carbs such as white bread, rice and pasta or refined cereals lose much of their fibre, vitamins and minerals during processing so aren’t great choices.

In contrast, wholegrain versions, such as wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholewheat pasta retain most of their fibre and nutrients so should be chosen in preference.

The fibre in starchy carbs is especially good at helping to keep our digestive system healthy, which can lower our chances of constipation and bloating.

What Happens To Your Body When You Avoid Carbs

Stick to the following serving sizes: a tennis ball sized serving (around 150g) of cooked pasta, rice, noodles, couscous or other grains; one handful or five level tablespoons (30g) of wholegrain breakfast cereal; one potato the size of a computer mouse (180g); and one to two slices of wholegrain bread.

She says: Watch what you eat starchy carbs with, – serving them with butter, cream, fatty meat and cheese won’t help you shape up.

Starchy carbohydrates provide essential vitamins and minerals, especially the B vitamins which are essential to the functioning of the nervous system and support healthy skin.

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Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles as a substance called glycogen which the body calls on for energy to power your workout.

Imagine a portion of cooked pasta – 200 grams worth. It only contains 260 calories while still being filling and containing zero fat.

Instead, Helen says if you want to feel fuller and make your meal more interesting, add a hearty portion of veg on the side.

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She adds: If you want to lose weight, make portions a little smaller still and make up the space on your plate with extra veg.

Helen says: A calorie controlled diet, keeping in mind the proportions of the Government's Eatwell guide, and exercise in tandem is the best way to reduce body fat.

Aerobic activities such as running, cycling, swimming and aerobic classes increase the calories we burn both during and after exercising, while strength training such as lifting weights or using our own body weight helps to build muscle – and the more muscle we have, the faster our metabolism is, so that we burn more calories, even at rest.

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Helen says: Snacking can be part of a balanced diet, and can be a great opportunity to sneak some extra nutrients into our diet.

But it’s important to choose our snack food wisely - even healthy looking snacks, like reduced fat biscuits, cereal bars, yogurt, cereals etc. might seem like virtuous choices, but not all are created equally – some are high in cholesterol-raising saturated fat and added or ‘free’ sugars - the type that we should be cutting down on for the sake of our teeth and waistlines.

When it comes to carbs, they aren't all created equal...try to cut down on refined carbs, like white bread and pastries, and up your intake of wholegrainsCredit: Getty - Contributor

Ways To Eat Carbs And Still Lose Weight — Eat This Not That

As well as being high in saturated fat, sugar and/or salt, they’re often low in nutrients and loaded with calories, and very moorish which makes it harder for us to control our weight.

Examples of foods we should limit include takeaways, crisps, savoury snacks, sugary and chocolate confectionery, cakes, biscuits, pastries, ice cream, and sugary soft drinks.Dieting these days seems to be focused around one thing: carbs. From Atkins to keto, cutting carbohydrates or eliminating them entirely is often touted as the best and fastest way to lose weight, drop fat, and feel better. 

True, says Rachel Zimmerman, R.D., a registered dietitian at Indiana University Hospital at IU Health. Carbs have gotten such a bad reputation recently with all the low-carb, crash diets out there, but carbs are an important part of our daily nutrient intakes—they are what our brains run on, she says.

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The research backs her up. When it comes to weight loss, it may be less about limiting a certain food group and more about finding a way of eating you enjoy and can sustain, according to a study published in the

. Researchers divided participants into four groups and assigned each group a diet with varying amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. After six months, every group had lost a similar amount of weight whether they were eating one-third of their calories from carbs or two-thirds. The results held steady even after two years, with all groups showing similar rates of weight-loss maintenance.

, found that while participants on low-carb plans lost more weight at the beginning than those on higher-carb plans, after one year it had all evened out. Weight loss, it seems, is more about creating a calorie deficit, and however you want to do that is fine, as long as you can stick with it.

Definitely Don't Cut All Carbs If You're Trying To Lose Weight

That's all well and good in the lab, but in the real world, how do you find a way to limit your calories that doesn't totally suck? We asked five carb-loving ladies how they lost weight while still enjoying their favorite starches.

I basically follow a clean-eating plan: I eat strictly 'God-made' food (anything whole and unprocessed) for two days and then allow myself some 'man-made' food (processed or treats) on the third day, explains Lisa M., of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I've learned that if I completely deny myself a food, I will end up bingeing on it at some point, so this two-days-on, one-day-off plan has allowed me to eat the foods I enjoy (including carbs!) while still losing 100 pounds.

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What the experts say: Lisa's got the right idea by mostly choosing whole, unprocessed carbs, Goodson says. Instead of cutting carbs, try cleaning them up and choosing things like oats, quinoa, couscous, brown rice and sweet potatoes, she says. The fiber will keep you satisfied for longer, craving less junky carbs. And having the occasional treat is just fine as long as the majority of the time you're making healthy choices, she adds.

After having three babies Megan H., of Ridgecrest, California, says she was ready to focus on herself and get back in shape. She says she started by hiring a personal trainer, but would go home from her workouts starving and eat back all the calories she'd just burned. So after two months of seeing little progress, she decided to add in calorie restriction, tracking her calories using the MyFitnessPal app. I don't refrain from eating anything, but I definitely eat less of it, she says. I have a major sweet tooth for baked goods and no carbs would just make me sad. Fortunately, with calorie counting, she can both lose weight and still eat some carbs. This simple math has helped her lose 40 pounds.

What the experts say: Macros matter, but calories are always going to be the bottom-line of weight loss, Zimmerman says. You have to consume fewer calories per day than you burn to lose weight.

How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day To Lose Weight?

When I first started training as a bodybuilder, my coach introduced me to the Zone diet—and I always listen to my coach. I liked that it doesn't eliminate any food group, but is a balanced 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fats. As long as what I'm eating fits into those macronutrient ratios, it will work, says Shannon H., of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She says she's learned that she must eat carbs if she wants to get through her tough workouts and when she has tried to cut carbs in the past, it made her feel tired, groggy, and weak. She recently used healthy carbs to help cut 10 pounds for a competition and it must be working: she won!

What the experts say: Because Shannon is a competitive bodybuilder, her food has to fuel her workouts. It isn't just about weight loss, it's about maintaining muscle and carbs can help you do that, says Amy Goodson, R.D., a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in Dallas, Texas. Carbohydrate need is really based on how much you exercise; the more you move, the more you need, she explains, adding that athletes will naturally need more carbs.

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When I decided it was time to lose weight and get fit, I started with the original 21 Day Fix, a diet and exercise program by