Carbohydrates

Sugars, starch and fiber

Carbohydrates group together substances with different roles. Digestible sugars and starch provide energy, while fiber follows another digestive pathway. A soda and a portion of lentils can therefore both provide carbohydrates without having the same nutritional benefit. Fiber, water, protein and the structure of the food influence what we eat and how satiating the meal is.

Fiber contributes in particular to intestinal functioning. Whole grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables are good sources. Significantly reducing all carbohydrate foods can make some of these intakes disappear if nothing is planned to preserve them. The aim of the sheet is therefore to limit excesses while maintaining a varied diet, rather than classifying all carbohydrates among foods to avoid.

Glucose and insulin

The digestion of carbohydrates provides simple sugars, including glucose, which can be used by the body. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, helps glucose enter different cells. This response after a meal is normal functioning. In an insulin-resistant person, cells respond less well to insulin; This medical situation is not just about eating bread.

An increase in insulin after a meal does not, on its own, indicate lasting fat gain. This depends on the energy balance and the overall diet over time. Reducing carbs can facilitate a drop in calories, but replacing the removed foods with large amounts of cheese, butter, or oil can reverse the drop. The total quantity therefore remains significant.

Glycogen and water variations

Part of the glucose is stored in the form of glycogen, particularly in the muscles and the liver. The muscles use their reserves during exercise and then replenish them. Work on carbohydrate load shows that their increase is also accompanied by changes in body water, particularly intracellular. Weight can therefore change quickly after a significant change in intake without an equivalent change in fat.

By sharply reducing carbohydrates, part of the initial weight drop may come from lower glycogen stores and associated water. Replenishing them can bring the weight back up, without meaning that all progress has been lost. It can also modify the sensation of more or less full muscles. These variations do not prove that a particular food causes the face to swell, nor that a very low-carb diet will slim it down for the long term.

Fat loss and satiety

To lose fat mass, the diet must allow for an energy deficit over time. Cutting out a daily soda or reducing repeated servings of cookies can help, if those calories aren't replaced elsewhere. Conversely, reducing a portion of rice already adapted to your needs is not necessarily of interest. Helpful change depends on what you actually eat, your goal, and your ability to maintain it.

Low-carb diets may work for some people, but comparisons do not show consistent superiority over balanced diets for weight loss. A strategy that causes persistent hunger or severely reduces meal choices can become difficult to follow. The effectiveness of this sheet comes mainly from sustainable adjustments: less excess, satiating meals and enough energy to stay active.

Training needs

Carbohydrates help replenish glycogen after exercise. Their importance increases in particular when the sessions are demanding or close together and the recovery time is short. A very low intake can then complicate preparation for the next session. To improve the physique while training, keeping carbohydrates adapted to the program may be more relevant than pursuing a rapid drop in water weight.

The third trim mark does not represent a physiological ceiling. General European recommendations place carbohydrates at 45 to 60% of food energy, which does not translate directly into plate surface area. The volume, water content, and other nutrients of foods change this ratio. A very active person and a sedentary person may therefore need different portions without one necessarily eating too many carbohydrates.