Recently, one of my online coaching clients told me that he’s afraid starches will make him store body-fat.
He had read online that in order to lose fat you have to drop the starches.
He specifically feared white rice because the bulk of his diet consists of starches and white rice was his choice most days of the week.
Here’s my email answer to him with a few edits:
If white rice caused fat gain, then you wouldn’t have been able to lose 6.7 inches (17.1 CM) around your waist and 3.8 inches (9.7 CM) off your hips.
White rice is a great carb source for you because it gives you steady energy, you digest it well, it provides satiety and you like the dishes that include white rice.
In addition, by having a sufficient amount of white rice, you prevent binges.
This is why you’ve been able to stay on your diet for so long
If we cut out the rice and starches, you will lose a lot of weight at first.
Most of it will be water weight and glycogen stored in your muscles.
Then, after 10-14 days you will start getting massive cravings for sugar and salt. That’s when you are the most likely to go completely off the diet and lose all your hard work.
The main takeaways are that:
- You can get lean and stay lean with a diet that has a lot of starches. (Even the higher Glycemix Index starches).
- Starches prevent future binges on sugar.
- When you cut out starches you will see weight loss, but most of it is a result of losing water weight and glycogen stored in your muscles.
And finally: When given the choice between a high fat and high carb diet, the high carb diet has a stronger metabolic effect.
This means that when everything is equal (Calories, training etc.), you will lose more body-fat on a high carb diet compared to a high fat diet.
Therefore, don’t worry about starches making you fat.
Instead, make sure that your diet is properly balanced with just the right amount of everything.
Here are some of the important factors you need to consider in your diet plan:
- The right amount of protein to support muscle gains.
- Good carb sources that you digest well.
- Sodium intake: 30-50% of the population are sensitive to sodium and retain a lot of water when having too much. How much sodium can YOU get away with?
- Preventing sugar, salt and fat cravings to reduce the risk of binge-eating.
- A healthy Caloric intake for YOUR bodyweight and goals. Going too low in Calories will damage your metabolism.
I cover these things and much more in the diet section of the SKINNY-FAT TRANSFORMATION Bodyweight Program.
Be proud but stay hungry!
Oskar Faarkrog, ISSA Certified Trainer
Read my free 50 page guide "The 2 Phases of a Skinny-Fat Transformation"