Last Updated on January 21, 2022 by Local Trainer

3 Common Carb Mistakes.

By now, we’ve all heard of carbs and protein and the multitude of diets that manipulate them for weight loss, muscle building and overall vitality. That being said, we still run into areas where we’re not sure what to do with our carbs, protein and fat throughout the day. Today, let’s look at some of the common mistakes we run into with carbohydrate intake.

Common Carb Mistake #1

Not watching whole grain versus refined carb intake

There are lots of situations during the day where we are taking in a refined carb instead of a whole grain carb. This can lead us into gaining on the scales without really noticing it. Below is a list of common refined carb intake that can sneak into our day:

  • Piece of banana bread
  • Morning Scone
  • Biscuit or Cookie
  • White bread sandwich
  • Brioche bun
  • A handful of crackers that aren’t whole grain
  • Muffins that are full of sugar, raisins end calories

The trick is to figure out which of the above mistakes are easy fixes. I personally don’t really care about eating a brown bread Sandwich versus a white bread sandwich and I can certainly save my cookies for one or two in the evening when I really want a treat.

Ask for crackers, if I’m really hungry, I have Ryvita or Wasa crackers with me in the car. This is something you can easily keep at work as well. They’re low calorie, filling and go great with some olives, hummus and or some veggies.

Common Carb Mistake #2

The other common mistake we make with carbs is at dinner.

I routinely find clients eating mostly potatoes for dinner. A simple switch may be to add red potatoes or yams a few days out of the week. Preferably most days out of the week as they are much lower on the glycemic index then potatoes. Take a look at your dinner starches and see if they are refined or whole grain.

If you don’t like eating a whole grain starch at dinner, you can save it for the evening. Actor Ryan Reynolds has discussed eating his bowl of oatmeal later on in the evening. A person could easily have a low-carb dinner that included a protein and some vegetables and later on, have a healthy small serving of steel cut oats if they desired.

Common Carb Mistake # 3

Not getting the vegetables in is the next common carbohydrate mistake. We often think that vegetables don’t really do anything but they actually have many benefits to healthy diet and a weight loss program.

Vegetables add volume, bulk and fiber to our diet. They’re also commonly discussed in various nutrition pieces as being catalysts for energy. One of the most important things that vegetables to is fill out a plate.

Next time you’re at the dinner table, see how much of your plate is covered in vegetables. For most of us, two fists of vegetables should be on your plate. If you’re running into a situation where less than one fist of vegetables is on your plate, you may want to add a few more if you’re in need of some weight loss.

The other areas we tend to miss out on veggies is at lunch and in the afternoon snack. Adding a few vegetables to your lunch will not only tell your brain that you eaten more but, it will also help digestion and a variety of other things that vegetables are known to do for us.

Add a few carrots, celery or a bit of cucumber or a few pieces of broccoli and cauliflower in a Tupperware container and have that during your next lunch or with your sandwich and leftovers the following day.

The other area you want to add some veggies is during your afternoon snack. Routinely during the day, we may hit a 4pm hunger patch where we need a little bit of food. Many of us often skip this and try to make it to dinner. The danger is if you make it to dinner hungry, you’re liable to eat more excess food and take in too much food at one time.

Waiting until dinner even though you’re hungry can cause a drop in energy levels and cause weight gain if you subsequently eat excess food during dinner as well.

So next time you’re stuck for a snack in the afternoon, be sure to not only have a snack but to add some veggies to it to help carry you to dinner.

Fixing some of these common carb mistakes can quickly get your eating and waistline back on track. Dieting shouldn’t be impossible to figure out. Simple tips like correcting your carbohydrate intake can go a long way to a healthier and slimmer you.

Best of health,

Local trainer.