I often get asked about what I personally eat or don’t eat to stay lean. This may surprise you but I do not restrict my diet in any way. I love food and I eat a lot of it.
I don’t even like the word ‘diet’ because of it’s associated with weight loss, which is not everyone’s goal. While society has got us believing that skinny is best, in the fitness world strength and health is best and happiness is key!
Related: Why you should keep eating gluten
For anyone who’s been to my Instagram page you can see that I eat everything including lots of carbs, plenty of fish, veg, fruit, poultry and even the occasional burger! I don’t pretend to have the perfect diet because I don’t. But it works for me and every individual is different.
Carbs have such a bad rep these days for being the main cause of weight gain, but remember that any food can be fattening if eaten in unnecessarily large quantities.
So ‘Do low carb diets work?
To answer the question simply, yes they do work. It will deplete your body of energy, reducing your intake of fibre and cut out vital nutrients that help your body to function. A low carb diet could certainly help you lose weight but it is by no means the healthiest way to do it.
Much to popular debate carbohydrates play an important role in a healthy body. They are the body’s main source of energy, they contain loads of vitamins and minerals which help your body and mind to function and they even help to promote serotonin, the feel good brain chemical!
The big secret is…you gotta burn it to earn it! Be it ‘Low-carb’ or ‘low-fat’ if you are consuming more calories than you are burning you will gain weight. My advice is to find a balance that works for you. Keep variety in your meals and your workouts and stop hating on carbs!
Chelsea – London Personal Trainer, follow me on Instagram: @Chelsea_Siegel
