Can You Actually Eat Bread and Lose Weight?
Can You Actually Eat Bread and Lose Weight?
Recently Oprah has been in the news talking about how she has been able to eat bread every day and still lose weight. Is it really possible for someone to eat bread on a daily basis and lose weight? The answer is YES!!! Truth of the matter is: a carb is a carb. Therefore, whether you consume bread, rice cakes, or oatmeal, the body will convert every carbohydrate into its best usable source of energy, which is known as glucose. I could never understand why so many people cut bread out of their diets in pursuit of weight loss. I incorporate bread in many of my personal training clients’ diets with very successful results.
Carbohydrates are found in fruit, vegetables, grains (yes bread), and other starches. Carbohydrates are a main source of energy for the body; they can be metabolized fast or slow depending on your individual needs. Here’s how it works, during digestion carbs travel through the small intestine. They then get further broken down into single carbohydrate units known as monosaccharides. These single molecules get absorbed across the intestinal wall and are sent through the blood stream. Carbohydrates in the blood are in the form of a monosaccharide called glucose(blood sugar). That blood sugar can now be used for either slow or faster burning energy. For instance, during high intense, short exercise blood sugar can give energy to muscle cells through anaerobic(without oxygen) pathways. For longer duration, steady state cardio, blood sugar can be broken down through aerobic(with oxygen) pathways.
A diet that provides sufficient amounts of carbohydrates keeps your blood sugars steady and prevent your muscles from entering a catabolic state. Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet because your body converts them to glucose and your body runs on glucose. Some perfectly healthful foods such as carrots, potatoes, bread, and apples should be part of your balanced diet. Consuming such carbohydrates will fuel the body and provide you with the energy that is needed to get you through those intense workouts, which will in turn get those results that you are aiming for.
For more information on a well-balanced diet, consuming the right number of calories for your specific needs, getting in shape, and losing weight, contact us.
