Stop Saying Carbs Don’t Make People Fat

My response to “Carbs don’t make you fat. A caloric surplus does.“

To all the bodybuilding bros, mainsplainers, and chicks who have never been fat or been metabolically dysfunctional -STOP SAYING THIS. You cannot make this blanket statement and be taken seriously. I don’t care how lean you are or how many muscles you have or how many Instagram followers you have..... you need to educate yourself about WHY people have problems with carbohydrates. You need to know that your paradigm is narrow and narcissistic and unhelpful. How egotistical it is to think that you have all the answers and that everyone can look like you if they just did what you said? Seriously, stop.

Carbs made me fat. You know why? Because I ate them excessively. So, I suppose that could make the case for the claim that a caloric surplus is what makes you fat, but this caloric surplus was coming from carbohydrates which many, many, many, people have exhibited that they don’t have self control with.

I didn’t get fat because I wanted to, or because I was lazy, undisciplined, or because I didn’t have willpower. Quite the opposite. I attempted over and over to shed the weight via extreme caloric deficits which required willpower and repeated attempts at exercise that was beyond my ability level. I could eat 1200 cal a day for two, three, even four months at a time – that required a lot of discipline and willpower. But you know why it doesn’t last? Addiction.

Carbohydrates did something to me physically/metabolically and I felt compelled to keep eating them, even the so-called “good” carbs. When I let the carbohydrates go – especially grains and sugar – guess what? I finally shed the weight and the physical compulsion to keep eating them went away. We can go back to the claim of caloric deficits being how to shed the weight, but guess where the bulk of my deficit came from? Guess what was eliminated? Carbohydrates. So yes I lowered my calories and those lower calories occurred because I lowered my carbohydrates.

It’s insulting to tell people who’ve battled obesity and health issues their whole life because of the excessive carbohydrates that they’ve eaten, “carbs don’t make you fat.“ Stop it.

Stop blanketly claiming that carbs will not make you fat without providing proper context.

Now, I may not be shredded, and that’s not my goal anyway, but the fact that I’m not doesn’t mean that I am wrong about the benefits of eating very few carbs. I’m no longer 260 pounds, my type two diabetes is no longer raging, I no longer have high blood pressure, my insulin sensitivity has greatly improved, I have excellent energy and I overall feel and look better than I ever have at age 49 than I did in my 20s and 30s. Best of all? Getting rid of the carbs gave me the mental clarity and wherewithal to pursue recovery from my lifelong eating disorder which was – surprise – centered around carbohydrates.

So, carbs may not make YOU fat but you are not the norm. Look around you. There are obese people everywhere and I guarantee you eating a high carbohydrate diet contributed to their obesity.

If you really want to be helpful, stop making blanket statements and assuming that what you do is right for everyone.

***** Tired of the diet roller coaster? Do you want to stop being obsessed with food and be free once and for all? Work with Mary to get your mind right and find your food freedom.