Myth: You Need to Cut Carbs to Lose Weight

By: Kathy Jordan, MS, RD, CTA, CPT

Answer: The verdict is still out on this one. There are about 3,500 calories in a pound of body weight. Technically, it would take a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day to lose one pound in a week. However several studies have indicated that diets high in protein and low in carbohydrates may improve weight loss¹. They also result in a greater loss of fat while preserving more lean body mass². And the extra protein adds to the satiety factor making adherence easier³.

So what’s an athlete to do? Keep in mind that carbohydrate is the primary and preferred source of energy for athletes. Endurance athletes and even body builders need carbohydrate to fuel their muscles during workouts. Adequate carbohydrate is also needed during recovery to spare protein so it can do its job of helping repair muscles.

So, although cutting carbs may give a slight edge for fat loss, it would not be the weight loss formula of choice for endurance athletes. For maximum performance, endurance athletes generally need 60-65% of calories from carbohydrate. It would likely work better for strength training athletes provided the diet contains enough carbohydrate that work out stamina is not compromised.

1 Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999, 23(5):528-53

Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):769-77. & Metabolism. 1994 Dec;43(12):1481-7

J Nutr. 2004 Mar;134(3):586-91