The 5 Best Carbs for Getting Ripped
The best carbs to eat for weight loss? You’re probably going to think I’m out of my mind if you’re new to Kinobody. Some of you will immediately think that carbs can’t get you ripped, and others might think that it’s the calories and macros that matter and that the carb sources aren’t overly important.
Well to address this, eating too many calories is what gets you fat.
Period!
So yes, you can eat plenty of carbs and get ripped provided that a calorie deficit is present. In fact, having a moderate amount of carbs tends to be the most enjoyable strategy. This is because carbs trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood, relaxation, quality of sleep, cognition, and many other benefits.
Carbs also play a significant role in testosterone, sex drive, exercise performance and muscle growth.
For these reasons, very low carb diets suck! Sure they can get you ripped (if you create a calorie deficit), but at the expense of your sanity, mood, quality of sleep, sex drive, workout performance and muscle mass.
The Best Carbs For Weight Loss
Now in terms of fat loss, it’s really all about the calorie deficit that matters! If you’re in a deficit you could be eating whatever carbs you want, including the often demonized white bread, sugar cereals and coke and still lose weight.
However, that would be a really terrible approach. Not only because these carbs are very low in vitamins and minerals, but also because they simply don’t do a very good job at filling you up. When you’re eating under maintenance, a little hunger is part of the package. Why exacerbate that with non filling foods that leave you wanting more?
Now I’ve played around with many different carb sources to see what I found to be the most filling and satisfying and I’ll share them with you below. I’m not going to include any veggies in this list because I don’t bother counting veggies towards my calorie intake. Not to mention, the amount of veggies you would have to consume to hit your carb numbers is simply not feasible. Without further ado, let’s get it started!
1. Russet Potatoes
Easily my absolute favorite carbs source! Russet potatoes are absolutely fantastic. Funny enough, many people are under the impression that potatoes are unhealthy and fattening. Well I say erroneous, erroneous on both counts!
Russet potatoes are absolutely fantastic. Not only are they one of the most filling starchy carb sources in the world, they also are very high in vitamin c, vitamin b6, manganese and potassium. I will note, they’re not quite as low on the glycemic index as sweet potatoes, but that doesn’t even matter! Forget about the glycemic index, scrap it! It’s completely irrelevant. In no way, shape or form does the GI have any effect on fat loss. Not to mention, if you’re consuming potatoes with meat and veggies then the protein, fat and fiber will completely slow down digestion rendering the glycemic index meaningless.
What you really should be asking yourself is what carb sources do you find the most filling per unit of calories. Potatoes happen to be highly filling! Compare a 300 calorie serving of potatoes to brown rice and you’ll find that the potatoes are far more filling!
Baked potatoes with butter, baked potato wedges in macadamia nut oil and rosti potaotes are my favorite potato recipes by far! Note: I share my recipes on instagram
2. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are another great choice! I don’t have them as often as russet potatoes because I find I get tired of them if I have them all the time. That said, like russet potatoes, sweet potatoes are a nutritious and highly filling carb source. Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A and fiber and also high in vitamin c, manganese and vitamin b6. I love to bake sweet potatoes in the oven and add some cinnamon and butter for taste, it’s sweet and delicious. You can also make baked sweet potato wedges, which are pretty fantastic.
3. Apples
Apples (red delicious apples) are definitely my favorite fruit! Rarely a day goes by that I don’t have 1-2 apples. Of all fruits, I find apples to be the most filling and satisfying per unit of calories. The crunchiness of apples makes me quite satisfied after eating a big apple. Usually I break my fast with one large red apple before eating my meal. Apples in the fasted state taste like a refreshing dessert. I like to have apples on their own as a snack if I’m getting hungry before a meal. Having an apple before a big meal can help you become fuller faster and actually consume fewer calories.
4. Gluten Free Pretzels or Rice Cakes
I recommend having a quick and convenient carb source for the times when you can’t cook up potatoes or sweet potatoes. My favorite options are gluten free pretzels or rice cakes, both of which are decently filling. If you’re going to be having a packaged food as a carb source for a meal then make sure to be conscious of any fat content and adjust your meal accordingly.
If you don’t have any issues with gluten then you can pick whatever convenient carb source that you prefer and that leaves you pleasantly full. Remember what’s most important, hitting your calorie and carb numbers for the day. Don’t stress out about eating clean foods all the time. It’s perfectly okay to have some low fat snack foods to use as a carb source for a meal with protein and veggies.
5. Low Fat Ice Cream or Pancakes 
Let’s face it, sometimes you’re going to want to eat something sweet and tasty! Now I actually rarely, if ever, get sugar cravings! You see, intermittent fasting with a solid ratio of proteins, fats and carbs keeps me very satisfied and pretty much eliminates all of my junk food cravings. With that said though, I am human and I do enjoy my fair share of ice cream or pancakes every now and again. Sometimes I just love to watch a good TV show like Ray Donovan, Shamless or Dexter with a big bowl of ice cream loaded with chocolate chips.
As long as I leave some room for the calories then it’s completely fine and the rate of fat loss will remain unchanged. I opt for low fat ice cream because you can eat twice as much for the same number of calories as regular ice-cream and it still tastes really, really good! Just make sure to let it sit for a bit and become soft and yummy. Alternatively I’ll make gluten free pancakes but I won’t add any butter to the mix, this keeps the fat and calorie content much lower.
Remember to exercise some self control and not let one bowl of ice cream turn into an entire container. But usually binge eating on junk food is due to the guilt associated with breaking your diet. When you allow yourself to eat ice cream or desserts within the guidelines of your daily calorie targets then there is no need to feel an inkling of guilt. In fact, I always feel great when I fit treats into my calorie budgets for that day. I’ll tell you when I don’t feel great, when I deprive myself from delicious foods only to invariably binge eat on them. When you can indulge in ice cream a couple times per week while dropping fat then cutting is going to be damn easy because you’re not giving anything up.
Final Comments On The Best Carbs For Weight Loss
These are definitely my five favorite carbs for weight loss that I have gravitated to after three years of tracking my macros and testing out carb sources. Working with many consultation clients confirms that these are top picks. Generally speaking many of my clients tend to complain about being too full while following the nutrition plan.
They also can’t believe how many carbs they can eat while getting lean. If I had them consuming bread or rice or pasta, it wouldn’t seem like very much at all! But by focusing on potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples and occasional indulgences, dieting becomes a walk in the park! Share your favorite carb foods in the comments below.
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Hey Greg,
I am on the warrior shedding program. I just started. I was curious if I could change the macros a little or would it screw up the whole program? Can I do 35% protein 40% fat and 25% carbs? Would this be ok or would it screw up my results with the program?
My reasoning for this is:
1. I only eat grass fed beef and I can only find 85/15 lean
2. I find it difficult to eat 180 grams of protein a day. If I can get by with 160 (I weigh 157) then that would be ideal.
3. I can not seem to make russet potatoes without adding fat. Even if it’s olive oil the fat adds up too quickly and I end up making hash browns or something with too much olive oil. I can’t eat baked potatoes (especially 400+ grams) just by themselves with no fat. That’s next to impossible LOL
Yeah drop the protein and carbs and bump up the fat. That’s fine. The important thing is that you’re tailoring it to what you feel best on.
Ok thanx Greg….what would you recommend the minimum amount of protein intake a day to be?
.82g/lb
Or 1g/lb of total body weight?
Thank you Greg
0.82g / pound. Or 0.7g for more overweight people.
Hey Greg! Whats your take on Pasta? Im eating pasta only 3 times a week (training days), do you think its the right thing to do? Also, White vs Integral pasta, how much leverage has integral over white? Thank you!
Focus on total carb intake. I don’t eat pasta because I Don’t find it as filling as potatoes and such. But I also stay away from gluten.
So, you are saying that on training days you eat as main course meat/fish/chicken but what changes is the amount of carb intake which comes from potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc ?
Yes
Pasta, pasta and pasta. I’m Italian, so it’s “in my blood,” if you will. I buy a high quality brand and dress it with olive oil, garlic powder and basil, sprinkled with Romano or Parmesan cheese. I have beans mixed in (butter beans, northern or whatever white bean on hand). Delicious! Just don’t overdo it. We call it Pasta fazool or pasta e fagioli.
I tend to find I don’t do well with fasted training (I just feel a bit ill and lightheaded and run out of energy quickly). I plan to eat a modest meal a couple of hours before working out from now on- what carb sources would you recommend to include in this meal for workout energy?
Also, in general, can you recommend some slightly more calorie dense healthy carb sources for workout days perfect for recovering glycogen stores and fueling muscle growth? As I find it difficult (always eating in the eating window) to consume enough carbs (high carbs on training days) and calories from un-dense high volume foods like sweet potatoes (especially as I also aim to eat a sizable portion of something like broccoli alongside for the health benefits which further fills me up)!
Many thanks in advance! Big fan of your teachings!
Potato, sweet potato or rice. Or you can have a couple pieces of fruit – apple and banana.
Pasta and rice are best.
Hey Greg,
What’s your gluten-free, no butter pancake recipe?
Love the site and RTR podcast, keep the quality content coming!
I just use almond milk and I don’t put any butter in the batter. I use a couple teaspoons of coconut oil on the pan.
Hey Greg, I enjoy all the videos. I hope im not asking you something you hear constantly. But I’m 37 and I’ve got belly fat and love handles coming on. The dreaded muffin top is around the corner. I use to be in great shape but layed off working out the past 2 years. What is your best advice on avoiding the muffin top and love handles as far as diet goes? Do you have any videos that could be helpful? thanks
The reason you have a muffin top is because your body fat levels are too high. It’s just a matter of dropping fat with proper dieting.
It’s okay to eat these type of high carb foods if you are working out out enough throughout the week.
thanks
Great article. I been trying to explain to a friend that carbs increase testosterone, . Do you know how exactly? Can you cite a study?
thanks
J
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3573976
Hey Greg,
I love your blogs and podcasts with Christopher Walker on RTR- very informative stuff! I’ve been on a bulk the last few months and have gained 4kg since August using John Kiefer’s Carb Back-loading protocol. What are your thoughts on this method and eating relatively small, high fat & high protein meals preceding the workout, and then emphasising carbs post-workout until bedtime? Also, I’m looking to buy a natural flavoured protein powder for convenience and smoothies- do you think i’m best off achieving post-workout protein through whole foods?
Thanks heaps Greg, you’re a fitness King,
Jonny.
If you enjoy the carb back loading method then go for it, that’s what matters. I prefer to skip breakfast and eat 2 bigger meals and a light meal somewhere mixed in. I don’t restrict carbs in either of my main meals. As well, I don’t drop carbs to sub 50 on rest days.
You definitely can get your protein from whole foods.
What is your stance on counting vs. not counting the sugar from apples? I love apples and most carb sources are too filling for me to consistently hit my carb macro. I can eat 6 apples and still feel hungry so sounds like a great alternative to potatoes, quinoa, rice etc. BUT the huge amount of sugar is concerning on paper. But I’ve heard some people don’t count sugar from fruit at all… :? Thoughts?
I definitely wouldn’t recommend having 6 apples. Don’t over consume fruit because it’s not very efficient at replenishing muscle glycogen.
Greg, Thank you for talking about Carbs. I could not agree more about how most diet fads are erroneous about Potatoes and carbs in general. I like how you deliver the topic too. Well spoken.
I am trying to add muscle. I definitely need to reduce the amount of aerobic activity and increase the calories. Plus I need to eat more protein. One question about IF when you eat predominantly carbs/fats. Is it possible to fast for 15-16 hrs effectively? Does the protein need to be higher to get the benefits of IF and not let that affect mood, sanity, workout performance? Or is it just as effective if I hit all the right macro intake?
I learnt once from a chef to parboil potatoes first before roasting (actually when you parboil you just finish the potatoes off in the oven). I also use sprouted buckwheat flour and make banana bread or pancakes. That is my favourite carb meal always.
Thank you again. I will keep reading.
-Christopher
Yes, you still get the benefits of IF even if you’re eating mostly carbs and fats. I would definitely recommend bumping up your protein intake so you’re getting close to 1g per pound per day.
I have question how do I eat the right amount of carbs without eating over my calorie intake? On the recomp I supposed to eat 2160 cals 481g of carbs ,60g of fat and 175g protein. On the lift days my calorie intake is around 2860 cals with 651g of carbs 79g of fat and 175g of protein. Did I miscalulate my carb intake? If not how am I supposed to eat 481 to 651 grams of carbs without overeating too much calories? Also whats so different abou your program than the VIMB is it because of predictable gains in strength? Thats all I’m asking I just need a little understanding on the cals and macros.
You are clearly not calculating carb intake correctly. You need to divide carb calories by 4 to convert to grams. From the looks of it it seems as though you divdided it by 2.
Alright thanks for the help Greg thats all I needed.
Another great article Greg, really enjoy your stuff! Carbs are something I’m always stressing about since I’ve done the paleo/primal thing in the past and never quite sure how many carbs to take in. I’m currently trying to put on some muscle slowly, eating 250 cals over maintenance(2400) on days I lift with 315 carbs, 64g fat and 200g protein. On non-lifting days I usually try to stay around 2250 cals with 180 carbs, 80g fat and 200g protein, I also IF only on the non-lifting days (every other day). Is this a decent approach to add some muscle while trying to stay lean? Really appreciate it and keep up the awesome work man!
Yes that sounds pretty solid! If you’re not gaining at-least 0.5 lbs per week then I recommend increasing the calorie intake further.
Great, thanks so much for the response man! And again your site ROCKS!
Thanks a lot Brad! Glad you enjoy it
Hey Greg, thanks for the article on carbs! At the moment, I am not weight training. I have not trained in one month, is it still OK to include good sources of carbs as the ones above in my diet? With all the demonising of carbs, and after going through The primal blueprint and Miyaki’s Intermittent feast, I am wondering if it is true that for a non-weight training person carbs bring to insulin raise and therefore to putting fat on, even on calorie deficit.
CHeers!
Not it’s not true! The only thing that can cause fat gain is a calorie surplus. You can be very inactive and have plenty of carbs as long as you have your calories under control. Furthermore, resistance training 2-3x per week for 40 minute hardly makes a difference in energy expenditure in the grand scheme of things. The only way their logic would make sense is if someone is exercising 2 hours per day.
Wow, OK, that’s new for me, haha. Why do the authors, Mark Sisson and, especially Nate Miyaki (whom I deem very legit, and I believe you follow as well) recommend “good fats” for sedentary people as the foundation of the diet plan?
Well basically because they don’t have as much of a demand for carbohydrates if they’re mostly sedentary. You only need about 130g of carbs per day if you’re inactive. Now that said, even if you don’t need more carbs than that, some people would prefer to consume more carbs and keep fat intake a little lower. It’s really about finding the macros that you most enjoy. Going low carb and eating higher fat foods appeals to some people but not everyone. Some people, even relatively small and inactive people, will still prefer to have a decent amount of carbs and prefer that over lower carb and higher fat.
Great video and article Greg. I’ll have to try making some of those potato wedges.
My favourite carb source is sweet potato with cinnamon and manuka honey, it’s amazing! And sometimes baked white potatoes with salsa. Potatoes are so quick and easy to prepare.
Offtopic, but do you have a recommendation for a good (and cheap) brand of BCAAs? I’ve always used Scivation, but have been looking for a legit and cheaper and alternative, keen to hear your opinion.
Cheers
Not quite sure. It will depend on the store but basically BCAA’s are BCAA’s. Go with the cheapest brand, it won’t make a difference.
What do you think about the supplement Nitrotech? Does it have goo creatine formula or it just increases pump?
I don’t really use supplements, don’t find that they’re necessary. Best way to take creatine is to buy monohydrate and take 5g per day.
Hi Greg, nice post!! How much grams of russet potatoes give 100g of carb?
about 500g of russets for 100g of carbs
I completely agree, with you Greg. Great podcast BTW! I love those gluten free pretzels too, they are so buttery. I have really found with fasting, the junk cravings really diminish. Since the first meal is healthy with lots of protein, it keeps me on the straight and narrow for the rest of the day. I do pull a Mike Mathews on Saturdays after my workout, and eat a huge stack of pancakes.
When you eat shit food all day long, that’s what prevents you from getting ripped. This just came out about fasting yesterday. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-spector-md/fasting-aging_b_3996816.html
Very solid article, thanks for sharing!
Hey, man. I’ve been following your stuff for a long time now, and I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you do this. This article was great, as most of yours are, and I look forward to what you continue to do in the future. Keep putting out great work, because it is really helpful.
Thanks a lot man! I really appreciate the kind words.
Hey Greg
What are your tough on carbs like Couscous, Bulgur and Quinoa?
If you like them then go ahead and include them! Find what works best for you and keeps you the most satisfied on your diet plans.
Hey! I was wondering.. Do you have any proof regarding the fact that high GI index foods digests slowly when eaten alongside fat and protein?
Protein and fat modify the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to a mashed potato-based meal.
I need to get me some potatoes baby!
I eat mainly brown rice because it’s something quick and easy to make but I’d definitely like to start eating more potatoes.
Do you buy potatoes organic or just normal and do you eat the skin too? (I heard you shouldn’t? lol)
And also how do you cook them?
Thanks again for a great article Gregg!
-Wasil
I don’t stress too much about eating organic. If organic is available and not too expensive then I’ll get it.
Yes, pancakes are BOSS on a diet. If you turn them into a protein-loaded dessert, it’s amazing! Potato wedges are also a favorite. I can’t wait to be back in a caloric deficit, I find it more enjoyable, because I actually get to enjoy my meals even more. Fasting makes it so easy and convenient too. This approach is a go to, one size fits all in my opinion. When January comes, time to get diced for next summer and then lean gains forever haha. Great read btw!