How To Get Toned While Enjoying Carbs Guilt-Free
Simple vs. complex carbs
Carbs are not all created equal, and this is especially true of the distinction between simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs are the ones that are broken down the fastest — sweets, fruits, etc. (dried mangoes are one of my FAVORITES). Complex carbs, on the other hand, take longer to digest and are found in sources like wheat, potatoes and other starches. I generally shoot for 90% complex and 10% simple in a given day, and the time of day matters here, as you’ll see shortly…
Diversify your carb sources
Macronutrients are the core of our focus at WarriorBabe, but that doesn’t mean micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) are any less important. There are tons of different carb sources to choose from, and each has a different blend of nutrients our bodies need to thrive. By varying up your meals and incorporating different carbohydrates, you’ll be able to have more energy and vitality you can put toward your workouts and life in general!
ALWAYS eat carbs before and after workouts
This is one of the most common mistakes I notice from women who are regularly doing strength training but not seeing the results they want. Carbs are the fuel your body looks for first during workouts — without its chosen fuel, it pulls from your muscle stores instead… which is NOT what you want. Always have carbs before your workouts (around 30 minutes for simple carbs, about 90 for complex) and follow up with more when you’re done!
Follow what you read here and you’ll be ahead of the vast majority of women following macronutrient plans… but the best thing you can have is nutritional and workout guidance from expert coaches along with resources like specialized macro calculators and nutrient breakdowns for tons of the most common food sources available. To get all of this and more…
