Healthy Tip: The Little Engine That Could

Your body uses carbohydrates for energy similar to how an engine uses gas.  If you consume the proper amount of carbs to perform daily tasks you technically shouldn’t experience weight gain.  In other words, at the end of the day the engine should be empty after a day of work.  However, if you consume too much carbs it will store as fat, since there is gas in the tank at the end of the night. 

Our bodies are different in that it uses fuel in a specific order.  First it uses carbs for energy, then goes after fats, and if all else fails, muscles are used to provide the boost.   So, if we do not consume enough carbohydrates, our body will start to tap into our fat stores for energy, which should result in weight loss. 

Keep in mind that if one continues to consume too little carbohydrates and all the fat storage has been used up, your body burns muscles for energy, which can be detrimental to your fitness goals.  Think of the physique of a marathon runner.  So get that engine revving with exercise and start using up the additional tank.

P.S. I would never recommend running an engine dry because that will destroy your engine, I am merely using this comparison as an analogy.