Page 56 - The Skinny On Your Diet Plan

What are Carbohydrates

Remember there are 4 calories in every gram of carbohydrate.

Along with making various structures and substances in the body,
the main job of carbohydrates is to provide energy, either immediately (from

blood glucose) or for later (from stored liver and muscle glycogen).
Carbohydrates are primarily a source of immediate energy for all your

body’s cells. The chemical description of carbohydrates is Cn (H2O)n or, in

English, one carbon for one water, giving carbohydrates their name (carbon
+ hydrate, aka water).

Carbohydrates’ water-binding effect means that we’ll store about 3-4

grams of water per gram of stored carbohydrate in our bodies, and that if we

cut out carbohydrates, we’ll quickly lose body water (which leads to the
dramatic initial weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet).This means that if

you eat a large fry (or any other source of carbs) from some restaurant
which could have about 100g/ of carbs in it you will have effectively put on

an extra pound of weight. Think about it: 100 grams of carbs stored causes
3-4 grams of water per, to store also. That equals 400-500 grams stored

total. A pound is only 454 grams. This, of course, will only be true for

about a day or two, until the carbs are oxidized or used up. That’s one major

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