I had the first follow-up session with a client yesterday. In our initial meeting, I learned that this client already exercised, took a nice assortment of supplements and was already going to great lengths, successfully, to be healthy. His problem was he wasn’t losing weight. As he said, “I’m doing everything right.” The majority of times when clients say this they’re mistaking putting effort in, even doing many things correctly, for doing everything right.

Healthy eating and weight loss eating are not always the same. We’ll call this client H (all clients remain anonymous), for healthy. H came to his first follow up, a couple weeks later, and was down over 6 lbs.

“What were the biggest changes for you?” I asked. H explained that he decreased his carbs. There’s nothing revolutionary about a connection between carbs and weight. But H said, “I didn’t even know that definition of a carb before.” H had been having a salad for lunch with corn, chickpeas and quinoa, also oatmeal some days for breakfast. If you’re thinking, aren’t those foods healthy? Well yes, that’s why I called H, H.

We have a carb cheat sheet for our clients. H was already eating mostly approved carbs (beans and quinoa and sweet potatoes) but he was eating too many. I suggested H pick 1 carb per day.

There were other changes, H started to track/log his food, we upped his veggie intake, adjusted alcohol consumption etc. There are many pieces to the weight loss puzzle, carb intake is just one. But it’s an important one. And even if you’re eating healthy, wholesome carbs- you may be consuming too many, depending on your age, activity level and metabolism, for weight loss. My teenage son could eat H’s carb budget in a day. Let’s see, in 50 years, without soccer every day, what his body can handle.

Where do you stand on carbs? Have you adjusted the type or amount you eat, with age?