Are carbs inherently making you fat? 

No, carbs do not inherently make you fat. This is a lie, or whatever you want to call it. False information. The whole reason you may experience weight/fat gain is due to 1 simple thing… you are eating too much. Simply overeating. This is true regardless of whether those calories come from carbs, fats, or protein. 

But, carbs can & will contribute to fat gain in many ways.

The issue with eating high processed carbohydrates: Highly processed carbohydrates digest quickly, spike insulin, and may lead to overeating due to poor satiety. Higher glycemic indexes are common in over-processed carbohydrates.

What is the glycemic index? It simply measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood sugar levels.

The storage of insulin & fat: Carbohydrates will increase insulin. Increasing insulin at a healthy level can be beneficial because insulin is a key hormone that regulates blood sugar, muscle growth, and overall metabolism. Overall, insulin is anabolic & helps prevent muscle breakdown. This will help drive nutrients & amino acids into muscle cells. Promote protein synthesis! 

Too high of insulin levels can be unhealthy for fat gain because insulin is a storage hormone, and when it's constantly elevated, especially in a caloric surplus, it promotes fat storage while inhibiting fat burning. Insulin suppresses lipolysis! Too much insulin = excess fat storage, due to the body storing excess insulin as fat. It can also cause a metabolic crash, or slower metabolism. 

Liquid carbs are a no!: Sugary drinks don’t fill you up. They are not satiating. Unfortunately they add a lot of extra calories, making weight gain easier!

Carbs are essential for energy. Check out this post on what I just did recently about glucose for brain function: https://www.cptlij.com/blog-2-1/glucose-for-brain-function

As well as the process of reducing body fat!: https://www.cptlij.com/blog-2-1/the-process-of-reducing-body-fat

Whole carbs support the metabolism. They are the primary source of energy for the body. Some diets demonize carbs, when in reality, they play a critical role in overall health. 

Fat gain happens when total calorie intake exceeds expenditure.

Here are some attached articles to support the information above:

Meta analyses/systematic review published in BMJ Open concluded that high-carbohydrate diets do not increase the odds of obesity, suggesting that carbohydrates alone are not responsible for weight gain: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/2/e018449?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Article supporting the type of carbohydrate consumed may influence body weight, total carbohydrate intake was not directly associated with increased body mass index (BMI):    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A reviewed article that talks about greater weight loss with reduced glycemic load in comparison to low fat diets. These studies can characteristically suffer from poor long-term compliance. According to the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM) of obesity, recent increases in the consumption of processed, high–glycemic-load carbohydrates produce hormonal changes that promote calorie deposition in adipose tissue, exacerbate hunger, and lower energy expenditure: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2686146

Helpful article on refined carbs vs. whole carbs: https://www.signos.com/blog/whole-carbs-vs-refined-carbs