ARE CARBS THE PROBLEM?

Dear Jellybean,

We all have our weaknesses. Mine is carbs. I'm average size with a lot of muscle because im a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I'm definitely not fat, I'm just lean but I still have some "blub" in my lower stomach. I want to know if my love, carbs, is keeping me from getting the bikini body I know I can achieve. I usually do three, two-hour intense workouts a week and I do 4 minutes worth of crunchies each night so I don't know why I'm not thinner. Do I have to cancel out my carbs or is there something else I can do?

>Thanks,
Carb Craver

Dear Carb Craver,

Don't cancel your carbs - ditching a whole food group is no way to get (or stay) healthy. Plus, it's not likely to make a whit of difference.

According to the nutritionist who I consulted about your question, the body needs a certain amount of carbohydrates to function properly. If you don't get enough carbs, the results could include "fatigue, muscle cramps and poor mental function". In other words, you'll end up tired, sore and mentally slow - not anyone's goal! So avoiding carbs entirely is literally a dim-witted approach to nutrition. Yes, there's been lots of press in recent years about "low-carb" diets, but there's also been a real backlash against them, as people gained back the weight lost on those faddish diet plans.

Of course, some carbs are better than others. Potato chips are yummy, for instance, but you'd be better off eating a baked potato, since it contains lots more vitamins, along with less oil and trans (unhealthy) fats. Similarly, you can eat a sandwich on white bread, or choose whole-grain bread which contains many more vitamins and essential minerals. "Good carbs" like these also contain more fiber, which makes you feel fuller for longer, compared to other foods. So it's all about making smart choices with your carbs.

As an athlete, it's especially important for you to take in complex carbohydrates. These foods take longer for the body to digest and provide excellent fuel for workouts, giving you the energy you need to accomplish your muscle-building goals. Complex carbs are most commonly found in vegetables, whole grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, dried beans, barley, lentils, nuts and seeds.

If you're fairly toned all over, except for your tummy area, you're probably genetically predisposed to having a bit of excess "blub" there. You can thank your parents for that. It's possible that no amount of exercise will change that. You can try adding some waist-targeting exercises to your crunching routine, as tightening the sides of the tummy can help to pull it in more. Surf the web or check your local library's fitness section for exercises.

But you may have to get used to the idea that while you are fit and fabulous, you aren't magazine-perfect. That's not so bad really - because even those ladies in magazines don't really look that way, when they're not airbrushed! Take a look at our article on this page and get some support for loving yourself the way you are.