Spoiler Alert: Carbs don't make you fat. Carbs don't make you gain weight. Gaining weight is the direct result of eating too many calories, not by eating carbs. The truth of it all is this – you need carbs.

Why do carbs make you gain weight?

This refers to when we eat and digest carbs, our blood sugar rises and in-turn insulin spikes. The higher the glycemic index, the more our blood sugar spikes and thus insulin. When insulin spikes, fat-loss is temporarily blunted. This created a mindset that carbs must be bad and that they must cause weight gain.

Can carbs cause belly fat?

Diets high in refined carbs and low in fiber appear to have the opposite effect on appetite and weight gain, including increases in belly fat ( 88 ).