Weekly Fitness Tips, Part 2

Will lifting weights make me bulky?
Short answer: No. It will develop your muscles & make you stronger, but you’re not going to grow a crazy amount of muscle by accident.

More nuanced answer: People think that just lifting weights will be enough to get them to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, when in reality, that’s just not realistic. Yes, Arnold did lift weights very frequently back in the day, with a lot of intensity. However, just because he used weight training to achieve his physique, doesn’t mean you will get that big. It takes years upon years of hard training, with strict adherence to a diet to develop that level of muscle. It’s like saying, “Yay! I’ve just passed my driving test, now I’m ready to be an F1 driver”. It’s too big of a leap, one that is not achievable in such of short time.

Whatever your goal is, keep in mind that it doesn't happen overnight. The athletes you may be thinking of that look “too big” or “too lean” are not representative of a realistic body or of what the average person could look like. Their job is to eat, sleep & train, that’s it! It takes years to build a lot of muscle. For the vast majority of people, gaining a bit of muscle and losing a bit of fat will reshape you and give you that “toned” appearance that many people want. Staying at an average/healthy body fat level (no visible Abs) will put a bit more size on your frame.
The only thing that would make you look more “bulky” is if you are already overweight and you gain A LOT of muscle. However, most people won’t do that, & it’s more the excess of body fat that makes people look bigger, rather than muscle. Even if you accidentally get muscular in certain unwanted areas, it’s as simple as not training that area as much; it won’t keep growing and may even shrink.

Weekly Fitness Tips, Part 1

Do carbs make you gain weight? Short answer: No, they don't, not on their own.
Carbs have 4 calories per gram. If you overeat, aka consume more calories, and they happen to be from carbs, then yes, you will gain weight. However, it's not the carbs that did it, it's the excess of calories.

More nuanced answer: Foods that are highly processed will mostly be high in sugar (processed carbs) & fat. That's why they taste so good, that high palatability can lead to overeating them. Those foods will likely also be high in calories but low in volume, making it very easy to overeat them & therefore leading to weight gain.
Keep in mind that it's not just junk food like sweets & chocolate that are high in carbohydrates, it's also a lot of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains & legumes. There's a difference in how your body processes a simple carb like refined sugar Vs how it processes a complex carb like a sweet potato. E.g., whole foods like potatoes & bananas give you longer-lasting energy, whereas processed sugar gives a short,r immediate burst of energy. Whole foods tend to be more filling & less calorie-dense. Making it harder to overeat them.