starch and carbs

ehk33

I just started meal prepping and love it. But I was thinking about my dinner for last week. It was 4oz baked chicken breast, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1 cup steamed broccoli, and 1 cup cubed roasted sweet potato. 400 calories for the entire dinner

I was wondering if the starch in the potatoes and the carbs from the quinoa were the same (aka) high carb. Essentially am I doubling up on that part of my meal? So is this like a high carb meal?? Would I be better off just doing one (like potatoes or the quinoa/rice/cous cous) not both? Im not doing a "low carb diet", but Im for sure not doing a high carb one. I lose the most weight when I do less bread/pasta/rice etc

what do you think? tia!

blktngldhrt

I would consider both quinoa and sweet potatoes to be higher carbohydrate. They're around 28-30g each for 1/4 cup of quinoa and one potato ..depending on its size.

I would do just one per meal, personally. It's all about what works for you, though.

RodaRose

You could have double the amount of broccoli but broccoli has carbs too.

BombshellPhoenix

So, you're worried about water weight? Which isn't even true weight gain as a factor in your weight loss rather than just finding foods you enjoy and sticking to a moderate calorie deficit? I'm curious. Do you use a food scale? Those are all measuring cup entries you listed, which can be highly inaccurate. Just an fyi.

Carbs aren't bad. Carbs are energy. Unless you have a medical condition, there's no need to worry or limit. What really jumps out at me is you're worried about nutrient dense carbs, too of all things.

For weight loss, calorie deficit.

For health and body comp, balance your nutrient intake, your macro / micro targets.

Otherwise, stop worrying so much. Eat what you enjoy

yarwell

100 calories from protein and 250 or more from carbs ? Fairly high % from carbs. Starch is starch is a carbohydrate

ehk33

Im guess im just wondering if i cut out some of the carbs i might lose weight easier? Carbs arent the best for weight loss right? Or is a calorie a calorie? I have no idea what a macro is??

What would be a better weight loss , yet filling "combo"? Like chicken, quinoa(or potato), and zucchini?

So i should use a scale for broccoli, sweet potatoes, cous cous, etc instead of a "cup" thingy? How does it differ?

mcpostelle

There are many different ways of eating. It all depends on what you like and what works best for you. If you lower your carbs then you need to up your protein/fat intake. Everything in nutrition is about balance. I.e. LCHF, HCLF, and etc. I personally do LCHF, a.k.a ketosis, it's just a different way of burning foods. I lose the most weight and feel tons better on it. Macros are fats, carbs, and protein. The other nutritional values are referred to as micros. I eat 70/25/5 (fats/protein/carbs). If you want to look into low carb research on google. Reddit is also a good source. I personally use ruled.me for my info.

There are nurtitionally healthy calories and calories that aren't. From what it sounds like I wouldn't worry about putting sweet potatoes with quinoa, but rather on how you feel when you eat that type of meal. Full? Tired?

I use measuring cups since I don't have a food scale, I plan to get one though. I've seen no problems with it so far.

BombshellPhoenix

ehk33 wrote: »

Im guess im just wondering if i cut out some of the carbs i might lose weight easier? Carbs arent the best for weight loss right? Or is a calorie a calorie? I have no idea what a macro is??

What would be a better weight loss , yet filling "combo"? Like chicken, quinoa(or potato), and zucchini?

So i should use a scale for broccoli, sweet potatoes, cous cous, etc instead of a "cup" thingy? How does it differ?

When it comes to fat loss, macronutrients your protein, fiber, carbs, fats play a small role in body composition. It's typical for diets yo claim low carb works better because you lose water weight I initially, it makes people feel better to see the scale moving quicker at first but it's not fat loss. Optimally, one should get around 1g per pound of lean body mass in protein a day abort .35 % fats as a minimum, I keep fiber around 30g, I kind of don't worry about where my carbs are.

For sustainability, I certainly think nutrient dense whole foods are great broccoli, asparagus, quinoa, fruits and vegetables are ideal as they are typically lower in calories for more bulk. Chicken is a great protein source. Ideally, you want to find foods that help you meet your calorie needs and your nutrient needs and keep you feeling full.

it was trial and error for me at first. But what helped simplify things for me was thinking of thinks in terms of nutrient density.

As far as a digital food scale, I highly recommend it. They're maybe 20 bucks at Walmart. Any solid food should be weighed on it. I take a bowl, zero it out, and then put my food on it. Calorie dense things like peanut butter, chicken, avacado were huge shockers for me on the calories. I use the grams or oz entries in the database. With whole foods I find the usda entries.

I lost 53 lbs still incorporating ice cream, pizza, fast foods into my diet.

It's really all about finding foods you enjoy abs making them fit into your day, while still being mindful of your health. It made things so much more sustainable for me long term

Here are some good reads

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

Sabine_Stroehm

RodaRose wrote: »

You could have double the amount of broccoli but broccoli has carbs too.

Very few.

ndj1979

ehk33 wrote: »

Im guess im just wondering if i cut out some of the carbs i might lose weight easier? Carbs arent the best for weight loss right? Or is a calorie a calorie? I have no idea what a macro is??

What would be a better weight loss , yet filling "combo"? Like chicken, quinoa(or potato), and zucchini?

So i should use a scale for broccoli, sweet potatoes, cous cous, etc instead of a "cup" thingy? How does it differ?

I would be more focused on permanent fat loss rather than temporary water weight loss …

so you can eat carbs and lose fat/weight…unless you have some underlying medical condition that makes you sensitive to carbs…?

yes, a calorie is a calorie ..

macros are just the breakdown of fats, proteins, and carbs in your diet. So for me, I do 35 protein, 35 carbs, 30 fats < those are percentages…

so for weight loss calories deficit is critical; for body composition adherence to macros is important….

ehk33

thanks guys! I already have a food scale, so tonight i was out of my "meal prep" dinners, i had to make from scratch, so i weighed. I made(well its still in the oven) 4oz chicken, 250 grams of oven roasted broccoli and 250 grams of oven roasted zucchini. 1/4 cup cooked quinoa (estimating, ill weigh it when i plate it). Im hoping the extra extra veggies will fill me up like the sweet potato did. I have 50ish pounds of baby weight to lose, so i want to make sure im eating the right things. Macros sound very interesting! i think i'll do some research on it I just want to make sure i feel full without going over my calories. I just finished my first MFP week

ndj1979

BombshellPhoenix wrote: »

ehk33 wrote: »

Im guess im just wondering if i cut out some of the carbs i might lose weight easier? Carbs arent the best for weight loss right? Or is a calorie a calorie? I have no idea what a macro is??

What would be a better weight loss , yet filling "combo"? Like chicken, quinoa(or potato), and zucchini?

So i should use a scale for broccoli, sweet potatoes, cous cous, etc instead of a "cup" thingy? How does it differ?

When it comes to fat loss, macronutrients your protein, fiber, carbs, fats play a small role in body composition. It's typical for diets yo claim low carb works better because you lose water weight I initially, it makes people feel better to see the scale moving quicker at first but it's not fat loss. Optimally, one should get around 1g per pound of lean body mass in protein a day abort .35 % fats as a minimum, I keep fiber around 30g, I kind of don't worry about where my carbs are.

For sustainability, I certainly think nutrient dense whole foods are great broccoli, asparagus, quinoa, fruits and vegetables are ideal as they are typically lower in calories for more bulk. Chicken is a great protein source. Ideally, you want to find foods that help you meet your calorie needs and your nutrient needs and keep you feeling full.

it was trial and error for me at first. But what helped simplify things for me was thinking of thinks in terms of nutrient density.

As far as a digital food scale, I highly recommend it. They're maybe 20 bucks at Walmart. Any solid food should be weighed on it. I take a bowl, zero it out, and then put my food on it. Calorie dense things like peanut butter, chicken, avacado were huge shockers for me on the calories. I use the grams or oz entries in the database. With whole foods I find the usda entries.

I lost 53 lbs still incorporating ice cream, pizza, fast foods into my diet.

It's really all about finding foods you enjoy abs making them fit into your day, while still being mindful of your health. It made things so much more sustainable for me long term

Here are some good reads

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

+ 1

mdboss10

I'd be careful about the quinoa, as they are not all the same. If the package doesn't say 100% whole grain quinoa, then it means its made from refined flour. Refined flour has had the bran, germ, and endosperm were removed, along with all of the nutrients too. It also means your grain has now been change from a complex carb to a simple one.

BombshellPhoenix

mdboss10 wrote: »

I'd be careful about the quinoa, as they are not all the same. If the package doesn't say 100% whole grain quinoa, then it means its made from refined flour. Refined flour has had the bran, germ, and endosperm were removed, along with all of the nutrients too. It also means your grain has now been change from a complex carb to a simple one.

What happens after that? Do I explode?

lorib642

ehk33 wrote: »

thanks guys! I already have a food scale, so tonight i was out of my "meal prep" dinners, i had to make from scratch, so i weighed. I made(well its still in the oven) 4oz chicken, 250 grams of oven roasted broccoli and 250 grams of oven roasted zucchini. 1/4 cup cooked quinoa (estimating, ill weigh it when i plate it). Im hoping the extra extra veggies will fill me up like the sweet potato did. I have 50ish pounds of baby weight to lose, so i want to make sure im eating the right things. Macros sound very interesting! i think i'll do some research on it I just want to make sure i feel full without going over my calories. I just finished my first MFP week

sounds good, can I come over? there are a lot of posts here on macros

libbydoodle11

mdboss10 wrote: »

I'd be careful about the quinoa, as they are not all the same. If the package doesn't say 100% whole grain quinoa, then it means its made from refined flour. Refined flour has had the bran, germ, and endosperm were removed, along with all of the nutrients too. It also means your grain has now been change from a complex carb to a simple one.

Quinoa is a seed.

libbydoodle11

ehk33 wrote: »

I just started meal prepping and love it. But I was thinking about my dinner for last week. It was 4oz baked chicken breast, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1 cup steamed broccoli, and 1 cup cubed roasted sweet potato. 400 calories for the entire dinner

I was wondering if the starch in the potatoes and the carbs from the quinoa were the same (aka) high carb. Essentially am I doubling up on that part of my meal? So is this like a high carb meal?? Would I be better off just doing one (like potatoes or the quinoa/rice/cous cous) not both? Im not doing a "low carb diet", but Im for sure not doing a high carb one. I lose the most weight when I do less bread/pasta/rice etc

what do you think? tia!

Do what you think is best. I often include both rice and a sweet potato with my meal.

J72FIT

ehk33 wrote: »

Im guess im just wondering if i cut out some of the carbs i might lose weight easier? Carbs arent the best for weight loss right? Or is a calorie a calorie? I have no idea what a macro is??

Calorie deficit is best for weight loss. There are 3 macros... protein, fat and carbohydrates.

LeslieTSUK

BombshellPhoenix wrote: »

So, you're worried about water weight? Which isn't even true weight gain as a factor in your weight loss rather than just finding foods you enjoy and sticking to a moderate calorie deficit? I'm curious. Do you use a food scale? Those are all measuring cup entries you listed, which can be highly inaccurate. Just an fyi.

Carbs aren't bad. Carbs are energy. Unless you have a medical condition, there's no need to worry or limit. What really jumps out at me is you're worried about nutrient dense carbs, too of all things.

For weight loss, calorie deficit.

For health and body comp, balance your nutrient intake, your macro / micro targets.

Otherwise, stop worrying so much. Eat what you enjoy

Not often I agree with MFP'ers, but have to say on this occasion very well said.

Also, even with a medical condition like diabetes, net carbs are fine, it's just the sugared ones that ya have to keep to a bare minimum.

12g of net carbs = 1g of glucose over a 5 to 6 hour period in your blood stream, so even someone like myself who is severely insulin resistant, a meal of 150 net carbs and no more than 7 to 10 sugars, 5 hours with 2 metformin glucose all cleared out of my body

I often have rice and potatoes in same meal, add a few sausages in for the protein and bit of fats, touch of olive oil for the mono-unsaturates, and weight coming off nice and steady, and since it all foods I love, it super easy to stick to it on a long term basis.

Only thing i'd say to be a little careful with is wheat based foods, not because they bad because they not, but there seems to be a growing number of people that have problems digesting it, so that something to keep eye out for if your having lots of problems with water retention etc.

I found once i went from pasta/wheat bread/noodles to rice/potatoes/oatmeal pita, rice noodles etc not had a problem with water retention for a long time now.

Just experiment and see whats best for your own body, but make sure it something your enjoying, or it won't be doable long term.

best of luck