Carbs?

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abel_teklai
abel_teklai Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
no matter what I do? It seems that carbs are the most percentage of what I eat(even when I am trying to eat mostly proteins and fats) since carbs are in vegetables and so many other healthy things. People tell me to lose weight I need to limit carbs. I typically average 40% carbs 30% protein 30% fat when Iook at my fitness pals number based on the food I log. Thoughts?? Or is only the calorie amount what's important?

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  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    It would help us a lot if we were able to see your diary. Could you please make it public?

    You don't need to limit carbs to lose weight. You only need to limit calories. However, some people find that limiting starchy carbs like rice, potatoes and bread, makes it easier to limit calories, because starchy carbs often have a lot of calories for the amount of bulk...as opposed to, say, leafy greens (which are also carbs, btw) which have a lot of bulk and very few calories.
  • abel_teklai
    abel_teklai Posts: 24 Member
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    Ok thank you guys for your input. Snugglesmacks, I just made it public so take a look and let me know what you think! Thanks
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    A lot of your carbs came from the bananas. Over 50 grams. Also, the baked beans, bread, and rice. But you came in under your calorie goal, so maybe if you just back off of the starchy carbs and fruit, and add some more protein, you'll get closer to hitting your macros. The macros are important for body composition, and you want to eat plenty of protein if you're eating at a deficit in order to protect your muscle, so trying to get close to your goal is a good idea. So maybe you could buy smaller bananas, and eat eggs and bacon or ham for breakfast instead of baked beans.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Suggestions if you want to lower carbs: instead of rice, have double salmon, instead of bread, have a larger portion of turkey and provolone with mustard, salad dressing or hummus.
    When you reduce carbs, you can add more fats like sour cream, butter, mayo, salad dressing, a little peanut butter, avocados.
    To replace a few carbs, eat leafy veggies like romaine, kale, collards, . . . .
    If you want a quick breakfast, make a hamburger with no bun.
  • duckiez71
    duckiez71 Posts: 1
    edited April 2015
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    Go on a keto diet or south beach. I think low carb is way more sustainable than no carb. Broccoli and avocado are my favorite because they have a high ratio of fiber to carbs. Meat is good because low in carbs but high in fats. You still must exercise daily or as often as possible. Cheese has almost no carbs and eggs as well. I think a good general rule is to always have a fruit or veggie in your meal unless it's all protein. Stay away from anything with starch i.e. pasta, bread, desserts, sugars. I also try to limit my intake on bananas and potatoes. Good luck!
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    you don't need to limit carbs to lose weight. calorie in vs out. high carb also doesn't equate to unhealthy. do more research.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    What is not healthy about 40/30/30 ? That sounds pretty normal.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    duckiez71 wrote: »
    Go on a keto diet or south beach. I think low carb is way more sustainable than no carb. Broccoli and avocado are my favorite because they have a high ratio of fiber to carbs. Meat is good because low in carbs but high in fats. You still must exercise daily or as often as possible. Cheese has almost no carbs and eggs as well. I think a good general rule is to always have a fruit or veggie in your meal unless it's all protein. Stay away from anything with starch i.e. pasta, bread, desserts, sugars. I also try to limit my intake on bananas and potatoes. Good luck!

    No. Just no.
    No need to go on a 'diet'.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    abel_teklai wrote: »
    no matter what I do? It seems that carbs are the most percentage of what I eat(even when I am trying to eat mostly proteins and fats) since carbs are in vegetables and so many other healthy things. People tell me to lose weight I need to limit carbs. I typically average 40% carbs 30% protein 30% fat when Iook at my fitness pals number based on the food I log. Thoughts?? Or is only the calorie amount what's important?

    This is actually a pretty good ratio. If you are concerned about it for some reason, remember that sugars in fruits are going to count as carbs, as well as any starches you eat. Reduce the starches if you are concerned and increase proteins to change the macro balance.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    What is not healthy about 40/30/30 ? That sounds pretty normal.

    This.

    Lots of people even lose with more carbs. The people who are telling you you need to lower carbs to lose are wrong.

    That said, it helps SOME people to reduce their carbs, as some find they are hungrier eating more carbs (or, more to the point, less protein or fat) and that substituting more satiating foods helps. If you are having no problem hitting your calories, though, I wouldn't worry about it.

    Now that I've increased my calories to have a smaller deficit I'm trying to eat more like 50% carbs on workout days, since I simply don't need/desire more than 125 g protein or 60 g fat.
  • jazzyjez
    jazzyjez Posts: 36 Member
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    We all just have to find what works for our bodies. Awareness of your macro nutrients can really help you with your overall calorie control. I think it's great you're investigating it!

    For me, getting rid of high glycemic carbs (eliminating sugar altogether for a few months and no white rice, white bread etc) helped me realize I was addicted to sugar and made a huge difference for my weight loss. The low glycemic / high fiber carbs helped me feel satiated, and I was able to significantly cut total calorie intake without feeling deprived.

    Truly, you can have a lot of raw veggies without hitting your calorie limits. Nutrient-dense food will help with weight loss and health!
  • AsadiMt
    AsadiMt Posts: 5
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    Limiting carbs is a HUGE deal for allot of people successfully losing weight. They switch calories from carbs to healthy fats and pounds fall off. Calories in calories out is a myth for allot of people. I could not lose weight limiting calories, and no I was not cheating, but limiting carbs and increasing fat pounds come off easy. There are lots if ways that work for different people and none of them are "wrong"
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    What is not healthy about 40/30/30 ? That sounds pretty normal.

    What if my cutting calories are 2100, do I really need to eat 210g of protein?
    What if my bulking calories are 3200, do I really need 320g of protein or 106g of fat?

    That is why random percentages like 40/40/30 don't work a lot of the time and calling a random percentage healthy or unhealthy makes no sense.

    I doubt anyone needs to eat that much protein. Ever.

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