Such confusion about carbs!

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  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    moyer566 wrote: »
    i think people say low carb because bread, chips, and pastas and such can be high calorie and have low fiber and protien. so then you may get hungry faster. and this can make it more difficult to stay around your calorie goal for the day

    Agree, it's obvious that most people in the US would have the easiest time cutting carbs since they are cheap to produce and probably eaten in excess in most SAD diets. The "easy" answer is "just go low carb" which is all fine and dandy until said person hears that and thinks it applies across the board...

    I honestly think of carbs as a sliding scale in my mind. The more active you are, the more you can have. The more fit you are, the more you can have. If you are morbidly obese and working on just being able to run a mile without stopping then you may not need as much carbs as someone who is running 3-8 miles per day and lifting 5 days a week.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    WalkinChik wrote: »
    I am diabetes free.. low carb and exercise is the best medicine for good health.

    Going low carb was the best medicine FOR YOU. That doesn't apply to everyone.

    Low carb is now thought to be the best medicine for those with insulin resistance. Some can treat it without going low carb (below 150g of carbs per day) but my guess is they would do better low carb.

    I can't think of any medical condition that is improved by a high carb diet, although a moderate carb diet seems neutral for many conditions.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Okay - I don't have a medical condition so my point applies.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    CHICKIEFOX wrote: »
    I know 14# doesn't seem like much, but believe me, it is super difficult to lose those final pounds. I would like to lose 2# per week. I know that is ambitious, but when I plugged it in, it calculated that I could have 1200 calories per day/150 gm. carbs. Must be OK if it calculated. I use up around 250 calories on the treadmill, so actually I get around 1450 calories which I believe is sufficient. I need results fast or I don't stay committed. Thanks all for the info.

    Just be aware that just because you plugged in 2lbs a week doesn't mean that's how much you'll lose. MFP won't go below 1200 calories, so have a look at your settings where it says how much weight you'll be expected to lose at 1200, it "may not" not be 2lbs

    This. OP have you calculated your maintenance calories on MFP, or your TDEE elsewhere? You need a 1000 cal/day deficit to lose 2 lbs/week. MFP won't set you below 1200 cals because that is the lowest setting for obtaining ample nutrition. Additionally, by losing weight that quickly you risk loss of lean muscle mass and other issues, not to mention transitioning into maintenance is a big jump as you add back in 1000 cals/day. I know losing quickly is motivating but really, at this point, you should be looking at logging accurately, doing some strength training (if you enjoy it) to recomp your body, and thinking about what maintenance will look like.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    CHICKIEFOX wrote: »
    Hello! I am new to this, but finally decided to give it a go. I didn't want losing 15# to be so complicated. Simply could not figure out what kind of diet to go on. Logging in, keeping a food journal, and spending so much time dwelling on what I eat! But friends of ours recently went on a 20-carbs-a-day diet and although they have been losing, how long can they stay on it? I gave it a try and lasted one day! That is far too restrictive, but my main concern was "is it healthy"? My doctor also says, "watch the carbs." Just what is that supposed to mean? How many can you have in a day? One thing about this program is that once you set your goals and fill in some info, it DOES tell you how many carbs to shoot for in a day, and that is WAY over 20. Sorry to ramble, but could I hear some success stories on this plan? Thanks!

    The amount of carbs to eat is preference only, or doctor's orders due to a medical condition. Weight loss always results from eating less calories than you burn, no exceptions. However, some people people find eating less carbs curbs their hunger and helps them stay in a calorie deficit. For me, severe restriction of carbs would not be healthy.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Based on what I've read from nutrition/medical sites and my personal experience I think it's as (or more) important to pay attention to the type/source of carbs than the amount. Fiber makes a lot of difference.
  • CHICKIEFOX
    CHICKIEFOX Posts: 5 Member
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    I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic. Glad to hear low carb is working for many of you. Someone said low-carb is under 150/day. That"s no problem. But 20/day is. I want some fruit, oatmeal, lots of veggies, and dairy in my daily ration so I can easily stay under 150, and also have a healthy, balanced diet. I need a plan I can live with for the long term. And so far 1200 calories seems ok. No junky carbs though.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    No one really knows the definition of low carb...some say it's a percentage of calories, some say it's a number. Like you already know, it's 99% personal preference.

    Sometimes I only eat 200 grams of carbs? Low carb? probably not....but it's only about 20% of my calories...
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Based on what I've read from nutrition/medical sites and my personal experience I think it's as (or more) important to pay attention to the type/source of carbs then the amount. Fiber makes a lot of difference.

    This is what I believe also. Fiber and micronutrients. Focusing just on carb percentage doesn't really mean much. (Also goals matter. Someone likely will want to eat differently if regularly doing lots of cardio with particular performance goals vs. being basically sedentary.)

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