High Fiber = Too Many Carbs... Is this hurting me?

Steelers2183

So, I have a pretty messed up digestive system and have to eat a really high fiber diet, taking in about 50g-60g per day. I exercise 5 times per week (strength training and cardio), play tennis, walk the dog, and am generally a really active person when I'm not sitting at work for 8 hours straight.

My question is... all of the high fiber foods are really high in carbs. I eat the healthy ones... so berries, beans, grains, etc., but my carb intake for the day is usually double (if not more) than my protein. Is this hurting my progress at all? I realize every person is different, but given I don't have a ton of weight to lose (15-20lbs) and am more looking to pack on some more muscle than anything, will my carb to protein ratio hold me back?

Thanks everyone!!

Pawsforme

Most people who try to limit their carbohydrate intake count net carbs. That means you subtract the grams of fiber from the total grams of carbohydrate. For example, I'm looking at a bag of frozen mixed veggies. It says a serving has 10 grams of total carbs and 3 grams of dietary fiber. So if I were counting net carbs I'd count a serving as 7 grams.

And weight loss happens when your calorie intake is less than your calorie expenditure (CICO). The only reason to limit carbs is if you have a diagnosed medical need to do so, or if you (like me) find that a lower carb diet helps keep your appetite under control. Otherwise . . . they're just calories like everything else.

kristen6350

I don't see why it would hurt you. It's not what food you eat, it's how much. So if you are within the calorie limit MFP gave you (I'm hoping you didn't put that you wanted to lose more than 1lb/week, .5 lbs is preferable) you should lose weight.

You won't gain muscle while eating in a deficient, so I'd eat the way you have to eat until you hit goal, then look into how you might be able to increase protein and do a re-comp (eating at maintanence and heavy lifting to gain muscle). So look at this stage of the game as just a cut. Then when you get the fat off, consider looking into decreasing the carbs a bit.

I take fiber gummies in the morning - they are tasty and easy and adds 5g of fiber to my day with out eating. Look into supplements if you haven't already, they help.

lisalsd1

I generally eat 40-50 grams of fiber. The beans and grains contribute most of the calories/carbs when you are talking about high fiber foods. I eat 2 servings of frozen blueberries for dessert most days. It's about 140 calories/8 grams of fiber, not sure of carbs (but it was a little high). I also eat 2 cups of broccoli/daily (10 grams of fiber/110 calories/lower of carbs).

If you are active, lowering the carbs isn't super important; but you could try to replace some of the beans/grains with higher fiber veggies and some fruits. You also might want to look at increasing your protein/lowering your carbs; this helped me lose some extra fat I could quite get rid of before.

MelaniaTrump

100% ok to have carbs be double your protein.
I am high carb and high fiber (I try). Just stay within your calories. I love oatmeal, beans, wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, high fiber cereals. Fiber keeps me full...

lemurcat12

Steelers2183 wrote: »

So, I have a pretty messed up digestive system and have to eat a really high fiber diet, taking in about 50g-60g per day. I exercise 5 times per week (strength training and cardio), play tennis, walk the dog, and am generally a really active person when I'm not sitting at work for 8 hours straight.

My question is... all of the high fiber foods are really high in carbs. I eat the healthy ones... so berries, beans, grains, etc., but my carb intake for the day is usually double (if not more) than my protein. Is this hurting my progress at all? I realize every person is different, but given I don't have a ton of weight to lose (15-20lbs) and am more looking to pack on some more muscle than anything, will my carb to protein ratio hold me back?

Thanks everyone!!

For muscle preservation/gain (the latter is unlikely to happen on a deficit, at least more than a mild one), the issue is not carbs (except to the extent they help with workouts), but total protein. Normally you'd want to be at least .65-.85 g of protein/lb of healthy body weight to maximize the benefits. For me, that means around 100 grams or so (I'm 125), which is only 400 calories and leaves me with plenty of room for carbs even at a deficit. For example, at 1600 calories it works out to 25% protein, and 50% carbs (double the amount of protein) would fit in easily.

This idea that carbs ought to be no more than protein or the like doesn't actually fit with most traditional human diets. Nothing wrong with eating more protein if you like it (or more fat), but there's no benefit to an extra high protein diet.

Francl27

It's totally fine to eat twice as many carbs as protein.

chaines0145

Carbs are important in a diet and I do no advise going low carb, but going high carb/low protein is also a bad idea. In weight loss, protein is actually the most important macronutrient because it prevents weight loss from being muscle. A high protein diet will allow the weight that is lost to be mostly fat. DO NOT make the same mistake I did. I got very slim eating a high carb diet (eating a lot of veggies and fruit), but still had quite a bit of fat on me. I was a size 2 but still pudgy (skinny-fat they call it). This could have been prevented if I at more protein. Aim for a balance of all the macronutrients for best results!

MelaniaTrump

Daily requirement for women is around 46 grams a day. Are you getting that minimum?