Frustrated? Carb in , Carb out?

thesophierose

Okay so I am going to rant about something for a moment.

When I started weight loss I was 195 pounds. I was an emotional eater and i LOVED carbs. I mean who doesn't? I love bread. I love oatmeal. I love fruit. I love rice. I love a lot of things that revolve around carbs. But then again back in those days I ate the wrong things during my emotional binges.

I cut out most bad carbs at first and switched to complex carbs. I ate high carb, plus the right amount of protein & fat (I am a peanut butter addict and it won't ever change,) and I lost my weight. I don't think carbs are the true enemy here so why do they get such a bad rep? I literally don't get it.

I've tried for the past few days to go lower carb to see the big hype on it and ended up eating more. Lol. Well that and I haven't been able to workout as much... and I am scared (demons are evil) of gaining weight back. But I think Carbs can be you best friend, if you eat them in the right sense. I mean I used to eat 3 bowls of cereal a day and some where at like 3am. I still lost weight and at that time I only did 20 situps every time I ate. Plus I walked for 30 minutes. Thats all. Literally.

Cutting carbs is weird and unnatural. I don't know.

Any thoughts?

lilcassers

You are exactly like me. I am a carb-a-holic and today I actually went on a carb binge from emotions. Although it is ezekiel sprouted bread, it doesn't help when I had 6 slices and I normally stop at 2 a day. I too, am obsessed with oatmeal and cereals.

The best policy is to moderate, moderate, moderate.

One bowl of (non-instant) oatmeal. A couple pieces of breads a day. ONE potato a day. If you completely cut, you will go CRAZY. But don't ever go back to cereal... lol. Boxed and processed foods are bad. Fruits and veggies are wonderful cards and don't count.

My policy is this: if you are eating whole, natural foods, I don't necessarily "count" calories as much.

Makes sense?

moorednorham

"Cutting carbs is weird and unnatural."

We are all different and it depends on many factors personal to the individual. Weird and unnatural for you can be an absolute MUST for another, so please don't be so hasty to judge a situation that is not yours.

The key is that carbs = glucose = sugar = insulin response. Some carbs undergo this change quicker than other but it's an absolute, chemical fact that ALL carbs end up as glucose. This results in an insulin response to knock down the level of glucose that gets dumped into the bloodstream as the carbs are digested. Any glucose that, for whatever reason, the body's insulin can't handle gets stored as fat, and also can be indicative of a host of other health issues.

So for us, carbs (even what you might consider a ridiculously small amount) can equal excess fat and weight gain. Thus...low carb. I am one of the many whose body seems to not utilize insulin properly. I won't bore you with the details but I *must* watch my carb intake.

If you've not seen it, go to Youtube and look up the documentary called FAT HEAD. It explains why low-carb is a must for some people, and does so in very friendly terms.

PS Since you say a carb-heavy diet (compared to mine, anyway) lost your weight, how much of the 195 have you lost, and how long has it taken?


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thesophierose

"Cutting carbs is weird and unnatural."

We are all different and it depends on many factors personal to the individual. Weird and unnatural for you can be an absolute MUST for another, so please don't be so hasty to judge a situation that is not yours.

The key is that carbs = glucose = sugar = insulin response. Some carbs undergo this change quicker than other but it's an absolute, chemical fact that ALL carbs end up as glucose. This results in an insulin response to knock down the level of glucose that gets dumped into the bloodstream as the carbs are digested. Any glucose that, for whatever reason, the body's insulin can't handle gets stored as fat, and also can be indicative of a host of other health issues.

So for us, carbs (even what you might consider a ridiculously small amount) can equal excess fat and weight gain. Thus...low carb. I am one of the many whose body seems to not utilize insulin properly. I won't bore you with the details but I *must* watch my carb intake.

If you've not seen it, go to Youtube and look up the documentary called FAT HEAD. It explains why low-carb is a must for some people, and does so in very friendly terms.

PS Since you say a carb-heavy diet (compared to mine, anyway) lost your weight, how much of the 195 have you lost, and how long has it taken?


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Well I mean I am not saying going lower on carbs is a bad thing... but trying to cut them out completely like many do these days seems odd to me. I know that carbs can aid in weight loss and it depends on the person and their tolerance.

I am 112 pounds now. I lost my initial 70 in 6 months by this high carb lifestyle.

Crochetluvr

Low carb has always worked for me. But I suspect I was insulin resistant for many years before I developed T2 diabetes so lowering the carbs makes sense. If a person has no medical issue with carbs, enjoy them.

moorednorham

Well I mean I am not saying going lower on carbs is a bad thing... but trying to cut them out completely like many do these days seems odd to me. I know that carbs can aid in weight loss and it depends on the person and their tolerance.

I am 112 pounds now. I lost my initial 70 in 6 months by this high carb lifestyle.

Be thankful you don't have insulin issues, then, since you apparently don't. If carbs can actually help you lose weight, great. You're very fortunate. There are many whose body has the exact opposite response.

If I may share this bit of advice:

I graduated H.S. weighing 117, could run for miles and couldn't put on fat or muscle if you put a gun to my head. I'm now in my 40s and have once reached 184. I've got some muscle and there wasn't THAT much fat, but for my slim frame that still was far too much to be lugging around. Part of the reason is an insulin problem that runs in my family. My dad has adult onset diabetes; I don't yet but every year my fasting blood sugar creeps up a little bit more...so I know it's only a matter of time. I do low carb not for weight issues as much as to delay diabetes as long as possible. Most hard-core low carb dieters also have some insulin problem so we're not just doing it to get into a small size of pants. We take it seriously because we HAVE to.

I say this to remind you, again, to be thankful and to be aware that however old you are, the body changes over time for most people. What you're able to do today with no ill effects...well...in 10 years or 20, could be a whole different story.

Just food for thought.

BrainyBurro

Okay so I am going to rant about something for a moment.

When I started weight loss I was 195 pounds. I was an emotional eater and i LOVED carbs. I mean who doesn't? I love bread. I love oatmeal. I love fruit. I love rice. I love a lot of things that revolve around carbs. But then again back in those days I ate the wrong things during my emotional binges.

I cut out most bad carbs at first and switched to complex carbs. I ate high carb, plus the right amount of protein & fat (I am a peanut butter addict and it won't ever change,) and I lost my weight. I don't think carbs are the true enemy here so why do they get such a bad rep? I literally don't get it.

I've tried for the past few days to go lower carb to see the big hype on it and ended up eating more. Lol. Well that and I haven't been able to workout as much... and I am scared (demons are evil) of gaining weight back. But I think Carbs can be you best friend, if you eat them in the right sense. I mean I used to eat 3 bowls of cereal a day and some where at like 3am. I still lost weight and at that time I only did 20 situps every time I ate. Plus I walked for 30 minutes. Thats all. Literally.

Cutting carbs is weird and unnatural. I don't know.

Any thoughts?

cutting carbs is just the latest get-thin-quick deprivation diet fad. unless you have diabetes or something like that, there is nothing wrong with eating carbs. none are good and none are bad. they are just carbs. if certain carbs trigger your appetite, then naturally i think scaling back your intake on those is prudent. for me, breads and pasta just make me hungry again faster. i still eat those, but i try not to eat too many. i also don't consider them bad at all. in fact, i don't even worry about my carb intake. i focus on proteins and fats and then let the rest of the calories be whatever combination of protein/fat/carbs i want them to be that particular day. to this point, i've not paid real close attention to my macros, but i customized my settings (the MFP default settings are silly) and this month i'll be tracking them closely to see how i'm doing with my protein and carbs. i think if you did that too (i.e., focusing on fats and protein, both of which are MINIMUMS) and ignored your carbs, i think you'll be fine. if you meet your protein and fat goals and don't exceed your calorie goal, i think the carbs will take care of themselves.

1g carbs = 1g protein = 4 calories
1g fats = 9 calories

set yourself up using a 40/30/30 or similar c/p/f split and see how you do.

moorednorham

cutting carbs is just the latest get-thin-quick deprivation diet fad.

It's been around as a medically proven approach since at least 1797. The Atkins version dates to the early '70s but there were versions before that. If one wants to extend it to pre-agrarian or non-agrarian societies, it's been around for several thousand years.

BTW...I'm quite satiated, thanks, not feeling deprived at all.

StephanieE3456

For the last year, I've stuck with a low carb diet. Most of that year I was at around 20 carbs or less a day. It works for me. I am a carb addict and it's best if I limit them completely out of my diet. When I eat carbs, even sugar-free chocolate, I start to get cravings. Those cravings lead to binges. I have PCOS and used to be insulin resistant. I have normal blood sugar now. For me, I need to stay in ketosis to keep on losing and staying the course. It's what works for my body. I no longer have those dips in energy in the late afternoon. I have plenty of energy for exercise and work out 6 days a week on average 1 1/2 hours a day. Some days it's 2 hours, other days it's an hour depending on whether it's a cardio day or a strength day.

erikkmcvay

Many people who tell me they don't eat carbs don't actually mean they don't eat carbs! lol

Real conversation:
Them: "I don't eat carbs"
Me: "so how do you get your fiber?"
Them: "Well I eat Whole Grains."

Me: DOH!

I think a lot of people think 'carbs' are only sugars and white bread and don't realize that there are simple and complex carbs.

For me, I eat 50-55% of my daily calories in carbs most of which (vast majority) are whole grains (rolled oats, whole grain rice, quinoa, wheat berries, chia, bran) and it's made a big difference in my weight loss I don't starve to death either! lol

StephanieE3456

I get my carbs from vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds. I don't eat any whole grains.

ndj1979

where are the bad carbs from...Iran?

BrainyBurro

cutting carbs is just the latest get-thin-quick deprivation diet fad.

It's been around as a medically proven approach since at least 1797. The Atkins version dates to the early '70s but there were versions before that. If one wants to extend it to pre-agrarian or non-agrarian societies, it's been around for several thousand years.

BTW...I'm quite satiated, thanks, not feeling deprived at all.

...and your response is still irrelevant to my point. the low-carb diet FAD is recent.

BrainyBurro

Many people who tell me they don't eat carbs don't actually mean they don't eat carbs! lol

Real conversation:
Them: "I don't eat carbs"
Me: "so how do you get your fiber?"
Them: "Well I eat Whole Grains."

Me: DOH!

I think a lot of people think 'carbs' are only sugars and white bread and don't realize that there are simple and complex carbs.

For me, I eat 50-55% of my daily calories in carbs most of which (vast majority) are whole grains (rolled oats, whole grain rice, quinoa, wheat berries, chia, bran) and it's made a big difference in my weight loss I don't starve to death either! lol

if you're eating 50-55% carbs, you are most probably not getting enough protein and/or fats.

as a general rule, you should be getting 0.85g/lb of LBM in protein each day, and 0.35g/lb of bodyweight in fat each day. you need the protein for muscle repair/retention/growth. you need the fat for all sorts of things. FWIW.

thesophierose

My macros are set up like 40/40/20

So, 160g carbs. 160g protein. 31g fat.

Sometimes I go over on carbs, I have days were I eat 200g and it's those weeks where I actually fluctuate lower in weight. I don't know.. Sometimes I am under. Sometimes I am over on protein, and full. And I am normally good with fat portions staying within 25g-31g.

erikkmcvay

Many people who tell me they don't eat carbs don't actually mean they don't eat carbs! lol

Real conversation:
Them: "I don't eat carbs"
Me: "so how do you get your fiber?"
Them: "Well I eat Whole Grains."

Me: DOH!

I think a lot of people think 'carbs' are only sugars and white bread and don't realize that there are simple and complex carbs.

For me, I eat 50-55% of my daily calories in carbs most of which (vast majority) are whole grains (rolled oats, whole grain rice, quinoa, wheat berries, chia, bran) and it's made a big difference in my weight loss I don't starve to death either! lol

if you're eating 50-55% carbs, you are most probably not getting enough protein and/or fats.

as a general rule, you should be getting 0.85g/lb of LBM in protein each day, and 0.35g/lb of bodyweight in fat each day. you need the protein for muscle repair/retention/growth. you need the fat for all sorts of things. FWIW.

Nonsense.

The rules I see people posting on proteins are all biased and based on one fad or another. Fact is you can live quite well on 25% protein and 20% fat with the rest remaining as carbs. It ALL depends on what you are trying to achieve.

When I wanted to bulk up (you're typing to a guy who was cramming down protein long before it became the hip thing to do) I cranked up my protein intake to levels even paleo eaters (which aren't I might add) would be surprised by and I had no problems associated with the high levels I was cramming down (try 3g/lbs of LBM and more). I pushed myself to bench 350lbs with a body fat in the single digits. However, If I only wanted to maintain that mass I could cut that down dramatically based on my work out routine and daily activity levels.

On the other hand when I want more endurance and am willing to sacrifice the bulk I'm quite happy cutting my protein to levels below your numbers. At an LBM of 184 (roughly using online calculators based on various measurements) I'd need about 160g of protein a day based on your post however I can assure you that as long as I'm not out exercising the 93 I'm eating today will be just fine.

After over 900 miles of walking and cycling I can tell you that the muscle I have retained would argue with you! lol Sure I've lost some size but most of that I'm quite certain is fat (note: I quit working out over a decade ago and lost the muscle bulk I'd gained in the years following -- replaced by fat of course or I wouldn't be here). For a comparison the largest my arms ever got was 19" (1999) and today they are 16" and I'm only now starting to work out again. My thighs are 25" and well defined, calves are 17.5" and chiseled and I do not suffer from muscle pain or the inability to recover from a workout (15.74 miles riding on Sunday at 12.5mph and I recovered easily).

The thing is I ate 160 grams of protein on Sunday (the day of that ride) and when I workout I eat up the burned calories in protein. That I think is the key.

Anyway, I don't agree with the blanket statement above and I think many people in various other countries would easily disprove it. Doesn't mean it isn't good to retain more muscle but you can certainly eat less protein and more complex carbs -- heck, MFP sets your carbs higher then I eat for that matter and sets protein at 15%.

As for fat, you need 20% of your diet (min) to be fat and I won't raise it above that when I'm carrying plenty! lol

yarwell

...and your response is still irrelevant to my point. the low-carb diet FAD is recent.

your use of an undefined emotive term adds nothing to the debate, even if you had to shout it.

BrainyBurro

...and your response is still irrelevant to my point. the low-carb diet FAD is recent.

your use of an undefined emotive term adds nothing to the debate, even if you had to shout it.

it's not shouting, it's emphasis.

there is no debate. what i said was factually correct. it may not be what the low-carbers want to hear, but it's factually correct.

simplyciera

I love carbs, but they hate me. If I eat too much, I get headaches that make me feel like my eyes are about to pop out & I bloat to kingdom come. I cut most carbs out of my life because they just didn't set well in my system. I don't think someone HAS to cut them out, but you really don't need them either. That is, if you don't want them. I'm happily steadily in ketosis & I'll never stop eating low-carb. It's changed my life. Seriously.

Ehhh who cares. I eat low-carb & am happy. There are people that are high-carb and are happy. I could care less as long as everyone is happy. I just hate those people that are like "I eat a million slices of bread with peanut butter, cereal, rice and pop-tarts, don't exercise and I'm not losing weight! HELP!"

BrainyBurro

Many people who tell me they don't eat carbs don't actually mean they don't eat carbs! lol

Real conversation:
Them: "I don't eat carbs"
Me: "so how do you get your fiber?"
Them: "Well I eat Whole Grains."

Me: DOH!

I think a lot of people think 'carbs' are only sugars and white bread and don't realize that there are simple and complex carbs.

For me, I eat 50-55% of my daily calories in carbs most of which (vast majority) are whole grains (rolled oats, whole grain rice, quinoa, wheat berries, chia, bran) and it's made a big difference in my weight loss I don't starve to death either! lol

if you're eating 50-55% carbs, you are most probably not getting enough protein and/or fats.

as a general rule, you should be getting 0.85g/lb of LBM in protein each day, and 0.35g/lb of bodyweight in fat each day. you need the protein for muscle repair/retention/growth. you need the fat for all sorts of things. FWIW.

Nonsense.

The rules I see people posting on proteins are all biased and based on one fad or another. Fact is you can live quite well on 25% protein and 20% fat with the rest remaining as carbs. It ALL depends on what you are trying to achieve.

When I wanted to bulk up (you're typing to a guy who was cramming down protein long before it became the hip thing to do) I cranked up my protein intake to levels even paleo eaters (which aren't I might add) would be surprised by and I had no problems associated with the high levels I was cramming down (try 3g/lbs of LBM and more). I pushed myself to bench 350lbs with a body fat in the single digits. However, If I only wanted to maintain that mass I could cut that down dramatically based on my work out routine and daily activity levels.

On the other hand when I want more endurance and am willing to sacrifice the bulk I'm quite happy cutting my protein to levels below your numbers. At an LBM of 184 (roughly using online calculators based on various measurements) I'd need about 160g of protein a day based on your post however I can assure you that as long as I'm not out exercising the 93 I'm eating today will be just fine.

After over 900 miles of walking and cycling I can tell you that the muscle I have retained would argue with you! lol Sure I've lost some size but most of that I'm quite certain is fat (note: I quit working out over a decade ago and lost the muscle bulk I'd gained in the years following -- replaced by fat of course or I wouldn't be here). For a comparison the largest my arms ever got was 19" (1999) and today they are 16" and I'm only now starting to work out again. My thighs are 25" and well defined, calves are 17.5" and chiseled and I do not suffer from muscle pain or the inability to recover from a workout (15.74 miles riding on Sunday at 12.5mph and I recovered easily).

The thing is I ate 160 grams of protein on Sunday (the day of that ride) and when I workout I eat up the burned calories in protein. That I think is the key.

Anyway, I don't agree with the blanket statement above and I think many people in various other countries would easily disprove it. Doesn't mean it isn't good to retain more muscle but you can certainly eat less protein and more complex carbs -- heck, MFP sets your carbs higher then I eat for that matter and sets protein at 15%.

As for fat, you need 20% of your diet (min) to be fat and I won't raise it above that when I'm carrying plenty! lol

suit yourself. i was simply alerting you to something you may or may not have known. whether the 0.85g/lb of LBM is necessary or not is still under investigating by scientists. some think it's higher, some think it's lower. 0.85 seems a safe number to me.

you'll notice that i used the terms "most probably" and "FWIW".

erikkmcvay

I might add that it is difficult to get enough dietary fiber while eating as much protein as many seem to think they need today, all the while keeping calories down. 1g of protein = 4 cals 1g of fat = 9 cals so let's do the math:

184LBM * .85 * 4 = 625.6
184LBM * .35 * 9 = 579.6
That's 1205.2 calories and I haven't had a single carb....

Somehow, without eating too much I have to now get close to 38g of fiber....225 calories of Rice and Quinoa gets me about 5g of fiber...

Exactly where do I get the rest?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

My advice, for what it's worth, is to learn about complex carbs and dietary fiber and to get plenty of it unless you spend a lot of time weight training or doing a lot of cardio and then only increase the protein cals on those days.