Why do so many people hate carbs?

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candylilacs
candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I never met a carb I didn't like. But why are so many people depriving themselves of them? I eat a 70-calorie, low-fat, whole-wheat waffle with a cup of strawberries and my personal trainer goes nuts that I ate a carb. It was 70 calories. It was complex! Yet when I tell her I eat turkey breakfast sausage (lotta sodium) or steak she says nothing. (Seriously, the sirloin steak had a really nice bit of fat on the edge! So good!)

Are we living in a world where carb is a four-letter word, or have we finally understood it's really about balance? I'm on the Glycemic Index Diet basically for life now and its philosophy is about how it's the *kind* of carbs you eat that make the difference, along with balanced eating. Can we all just understand that carbs aren't bad?
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Replies

  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
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    Because it gives me pimples :( I added flour back to my diet recently and now I look like a teenager. I never really had pimples when I was a teen.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    I don't hate carbs. I love carbs. However, by the time I meet my fat macro goal (0.4g/lb of body weight) and my protein macro goal (bare minimum of 0.8g/lb of lean body mass, I usually try to exceed it) there isn't a ton of room left in my calorie goals for carbs. Proper amounts of fat and protein are essential for health goals. Carbs are non-essential, in that as long as you have sufficient energy to go about your day there's no ideal minimum daily consumption level. It's far more important to meet your fat and protein goals first and then fill in the rest with carbs.

    What carbs I do have room for I use primarily on fruits and vegetables, and eat very little grains simply because I'm prioritizing the biggest bang (satiety and nutrition) for my calorie/carb buck. Sure, once in awhile I say eff it and have a brownie or a bagel (especially if I get a really good workout in and I've earned extra calories that I can "spend" on carbs after my other goals are met), but on a typical day it's not possible.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    People need something to blame. It was fat, and nowadays it's either the government or carbs, depending on who you ask.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
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    This may not be absolute, but I avoid processed carbs because for the same caloric bang I can have a piece of fruit or a vegetable and get more vitamins/minerals.

    Had you had 70 calories of blueberries with your strawberries, you would have had carbs..but you also would have had one of the highest foods in antioxidants (which protect your brain and your heart....)
  • karl39x
    karl39x Posts: 586 Member
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    It's because people who don't eat enough carbs damage their brain and lose memory cell... and it makes their breath stink.
  • ecdce
    ecdce Posts: 129 Member
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    Could easily ask you the same thing about fat, no?
  • LilMrsSmarty
    LilMrsSmarty Posts: 17 Member
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    I believe they may be the least controllable item for many people. So they just go with the all or nothing mindset. I love carbs too, but I can't let them run my life like they used to. =P
  • Mythril
    Mythril Posts: 146 Member
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    Because I have PCOS and my body stores them instead of using them. So I'm doing keto so that my body learns to use fat for energy and will begin to use the fat it stores. If I give it carbs it's going to store it as fat. This is what I discovered when I had surgery. During recovery I would eat and five minutes later I would crash and be shaking. Because my body is stupid and would store the carbs I just ate as fat and then be like... uh, we need energy to heal you... where's our energy? I know this because I was scared, went to my doctor and she explained it to me. Now that I am doing keto I haven't crashed at all and I have the energy to go about daily life. So... yeah. That's why I avoid carbs.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    'cuz they're the most recent of boogie mans. people don't even know what they are or what there value is. i would generally consider it a good idea to limit/reduce carbs if you're a sedentary individual, but someone who is active needs those quick energy stores. ultimately, a balanced diet is the way to go...making sure one gets their requisite protein, 20-30% of their diet in fats and then round out the rest with carbs. obviously medical conditions complicate things.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.
  • WalkingMermaid_
    WalkingMermaid_ Posts: 205 Member
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    I love carbs, the gluten free kind - rice, potatoes, veg, fruit. I am celiac and a vegetarian so the staple in my diet is complex carbs. They're wonderful :bigsmile:
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    I don't hate carbs at all but I'm selective about which foods I obtain them from.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.

    True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....
  • g33kmommy
    g33kmommy Posts: 104 Member
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    I think people hate carbs if they want to jump on the bandwagon of eliminating them from your diet, which to me is insane.

    I tried that "fad" diet one time, and the first time I wanted some pasta again - I gained back a good amount of what I took off.

    Now I eat whatever the heck I want, but in moderation - and I'm still doing good. :)
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I don't hate carbs. I love carbs. However, by the time I meet my fat macro goal (0.4g/lb of body weight) and my protein macro goal (bare minimum of 0.8g/lb of lean body mass, I usually try to exceed it) there isn't a ton of room left in my calorie goals for carbs. Proper amounts of fat and protein are essential for health goals. Carbs are non-essential, in that as long as you have sufficient energy to go about your day there's no ideal minimum daily consumption level. It's far more important to meet your fat and protein goals first and then fill in the rest with carbs.

    What carbs I do have room for I use primarily on fruits and vegetables, and eat very little grains simply because I'm prioritizing the biggest bang (satiety and nutrition) for my calorie/carb buck. Sure, once in awhile I say eff it and have a brownie or a bagel (especially if I get a really good workout in and I've earned extra calories that I can "spend" on carbs after my other goals are met), but on a typical day it's not possible.

    ^^This!
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    Because it gives me pimples :( I added flour back to my diet recently and now I look like a teenager. I never really had pimples when I was a teen.

    You didn't eat bread as a teenager either?
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    But why are so many people depriving themselves of them?

    Because more and more doctors are prescribing low carb diets for their patients.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.

    True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....

    Which diabetics is it not true for?
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
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    Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.

    The Glycemic Index Diet is about regulating blood sugar, but it also doesn't restrict carbs -- just the kinds of carbs. Complex carbs are OK, provided you eat protein and veggies/fruits.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Are we living in a world where carb is a four-letter word, or have we finally understood it's really about balance? I'm on the Glycemic Index Diet basically for life now and its philosophy is about how it's the *kind* of carbs you eat that make the difference, along with balanced eating. Can we all just understand that carbs aren't bad?

    How are different kinds of carbs different?

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