Maintaining weight but eating too many "bad" carbs

paperpudding

Well, yes, if the low fat food has added sugar and therefore more calories than the full fat version, this could happen.

But not all low fat foods have added sugar - some have artificial sweetener( eg some yogurts) and some are just low fat ( eg milk)

RAinWA

myfitnesspale3 wrote: »

low-fat manufactured foods usually have fat purposefully reduced. Reducing fat often decreases its taste appeal. Food manufacturers often add sugars to increase the taste appeal. It is no coincidence that increasing sugar content of low-fat foods, increases the carb content which spikes blood glucose higher than fatty foods, which then spikes insulin, which crushes blood glucose, which stimulates hunger more than fatty foods. When consumers eat more carbs/low-fat foods to address the increased hunger then low-fat manufacturers get to sell higher volumes and consumers tend to eat more low-fat calories because hunger level is higher than it was for fatty foods.

That's how low-fat foods tend to make you fatter.

That may be true for you but I don't think it's a universal (or even American) truth. I don't find carbs or low fat foods stimulate my hunger any more than any other food. And depending on what I'm having with it, some low fat foods (for instance low fat cottage cheese and fruit or vegetables) will fill me up for a long time.

stevencloser

myfitnesspale3 wrote: »

low-fat manufactured foods usually have fat purposefully reduced. Reducing fat often decreases its taste appeal. Food manufacturers often add sugars to increase the taste appeal. It is no coincidence that increasing sugar content of low-fat foods, increases the carb content which spikes blood glucose higher than fatty foods, which then spikes insulin, which crushes blood glucose, which stimulates hunger more than fatty foods. When consumers eat more carbs/low-fat foods to address the increased hunger then low-fat manufacturers get to sell higher volumes and consumers tend to eat more low-fat calories because hunger level is higher than it was for fatty foods.

That's how low-fat foods tend to make you fatter.

I have yet to see a single low fat food that has actually substantially increased sugar compared to non low fat. Do you have a concrete example?

heybales

jrwms714 wrote: »

Not sure what set me off and yes, it really is only one although on very rare days it could be one of each: a cookie, a pita, and maybe a half of a bagel. But generally it's only one. I am fairly sure I'm very sensitive to sugar and sugar conversions because even that little amount causes me to want more of the same the next day. I am always well within my calorie and weight ranges, but I just don't like how I feel afterwards. I am logy, plus I want another/more the next day. And to me, that's craving. My regular diet is similar to vegan but isn't quite that strict. It is really how I like to eat. It does include treats, but they have not been sugary things until now. I don't even really like them. My treats are generally whole grain carbs or a larger portion of something similar that I usually eat, like maybe four slices of a veggie pizza, no cheese, whole grain crust instead of two. But I think the others are becoming a habit I don't want. I read somewhere that to "get off" sugar, avoid it completely for three days. I may try that.

If you had any negative effect to the increased sugar from that smallish amount - you'd feel it pretty quick, within the next 1-2 hrs, maybe 3 hrs feeling hungrier than normal for calories eaten - merely because of low blood sugar.

But not the next day.

I'd suggest your diet is TOO restrictive - and you are merely craving things there really isn't anything wrong with, except what you mentally think about them.

If eating at maintenance, I doubt those few extra calories from carbs are knocking out too many protein or fat calories that are absolutely required.

Maybe if you knew you could have 2 planned cookies after dinner or lunch, and bread with butter and garlic with dinner often, ect - you wouldn't feel like it was a problem to be concerned with.

jrwms714

Hey, everyone. Just thought that this article was very helpful to me and may be to others. This is the author of Refuse to Regain, a book I found very helpful with my maintenance. This is her latest article and it speaks to exactly what I am experiencing. Thought it might be helpful to others in general, on the great carb debate. Enjoy! http://www.refusetoregain.com/2017/01/do-i-have-to-give-up-carbs.html

bfanny

Enjoy your "bad" carbs, and relax it is working...

GottaBurnEmAll

RAinWA wrote: »

myfitnesspale3 wrote: »

lowfat and fat-free processed foods tend to make Americans fatter.

Lowfat sounds good but dietary fat does not make you fat.

I'll agree that fat on it's own does not make people fat - too many calories does.

But "lowfat and fat-free processed foods tend to make Americans fatter." is absurd. Any food will make you fatter if you eat enough of it. And are lowfat and fat-free foods ok for Canadians since it's just Americans that get fatter eating them?

QFT. I've successfully employed a low-fat diet (because fat doesn't satiate me in the least) to lose weight and lower my cholesterol (with very good ratios) simply because I've controlled my caloric intake. I know this is blasphemy, but I actually prefer some of the low-fat and fat-free versions of some products. They have a less glommy mouth feel to me.

CasperNaegle

Carbs are not bad!! If you are maintaining don't worry

GottaBurnEmAll

jrwms714 wrote: »

Hey, everyone. Just thought that this article was very helpful to me and may be to others. This is the author of Refuse to Regain, a book I found very helpful with my maintenance. This is her latest article and it speaks to exactly what I am experiencing. Thought it might be helpful to others in general, on the great carb debate. Enjoy! http://www.refusetoregain.com/2017/01/do-i-have-to-give-up-carbs.html

Oy. I cannot abide doctors who do not understand the functioning of insulin and explain it to people independent of energy balance.

Ulwaz

anything in moderation is fine dont deprive yourself!

ieroen

Saying that there are bad carbs is like saying that there are bad hours in the day.

deby32904

I have exact same prob for exact same years. Some part is due to aging. If you're doing the same as 2 yrs ago your metabolism will slows. I agree w/most readers. It's not Carb craving, it's sugar craving but think most responders r dead wrong when saying it doesn't matter what u eat as long as u stay within daily goals - won't hurt you. I had this conversation with my Dr TODAY & he said my skipping meals & foods in exchange for slices of chocolate fudge cake & Frostys along w/steroid injections is what made me gain 12lbs over the holidays (and had NOT gone over daily cals) & I had bumped up personal training from 4 to 6x weekly. He said sugars have whole different reaction to body making it hold fat instead of releasing blah, blah (wish I'd taken notes) & I needed to cut down as much as possible & add lean protein which is hard since I'm on soft/liquid diet due to gastroparisis (Google if int). Also I have Hashimoto's disease (Google) & even though I take synthroid it doesn't work 100%.
Hope this helps! Deby

AnvilHead

deby32904 wrote: »

I have exact same prob for exact same years. Some part is due to aging. If you're doing the same as 2 yrs ago your metabolism will slows. I agree w/most readers. It's not Carb craving, it's sugar craving but think most responders r dead wrong when saying it doesn't matter what u eat as long as u stay within daily goals - won't hurt you. I had this conversation with my Dr TODAY & he said my skipping meals & foods in exchange for slices of chocolate fudge cake & Frostys along w/steroid injections is what made me gain 12lbs over the holidays (and had NOT gone over daily cals) & I had bumped up personal training from 4 to 6x weekly. He said sugars have whole different reaction to body making it hold fat instead of releasing blah, blah (wish I'd taken notes) & I needed to cut down as much as possible & add lean protein which is hard since I'm on soft/liquid diet due to gastroparisis (Google if int). Also I have Hashimoto's disease (Google) & even though I take synthroid it doesn't work 100%.
Hope this helps! Deby

If that's what your doctor actually said, you need a new doctor because he obviously understands absolutely nothing about how human physiology works. Sugars don't "make your body hold fat", there is no net fat storage if you are in a caloric deficit. That's a scientific fact. You have a lot of medical issues which can effect the "CO" side of CICO, but you don't gain 12 pounds from eating sweets and staying within your calorie deficit.

ieroen

deby32904 wrote: »

I had this conversation with my Dr TODAY & he said my skipping meals & foods in exchange for slices of chocolate fudge cake & Frostys along w/steroid injections is what made me gain 12lbs over the holidays (and had NOT gone over daily cals)

Could be that certain medications like those steroid injections make your metabolism slower. That could cause you to stop being in a calorie deficit.

paperpudding

Steroids will also make you retain water ( we've all seen the puffy faces of people on high doses )

heybales

AnvilHead wrote: »

deby32904 wrote: »

I have exact same prob for exact same years. Some part is due to aging. If you're doing the same as 2 yrs ago your metabolism will slows. I agree w/most readers. It's not Carb craving, it's sugar craving but think most responders r dead wrong when saying it doesn't matter what u eat as long as u stay within daily goals - won't hurt you. I had this conversation with my Dr TODAY & he said my skipping meals & foods in exchange for slices of chocolate fudge cake & Frostys along w/steroid injections is what made me gain 12lbs over the holidays (and had NOT gone over daily cals) & I had bumped up personal training from 4 to 6x weekly. He said sugars have whole different reaction to body making it hold fat instead of releasing blah, blah (wish I'd taken notes) & I needed to cut down as much as possible & add lean protein which is hard since I'm on soft/liquid diet due to gastroparisis (Google if int). Also I have Hashimoto's disease (Google) & even though I take synthroid it doesn't work 100%.
Hope this helps! Deby

If that's what your doctor actually said, you need a new doctor because he obviously understands absolutely nothing about how human physiology works. Sugars don't "make your body hold fat", there is no net fat storage if you are in a caloric deficit. That's a scientific fact. You have a lot of medical issues which can effect the "CO" side of CICO, but you don't gain 12 pounds from eating sweets and staying within your calorie deficit.

To add - you may have misunderstood his mentioning that after eating carbs/protein and insulin goes up, indeed fat release is stopped.
Now he may have called carbs increased blood sugar, which is indeed what all the carbs (bread, fruit, vegies) eventually do.

But it is ONLY during the time of elevated insulin that fat release is stopped, and the carbs are sent off to refill muscle and liver stores, and used for any immediate energy needs. Any eaten fat is used for energy too, or stored if not needed right then. Protein as amino acids sent off to cells for their myriad of uses.

But after that 2-4 hrs (depending on how much you ate), insulin is back down and normal fat release is on for the vast majority of your day's energy needs.

Considering the twinkie diet guy lost weight when the calories was still less than he burned - you likely had terrible estimates for the amount you were eating - and side effects of the med's - water retained.