Why all the carb hate?

Carnivor0us

Because there is so much false science out there.

Your body will always use carbs first, all carbs are poison, don't eat fruit it has sugar in it... all complete dietetic misunderstandings often peddled by thise with a book, a plan or a food to sell.

Worked for me.

stefjc

Because there is so much false science out there.

Your body will always use carbs first, all carbs are poison, don't eat fruit it has sugar in it... all complete dietetic misunderstandings often peddled by thise with a book, a plan or a food to sell.

Worked for me.

matyoung125

As a diabetic the carbs my doctor/s would like me to avoid (in order) are:

Pasta (yes, even 'whole wheat' pasta)
Potatoes (these share 1st place)
Rice (yes, even brown rice)
Bread
Milk (this one is the easiest to avoid since I don't drink milk and rarely eat cereal)
Cheese (yes, milk and cheese are carbohydrates, look it up)

These are perhaps why there is so much "Carb hate" out there.

From a diabetic instructor "One 8 ounce baked potato will increase blood sugar faster and keep it up longer than a piece of chocolate cake" (From a Certified Diabetic Instructor, meaning she has all the credentials needed)

Do you have type one or 2? the UK Diabetic association advise people with type 2 to to eat a healthy balanced diet diet high in starchy carbohydrates !1/3 of what you eat), plenty of vegs and fruit, some proteins and fats. It also advises to limit foods high in sugar and high in fat. This is generally considered a healthy diet

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Food_and_recipes/Eating-well-with-Type-2-diabetes/Ten-steps-to-eating-well/

matyoung125

Carbs are saccharides (sugars). Eat sugar and you'll die. Everyone on MFP knows that. Plus I've heard some people find dog breath really attractive.

carbs robbed me at the grocery store...*kitten*!

Wouldn't have happened if you had dog breath!!

rosemaryhon

Your body needs carbs to survive and give you energy. Now I'm not saying to live off bread and pasta or anything, but these no carb diets sound a little excessive to me! All this nonsense about "carbs not making you feel full" and stuff is a little exaggerated if you ask me. I've lost 50-60 pounds while eating bread every day, and pasta several times a week, and I have never been hungry once. I am a runner and I love/ need my carbs!

Okay, that's you and your personal experience.

Before I changed my eating style I seriously WAS living off basically bread & pasta, oh okay, often drowning in butter and/or gravy and a bit of meat to give it some bite. I always passed on salad and only ate a bit of veggies dripping in melted cheese.

It is NOT nonsense *for me* ~ I've come to see clear as day that my previously extremely high carb diet was actually contributing to my always, always feeling hungry ~ starving really. I had the misconception that carbs would stick to my ribs and fill me, but it was quite the opposite ~ *for me*.

I still love carbs, I still eat carbs, but in moderation. And I'm feeling so much better this way.

We do what works for us individually, right? I won't bash you for eating lots of carbs, why whine about those of us who choose to eat less of them?

rachseby

I've found that by cutting back on my carbs really helps with my sweet tooth, which is what got me overweight in the first place lol (Damn the perfect dinner combo of pizza and brownies!!!).

That's a high fat meal. The worst fats too.

It's also a high carbohydrate meal. Fat isn't bad for you.

Actually brownies are not that high in fat (at least the Betty Crocker mix). It only has 2g of fat per serving, but 28g of carbs, and 20g of sugar. Pizza can be good or bad, depending where you buy/make it. In Italy they eat very healthy pizza with fresh dough, fresh sauce, real mozzarella and fresh ingredients. You can find some pizza places here that make it that way. The mozzarella has fat, but the other things are carbs. I do not hate carbs, but I think that you should eat anything in moderation. I think that most people who warn about carbs are really just meaning not to go crazy with them.

pluckabee

Many people have ONLY found success by cutting carbs. When people come on mfp complaining that they can't lose weight people suggest to try low carb because it worked for them so it might work for others. How is that misinformation?

Not everyone needs to cut carbs but some people do. Every body is different.

rachseby

Many people have ONLY found success by cutting carbs. When people come on mfp complaining that they can't lose weight people suggest to try low carb because it worked for them so it might work for others. How is that misinformation?

Not everyone needs to cut carbs but some people do. Every body is different.

Definitely me! As soon as I watch my carbs I lose weight.

owieprone

I don't hate carbs, as long as they're in their natural form (fruit and veg etc) any refined carbs are bad for me as they go straight to my breadbaby. I can tell instantly if i've had too much refined carbs as my belly grows exponentially by the next day! It's instant fat building material to my body.

someone in the know once said:

cut carbs from your diet = no effect
cut protein from your diet = malnutrition in weeks
cut fat from your diet = incapacitation in months

he did of course mean refined carbs and not natural carbs. Not true for everyone but worth thinking about.

LaurenAOK

I don't hate carbs, as long as they're in their natural form (fruit and veg etc) any refined carbs are bad for me as they go straight to my breadbaby. I can tell instantly if i've had too much refined carbs as my belly grows exponentially by the next day! It's instant fat building material to my body.

....or it's just bloating :huh: If you are eating at a calorie deficit, you are not gaining fat. Period. No matter how many refined carbs you eat. The only exception might be if you are diabetic or have some other medical condition in which your body handles carbs in an abnormal way.

I appreciate that you are just trying offer your perspective, but this is the kind of misinformation that gets spread around the forums and confuses new people.

retirehappy

Protein is good, Fat is good, and Carbs are good.

I agree that is why I try to follow 40/30/30. Your body does need all of them. Since I have sensitivity to wheat, I tend to eat veggies and fruits, all of them, to get in my carbs. And yes, potato is a veggie. :happy:

suv_hater

It's true that fats and protein are more essential to the body than carbs are

Can you explain this?

arewethereyet

Your body needs carbs to survive and give you energy. Now I'm not saying to live off bread and pasta or anything, but these no carb diets sound a little excessive to me! All this nonsense about "carbs not making you feel full" and stuff is a little exaggerated if you ask me. I've lost 50-60 pounds while eating bread every day, and pasta several times a week, and I have never been hungry once. I am a runner and I love/ need my carbs!

Okay, that's you and your personal experience.

Before I changed my eating style I seriously WAS living off basically bread & pasta, oh okay, often drowning in butter and/or gravy and a bit of meat to give it some bite. I always passed on salad and only ate a bit of veggies dripping in melted cheese.

It is NOT nonsense *for me* ~ I've come to see clear as day that my previously extremely high carb diet was actually contributing to my always, always feeling hungry ~ starving really. I had the misconception that carbs would stick to my ribs and fill me, but it was quite the opposite ~ *for me*.

I still love carbs, I still eat carbs, but in moderation. And I'm feeling so much better this way.

We do what works for us individually, right? I won't bash you for eating lots of carbs, why whine about those of us who choose to eat less of them?

BUT...............and she made a dramatic pause.....................when I gave up the pasta, bread and potatoes for awhile, there was nowhere to put the globs of butter, 'cheese' sauce (the fake yucky stuff), alfredo sauce (the yummy extremely high fat stuff), high fat sour cream, and high fat everything else.

For me I would order a bread sandwich. "May I have some bread with some bread and a side of bread, please?"

So it is great to see you admit that not only was it the carbs in the pasta/bread, but also the stuff on top of it. Makes me feel so not alone.

(of course for me it is all moot now because I cant have gluten:grumble: what kind of Italian cant have pasta:sad: )

ELVISDEAN

Because easily 98% are retarded...u are a beautiful and intelligent lady,,,,Carbs are always the answer ALWAYS I lost all my blubber be eating HIGH CARBS tons of pasta rice bread grains 400 to 900 grams a day...Carbs make u feel full burn fat...Yeah thats right most dont know that fat is burned in the Flame of Carbohydrate...when I was a fat **** I was eating tons of protein foods animal flesh fatty American greasy Cuisine...I dropped 30 pounds by eating the gtreatest most nutritious and healthiest foods on Mama Earth..
Carbs...FRUITS VEGGIES BREAD CEREALS PASTA RICE POTATOES
ELVIS

tomg33

May God save us all. Or maybe he's sitting back laughing. Actually that's definitely what he's doing.

CoderGal

When you stop eating carbs (or significantly lower your carbs at least), your body releases it's glycogen stores, which causes an instant drop in water weight. The problem is that people mistake this for fat loss. Then they come on here and say "I lost 10 pounds in a week by switching to low-carb!" And boom, all of a sudden everyone thinks low carb is the weight loss secret they've been looking for. Too bad those 10 pounds will come right back once they start eating normally again.

It's true that fats and protein are more essential to the body than carbs are, but there's nothing wrong with eating carbs as part of a balanced diet

Couldn't have said it better. I hate how people give the it makes me lose faster theory due to this. My brain gets fuzzy when I don't get enough carbs. I've seen cognitive problems linked to extremely low carb diets, and I'm not surprised. That being said I have a very smart paleo friend, but he doesnt go extremely low on carbs and I sneak muffins into him when he's not looking.

The most valid point I've seen is you feel more satiated, as those doing low carb likely get high protein. The flaw with that is the people I see commonly arguing that are needlessly eating very low calorie diets (sometimes below 900 cals), so for them, trying to find a way to not know your body is hungry is important. They are most definitely not getting the nutrients they need in those cases. If you're getting adequate nourishment, feeling hungry should be rare and this becomes less of a deal. And if you're say, running all day and night, my opinion is that it is more beneficial to have those quick access glycogen stores to help your body repairing itself to prevent yourself from getting injuries etc. No need to try to dehydrate your body.

Oh another valid point I've seen is from a sedentary point of view. If you are living a unhealthier lifestyle, and are not using those glycogen stores like I runner would, why bother. Particularly if you are dieting. It's more important to get your protein sources to help support LBM, and your fat to help absorb nutrients. I think thats a very very valid reason for going paleo. Particularly if they're healthy minded people who are not going to avoid vegetables because they're carbs. To me, that version makes a lot more sense. You need to take your calories away from somewhere, and on a lower calorie diet without exercise I think it's more important to keep fat to help absorb nutrients and the like and protein around to stay away from deficiencies and the like.

If you are moderately active, your getting adequate nutrition, which means adequate calories, the low carb thing isn't needed. At all. Everyone should try to get adequate fat and protein. My fat and protein are set pretty constant. If I move allot more the larger my deficit gets the more likely I'm doing lots of cardio the more likely I'll fill in the extra calories with carbs. But it could be my choice to fill it in with fat and protein instead. I have nothing against the paleo diet really. I don't really stick to a diet really but eat paleo like on some days. I don't understand why some constantly stick to it, but I have nothing against it. I have a friend who does rather well on it (but I contribute that mostly to him eating more nutrient rich food, exercising, and having a calorie deficit to get rid of the weight).

It seems completely sensible high carb and low carb people can start getting along when they realize things like this.

LaurenAOK

It's true that fats and protein are more essential to the body than carbs are

Can you explain this?

Sure, to the best of my knowledge. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, and also can help immune function. Fats are extremely necessary for your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals (for example, vitamins A and D). Carbohydrates are primarily used as a form of energy for your body, but your body can use fats and protein as a secondary source of energy. Therefore, carbs are the easiest thing to cut without impacting your body in a negative way.

Definitely not saying carbs aren't important - I'm a big believer in a balanced diet - but fats and protein seem to serve more essential functions than carbs do.

http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm
http://www.diabetescare.net/content_detail.asp?id=800

upnorthtim

Carbs Kill........ ;-)

QuilterInVA

There is no such thing as a no carb diet.. There are carbs in fruits, vegetables, dairy. That and protein are the sources os my diet. I am much healthier, according to my doctor, since I started low carb. Processed foods are garbage and I don't put that into my body. I also don't ingest chemicals and preservatives that all those processed carbs give you. Carbs also cause water retention - 1 gram of carb results in 4 grams of water being retained. Your body is very efficient at converting carbs to fat. So why eat many of them?

phurst00

I try to consume under 50grams a day of carbs.

I probably eat that much just with the fruits and veggies I eat each day...

MsEndomorph

I hate carbs because I love them so much! If you made me a meal of chicken, zucchini, potatoes, and bread, I would gladly give you back the chicken and eat multiple portions of everything else.

I agree that carbs are pretty much the least important of the three macros. Our body can use carbs for energy...and that's it. Whereas it can do so many amazingly different things with protein and fat...including making energy. So "if" you felt the need to seriously restrict one macro over another (and I don't) carbs are probably the way to go.

therunninghippie

Maybe people who don't eat carbs are just bitter from the lack of soul food (:

JisatsuHoshi

High Carbs + High Fats = Fat Storage

pineapple_jojo

I love carbs but all things in moderation, right?

Yup, i agree!
Just eat what you want, in moderation, within you calorie limit. Simple.

TinGirl314

People who have success stories get wrapped up in technicality trying to promote their way.
The truth of the matter is if you make an effort, an honest- painful and annoying effort, you are going to lose weight.
Balance and moderation makes a body happy.

Zen.

neanderthin

It's true that fats and protein are more essential to the body than carbs are

Can you explain this?

No protein, you die.
No fat, you die.
No carbohydrates, you live.

MsEndomorph

It's true that fats and protein are more essential to the body than carbs are

Can you explain this?

No protein, you die.
No fat, you die.
No carbohydrates, you live.

Bam!

TheVimFuego

No protein, you die.
No fat, you die.
No carbohydrates, you live.

In a sleepless, muscle-cramped, dry eyed, vegitative state, presumably

The logistics of consuming 'no carbohydrates' notwithstanding ...

Joehenny

Man I stay high carbed in thiis b*tch!!!!!

Trying to get to a point where I'm maintaining on 500+ grams. People who go low carb always look so depleted and flat.

Btw carbs have a direct impact on leptin levels and BMR. Wanna boost metab over time? Carbs.

PepperWorm

I also hate all the hate.

Carbs aren't the enemy.