Why all the carb hate?

Qskim

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.

I'm jealous if you wrote this in the wee hours of the morning! Yes your sedentary point was what I wanted to say. I half noted OP mentioned running and I thought that that was the difference between her and I. If I was as active then I probably would get away with more carb. My other point was, when people talk low carb, if this doesn't include mania about carb in veg then great. Nutrition, nutrition! Although I understand on Atkins it unfolds in stage - the carb allowance.

The other thing though, is I believe alot of morbidly obese people are, like I was, completely unaware of a possible hormonal imbalance but also other medical possibilities. For instance, I found out only this year that a skin condition I have also impacts absorption in the stomach of nutrients. Ah, that explains it I thought. I'd been reading stuff for years and had never come across that before. Research is slow. By starting with the idea of focusing on nutrients, I'd inadvertently addressed this issue. I do suggest low carb to some people because I think there may be something else at play. But I'm talking more refined carb when I do.

JenaFernwood

Some carb products such as whole grain bread contain much more nutrition than white bread, but hate and avoidance of carbs is just a fad. I would not put much stock in any diet plan that told you to eliminate entire food groups.

Mistizoom

I have insulin resistance and am carbohydrate intolerant. There is no carbohydrate that is an essential nutrient. I eat 20-40 g of carbs a day, including vegetables. I only eat berries on occassion. I am doing quite well on this way of eating and intend to stick with it for life. I also eat moderate protein (75-100 g/day), the rest of my calories come from fat.

LolBroScience

Because everyone on this website who can't lose weight is insulin resistant dontchaknow?

Eandretta96

-Joins CALORIE COUNTING website
-Follows low carb


Inb4 what works for you may not work for others.