Why are Carbs bad?

RabbiBeth

I love carbs and include them but try to keep them as unprocessed as possible. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc.

hookilau

I should have put 'bad' because it's not what I think, but what I hear people say about them! I don't want to give them up, but wondered if cutting down may help?????

Test your insulin sensitivity and you will know for sure if they are holding you back. I know you just glossed over what I said because you're most likely thinking that nothing is wrong with you and that you do not have medical issue what so ever. This could be true and it might be wrong. How do we know? Simple 10 dollar Blood Glucose kit from Walgreens will tell you if carbs are stalling your weightloss. Ingest 75 grams of carbs and test at least 3 times within two hours to track how high your glucose levels goes. If at anytime they go above 140, you can consider carbs as a primary factor as the reason for gaining all yoru weight back and making it harder to lose. However, A truly normal person rarely ever goes above 120 post meal glucose levels.

annnnd where were you miss pop tart kitty rainbow when I was trying to figure out why I could'nt lose weight?....:huh:

The responses I got was:
eat moar!
eat less!
you're not weighing your food
you're not working out enough
you're overestimating your caloric burn
eat more balanced meals
eat more veggies
eat less meat

:noway:

The ONE thing I didn't count on was blood sugar regulation issues. Now that I know though, a diet very low in carbs (for my health) and moderate caloric deficit has got me losing consistently ever since I found out 3 months ago. :drinker:

OP;
chekc out 'Diet 101: The truth about low carb diets' written by Jenny Rhul helped me a great deal. I got it for my tablet on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Diet-101-Truth-About-Diets/dp/0964711656/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374973691&sr=8-1&keywords=low+carb+diet+101+jenny+ruhl

You won't get any sugar coating with this book, you'll get the straight skinny on Low Carbing & if you DO have sugar regulation issues, this will help.

However, if your blood sugar is normal, there are far easier ways to lose weight. To reap the benefits of this kind of diet, one must make the choice as a lifestyle change meant to maintain for life. Pretty do-able if you have medical issues, not so much if all else is equal. :ohwell:

No matter what though, a caloric deficit is required to lose weight.

willdob3

Carbs are not bad. People with poor communication skills say things without thinking first...

watfordjc

Carbs are like sodium in that unless you are medically advised to keep an eye on them (e.g. a problem with your blood sugar regulation system or your renin-angiotension-aldosterone system respectively) they aren't bad.

Worst case scenario, 96.6% of the 65.9 pounds of weight I've lost in the last 8 months has been fat mass, and that is with regular cardio, weight training rarely (i.e. I still haven't done my leg day from my 3-day-split I started 5 weeks ago), 15-20% protein most weeks, high sodium some weeks, ice lollies and ice cream, Snickers bars, cookies, bread, fruit, take-aways (including Chinese, McDonald's, Subway, and Pizza Hut), Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, supermarket ready meals, a blue raspberry slushie, milkshake, chocolate milk, and bagels are just some of the things I've consumed in that time that sound relevant.

ShannonMK9

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that one of the reason bread gets a bad reputation isn't just because it is a simple carb - but due to gluten sensitivity - while I love bread, I cannot lose weight if I am eating it which is one of the less obvious symptoms of gluten sensitivity - so while I do not cut it out entirely I limit how often I have bread and pasta and watch other products for gluten content.
Potatoes issue is that they can be high starch (which breaks down into sugars) but if you pick the lower starch potatoes to use (red, purple and white) over the high starch (russet being the most common) then you can cut back on the carb issue from potatoes while still having them - go for the ones with the darker flesh as they have more nutrients.

SrJoben

They're not.

/thread

ktliu

Carbs are not bad, white non complex carbs are bad. low nutrient, fast burn, sugar spikes, High caloric count compare to veggies, protein by volume. Basically it's the old saying describing Chinese food, you eat a lot and you'll be hungry in an hour. but the caloric intake is enough for you to burn for half a day or more. but you don't feel it, so you go back for more in an hour.

Gahummingbyrd

Hi Pal. Congradulations on you success! I had weight loss surgery to help me loose the weight. I would say yes to cutting back on the carbs if its a big part of your diet and see if you loose or not. Then go from there and try to find a good nutritional balance to keep you loosing. Good luck Hun!

MarioLozano16

Carbs aren't bad, people just don't know how to exercise

KANGOOJUMPS

carbs are GOOD, they are your fuel if you are a cardio queen like me.

nichi123

Hi Pal. Congradulations on you success! I had weight loss surgery to help me loose the weight. I would say yes to cutting back on the carbs if its a big part of your diet and see if you loose or not. Then go from there and try to find a good nutritional balance to keep you loosing. Good luck Hun!

Thank you! I just wanted to know if it would maybe help by cutting back. I also never meant that I actually though carbs were bad, I should have worded it differently. I have just heard carbs being called 'bad' before! I'm so pleased that you're doing well. You're a great friend, keep up the great work!!

beautifulwarrior18

You've been mis-informed. They aren't bad. They're actually necessary to have in your diet.

kimbtaylor1

I love my carbs, potatoes, bread, rice, you name it. I lost 42lbs whilst still eating these things. However, I put all the weight back on last year. I have started back on MFP and have so far lost around 7lbs at least in three weeks. I am wondering whether you all think that I would benefit from cutting carbs. Maybe just having them one night a week if I have to! What are your experiences?

Thanks, Nichi x

I wouldn't cut carbs out completly but i am a big believer in cutting out the crap carbs. Stick with carbs that have fiber, whole grians, apples, veggies etc. But you have to do what will work for you. Try a week with just cutting one carb if you want to cut down that way you aren't depriving yourself. Replace any crap carb with a good one and eat them in moderation. Also remember that there are carbs in some of the most unexpected places. So if you are replacing a side of french fries with a salad check your dressing for its carb content.

mmk137

I love carbs, from veggies.

I have a gluten sensitivity. I'm not cealiac (allergic to gluten), but i know what gluten (from bread/pasta) do to me when I eat them. So I simply don't eat them.

I suggest you read the book "it starts with food", it will give you a real eye opener on food.

Ophidion

I don't really view food in terms of bad or good.

I eat carbs, sugar, fat, protein etc. I just make sure to stay in my macros and create a weekly deficit and the weight comes off.

Agreed^ I don't think carbs are bad I think it is a issue of when you are at a deficit it is difficult to consume vast amounts of carbs and to hit your other macro requirements and to stay within your calorie goals...hence why they maybe considered problematic.

This link is helpful...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Gahummingbyrd

astartig

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15616799

beautifulwarrior18

Reasons Below as to why Low Carb is not a fad.

Low carb is better for insulin resistant people, a real medical issue. One third of the American population is insulin resistant. Having 30 pounds of extra fat greatly raises your chances of being insulin resistant. People who are overweight don't bother to get tested because they are in denial and often say something along the lines of, "I'm fat, i know I have something so why bother getting tested?". Because once insulin resistant, always insulin resistant.

Not true.
Insulin resistance can be reversible.

It can be managed, not reversed. The websites you visit that claim reversal all have one thing in common, changing your diet. That is a form of management, not a true reversal in that you can ingest carbs and never see a spike above 140.

Low carb and diabetic diet are not the same thing. Don't get them confused. Diabetics have to eat carbs, protiens and healthy fats to maintain their blood glucose levels. So, a diet based on whole grain, fruits, veggies and nuts is ideal for a diabetic. What they have to stay away from are refined carbs and sweets, and animal products.

A low carb diet is something like Atkins where essentially you stay away from the majority of carbs, even those that are healthy for you like many types of fruits. (Atkins really only allows one to consume berries for fruits).


The honest to God mania of this low carb craze is that carbs are calorie dense foods. I mean, one slice of whole grain bread from Pepperage Farm packs 100 calories. Most sandwiches are 2 slices of bread?! However; carbs aren't the problem. The problem is our ridiculous idea of the amount of food we believe should be in one serving size. A lot of people who follow a low carb diet don't understand the importance of carbs, the difference between simple and complex carbs, and the importance of carbs. It's a quick way to lose weight because by cutting most carbs from your diet you can easily cut calories, but it's not sustainable and it's not healthy. Your best best is to avoid low carb and stick to whole grains and practice portion control.

On to a different note,

It's a bit assenine to say "I'm fat I know I have something so why bother getting tested?" Especially considering at least 4 different types of diabetes. Believe it or not a lot of overweight people don't have diabetes and even people will well managed diets who are thin are susceptible to the disease. All things considering people with a BMI of over 25 should be getting checked for type II diabetes and considering they're more likely to have health problems and go to the doctor it's probably not the fat, overweight lazy people who hate themselves enough to die, like you implied that are more likely to catch their diabetes.

Topsking2010

Carbohydrates are necessary for brain function.
Your brain cannot function without glucose.
Complex carbohydrates are better than simple carbohydrates in relation to metabolism.

This is a bit of a lengthy article but answers your question quite well:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

Especially of interest is the glycemic index table at the end of the article.

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Ophidion

Carbohydrates are necessary for brain function.
Your brain cannot function without glucose.
Complex carbohydrates are better than simple carbohydrates in relation to metabolism.

This is a bit of a lengthy article but answers your question quite well:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

Especially of interest is the glycemic index table at the end of the article.

Nice link, now to cross reference data...learning is fun

tigersword

Carbs aren't bad. No food is "bad." Diets can be bad if they are unbalanced nutritionally, but no one food or macro is "good" or "bad" on its own.

paulperryman

carbs aren't bad carbs are but carbs in general convert to sugars and thus fat easier that's all nothing wrong with them specifically, you need carbs they are the fastest source of energy, eat enough protein (20-45% 1g per lb of body weight to maintain muscle) and good fats about .5g per lb and the rest is filled with carbs, eay macro to use,

then cycle around, somedays have more proteins, some days have more fats, some days more carbs, mix it up and your body wont get use to it.

lastly as others ad aslong as it's a good mix and nutritional it's all good.

matyoung125

OP you'll loose weight by eating at a calorie deficit. Reducing the amount of carbs is one way to go.

Things like white pasta in my opinion are pretty calorie dense. 100g of dried spagetti (a regular portion for me) is approximately 371 Kcal, 100g egg noodles 350 Kcal . 100g of potato is approx 77 Kcal (I had 7 baby new potatoes last night and they weighed 180g). Also things like quinao and bulgar wheat are good replacements for rice (100g cooked weight contains less calories + more good stuff)

Swapping processed "white" carbs like white paste, rice etc for whole (brown pasta, brown rice) will help you feel fuller for longer, hopefully helping reduce the need to eat later on.

No need to cut them out completely but by making a few changes you can help your weight loss.

CyberEd312

I take a common sense approach to life so I am just going to say it..... You lost 42 lbs. eating carbs so why would you not eat them now... It comes down to eating in a caloric deficit to lose weight... You eat over your caloric intake and you will put the weight back on... I was insulin resistant and a full blown type 2 diabetic when I started this journey back with A1c over 10.0 and 4 years later after losing the weight (and exercising) my diabetes is in remission with A1c averaging 5.3 and I eat over 400 grams of carbs a day... Carbs are not the enemy, not knowing when to put the Knife and Fork down is........... Best of Luck

toscarthearmada

I cut down on my carbs because I'm a diabetic.

I didn't completely cut them out of my diet, I try and stick to a ratio to 30 carbs to 15 protein. If anything its taught me how to properly portion control.

I've lost 95 pounds in 15 months and the life style is very sustainable. I couldn't be happier with my results.

Bootjockey

Carbs are good OR bad. Neither is fat, and protein is not EXCLUSIVELY good.

You need all of them for your body to work right.

The most important thing about weight loss is calories-in/calories-out. And you can optimize it by using them in the proportions that work best for you.

Based on the research I've done over the years, I've built my diet around a breakdown of my diet, with the ideal being:

45% of my daily calories from carbs
28% of my daily calories from protein
27% of my daily calories from fat.

Carbs and proteins are 4 calories per gram, and fat is 9 calories per gram.

Based on a 2,000 calorie/day diet, that would be 900 calories per day from carbs, 560 per day from protein, and 540 calories per day from fat. That's 900/4 = 225g per day carbs, 140g per day from protein, and 60g per day of fat.

I'm never, ever, dead-on. But those are my targets.

The carbs give me the energy I need, gets me through the day, etc. The fats and proteins help my body stay healthy. I found when I ate to few carbs, I didn't have the energy at the end of the work day to do my exercise routines, and my weight loss slowed.

When I am looking for a snack or something, I try to figure out what I'm craving. (Chips? Crackers? Toast? A hamburger? Chicken?) Then I look for something similar that's healthy to eat (chips/crackers/toast, means I'm craving carbs, so I might have a banana (high in carbs), or a piece of whole-grain toast or English muffin, etc. If I'm craving a hamburger, or a "slim jim" or something like that, I might have a greek yogurt (high in protein), or beef jerky.

I am NOT saying this is what you need to do. I am only saying, this is what worked for me.

-David / BootJockey
-257 pounds

peachfigs

Carbs aren't BAD, your body needs carbs, but it's more efficient to get them from other sources such as vegetables. Refined carbs from pasta, bread, pastries, etc. mess with your insulin response and you won't burn fat as effectively.

All in all, it does come down to calories in/out, but I think that model is incomplete. Eat your refined carbs in moderation (or cut them out completely if you like) and you'll see better results.

helenrosemay

I'm so glad I saw this thread as I've been thinking about carbs & if I should cut down on them. I usually go for whole grains & carbs from fruit & veg, so I will continue eating carbs. Thanks for the info everyone.

AbsoluteNG

I don't know how many people read my post in here earlier but I just came across a journal paper posted by another member of MFP that says insulin resistant and type 2 diabetes can be reversed. It even says phase 1 insulin response comes back to life which was surprising to me. As for the type of diet and if it's right for you, I'll let you decide on that.

http://www.diabetologia-journal.org/Lim.pdf


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