Carbs

shiroky05
shiroky05 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys I’m trying to figure out how many carbs I need to eat a day? My doc said 20 but that seems like nothing. Please help. I’ve gained 8 lbs back and feeling really depressed.

Replies

  • dwilliamca
    dwilliamca Posts: 325 Member
    20 g of carb is basically vegetables only. I tried a low carb/high protein once and was very disappointed. It only measured carbs and protein (not calories) and as I recall I couldn't even keep my carbs down to the target of 50 g. For me it was torture. Also I'm not all that meat crazy so had a hard time getting the protein high enough. Fats were always high as they were not measured at all and you got to have calories somewhere. Bottom line besides being miserable I lost very little weight after a couple months of logging the carbs & protein. I'm sure my calories were just too high. I too am diabetic and avoid sugar and eat very small portions of white starches so that my carbs run closer to 100-120 g, unless I splurge and have a dessert. And like everyone else says, it the calories that make you gain weight. I've had no problem losing weight since I started logging calories and balancing macros. I'd start out at the recommended and settings and slowly lower the carbs until you reach your good range.
  • thunderchild007
    thunderchild007 Posts: 43 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    shiroky05 wrote: »
    Hey guys I’m trying to figure out how many carbs I need to eat a day? My doc said 20 but that seems like nothing. Please help. I’ve gained 8 lbs back and feeling really depressed.

    If your doctor said 20 grams of carbs and didn't provide an explanation of why this was necessary for you or how to accomplish it, you should get a better doctor.

    ^^this^^
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    shiroky05 wrote: »
    Hey guys I’m trying to figure out how many carbs I need to eat a day? My doc said 20 but that seems like nothing. Please help. I’ve gained 8 lbs back and feeling really depressed.

    If your doctor said 20 grams of carbs and didn't provide an explanation of why this was necessary for you or how to accomplish it, you should get a better doctor.

    Agreed, although I'd first try asking the doctor for an explanation.
  • 20 grams of carbohydrates per day sounds very unhealthy. How could you possibly even eat enough fruits and vegetables on that regimen? I eat 50-60 percent of calories from carbohydrates and I am losing weight.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    Did the doc mean 20% maybe?
    That's a more reasonable suggestion than 20 grams anyway.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited September 2017
    ...

    (I'm too literal sometimes!) ;-)
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Did the doc mean 20% maybe?
    That's a more reasonable suggestion than 20 grams anyway.

    I've been wondering that too.... Either way, it's irrelevant to being in a calorie deficit
  • emailmehere1122
    emailmehere1122 Posts: 140 Member
    Since your DOCTOR who has access to your...you know...medical info perhaps you should do as he/she tells you. I would definitely find out why he/she wants you to eat so few carbs or seek out a second opinion

    Only having 20 carbs a day doesn't cause anyone to gain weight...you're gaining weight because you're eating more calories then you're burning
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    solomon091 wrote: »
    While I agree it's the calories and not the carbs that are crucial. Carbs, especially white carbs are the primary reason for obesity in Aemrica. Thats why Paloe based diet plans actually gained so much popularity. I recommend you read the book Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. You'll get some perspective on the carbs and why medical docs are now recommending to lower carb intake. My advice is to use an "elimination diet" and slowly bring carbs into your diet, to find what actually works for you.

    Here is what Scientific America has to say regarding eating wrong kind of carbs -'The hormone hypothesis suggests that the only way to prevent this downward spiral from happening, and to reverse it when it does, is to avoid the sugars and carbohydrates that work to raise insulin levels.'

    Here is the link https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-makes-you-fat-too-many-calories-or-the-wrong-carbohydrates/

    Eating too much and exercising too little is the primary reason for obesity problems around the world. Our portion sizes are larger and our activity levels are less than those of our ancestors.
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
    edited September 2017
    I agree.. carbs aren't what make you fat. I'm low carb/ keto. You need to ask your Dr why he said 20g (keto level) carbs. Are you diabetic? Hypothyroid? Or was he trying to hint to youva way to satiate your hunger. I went keto because I was RAVINOUS on just regular cico.. Once I cut carbs, upped fat, and ..well protein was still the same for me..20% on my macros, I felt less hungry. More than that.. I felt satiated! Is it hard? Omg.. try saying no to Mac and cheese.. cheese cake.. a PROPER hamburger!! Yes.. it's hard AF! But I can't deny the amazing results. If you can get these result from eating these things, go for it. But for me, it's like a miracle not feeling starved and binging all the time.

    For those that said keto didn't work for them because you watched your macros but not your calorie intake.. the heck is wrong with you people! It's ALWAYS calories in vs out! You aim for higher fats and lower carbs.. you don't ignore the calorie count! It was hard for me at first, but I'm getting the hang of it. I may not hit my macros perfectly, but who cares?? I'm not hungry! I'm not eating more just to hit my fats if I'm not hungry! SMH!
  • solomon091
    solomon091 Posts: 4 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    solomon091 wrote: »
    While I agree it's the calories and not the carbs that are crucial. Carbs, especially white carbs are the primary reason for obesity in Aemrica. Thats why Paloe based diet plans actually gained so much popularity. I recommend you read the book Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. You'll get some perspective on the carbs and why medical docs are now recommending to lower carb intake. My advice is to use an "elimination diet" and slowly bring carbs into your diet, to find what actually works for you.

    Here is what Scientific America has to say regarding eating wrong kind of carbs -'The hormone hypothesis suggests that the only way to prevent this downward spiral from happening, and to reverse it when it does, is to avoid the sugars and carbohydrates that work to raise insulin levels.'

    Here is the link https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-makes-you-fat-too-many-calories-or-the-wrong-carbohydrates/

    Do some research on Blue Zones...

    The obesity epidemic is a resulting of stuffing the face full of all kinds of stuff and not moving...

    The SAD is a crap diet that is too high in pretty much everything...that's what's driving obesity...not eating a potato or rice or whatever...

    I did some research on the Blue Zones diet, and so far I'm really impressed. Thanks for pointing in this direction. Here are good explanations-
    https://draxe.com/blue-zones/
    http://www.skinnyandsassy.com/blue-zones-solution-dan-buettner-review/

    I can see how the concept of cico fits perfectly , especially when you make "movement" and lifestyle a big part of it. Its like keeping things simple eliminates the need of complex diets. That's quite a game changer.

    I have many friends who believe carbs counting is the way to go. I might be wrong but I think both counting carbs and counting calories have their place in weight loss. It is basically just two different paths to ultimately get to the same goal of weight reduction. However, the important distinction is that, depending on whether you're counting carbs or calories, you will be eating a vastly different selection of foods under each approach. If you like eating fatty foods while still losing weight, go with a lc diet like Atkins (while still counting calories), but if you would rather eat foods that restrict fat and are low calorie in nature, stick to only counting calories.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    I've done low carbs diets before. They worked for me. But then inevitably I'd travel, or I'd be in a situation where I couldn't control the food and end up eating carbs. Then I'd gain it all back and no longer want to not eat the carbs. I'm finding so far (it's only been 3 months for me--and 20 lbs. loss) that it is easier for me to count calories and lose weight than to monitor the carbs. I like pasta, rice, bread and potatoes. If I know I can have it as long as it fits in the calorie intake it is so much easier to stick to (and I imagine will be to maintain) than cutting out the majority of carbs (other than veggies and berries). Knowing the amount of calories I need is much more helpful. When on low carb diets I had no idea how many calories I was eating. I think I was lucky in some instances to fall into a deficit.
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