Fruit/vegetable carbs

azampino1

Are the carbs in fruits and vegetables, as bad for you as the carbs in breads, pasta, and sweets?

I've been keeping up with my calories but I can't seem to loose fat, my weight is going down some but my bmi is still up. I've been gaining muscle, from exercising.
For lunch I have only been bringing a fruit salad and one granola bar or something similar.

janejellyroll

Carbohydrates aren't bad for you even if they are in bread, pasta, or sweets.

If carbohydrates in anything (including fruits and vegetables) are causing you to go over your calorie goal or crowding out other things that you need, then you should address it. If you have a medical condition that requires you to limit carbohydrates, then you'll need to limit them (including those in fruits or vegetables). Otherwise, don't be afraid of carbohydrates. They're just a type of macronutrient and as long as you aren't eating more calories than your body needs, you'll just be turning them into energy.

cathipa

Unless you are diabetic it doesn't matter where the carbs come from. That being said fruits and veggies have more fiber (typically) than bread, wheat pasta and sweets. Fiber is beneficial for GI and cardiac health.

Could you explain how you are losing weight, but your BMI is "up".

And you can't gain muscle if you are in a calorie deficit. Gaining muscle comes from a caloric surplus and heavy lifting.

cwolfman13

None of those carbs are inherently "bad" for you...

Carbs are just some combination of starch, sugar, and fiber...different foods will have varying amounts of starch, sugar, and fiber.

lemurcat12

You are starting with an incorrect premise: carbs are not bad for you.

If you are trying to low carb/get into ketosis, you want to keep carbs below a certain number (usually not including fiber), and ALL carbs count, but that doesn't mean carbs are bad for you. If I am limited in my carbs I do prioritize vegetables, because I believe they are extremely important, but that's because of the micronutrients they also contain, nothing about the type of carbs.

Your lunch wouldn't work for me, not because of the carbs, but because it seems super low in protein and maybe fat.

Weight going down, muscle going up, BMI going up makes no sense. Weight and height determine BMI. You aren't going to gain appreciable muscle from a short period of exercising especially on a deficit.

How long have you been doing this, what are your goals, how many calories and carbs and protein grams are you aiming for?

Anyway, after all that, no, vegetables and fruit OF COURSE are not bad for you, but they alone do not make for a complete diet. You will want to make sure you have adequate protein and healthy fats and a reasonable number of calories and so on.

TeaBea

azampino1 wrote: »

Are the carbs in fruits and vegetables, as bad for you as the carbs in breads, pasta, and sweets?

I've been keeping up with my calories but I can't seem to lose fat, my weight is going down some but my bmi is still up. I've been gaining muscle, from exercising.
For lunch I have only been bringing a fruit salad and one granola bar or something similar.

Your post seems to be full of contradictory statements.

Weight loss = taking in fewer calories than your body expends. PERIOD. You can eat food you like and lose weight, you just need to control calorie intake.

When we lose weight we can lose fat, lean muscle and water weight. So if you are losing pounds, you are losing some fat. IF (and that's debatable) you have been gaining lean muscle mass, then it is a very small amount. Nothing that would move the BMI number (anywhere).

The best scenario for lean muscle gain is progressive lifting, calorie surplus, and an adequate amount of protein. Even then muscle gain is slow.

If you are using a body fat scale.....there's your problem. Those are very inaccurate.

Fruit salad or a granola bar are fine for lunch......but protein is more important that the "type" of carbs.

azampino1

I am going by my fitbit scale for my fat % it was down to 23% now it has been going up to 27%. My total weight lost in in the past year and a half has been 40lbs. It is going up now slightly.
I am trying to also gain muscle, which I can physically see a difference but they are not as defined because I am not loosing the fat. I am trying to loose fat, especially around my stomach.

I was always under the impression that carbs add to excess stomach fat.

cathipa

Any time you are trying to gain muscle you will gain some fat as well. You can't allocate where the fat will go.

You can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time unless you are recomping, but this takes months to years.

You won't see muscle definition until you start to cut. You can't spot reduce.

Excess calories can add to excess stomach fat.

cwolfman13

azampino1 wrote: »

I am going by my fitbit scale for my fat % it was down to 23% now it has been going up to 27%. My total weight lost in in the past year and a half has been 40lbs. It is going up now slightly.
I am trying to also gain muscle, which I can physically see a difference but they are not as defined because I am not loosing the fat. I am trying to loose fat, especially around my stomach.

I was always under the impression that carbs add to excess stomach fat.

Your scale cannot estimate BF%...it can't tell the difference between body fat and water fluctuations.

Carbs have nothing to do with weight management other than water...carbs don't make you fat and aren't readily converted to fat. Calories (energy) beyond what your body needs to maintain the status quo is what makes people fat.

janejellyroll

azampino1 wrote: »

I am going by my fitbit scale for my fat % it was down to 23% now it has been going up to 27%. My total weight lost in in the past year and a half has been 40lbs. It is going up now slightly.
I am trying to also gain muscle, which I can physically see a difference but they are not as defined because I am not loosing the fat. I am trying to loose fat, especially around my stomach.

I was always under the impression that carbs add to excess stomach fat.

No, excess calories add to excess stomach fat.

psuLemon

azampino1 wrote: »

I am going by my fitbit scale for my fat % it was down to 23% now it has been going up to 27%. My total weight lost in in the past year and a half has been 40lbs. It is going up now slightly.
I am trying to also gain muscle, which I can physically see a difference but they are not as defined because I am not loosing the fat. I am trying to loose fat, especially around my stomach.

I was always under the impression that carbs add to excess stomach fat.

You need to pick a goal really, lose fat or gain muscle because outside of noob gains, you wont gain much muscle unless you are in a surplus. If you want to reveal muscle, then lower your calories a bit.

And what is your work out plan?

azampino1

I am currently working out 3 times a week, plus 1-2 days of running. I also walk about 20,000-25,000 steps a day for work.
Mfp calculator has me at 2,500 calories. Which I am pretty good at sticking to.
I guess I am more interested in gaining muscle.
Does this calorie count sound right?

TeaBea

azampino1 wrote: »

I am currently working out 3 times a week, plus 1-2 days of running. I also walk about 20,000-25,000 steps a day for work.
Mfp calculator has me at 2,500 calories. Which I am pretty good at sticking to.
I guess I am more interested in gaining muscle.
Does this calorie count sound right?

Gaining muscle is eating at a calorie surplus.....look up your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure....aka maintenance) here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Eat more to gain muscle

psuLemon

azampino1 wrote: »

I am currently working out 3 times a week, plus 1-2 days of running. I also walk about 20,000-25,000 steps a day for work.
Mfp calculator has me at 2,500 calories. Which I am pretty good at sticking to.
I guess I am more interested in gaining muscle.
Does this calorie count sound right?

Gaining muscle would require gaining fat. And at 20% + body fat, that wouldn't be an ideal thing (just realized you were a male). I'd keep losing weight while following a progressive overload lifting program. If in a few weeks you aren't losing weight at 2500 calories, drop down to 2200.

nvmomketo

There are some who believe that excess calories in the form of carbs are more likely to be stored around the internal organs (stomach area) if you are dealing with some insulin resistance. The theory seems to go that the body needs to keep blood glucose very steady, and if insulin is not working effectively although circulating at higher levels, it is thought that the liver may have lipogenesis go into higher gear... There are a lot of "ifs" in there and it is not a completely accepted theory.

If you are healthy and not eating excessively, I wouldn't worry much. If you are worried, swap carbs for more protein to keep insulin more elevated, or add in some fat in lieu of carbs.

Need2Exerc1se

azampino1 wrote: »

Are the carbs in fruits and vegetables, as bad for you as the carbs in breads, pasta, and sweets?

I've been keeping up with my calories but I can't seem to loose fat, my weight is going down some but my bmi is still up. I've been gaining muscle, from exercising.
For lunch I have only been bringing a fruit salad and one granola bar or something similar.

Not sure how to answer the first question without knowing why carbs are bad for you. If you are diabetic or insulin resistant then consuming fiber and/or protein with your carbs is probably going to be best, but that could be by choosing foods that contain carbs and fiber/protein or by combining foods.

Not sure how you eat other than lunch but there isn't much protein in that lunch. If all your meals are like that you might fare better adding more protein than worrying about carb sources.