Concerned advice I was given

Gerkenstein

A friend of mine is a personal trainer/nutritionist and I've started a "bootcamp" with her on Wednesdays. She is a very credible, reliable source and I trust her. She asked what I ate last Wednesday and I told her (feel free to check my diary) and she said it was too many carbs (which it was a lot that day). She then said I should be eating only 20-30 carbs per meal, but I'm struggling limiting my carbs and still getting in my calories. For example, I made a huge salad for lunch today and it's only 160 calories, but 34 carbs (forgot my tuna at home, so no protein...I know, bad).

Is this sound advice? And if so, how do you get in the calories without the carbs?

maccabeth

Maybe she meant 30-40%? Carbs give you energy and are not the evil Dr Atkins and other diets would have you believe!

Behavior_Modification

Sounds kind of odd. Did she say that this was how you're supposed to eat to lose weight, or for the long term, or what?

Clew

Seems like everyone reacts differently to carbs and protein and etc ... I'm not real convinced there's one formula that works for everyone. My husband thrives on high protein and low carbs, whereas I feel like crap. I'm much healthier, happier and more energetic on a 40-30-30 mix. I respect your friend's credentials but I'd ask your doc what he/she thinks as well.

dee_sea_tea

I don't really agree that cutting carbs drastically is great, sure you can lose a lot of weight but everyone's body is different. For example when I reduce carbs I get very sick, my body needs them. You should be more concerned about making sure you're getting a balanced diet. Get your complex carbohydrates in from whole grain sources, brown rice and fruits. Keep them somewhat limited, no more than two fruit servings per day, grains should be no more than six servings, do your research to find out what a serving really is, check out mypyramid.gov for the proper information.

MacMadame

I think it depends on both your goals and your personal physiology.

Personally, I do much, much better when I focus my diet on protein. If I eat too many carbs, I start to crave junky food and I'm hungrier. But some people don't do well on a low-carb diet.

What I do is make all my meals (and I consider my snacks to be meals, too) to be protein focused. So I don't have things like a granola bar for an afternoon snack. I have cheese sticks, cottage cheese, greek yogurt or hard-boiled eggs or a second lunch instead. Rethinking snacks was a biggie for me.

For meals, I always pick out the protein source first, then figure out what the rest of the meal will be. I eat a lot of lean meat with a side of veggies for lunch and dinner.

Gerkenstein

I've never really tried low-carb so not sure how it will make me feel. I'm definitely trying to get in more veggies. I do know the amount of fruit I was eating was a concern of hers.

diane- She said we can ease into more carbs later but since it's primarily for weight loss right now, not maintaining or conditioning, I need to cut way down.

TropicalKitty

Like someone else said, it can vary from person to person. I do horribly on a high carb diet. If I did MFP's auto carb allotment I'd gain and feel like poo. I do best on an Atkins/SoBe type diet - to lose or to exist. So for me, your trainer's advise is spot on.

Test out different eating types and see how your body responds. And if you want good nutritional information, look to Harvard School of Public Health's Nutrition Source. They have info based on science, not interest groups and lobbying.

Iffer75

I did take a look at last Wednesday's food diary and yeah way too much. I would suggest cutting down on your honey. You honestly do not need 4 tbsp of it. Try only using 1 tbsp, I only use 1 tsp and that is enough for me. On your Peanut Butter, I highly recommend Natural Peanut Butter. It is very good and you only need 1 or 2 tbsp. You don't need for. Way too much.

Make sure to log all your food no matter what. If your friend is going to help you, she will need to see what you are eating. I am sure she will show you where to change things up to eat better and healthier.

Of course, I am not a doctor or a professional, so take this advice as you will. It is just from my own experience and I have lost 50 pounds.

Good luck with whatever you decide. :bigsmile:

heathersmilez

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONLY 2 FRUITS A DAY? REALLY?

Honey, granola, pita bread, sausage muffin – I see why you were high on carbs that day but looks like you only had 2 fruit servings (1 banana and strawberries), you are definitely not too high there.

To the person who said don’t eat more than 2 fruits a day, do others agree with that? Seems really low to me considering Health Canada's Food Guide along with the US’ food pyramid say 5-10 servings of fruit AND vegetables – they don’t differentiate between to 2.

I’m trying a vegetarian smoothie week myself just to be different and crazy, lol and so I’m getting probably 6 servings of fruit a day (1/2 banana, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, orange juice and light apple juice for example in a day combined with lots of spinach carrots, cucumber and celery)

Thanks!

Gerkenstein

The excessive honey and peanut butter was due to the fact that I was trying to get in my calories for the day. Normally I wouldn't use so much.

I think she's okay with my carbs in the morning and around lunch, but she's pretty adamant about no carbs in the evening, which I can live with.

lotusfromthemud

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONLY 2 FRUITS A DAY? REALLY?

Honey, granola, pita bread, sausage muffin – I see why you were high on carbs that day but looks like you only had 2 fruit servings (1 banana and strawberries), you are definitely not too high there.

To the person who said don’t eat more than 2 fruits a day, do others agree with that? Seems really low to me considering Health Canada's Food Guide along with the US’ food pyramid say 5-10 servings of fruit AND vegetables – they don’t differentiate between to 2.

I’m trying a vegetarian smoothie week myself just to be different and crazy, lol and so I’m getting probably 6 servings of fruit a day (1/2 banana, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, orange juice and light apple juice for example in a day combined with lots of spinach carrots, cucumber and celery)

Thanks!

Fruits are (especially certain fruits, like bananas) very high in sugars. Yes, it's a natural sugar, and the impact is slowed down due to the fibre content of the fruit, but it is still sugar.

I have often heard the limit to two fruit servings a day, and it is what I try to stick to.

Behavior_Modification

diane- She said we can ease into more carbs later but since it's primarily for weight loss right now, not maintaining or conditioning, I need to cut way down.

Hmmm...well, this is my take. After yo-yo dieting for 20 yrs trying all types of different ways to lose weight, I finally have it through my thick skull that none of them are going to work for me. I needed to learn how to eat the right way for life, not for a quick fix and it sounds like your trainer's approach will be yet another quick fix. I think it would be much more worth your while for her to teach you how to eat for life, so that you can attain and maintain a healthy weight without such dietary restrictions. I think that number of carbs is way low for a healthy lifestyle...for life. It very well may help you lose some weight faster, but if it isn't something you can live with, you are going to feel deprived and if it were me, it would inevitably lead to a major binge. I think cutting down is fine, but that seems like a serious drop, not just a decrease.

heathersmilez

Thanks viviakay

Ok, I’ve done a little googling and it looks like in general terms 2 cups of fruit a day and 2.5 cups of vegetables is what’s recommended.

2 cups is = 4 servings and I’m definitely getting all my veggies so it’s not one sided and I will make sure to keep it to 2 cups max this week. Other sources recommend 4-5 servings a day (so that’s the same thing) so I think I’m ok. For the op though watching her carbs, just don’t overdo it on lets say apples – try watermelon, much lower in carbs.

LotusF1ower

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONLY 2 FRUITS A DAY? REALLY?

Honey, granola, pita bread, sausage muffin – I see why you were high on carbs that day but looks like you only had 2 fruit servings (1 banana and strawberries), you are definitely not too high there.

To the person who said don’t eat more than 2 fruits a day, do others agree with that? Seems really low to me considering Health Canada's Food Guide along with the US’ food pyramid say 5-10 servings of fruit AND vegetables – they don’t differentiate between to 2.

I’m trying a vegetarian smoothie week myself just to be different and crazy, lol and so I’m getting probably 6 servings of fruit a day (1/2 banana, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, orange juice and light apple juice for example in a day combined with lots of spinach carrots, cucumber and celery)

Thanks!

Well in the UK the recommended guideline for fruit was five per day - I don't have five mind, but I would if I chose to.

To be honest, it comes to something when fruit is actually depicted as slightly evil because of the sugar it contains, personally I think it is a load of old codswallop and will continue to eat fruit as and when I want.

scarecrow41

20-30 carbs per meal is by no means "low-carb".

Noone outside of advanced athletes needs more than the 200 carbs you have alloted.

I have no idea what your current weight, fitness level, and goals are but I do question the amount of calories in general you are supposed to be eating.

I'm a 31 year old male who works out daily and I'm 6'3" 220 pounds...and my daily caloric goal isn't much higher than yours.

If you burn 500 calories each day from excercise I'm guessing you could still eat in the 1900-2000 calories per day range and still lose 2 lbs/week.

Again, I'm doing a lot of speculating because I don't have all the facts that your trainer does but I'm guessing your goals don't involve maxing your squats or deadlifts.

Ask her what she thinks about lowering your calorie goals to 1950/day or so and see what she says.

Finally, I like the ratio your trainer has for weight loss. You have to be thinking "protein" early and often. If you find yourself hitting the wall on carbs early in the day try to find other sources for your carbs:
There are a ton of whole wheat breads that don't have 24 carbs per slice. Trader Joe's has a great wheat bread that has 14 carbs per two slices (6 being fiber) and a whopping 10 grams of protein. Also berries, canteloupe, green leafy veggies, etc. are all ways to add in good healthy carbs. You can eat spinach untll the cows come home on about any diet and it will fit.

Plain Greek yogurt is also a great source of protein that has little to no sugar in it. Sweeten it with previously mentioned berries and fruit.

Every meal should have carbs, fat, and protein, and you are doing better than many in this department, you just need to work on your ratios. I'll give you a parting example based on your diary from this past Wednesday:

For breakfast you had a sandwich that consisted of 260 cals made up of 29 carbs, 8 fat, and 18 protein. You could've supplemented this by making an egg white scramble with two egg whites and a quarter tbsp. of butter. This would've added 2 carbs, 3 fat, and 12 protein to the meal for a total of: 335 cals made up of 31 carbs, 11 fat, and 30 protein. That almost hits your ratio perfectly.

Hope this helps, but again, make sure you talk things over with your trainer before making any changes.

simona1972

Ive heard that too from members here about the carbs per meal/snacks. I "front load" my carbs because of my colitis. I eat 1 bagel in the morning and that's where a majority of my carbs come from. The rest of the day its coming from 2 fruits and veggies that I have with lunch and dinner. I dont eat salads because I cant tolerate raw veggies so Im left with things like cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, etc...

Ive been feeling SO much better since doing that.

leavinglasvegas

If you bump up your protien and non-starchy veggies and skip the breads and pastas, that goal is attainable and sustainable.

For example: (sample from SB diet phase 1)

Breakfast- veggie omlette and a cup of veggie juice....... (under 20 carbs)

Snack- sliced peppers with mashed avacado mixed with lowfat cottage cheese, chopped onion, garlic, cilantro.... (about 15 carbs)

Lunch- Chili and a big salad with a low sugar dressing...... (under 20 carbs)

Snack- shrimp cocktail with homemade low sugar cocktail sauce....... (depending on you sauce, practically no carbs)

Dinner- grilled lean meat or fish of some sort, roasted asparagus and zucchini, large green salad with your choice of veggies and low sugar veggies....... (still under 20 carbs)

So this is roughly under 80 carbs for the day which leaves you wiggle room for some bread, pasta, rice, or fruit. (as unrefined as possible) Just try not to have those at every meal. It is also very satisfying. Maybe have extra carbs at breakfast or your morning snack. That way you are using those carbs throughout the day and eating less carbs later on.

Personally, I don't have any issues with low carb, provided it is a lifestyle, not a diet. I used the SB diet to reduce my dependency on white flour and sugar. My carbs are pretty high for a low carber just because I am vegan and eat alot of beans and rice, but I don't eat bread at all. And I don't even miss it, which is something I never thought I'd say. I stick to brown and wild rice, quinoa, and sometimes gluten free pastas. All in all, just more veggies and less bread equals a signifigant reduction in carbs without much effort at all.

maccabeth

Well in the UK the recommended guideline for fruit was five per day - I don't have five mind, but I would if I chose to.

To be honest, it comes to something when fruit is actually depicted as slightly evil because of the sugar it contains, personally I think it is a load of old codswallop and will continue to eat fruit as and when I want.

This!! Fresh fruit has so many vitamins, minerals and fiber that the (natural, unprocessed) sugar it may contain is irrelevant!

godblessourhome

This!! Fresh fruit has so many vitamins, minerals and fiber that the (natural, unprocessed) sugar it may contain is irrelevant!

it's not irrelevant for everyone. for me, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for diabetics, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for people who get migraines, sugar in fruit is a big deal.

kayemme

I think it is a load of old codswallop and will continue to eat fruit as and when I want.

couldn't have said it better myself. sugar is not the devil. highly processed foods with loads of sugar is the devil.

eat locally and seasonally and most of your troubles will take care of themselves.

maccabeth

This!! Fresh fruit has so many vitamins, minerals and fiber that the (natural, unprocessed) sugar it may contain is irrelevant!

it's not irrelevant for everyone. for me, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for diabetics, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for people who get migraines, sugar in fruit is a big deal.

Well, I'm talking about in general. Obviously if you have health issues that's a whole other story. I don't think the OP mentioned being diabetic.

Momma_D

Hello there;)

I try to keep my carbs in a range. The biggest loser says 45% of your calories should be carbs. I also looked on a lot of medical websites when I started and most medical experts were saying 60%. (that seemed high to me so....) I try to keep my range between the biggest loser's advice and 1/2 way to the medical experts, about 52.5%.

I found when I was trying 45%, I went over some each day. Now that I have a range and I have relaxed about the "number", I find I am always in the range and usually at or below 45%.

I know not everything works for every BODY, but my personal results with these carb amounts is a little over 13 pounds removed in 5 weeks. (Now I need to add torture, uh... I mean exercise, LOL):happy:

Good luck with your decision about what is best for you!!

godblessourhome

I don't think the OP mentioned being diabetic.

i used diabetics and people suffering migraines as examples. i am neither one of those. there are several types of people that can not eat fruit in a willy-nilly fashion.

just as you're speaking in general so am i.

maccabeth

I don't think the OP mentioned being diabetic.

i used diabetics and people suffering migraines as examples. i am neither one of those. there are several types of people that can not eat fruit in a willy-nilly fashion.

just as you're speaking in general so am i.

Yes, of course. But sorry, having issues with food because of health is not "in general". The discussion was about the dietary recommendations of fruit servings per day for normal healthy people, not for people with diabetes, migraines or any other health concern. My comment was in response to that, not in a thread about someone with health problems. I'm pretty sure that people who have those issues know what their limitations are and the normal nutrition/dietary recommendations do not apply to them.

recipe4success

is she trained as a nutritionist (i..e is she a dietitian)? anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.

July24Lioness

Maybe she meant 30-40%? Carbs give you energy and are not the evil Dr Atkins and other diets would have you believe!

I am asking nicely for you NOT to bash Atkins.

For a LOT of Americans 30-40% carbs in a days time is WAY TOO MANY!!!

I have my carbs set to between 5-10% of my daily intake.

We humans DO NOT need grains and if you supplement fat in place of carbs you have way more energy without the carb hangover...........

Here's to green leafy, non-starchy veggies, FATS and Protein.

A good book to read is Good Calories, Bad Calories by Dr Gary Taubes.

He explains it is not the number of calories you eat, but the TYPE of calories you eat that makes the difference. He also explains how the government and Big Pharma has led you believe that we need more carbs and less fat and protein and for the LAST 50 years they have been telling everyone wrong.

July24Lioness

Thanks viviakay

Ok, I’ve done a little googling and it looks like in general terms 2 cups of fruit a day and 2.5 cups of vegetables is what’s recommended.

2 cups is = 4 servings and I’m definitely getting all my veggies so it’s not one sided and I will make sure to keep it to 2 cups max this week. Other sources recommend 4-5 servings a day (so that’s the same thing) so I think I’m ok. For the op though watching her carbs, just don’t overdo it on lets say apples – try watermelon, much lower in carbs.

July24Lioness

This!! Fresh fruit has so many vitamins, minerals and fiber that the (natural, unprocessed) sugar it may contain is irrelevant!

it's not irrelevant for everyone. for me, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for diabetics, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for people who get migraines, sugar in fruit is a big deal.

Yes, it is a BIG deal for everyone. Even people that are so-called "normal"................Leptin Resistance is VERY real!!!

aippolito1

I do fine eating 50% carbs but have been thinking about going to 40/30/30 as I do fine losing even when I go over on my fats because they're mostly healthy fats like avocado, almonds, olive oil, natural PB, etc.

I think you should try what she recommended because yeah, in the 200s is way too much, Sarah.

Gerkenstein

I am not diabetic, nor do I suffer from migraines, but 2 servings of fruit per day seems reasonable. I suppose I could cut it down to 1 per day if I keep pursuing her advice on cutting carbs.

She is not a licensed dietitian, but she has had extensive nutritional education and experience so I trust her.

I respect people who practice the low/no-carb, but not sure it's for me. I'm looking to make a lifestyle change, not just drop the weight, and I definitely don't want to give up bread, biscuits, pancakes, etc. for the rest of my life. Just not gonna happen, I love my bread (to a reasonable extent)

Thank you everyone for the advice and input. Seems I may have to try it for a while and maybe just cut back a little at a time and see how it goes.