Are carbs the enemy?
SayNoToCakes
Posts: 16 Member
I need honest answers, everywhere I turn, I'm seeing that carbs are evil, that they alone will ruin my weight loss.
My diet is high carb and I would love to reduce that but to completely rule it out, is it the only way? Is it the best way?
I don't know where to start?
My diet is high carb and I would love to reduce that but to completely rule it out, is it the only way? Is it the best way?
I don't know where to start?
3
Replies
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Nope. You just need a calorie deficit.17
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Carbs are not the enemy ....As long as you are in a deficit you will lose weight ....Start by putting your stats into MFP ..it will give you an amount of calories to eat ...Not sure how much you are wanting to lose ...if you have very little to lose put that you want to lose .5 lbs a week ... if you have 50 lbs to lose put 1 lb. to lose and if you have more then put 2 lb loss ... also eat 1/2 of all your calories back from exercise .........good luck
8 -
No, not really..can't really single out one macronutrient like that. Well if it's just straight up sugar, well yeah. For the majority, carbs form part of a balanced diet. Lots of healthy foods are carb heavy, whole grains and starchy vegetables... carbs are the primary source of energy.
It really is calories in/calories out that dictates weight loss and gain. So it comes down to what foods you can use to feel satisfied within the caloric range needed for weight loss. Some people might feel more satiated with more protein or fat..and that is personal preference. If the low carb diet helps with this yeah go for it...but the key is adopting something that works for you in the long term and not falling victim to fad dieting techniques.5 -
Thank you! What should be my main sort of source of food? Should it be protein?0
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SayNoToCakes wrote: »Thank you! What should be my main sort of source of food? Should it be protein?
People thrive on vastly different macro proportions. Focus on eating in a way that you can sustain a reasonable calorie deficit while getting a healthy and enjoyable overall diet.
There really isn't a need to make something simple complex, difficult or hateful. Think about how you would tackle a hard project at work..... Would you deliberately try to make that task more complex or less complex? Harder or easier?
Would added complexity and difficulty makes the chances of success higher or lower?
PS
I have a high carb diet and lost my excess weight and have maintained weight successfully for years. When you see these "carbs are the Devil" articles ask yourself how come the so called blue zones where people tend to be slimmer and healthier typically have high carb diets. I don't see these articles so maybe it's time to review and question your sources of information as they don't seem to be helping you?
13 -
Concur with sijomial (always on point). I live in Italy which has a heavily based carb diet. People tend to be slim and I see very few obese people. Eat carbs if you like---just log it all carefully. I find MFP goals on macros to be doable. Enjoy life.9
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My previous Dr (now out of business) told me to go on 50 carbs a day without explaining why. I took her advice and was miserable and weak for the first couple months of my wlj. Long story short, I lost 100 lbs in a year by simply keeping calories in check. I eat on average 400 g carbs daily along with higher protein and feel fantastic and have plenty of energy for my long workouts. The carbs are evil agenda is pure BULL!12
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Carbs for today.
14 -
The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!3 -
Hello disagree fairy. Would you like to say what you are disagreeing with for once?5
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13 -
Hello disagree fairy. Would you like to say what you are disagreeing with for once?
Oh, don't worry about the disagrees. You will get used to them. It is probably a low carb zealot that thinks the sun rises and sets in Dr. Fung's backside.... They tend to be a cowardly bunch, who know they will get their fee fee's hurt when you show them evidence they are wrong. Best wishes....11 -
SayNoToCakes wrote: »I need honest answers, everywhere I turn, I'm seeing that carbs are evil, that they alone will ruin my weight loss.
My diet is high carb and I would love to reduce that but to completely rule it out, is it the only way? Is it the best way?
I don't know where to start?
Carbohydrates are just one of the three macro nutrients...carbs, protein, fat. Carbohydrates aren't the enemy...fruits, vegetables, grains, starches, legumes, beans, etc are all primarily carbohydrates. There are many sources of carbohydrates that provide bomb nutrition...others, not so much, but it doesn't necessarily make them the enemy or "bad"
Look up "Blue Zones"...these are areas of the world with the greatest health, and they also eat high carbohydrate diets.8 -
Let me start by saying that a ketogenic diet is a choice. One has to do a bit of homework first, and then decide if that is the best for them. For every decision, there are compromises and trade offs.
A very low carb diet helped me, together with intermittent fasting and recently dry fasting, lose a lot of weight, which I hadn't been able to lose with standard low-fat high-carb diet. But that is me. To say the carbs are the enemy is too simplistic.
Everything must be put in context. Do you need to lose weight or just fat? Do you also do intermittent fasting? The reason I started doing keto was because I was failing miserably at doing intermittent fasting on a standard diet. Keto helped me stick to my goals and progressively reduce my carb cravings. It didn't happen overnight. It took me a few months to adjust. Again, decisions. trade offs, compromises.
I am an advocate of low carb diets and fasting, but I wouldn't just tell people to start cold turkey. They have to do a bit of research.
A shipload of randomJoe bloggers/vloggers have jumped on the keto bandwagon recently and I can understand why this puts a lot of people off.5 -
I have to eat high carb. I am cranky, hungry, always craving and feel awful when I try to cut carbs too low. I have learned this about my body thru trial and error. Everyone is different! But I would kill someone if I tried to do Keto. I have lost weight just fine eating high carb and counting calories. The key for me is to make sure I ALSO eat enough fat and protein, and that my carbs are not junk food but fruits, vegetables and whole grains.9
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mariomicro wrote: »Let me start by saying that a ketogenic diet is a choice. One has to do a bit of homework first, and then decide if that is the best for them. For every decision, there are compromises and trade offs.
A very low carb diet helped me, together with intermittent fasting and recently dry fasting, lose a lot of weight, which I hadn't been able to lose with standard low-fat high-carb diet. But that is me. To say the carbs are the enemy is too simplistic.
Everything must be put in context. Do you need to lose weight or just fat? Do you also do intermittent fasting? The reason I started doing keto was because I was failing miserably at doing intermittent fasting on a standard diet. Keto helped me stick to my goals and progressively reduce my carb cravings. It didn't happen overnight. It took me a few months to adjust. Again, decisions. trade offs, compromises.
I am an advocate of low carb diets and fasting, but I wouldn't just tell people to start cold turkey. They have to do a bit of research.
A shipload of randomJoe bloggers/vloggers have jumped on the keto bandwagon recently and I can understand why this puts a lot of people off.
5 -
Snowflake954 takes food to an art form. What I wouldn't give to eat some of her dishes. When in Rome eat as the Romans do and stay super fit and strong waaay into your latter years. They know how to do it. I've been there.
Psychod787. Major respect, workplace and all. He's given the forum some of the best tips for satiety. I'm been using them since this summer and they work. OMAD, dropping it like it's hot is not all it's cracked up to be. Recent OMAD research says it can lead to disordered eating and nutritional deficiencies. It's really difficult to eat all of the things you need to eat in an hour's time.
Almost all of these brutally strict protocols are used as overcompensation for a poor relationship with food. Relationship. Thanks P787. They're used as a short-term fix but they don't fix long-term problems.
Carbs are not the enemy. We're our own worst enemy.
Don't overthink it. We can learn to moderate ourselves with food by measuring our portions and tracking our data points. Eat the foods you enjoy. Food is not the enemy. We have overcomplicated it so much that we no longer know when to scratch our watches or wind our bu&&$.
Aim for .5 lbs a week. All you need is the deficit and it doesn't have to be a big one. It still works.
2 -
Carbs are only bad if your diet is consistently based on that food group. If you eat balanced meals with healthy fats, proteins, and fiber the overall glycemic load will not cause a quick spike in blood sugar and insulin responses. Refined carbs such as pastries or sugary drinks are what you should be worried about.2
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Carbs are not the enemy! Creating a caloric deficit by either reducing your caloric intake, increasing caloric expenditure, or ideally both is the key to weight loss. It's been a few years and I've had a few ups and downs since, but I lost a 120 lbs eating a range of 40-60% carbs, 20-30% protein and 20-30% fat. So eating carbs clearly does not inhibit weight loss.
That said, you do need to look at the carbs your are eating. Cut way down or stop the donuts, candy, pop, etc. and instead focus on increasing your intake of complex carbs. In the end there are a number of ways to lose weight, but you have to find what works for you and what is sustainable.4 -
snowflake954 wrote: »Carbs for today.
Nom! This looks like heaven!2 -
The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!
I don't agree with this analysis. It's simplistic. Brocolli is carbs and a pizza is carbs and fat, take the cheese out and carbs plus maybe protein. Brocolli is super healthy and a pizza isn't.
Is that good for weight loss or healthy. No.
So for me the answer is, if you are trying to lose weight ( a.k.a. more than 10 pounds ) you should eliminate cereals ( rice, bread, pasta, flour ) and sugar.
And yes, you can blast carbs on veggies, which is a whole different story.
Anyhow just how I see it.
Thanks
Roberto.2 -
Lastchancetochange wrote: »The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!
I don't agree with this analysis. It's simplistic. Brocolli is carbs and a pizza is carbs and fat, take the cheese out and carbs plus maybe protein. Brocolli is super healthy and a pizza isn't.
Is that good for weight loss or healthy. No.
So for me the answer is, if you are trying to lose weight ( a.k.a. more than 10 pounds ) you should eliminate cereals ( rice, bread, pasta, flour ) and sugar.
And yes, you can blast carbs on veggies, which is a whole different story.
Anyhow just how I see it.
Thanks
Roberto.
There is NO REASON at all to eliminate any food. TO just needs to stay in a calorie deficit. How that's done is up to them. Some people think that a pizza is far too high in calories and leaves too little calories for other food, and hence they end up hungry. Others are fine with that. Again others eat a slice of pizza and lots of other things next to it.
And the same holds true for rice, bread, pasta, etc... There's no reason at all to eliminate them.11 -
Lastchancetochange wrote: »The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!
I don't agree with this analysis. It's simplistic. Brocolli is carbs and a pizza is carbs and fat, take the cheese out and carbs plus maybe protein. Brocolli is super healthy and a pizza isn't.
Is that good for weight loss or healthy. No.
So for me the answer is, if you are trying to lose weight ( a.k.a. more than 10 pounds ) you should eliminate cereals ( rice, bread, pasta, flour ) and sugar.
And yes, you can blast carbs on veggies, which is a whole different story.
Anyhow just how I see it.
Thanks
Roberto.
I've lost 50 lbs (so far) eating bread and/or pasta and/or rice daily and sweet treats every few days. On average between 200 and 250 grams of carbs a day.
Didn't stop my weight loss in the slightest.13 -
Lastchancetochange wrote: »The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!
I don't agree with this analysis. It's simplistic. Brocolli is carbs and a pizza is carbs and fat, take the cheese out and carbs plus maybe protein. Brocolli is super healthy and a pizza isn't.
Is that good for weight loss or healthy. No.
So for me the answer is, if you are trying to lose weight ( a.k.a. more than 10 pounds ) you should eliminate cereals ( rice, bread, pasta, flour ) and sugar.
And yes, you can blast carbs on veggies, which is a whole different story.
Anyhow just how I see it.
Thanks
Roberto.
Wait, what?
Broccoli is a food that has carbohydrates and micronutrients. Pizza is a food that has carbohydrates, fat, protein, and some micronutrients. Yes, they're different in terms of calories and specific nutrients, but it's not like pizza is going to cancel out a calorie deficit or have anti-nutrient propoerties.
You don't have to eliminate grains or sugar to lose weight, unless you find it makes it easier for you to maintain a calorie deficit.
10 -
I've lost 30lbs in 6 weeks and I've had kfc and pizza still. I've counted the calories in them using a mix of the app and the nutritional info from menus etc and maintained a deficit even on the junk days. So I definitely agree with it doesn't matter where your calories come from as long as its something you are happy with and keeps you full and satisfied while still coming in around your daily target.8
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Lastchancetochange wrote: »The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!
I don't agree with this analysis. It's simplistic. Brocolli is carbs and a pizza is carbs and fat, take the cheese out and carbs plus maybe protein. Brocolli is super healthy and a pizza isn't.
Is that good for weight loss or healthy. No.
So for me the answer is, if you are trying to lose weight ( a.k.a. more than 10 pounds ) you should eliminate cereals ( rice, bread, pasta, flour ) and sugar.
And yes, you can blast carbs on veggies, which is a whole different story.
Anyhow just how I see it.
Thanks
Roberto.
If this works for you, that's great. I have lost 50+ pounds since mid April and I have had pizza, spaghetti, and different kinds of fast food (chicken, burgers, Chinese, etc.) . I eat rice/bread/potatoes/chocolate/Cheerios/etc. on a daily basis and it has not affected my progress in way.9 -
Carbs are only bad if your diet is consistently based on that food group. If you eat balanced meals with healthy fats, proteins, and fiber the overall glycemic load will not cause a quick spike in blood sugar and insulin responses. Refined carbs such as pastries or sugary drinks are what you should be worried about.
But what if I want quick insulin responses ? with it been the most anti catabolic hormone in the human body?
May come in handy at some point4 -
Lastchancetochange wrote: »The recommended balances are:
45–65% of calories from carbs
20–35% of calories from fats
10–35% of calories from proteins.
If you log your food, mfp will calculate the percentages for you (the pie chart at the bottom of your daily food diary) but will only tell you if you ahve gone over, not if you are under. It's useful to know that 1g of carbs or protein = 4 cals, whilst 1g of fat = 9 cals.
Some helpful points to consider when deciding macros/diet planning are on the UK's NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/
and here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-macronutrient-ratio#diet-quality.
Everyone is different, and you need to work out what is best for you. I am someone who generally feels better with higher carbs but I love cheese and if I don't think about this a bit my diet ends up 40% fats, 40% carbs and 20% protein. Calories are what matter for weight loss, so I lost weight fine on that balance; I just started to feel deenergised. However, if all my carbs come from bread I feel deenergised too, so I try to mix them up.
Good luck!
I don't agree with this analysis. It's simplistic. Brocolli is carbs and a pizza is carbs and fat, take the cheese out and carbs plus maybe protein. Brocolli is super healthy and a pizza isn't.
Is that good for weight loss or healthy. No.
So for me the answer is, if you are trying to lose weight ( a.k.a. more than 10 pounds ) you should eliminate cereals ( rice, bread, pasta, flour ) and sugar.
And yes, you can blast carbs on veggies, which is a whole different story.
Anyhow just how I see it.
Thanks
Roberto.
This is short sighted though. Losing weight is just step one. Attempting to eat "healthy" (whatever your definition) while losing weight will be meaningless when you get to goal weight unless you make some of those changes permanent.
Never eating pizza or pasta again? No thanks. Learning to have a moderate portion of pizza with a salad on the side is better.
Large populations eat rice and pasta, and many are thin. Eliminating foods from your diet short term is not the answer.6 -
for me carbs are the devil. When I started eating 100 gr or less of carbs, my weight came off and I am not as hungry.4
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For me, certain carbs, like donuts and chips, are trigger foods cause me to binge eat. I cannot hope to lose weight unless I learn to avoid those foods. I can manage carbs better when they are balanced with proteins and fats.5
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