MFP says to eat 300g of carbs a day

13

Replies

  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    300g carbs? seems fine to me

    No if you weigh 370lbs. At that weight, you probably have chronically elevated insulin levels. All those carbs do nothing to fix that issue...

    If you are say IMO, 10 - 20lbs from your goal weight then the story does change. As you get lighter, your workouts become more frequent and more intense and indeed do require more carbs.

    Personally I get up to 250 grams of carbs on most days. That said, I do not have any weight to lose. There is not a lot of energy reserves (fat) on me to draw from. So my activity level requires extra fuel.
  • JaxDemon
    JaxDemon Posts: 403 Member
    I don't see too big of issue with 300g of carbs per day if you are working out. Carbs translate into fuel for your body. BUT keep in mind the difference between "good carbs" and "empty calroie" carbs.

    Banana= good carb
    White flour tortilla= empty calorie carb

    There's no such thing as empty (insert any micronutrients here).

    There's such thing as foods that provide "empty calories", although its not empty, but rather void of micronutrients, rendering them "useless apart from providing calories".
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    i aim for 300g but im doing high carb so thats why
  • jesseBYAH
    jesseBYAH Posts: 446 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    This is an option but not necessarily what OP "should" be doing. I am on LC/HF too but it's not for everyone. Suggestions are nice but don't tell people what they should be doing. Just sayin ;)
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    I don't see too big of issue with 300g of carbs per day if you are working out. Carbs translate into fuel for your body. BUT keep in mind the difference between "good carbs" and "empty calroie" carbs.

    Banana= good carb
    White flour tortilla= empty calorie carb

    There's no such thing as empty (insert any micronutrients here).

    There's such thing as foods that provide "empty calories", although its not empty, but rather void of micronutrients, rendering them "useless apart from providing calories".

    At 370lbs I think neither one is a good choice...

    Meat, vegetables a modicum of fruit (mostly berries), and healthy fats are in order.
  • BooBoo1264
    BooBoo1264 Posts: 164
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Baloney. Not proven. Caloric deficit. Brain aneurysm.

    ^^ Agreed
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    This is an option but not necessarily what OP "should" be doing. I am on LC/HF too but it's not for everyone. Suggestions are nice but don't tell people what they should be doing. Just sayin ;)

    Yep. Most of the advice if not all of it comes from our own personal experiences of what works for us. Do your due diligence, experiment and find what works for you.
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Baloney. Not proven. Caloric deficit. Brain aneurysm.

    ^^ Agreed

    Not for everyone...
  • paulomi81
    paulomi81 Posts: 3 Member
    I keep it less than 90 per day and try to keep less than 30 per meal. I am a pre-diabetic though so it helps keeping my blood sugar in control. However, i like this diet now as it allows me to load a lot of butter and cheese on a slice of bread and still lose weight. Better than having more bread and go low on butter cheese etc :) I love eggs. the more i add eggs to my diet, the more i lose weight. It has 1g carb. Lowest i can find!
  • Stronger_Diva
    Stronger_Diva Posts: 149 Member
    Agreed. 100-150 total g per day is a good low carb diet. Make the foods high in fiber / vegetables of all colors / and your sugar fruit. It's healthy and good for you. If you work out a lot you may even want to bump this up higher.

    I do not personally like the low carb diet. I've been on it and I always felt like my cravings were out of control. I eat exactly like I mentioned above and my cravings are pretty much gone.

    =) HTH
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    At one point I tried setting my own goals and accidentally ended up glitching the system. It told me I needed to eat 40% carbs, 20% fat and 80% protein. That's 140% of my daily calorie goals.

    Be sure your numbers add up.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I don't see too big of issue with 300g of carbs per day if you are working out. Carbs translate into fuel for your body. BUT keep in mind the difference between "good carbs" and "empty calroie" carbs.

    Banana= good carb
    White flour tortilla= empty calorie carb

    There's no such thing as empty (insert any micronutrients here).

    There's such thing as foods that provide "empty calories", although its not empty, but rather void of micronutrients, rendering them "useless apart from providing calories".

    At 370lbs I think neither one is a good choice...

    Meat, vegetables a modicum of fruit (mostly berries), and healthy fats are in order.



    I like this guy!
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    On a side note... if you are on a high fat diet, make sure your fat comes from grass fed cows, pastured pork and fowl, wild caught fish and organic high fat fruit (avocados for example). What your food ate and how it was grown has a big impact on your health. Where your food comes from matters...
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    I don't see too big of issue with 300g of carbs per day if you are working out. Carbs translate into fuel for your body. BUT keep in mind the difference between "good carbs" and "empty calroie" carbs.

    Banana= good carb
    White flour tortilla= empty calorie carb

    There's no such thing as empty (insert any micronutrients here).

    There's such thing as foods that provide "empty calories", although its not empty, but rather void of micronutrients, rendering them "useless apart from providing calories".

    At 370lbs I think neither one is a good choice...

    Meat, vegetables a modicum of fruit (mostly berries), and healthy fats are in order.



    I like this guy!

    =)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I don't see too big of issue with 300g of carbs per day if you are working out. Carbs translate into fuel for your body. BUT keep in mind the difference between "good carbs" and "empty calroie" carbs.

    Banana= good carb
    Pastries= empty calorie carbs with little/no nutritional value

    BROSCIENCE.jpg
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    That's hardly a sustainable diet.

    Also, if it's only your first week, a lot of your initial weight loss will have been water retention.

    I eat carbs everyday, usually in the form of fruit and veg, occasionally bread, etc, and I've lost over 70lbs.

    It's all about moderation.
  • kingtermite
    kingtermite Posts: 82 Member
    That does seem a bit high, but not ridiculously high.

    Check your goals: My Home->Goals->Change Goals->Custom

    What does MFP give you for daily calorie goal?
    What is your goal for weight loss set at?
    What are the percentages set for carbs/protein/fat?


    I was wondering if your percentages got tweaked and set with carbs a bit high.

    For comparison:
    My calories burned from daily activity = 2590 cals
    My daily calorie deficit is set to 960 calories (equates to 1.9 lbs per week)
    My percentages are Carb=55%, Protein=15%, Fat=30%

    Soooooo...if your pertentage is much higher, then it could be the reason your goal is so high (depends on your calorie numbers though).
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    .
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    MFP tells me to eat between 250 - 300g a day also.

    Considering I eat between 2200-2500+ calories a day I don't see anything wrong with that. I also eat at least 100 g of protein/ day. My macros are set to 45/30/25 and I have not had any problem losing wight doing this. If you have a LOT of calories to eat of course you will be eating more carbs (as well more protein and fats) People who are freaking out are probably on 1200 calories and can't afford to eat 300g of carbs because they simply don't have the calories available... IIFYM eat the carbs! don't complicate things.

    IF you find after several MONTHS that you seem to be stuck then MAYBE you can look at things but when you are first starting out it shouldn't even be a blip on your radar. Everyone is different and everyone has different calorie allotments. What works for someone who eats half the calories you do will not work for you - or me.
  • Stronger_Diva
    Stronger_Diva Posts: 149 Member
    I just read through all of the posts... wow some are so down to the penny. I don't have enough time to pull out my algebra scales just to eat at every meal.

    I do not eat sugary foods, ever. But that's just me because I cannot control the cravings that come with them. Simple enough, but I do eat carbohydrates. Most are healthy, some aren't as much. But, so what?

    I guess in all the years I've been "dieting" (which I never do anymore) when I get to do all or nothing I end up going off the deep end. Carbs aren't the enemy. Fats aren't the enemy. Too many calories is.

    Good luck to us all!
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Baloney. Not proven. Caloric deficit. Brain aneurysm.

    ^^ Agreed

    Not for everyone...

    Yes, for everyone. Every. One. Your mouth is not a trans-dimensional vortex past which the laws of thermodynamics magically cease to apply.
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Baloney. Not proven. Caloric deficit. Brain aneurysm.

    ^^ Agreed

    Not for everyone...

    Yes, for everyone. Every. One. Your mouth is not a trans-dimensional vortex past which the laws of thermodynamics magically cease to apply.

    I am not disputing the laws of thermodynamics. Any "diet", when it works, works because it creates a calorie deficit... we know this. Calories matter, hormones matter as well. At 370lbs, there is a lot of metabolic damage that needs to be undone first. 300 grams of carbs for someone who has about 200lbs to lose is not metabolized the same way as 300 grams of carbs for someone with say 10lbs to lose.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    I eat a lot of carbs because I'm a vegan and eat lots of fruits and whole grains and whatnot. Good carbs, good. Bad carbs, bad.

    Bad carbs bad? Please elaborate

    This has been discussed before. The food companies found out a way to make processed carbohydrates store as fat even if you eat at a deficit. Catch up, man.

    What am I catching up to, nonsense bro science?

    Show me the processed carbs that you speak of. Just because you brought it up before doesn't make it true. Don't tell me you read it in a blog somewhere, show me actual evidence.

    Well prove me wrong! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO MEAN? Ok so I read it in a blog. There, are you happy now?

    I don't have to prove anything. I'm not the one claiming magical carbs exist.

    I'm actually not happy.....I was expecting a tougher comeback. I'm leaving disappointed.

    I've lost 13 pounds so far by only eating fruits. THAT is proof enough.

    Ok. If you want to take the argument to that level.

    I've lost 73 lbs eating barely any fruit while eating white flour tortillas, yellow rice and ice cream every day. Pizza every week.

    73> 13

    Obvious troll is obvious

    How exactly am I trolling. Anyone that knows me knows my thoughts on food. You think I am going to make up what I eat to make a point? Feel free to view my diaries.

    Typical, when someone has no way to solidify their argument they resort to name calling, well played.

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/five-foods-should-never-be-your-grocery-cart
    I'll listen to the Dr.

    Dr. OZ hahahahahaha what a complete joke!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Baloney. Not proven. Caloric deficit. Brain aneurysm.

    ^^ Agreed

    Not for everyone...

    Yes, for everyone. Every. One. Your mouth is not a trans-dimensional vortex past which the laws of thermodynamics magically cease to apply.

    I am not disputing the laws of thermodynamics. Any "diet", when it works, works because it creates a calorie deficit... we know this. Calories matter, hormones matter as well. At 370lbs, there is a lot of metabolic damage that needs to be undone first. 300 grams of carbs for someone who has about 200lbs to lose is not metabolized the same way as 300 grams of carbs for someone with say 10lbs to lose.

    I don't agree and I am basing this totally of personal experience here but that 370 lb. person was probably consuming a heck of a lot more than 300 grams of carbs at that weight... I was consuming over 10,000 calories a day at 560 lbs. and my Dietician did the math based of what I told her my daily food intake was and at that time I was consuming over 1200 grams of carbs a day (easily) so dropping my carb intake (once I started my 2500 calories meal plan and a 40/30/30 macro split) down to 250 grams a day was essentially Low carbing from a stand point of where I was coming down from... I never ate below that amount of carbs and as my exercise increased (I couldn't even walk back then) so increased my carb intake.. I ate over 300 grams of carbs through the majority of my weight loss...
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Baloney. Not proven. Caloric deficit. Brain aneurysm.

    ^^ Agreed

    Not for everyone...

    Yes, for everyone. Every. One. Your mouth is not a trans-dimensional vortex past which the laws of thermodynamics magically cease to apply.

    I am not disputing the laws of thermodynamics. Any "diet", when it works, works because it creates a calorie deficit... we know this. Calories matter, hormones matter as well. At 370lbs, there is a lot of metabolic damage that needs to be undone first. 300 grams of carbs for someone who has about 200lbs to lose is not metabolized the same way as 300 grams of carbs for someone with say 10lbs to lose.

    I don't agree and I am basing this totally of personal experience here but that 370 lb. person was probably consuming a heck of a lot more than 300 grams of carbs at that weight... I was consuming over 10,000 calories a day at 560 lbs. and my Dietician did the math based of what I told her my daily food intake was and at that time I was consuming over 1200 grams of carbs a day (easily) so dropping my carb intake (once I started my 2500 calories meal plan and a 40/30/30 macro split) down to 250 grams a day was essentially Low carbing from a stand point of where I was coming down from... I never ate below that amount of carbs and as my exercise increased (I couldn't even walk back then) so increased my carb intake.. I ate over 300 grams of carbs through the majority of my weight loss...

    Hey that's a great transformation! Also a great point, from where you were starting from it was in a sense a low carb diet. That said, I don't think we are too far off from each other on this.
  • LAW_714
    LAW_714 Posts: 258
    300g carbs? seems fine to me

    No if you weigh 370lbs. At that weight, you probably have chronically elevated insulin levels. All those carbs do nothing to fix that issue...
    ^ This.
    If you are say IMO, 10 - 20lbs from your goal weight then the story does change. As you get lighter, your workouts become more frequent and more intense and indeed do require more carbs.
    ^This

    People want a simple, pat answer. But, sorry, bodies aren't simple.

    If you are carrying a substantial amount of excess weight over a protracted period of time, guess what. There's a good chance that you've screwed up your metabolism. You've very likely exposed your body to very high levels of insulin for a long time. Over time this causes both insulin resistance and leptin resistance, both of which mess with a number of things in your body and if unaddressed for a yet longer extended period of time can lead to even worse metabolic problems including Type II diabetes. In such cases, weight loss in general helps. Also helpful is lowering blood suger loads/demands for insulin. You quite possibly need to reduce the amount of insulin circulating in your blood stream and to do that you either need to regularly deplete your glycogen stores through exercise or reduce your demand for insulin (and given the insulin resistence it may take a substantial reduction to cause a real change... that needs to occur). It works better if you can do both of these things.

    On the other hand, if you're lean and regularly depleting your glycogen stores, you're most probably not dealing with having your leptin and insulin out of whack and you need to replenish your glycogen stores. Carbs are the most efficient way to do that. Protein can, but it's more complicated to do so and is less efficient. Depending on protein to do so will reduce athletic performance. So if you're doing high loads of exercise you need more carbohydrates than a sedentary person. You're body is actively using.

    Everyone needs to maintain balance. If you're using your carbs efficiently, you need to consume them such that they maintain balance with your demands for them. High exercise needs more carbs. On the other hand an overweight, sedentary person who does not efficiently deplete energy and glycogen stores, needs to lower their insulin production, and to do so most probably needs to reduce carbs and increase exercise until they've restored balance (if they still can. Diet and exercise can (in some cases) reverse insulin resistance, but if it's gone too far such that you're dealing with type II diabetes, that's a more extensive problem)

    Basically these two different scenarios need different solutions. There are nuances involved.

    Balance is what you need either way, but the way to achieve that balance differs based on where you're beginning and what you are doing.

    If your metabolism is already screwed up, you may have somewhat different needs than an active person trying to lean, bulk-up, or lose 10lbs.

    Sounds like that should be obvious, but people continue to want simple, ubiquitous answers when the truth is that answers will vary based on individual needs -- including their medical history, their weight, their age, their hormones, and their activity level/exercise routine.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    I eat a lot of carbs because I'm a vegan and eat lots of fruits and whole grains and whatnot. Good carbs, good. Bad carbs, bad.

    Bad carbs bad? Please elaborate

    This has been discussed before. The food companies found out a way to make processed carbohydrates store as fat even if you eat at a deficit. Catch up, man.

    What am I catching up to, nonsense bro science?

    Show me the processed carbs that you speak of. Just because you brought it up before doesn't make it true. Don't tell me you read it in a blog somewhere, show me actual evidence.

    Well prove me wrong! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO MEAN? Ok so I read it in a blog. There, are you happy now?

    I don't have to prove anything. I'm not the one claiming magical carbs exist.

    I'm actually not happy.....I was expecting a tougher comeback. I'm leaving disappointed.

    I've lost 13 pounds so far by only eating fruits. THAT is proof enough.

    Ok. If you want to take the argument to that level.

    I've lost 73 lbs eating barely any fruit while eating white flour tortillas, yellow rice and ice cream every day. Pizza every week.

    73> 13

    Obvious troll is obvious

    How exactly am I trolling. Anyone that knows me knows my thoughts on food. You think I am going to make up what I eat to make a point? Feel free to view my diaries.

    Typical, when someone has no way to solidify their argument they resort to name calling, well played.

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/five-foods-should-never-be-your-grocery-cart
    I'll listen to the Dr.

    Dr. OZ hahahahahaha what a complete joke!

    Dr. Oz is a reliable source. Did you go to medical school? Do you have a television show? Are you a gazillionaire? Didn't think so.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Not posting nonsense. 30g of carbs a day? Weight loss should not be FAST. You don't get fat over night, so you should attempt to loose fat FAST.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Your carb intake should be 30 gr or less a day if you want to lose weight fast. I'm on a low carb, no sugar (well 20 gr or less a day) high fat (120 gr a day) diet and the pounds r dropping off and in all the right places too. Ive lost 2 kilo in 1 week. Just saying.

    Not posting nonsense. 30g of carbs a day? Weight loss should not be FAST. You don't get fat over night, so you should attempt to loose fat FAST.

    I gained 5 pounds in one day once, so yes I did get fat over night.