good carbs vs bad carbs

Lkkiser3

I really just don't understand how to eat a "balanced diet" is it best to stay away from bread and potatoes and rice and only eat meat and veggies? I never reach my daily calorie goal. But I feel like I eat too much as it is. I don't always choose the right foods either. Like tonight I got off work at 8 so I just grabbed a chicken sandwich from wendys and called it a night. how do you make time to ALWAYS eat right?

whierd

A "balanced diet" includes breads and potatoes and rice and meat and veggies.

I make time to always eat right by never thinking of it as "eating right". I vaguely pre-plan my day around my protein intake and fill in from there based on cravings.

bajoyba

I don't really believe in "good" or "bad" foods. A balanced diet includes foods that help you reach your daily nutritional goals (macro and micro-nutrients), but it also includes room for treats. I try to eat plenty of whole and unprocessed foods because they tend to be lower in calories and are more nutritionally dense, but I also drink beer occasionally and eat things like pizza and cake. I haven't eliminated anything from my diet, I'm just more aware of my portion sizes and nutrition.

My advice is to eat your calorie goal and pay attention to your macros.

NerdyTXChick

I keep my diet at a ratio of 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat. After much trial and error, I've found this is what works best for me. You may require a different combination, all you can do is try it and see what works.

I limit my my intake of processed carbs (white rice, sugar, white flour/bread/pasta) and try to eat healthier carbs like brown rice, sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, fruit and whole wheat flour. The idea is the heavily processed carbs are less healthy and possibly increase your cravings for more of the same. I don't know how true that is, but it sounds the most logical to me, so I'm going with it.

I do occasionally eat the 'bad' stuff in limited amounts. For instance, we had a party at work, and I ate 1/2 cookie and 1/2 brownie. I was able to fit it into my calories, although it threw off my macros for the day. That was the first time in several months I had eaten sweet baked goods, because I have such a difficult time controlling myself around them.

I prepare all my meals and snacks a day or more ahead of time, so I'm never caught unprepared when hunger strikes — which can cause bad food decisions. I also eat every 2-3 hours, and try to balance my protein and carbs at every meal or snack.

So that's the plan that's been working for me for over a year and a half. I lost a total of 80 pounds and have kept it off since hitting my goal weight at the beginning of the year. I hope this helps, good luck!

MoreBean13

There's no such thing as bad carbs. All carbs have some benefit in some circumstances- even a good old coca-cola with all of it's HFCS can be beneficial if you're in the middle of a marathon. A balanced diet includes a good balance of everything. Set your macros to 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat and fiber to a minimum of 30g/day. Eat some vegetables every day, and try to come close to meeting your macro targets, and you will have a balanced diet. You don't need tricks like cutting bread if you're watching your macros because it's impossible to go overboard and stick to 40% carbs.

RaineyLaney

There really isn't a "Good or Bad" carb unless you are diabetic (insulin resistent). In that case, YES, there is "Good" and "Bad" carbs. I am diabetic and "Bad" carbs are all the breads, rolls, cakes, rice, pasta's, potato's, high starchy veggies. The reason they are called "Bad" carbs by diabetic's is because those "Bad" carbs will shoot your blood sugar through the roof.

If you don't have sugar issues, then just balance out the good carbs (fruits, veggies) with what other call the bad carbs (as mentioned above).

Also what helps me on days, when I just am in a hurry, getting home too late, or just right out don't feel like cooking........... I set one day aside every other week. I cook up meats (on grill, bake, pan cook what ever), then I weight it out in portion sizes I want and put in ziploc baggies (using baggies will flatten out in freezer and you can get more food for the space). I cook up meals that use a variet of ingredients (called one dish meals). I also put those in ziplock baggies and freeze. Then when I am too tired/exaused to cook, I just pull out my baggie and pop it in the microwave. If it is the meat only baggie, I will microwave some Steam fresh veggies and add some cottage cheese to the plate. If I am in a no fuss, don't want to mess with nothing mood, I microwave the one meal dish I prepared in advance. This has helped me in many ways. I also love to put meat in my salads and when I have a portion in a ziplock bag, I just take it out, the night before and let it defrost in my fridge for my salad the next day.

Hope this helps you

TheVimFuego

Eat everything unless you have a verified medical reason not to.

Less rules the better for me.

JesterMFP

There's nothing wrong with potatoes, bread and rice. I eat bread nearly every day, potatoes a couple of times a week and rice form time to time. I had no trouble losing weight, and am now maintaining.

Sometimes humans like to sort things into binary categories (eg. "good" and "bad"; "healthy" and "unhealthy"). I guess it makes it easier for us to understand the world and make decisions. Dieters also like rules. If you stick to the rules, you feel more in control of losing weight.

The thing is, unless you have a particular medical condition, or allergy, or intolerance to any of those foods, you do not need to cut certain foods or food groups out to lose weight. If you're struggling to get enough protein and/or fats within your calorie limit, then by all means reduce carbs to fit them in, but it doesn't sound like that's the issue for you. I would also argue that labelling certain foods as "bad" is setting yourself up for an unhealthy relationship with food in the long run.

Red_Scorpio_www

Eat everything unless you have a verified medical reason not to.

Less rules the better for me.

Mee too!! Less rules and you can do it for a longer time and will not feel stressed!

Angelikajohnston

i really appreciate this post. It is very helpful most especially when it comes to controlling. I believe this will help me with my goal of loosing weight for this time.

BrainyBurro

There's no such thing as bad carbs. All carbs have some benefit in some circumstances- even a good old coca-cola with all of it's HFCS can be beneficial if you're in the middle of a marathon. A balanced diet includes a good balance of everything. Set your macros to 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat and fiber to a minimum of 30g/day. Eat some vegetables every day, and try to come close to meeting your macro targets, and you will have a balanced diet. You don't need tricks like cutting bread if you're watching your macros because it's impossible to go overboard and stick to 40% carbs.

^ a bad carb

tiddlebit11

Good carbs - Carbstian Bale

Bad carbs - Ben Carbfleck


Pretty sure that sums it all up! :P

TheVimFuego

Eat everything unless you have a verified medical reason not to.

Less rules the better for me.

Mee too!! Less rules and you can do it for a longer time and will not feel stressed!

I've been down the low carb/Paleo route,I can see how easy it would be to end up with an eating disorder by avoiding certain foods for no good reason.

NoAdditives

I tend to avoid grains somewhat because for me, they have a lot of calories and are not filling. If I have a decent sized bowl of cereal for breakfast it's usually twice the recommended serving and I'm starving again a couple of hours later. If I have some eggs and hashbrowns I can stay full until lunch. For lunch, I'd prefer to have a big chicken salad over a sandwich because again, I'll be full for longer because I can at a larger quantity of food.

chrisdavey

Eat everything unless you have a verified medical reason not to.

Less rules the better for me.

Mee too!! Less rules and you can do it for a longer time and will not feel stressed!

I've been down the low carb/Paleo route,I can see how easy it would be to end up with an eating disorder by avoiding certain foods for no good reason.

you are my hero

In saying that, some low cyclical keto dieting from time to time to mix it up can be a bit of fun.

corgicake

Bad carbs are covered in tattoos and piercings and go to lots of rock concerts :P

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anlu37

I don't have a list of things I'm "not allowed" to eat. I do have a 90-10 rule. Sometimes it's a little closer to 80-20. I try to balanced meals 90% of the time. I give myself 10% to grab something quick through the drive thru or enjoy a night out. I don't go crazy and binge, but I eat a couple of slices of pizza or a hamburger and fries every now and again.

90% of the time I try to eat "good carbs" or carbs that are low on the glycemic index (glycemic index is a measurement of how a food affects your blood sugar. If it raises it quickly and high, it's a "bad carb" or has a high glycemic index. If it raises blood sugar over a longer period of time and doesn't increase it too much, but keeps it pretty steady, it's got a lower glycemic index, or it's a "good carb.)

Here is some information on what foods have a lower glycemic index.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/glycemicindlist.htm

http://childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site3080/Documents/LowGlycemicShoppingList.pdf

I find that when I am busy, planning ahead really helps. I usually try to plan my meals for the day every morning.

cwolfman13

A balanced diet is...ummmmm....well.....it's balanced.

There is no such thing as good carbs and bad carbs...there are only carbs...it's a macro-nutrient, not the devil or boogey man. It's the jet fuel your body needs to kick your workout's *kitten*...

The only reason to really avoid certain things like sugar, bread, white rice, etc is if you have a medical condition or allergy or something. BTW...potatoes are an awesome source of nutrition...how they got demonized is beyond me.

MoreBean13

Eat everything unless you have a verified medical reason not to.

Less rules the better for me.

Mee too!! Less rules and you can do it for a longer time and will not feel stressed!

I've been down the low carb/Paleo route,I can see how easy it would be to end up with an eating disorder by avoiding certain foods for no good reason.

That's funny, when I read your first post in this thread I thought, "wait, isn't he a die-hard low carber?"
I'm glad you've come back to the dark side! :flowerforyou:
Even though I fundamentally disagree with low-carbing, I always found your posts on it to be very intelligent.

tonynguyen75

A good carb is anything that comes from an animal or plant. A bad carb is any carb that is a murderer, rapist or anti-christ. >:O!

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TeaBea

I really just don't understand how to eat a "balanced diet" is it best to stay away from bread and potatoes and rice and only eat meat and veggies? I never reach my daily calorie goal. But I feel like I eat too much as it is. I don't always choose the right foods either. Like tonight I got off work at 8 so I just grabbed a chicken sandwich from wendys and called it a night. how do you make time to ALWAYS eat right?

There aren't really "bad" carbs. The problem is with food that are highly processed. The fiber goes away, the protein goes away ..... and I'm guessing tons of vitamins go away too.... here's an example:

white bread vs. whole wheat bread ...yes, both are processed foods .... but the flour used is different

Wonder Bread- Classic White, 2 slices 110 cal/ 28 carb/ 2 fat/ 4 protein/ 1 fiber

Sara Lee - 100% Whole Wheat 2 slices 120 cal/ 23 carb/ 2 fat/ 6 protein/ 3 fiber

Protein and fiber are very filling, when your calories are restricted ..... you need to make the most of them.

Another problem with carbs ..... the American diet has shifted toward "starchy carbie" things and away from veggies & fruit. When you have a hamburger (there's a bun, obviously) ..... but you don't need fries and soda too (carbs + carbs + carbs). Have the hamburger with a bun, but have a green salad as a side dish ..... not potatoes. If you have grilled chicken (no bun) ....then have potato salad, or baked potato.

InForBacon

I prefer to call them naughty carbs and not to give them a complex.

_firecracker_

A "balanced diet" includes breads and potatoes and rice and meat and veggies.

I make time to always eat right by never thinking of it as "eating right". I vaguely pre-plan my day around my protein intake and fill in from there based on cravings.

Truth. I'm on the desert list.

Alehmer

I personally stay well clear of grains and starches the vast majority of the time and have found it to be extremely good for my (and my wife's) body composition and overall health. I do eat them sometimes, but only directly before or after a major workout.

Yes, carbs do digest faster and are more likely to end up as stored fat than protein or fat, calorie for calorie. The difference isn't as much as many people think though.

The primary reason for me and my family is two-fold.

1. Carbs are ridiculously calorie dense and typically nutrition shallow. I can eat eat my 4 egg 5 egg white, and banana breakfast and feel very satiated all the way till lunch time, or eat 4 pieces of bread for the same amount of calories and be starving 3 hours later. This of course leads to more eating and more snacking, which usually means more calories eaten overall and less of that being a good, balanced meal. A diet composed entirely of lean meat, vegetables, and some fruit is also going to deliver a huge amount of good nutrition.

2. It an easy and clear way to eat. People say that the fewer rules the better, and I agree, but I think very simple rules are a lot easier to follow than almost not rules... but constantly counting and stressing about calories and confusion. I eat large portions, stop when I am no longer hungry, and restrict a certain type of food. That all by itself is very easy to follow and I almost never end up going over even without worrying about calories or portions going into meals. This is THE EASIEST food plan I have ever been on.


I do want to say as well, although this is anecdotal, that my wife's general health has greatly improved. She has Crohns disease and while her flare-ups were controlled pre-diet, she had to regularly do breathing treatments, would cough almost uncontrollably when laying down for the night, etc. These stopped immediately when we cut the carbs. We also generally feel better all the time, sleep better, and genuinely feel like crap if we have really rich or processed food now. Your mileage may vary.

rudarbe

Well first off, don't get fast food and leave it in their hands to give you the healthiest carb choices lol.
When you look at the ingredients on packaging, make sure to choose bread/grains/tortilla etc.. that are made with whole grain/whole wheat.
Bad carbs are fast-releasing
good carbs are slow-releasing
good luck!

rudarbe

NO?????

zoodocgirl

I also don't demonize food (food that is actually food, that is).... I eat a little of everything.

BUT I do find, as another poster said, that if I eat something that is just carbs/mostly carbs (bagel is a perfect example) I am hungry much sooner than if I eat the same amount or fewer calories in a protein/fat heavy combo. Hence, the "balance" of the balanced diet. Eat it all, in balanced amounts. Pay attention to how your body feels with different combos. That's all that matters.

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

I really just don't understand how to eat a "balanced diet" is it best to stay away from bread and potatoes and rice and only eat meat and veggies? I never reach my daily calorie goal. But I feel like I eat too much as it is. I don't always choose the right foods either. Like tonight I got off work at 8 so I just grabbed a chicken sandwich from wendys and called it a night. how do you make time to ALWAYS eat right?

Are you dibetic, have PCOS, or any other health problem that would make you want to LIMIT your carb intake? If not, then there are no "good" or "bad" carbs.

I have to watch my starches for medicla reasons, and as such, I try to limit my starchy veggies, and concentrate on the non-starchy ones instead. I still let myself have the occasional order of french fries from a fast food joint, and I am still keeping myself in a healthier range than I was almost 90 pounds ago. I eat ice cream, I eat pizza, I eat sandwiches on bread. It's all a matter of portion control, and finding a way to make it work by shifting the burden throughout the day.

I find that if you let yourself ban foods by calling them evil, eating becomes more of a burden, and you crave ot want the things you can't have, and you sabotage yourself. It's better to not think of it as a diet, but a lifestyle change. You aren't restricting foods, but portioning the servings, and eating more reasonably.

highervibes

A "balanced diet" includes breads and potatoes and rice and meat and veggies.

I make time to always eat right by never thinking of it as "eating right". I vaguely pre-plan my day around my protein intake and fill in from there based on cravings.

Pretty much this.