Confused about carbs???

ambie1983

Ok so I'm confused about carbs. A lot of people have been telling me I should cut it out of my diet all together. But I have always been told that carbs are good for you and give you more energy. I'm sorry, but I can not cut out carbs out of my diet lol. I can't make a sandwich without bread! I've been buying whole wheat of course. But what do you all think about carbs? The healthy one's.

cem789

just stick to your calorie intake,, if you are exercising your body cannot survive with out carbs...

eat carbs.. be healthy!!

good luck

Amarillo_NDN

If you listen to every one, sooner or later you will hear some one tell you not to eat at all. Bottom line is, eat healthy and in all things, "Balance" is the key to life.

Vipecap

I would assume people telling you to cut out carbs altogether are trying to get you to follow a low carb diet. Certainly nothing wrong with that approach depending upon how much you exercise. For the amount I do, literally daily and sometimes twice a day, my body just wouldn't function at the level I need it to without the 100-120 carbs I consume daily. If I were you, I would read up on low-carb diets like atkins or just in general and see if it is something you are interested in. Low carb works well for some, not for others. It's all about finding what suits you best.

grouch201

I have a friend who is a gigantic proponent of the low/no carb philosophy and I've been confused somewhat myself. It seems to be working for him. But I have been sticking to just trying to be conscious of how many carbs I take in and be sure not to go over and that is working for me. I too could not give up bread on my sandwiches. Well, I have made a few sandwiches with no bread, but I think it's like going to Disneyland, but not riding any of the rides.

I think it depends on what you want for the long term. If you plan on having carbohydrates as part of your life, learn how to eat them instead of cutting them out for just a short amount of time. Chances are that as soon as you bring them back, you'll gain the weight back. Just learn to watch what you're eating and stay in a healthy range. The recommendation by MFP hasn't failed me yet.

cozzy530

Cutting all carbs out of your diet is going on the Atkins Diet. Good for jump starting your weight loss but not a long term plan. Nothing is wrong with reducing the amount of carbs, Get Bagel thins instead of whole bagels, Wraps are better than bread but check calories, Some have 50 cals others are over 200. Anything occassionally is OK but people take in too many carbs without burning them off. Think of it this way "lower is better, too low is dangerous" Lower weight is better for most , too low is anorexic.

KimSchnizleinWECHANGED

You absolutely shouldn't cut carbs altogether!! Try to stay with complex carbs, and cut the simple sugars and the white flour. As for those low carb/no carb diets ... They do work ... For a temporary fix! In many cases they're just like any other fad diet or pill ... The weight piles right back on bringing along a few extra lbs with. I do know from experience. I was on Atkin's Diet, and I lost almost 40lbs, but then was diagnosed as diabetic, and the Dr said I had to add carbs back to the diet ... I gained it all back. I'm not saying that I had no responsibility in that weight gain ... But what I am saying is that for long term ... These diets don't work because they don't teach you about a realistic change to how a person views food, and how to eat normally.

AnnaPixie

Try a healthy balance of carbs. You dont ever need to cut them completely. Just try cutting the processed and white carb group and sticking with nature, whole, complex carbs :bigsmile:

With the occasional ice cream and choclate, of course :bigsmile:

Just stay within your calorie allowance and you should lose fat, good luck :flowerforyou:

Lyadeia

I went from 191 pounds down to 126 pounds eating about 55-60% of my daily intake from carbs.......................

I gained some back since then, but not because of the carbs, but because I was eating too many total calories. A "nutrition expert" told me to increase my total calories from 1800 to 2200...and dumb me listened and I am now between 140-150 pounds again which is why I am here on MFP eating the right amount of calories.

The human body was built to function using carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. While cutting one of the 3 out may show some success, it should not be maintained that way for the long term. Too high protein can affect kidneys, for example, and if you are not eating carbs then I would assume you are eating your calories and proteins since people are terrified of dietary fats....

While low carb diets work, the truth is, ALL diets work as long as you are running on the basic mathmatical principle of a calorie deficit, especially if you are exercising. That being said, why would anyone want to deprive themselves of pasta, bread, potatoes, fruits, veggies, and other delicious carbs for the rest of their lives knowing that it is total calories that make you lose or gain weight?

NeuroticVirgo

If you listen to every one, sooner or later you will hear some one tell you not to eat at all. Bottom line is, eat healthy and in all things, "Balance" is the key to life.

I would still read peoples advice, but don't get too caught up in it, do what you feel is best....I was a MESS last week trying to figure out some of this stuff, and no one agrees because everyone is different, with different choices, and different results. Pretty much after I asked my question, I was just MORE confused. lol

With that being said, I'll give you my take on carbs...since I am a previous low carb dieter. I think if you take the time to read about a lower carb diet (like south beach), you'll realize you don't have to cut them out entirely, and you shouldn't. There are some carbs, they recommend you just kill off, and that's usually some of the favorites...like bread, pasta, etc. But eventually your going to get there with any diet, because the ultimate goal seems to be when trying to eat healthier...is to cut out all processed foods. You can't go pick a slice of bread off a tree, so most people recommend to cut those things out.

I decided I can't stick to low carb, long term. I LOVE me some bread. lol So now I'm just watching calories, and will eventually start to lower my carbs, but never get rid of some things entirely. Just remember, whatever you choose to do with food, think to yourself "If I had to eat like this for the rest of my life, could i do it?" ...if the answer is no, its probably not a good idea.

Good luck

NeuroticVirgo

If you decide to read up on low carbs I would recommend reading the south beach diet book over atkins...though they both have good information...and atkins is NOT cutting out carbs entirely (like everyone seems to think), it is more limited than south beach. My doctor actually recommended south beach to me, but at the moment MFP is my weapon of choice lol.

♥_Ellybean_♥

Cutting out carbs all together if VERY hard to do, you have to have an extreme will power and determination... and you have to commit to it for life.. can you really not have any carbs for the rest of your life? Because if you chose to cut carbs entirely, what will happen is as soon as you do go back to eating them (and you will) you will gain weight back, some, if not all of the weight back. So I do not recommend it.

Atkins is a program were you need a lot of motivation, determination and will power. During the Induction Stage you are not allowed more than 20g of carbs, which 15g comes from vegetables. Sorry no fruit, nuts or other carbs allowed during Induction. People generally tend to stay on Induction for a long period of time, since this is what will help you lose the most weight. You start adding carbs back into your life slowly... starting with nuts... and some lower sugary vegetables. During the maintain stage of Atkins I think (I may be a little off) your body thrives off 75-100g of cabs a day.. which is about 1/2 of what a normal person would eat that is dieting.

SouthBeach & Low Glycemic Diets are a bit different. Although any diet requires determination and will power, both these programs teach you how to eat ... not just telling you WHAT to eat.. but how. They both teach you that making the right choices with bad decisions will counteract the effect it has on your body. For example eating a Low Glycemic Food (Almonds) with a High Glycemic Food (Price of Chocolate) will help counter act the way it affects your blood sugar.. and the way and length of time it takes to breakdown your food - keeping you fuller longer.

I suggest reading "Idiot's Guide to a Low Glycemic Index Weight Loss" not to follow any diet, but to understand how food effect your body.. and the way they breakdown. This book is a very easy ready and (hence the title) easy to understand.


I personally use MFP to count calories, I do not obsess about my Carbs any longer, but I try to chose items of a low glycemic value. It sounds like you are already making better decisions. Here are a few ideas:

Swap:
White Bread (95% Sugar) for Wheat Bread or Rye Bread (but read the label, Sugar should not be an ingredient in bread)
Regular Pasta for Wheat Pasta
Idaho Russet Potatoes for Sweet Potatoes (sprinkle with cinnamon which helps burn fat)
High Sugar Cereals for Oatmeal
Chips for Popcorn (limit yourself)

Wiser Fruit Options are : Cantaloupe, Honey Dew, Raspberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries (any fruit or melon, except Watermelon) - They say the closer to the front of the produce aisle it is the more sugar it has (yes it's natural) and the less often you should indulge on these items, high carb/sugary items are Pineapples, Banana, Mango, Oranges etc.




I think bottom line is you have to listen to how your body reacts, and give your body what it needs. Some people can live off no carbs and have MORE energy, well others need carbs to get energy! I truly believe making better choices and exercising will you get you were you want. You don't need PILLS, GIMMICKS, WORKOUT SYSTEMS, SPECIALIZED FOOD PLANS etc...