opinions on carbs..

Tigermum9

I was always led to believe carbs were bad (even good carbs!) for weight loss. My doctor, who is very slim, mentioned at an appointment recently she believes the opposite. She eats hell of a lot of carbs and very little fat and remains slim.

DO you believe it depends on the person?

is it really cals in/out?

Be interested in your opinion.

Just to add I eat carbs and am just interested in the thoughts of Mfp-ers.

Thanks

SideSteel

Weight loss is primarily calories in vs calories out. But, calories in effects calories out.


My belief is that there is likely some individual variability as far as individual response to carbohydrate and how that effects mood, performance, behavior, and diet adherence which will then effect weight loss.

elsinora

No. Basic weight loss is always calories in VS calories out. Accurate logging on food and exercise. You could eat doughnuts all day as long as you stayed within you calorie boundaries.

elsinora

Weight loss is primarily calories in vs calories out. But, calories in effects calories out.


My belief is that there is likely some individual variability as far as individual response to carbohydrate and how that effects mood, performance, behavior, and diet adherence which will then effect weight loss.

Better put than me. This!

Francl27

Weight loss is primarily calories in vs calories out. But, calories in effects calories out.


My belief is that there is likely some individual variability as far as individual response to carbohydrate and how that effects mood, performance, behavior, and diet adherence which will then effect weight loss.

I like this.

I eat plenty of carbs, but it's limited to some extent because I try to reach my protein goal (110g or so). And bread won't fill me up as much as, say, Greek yogurt with some PB2, or a deli ham and cheese roll up.

FoxyLifter

All macros have a rightful place within our regimen for different reasons.

For strictly weight loss, it's all about the calorie deficit. Body composition is another story.

Holly_k88

I eat low carb and because fat keeps me full I find I only eat around 1000 calories without trying to limit them. I don't know if its the low carb or the low calorie thats working best.

zoeysasha37

I eat plenty of carbs :-)

I eat what fits in my macros. People make it much more complicated then it has to be. I weighed 202 after giving birth, it felt awful. I was miserable. Finally when I was done making excuses, and ready to do the work necessary, I lost the weight. I weigh 135 now. I never gave up carbs or anything else I liked. I just ate what fit for the day!

TavistockToad

Carbs are yummy, IMO!

zoeysasha37

Carbs are yummy, IMO!

This!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Zardoz_

I eat 60% carbs and I've lost a wee bit of weight

Murphy0126

........double post

Murphy0126

There are days where I eat close to 400 grams of carbs. Average is about 150, and about 250 - 300 grams of protein.

I do believe my ticker says it all when it comes to the whole, "Carbs are the Devil" debate.

I am very pro-choice when it comes to people deciding to drastically and ridiculously lower carbs from their diet though, as this allows me to partake in more of the deliciousness.

amwbox

Carbs are fine. They should be the majority of your diet. 4 calories per gram, just like protein.

Honestly, this anti-carb thing has been massively destructive.

dbmata

I was always led to believe carbs were bad (even good carbs!) for weight loss.

Carbs make me hot in a way that no woman except for maybe Shakira, will ever. EVER. be able to. They're fine, like all other things in life, from cocaine to drunken brawls: moderation. I sometimes eat a lot of carbs, sometimes little, and I've not just lost weight (233 now from 275 high, but I've kept it off without any significant increases for almost two years.)

Anyway, go have a slice of cake and a beer, US is going to tool up Portugal. That calls for a beer.

navyrigger46

Weight loss is primarily calories in vs calories out. But, calories in effects calories out.


My belief is that there is likely some individual variability as far as individual response to carbohydrate and how that effects mood, performance, behavior, and diet adherence which will then effect weight loss.

Couldn't be said better. People need to find what fuels their body best, it's all individual. You wouldn't run jet fuel in a pinto. Personally, I like more carbs on heavy lifting days, and more protein on rest days, and I leave my fats fairly consistent.

Rigger

emilyGPK

I think that for most people the non-sexy truth is that we should have moderate amounts of everything, carbs, fat and protein.

missiontofitness

I was always led to believe carbs were bad (even good carbs!) for weight loss. My doctor, who is very slim, mentioned at an appointment recently she believes the opposite. She eats hell of a lot of carbs and very little fat and remains slim.

DO you believe it depends on the person?

is it really cals in/out?

Be interested in your opinion.

Just to add I eat carbs and am just interested in the thoughts of Mfp-ers.

Thanks

I think it depends on the person.
Some people need to cut carbs for medical reasons.
But for me personally, I am for 200+ a day, and I've lost consistently with my calorie deficit.

nightangel824

There is nothing inherently wrong with carbs. For some people carbs are very helpful in their weight loss especially complex carbs (with a fiber attached) which can help people to feel fuller sooner and stay fuller longer, or by indulging a sweet tooth to help them stay on track. The main reason carbs are cut in so many diets is because in order to stay under your calorie goals you have to cut something. Protein is very much essential to any diet for amino acids that the body cannot produce from body stores, and most people are trying to change body composition more so than strictly weight loss (whether they understand that or not). Protein is extremely important in helping to maintain muscle mass while in a caloric deficit and can help with satiety as well. Fat is also an essential nutrient in the diet for the production of inflammatory mediators in the body which cannot be synthesized otherwise, and it is also generally the best at triggering satiety signals. Thus we are left with alcohol and carbs (the two non-essential macro-nutrients) to cut from. Generally speaking fat and protein can be decreased (not excluded) in most people's diets, but alcohol and carbs are almost always (there are some exceptions) the easiest, most helpful, and safest places to cut from in order for someone to be in a caloric deficit. Lastly carbs increase water retention when stored as glycogen so a lot of diets cut them in order for people to feel as though they the diet is working when they lost 5+ pounds in the first week of the diet.

stephe1987

It's calories in vs calories out. Carbs are "bad" because they have a lot of calories and a lot of people overeat because they love foods that are high in carbs.

The truth is that you need to do a diet that is sustainable long-term. Do not cut out an entire food group. Instead, eat what you like but in moderation. Keep it under your calorie count. 80% healthy, 20% indulgent. If you feel like you're depriving yourself then you are more likely to binge.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

I can't have the beast workouts I expect from myself to without lots of them. So my opinion of them is pretty high.

Nikkisfitblog

I think that for most people the non-sexy truth is that we should have moderate amounts of everything, carbs, fat and protein.

This is the truth.

GreatDepression

From Lehningers Principles of Biochemistry:

"High blood glucose elicits the release of insulin, which speeds the uptake of glucose by tissues and favors the storage of fuels as glycogen and triaglycerols, while inhibiting fatty acid mobilization in adipose tissue."

and Williams Textbook of Endocrinology:

"The activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) within individual tissues is a key factor in partitioning triglycerides among different body tissues. Insulin influences this partitioning through its stimulation of LPL activity in adipose tissue. Insulin also promotes triglyceride storage in adipocytes through other mechanisms, including inhibition of lipolysis, stimulation of adipocyte differentiation and escalation of glucose uptake."

both books are authoritative in their respective scientific fields. Stop with the anecdotal stories here that "prove" carbs are good for everyone. For many, even a "moderate" amount of carbs can easily lead to fat gain compared to eating other macro nutrients.

spamantha57

Good carbs are awesome & everyone needs them! You can't go wrong with veggies & fiber. Just don't eat crappy carbs (refined sugars/ processed food.) I actually have a difficult time most days hitting my carb goal. I don't like to go below 40%.
EAT GOOD CARBS! BE HEALTHY & HAPPY!

patrickfish7

Carbs are critical to cellular function (amongst other things). The thing that nobody has touched on yet is the fact that simple-carbs are not as good as the complex-carbs. When I hit beast mode, I need the carbs to power the workout, not protein as that is more useful post-workout. Example, why are cereals so popular as a breakfast for the masses? Because it has carbs to power up your body for the start of the day.

Ultimately, regulation of macros vs calorie intake is the key. Take too many and your screwed. Take too few and your still screwed.

tonyandrade99

Certain carbs arent bad, you want to eat complex carbs such as : wheat, vegetables, any whole grain, beans, fruit and avoid any simple carbs such as sugar, soft drinks, fruit juices, maple syrup, honey. Also you want to include fats in your diet eat low saturated and trans fat and try to eat healthy fats. Almonds are a great source of healthy fat and low in saturated.

tennisdude2004

Weight loss is primarily calories in vs calories out. But, calories in effects calories out.


My belief is that there is likely some individual variability as far as individual response to carbohydrate and how that effects mood, performance, behavior, and diet adherence which will then effect weight loss.

Annesoucy1957

I think that some carbs are better than others. Between a spoon of sugar and a green pepper one offers more to the body. Everything in moderation.

RHachicho

Aye the only slightly tricky bit with carbs is that they can only be used for body fuel. Fat and protein can all be burned off as fuel if there is too much for the body to use but carbohydrate can only be fuel and if you overfuel yourself that tends to go straight to your fat deposits. That being said those fat deposits can also eventually be burned as fuel but this is a roundabout process and in general eating too much carbs and not burning them results in weight gain. Especially since that doesn't leave room for enough protein and fat which has our bodies hungering over those macros. This does put carbs in a unique position in that over indulging in them can slow or stall your weight loss even if you adhere to your calorie goal or at least make adhering to your calorie goal difficult.

That being said without carbs most people can't really exercise effectively and though people like to say that weight loss is 80% about diet I would disagree. I think that plentiful exercise helps you to control your diet and improves the way your body uses the food you take in. For example I had an absolutely BRUTAL abs workout monday last week so much so that my gut was twitching the next day. Result is I haven't been able to do anything BUT lose weight this week because all protein goes straight to repair work. Exercise is about giving your body something to do with the food you eat other than sending it straight to your fat reserves.

Oh btw I lost 5.4 lbs this week and that is with eating 2200 (sometimes more on exercise days) calories a day and with a massive party on Saturday where i ended up eating drinking 3-3.5k calories. Paired with 8 hours of walking 4 hours of Cardio and 3 strength training sessions over the course of the week.

Physical activity is paramount anybody who tells you it is unnecessary is indeed correct ... technically. But honestly losing weight without exercise is the stupid way to do it. And carbs are totally necessary for that.

MelodyandBarbells

Aye the only slightly tricky bit with carbs is that they can only be used for body fuel. Fat and protein can all be burned off as fuel if there is too much for the body to use but carbohydrate can only be fuel and if you overfuel yourself that tends to go straight to your fat deposits. That being said those fat deposits can also eventually be burned as fuel but this is a roundabout process and in general eating too much carbs and not burning them results in weight gain. Especially since that doesn't leave room for enough protein and fat which has our bodies hungering over those macros. This does put carbs in a unique position in that over indulging in them can slow or stall your weight loss even if you adhere to your calorie goal or at least make adhering to your calorie goal difficult.

That being said without carbs most people can't really exercise effectively and though people like to say that weight loss is 80% about diet I would disagree. I think that plentiful exercise helps you to control your diet and improves the way your body uses the food you take in. For example I had an absolutely BRUTAL abs workout monday last week so much so that my gut was twitching the next day. Result is I haven't been able to do anything BUT lose weight this week because all protein goes straight to repair work. Exercise is about giving your body something to do with the food you eat other than sending it straight to your fat reserves.

Oh btw I lost 5.4 lbs this week and that is with eating 2200 (sometimes more on exercise days) calories a day and with a massive party on Saturday where i ended up eating drinking 3-3.5k calories. Paired with 8 hours of walking 4 hours of Cardio and 3 strength training sessions over the course of the week.

Physical activity is paramount anybody who tells you it is unnecessary is indeed correct ... technically. But honestly losing weight without exercise is the stupid way to do it. And carbs are totally necessary for that.

But weight loss is not linear. You could have done all that activity and gained 1 lb. And the reason to clearly state that exercise is not needed for weight loss is so that people can individually tailor their process to their current situation. For example, Too many people get injured and then cite that as their reason for weight gain, when they could have stayed in a deficit and still lost weight.

MelodyandBarbells

From Lehningers Principles of Biochemistry:

"High blood glucose elicits the release of insulin, which speeds the uptake of glucose by tissues and favors the storage of fuels as glycogen and triaglycerols, while inhibiting fatty acid mobilization in adipose tissue."

and Williams Textbook of Endocrinology:

"The activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) within individual tissues is a key factor in partitioning triglycerides among different body tissues. Insulin influences this partitioning through its stimulation of LPL activity in adipose tissue. Insulin also promotes triglyceride storage in adipocytes through other mechanisms, including inhibition of lipolysis, stimulation of adipocyte differentiation and escalation of glucose uptake."

both books are authoritative in their respective scientific fields. Stop with the anecdotal stories here that "prove" carbs are good for everyone. For many, even a "moderate" amount of carbs can easily lead to fat gain compared to eating other macro nutrients.

You're missing a link / you've made an assumption. Is eating carbs the reason for high blood glucose in most people?