Carbs Question

Tetesandra

I seem to be going over my carbs daily lately and don't know if this is ok? A lot of my carbs do come from fruits and veggies so it is healthy carbs. Any advise on carbs would be greatly appreciated.


Sandra

sweet2def

What you are eating are slow releasing carbs, so they're good.
When white bread, pasta, potatoes etc start creeping into your diet and making up a bigger percentage of your meals, this could hinder weight loss - - from experience

BoxerBrawler

I go with low carb and am over my limit by around 5 to10 percent everyday LOL! It is just target and if I hit it, awesome and if I don't, it's still well under 50 a day so it's still low. Why are you doing low/no carb? For me, after trial and error it just works for my life style and I feel so much better on low carb mostly coming from veggies. As long as you are still hitting your calorie target for the day it shouldn't matter.

AnneSaddler2

I'm a low carb girl, its definitely what works for me. I get the majority of my carbs from berries and veg - it would be completely unrealistic for me to cut carbs to an Atkins level though, I need my veg! I average about 50g carbs a day and I do cardio everyday. I've had slow and steady weight loss which again from experience is the only worthwhile weight loss.

_Zardoz_

When white bread, pasta, potatoes etc start creeping into your diet and making up a bigger percentage of your meals, this could hinder weight loss - - from experience

Science doesn't back this up though.

Tatyanne

Eat what fit your macros and between carbs, fat and protein, if you have to go over any, it protein, then fat and if possible never go over carbs...

kommodevaran

What you are eating are slow releasing carbs, so they're good.
When white bread, pasta, potatoes etc start creeping into your diet and making up a bigger percentage of your meals, this could hinder weight loss - - from experience

No. Only too many calories will hinder weight loss. Too much of any kind of food can make it difficult to get enough variety and the right amount of nutrients, and too much carbs can make you more hungry, and if you're hungry, you can be tempted to eat more, but weight loss will only stall if you eat too many calories.

mogz36

My carb rules:

- No added sugar and high fructose corn syrup
- No sweetened beverages (no juice, no soda) - only water and milk
- Only fruit immediately after a workout (helps with recovery)
- Focus on complex/low glycemic index carbs (veggies and whole grains)
- Limited use of simpler carbs if you're working out (white bread, bagels, pasta) - also helps with recovery
- Zero to very little carbs of any kind at night

This works for me and I've lost 65 lbs.

tennisdude2004

I seem to be going over my carbs daily lately and don't know if this is ok? A lot of my carbs do come from fruits and veggies so it is healthy carbs. Any advise on carbs would be greatly appreciated.


Sandra

As long as they are not taking you over your calorie target for the day and you are getting adequate protein, don't worry about it.

As they are coming from fruit and veg, you will be getting your micro nutrients.

The only thing you need to do to lose weight is eat in a calorie deficit.

abadvat

All carbs are good carbs - some get absorbed faster than others and some are better eaten before or after a workout - that's all there is too it.
Regarding you going over - set your protein as fixed and then play with fat and carbs still remaining within your macros.
On heavy training days i am on 300+ gr of carbs, rest day 150+ gr of carbs - rest is all fat!

mogz36

All carbs are good carbs - some get absorbed faster than others and some are better eaten before or after a workout - that's all there is too it.
Regarding you going over - set your protein as fixed and then play with fat and carbs still remaining within your macros.
On heavy training days i am on 300+ gr of carbs, rest day 150+ gr of carbs - rest is all fat!

Fructose in concentrated forms (i.e. sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) is unhealthy unless it's consumed after a workout to replenish glycogen reserves. And even post-workout, it's better to just eat some fruit which comes with plenty of fiber.

Also, high-glycemic index carbs do have a tendency to increase appetite later on. So there's that too.

lemurcat12

As long as they are not taking you over your calorie target for the day and you are getting adequate protein, don't worry about it.

As they are coming from fruit and veg, you will be getting your micro nutrients.

The only thing you need to do to lose weight is eat in a calorie deficit.

This, except I'd add that you should also make sure you get a reasonable amount of fat. Sometimes people end up high on carbs because they are scared of fat. If enough protein and fat, no reason to worry about your carb numbers. There are a wide range of healthy macro nutrient ratios, and the one suggested by MFP is just one option.

abadvat

All carbs are good carbs - some get absorbed faster than others and some are better eaten before or after a workout - that's all there is too it.
Regarding you going over - set your protein as fixed and then play with fat and carbs still remaining within your macros.
On heavy training days i am on 300+ gr of carbs, rest day 150+ gr of carbs - rest is all fat!

Fructose in concentrated forms (i.e. sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) is unhealthy unless it's consumed after a workout to replenish glycogen reserves. And even post-workout, it's better to just eat some fruit which comes with plenty of fiber.

Also, high-glycemic index carbs do have a tendency to increase appetite later on. So there's that too.

Hence my "some are better eaten before or after a workout" agreed however that fructose / corn syrup is probably not the best choice of carbs! High glycemic I'd settle for a more traditional - it depends - backed potatoes, couscous and jelly beans are staples in my pre - post nutrition and don't really see an increase in appetite - mind you - I am always hungry!

lemurcat12

Also, high-glycemic index carbs do have a tendency to increase appetite later on. So there's that too.

Kind of off the OP's topic, but it depends on the person and how they are eaten. It's something to look at (among other things) if you have an issue with feeling unsatisfied. The GI thing is often overstated though, especially since if you don't eat the food alone, and so the GI of the meal is vastly different. I don't know how I'd react if I started eating plain potatoes as snacks, as I never have. (I suspect fine, but could be wrong.). My experience of including them with some meat and veg is that they add to satiation in line with their calories or more. In that context the GI of a plain potato does not matter.

mogz36

While it's necessary to eat at a caloric deficit, the quality of one's diet is important too. A high quality diet will make it easier to consistently eat a moderate caloric deficit.

mogz36

Also, high-glycemic index carbs do have a tendency to increase appetite later on. So there's that too.

Kind of off the OP's topic, but it depends on the person and how they are eaten. It's something to look at (among other things) if you have an issue with feeling unsatisfied. The GI thing is often overstated though, especially since if you don't eat the food alone, and so the GI of the meal is vastly different. I don't know how I'd react if I started eating plain potatoes as snacks, as I never have. (I suspect fine, but could be wrong.). My experience of including them with some meat and veg is that they add to satiation in line with their calories or more. In that context the GI of a plain potato does not matter.

Good point about eating high-glycemic index carbs alone. I forgot to mention context matters. Eating a bagel by itself is one thing. Eating a bagel with butter, scrambled eggs and a glass of whole milk is another.

cajuntank

This has floated around through the forums before, but a good read is http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
The main point of the article is about insulin, but it also has highlights of information about carbs in relation to satiety (feeling full), refined carbs, etc...

One items it brings out , is it's not that refined carbs are "bad", its just they are very calorically dense compared to that of unrefined carbs. So in a nutshell, easy to overeat (refined carbs) and provides very little, if any satiety; thus in the end, it's all about the total amount of calories ingested.

Lastly, I believe carbs in the presence of any other macronutrient will cause slower absorption, so this is why I think the Glycemic Index is not appropriate for use as the way they came up with these values were testing on fasted individuals and with those particular food items in isolation. How many times will you eat a piece of white bread after having fasted for 8+ hours with nothing else to go along with it?

mogz36

This has floated around through the forums before, but a good read is http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
The main point of the article is about insulin, but it also has highlights of information about carbs in relation to satiety (feeling full), refined carbs, etc...

One items it brings out , is it's not that refined carbs are "bad", its just they are very calorically dense compared to that of unrefined carbs. So in a nutshell, easy to overeat (refined carbs) and provides very little, if any satiety; thus in the end, it's all about the total amount of calories ingested.

Lastly, I believe carbs in the presence of any other macronutrient will cause slower absorption, so this is why I think the Glycemic Index is not appropriate for use as the way they came up with these values were testing on fasted individuals and with those particular food items in isolation. How many times will you eat a piece of white bread after having fasted for 8+ hours with nothing else to go along with it?

Actually, I think glycemic index is very helpful to think about. If the glycemic index of the entire meal is high, you're much more likely to be a lot hungrier later than if the glycemic index of the entire meal is low.

earlnabby

What are your % of carbs, fat, protein? Perhaps you set your carb macro a little low for you. Are you consistent in the number of carbs you are eating? Perhaps that is your ideal and you found it already. Like others have said, you are eating more nutrient dense carbs so your choices are good, it is a matter of finding that magic number that gives you both the fuel you need and the food satisfaction that keeps you from overeating.

RyanG2106

I've lost over 130lbs an not cut carbs, I have however cut calories and that is what's important at the end of the day. A calorie is a calorie, no such thing as good or bad calories, if you eat to excess you gain weight, if you eat to a deficit you lose weight, that's science.

I do feel that optimum macros can be established to help change body composition, but as far a good old weight loss is concerned it is calories in vs calories out.

Here is an excellent article by Alan Aragon on the matter........

http://www.simplyshredded.com/research-review-the-dirt-on-clean-eating-written-by-nutrition-expert-alan-aragon.html