avoiding carbs makes you lose weight

runnerdad

This thread is like a misinformation train wreck.

LOL. But it's kind of like driving by an accident on the highway. You have to look if you don't really want to.

icerose137

I don't think anyone here is saying you can or should live without carbohydrates.

Actually a few people have. What's going wrong is some people have the idea that carbs = sugar. And that is not true at all. It's true, our bodies do not need any sugar. We absolutely do need carbs. Carbs =/= sugar. Sugar is a form of carb, not all carbs. Carrots are carbs for example.

They are also equating low carb to no carb. Well if I can go low carb, then that must mean I don't need any! Which again is absolutely NOT true.

Elizabeth_C34

This thread is like a misinformation train wreck.

LOL. But it's kind of like driving by an accident on the highway. You have to look if you don't really want to.

Yeah yeah yeah...

LaJauna

I don't think anyone here is saying you can or should live without carbohydrates.

Actually a few people have. What's going wrong is some people have the idea that carbs = sugar. And that is not true at all. It's true, our bodies do not need any sugar. We absolutely do need carbs. Carbs =/= sugar. Sugar is a form of carb, not all carbs. Carrots are carbs for example.

They are also equating low carb to no carb. Well if I can go low carb, then that must mean I don't need any! Which again is absolutely NOT true.

ALL carbohydrate is metabolized as sugar, some quickly, some slowly. All carbs are converted to glycogen (sugar) and used as fuel or stored as fat. Simple science. We can use fat as fuel without conversion to glycogen or storage as fat. We can use protein as fuel as it can be converted to glycogen in the absence of carbs but in smaller amounts...usually in the absence of adequate fat ingestion.

aborgschulte

I don't think anyone here is saying you can or should live without carbohydrates.

Actually a few people have. What's going wrong is some people have the idea that carbs = sugar. And that is not true at all. It's true, our bodies do not need any sugar. We absolutely do need carbs. Carbs =/= sugar. Sugar is a form of carb, not all carbs. Carrots are carbs for example.

They are also equating low carb to no carb. Well if I can go low carb, then that must mean I don't need any! Which again is absolutely NOT true.

ALL carbohydrate is metabolized as sugar, some quickly, some slowly. All carbs are converted to glycogen (sugar) and used as fuel or stored as fat. Simple science. We can use fat as fuel without conversion to glycogen or storage as fat. We can use protein as fuel as it can be converted to glycogen in the absence of carbs but in smaller amounts...usually in the absence of adequate fat ingestion.

Please stop posting misinformation just because you are on some crusade against carbs. Or go ahead and provide the peer reviewed studies for these claims. I'm sure you have them, right?

pyro13g

I don't think anyone here is saying you can or should live without carbohydrates.

Actually a few people have. What's going wrong is some people have the idea that carbs = sugar. And that is not true at all. It's true, our bodies do not need any sugar. We absolutely do need carbs. Carbs =/= sugar. Sugar is a form of carb, not all carbs. Carrots are carbs for example. And you can live absent of carbohydrate.

They are also equating low carb to no carb. Well if I can go low carb, then that must mean I don't need any! Which again is absolutely NOT true.

ALL carbohydrate is metabolized as sugar, some quickly, some slowly. All carbs are converted to glycogen (sugar) and used as fuel or stored as fat. Simple science. We can use fat as fuel without conversion to glycogen or storage as fat. We can use protein as fuel as it can be converted to glycogen in the absence of carbs but in smaller amounts...usually in the absence of adequate fat ingestion.

Please stop posting misinformation just because you are on some crusade against carbs. Or go ahead and provide the peer reviewed studies for these claims. I'm sure you have them, right?

The statement made is correct. Carbs are converted to glucose(sugar) for the body to use. Doesn't matter what the source of the carbohydrate is, including protein being converted to glucose. No need for peer reviewed anything, it's human metabolism and factual.

mapexdrummer69

I believe that may have been in reference to the "carbs are used for energy or stored as fat" statement.

LaJauna

I don't think anyone here is saying you can or should live without carbohydrates.

Actually a few people have. What's going wrong is some people have the idea that carbs = sugar. And that is not true at all. It's true, our bodies do not need any sugar. We absolutely do need carbs. Carbs =/= sugar. Sugar is a form of carb, not all carbs. Carrots are carbs for example.

They are also equating low carb to no carb. Well if I can go low carb, then that must mean I don't need any! Which again is absolutely NOT true.

ALL carbohydrate is metabolized as sugar, some quickly, some slowly. All carbs are converted to glycogen (sugar) and used as fuel or stored as fat. Simple science. We can use fat as fuel without conversion to glycogen or storage as fat. We can use protein as fuel as it can be converted to glycogen in the absence of carbs but in smaller amounts...usually in the absence of adequate fat ingestion.

Please stop posting misinformation just because you are on some crusade against carbs. Or go ahead and provide the peer reviewed studies for these claims. I'm sure you have them, right?

Sorry, I don't have my high school chemistry book handy. But I could look it up on the net. This isn't meant to be an arguement. I love carbs. I eat carbs. I only eat the ones that are fresh and not processed. I eat broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. I don't happen to eat fruits, a personal preference, not because I think they are evil. I just don't eat anything made with grains or sugars. I know, "HOW ODD!" But that is my personal choice.

LaJauna

I believe that may have been in reference to the "carbs are used for energy or stored as fat" statement.

And??? It is simple chemistry. If you eat more carbs then you burn they are converted to glycogen and stored in the fat cells. This is not rocket science, folks.

P90XCertifiedCoach

Im on a low carb diet, because it works for me, but i am sensible and make sure i am getting proper nutrition. I know some people are against low carb diets, but with me I was drinking 3/4 a gallon of milk a day. I usually ate at subway and had a plethora of othe carbs daily. I love bread and milk.I wanna try almond milk I have heard great reviews of it.

katschi

Im on a low carb diet, because it works for me, but i am sensible and make sure i am getting proper nutrition. I know some people are against low carb diets, but with me I was drinking 3/4 a gallon of milk a day. I usually ate at subway and had a plethora of othe carbs daily. I love bread and milk.I wanna try almond milk I have heard great reviews of it.

I'm on a low carb eating plan myself.
I drink unsweetened chocolate almond milk by Blue Diamond and really enjoy it.

I can't eat the starchy, processed carbs without them causing me to binge. Even fruit can set me off.
I never felt satisfied when I included these carbs in my diet. I always wanted more, more & more.
Trying to moderate my consumption didn't work. Eliminating them was necessary.

Kat5343

I don't think anyone should bash a low carb lifestyle. It was recommended to me by my gynecologist because I have PCOS. Trying to lose weight ( because I am basically pre-diabetic) is hard for me if I eat carbs. I stick with only vegetable carbs and keep my numbers low. No white flour for me and no potatoes....I think I can live just fine without scarfing on bread...

mynameisuntz

I believe that may have been in reference to the "carbs are used for energy or stored as fat" statement.

And??? It is simple chemistry. If you eat more carbs then you burn they are converted to glycogen and stored in the fat cells. This is not rocket science, folks.

What?

...

Carbs are stored as glycogen within muscles and the liver. They are not stored in fat cells. They are stored in fat cells upon undergoing de novo lipogenesis, where they are converted to lipids THEN stored in fat cells.

The fate of carbs when at maintenance or below is:

1) Being burned for energy.
2) Being stored in glycogen stores for later energy use.

Never, EVER, will carbs be stored as a NET fat gain so long as you are at maintenance or below maintenance.

bcattoes

I don't think anyone should bash a low carb lifestyle. It was recommended to me by my gynecologist because I have PCOS. Trying to lose weight ( because I am basically pre-diabetic) is hard for me if I eat carbs. I stick with only vegetable carbs and keep my numbers low. No white flour for me and no potatoes....I think I can live just fine without scarfing on bread...

I don't think anyone should bash a low carb lifestyle either. But you don't have to be low carb to avoid white bread and potatoes. I avoid both, and sugar. But I eat a failry high carb diet. I don't count carbs so I don't know the actual numbers but I eat quite a bit of brown rice.

bcattoes

Eat eggwhite omlets with mushroom and spinach and one piece of dry wheat toast for breakfast. Large salad with dressing for lunch, almonds inbetween, and chicken with two side of fresh vegetables for dinner and you WILL Lose weight.

Eat that same thing every day? Yuck. I love food too much to eat anything every day. Cooking is one of my passions. I really love trying a dish that is not healthy and then finding a way to make something comparable but healthy.

sarah_ep

Eat eggwhite omlets with mushroom and spinach and one piece of dry wheat toast for breakfast. Large salad with dressing for lunch, almonds inbetween, and chicken with two side of fresh vegetables for dinner and you WILL Lose weight.

Eat that same thing every day? Yuck. I love food too much to eat anything every day. Cooking is one of my passions. I really love trying a dish that is not healthy and then finding a way to make something comparable but healthy.

Ohh me too!

GreatSetOfBrains

I am a bread addict. I could literally eat bread all day long -

However, I do see that I have more success in weightloss when I limit my bread/carb intake. Am I going to cut it out, no, but now I try to have (in my mind) "breadless monday" (or another day of the week) depending on my frame of mind that week

Haha so my friends make fun of me all the time. I judge a resturant on how good their bread is :blushing: Wish I could give up carbs, maybe cut them down, but they will never be gone!

LaJauna

I believe that may have been in reference to the "carbs are used for energy or stored as fat" statement.

And??? It is simple chemistry. If you eat more carbs then you burn they are converted to glycogen and stored in the fat cells. This is not rocket science, folks.

What?

...

Carbs are stored as glycogen within muscles and the liver. They are not stored in fat cells. They are stored in fat cells upon undergoing de novo lipogenesis, where they are converted to lipids THEN stored in fat cells.

The fate of carbs when at maintenance or below is:

1) Being burned for energy.
2) Being stored in glycogen stores for later energy use.

Never, EVER, will carbs be stored as a NET fat gain so long as you are at maintenance or below maintenance.

I agree with the above statements. I mis-spoke about the process of storage. I was trying to simplify the process. Excess carbs eventually will cause fat to be stored. That was my cause=effect meaning. Opps.

hopfulme

good advice

aippolito1

"Wondered what you all think of this way of thinking?"

It's been the opposite of my experience. I was able to lose a lot of weight while eating a balanced diet that included whole grains, wheat, and other carbs, even starchy ones, AND dairy, and so have a lot of other people. It's definitely not "impossible". Some people find it easier to lose weight on carb restriction, though, it all depends on your metabolism. Just experiment and do what is easiest and best for YOU.

Dairy is a good source of calcium. With some evidence emerging that calcium supplements may be linked to heart disease, I'd rather get it through food.

The naturalistic - primitive man ate this and did that - is kind of silly. People evolved to accept starch in their diet - amaylase is an example of that (source: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/12/amylase_and_human_evolution.php) among other ways. If you really want to really eat like paleo and primal people, you'd eat lots of bugs, scavenged meat, offal, and on special occasions you'd be a cannibal. You'd lose weight fast with THAT diet!

My experience as well. When I was a teenager, Yoplait had those ads that said women lost weight getting 3 forms of different dairy per day - yogurt, milk, and cheese. I would have cheese in my eggs and a glass of milk for breakfast, yogurt for a snack, and cheese on a sandwich at lunch. I definitely saw a difference in my waistline.

Now I try to eat pretty balanced...I don't eat a whole lot of dairy... haven't had cow's milk in about a month (been substituting almond milk) but I love cheese in my rice, pasta, PIZZA, whatever... if I stay within my calories and eat pretty clean, I lose weight. Everyone is different.