Carbs - friend or foe?

Disciplined74

I'm SO confused on nutrition in general. But my specific concern today is carbs. Are they good or bad?

Is it a source issue (like fruit sugars aren't as bad as refined sugar)?

How many should I be eating a day?

Is it one of those things I could/should minimize?

Does low carb create a carb defienciency and cause medical problems?

Any help would be appreciated?

bflicker11

BUMP!!! Great questions and I'm dying to know the answers.

mapexdrummer69

Carbs=sugar.


They will not slow down your weight loss. There are no advantages to a low carb diet vs. a "normal" diet of the same calories in terms of weight loss. If you count calories, then all you have to do is get an adequate amount of protein and fat and remain in a calorie deficit. You can enjoy carbs all you want inside your caloric budget.



The source of the carbs can be important for overall health, but don't play a role in weight loss or gain. Again, carbs are sugars. You will find a lot more vitamins and minerals in whole foods vs. table sugar however.


If you don't like to count, dropping carbs is a sure fire way to lower overall calorie intake, which would in turn make it easier to stay in a deficit and lose weight.

There is no such thing as a carb deficiency. Carbohydrates are not "needed" by the body, and many people stay under 30 grams a day and function fine.



But to answer your question, no, carbs are not bad.

christinathompson1

do what MFP suggests for your carbs..
CARBS ARE MY FRIEND!
whole wheat pasta has carbs, multi grain bread has carbs.. brown rice has carbs.. but those are good carbs!
the bad carbs are the carbs that is in ice cream because those carbs are sugar and sugar isn't bad either but in small quantities. i always have a hard time staying under my sugar though..

FairyMiss

carbs can be friend or foe depends on your personal chemistry. Myself the are defiantly foe. I can be perfect on a caloriies but if too much carbs i hit a brick wall. other can eat almost all the cals in carbs and still have the weight fly off. you just have to figure out what works for you

mapexdrummer69

Ah yes, I forgot to mention that carbs affect people with metabolic disorders a bit differently than someone with no MDs. Nothing to worry about if you're not diabetic/insulin resistant.

Shanzstar

Your body does feel more satisfied with higher nutritional foods. for example, eat carbs but try to add the right ones into your diet. You will feel more satisfied with whole grains, fruits, veggies, and my fave yogurt! ( i love chaboni with fruit.) rather than, white bread, pastas, white potatoes, and potato chips. Also, add protein into every meal and drink lots of water. I love the biggest loser approach to weight loss and over all eating healthy. Its by far the best advice I ever took but just my opinion. good luck.

mynameisuntz

Nothing wrong with carbs assuming:

1) You stay in your caloric deficit.
2) You eat ample protein.
3) You don't have a condition like insulin resistance.

fmorpurgo

I love carbs, and am right now taking the plunge to eat much less of them because I dont lose when I eat them in the evenings. My son was encased in pasta when I was pregnant with him, and now he is addicted to the stuff too!! They are good for B vitamins though, especially the wholemeal variety, which is good for brain function-if you are anything like me, you will need all the brain function you can get your hands on!! Good luck

TK421NotAtPost

carbs can be friend or foe depends on your personal chemistry. Myself the are defiantly foe. I can be perfect on a caloriies but if too much carbs i hit a brick wall. other can eat almost all the cals in carbs and still have the weight fly off. you just have to figure out what works for you

Agreed. You need to find what works best for you. My GF can eat all the carbs she wants and still be energetic and non-bloated afterward (I hate her). I, on the other hand, do better with a low-to moderate carb eating plan.

At the risk of overgeneralizing, if a person is overweight, then it's a pretty good bet they are sensitive to carbs. Ultimately it's about creating a caloric deficit, but for a person who is sensitive to carbs, eating a moderate to low-carb diet is an effective tool in creating that deficit. A very low carb diet can also be an effective tool for someone who is already thin but wants to shed that last bit of stubborn body-fat.

getxsleazyy

only eat excessive carbs if you are planning on doing something to burn them later. ie don't eat bread before bed, that kind of thing. carbs are for energy and if you eat a lot of carbs and then just like sit around that's what can be bad for you. xx

jmula

carbs are needed in your daily diet. Use complex, not simple carbs. heres a link of which is which. http://howtothinkthin.com/instincts2.htm

Keep the majority of your meals protein. At least 60% of total caloric intake should be protein. followed by carbs, then fat.
There is an alternative if you are working out really intense. Keep the protein intake the same, but have more fats then carbs (fat=more readily available energy) this is an old 70's body builders trick. And those guys have the best looking physiques in the industry. IMO.
I use them as an example because of there lean physiques. And these guys never did cardio. and they were lean!

ImperfektAngel

only eat excessive carbs if you are planning on doing something to burn them later. ie don't eat bread before bed, that kind of thing. carbs are for energy and if you eat a lot of carbs and then just like sit around that's what can be bad for you. xx

YES! days I dont go to the gym I am only suppse to eat 25% of what I would eat on a gym day of carbs! with that said, its easier said than done lol I try though

Barneystinson

Nothing wrong with carbs assuming:

1) You stay in your caloric deficit.
2) You eat ample protein.
3) You don't have a condition like insulin resistance.

Yep, this.

jessradtke

I think that everyone is different. I personally can NOT eat a high protein diet. My health suffers in several ways when I try. I do best on a high fiber, higher carb diet than most people, but they have to be high quality, high fiber carbs. No white flours, white rice, or refined sugars. I feel and look my best when I eat LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies and a moderate amount of whole grains and legumes. I have found that "heavy" carbs - whole grain pasta, for example - seem to be digested better on days when I am more physically active. (Along these same lines, my body does not react the same way to all sugars either.)

mynameisuntz

only eat excessive carbs if you are planning on doing something to burn them later. ie don't eat bread before bed, that kind of thing. carbs are for energy and if you eat a lot of carbs and then just like sit around that's what can be bad for you. xx

False. Doesn't matter when you eat your carbs.

absie107

No... no it does matter to some extent when you eat carbs.

I kind of disagree with some people... there is something wrong with carbs when you're eating mostly refined stuff and lots of grain products. We can get all the nutrients we need and plenty of fiber from other food groups, and grains have only been in the human diet for 15,000 - 10,000 years or so. Athletes have a lot of carbs in their diet so they can refuel their stores. You can change your body so that you burn fat instead of carbohydrates, but a lot of people are averse to 'low carb diets.' I like moderation... as in, less sugar in general, mostly carbohydrates from vegetables and some fruits and nuts and occasionally legumes and even more occasionally whole grain items.

Carbohydrates cause insulin spikes which can lead to fat storage - here... just read this - http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/

mynameisuntz

No... no it does matter to some extent when you eat carbs.

I kind of disagree with some people... there is something wrong with carbs when you're eating mostly refined stuff and lots of grain products. We can get all the nutrients we need and plenty of fiber from other food groups, and grains have only been in the human diet for 15,000 - 10,000 years or so. Athletes have a lot of carbs in their diet so they can refuel their stores. You can change your body so that you burn fat instead of carbohydrates, but a lot of people are averse to 'low carb diets.' I like moderation... as in, less sugar in general, mostly carbohydrates from vegetables and some fruits and nuts and occasionally legumes and even more occasionally whole grain items.

Carbohydrates cause insulin spikes which can lead to fat storage - here... just read this - http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/

Marksdailyapple is one of the most irresponsible sources of "information" I have ever said. After all, this coming from the guy who claimed 150+g carbs per day = insidious, steady weight gain. I try to be polite, but let me be clear when I say that guy's IQ is below room temperature. He has absolutely zero idea what he's talking about when it comes to nutrition.

The timing of carb intake means nothing. Absolutely nothing. OUTSIDE of those who perform multiple glycogen-depleting exercises per day, or those who exercise after fasting for well over a day. Your body could not care less when you eat carbs.

If you really want to learn about insulin: http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

The paleo diet is healthy, but their claims are downright laughable.

jmula

actually, it does. if you eat hi carbs before bed, you will not have the needed protein that is required for the 6-8 hrs of starvation during sleep. you will also wake up feeling more hungry in the morning. I stopped eating carbs after 6PM years ago, and never wake starving, or with a rumbling stomach.

PaigeMcCane

I'm currently taking a nutrition class for my degree and have learned a bunch about carbs. You need them. Period. Don't buy into that low-carb, high-protein diet. Its absolutely ridiculous and a fad diet. It only works for so long. This is the deal, you need to eat your recommended amount.

Carbohydrates should contribute 45-65% of your daily kcalorie amounts. Fats should be 20-35% and protein should be 10-35%. I always try to be as close to the middle of all of these as possible, without exceeding 100% of course

Carbohydrates are important because they contribute glucose. Glucose is the ONLY SOURCE of energy your brain and nervous system uses. When you deprive yourself of carbohydrates, your body starts breaking down protein into glucose to fuel the brain. But your body breaks down so much more protein to create glucose than carbohydrates. And think about it, protein has other jobs to do: create genes, make new cells for everything in your body, build and maintain muscles. The last thing you need to do to your body is make it take away the amino acids it needs to do these things, all because you didn't want to eat your RDA of carbohydrates.

And this happens when you don't eat 45% of your diet in carbs. This doesn't happen over a period of time. Your brain uses glucose everyday. And fat is not converted to glucose for your brain to use. It doesn't work that way. Its so important to eat at least 45%.

Hope this helps.

jmula

I'm currently taking a nutrition class for my degree and have learned a bunch about carbs. You need them. Period. Don't buy into that low-carb, high-protein diet. Its absolutely ridiculous and a fad diet. It only works for so long. This is the deal, you need to eat your recommended amount.

Carbohydrates should contribute 45-65% of your daily kcalorie amounts. Fats should be 20-35% and protein should be 10-35%. I always try to be as close to the middle of all of these as possible, without exceeding 100% of course

Carbohydrates are important because they contribute glucose. Glucose is the ONLY SOURCE of energy your brain and nervous system uses. When you deprive yourself of carbohydrates, your body starts breaking down protein into glucose to fuel the brain. But your body breaks down so much more protein to create glucose than carbohydrates. And think about it, protein has other jobs to do: create genes, make new cells for everything in your body, build and maintain muscles. The last thing you need to do to your body is make it take away the amino acids it needs to do these things, all because you didn't want to eat your RDA of carbohydrates.

And this happens when you don't eat 45% of your diet in carbs. This doesn't happen over a period of time. Your brain uses glucose everyday. And fat is not converted to glucose for your brain to use. It doesn't work that way. Its so important to eat at least 45%.

Hope this helps.

This may be true for the [average person]. but to a body builder or someone looking to gain muscle mass.they will need more protein then the average in order to promote muscle growth.
here is an article from bodybuilding.com ( a site where professional athletes and scientists are major contributors).
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/maki1.htm