Carbs...Carbs...Carbs....OMG Carbs EVERY WHERE!!!!

farmers_daughter

So I'm trying to (somewhat ignorantly-I say that because I fully don't understand the concept yet) watch my carb intake, it seems like I go over EVERY day... I've read that carbs aren't exactly great for you in abundance.... they give you a fake burst of energy that leaves you less than satisfied and hungry as hell later.

So...I stopped by Subway this morning, thinking every where else in town has mucho carbs in everything....(I could think of anyway) I didn't want oatmeal again, (ha ha lots of carbs) So....got the flat bread, egg white, bacon, sandwich, NO cheese (Yay - that was hard), and NO sauce! (again hard) I did put some avacado on there because I'm addicted to it, tomatoes, spinach, black olives and that's it. 475 CALORIES?!?! WTF?????

I'm supposed to aim for 200.... so I just get frustrated with the lack of options, but I'm doing soo good right now and I'd really like to NOT F it up. Any suggestions, or could anybody give me the "laymans" version of how carbs really play into all this?

This kind of is a vent, but kind of a reaching out for answers too. Thanks in advance.

melindasmaxwell

I have been trying to watch my carbs and calories to. A friend of mine told me to get online and read about the Atkins diet, as it cuts down carbs.

PeachyKeene

I try to limit carbs also. I usually have a couple of scambled eggs from McDonald's with a couple of tablespoons of fresh salsa warmed so it is kinda like a veggie omelet without the cheese. Do you have time to cook?

LLaDonna

Bread, white rice, pasta and sugar are your enemies when you begin to fight the carb demon. I can't give you a lot of advice because I'm struggling with the carb intake too. Whole wheat pita pockets have worked well for me as an alternative when making sandwiches. I'm eating brown rice now instead of white The more you use your food diary and read recipe ideas here on MFP, the easier it gets. Good luck!

skinnyhappy

Hi! Yes, carbs are scary, but you NEED some carbs (the good ones). Avoid anything with processed sugar, I'm afraid Subway may not be your best option as I'm not sure exactly how "fresh" their bread really is (which means more preservatives, more sugar, etc.). Stick with whole grain, seedy breads (you can even get sprouted grain breads in the freezer section at the grocery store). Also, if you aim to fulfill your daily fiber intake, the sugars shouldn't be as high. Just stay away from high fructose corn syrup (even table sugar's better for you that that stuff!).

Whole grains and fiber do wonders for your heart, so be very mindful of the breads you're consuming. The oatmeal is definitely OK (again, as long as it's mostly carbs from fiber, not from sugar), and if you're sick of it try adding raspberries, bananas, dried apricots, raisins and/or brown sugar or honey/agave nectar to change up the flavor!

I've been eating greek yogurt (low sugar, high protein) with low sugar granola (bear naked brand) and fresh fruit with ground flax seed mixed in for a good dose of fiber. I find this helps my morning food cravings until about noon, where I focus on protein more than carbs.

I'm sure that wasn't as informative as you'd like but GOOD LUCK anyway!

bella8282

You wont just get one answer on here.... it will start another war on protein vs carb diet. If you look under food and nutriacian and scan through the pages you will se this topic gets brought up constantly.

Carbs can be your best friend- you just got to make them count, by choosing the right ones!

Dont go for over processed refined carbs.
Go for complex carbs - Vegetables , grains and pulses ... if you wish.
and include some simple carbs - fruits.

Carbs are not the devil- Cakes and cookies are lol

I am a raw vegan- my diet is 90% fresh vegetables and fruit.

fteale

Simple refined sugars give you a burst of energy but no nutritional value. Complex carbs with fibre, such as whole grain/seeded bread and wild rice are very effective at giving you slow release energy and leave you feeling full for hours.

Chuckw40

So I'm trying to (somewhat ignorantly-I say that because I fully don't understand the concept yet) watch my carb intake, it seems like I go over EVERY day... I've read that carbs aren't exactly great for you in abundance.... they give you a fake burst of energy that leaves you less than satisfied and hungry as hell later.

So...I stopped by Subway this morning, thinking every where else in town has mucho carbs in everything....(I could think of anyway) I didn't want oatmeal again, (ha ha lots of carbs) So....got the flat bread, egg white, bacon, sandwich, NO cheese (Yay - that was hard), and NO sauce! (again hard) I did put some avacado on there because I'm addicted to it, tomatoes, spinach, black olives and that's it. 475 CALORIES?!?! WTF?????

I'm supposed to aim for 200.... so I just get frustrated with the lack of options, but I'm doing soo good right now and I'd really like to NOT F it up. Any suggestions, or could anybody give me the "laymans" version of how carbs really play into all this?

This kind of is a vent, but kind of a reaching out for answers too. Thanks in advance.

The flatbread actually has more calories and the same amount of carbs as the plain Italian bread.

farmers_daughter

I struggle with waking up earlier than I do to prepare/cook something, I'd love to, but I just can't, (side note - I need to check into getting a better nights sleep, cause I lay down for bed around 830-9 ish)
I've made little "breakfast sandwiches" at home with a thin bagel, egg, cheese, canadian bacon, and froze them....but I kinda got burned out on them too. I was hoping for having 1 packet of oatmeal, and some kind of "travel-able" protien so I get my sweet and salty kinda thing. But maybe that's not right either.

And flatbread same calories and etc as itailian.....AHHHHH! I can't win for losing. I'll stick to my whole wheat from now on.

Thanks everybody for all the good advice, I'll be checking out some of the posts mentioned.

KBjimAZ

All carbs are not equal, nor are they bad. An apple grows on a tree, a potato comes out of the ground, yet some "diets" say those things are bad for you. Anything in moderation, but stay away from the processed stuff. PS why on earth are you only wanting to be at 200 calories for the most important meal of the day????

AlwaysWanderer

skip potatoes/rice/pasta at dinnertime, have salad not sandwich for lunch, eggs for breakfast. Up your protein intake and low carb should follow. Fill up your plate with veggies and lean protein, drink sugar free drinks (not sodas), watch your fruit! even though is good for you, its mosty sugar. 1-2 servings a day is plenty. Go for berries, they great. As for oatmeal, have you tried adding peanut butter to it? yum. I eat mine with PB, dark chocolate (80%) and flaxeed. fat free dairy is also great. hope that helps. x

farmers_daughter

All carbs are not equal, nor are they bad. An apple grows on a tree, a potato comes out of the ground, yet some "diets" say those things are bad for you. Anything in moderation, but stay away from the processed stuff. PS why on earth are you only wanting to be at 200 calories for the most important meal of the day????

200 Calories, somewhere along the way my doctor told me:

200 Calories for Breakfast
100 Calorie Snack
400 Calories for Lunch
100 Calorie Snack
600 Calories for Dinner

aprilgicker

Simple answer,
If it is in a box or bag in the snack section, Don't eat it!
If it is a fast food product served in a bag, Don't eat it!
If it is in the freezer section and is in a box, Don't eat it!
If it is in a Bag or box in the Breakfast section, Don't eat it!

Hence, If it comes in a Bag or Box,
DON'T EAT IT!

Plain Oatmeal is in a round container
wheat germ and Flax in a jar
fresh fruit and veggies no packaging
:bigsmile:

bizco

All carbs are not equal. The "good" carbs contain fiber. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains like old-fashioned oatmeal, quinoa, couscous, etc. are all very beneficial for good health. When choosing bread, look for those that contain 5g of fiber per slice.

I recommend tracking fiber in your food diary and consume at least 25-30g per day.

jmruef

I love Subway breakfast sandwiches and their flatbread is NUMMY. But...yeah, the calories are killer. Now when I get them it's on the English Muffin. That cuts the cals way down. You can go to their website and download a PDF of their nutritional info - that'll help you put a sandwich together before you order.

twinmama1987

You NEED carbs! They are essential. Especially is you are working out! There are also 'good carbs' & 'bad carbs'
remember if most of your crabs come from white bread, white rice .. etc its just going to turn to sugar and make your sugar levels spike.

TS65

I struggle with waking up earlier than I do to prepare/cook something, I'd love to, but I just can't,

Planning ahead makes ALL the difference! Have you thought of making some sort of breakfast casserole on your day off? (easy one - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-egg-bake/detail.aspx or just google veggie breakfast casserole). Then, all you have to do is zap it for 30 seconds in the mornings and you're ready! Easy Breezy!

veggievixen

A carb is a carb the way a calorie is a calorie.

Now for the long answer. Not all carbs are equal and different foods are better choices for different situations. Carbohydrates give us energy, how much and how quickly are the questions whose answers will give you guidance. Vegetables are mostly carbs, so is that muffin, oatmeal, and snickers bar. But you get a lot more volume and longer fullness from the veggies. The difference is how quickly they are digested and how nutritionally dense the item is. The less refined food is, the longer it takes your body to digest it and get the carbs into your blood stream where they can be used as fuel. Ideally, you want a slow steady stream of fuel. Sugar is the crack cocaine of carbs, it jacks you up and then you want more. Studies have actually been done that show it stimulates the same areas of the brain, the pleasure centers, as hard drugs. So it's all about moderation. Choosing carbs that slowly release their energy for sustained energy through out the day and small portions of sugary/refined items for pleasure or to smooth out a dip from going too long without eating. Personally, sweet potatoes, brown rice, Uncle Sam cereal, and oatmeal are my top quality carb choices along with veggies! Pairing carbs with protein is a good way to balance it out. I make oatmeal pancakes a lot, 1 egg + 1/2 c (not instant) oats + splash of milk/soy + cinnamon/ginger. It keeps me going a lot longer than just plain oatmeal because of the protein from the eggs. Conversely, post workout you want to give your body quick access to carbs so it doesn't "steal" protein from your muscles to repair itself. Post workout, 0-30 minutes, for intense sessions lasting an hour or longer, some sugar is ok because you don't want to waste all the work you did by letting your body tear it down. A fruit and protein smoothie is my go to post workout. Hope this helps. There is so much info out there, you can always ask a dietitian for a really reliable answer.

SmileeBarbFLA

Suggestion.... if you don't have time EVERY morning to cook, perhaps on Sunday night or something make a 5-day supply of scrambled or hard boiled eggs, and just portion it off for each day. Warm it up and either add a serving of cheese one day, some veggies another... put it on a whole wheat english muffin the next day. I lost 50 lbs cutting carbs and breakfast is the hardest. I buy everything in the store as if I were a diabetic with low sugar or no sugar since that is the bad part of the carbs that turns to fat. Breakfast... hmmm... I also have a no-sugar added cup of yogurt, 90 calories
oatmeal.. which is GOOD carbs.... much better to have oatmeal than fruitloops or hashbrowns
eggs is the best thing for low carb... the egg beaters/egg whites give you a bunch of options and just change it up from day to day so it doesn't get bland or boring! Turkey breakfast sausage or bacon are good too... a yummy option

brneydgrlie

OK, as other posters said, not all carbs are bad. What you should be eating are the COMPLEX carbohydrates - these are vegetables, low glycemic fruits (like berries), and SOME whole grains. These all contain appropriate nutrition and fiber for your body. The more natural and less processed the better. Also, the less sugar the better.

Now, when you count carbohydrates, you should be counting NET carbs. What that means is the amount of carbs that actually effect your body the most. To figure out net carbs, subtract the grams of fiber. For instance, if a serving of broccoli is 4 grams of carbohydrates, but contains 2 grams of fiber, the NET carbs you are ingesting is only 2 grams.

Hope this helps!

missbp

If you are looking to watch carbs and need a quick easy lunch solution, here is a suggestion.

Go to a deli and order a few slices of turkey lunch meat and a small container of cole slaw. Roll the slaw in the turkey and viola. Lunch!

Michelle