Dangerous carbs

KatesBadAss

I will never look at my pancakes the same.....

kristinL16

That sounds a lot like the diet that I was put on when i was pregnant and had gestational diabetes. I could have 2 units for breakfast and 3 units for lunch and dinner, otherwise my blood sugars were totally out of whack.

i know that a calorie is a calorie, but I also know that I feel better and have more energy and in turn lose more weight when eating less carbs.

I have had gestational diabetes with two pregancies and was recommended to have two carb choices/units for breakfast and each of three snacks (between meals and before bed) and four carb choices (app. 60 g) for lunch and dinner. After I had my baby (5 months ago) the nutritionist and endocrinologist recommended sticking with the same plan but adding 2 more units at breakfast.

To me, 90 grams seems a bit low, but I know there are people here who stick to that.

Isolt

This message board reminds me very much of one of those teen films - Heathers, Mean Girls - you know, the ones where a small elite group of 'beautiful people' (at least in their own minds), sneer and nip at all the lesser mortals they see around them.

The ironic thing is, there seem to be a big chunk of people on this message board who, no matter how ripped/toned they get their bodies looking, will STILL be damn ugly underneath their skin.

giantsfaninvt

Okay, maybe stating that carbs are dangerous and eating bread can make you gain weight are not entirely true statements if you take them exactly as typed, but this woman does not deserve the unbelievable amount of sarcasm that her post has generated. She simply was sharing something that is working for her and her family, and followed it up with "see a nutritionist" for anyone who is interested. If you're not interested, don't do it. If you feel that you must correct some information in her post, why be nasty about it? I thought this was supposed to be a supportive environment...?

I eat carbs, and plenty of 'em, and am losing weight. I'm going to continue with that approach, but if a low carb lifestyle works for someone else and they are following an eating plan from their nutritionist, then it sounds like they are being healthy and responsible.

aftergypsies

I love how many experts we have on this site. Any time someone posts about something that worked for them you get experts jumping in to ridicule and call people stupid. The fact is, depending on what you read, carbs are good or bad for you. I've yet to see actual proof of either. Just google "Do we need carbs" and you'll find lots of sites that say yes or no. Whatever works for you is the best imo. So grats to the OP for lower carbs working for their family.

JanetGurl

75% of your brain's fuel can come from ketones, the rest can come from protein through gluconeogenesis. There is no requirement for carbs, even though carbs are the preferred fuel when available.

Ever since the beginning of time we have consumed carb in some form or other... a prime example is grains (complex carb) or fruits (fast acting carbs)... even tomatoes have carbs... I think many don't realize that fatty acids come from whole grain foods (complex carb), some nuts (some have carb).... So yes we do need carb.... without fatty acids we don't produce ketones....

grinch031

75% of your brain's fuel can come from ketones, the rest can come from protein through gluconeogenesis. There is no requirement for carbs, even though carbs are the preferred fuel when available.

Ever since the beginning of time we have consumed carb in some form or other... a prime example is grains (complex carb) or fruits (fast acting carbs)... even tomatoes have carbs... I think many don't realize that fatty acids come from whole grain foods (complex carb), some nuts (some have carb).... So yes we do need carb.... without fatty acids we don't produce ketones....

I am not saying its easy to eat a diet without carbs because they are in almost everything, but its certainly possible to do so and survive just fine. You can get plenty of fat from meat without the carbs anyways.

tinaruby

I so agree, I have to think 110 times about what people will say about my posts before I hit "Post Reply". With the internet, anything can be "proven" or "debunked". Even the true experts can't agree on what works. The fact is the OP had success, shouldn't we all just be happy for her, regardless of our opinions?

Low carb low sugar has gotten me to my "calorie deficit" and made me feel great. It's helped with a lot of other issues I was having including being lactose intolerant, having bad headaches everyday and major mood swings and stress. I don't care about the science or studies or articles or anything else, I just know it worked for me and I know I am healthier for it.

Thanks for sharing your story OP!!

JanetGurl

75% of your brain's fuel can come from ketones, the rest can come from protein through gluconeogenesis. There is no requirement for carbs, even though carbs are the preferred fuel when available.

Ever since the beginning of time we have consumed carb in some form or other... a prime example is grains (complex carb) or fruits (fast acting carbs)... even tomatoes have carbs... I think many don't realize that fatty acids come from whole grain foods (complex carb), some nuts (some have carb).... So yes we do need carb.... without fatty acids we don't produce ketones....

I am not saying its easy to eat a diet without carbs because they are in almost everything, but its certainly possible to do so and survive just fine. You can get plenty of fat from meat without the carbs anyways.

The fat from meat is not healthy for you, it raises your cholesterol .Meats contain high levels of the amino acid L-lysine, which increases insulin production, prompting the liver to release fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream. its best to eat lean meats and preferably soy protein. I don't wish to lecture because I'm certain you already knew that about meat protein. And also consuming too much meat can also age your digestive system much faster because it's one of the hardest things for your stomach to digest..
But anyways... life is just so much better when we eat in moderation and be careful how much carb we eat, but we do eat too much and over estimate how much we need. If we know our bodies well and listen to what it tells us then that is all that matters because then we can make the best decisions for ourselves.

RepsnSets

I eat lots of carbs, even bread and sugar, and not only have I not gained weight, but I have actually lost! Crazy, I know, but it's true, you can eat whatever you want and lose weight.

Not entirely true there......We all became fat after eating what we wanted! lol

Sidesteal

75% of your brain's fuel can come from ketones, the rest can come from protein through gluconeogenesis. There is no requirement for carbs, even though carbs are the preferred fuel when available.

Ever since the beginning of time we have consumed carb in some form or other... a prime example is grains (complex carb) or fruits (fast acting carbs)... even tomatoes have carbs... I think many don't realize that fatty acids come from whole grain foods (complex carb), some nuts (some have carb).... So yes we do need carb.... without fatty acids we don't produce ketones....

I am not saying its easy to eat a diet without carbs because they are in almost everything, but its certainly possible to do so and survive just fine. You can get plenty of fat from meat without the carbs anyways.

The fat from meat is not healthy for you, it raises your cholesterol .Meats contain high levels of the amino acid L-lysine, which increases insulin production, prompting the liver to release fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream. its best to eat lean meats and preferably soy protein. I don't wish to lecture because I'm certain you already knew that about meat protein. And also consuming too much meat can also age your digestive system much faster because it's one of the hardest things for your stomach to digest..

As much as I normally don't agree with grinch, I believe he's right about this. Gluconeogenesis pretty much has you covered if you want to low carb it, and there's an ample body of research that suggests that dietary cholesterol does not lead to increased serum cholesterol levels.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a low carber and I certainly believe in moderation as you do, but I think it's a viable dietary choice and there's no real physiological harm provided that you can make your ends meet from a micronutrient standpoint.

dinosnopro

I eat lots of carbs, even bread and sugar, and not only have I not gained weight, but I have actually lost! Crazy, I know, but it's true, you can eat whatever you want and lose weight.

Not entirely true there......We all became fat after eating what we wanted! lol

we became fat eating TOO MUCH of what we wanted.

AntWrig

Well.... like everything in life moderation is the key.

Without carbs your brain function would diminish because it doesn't have the essential energy and nutrients to function normally (which causes early onset of dementia) ... and that isn't even covering what your body needs to use for energy. We all need carbs it's what helps balance blood sugar levels and prevents a person from crashing and binge eating because their blood sugar levels are low (yes this happens in everyone not just diabetics).... this is what happens when a person tries one of those no carb fad diets... and then they gain double their weight back.... I've been a type 1 diabetic for 30 years.... I know food to a tee.

What you forgot to mention is complex carbs (the ones that take longer to digest and feed your body energy over a longer period of time and make you feel full longer)... that is the stuff everyone should be eating ie; brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice etc.

We really don't need carbs because protein and ketones can step in when needed, but thanks for the lesson in nutrition. Actually people gain double their weight back because of leptin deficiency that causes them to cave in to excess hunger and revert back to their old eating habits, which usually involves excessive carbs.

We really do need carbs.... ketones and fatty acids can not feed every cell or organ in our bodies... fatty acids cannot be used as a source of fuel for brain function, our brain function depends on glucose or ketones... However ketones are only produced by broken down fatty acids and when the body cannot obtain enough 'carbohydrates' that's when your liver or kidneys produce it.... I know it takes the liver and kidney a significant amount of time to produce ketones. So when you deprive your body of carbs your blood sugar levels drop.... then you go into a very mild form of hypoglycemia... when that happens your body's natural reaction is to get something inside you to restore your blood sugar levels.... and that most times happens to be carbs (that is where weight gain comes in). Eating carbs works alot faster than your body stepping in and producing ketones when you need it.. It can take your liver up to 12 hours to produce ketones and most times you need it quicker than that.

75% of your brain's fuel can come from ketones, the rest can come from protein through gluconeogenesis. There is no requirement for carbs, even though carbs are the preferred fuel when available.

Wow a Grinch post I agree with.

As many have said, for the most part, people consume too many carbs. I also agree body types play an important role in insulin management. For example, my body is endormorphic in nature. So, I function better on less carbs, higher fats, and proteins. Does that mean I go no carb or even reach ketosis? No, but my intake is lower than an ecto or meso.

Feathil

MFP suggests I eat 165g carbs and I'm starting to consistently fall 50g short, but I'm just gonna see how I do... I'm eating my calories but maybe I'm getting them from the other columns and going slightly over on them, but not to the same extent...

prettygirlhoward

bump*

SalishSea

To the OP thank you for posting this. I am happy your family found something that works for them.

I agree, that for some, a lower carb diet works. I try to not eat too many carbs/day. I would say 65 g of carbs a day is perfect for me. Of course I cannot stick to that everyday. For instance, my birthday is coming up and I am going to have some birthday cake! Twice!

Also, I personally notice I have less cravings when I eat carbs in moderation. If I eat a higher protein diet my cravings are almost zero. Not quite zero! But almost.

As far as being snarked upon that is exactly why I have never posted a topic. I have commented on many threads, but never post a topic. Someone is likely to ridicule and I'd rather not subject myself to the meanies out there.