First day of tracking food has been a learning experience.

I tracked everything today. Apples have carbs? Seriously? Had applesauce at lunch, an apple for a snack and then a salad with apples in it for supper. Let's just say... I'm way over my carbs allowed. Do all fruits have carbs? For some reason, I only thought it was food like bread, pasta, baked goods.....

Replies

littlelily613

All sweet fruits have carbs because of the sugar content. Keep in mind though that we DO need at least some carbs, and there is certainly a difference between simple carbs (donuts, cookies, cake, etc) and complex carbs (apples, berries, bananas, and so on).

Pebble321

Yes, it's one of the great things about MFP - you get a much better persective about what you're eating and how they contribute to the balance of energy (calories ) and macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) you are eating each day.

Your body needs a mix of all these to stay healthy and if you are getting in lots of fruits and veggies, then that's a great start.

Don't stress too much about the macronutrient balance to start with - I think it is better to get calories under control first, see how your body reacts to that calorie intake for a month or so and then if you feel the need to tweak things, you are in a better position to do it.

And yes, carbs are in lots of things - and that's a good thing!

sixisCHANGEDjk

Thankfully I started tracking when I started trying to keep my calorie intake down. There's no telling how many calories I was intaking before MFP.

LilRedRooster

Carbs are sugar. They're just bigger, more complex forms of it, but they break down to basic sugar. So any sugar you eat, is a carb. Any carb you eat, is also a sugar.

huntindawg1962

All sweet fruits have carbs because of the sugar content. Keep in mind though that we DO need at least some carbs, and there is certainly a difference between simple carbs (donuts, cookies, cake, etc) and complex carbs (apples, berries, bananas, and so on).

Apples are mostly fructose. Some berries will be lower in sugars and carbs.

This from the web may help you

• Simple carbohydrates are sugars—glucose and fructose from fruits and some vegetables, lactose from milk, sucrose from cane or beet sugar, and others. Table sugar is pure sucrose. Much of the simple carbs we eat are sugars added to processed foods such as sodas, cookies, etc. These added sugars are the main reason why sugar now accounts for 16% of all calories consumed by Americans; 20 years ago, it supplied 11%. Soda alone supplies about one-third of this added sugar.

• Complex carbohydrates, which are chains of simple sugars, consist primarily of starches as well as the fiber that occurs in all plant foods. Starch is the storage form of carbohydrates in plants. Foods rich in complex carbs include grains and grain products (such as bread and pasta), beans, potatoes, corn, and some other vegetables.

raevynn

Apples are a great source of fibre, so they aren't a simple carb.

carbs are never that simple.

Yes, tracking is an excellent way of learning about what food is all about.

For me, it was sodium. No idea how much sodium I was consuming, I've discovered that keeping my sodium down reduces my fibro symptoms.

coraliethomas

I was one of those " I dont understand why Im overweight, I eat healthy things" before MFP... after my first day of logging I was all kinds of :noway:

Now my skin feels better, my mind is sharper, I have more energy and my PORTIONS are under control...

Good job getting through your first day!!! Its the first one of the rest of your life!

poseidon9447

y biggest surprise was when I looked at my sodium intake. Now I keep it very low.

tigersword

All sweet fruits have carbs because of the sugar content. Keep in mind though that we DO need at least some carbs, and there is certainly a difference between simple carbs (donuts, cookies, cake, etc) and complex carbs (apples, berries, bananas, and so on).

Sorry, but in spite of the marketing you've been inundated with, apples, berries, and bananas are all actually simple carbs (monosacharides) and donuts, cookies, and cake are all complex carbs (flour is a starch, all starches are complex carbs.)

CaptainMFP

Carbohydrates are all sugar based. By definition, a carb is a molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and water, typically in a ratio of two hydrogens per oxygen & carbon. Complex carbs (including fiber) are long chains of simpler carbs (monosaccharide sugars like glucose). As the vast majority of plants store energy in starch rather than fat, all plant matter (fruits and veggies) contain carbohydrates in some amount as a combination of simple sugars, complex (disaccharide) sugars, complex carbs (starches), and fiber. The first day is always an eye opener. For me it was sodium, but that first day is usually a shock, even to those of us with a professional obligation to know better.

DarlaMommyG

There are a number of different types of sugars/ carbs- Lactose is milk sugar; fructose is fruit sugar; sucrose is refined white sugar; dextrose is corn sugar; glucose is blood sugar- or what your body converts all of those other "-oses" into- and our brain uses a lot of it! What matters the most, as someone has noted, is whether the carbs you take in are of the simple variety or the complex variety. The latter help curb hunger, fills you up, and usually has a decent amount of fiber. Here's a good article to help: http://www.whathealth.com/sugar/

And I agree- this food tracking think is hugely eye-opening, even for someone like me who has a degree in exercise science! I'm starting to remember what I told all of my personal training clients when I was in my 20s. I'm in my 40s now, and finding out first hand how/ why my middle aged clients struggled with weight, kids, diet, work, & spouses!

Good luck!

CaptainMFP

Sorry, but in spite of the marketing you've been inundated with, apples, berries, and bananas are all actually simple carbs (monosacharides) and donuts, cookies, and cake are all complex carbs (flour is a starch, all starches are complex carbs.)

Factually in error. There is starch AND sugars in fruit, and there are sugars in many baked goods. The exact combination varies. In the end, ALL carbs are chains of monosaccharides and these broken down simple sugars are what enter the body.

This is not marketing; it's science.

Melaniec78

I tracked everything today. Apples have carbs? Seriously? Had applesauce at lunch, an apple for a snack and then a salad with apples in it for supper. Let's just say... I'm way over my carbs allowed. Do all fruits have carbs? For some reason, I only thought it was food like bread, pasta, baked goods.....

All fruit has carbs. You should eat fruit but stick to the ones that have more fiber (the more fiber and protein the less the carbs impact you. Apples, pears, berries to name a few. Bananas are horrible! Unless you are working out heavy or running long distances and need carbs and potassium. They have alot of carbs and sugar, citrus fruits should also be kept to a minimum as they have alot of sugar. Yes natural sugar (such as those in fruit is better than added sugar in foods) but if you eat them all day it is not good for weight loss as it will mess with insulin release.
Veggies have sugar and carbs too believe it or not. Carrots are one of the worst. You should stick to leafy greens and cook them as al dente as possible to keep the fiber and nutrients in them. And never eat canned veggies all the nutrients and fiber are lost when they are processed, cleaned and then sit in water.
I'm no expert but a diabetes doc, cadiologist and 2 regular docs have all recommended South Beach because it is basically the way healthy people re supposed to eat. I lost 70 lbs on it 6 years ago and it didn't come back til this last 2 years when I started cooking for my man and not my health

I learned this from the South Beach diet book and completely obliterated my borderline diabetes by learning more about what goes into my body and how my body works. I re-read it sometimes as a refresher when I see myself going back to my old ways.

tigersword

I tracked everything today. Apples have carbs? Seriously? Had applesauce at lunch, an apple for a snack and then a salad with apples in it for supper. Let's just say... I'm way over my carbs allowed. Do all fruits have carbs? For some reason, I only thought it was food like bread, pasta, baked goods.....

All fruit has carbs. You should eat fruit but stick to the ones that have more fiber (the more fiber and protein the less the carbs impact you. Apples, pears, berries to name a few. Bananas are horrible! Unless you are working out heavy or running long distances and need carbs and potassium. They have alot of carbs and sugar, citrus fruits should also be kept to a minimum as they have alot of sugar. Yes natural sugar (such as those in fruit is better than added sugar in foods) but if you eat them all day it is not good for weight loss as it will mess with insulin release.
Veggies have sugar and carbs too believe it or not. Carrots are one of the worst. You should stick to leafy greens and cook them as al dente as possible to keep the fiber and nutrients in them. And never eat canned veggies all the nutrients and fiber are lost when they are processed, cleaned and then sit in water.
I'm no expert but a diabetes doc, cadiologist and 2 regular docs have all recommended South Beach because it is basically the way healthy people re supposed to eat. I lost 70 lbs on it 6 years ago and it didn't come back til this last 2 years when I started cooking for my man and not my health
I learned this from the South Beach diet book and completely obliterated my borderline diabetes by learning more about what goes into my body and how my body works. I re-read it sometimes as a refresher when I see myself going back to my old ways.

Carbs (even white sugar) have no impact on weight loss or health if calories are controlled, unless you have a metabolic disorder.

Melaniec78

I tracked everything today. Apples have carbs? Seriously? Had applesauce at lunch, an apple for a snack and then a salad with apples in it for supper. Let's just say... I'm way over my carbs allowed. Do all fruits have carbs? For some reason, I only thought it was food like bread, pasta, baked goods.....

All fruit has carbs. You should eat fruit but stick to the ones that have more fiber (the more fiber and protein the less the carbs impact you. Apples, pears, berries to name a few. Bananas are horrible! Unless you are working out heavy or running long distances and need carbs and potassium. They have alot of carbs and sugar, citrus fruits should also be kept to a minimum as they have alot of sugar. Yes natural sugar (such as those in fruit is better than added sugar in foods) but if you eat them all day it is not good for weight loss as it will mess with insulin release.
Veggies have sugar and carbs too believe it or not. Carrots are one of the worst. You should stick to leafy greens and cook them as al dente as possible to keep the fiber and nutrients in them. And never eat canned veggies all the nutrients and fiber are lost when they are processed, cleaned and then sit in water.
I'm no expert but a diabetes doc, cadiologist and 2 regular docs have all recommended South Beach because it is basically the way healthy people re supposed to eat. I lost 70 lbs on it 6 years ago and it didn't come back til this last 2 years when I started cooking for my man and not my health
I learned this from the South Beach diet book and completely obliterated my borderline diabetes by learning more about what goes into my body and how my body works. I re-read it sometimes as a refresher when I see myself going back to my old ways.

Carbs (even white sugar) have no impact on weight loss or health if calories are controlled, unless you have a metabolic disorder.

Like I said I'm no expert- If I was I wouldn't have gained weight back the last 2 years by eating like crap and becoming lazy. Just saying what worked for me and helped me feed my body properly. 70 lbs in 6 months and I felt amazing and got rid of insulin resistance that made me pass out and go to the hospital. Yup I will stick to mostly lean meats, whole grains, low fat cheese and steamed veggies with a few pieces of dark chocolate when I have a craving. It works for me and if eating sugar works for you Awesome!

lorie5265

Thanks so much everyone! I'm learning so much I didn't know. This food tracking thing is really going to help me out a lot along with the community. Bananas are bad too? I have one everyday. lol Also, just checked my granola bars I have every morning. They have 23g of carbs each! I won't be buying those anymore! Didn't do good with exercise or water today. I was doing alot of errands since it was my day off. I did park far from every stop I had to make though. :happy: And didn't go thru any drive thrus at all.

Since I'm new... what is a ticker? and why do some say... bump?

huntindawg1962

Banana's in and of themselves are not "bad" but need to be part of your plan - calorie wise, or carb wise or what ever plan you are following.

BUMP - is something people use to bring the thread to the top of the category making it easier to find again. Some of these forums get a lot of activity and some of the post quickly move to page 5 or 6.

The ticker is something you can activate yourself if you want it to appear in your posts like the one I have below.

lorie5265

Thank you for letting me know about bump and ticker. Think I will have to fit a banana in here and there. They are still good for me know matter what.

cheyniemama

Everyone is different and has different opinions, especially about the carbs. A lot of people push low carb, high protein.

In my nutrition class, we are learning that optimally you want 60-70% or more of your calories from carbs, 10% protein, and 20% or less fat.

If they don't have lots of added crap, eat your granola bars, and eat your apples and bananas!

vestarocks

Starting out I think it's important to know that the macronutrients we eat are basically 3 categories: Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates. Just like some fats are better than others; some carbs are better than others.

Here's a reference to give you an basic idea. I just googled and grabbed it off the 'net.

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=3&tax_subject=358&topic_id=1611&level3_id=5977&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&placement_default=0

danasings

Thanks so much everyone! I'm learning so much I didn't know. This food tracking thing is really going to help me out a lot along with the community. Bananas are bad too? I have one everyday. lol Also, just checked my granola bars I have every morning. They have 23g of carbs each! I won't be buying those anymore! Didn't do good with exercise or water today. I was doing alot of errands since it was my day off. I did park far from every stop I had to make though. :happy: And didn't go thru any drive thrus at all.

Since I'm new... what is a ticker? and why do some say... bump?

I would suggest checking the grams of sugar in foods rather than the grams of carbohydrates to start...