What do you count as carbs?

KimberlyWIOG

Hello! I am currently trying to follow a low carb lifestyle plan, keeping my net carbs under 75g per day. I know if you peek at my diary, I have good days and bad days, so please don't judge.

My question is about fruits and veggies that have a high carb content (bananas, oranges, corn, ect). If you are following a low carb diet, do you count the carbs/sugar in fruits and veggies?

Any help, suggestions, and advice is appreciated!

TurtleTape

From the low carb diets I've looked into, any carbs count. I know Keto cuts out a lot of high carb fruits/veggies.

grinch031

Count all of them, but subtract fiber.

MrsGreenTea703

In my opinion...I say COUNT IT ALL. <~~carbs wise, minus fiber and sugar alcohols. If you are going to eat fruit, eat it in the morning. That way your body can burn it off. I also suggest to stay away from the higher carb veggies, like carrots or corn. If you log everything you eat then you will be able to see what it is that maybe preventing loss on the scale. I'm always here for you Kimberly! Keep up your awesome hard work and dedication. One day at a time and you'll be where you want to be! This I promise as long as you want it and work for it!

toniwoni

I would eat half of a bannana and orang and less corn. You must count all carbs. The diabetic people shoot for 45grams a meal. I lost 10 pounds in one month that way.

tigersword

Carbs are carbs, it really doesn't make a difference if you "choose" to "count" them or not. Your body processes them regardless.

cressievargo

There are "free" foods in carbs - primarily veggies. I just met with a dietitian today about this subject...

45 carbs per meal is the goal. I was borderline GD when I was pregnant, which puts me at a higher risk of developing diabetes later on, so I'm trying to get things under control NOW. Proactive v. reactive.

PS carbs are not bad (within the guidelines, of course...) carbs are in fact, brain food...

ETA - By a "meal" , I mean a well-rounded / balanced meal with food from each of the groups...not just a candy bar that happens to have 45 grams of carbs.

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm

astroub

Carbs are carbs, it really doesn't make a difference if you "choose" to "count" them or not. Your body processes them regardless.

^^^^ this!

b1ackcat

PS carbs are not bad (within the guidelines, of course...) carbs are in fact, brain food...

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. While I'll admit I have some bias as I've been doing keto for 6 weeks and have seen AMAZING results, from every bit of research I've looked at, there is literally NO reason that we HAVE to have carbs, and a myriad of reasons why we should avoid them. Yes, technically the brain requires some glucose, but that's only certain portions of the brain. The rest of the brain actually prefers fat as a fuel source.

For the part of the brain that does require glucose, you can get that from protein. There's literally no need for carbs. In the wild, our bodies didn't need them. They were harder to come by (as they were only available in fruits and some veggies), so our body learned to do with very little of them.

cmazdog

The book "17 day diet" has really helped me to lower my carb intake. It is a quick and easy read.

vaimia

I Count all my carbs but subtract the fiber.

HonkyTonks

Carbs are carbs, it really doesn't make a difference if you "choose" to "count" them or not. Your body processes them regardless.

That is correct, carbs are carbs.Why go so low carb? It's probably not for the best to cut fruit and vegetables out of your diet.

LATeagno

Not true re: carbs are carbs. Fiber really is subtracted from total carb counts. In some countries, fiber isn't even included as a carbohydrate to begin with because it isn't digested. There is no need to count fiber in your total carb count.

As for sugar alcohols, I say do what works for you. My rule of thumb is to do a 1:3 ratio of sugar alcohols (sorbiitol, erythitol, xylitol, etc.) (count one carb for every 3 grams of SA). As far as SA goes, though, that's an individual thing. If you don't eat it, obviously, you don't have to worry about it. Some sugar alcohols (used to sweeten baked goods, candies, drinks, etc.) will spike your blood glucose more than others. It's kind of an individual thing.

Hope this helps.

LATeagno

Carbs are carbs, it really doesn't make a difference if you "choose" to "count" them or not. Your body processes them regardless.

That is correct, carbs are carbs.Why go so low carb? It's probably not for the best to cut fruit and vegetables out of your diet.

Who says you cut fruits and veggies out of a low carb diet? Berries are fine (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.) and other fruits later in weight loss. And most veggies, aside from potatoes and starchy tubers, are just fine.

ChristineS_51

When you put your food in, wouldn't MFP calculate the carbs and everything else anyway? I would suggest checking the nutrition panel of all foods against MFP - some of the entries are not correct.

What about thinking about High GI and Low Gi foods - would that help? Low GI sustain and maintain blood glucose levels better. If you want to lower your carbs, I would avoid the starchy vegies like potatoes, corn, go for the watery ones like lettuce, tomato etc. This site has some good info -

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/carbohydrates_and_the_glycaemic_index

"The glycaemic index (GI) measures carbohydrates according to how quickly they are absorbed and raise the glucose level of the blood. A low GI diet may help weight loss and may also help energy levels for endurance sports."

Just have to be careful that you get all your nutrients in a balanced diet - a chocolate bar might have a certain amount of carbs, but that wouldn't be as good a choice as a plateful of vegies / fruit with the same carbs.

tigersword

PS carbs are not bad (within the guidelines, of course...) carbs are in fact, brain food...

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. While I'll admit I have some bias as I've been doing keto for 6 weeks and have seen AMAZING results, from every bit of research I've looked at, there is literally NO reason that we HAVE to have carbs, and a myriad of reasons why we should avoid them. Yes, technically the brain requires some glucose, but that's only certain portions of the brain. The rest of the brain actually prefers fat as a fuel source.

For the part of the brain that does require glucose, you can get that from protein. There's literally no need for carbs. In the wild, our bodies didn't need them. They were harder to come by (as they were only available in fruits and some veggies), so our body learned to do with very little of them.

No, the brain doesn't use fat for fuel. The brain is structurally composed of fat, that's the only way that the brain "uses" fat. Glucose is its energy source. And while yes, protein can be converted to glucose, carbs are much easier and more efficient to use. Not only that, but protein has dozens of other uses in the human body before glucose conversion.

Plus the body only converts enough protein into glucose to fuel the brain, it doesn't refill your glycogen stores, and glycogen is your muscles' main energy source for high intensity activity. Carbs again fill that need efficiently. As for whether we used to eat carbs or not, scientists estimate that early man ate roughly 45-50% carbs.

grinch031

PS carbs are not bad (within the guidelines, of course...) carbs are in fact, brain food...

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. While I'll admit I have some bias as I've been doing keto for 6 weeks and have seen AMAZING results, from every bit of research I've looked at, there is literally NO reason that we HAVE to have carbs, and a myriad of reasons why we should avoid them. Yes, technically the brain requires some glucose, but that's only certain portions of the brain. The rest of the brain actually prefers fat as a fuel source.

For the part of the brain that does require glucose, you can get that from protein. There's literally no need for carbs. In the wild, our bodies didn't need them. They were harder to come by (as they were only available in fruits and some veggies), so our body learned to do with very little of them.

No, the brain doesn't use fat for fuel. The brain is structurally composed of fat, that's the only way that the brain "uses" fat. Glucose is its energy source. And while yes, protein can be converted to glucose, carbs are much easier and more efficient to use. Not only that, but protein has dozens of other uses in the human body before glucose conversion.

Plus the body only converts enough protein into glucose to fuel the brain, it doesn't refill your glycogen stores, and glycogen is your muscles' main energy source for high intensity activity. Carbs again fill that need efficiently. As for whether we used to eat carbs or not, scientists estimate that early man ate roughly 45-50% carbs.

The brain isn't fueled by fat direclty, but the brain can get 75% of its fuel requirements from ketones after about a 3 week adaptation period. Yeah carbs are more efficient and will provide optimal performance, but still unecessary for survival. I think the need for carbs by the average joe is highly exaggerated. There are too many folks who do just fine on ketogenic diets, and that includes exercising and sports. I eat probably 50g a day and run 7-8 miles a couple times a week and it doesn't bother me one bit.

KimberlyWIOG

Thank you so much for your feedback everyone. I have not done much research on Keto diets or GI, so I will be checking into all of the resources you have provided me with.

*** I completely understand that carbs are carbs no matter where they are coming from, but I have heard some discussions about not counting fruits and veggies because they are "healthier" I have been practicing by counting everything minus fiber. I don't know how to count sugar alcohols, so I haven't subtracted those***

saverys_gal

Count 'em all. Some veggies are so low in carbs that they're almost "free"-you can really just eat so much of them and not hit a significant amount of net carbs. Watch your tropical fruits-they are higher and sugar and have less fiber, ie: pineapple, mango, bananas. Also watch some of the veggies...corn is really high. 75g net is a pretty high net number to anyone questioning...OP could be getting anywhere from 10-40g of fiber! Also, count the sugar alcohols too. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

cressievargo

Thank you so much for your feedback everyone. I have not done much research on Keto diets or GI, so I will be checking into all of the resources you have provided me with.

*** I completely understand that carbs are carbs no matter where they are coming from, but I have heard some discussions about not counting fruits and veggies because they are "healthier" I have been practicing by counting everything minus fiber. I don't know how to count sugar alcohols, so I haven't subtracted those***

There are some that are "free" foods - mostly veggies. Look up information on a diabetic diet and it will give you more information on what ones are included on that list, since obviously most diabetics have to monitor their carbs pretty closely.

DrDazzy13

You do count fruits as carbs (sugars) so when doing a low carb plan, you restrict fruits to just one meal a day (usually your first meal). So one apple as part of your breakfast would be enough fruits for the day. My coach says to stick to 'hard' fruits, as they have a decent glycemix rate and won't spike insulin as much. I continue to lose weight so I trust in him. Give it a try!

llamalland

Google "glycemic index". You will find a printable list (several, probably), with the glycemic value of zillions of foods. It's easy to choose your foods if you want to stay within certain carb limits.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I would eat half of a bannana and orang and less corn. You must count all carbs. The diabetic people shoot for 45grams a meal. I lost 10 pounds in one month that way.

No, a lot of Diabetics DO NOT shoot for 45 grams of carbs per meal. Sometimes that is more carbs than I eat in a whole day.

Most diabetics these days are not listening to the ADA and using low carb lifestyles to live medication free and not some slave to the pharmaceutical companies.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Thank you so much for your feedback everyone. I have not done much research on Keto diets or GI, so I will be checking into all of the resources you have provided me with.

*** I completely understand that carbs are carbs no matter where they are coming from, but I have heard some discussions about not counting fruits and veggies because they are "healthier" I have been practicing by counting everything minus fiber. I don't know how to count sugar alcohols, so I haven't subtracted those***

There are some that are "free" foods - mostly veggies. Look up information on a diabetic diet and it will give you more information on what ones are included on that list, since obviously most diabetics have to monitor their carbs pretty closely.

Nothing is a "free" food. Everything needs to be counted, especially if you are tracking food to see how your blood sugars react and such. Some vegetables can cause spikes also due to the sugar content.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

To the OP:

Everything that is not a fat or protein is a carb and should be counted as such. There are no free foods and I have found that the whole subtracting fiber thing is a way to fit more food in for the day.

I don't count "net" carbs. I count whole carbs.

Sharonks

I count whole carbs but review what I eat to determine how good or bad that is. The other day I had sugar free syrup and total carbs are high. My goal with low carbs is to control my blood sugar since I'm diabetic. I take oral meds which don't control me that well but due to the fact that I actually can have nearly normal reading at times they won't put me on anything stronger otherwise I'll go hypo too much.

If I follow the ADA diet, I have horrible BS readings. I eat about 60 total carbs a day. If I look at net carbs I'm usually around 40. I primarily get them from non starchy veggies, 1/2 to 1 piece of fruit per day, milk about 2 times a week, 1 piece of bread per day and the random bit that is in some cheese and meat and in nuts.

If I were just dieting low carb I think I would consider most non starchy veggies as free. To me, the big goal with reducing carbs for a normal person would be to eliminate almost all refined carbs and sugars. Reduce even whole grain breads, noodles, and starchy veggies. Obviously pretty much eliminate all refined sugar. I also think that being aware of the glycemic index is a good idea. For example, if you eat cereal for breakfast then eat oatmeal because it is a slow releaser of its sugar.

For those who aren't in a medical position to have to be super stringent with carbs, I think moderation is the most realistic life changes you can make. 15 years ago, I took off 20 lbs and kept it off until I became very ill and bedridden. I did it by being aware of how much food I ate at one time, reducing carbs, and exercising a little more.

Isolt

That is correct, carbs are carbs.Why go so low carb? It's probably not for the best to cut fruit and vegetables out of your diet.

Ummm you don't cut vegetables out of a low-carb diet - in fact quite the opposite, you eat tons of them...they just happen to be green vegetables rather than starchy root vegetables.

Isolt

Most diabetics these days are not listening to the ADA and using low carb lifestyles to live medication free and not some slave to the pharmaceutical companies.

Also worth looking at who funds the ADA and then asking yourselves whether the biggest drugs companies and manufacturers of 'junk' processed foods have a massive interest in Type II diabetics managing their condition with nothing more than raw food ingredients.

ElPumaMex

PS carbs are not bad (within the guidelines, of course...) carbs are in fact, brain food...

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. While I'll admit I have some bias as I've been doing keto for 6 weeks and have seen AMAZING results, from every bit of research I've looked at, there is literally NO reason that we HAVE to have carbs, and a myriad of reasons why we should avoid them. Yes, technically the brain requires some glucose, but that's only certain portions of the brain. The rest of the brain actually prefers fat as a fuel source.

For the part of the brain that does require glucose, you can get that from protein. There's literally no need for carbs. In the wild, our bodies didn't need them. They were harder to come by (as they were only available in fruits and some veggies), so our body learned to do with very little of them.

I respect the different approaches everyone has for reducing weight, but to claim carbs are plain bad for you, including the carbs from fruits, etc. is just plain extreme.

Please send me an email, with the studies where you have seen that there are a "myriad of reasons" to avoid carbs.

Sharonks

Most diabetics these days are not listening to the ADA and using low carb lifestyles to live medication free and not some slave to the pharmaceutical companies.

Also worth looking at who funds the ADA and then asking yourselves whether the biggest drugs companies and manufacturers of 'junk' processed foods have a massive interest in Type II diabetics managing their condition with nothing more than raw food ingredients.

I was gestational 23 years ago, which started my having to look at the ADA. Over the years I have found their advice pretty suspect. ACE (American College of Endocrinologist) has lower target blood glucose levels than ADA. Yet most drs. use the ADA levels. So my dr. thinks a 6.4 A1C is great but it's actually just barely under the 6.5 that ACE wants. I believe that the closer to non-diabetic BG I am the healthier I am.

If I ate ADA I would have to be on insulin since their per meal carbs for me are about what I eat in a whole day. That being said, I think the ADA diet would be great for someone who isn't diabetic and wants to eat healthier. It is very balanced, encourages lots of non starchy veggies, helps you watch fruit portions without eliminating them and limits starches to reasonable portions.

funkycamper

PS carbs are not bad (within the guidelines, of course...) carbs are in fact, brain food...

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. While I'll admit I have some bias as I've been doing keto for 6 weeks and have seen AMAZING results, from every bit of research I've looked at, there is literally NO reason that we HAVE to have carbs, and a myriad of reasons why we should avoid them. Yes, technically the brain requires some glucose, but that's only certain portions of the brain. The rest of the brain actually prefers fat as a fuel source.

For the part of the brain that does require glucose, you can get that from protein. There's literally no need for carbs. In the wild, our bodies didn't need them. They were harder to come by (as they were only available in fruits and some veggies), so our body learned to do with very little of them.

I respect the different approaches everyone has for reducing weight, but to claim carbs are plain bad for you, including the carbs from fruits, etc. is just plain extreme.

Please send me an email, with the studies where you have seen that there are a "myriad of reasons" to avoid carbs.

Oh, please. While I'm who you responded to, I can tell you that a too high of carb level is bad for people who are diabetic, insulin resistant, or have some other metabolic disorder that makes them sensitive to carbs. I currently average 80-100 grams/carb daily and am able to control my diabetes through diet and exercise alone. If I eat more on a regular basis, I have to go on oral medications to control my blood sugars.

To be honest, the more weight I'm losing, and the more intensely I'm exercising, and the more frequently I'm exercising intensely, the more carbs I can eat without having a negative impact on my blood sugar readings. And that's a good thing, imho, because I like the taste of carbs. I can also have occasional days eating much higher carb than my normal 80-100 without much impact. However, if I start stringing a bunch of higher carb days together in a row, my blood sugar levels start going way up.

People who are insulin resistant may not see their blood sugars go up because their pancreas is still capable of pumping out enough insulin to keep their blood sugars lower but this usually doesn't go on indefinitely and these people will most likely become diabetics if they don't get their weight, fitness level, and carb intake under control.

I function just fine on lower carbs. And I even functioned just fine back when I used to do 20-30 grams/day of carbs. All my lipids and other levels screened via blood tests are great and couldn't be better.

If people can eat more carbs without negative effects, they can. Nobody is saying this is the best eating plan for everybody (at least I haven't read that in this particular discussion). But there is no reason you need a lot of carbs either.

I just got home from an intense workout of 5min elliptical warm-up, then 15 minutes of circuit-training rotating through jump-squats, burpees, deadlifts, push-ups, reverse crunches and planks, then through it again, then a 10-minute "break" doing HIIT on the exercise bike, then 15 more minutes of that same circuit, then ending with 10 more minutes doing HIIT on the exercise bike, then a cool down and a stretch. The lack of a lot of carbs in my diet did not prevent me from being one of the fastest at getting through the circuits in my small-group class with a trainer, and I'm the oldest one in the group to boot.

I think you should explain why you think differently. But don't do it via email. Information should be shared with everybody on the boards so everybody can learn from it, imho.