CARBS!!!! UGH! What is the TRUTH?!!!?!?!?!?!!

rml_16

Anything you eat that you do not use for fuel (carbs, protein, fat) is stored as fat.

Unless you have a medical condition, there's no reason you can't eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes carbs.

And also this:

i think it's different for everyone. some will says carbs is good for them some are not. i suggest listen to you your body.

tigersword

Whole grains that you buy in a package at a store aren't nessesarily processed. If you are concerned about them being processed read the ingredient information to be sure there aren't artificial preservatives added. Carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact. As long as you eat a balanced diet and have a calorie deflect you will loose weight.

Can you please provide peer-reviewed studies that prove that, as you say, "carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact."? I hate being that jerk but if you have actual factual evidence I would love to see it, considering I live a very low carb lifestyle and have done my research and homework, and I am unsure how one could believe that excess carbohydrates are not stored as fat.

Excess anything will be stored as fat, in the case of caloric surplus. In the case of caloric balance, or caloric deficit, nothing will be stored as fat. It's human biology 101.

ged630

This has been a large part of my frustrations over the years. I truly believe that it is possible to find opposite research for EVERYTHING! I also believe that two people can do the same exact things diet and exercise wise and one can loss weight and the other can gain.

For me I had to find what works for me. After much research about PCOS I finally found the answer for me. If eating the right amount of calories alone doesn’t work for you, you might want to check with your Dr to see if you have any underlying issues. I am glad I did. After years of eating right, I have finally lost most of the pounds and I feel better than I can ever remember feeling!!

itsjustdawn

Whole grains that you buy in a package at a store aren't nessesarily processed. If you are concerned about them being processed read the ingredient information to be sure there aren't artificial preservatives added. Carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact. As long as you eat a balanced diet and have a calorie deflect you will loose weight.

Well, i wish that were as true and simple as it sounds. I have consistently had a deficit with food and or exercise and have lost no more than a few lbs a month. June 9 will be six months for me and I have lost 14 lbs. ..
I haven't been perfect all along the way. But I have stayed sometimes with a 1000+ deficient ...but mostly with 500-700 deficient.
Just trying to figure out what is right for me. It's not been easy.

Research your TDEE and BMR to find out where you should be eating to lose weight....

Bailey543

This. EXACTLY this....all of it...

MY truth, and I am not a nutritionist or a scientist or anyone else important, is that until I cut the carbs, I couldn't lose an ounce. My body had no idea how to use fat as fuel. Since I eat under 20g carbs a day, my body is re-learning how to fuel itself. I have never felt better, or stronger, and I'm losing weight.

But be prepared for the amount of drama this thread is going to cause.

AggieCass09

Whole grains that you buy in a package at a store aren't nessesarily processed. If you are concerned about them being processed read the ingredient information to be sure there aren't artificial preservatives added. Carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact. As long as you eat a balanced diet and have a calorie deflect you will loose weight.

Well, i wish that were as true and simple as it sounds. I have consistently had a deficit with food and or exercise and have lost no more than a few lbs a month. June 9 will be six months for me and I have lost 14 lbs. ..
I haven't been perfect all along the way. But I have stayed sometimes with a 1000+ deficient ...but mostly with 500-700 deficient.
Just trying to figure out what is right for me. It's not been easy.

it could be too large of a deficit for your body to function, especially if you are exercising hard...try more like a 200-300 deficit...my body complains (by holding on to weight) if i eat too far below 200-300 deficit since i exercise 9x a week

tigersword

That's way too many carbs for me. I'd be hungry all the time if I did that consistently. I go for 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein.

Eating fewer calories is what will make you lose the fat.

Not necessarily. I have friends on here that eat 2000-2500 calories, who also work out, and they are losing weight regularly. So define "fewer calories" :-)

Fewer calories = less than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. If my TDEE is 5000 calories per day, and I eat 4500, I'm eating "fewer calories."

HauteP1nk

Eating right is for life.

Could I live without carbs? NO! So, I include them in my diet. I haven't cut anything out except junk food (and even that I have on occasion).

It is all about finding a balance and eating everything in moderation. By cutting carbs out now I could potentially drop the weight a lot faster but then as soon as I go back to eating carbs I'd pick-up the weight faster than I lost it!

So...slow and steady wins the race.

Carbs are essential to any balanced diet. Focus on fruits and veggies and whole grains.

dalmiechick45

please also note that everyones bodies are different, and while some ppl may process carbs like a champ and never bloat or gain, others may not- I no longer have my thyroid gland and have pretty much become what I call carb intolerant LOL- now I eat fruits, veggies, etc, but bread, starches etc.... I limit..

SGRhapsodos

I have celiac disease and the only way to get it under control was withdrawing from all grains including rice and pseudo grains like quinoa. That being said, I find that going lower carb (I was a carb junkie before being diagnosed) has greatly improved my energy and mood, however; going too low carb was very damaging for my body and it caused me to drop to an unsightly 100 lbs. The key is to find the amount of carbs that is right for you. For example, I usually go higher carb on workout days and even higher on cardio days. On rest days, I can go lower carb. I think you're doing the right thing by eating healthy carbs such as sweet potatoes and fruits. Starchy veggies are great source too. Add me as a friend to see how we can help each other.

mgmlap

I do about 20% carbs because I have Insulin Resistance and Hypothyroidism. I have been able to maintain my weight since Thanksgiving. You have to see what works for you..For those of us who have metabolic issues ...do make the change cause we have no choice. If i didnt have to give up carbs..I wouldnt..but then I wouldnt lose weight..

sunshinedazed

Whole grains that you buy in a package at a store aren't nessesarily processed. If you are concerned about them being processed read the ingredient information to be sure there aren't artificial preservatives added. Carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact. As long as you eat a balanced diet and have a calorie deflect you will loose weight.

Can you please provide peer-reviewed studies that prove that, as you say, "carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact."? I hate being that jerk but if you have actual factual evidence I would love to see it, considering I live a very low carb lifestyle and have done my research and homework, and I am unsure how one could believe that excess carbohydrates are not stored as fat.

Excess anything will be stored as fat, in the case of caloric surplus. In the case of caloric balance, or caloric deficit, nothing will be stored as fat. It's human biology 101.

You're kind of making MY case, actually, though I think you meant to argue with me. The average person takes in so many carbs a day that there is NO WAY a non-active person could EVER burn them off. And, let's face it, there's a whole lot of inactive people out there.

For me, personally, I use this site to actively manage input and output, as well as to hold myself accountable; I will not say that it's 100%, but most people eating low-carb find themselves naturally at a low caloric intake. I'm absolutely not saying that low carb is for everyone. We all digest and process things differently. As explained to me by a dietician, somewhere in the high percentiles of people actually are gluten intolerant, and I think that is a big benefit - as detailed by other posters - of eating low carb, just a healthier system over all.

You will lose weight at a caloric deficit unless, like myself and others, you have some medical reason why you will not. No diet plan, exercise plan, or lifestyle change should be undergone without adequate advice and supervision from a healthcare professional. They may not provide you with the dietary change that will be what's best for YOU but you will know where you're starting off from, and what your hurdles along the way might be.

FitForeverAgain

Calories Consumed < Calories Burned = Weight Loss

Too often we try to make things too complicated. The above is the answer. Don't get me wrong, I believe when I eat a carb rich diet that I tend to consume more calories, and it's a gateway for me to overeat. But again, this is a "micro-economic" view point. The "macro-economic" viewpoint is the above equation. Burn more calories than you consumer on a regular basis, and over time you will lose weight. In short, do more, eat less.

You don't need HCG or HGC or whatever the latest fad is, you need to work out hard, and eat quality food to replenish your body in amounts that are slightly less that what you've burned - the weight will come off. If it's not - then work harder, eat smarter. Best of luck.

Robin_Bin

Sounds like you may have a reaction to some sources of carbohydrates. Gluten or wheat allergies or sensitivities? That would cause the bloating, but just eating too many carbs is not likely to cause that.

stephaniekneld

Hi Katie.... I think that you will not ever find out the "truth" about carbs. There are many reasons why there are so many varying opinions and positions about them. I read the book "Good Carbs Bad Carbs" by Gary Taubes. The rival book "The China Study" states the opposite. Who to believe?? Well... listen to your body. Dr. Atkins diet is pretty up front about how many carbs to eat daily, but not many people read the entire book to see that the low carb diet he wrote about is NOT just eating NO carbs. It is finding out HOW MANY YOU CAN EAT without weight gain. It is then up to you to stay within that limit. Most people on average eat about 600 g's of carbs per day, many of those the simple carbs that come from processed foods like white bread, rice, sugar... the evil white stuff. The reality should be that you eat about 60 to 70 carb grams per day. Most people can maintain a weight loss at that level, yet enjoy a piece of bread too, or some ice cream on occasion. For me, I do best with less to none of the processed simple carbs, and very few complex carbs. You may be different.... that is why Dr. Atkins states in his diet book that once the induction phase is over, you begin to add carbs ( complex... never simple ones) back into your diet at the rate of 10 per week. You then continue to eat the induction with the addition of those added carbs. You continue to do this until you are no longer losing weight. When you see a gain with an addition of carbs, then back off about 20 carbs, and you have your daily carb number that you can consume without weight gain. So, let's say that you start and by week 8 after induction, you now are at 80 carb grams per day. You notice that you are no longer losing, but are gaining. You now look at your carbs, and back off by 20.... so now your new total carb grams per day is 60. This is the amount of carbs you can s-a-f-e-l-y consume each day and not gain weight. Our bodies are amazing machines.... trust yours to tell you what it needs... not what it wants!

_Kitten_Kate

Whole grains that you buy in a package at a store aren't nessesarily processed. If you are concerned about them being processed read the ingredient information to be sure there aren't artificial preservatives added. Carbs being stored as fat isn't a fact. As long as you eat a balanced diet and have a calorie deflect you will loose weight.

Well, i wish that were as true and simple as it sounds. I have consistently had a deficit with food and or exercise and have lost no more than a few lbs a month. June 9 will be six months for me and I have lost 14 lbs. ..
I haven't been perfect all along the way. But I have stayed sometimes with a 1000+ deficient ...but mostly with 500-700 deficient.
Just trying to figure out what is right for me. It's not been easy.

Research your TDEE and BMR to find out where you should be eating to lose weight....

I did that today.. if you read the original post... with the link to other post...
I had my RMR tested today. It's 1757... with a Est TDEE of 2465.

cyclerjenn

every one is different and you need to figure out what works for you.

I am a endurance athlete and I have always eaten a lot of carbs, but now with my body changes I can not processes them the same any longer and have been gaining weight. With the help of a dietitian and my doctor we have started a new diet that was increased my energy level and I have lot 5 pounds in 1 week. I have also noticed a difference in my performance. This diet is only 30% carbs from fruit and grains, I can have unlimited veggies. The rest is made up of protein and fat. So far it is working, but I can not tell you about any long term effects yet. Too early.

2012newbie

My experience is that cutting carbs actually reduces cholesterol and triglycerides in my family and myself better than going lowfat or nofat ever did. have done strict low carb less than 20 grams a day and lost weight, I've also lost cutting calories in the past but was hungry all the time and it did not have a great effect on the chol and triglyceride problem (we have a genetic problem that has been followed for years in our family with high levels of chol and triglyceride. Since December by cutting my carbs ON MY OWN my chol came down from (800!!) and my triglycerides came down from over 5000 (yes I did so genetic problem), to just over 150 for chol and about 200 for triglycerides. Since that time I've also lost 62 lbs, and my blood sugar has been cut from a1c of over 12 to about 7, bp has been running around 110 over 70 now and was pretty high. So this is my truth, and even my drs. are now believers that this is working way better for me than the ADA diet that never worked for me at all. I'm never hungry, I do tend to also watch my calories, they go between 1350 and 1500 or a little more. I don't exercise excessively but try to walk on my treadmill and be up moving around more, maybe 1/2 hour to an hour a day. From the beginning of lowcarbing I've been dealing with the naysayers and I just
tune then out, while I'm getting thinner and healthier, they just don't want to believe that anyone can get healthier this way but I'm
proof that it works. I usually keep my carbs around 50-60 a day and make sure the ones I do eat have fiber in them to reduce them a little further.

Sarah_Wins

Just look at those of us losing massive amounts of weight and you'll get your answer in cold, hard facts. The low carb haters will crucify me for this, but Dr Atkins' plan (under 20g net carb/day) is what FINALLY got my fat *kitten* burning like crazy, lowered my blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc and my family and friends say I'm much more peasant to be around. I'm happier and healthier than I've ever been in my life, and it's only been 7 months. Do what feels right for YOUR body and ignore everyone but your doctor!

stephaniekneld

AMEN SISTER SARAH!!!!! i AGREE!!!!