can you eat carbs and lose weight?

solarpower03

You would lose weights with carbs. But once you have become lean, you would have to play with carbs to get ripped.

Marks281172

Yup im a bit carb eater and big exerciser... i could only ever low carb if i was a couch slob but i have no desire to be skinny yet unhealthy and unfit.

derrickhuynh

Yes, eating carbs is very beneficial for you especially if you workout or lift weights. The thing is there are different types of carbs: simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs (such as white bread, white rice, basically any simple sugars) gets digested quickly and causes what we know as insulin spikes which is usually what we not want to happen as it can lead to the body storing it unnecessarily. Complex carbs (such as brown rice, whole wheat pastas, whole grain breads, sweet potatoes) gets digested more slowly and gives us a much steadier insulin rise throughout the day, and this is what we want to happen throughout the day.

Now this is a very blanket statement, but choosing complex carbs throughout the day is the the preferable route in healthy food choices. Of course this does not mean you can eat all the complex carbs you want, and you should still eat in moderation. With that said, the only time I would ingest simple carbs is post-workout in my protein shake when your muscles glycogen (muscles stored energy) is depleted and you want your body to replenish it quickly. Overall these are very general statements and I recommend reading up articles such as from www.bodybuilding.com to get a better understanding of diet and nutrition.

sarahrbraun

I don't really understand what to eat! some people say don't eat carbs and other say eat?
and i don't mean fruits but bread, pasta cereal ...

some people have a metabolic issue similar to that of a diabetic. In my case, my insulin gets ineffective, so my body produces more and more of it to try and metabolize carbs. Eventually, my pancreas could wear out and stop functioning all together, thus making me an insulin dependent type 1 diabetic. My doctor told me that the way to reduce my insulin levels was to reduce the amount of carbs I eat, thus reducing my need for my pancreas to work as hard. The last time I reduced carbs to 50-100g per day, I lost 20 pounds in about 9 weeks, and reversed my ( undiagnosed) secondary infertility--I got pregnant with my youngest son.

Six years later, I have gained back 70 pounds eating the wrong way. I spent 3 months eating a *normal* diet--what MFP suggested according to my stats I gave--and only lost 7 pounds. I threw those reccomendations out the window and went back to my lower carb diet, and lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks--exact same exercise plan! It seems clear to me that MY body works better if I do not eat as many carbs--especially from bread, pasta, sweets, etc. I do eat carbs, but most of them are from fruits and veggies.

RudeGyrl78

Listen! Carbs essentially breakdown to sugar that's why most will say to stay away from it. You CAN have Carbs, but in moderation like anything else...your body needs Carbs to help fuel your body! You need adequate even amounts of everything. I WILL tell you that if you cut out Carbs for atleast 2-4 weeks you WILL see a major difference in just that small amount of time, but you can't NOT have Carbs forever...hope this helps!!

dittmarml

Carbs aren't the problem.

All the fat that gets snuck into carbs (check out "fat" content in most cereals, in many breads, in almost all crackers, etc.) is problem #1.

Simple carbs that are not filling and are easily broken down by the body but high in calories (by weight) are problem #2.

Thanks to the great Western food-processing machine, these tend to go together - example - potato chips.


Complex carbs can't do anything but help you (assuming you're not binging.) Personally I'm a fan of potatoes...I just don't add any fat to them.

wazzuteacher

Like others have said, you need to be eating good carbs like from whole grains etc. You also need to know what works for you. Everyone is different on how they react to carbohydrates. Test it out and see what works best in your diet as to how many you can take in.

Liverpool_Chris

I've only been a member for 5 days, but already I can see that I rely too heavily on carbs and don't get enough protein. I very rarely eat meat, so mostly eat a vegetarian diet. Any suggestions on how I can eat more protein and less carbs? I already have beans and legumes coming out of my ears!

tobnrn

some people have a metabolic issue similar to that of a diabetic. In my case, my insulin gets ineffective, so my body produces more and more of it to try and metabolize carbs. Eventually, my pancreas could wear out and stop functioning all together, thus making me an insulin dependent type 1 diabetic. My doctor told me that the way to reduce my insulin levels was to reduce the amount of carbs I eat, thus reducing my need for my pancreas to work as hard.

All I can say to that is WOW. That is total BS. I think you misunderstood your DR.

MoreBean13

Of course you can eat carbs and lose weight. The only reason to stay away from carbs is that people tend to overeat them like crazy, and then don't have room within their reduced calorie limits to get enough protein and fat.

Meet your protein and fat goals first, then go wild with carbs- within your calorie limit of course. :laugh:

Christine1110

I only eat good carbs...fruits & veggies. I don't eat processed ones. I'm losing really good right now!!

NoAdditives

I don't really understand what to eat! some people say don't eat carbs and other say eat?
and i don't mean fruits but bread, pasta cereal ...

I'm eating cereal right now.

wackyfunster

Wow, OP, sorry you have to wade through so much BS. Here is the short version:
The only macronutrient (macronutrients being carbs, protein, and fat) that matters when losing weight is protein. Inadequate protein intake will lead to loss of lean body mass, which will lead to a reduction in basal metabolic rate, and will result in poor aesthetic results at the end of your weight loss. If you are not weight training (which you really should be), eat 1g/pound lean body mass. If you are weight training, eat 1.5g/pound.
Fat and carbs do not matter at all if eating at a deficit. The only time this changes is if you are at the lower bounds of body fat and trying to get ripped (trying to get below 15-18% as a woman, or 8-10% as a man), at which point there are a lot more considerations. UNTIL THEN, just ignore everyone who talks about carbs this, fat that. It doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are at a deficit, and getting enough protein.

Law of thermodynamics FTW.

If you want evidence, you can look at my diary. Since I started logging here in Jan/Feb, I have gone from 145 lbs to 130, cutting down to around 7% body fat, and am currently around 140 bulking back up, still in the single digits. ANY bodybuilder or marathon runner/cyclist consumes at least several hundred grams of carbs on training days (marathoners can do over 1000g of sugar in a day easily... that's one thousand grams). Compare their level of fitness to your average low-carber, and draw your own conclusions.

carld256

Yeah, there's plenty of nonsense going around alright. You don't need that much protein.

wackyfunster

Yeah, there's plenty of nonsense going around alright. You don't need that much protein.

Glad you know more than Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon on the subject! Watch out folks, we have a bad**s here!

carld256

Yeah, there's plenty of nonsense going around alright. You don't need that much protein.

Glad you know more than Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon on the subject! Watch out folks, we have a bad**s here!

The USDA and WHO both set the protein requirement at .6, and that includes a generous margin for error.

FitBarbie2986

Thanks for posting this,i was wondering the same

wackyfunster

Yeah, there's plenty of nonsense going around alright. You don't need that much protein.

Glad you know more than Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon on the subject! Watch out folks, we have a bad**s here!

The USDA and WHO both set the protein requirement at .6, and that includes a generous margin for error.

0.6 is fine for sedentary individuals eating TDEE. Eat at a deficit, and requirements increase if you want to retain lean body mass. Add weight training and they increase further. There are hundreds of studies that have documented this.

shaunasoares

Yes I eat them, I have two pieces of rye bread every morning with peanut butter and jam! And the weight keeps falling off me!
Good luck!!!

basillowe66

I was on the Adkins which is all about carbs, they limit to about 20 carbs for the 1st 3 or 4 weeks. You do that and you can lose weight.

mfp_junkie

I dropped 30 pounds last year by...ready for this...by eating less. Yes, less carbs, but less fat and less sugars, too. Just less than I was. I avoid nothing. I eat less of some things, more of others, but there are no "bad" foods in my diet.

I eat fairly well 90% of the time - fruits, veggies, lean meats, and yes, bread, bagels, pasta and other carbs. I also drink coffee with cream and sugar. Still lost weight doing it too.

I only watch that I keep my fat calories at 30% or lower, and keeping my sodium in check but I ignore the carb count. Working for me so far!

mfpcopine

Carbs tend to be high calorie, so an easy way to reduce calories is to eliminate things like pasta, rice and bread. But many foods, including vegetables, have carbs. Look at the nutritional listing.

You should be able to lose weight if you stay under your calorie max.

LilMissFoodie

Yeah, there's plenty of nonsense going around alright. You don't need that much protein.

Glad you know more than Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon on the subject! Watch out folks, we have a bad**s here!

Here is some information written by the Australian Institute of Sport dietitians http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/basics/protein_-_how_much. Note that the gram amounts recommended are per kg not per pound and are therefore all much lower than 1.5g/pound. I would trust a registered dietitian before I trusted one of those guys, but then I am one so I'm biased

bobbybdoe

Yes, you can eat carbs - end of story.

paulsmisses

You can eat anything and lose weight. I do not eat clean I try to eat healthier but I do not always succeed in that either, as long as you can control your portion sizes and learn to measure things, you can lose weight. Your body needs good carbs for brain function. I refuse to deprive myself, it's a life style change and if I deprive myself of things I won't stick with it. I've lost 120lbs just by moderation and portion control. I have tried to deprive myself and it didn't work for me. I have learned that I can eat what I want as long as I count it into my day.

this is my theory too - i never deprive myself of what i want or regular family meals - i just eat smaller portions that fit in with my calorie count for the day x

Sidesteal

Yeah, there's plenty of nonsense going around alright. You don't need that much protein.

Glad you know more than Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon on the subject! Watch out folks, we have a bad**s here!

Here is some information written by the Australian Institute of Sport dietitians http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/basics/protein_-_how_much. Note that the gram amounts recommended are per kg not per pound and are therefore all much lower than 1.5g/pound. I would trust a registered dietitian before I trusted one of those guys, but then I am one so I'm biased

Protein intake needs are relevant to ones goals. If retaining lean mass is your goal, intake needs increase.

Also, your link seems to indicate that the method used to test for adequate protein intake was nitrogen balance. Nitrogen balance methods are not exactly accurate as they tend to under-estimate an individuals needs due to protein turnover that occurs in places other than skeletal muscle.

Lastly, if you don't know who "one of those guys" is, you might want to familiarize yourself with both of them. You might eventually choose to take their information over most other peoples as their qualifications far exceed most registered dieticians, no offense intended. I'd throw James Krieger in that list as well.

stinamarie17

if you don't eat carbs, your body WILL start to metabolize fats faster than normal... buuuuut you run the risk of developing ketoacidosis which can be fatal.... your body NEEDS carbs, just stick to your calorie counting and try eating more whole grain (which also helps burn fat)

CyberEd312

Man I hope so cause that has been my approach... Have never ate less than 240 grams of carbs a day and actually have upped them over the last 3 years of this journey to 320 grams of carbs a day currently and have managed to lose 307 lbs... So for me anyway carbs are my friend!!! :drinker: Best of Luck.....

michaelinnc84

if you don't eat carbs, your body WILL start to metabolize fats faster than normal... buuuuut you run the risk of developing ketoacidosis which can be fatal.... your body NEEDS carbs, just stick to your calorie counting and try eating more whole grain (which also helps burn fat)

I think what your thinking about is Ketosis, which is a lot different then ketoacidosis. Ketosis is not fatal. Ketoacidosis is caused by type 1 diabetes not low carbs.

sarahrbraun

some people have a metabolic issue similar to that of a diabetic. In my case, my insulin gets ineffective, so my body produces more and more of it to try and metabolize carbs. Eventually, my pancreas could wear out and stop functioning all together, thus making me an insulin dependent type 1 diabetic. My doctor told me that the way to reduce my insulin levels was to reduce the amount of carbs I eat, thus reducing my need for my pancreas to work as hard.

All I can say to that is WOW. That is total BS. I think you misunderstood your DR.

No...I'm pretty sure I understood her. She said that IF I didn't get my insulin levels under control, my pancreas could stop functioning and I would become insulin dependent. I KNOW this can happen--something similar happened to my friend's son--he was fine one day, got pancreatitis, and was released from the hospital on Insulin. He was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I also VERY clearly remember her telling me that my insulin was *bad* and my body was making more and more in an effort to do the same job.