Question about Carbs

tamlynne32

Ok I need some help. I am not on any kind of low carb diet but I am trying to stay on the lower side of my carbs. Well I swear to you every meal I eat that has no carbs I feel like I am starving 10 minutes later. I try to help by drinking lots of water but it really doesn't do anything. So heres what my question is.. do you count your carbs? I do great with my calories but the carbs just kill me. I am sick of feeling so hungry that it makes me nauseous. I don't want to start any kind of debate on if you should count carbs or not I want to know what YOU do and if it works for you. Thanks!

Crochetluvr

I have to count carbs because I am T2, but I dont go NO carb....I do eat some. I substitute protein because that fills you. I always go over the protein limit....its no problem for me

hiker282

"They are young, they are tender, they are nice! Eat them! EAT THEM!"

sjcply

I eat 30% carbs 30% fat and 40% protein

jilliebk

there are bad/good carbs. Fruits r good carbs, so eat more fruits eat more stuff with Fiber!

mmarcy7

What is your typical no/low carb meal? I eat no grains and I am generally stuffed after a good meal. Eat tons of veggies and a big ole slab of meat.

GetFitE

Initially when you go on a low carb diet, your body IS going to feel hungry because it's not used to the new stuff you're putting in your body--after a few days your stomach will shrink down and you'll become more satiated with smaller meals (I did Atkins in the past and just started a carb detox on Sunday). Carbs are necessary for energy, but you want to monitor the TYPE of carbs you are eating: think BROWN for carbs (sweet potato, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and bread, natural oatmeal). And stick to eating a serving size (about 1/4 of your dinner plate--something I've struggled with, which is why I'm doing a carb detox now).

As another poster said: make sure you are taking in adequate protein--that too will help satiate you for longer period of time (protein should also cover 1/4th of your plate)--the other 1/2 of your plate should be veggies

rubysphoto

I would recommend some carbs just stay on the complex carb side so they digest slower and help keep you fuller then what simple carbs do. I personally try to keep mine to 20-30% of complex a day. Just my opinion.

IrishChik

My Dr. put me on a low carb plan 3 days ago. It really depends on the types of carbs too. I have a list of acceptable and not.

The thing is, no meal plan is the same for everyone. Its why some lost on Atkins and some don't, but others do just fine on South Beach or Paleo. Then, there are those who do Weight Watchers, stay within points and lose 50 easy. The rest struggle and might lose 10.

A lot of people here on MFP want to try to tell you that the way they eat is the only way you should eat.

My plan is based on my medical problems. If it happens to look a lot like a hybrid of Atkins and the Diabetic Diet, than so be it. I work of an exchange type plan. I get 11 carb counts a day. Each food item has a certain amount of carbs, that amount tells me how many carb exchanges I just ate.

I've been doing low-carb for a few weeks on my own. Slowly. It has been pretty easy.

I do eat bread, rice and pasta. But it is minimal and its whole grain/wheat, not white. On my Dr. meal plan this is allowed.

I am a huge advocate for seeing a nutritionist or a dietitian to work out a plan that will work for you so that you are not being deprived of the nutrition you need, will see results, and not feel like you are starving (i had this same problem).

IrishChik

your stomach will shrink down a

The whole "stomach shrink" is a huge misconception. Your stomach doesn't "shrink" it merely goes back to normal. You will still be able to eat the same about of food you always eat. "shrink" to most means "smaller"


http://www.eiu.edu/~dining/files/25 Common Food Myths.pdf
FACT: The only way to physically shrink your stomach is through surgical procedures. Your stomach expands to
accommodate the amount of food that you eat and goes back to its original size once the food passes on to the
intestines. The only effect cutting down on the amount of food will have on your stomach is your appetite but not
the size of the stomach itself.

MizCJ84

If counting carbs/limiting carbs is making you hungry, I think you are better off worrying about calories instead of carbs. It really is as simple as calories in calories out. You really only need to worry about your macros if you are training for something or have medical/dietary restrictions.

vytamindi

Gotta eat more fat. That's what works for me!

ETA: When I started out, I felt hungry ALL the time because I craved everything I couldn't have. Once that first week was under my belt, things have been so much easier for me!

valerie521

Get some Sweet Butter Lettuce (Fresh Express). Keep it on hand
or cuke's or peppers

Then when you are hungry, take the lettuce and have with just a little olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt (dab)
and it will fill you up and is quite yummy.

It will get you through the time you are adjusting and is a nice scack. I will eat the whole bag - no worries !

trvtrekker

Carbs are essential for normal body functioning, especially for your brain. If I cut too much on carbs I could feel the diff right away. I try to keep it at around 50%. Tough for someone that grew up eating rice all along. But these days I try to get mine from fruits (majority, yum!), vegetables and whole grains (complex carb). I try to stay away from processed carbs and added sugar.

tigersword

Carbs and protein both affect satiety. Some people feel full eating more protein, some people feel full eating more carbs.

waitingpatiently

My Dr. put me on a low carb plan 3 days ago. It really depends on the types of carbs too. I have a list of acceptable and not.

The thing is, no meal plan is the same for everyone. Its why some lost on Atkins and some don't, but others do just fine on South Beach or Paleo. Then, there are those who do Weight Watchers, stay within points and lose 50 easy. The rest struggle and might lose 10.

A lot of people here on MFP want to try to tell you that the way they eat is the only way you should eat.

My plan is based on my medical problems. If it happens to look a lot like a hybrid of Atkins and the Diabetic Diet, than so be it. I work of an exchange type plan. I get 11 carb counts a day. Each food item has a certain amount of carbs, that amount tells me how many carb exchanges I just ate.

I've been doing low-carb for a few weeks on my own. Slowly. It has been pretty easy.

I do eat bread, rice and pasta. But it is minimal and its whole grain/wheat, not white. On my Dr. meal plan this is allowed.

I am a huge advocate for seeing a nutritionist or a dietitian to work out a plan that will work for you so that you are not being deprived of the nutrition you need, will see results, and not feel like you are starving (i had this same problem).

I agree with a lot of what Irishchick said. we all are different...Its not as simple as calories in calories out. take the last 3 weeks. Since january, when I started a low carb diet, I have consistently lost an average of 2 pounds a week.... untill My June appointment with my nutritionist. She advised me to increase my carbs from a max of 40 to a max of 60. I was reluctunt but complied. I kept the same workout schedule and ate the same 900 calories that I always do and at the end of the week I lost nothing!! Not one pound!! This was the first time I have not lost at least 1 pound. So to say the least This past week I dropped the carbs back to below 40 and low and behold I lost 2 pounds this week.

So I guess my point is, we AREN'T all built the same. It really does matter what we type of foods we eat. And What works for one person might not work for another. The key is to find what works for you. And when you do find it, don't let others talk you into doing something different. The low carb thing works for me...but it might not work for you. Just keep trying to figure out what your body responds best to.

tigersword

900 calories? Why so low?

Also, that's a simple explanation. You only gave it one week. Increasing carbohydrates leads to temporary water weight storage, which leads to temporary weight gain/stall. Lowering carbs leads to water weight loss. Fat loss is actually the same either way. Using your example, that would be 20 grams of carbs per day more, which is 140 grams for the week. That would lead to about 420 grams of water being stored for the week, which is about a pound. If you had kept going, you would've gone right back to your regular weight loss once your body finished regulating itself.

toomuchsweetness

I eat the carbs the chart says I am allowed. I always eat bread and potatoes and pasta and next to never to I ever run out of what I am given. gl

toomuchsweetness

My Dr. put me on a low carb plan 3 days ago. It really depends on the types of carbs too. I have a list of acceptable and not.

The thing is, no meal plan is the same for everyone. Its why some lost on Atkins and some don't, but others do just fine on South Beach or Paleo. Then, there are those who do Weight Watchers, stay within points and lose 50 easy. The rest struggle and might lose 10.

A lot of people here on MFP want to try to tell you that the way they eat is the only way you should eat.

My plan is based on my medical problems. If it happens to look a lot like a hybrid of Atkins and the Diabetic Diet, than so be it. I work of an exchange type plan. I get 11 carb counts a day. Each food item has a certain amount of carbs, that amount tells me how many carb exchanges I just ate.

I've been doing low-carb for a few weeks on my own. Slowly. It has been pretty easy.

I do eat bread, rice and pasta. But it is minimal and its whole grain/wheat, not white. On my Dr. meal plan this is allowed.

I am a huge advocate for seeing a nutritionist or a dietitian to work out a plan that will work for you so that you are not being deprived of the nutrition you need, will see results, and not feel like you are starving (i had this same problem).

I agree with a lot of what Irishchick said. we all are different...Its not as simple as calories in calories out. take the last 3 weeks. Since january, when I started a low carb diet, I have consistently lost an average of 2 pounds a week.... untill My June appointment with my nutritionist. She advised me to increase my carbs from a max of 40 to a max of 60. I was reluctunt but complied. I kept the same workout schedule and ate the same 900 calories that I always do and at the end of the week I lost nothing!! Not one pound!! This was the first time I have not lost at least 1 pound. So to say the least This past week I dropped the carbs back to below 40 and low and behold I lost 2 pounds this week.

So I guess my point is, we AREN'T all built the same. It really does matter what we type of foods we eat. And What works for one person might not work for another. The key is to find what works for you. And when you do find it, don't let others talk you into doing something different. The low carb thing works for me...but it might not work for you. Just keep trying to figure out what your body responds best to.

I would starve on 900 calories!

una48

I saw a dietician recently who told me that 230 grams of carbs is what I should be eating, and that Idefinitely shouldn't reduce my carb intake to less that 130gms ( I am diabetic).

I wouldn't worry about the carbs if I were you, everyone needs them as a part of a healthy balanced diet.

suziecue66

I saw a dietician recently who told me that 230 grams of carbs is what I should be eating, and that Idefinitely shouldn't reduce my carb intake to less that 130gms ( I am diabetic).

I wouldn't worry about the carbs if I were you, everyone needs them as a part of a healthy balanced diet.

Are you insulin dependent type 1 or type 2?

raystark

I saw a dietician recently who told me that 230 grams of carbs is what I should be eating, and that Idefinitely shouldn't reduce my carb intake to less that 130gms ( I am diabetic).

I wouldn't worry about the carbs if I were you, everyone needs them as a part of a healthy balanced diet.

As a type 2 diabetic there is simply no way I could keep my blood glucose at a reasonable level if I were ingesting that amount of carbs daily. Good luck to you.

Defren

Gotta eat more fat. That's what works for me!

ETA: When I started out, I felt hungry ALL the time because I craved everything I couldn't have. Once that first week was under my belt, things have been so much easier for me!

Me too. I only eat at most 25g of carbs a day, but I do eat quite a bit of healthy fats. I'm a T2 diabetic so have to stay away from carbs, so to replace them, fat works for me.

Defren

I saw a dietician recently who told me that 230 grams of carbs is what I should be eating, and that Idefinitely shouldn't reduce my carb intake to less that 130gms ( I am diabetic).

I wouldn't worry about the carbs if I were you, everyone needs them as a part of a healthy balanced diet.

Carbs in those levels will push my BG up to very dangerous levels. I eat an absolute maximum of 25g a day, and most of those are from fresh veggies.

Ijoycereimer

Good for you that you're watching your carbs. I've adopted that lifestyle (somewhat) for the past 4 or 5 years. What I mainly do is make sure I'm eating enough protein... go crazy on the amount of beef and chicken you eat. If you do that you shouldn't feel empty. It definitely works. I'm an old broad, but I know what I know.

suziecue66

I saw a dietician recently who told me that 230 grams of carbs is what I should be eating, and that Idefinitely shouldn't reduce my carb intake to less that 130gms ( I am diabetic).

I wouldn't worry about the carbs if I were you, everyone needs them as a part of a healthy balanced diet.

Carbs in those levels will push my BG up to very dangerous levels. I eat an absolute maximum of 25g a day, and most of those are from fresh veggies.

I read the commenter above is type 2. I was thinking as well that 230g a lot. But commenter appears to be losing weight and BG levels must be good?

tidmutt

Initially when you go on a low carb diet, your body IS going to feel hungry because it's not used to the new stuff you're putting in your body--after a few days your stomach will shrink down and you'll become more satiated with smaller meals (I did Atkins in the past and just started a carb detox on Sunday). Carbs are necessary for energy, but you want to monitor the TYPE of carbs you are eating: think BROWN for carbs (sweet potato, brown rice, whole wheat pasta and bread, natural oatmeal). And stick to eating a serving size (about 1/4 of your dinner plate--something I've struggled with, which is why I'm doing a carb detox now).

As another poster said: make sure you are taking in adequate protein--that too will help satiate you for longer period of time (protein should also cover 1/4th of your plate)--the other 1/2 of your plate should be veggies

Although I mostly agree with this, you don't "need carbs for energy".

To the OP, definitely do what works for you. I've found I can lose weight with any ratio of macros but that I feel more satiated when eating higher protein and fat and lower carb. I also seem to have less IBS related issues and feel better. Overall I think I'm personally better off low carb (20 - 60g a day). YMMV.