OMG CARBS ARE INDEED THE DEVIL HIMSLEF DISGUISED AS FOOD.

ichigo007

The only carbs your body needs are from those that are in fresh fruits and veggies.
Everything else is total crap.
The end.

Completely agree. I have been moving towards this letting go more and more from carbs from processed foods

PhilyPhresh

The only carbs your body needs are from those that are in fresh fruits and veggies.
Everything else is total crap.
The end.

^^THIS^^
...nuff said... :drinker:

maremare312

I myself have lost a little over 20 pounds following calorie restriction combined with strength and cardio. It's really that simple, and almost anyone can do it.

Oh well, gee golly, your twenty pound loss invalidates all of the low carb books and people who've lost weight. You're right, my 20 year struggle with my weight loss isn't being helped by eating low carb, I just need to do what you did! Thanks for setting us all straight.

ETA: I wish I was 20 again and knew everything....

teamtutu

Oh, also, for those mentioning active lifestyles. I will admit that it is hard for me to do longer, sustained high-intensity exercise when eating very low carb. If I have a long race (like the triathlon I did this weekend) I do eat some carbs before/during so that I have some calories that are quickly accessible for my body. I don't find this necessary with regular workouts (<1 hour). However, the benefit I get from eating this way greatly outweighs this sacrifice in performance.

This is exactly my point. I agree, a short, high intensity workout does not require any extra carbohydrates because your glycogen stores are large enough to give you the energy required for the workout. However, once you go over an hour of intense exercising, your glycogen stores become depleted and that when you hit the wall, or "bonk." The purpose of eating simple carbohydrates while doing longer activities is to prevent your body from depleting the glycogen stores so quickly, and to give you quick energy that your body needs to maintain the activity.

That why Gatorade is primarily sugar water.

Complex carbohydrates are a totally different story.

Yes...I agree with you, this is why some people doing low carb diets choose to "carb up" or cycle their carbs according to exercise (I'm not suggesting this is necessary). It is very easy to replenish those glycogen stores when you're going to need them - so it is unnecessary to eat carbs all the time to have adequate energy for such activities. I commute by bike most days (about 12 miles rounds trip) and run, swim, etc. I don't need to "carb up" for this stuff. When I feel like I'm going to need the easily-accessible calories I'll eat something with simple carbs to get me through the next hour. The 200 calories or so I eat will be burned off with the activity I'm doing. I can still eat low carb the rest of the time and maintain a good deficit.

Your body can only store so many carbohydrates as glycogen at once - so beyond a certain point surplus carbs are just stored as fat - so why not just eat fat in the first place (which is more satiating and doesn't mess with your insulin/blood sugar?).

Crochetluvr

Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body?

Why is it that people think a low carb diet is a FAD? Its NOT a fad. I have to be on a low carb diet because I am T2. And considering that AND my age, that sort of plan works for me....and the fat is NOT melting off, its coming off at a slow and steady rate. Now I am NOT scared of carbs....I do eat them and I don't understand why people want to eat NO carbs....that's near impossible and not practical. But low carb is just fine, thankyouverymuch.

BigCat175

Thanks for posting this article!!! Great timing for me. Cheers! BC

TravisBurns

Low Carb zealots would *kitten* themselves if they saw how many carbs I had on a frequent basis. lol

julimonster

LOLOLOL, too funny!!!!

AquaFitQueen

Ive been getting all my carbs from fruit and veg and it has helped to cut out bread and pasta except on occasion. Im not an Atkins or south beach fan, Im just find it is much more filling to eat 500grms of strawberries for 150 cals than a bagel for like 275. Im just trying to get more bang for my buck really and protein and fat fill you up faster and for longer.

jillybeanruns

I have been counting calories in, calories out for over 2 years. I have stalled for the past year and a half. NOTHING worked. I am finally trying Atkins, and if you do your research before blasting low-carb plans, you'd know it doesn't elminate ALL carbs. The carbs just come from vegetables instead of bread. What's so wrong with that? Just because something works for you, it doesn't work for all of us. I am proud to say that Atkins IS helping me bust through this dreadful plateau, and I feel a million times better since starting the program.

To each their own...I'm really tired of hearing people blast others choices.

Are you prepared to be low-carb for life? Because that weight and plateau is more likely to come back than not.

llstacy

Low Carb zealots would *kitten* themselves if they saw how many carbs I had on a frequent basis. lol

I think they just feel bad for you.

Espressocycle

I've given up bread, cereal and rice. Not because I'm going low carb, it's just that they were taking up precious room in my diet I prefer to reserve for pie.

ipag

llstacy

OK, I just keep seeing these stupid "no carb diet help pls" or "OMG I went over my carb limit what should I do??" Topics and just had to try and clear this up a little bit/.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/res_high_protein_diets.html

'Nuff said, honestly.

Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body? Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?

I myself have lost a little over 20 pounds following calorie restriction combined with strength and cardio. It's really that simple, and almost anyone can do it. Expend more than your put in for a CONSISTENT amount of time;that is ALL you need to do. : )

So please everybody stop depriving yourself of carbs and fearing carbs; when you eat GOOD foods, like whole grains and fresh vegetables, your body will thank you, and you will get the result you want!

I HAVE to eat low carb, I'm at high risk for cancer. Leave me alone.

lolabluola

Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body?

Cause people are lazy.

hmmmmmm I watch my carbs... I can eat a ton of veggies and not go over but throw in a doughnut and I'm way over or beer or anything I shouldn't have anyway. I try to work out 7 days a week ... I can assure you there is nothing lazy about low carb Watching my carbs is an easy way to cut out things I shouldn't be eating. I don't need sugar and pizza and cake and bagels and ice cream ... And it was the 'trick' that worked for me. Just a calorie deficit use to work when I was younger and was a lot more work than watching my sugar/carb intake ... this I can do for life ...

wareagle8706

If we have to reduce calorie intake carbohydrates seems a good place to start, given that there are none we need to eat. Most folks can take 125g of carbs out of their diet (500 calories) and leave fats and protein alone.

There's more energy in fat (9 vs 4) than carbs, and carbohydrates simply aren't a nutrient that you have to eat.

20 or 30g of carbs in a day would be a vegetable intake beyond what many can manage, if sticking to the lower carb veg. So I can eat a pound of veg and be under 20g of carbs.

Can you be more specific when you say carbs? Because you say "carbs simply aren't a nutrient that you have to eat." and I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by that.

teamtutu

LingOL

lolabluola

Ok, I wasn't going to comment on this until I saw this. Ummm....excuse me??!! You think I am lazy because I cut certain carbs?? I work full time, have 3 kids, run or workout most days and I am LAZY because of the way I CHOOSE to eat??!! Give me a friggin break!! I feel better when I don't eat a lot of carbs. My skin is better, I have more energy, I wake up with no alarm, I run better, workout better/harder. Man, I am one lazy mama!!

And being low carb is not a "fad". I have eaten low carb for years and will eat low carb forever and ever because I like it. I feel better. It's my lifestyle, not my "fad diet". Ok, go ahead and pick apart every word I've said and bash me for the way I choose to live. I'm so lazy I won't be able to come back to this rediculous conversation. :laugh:

I agree! I wasn't going to comment until I saw the lazy comment lol getting carbs from veggies instead of junk food isn't lazy!

tismyhardbody

Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body?

Cause people are lazy.

HHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAH now that was funny

AlabasterVerve

I HAVE to eat low carb, I'm at high risk for cancer. Leave me alone.

LOL :bigsmile:

jennkain97

the problem with all this is people who are on such strong low carb diets never really understand the difference between good carbs and bad carbs. Most of the people I know pretty much consider all carbs to be bad, which isn't the truth.

never? REALLY?? I understand the difference quite well. I also understand that if I eat any carbs besides fibrous veggies and some lower GI fruits, my weight loss stalls regardless of caloric deficit.

people really need to stop with the gross generalizations. you also need to realize that none of you really know as much as you think, or you never would have wound up on MFP in the first place.

jennkain97

Ok, I wasn't going to comment on this until I saw this. Ummm....excuse me??!! You think I am lazy because I cut certain carbs?? I work full time, have 3 kids, run or workout most days and I am LAZY because of the way I CHOOSE to eat??!! Give me a friggin break!! I feel better when I don't eat a lot of carbs. My skin is better, I have more energy, I wake up with no alarm, I run better, workout better/harder. Man, I am one lazy mama!!

And being low carb is not a "fad". I have eaten low carb for years and will eat low carb forever and ever because I like it. I feel better. It's my lifestyle, not my "fad diet". Ok, go ahead and pick apart every word I've said and bash me for the way I choose to live. I'm so lazy I won't be able to come back to this rediculous conversation. :laugh:

I agree! I wasn't going to comment until I saw the lazy comment lol getting carbs from veggies instead of junk food isn't lazy!

AMEN!!!

wareagle8706

That why Gatorade is primarily sugar water.

Complex carbohydrates are a totally different story.

Gatorade doesn't have that much sugar in it... just saying...

Sidesteal

I have the following opinions:

1) Low carb dieting is a legitimate method for some people in some contexts. Diabetics being one of them.

2) Carbs are not essential.

3) However, I think the reason that low carb diets may work is very misunderstood, which leads to people spouting BS about low carb diets, and I think that's a problem. They pick up a Taubes book, think that the cherry-picked studies are convincing, and then become convinced that carbs are the singular cause of obesity and that somehow the insulin fairy is out to make them fat.

There's a whole lot of people who do just fine creating a calorie deficit with moderate carb intake. There are some people who will have better success by creating a calorie deficit AND eating low carb.

It's a tool, it's viable for some people and it's far from an ideal choice for others.

wrinju

I knew it! There's always carbs on one shoulder and an angel on the other shoulder whenever I'm faced with a tough decision or a moral/ethical dilemma.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

PhilyPhresh

Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body?

Cause people are lazy.

I don't see how reading countless articles, reports, studies and books on proper nutritional needs is being lazy.... some of us ACTUALLY do this for overall health.

chivalryder

I have the following opinions:

1) Low carb dieting is a legitimate method for some people in some contexts. Diabetics being one of them.

2) Carbs are not essential.

3) However, I think the reason that low carb diets may work is very misunderstood, which leads to people spouting BS about low carb diets, and I think that's a problem. They pick up a Taubes book, think that the cherry-picked studies are convincing, and then become convinced that carbs are the singular cause of obesity and that somehow the insulin fairy is out to make them fat.

There's a whole lot of people who do just fine creating a calorie deficit with moderate carb intake. There are some people who will have better success by creating a calorie deficit AND eating low carb.

It's a tool, it's viable for some people and it's far from an ideal choice for others.

^This is what I'm talking about.

Tigiface

You mean FAT isn't the devil? :bigsmile:

meridian35

We are hunter/gatherers, not farmers/bakers. We are designed to eat meat and greenery when it is in season. Millions of years of evolution. i.e. carbs as a minimum and only in its raw state, veg, berries, nuts. Protein should form the major part of our diets if we are to function as we are intended. Sorry to those creationist amongst us

sarahrbraun

OK, I just keep seeing these stupid "no carb diet help pls" or "OMG I went over my carb limit what should I do??" Topics and just had to try and clear this up a little bit/.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/res_high_protein_diets.html

'Nuff said, honestly.

Why is it that people seem to think there's some special "trick" or shortcut to losing body fat? Why is it that people try to over-complicate weight loss by making up all these tricks and tips and fad diets (like the low carb or Atkins diets) that will supposedly just melt the fat off your body? Why would depriving your body of ANY crucial nutrient would be good, especially carbohydrates, which are the building blocks of energy?

I myself have lost a little over 20 pounds following calorie restriction combined with strength and cardio. It's really that simple, and almost anyone can do it. Expend more than your put in for a CONSISTENT amount of time;that is ALL you need to do. : )

So please everybody stop depriving yourself of carbs and fearing carbs; when you eat GOOD foods, like whole grains and fresh vegetables, your body will thank you, and you will get the result you want!

I ate the MFP suggested calories/macros, exercised 90 minutes 3-4 times a week ( 60min cardio, 30min strength) for THREE months and lost 7lbs.

I reduced my carbs from 200-300g per day to ~100g net per day and in the last 14 weeks I have lost another 19.4lbs There is no deprivation going on...I eat eggs and bacon every morning, a big salad or a wrap for lunch, and things like brisket and steamed veggies for dinner. If I want ice cream, I eat it...I just make it a mini instead of a full sized.