Carbs good? Carbs bad?

willowdancer

It was my understanding that carbs act as fuel for the body when a person is being physically active. I am finishing up my first week of p90X and have not done a weigh in or anything so far, but I have started reading up on the Paleo diet and I watched Fat Head today. I am feeling conflicted on some of my basic diet principles.

Since July I have lost 20 pounds through eating as clean a diet as I can manage and heavy weight lifting. My four main carbs are Arnold's Double Fiber Whole Wheat bread, whole wheat bagels (half a bagel a day, but not every day), brown rice, and occasionally whole wheat pasta. Sometimes I have half a pack of Belvita breakfast cookies with my coffee because I like to live a little and being a bit naughty keeps me on track in the long run. The new information has made me feel like I am eating too many carbs, even though I was under the impression that they were good carbs; complex, slow digesting, nutritious.. This past week my diet has been for crap and 42% of my calories were from carbs. Based on what most government health agencies recommend 42% is on the low end of how many carbs a person should eat, but from the perspective of Paleo that's way mega high. However, I feel like I am pushing myself to work out hard every day (even my off days I give it my all to stretch and go on walks and enjoy myself in an active way)

I wanted to know what yall's opinions were on carbs when it comes to an active person. In my mind low carb diets are a great option for sedentary people, but what about those who work out for about an hour a day? I have searched the interwubs and the mfp forums and have ended up more conflicted than before I started.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

BehindBlueEyes988

There are different forms of carbs. They aren't all bad. I get all of mine through fruits and veggies, and the occasional almond crackers. Rice is good as well, but since I'm gluten intolerent I have to be careful about what I eat as far as rice goes. Skipping out on breads and pastas won't hurt unless you're about to run a marathon. The first week I noticed my gluten pains and stopped eating it I dropped 3 stubborn pounds. Just be sure you are getting carbs somewhere and they aren't the heavy sugar-laced ones!

sarahrbraun

carbs DO give you energy, but the average american diet is TOO carb heavy.

For me personally, less is better. I spent 3 months eating according to the MFP reccommendations, and I only lost 7 pounds. I cut carbs from 200g+ a day down to 100g net and the first week I lost 4.8lbs. The first month, a total of 8lbs. My first 3 months after cutting carbs was like 18lbs!

I get my carbs from a variety of places, but I don't eat much bread.