Calories/Carbs/Fat/Sugar

cinderelli83

which are good carbs/calories and which are bad carbs/calories? Aside from the obvious- veggies are good, chocolate pudding is bad.

I have been feeling GREAT with my reduced caloric intake... now i'm just wondering... how can i improve on this?

caitlyn30

I eat sugar free chocolate pudding all the time! and.. I don't worry about my carbs

cinderelli83

I eat sugar free chocolate pudding all the time! and.. I don't worry about my carbs

That is a fantastic idea. Does it not taste like garbage though? Like most fake-sugar things?

Firefox7275

You will get ten different answers from ten different people!

Fats are nine kcal a gram so worth considering early, that is not to suggest go low fat because they are essential nutrients for health, satiety and recovery from exercise. Saturated animal fats should be limited unless you are very active or very low carb, research suggests they can encourage inflammation and are relatively easily converted to bodyfat because the chemical structure is similar to our own fat. The long chain omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are powerful anti inflammatories, beneficial in a huge range of health disorders, may encourage fat loss from the waist area.

Short chain omega-3s in flaxseed oil are a bit of a waste of time for dieters because the conversion rate to the useable long chain format can be as low as 10%. Plant fats rich in omega-6s may be pro-inflammatory, the balance of omega-3 to omega-6 is critical. The fatty acids in coconut oil may preferentially be burned as energy and may encourage fat loss, as may conjugated linoleic acid (a supplement, only in small amounts in food).

craigineson

Here's my take on things.
(in a rather Christmas theme now we're in december)...

On the "nice" list:
- Fatty Meat (well... preferably fatty, but lean is good too)
- Grass fed beef
- Oily Fish
- Leaf Green Veg
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Eggs
- Avocados
- Olive, Coconut, and Avocado Oil (virgin, cold pressed) and Butter / Ghee
- Occasional bit of red wine
- Occasional high-coca chocolate (we're talking 85%+ here)

On the "naughty" list:
- Factory farmed produce and factory raised meat (battery chickens, CAFO raised beef, etc) - Not that we have CAFOs in the UK!
- Starchy vegetables
- Fruit
- All dairy, except butter
- All grains
- Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup
- Any hydrogenated oil

This fits my nutritional goals and general well being. Many would disagree, especially with my stance on grains and dairy.

I agree wholeheartedly with Firefox7275 in that omega 3:6 balance is very important, because the omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and the omega-6s are inflammatory. The Western world eats fat too much Omega-6 and this can contribute to the whole spectrum of inflammatory diseases - diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Just my two cents. I'm sure someone'll find reason to flame this post as they usually do.

neanderthin

What's considered good or bad is not standardized and opinions about what is bad are generally looked at from an extreme point of view. The post above is a good example of that.....basi8cally there are no bad foods, just bad diets.

mrsmustgetmuscles1

^^ exactly. Try not to give up something you really love because it comes back to bite you. This should be a lifetime change, not just a diet to lose the weight. There is nothing wrong with chocolate pudding...you just get to eat a lot more if you go with the veggies instead : ) All about calories in, calories out.

AsrarHussain

heres a simple answer people say eat low fat because it contains more callories
carbs has 4 callories per gram
protein has 4 callories per gram
Fat has 9 callories per gram

at the end of the day try to to fit in to your macro nutrients for the day

craigineson

What's considered good or bad is not standardized and opinions about what is bad are generally looked at from an extreme point of view. The post above is a good example of that.....basi8cally there are no bad foods, just bad diets.

So you're saying my diet is extreme?
What's so extreme about not eating things that make me feel ill, or deteriorate my health?
What's so extreme about eating whole, natural foods which are (as far as I can) ethically sourced?
What's so extreme about me sharing some of the things that I do that's change my life in the hope that I help just one other person?

What would be extreme (extreme idiocy, that is) is identifying that grains mess up my stomach, that dairy gives me acne, that hydrogenated fats are plain and simple bad, and then carry on eating them anyway (because they're "healthy", didn't you know?)

I've made a lifestyle choice through years of careful planning, personal experience and experimentation as to what works for me and what makes sense from the scientific literature. Don't judge me as "extreme" simply because you don't agree with what I do, because I wouldn't judge someone based on what works for them.

I made some recommendations from my view-point, which is more than you have done on this thread.

Mokey41

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/810705-eat-what-you-want

Nothing is good or bad unless you eat too much/too little. You can get fat eating lots of "good" food and be thin eating the right portions of "bad" food. Eat what makes you happy and feel good.

AnvilHead

It's actually very simple:

The "good" calories and carbs are the ones that keep you within your calorie and macro goals.

The "bad" calories and carbs are the ones in excess of that.

sandradev1

Well said above.

Also seen it said that you should try to eat the foods that you know you will be able to eat when you reach your target so save slipping back.

neanderthin

What's considered good or bad is not standardized and opinions about what is bad are generally looked at from an extreme point of view. The post above is a good example of that.....basi8cally there are no bad foods, just bad diets.

So you're saying my diet is extreme?
What's so extreme about not eating things that make me feel ill, or deteriorate my health?
What's so extreme about eating whole, natural foods which are (as far as I can) ethically sourced?
What's so extreme about me sharing some of the things that I do that's change my life in the hope that I help just one other person?

What would be extreme (extreme idiocy, that is) is identifying that grains mess up my stomach, that dairy gives me acne, that hydrogenated fats are plain and simple bad, and then carry on eating them anyway (because they're "healthy", didn't you know?)

I've made a lifestyle choice through years of careful planning, personal experience and experimentation as to what works for me and what makes sense from the scientific literature. Don't judge me as "extreme" simply because you don't agree with what I do, because I wouldn't judge someone based on what works for them.

I made some recommendations from my view-point, which is more than you have done on this thread.

I didn't say your diet was extreme, I said extreme examples of what foods are good and bad, which you did in spades. Obviously if someones physiology has resistance to some foods, that those foods should be avoided, but that wasn't the question. Your bringing your personal prejudices into the mix based on poor logic. For you fruit is avoided and all dairy, well with the exception of butter.....I guess you like butter, right, hurray for that. Again it wasn't a question based on biases it was a question about what might be consider good or bad generally with chocolate pudding as a bad example, and my response makes a lot more sense or should I say common sense.........at least you like butter.

SideSteel

It's actually very simple:

The "good" calories and carbs are the ones that keep you within your calorie and macro goals.

The "bad" calories and carbs are the ones in excess of that.

^ Agreed.

For the OP: The only things I would add to the above, to use a general set of criteria would be as follows:

1) Does it cause me discomfort or do I have a medical reason to avoid this food? Does it cause me to binge eat?

If so, avoid it.

Beyond that, I would focus instead on fitting foods into your daily targets for calories and macronutrients. I would urge you to also use some common sense regarding nutrient densities. What this means is, eat lots of vegetables, fruits, fresh and whole food sources on a regular basis. If you want some foods that you deem naughty but they fall outside of the above condition (lets say you want a bowl of ice cream), and you can fit it into your intake, and you're not eating so much damn ice cream that you're avoiding fruits and vegetables and nutrient dense foods, then have some ice cream and don't feel guilty about it.

A donut will not make you fat. Neither will cheese (lol cwutididthere?). Hypercaloric diets make you fat, period. It's just that a donut may cost you 400 calories and give you "not much" in the grand scheme of nutrients. A plate of fish and some fruit and a big bowl of green vegetables will give you a lot in terms of nutrients. But this does not make fish good and a donut bad, and this does not mean that you can't have donuts as a part of what is otherwise a nutrient dense and intelligent diet.

Apply this common sense, hit your macros, get off the couch, and I promise you, you will win at this game and you will probably have great long term adherence.

This doesn't have to be miserable.

craigineson

I didn't say your diet was extreme, I said extreme examples of what foods are good and bad, which you did in spades. Obviously if someones physiology has resistance to some foods, that those foods should be avoided, but that wasn't the question. Your bringing your personal prejudices into the mix based on poor logic. For you fruit is avoided and all dairy, well with the exception of butter.....I guess you like butter, right, hurray for that. Again it wasn't a question based on biases it was a question about what might be consider good or bad generally with chocolate pudding as a bad example, and my response makes a lot more sense or should I say common sense.........at least you like butter.

We're splitting hairs here - Whether you call my view or my diet extreme is not important. My view is my diet, so calling either of them extreme is an insult.

My view is in no way extreme at all. The OP asked a very simple question, and I gave a very simple answer, without personal prejudice, rather than hiding behind some ridiculous and smarmy phrase that there are "no bad foods, just bad diets". Firstly, who does that help? Secondly, of course there are bad foods!

Are you honestly telling me that you believe that man-made hydrogenated fats have any place in the human diet? Are you honestly telling me that the likes of MSG and HFCS have a place in healthy diets? If so, then I believe that it is your idea of nutrition that is extreme - extremely reckless that you should be advising anyone about anything to do with nutrition.

It's not common sense to tell people "no bad foods, just bad diets" . It's common sense to answer the question with a list of good or bad foods, which is precisely what was asked.

You said yourself that "what is good or bad is not standardized", so why don't you let people have their say without judging the way other people eat?

Congratulations. You're my first ignore on here. I'm sure there's many more to come because since joining this place I have found nothing but vitriol for simply offering my, clearly *highly* unpopular, side of the argument.

Cranktastic

Someone is mad

SideSteel

I believe that HFCS and MSG are both fine provided that the individual is aware of dosage and context. I also believe that artificial trans fats should be avoided.

I also believe that anyone clinging to Lustig's ideas should listen to Aragon's rebuttals and take them into consideration before neglecting to apply dose and context.

craigineson

I believe that HFCS and MSG are both fine provided that the individual is aware of dosage and context. I also believe that artificial trans fats should be avoided.

I also believe that anyone clinging to Lustig's ideas should listen to Aragon's rebuttals and take them into consideration before neglecting to apply dose and context.

This could make an interesting blog post. It won't change the way I eat, because I'm happy and healthy. But it may change the advice I give to others. Thanks for the tip.

cmcollins001

blah...blah...blah...blah...and some other stuff.

Congratulations. You're my first ignore on here. I'm sure there's many more to come because since joining this place I have found nothing but vitriol for simply offering my, clearly *highly* unpopular, side of the argument.

Can I be the second one? I know, I know, second place is the first loser....but I just say this post. If you're not up for people to disagree with your opinion, and you're not open for (albeit, sometimes heated) discussion, then you and that ignore button are going to get really really comfortable together. I will be nice to live in a world where everyone agrees with you.

To the OP:

You will get varied opinions here...but the bottom line is, if you're not for some reason medically or religiously restricted from any kind of food, then eat what you want as long as it's within your goals.

If you can go the rest of your life without eating something then great, otherwise there is no reason to exclude food that you like just because you're on a "diet". Eat at a deficit, and when you reach your goal, eat at maintenance. That way your never have to worry about what your not "aloud" to eat now, but you'll be "aloud" to eat it later.

Cranktastic

I believe that HFCS and MSG are both fine provided that the individual is aware of dosage and context. I also believe that artificial trans fats should be avoided.

I also believe that anyone clinging to Lustig's ideas should listen to Aragon's rebuttals and take them into consideration before neglecting to apply dose and context.

This could make an interesting blog post. It won't change the way I eat, because I'm happy and healthy. But it may change the advice I give to others. Thanks for the tip.

He likes giving tips.

SideSteel

I believe that HFCS and MSG are both fine provided that the individual is aware of dosage and context. I also believe that artificial trans fats should be avoided.

I also believe that anyone clinging to Lustig's ideas should listen to Aragon's rebuttals and take them into consideration before neglecting to apply dose and context.

This could make an interesting blog post. It won't change the way I eat, because I'm happy and healthy. But it may change the advice I give to others. Thanks for the tip.

He likes giving tips.

How YOU doin!?