Veggies and carbs - jaws dropped.

124

Replies

  • Hellguy76137
    Hellguy76137 Posts: 53 Member
    You might want to research carbs a little more, before cutting them out completely. In a nutshell, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Vegetables and whole grains are the good kind.

    This is true.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Not all vegetables are created equally. It also depends upon what the veggie is made of. The Atkins website has a list of veggies and their carb count. Carrots are on the no-no list.

    Which is another reason to avoid Atkins.
  • Melroxsox
    Melroxsox Posts: 1,040 Member
    Not all vegetables are created equally. It also depends upon what the veggie is made of. The Atkins website has a list of veggies and their carb count. Carrots are on the no-no list.

    Which is another reason to avoid Atkins.
    nothing wrong with atkins if done properly ;)
  • VeganZombie13
    VeganZombie13 Posts: 297
    I eat carbs all the time.
  • hkry3250
    hkry3250 Posts: 140
    I'm not sure why no one has said this yet, but FIBER IS A CARBOHYDRATE. That is why vegetables are high in carbohydrates (though carrots are also relatively high in sugar, which is why people make juice from them).

    Short version: There are two kinds of carbohydrates, sugar and fiber. Fiber is good for you because it helps you feel fuller longer and it keeps you pooping on a regular schedule. When people suggest reducing carbohydrate intake, they mean reducing the other kind of carbohydrate, i.e. sugar. This can be done by eating fewer desserts and reducing portions of starchy foods, such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. (Science note: starches are basically just long chains of sugar.)

    Carbohydrates of any kind are not inherently "bad." After all, your brain runs on carbohydrates. However, it is possible to eat a lot of sugar and starch before you feel full. I was in the same boat as you, where I had to reduce carbs in order to keep under my calorie goals. But that isn't stopping me from eating the occasional piece of cake. :)

    The brain prefers to run on fat, not carbs.
    No, the brain will adapt to ketones if glucose is absent, but glucose is still the preferred fuel for the brain. We can adapt a paleo lifestyle and a low carb lifestyle, or any lifestyle for that matter but creating a confirmation bias to make yourself or other people believe something that isn't true is kinda defeating, it achieves nothing.

    Yes, the brain needs glucose, but as my Endrocrinologist and a couple of other Doctors has explained to me that the body actually runs better on ketones being converted to glucose rather than having glucose run freely from the liver metabolizing carbohydrates.

    That is why the research is coming out about how eating higher fat is better for the brain, especially for those that are at risk for dementia, Alzheimers, Parkinson's, etc.

    I go with the research that my Endocrinlogist presents to me as he is a research Dr at Washington University here in St Louis which is one of the top research centers in the Country.
    Agree, the brain function better on fats than carbs. Every trainer I know makes jokes of how the need to take more fish oil whenever they forget something. But for reference, http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/brain-foods?page=last, http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eat-smart-healthier-brain?page=2
  • pickledginger
    pickledginger Posts: 172
    A handy rule of thumb is to divide your plate into quarters. Two quarters (half) should be non-starchy vegetables. One quarter should be whole-grain pasta or bread, corn, sweet potato, or other starchy stuff. One quarter should have your protein.

    (Yes, it falls apart if your protein dish is beans, bit it's a start.)

    Remember, one dietetic serving of pasta is half a cup -- the size of one of those tiny tubs of gelatin or applesauce. One serving of bread is a not-very-big slice (a big bagel might have four servings or more).

    So if you're following advice that calls for "X servings" of carbs per day, remember that a regular sandwich is at least two and a big restaurant plate of pasta is about a zillion.

    But -- if you don't have iffy blood sugar or other mmetabolic issues -- after you get your 5 to 7 servings of veg per day and your 2 or so of fruit, and enough protein, you probably don't need to worth much about where the rest of your calories cone from.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Um . . . it's ok to eat carbs.
  • dnd20124
    dnd20124 Posts: 1
    I know how you feel!!!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Not all vegetables are created equally. It also depends upon what the veggie is made of. The Atkins website has a list of veggies and their carb count. Carrots are on the no-no list.

    Which is another reason to avoid Atkins.
    nothing wrong with atkins if done properly ;)

    Anyone telling you to NOT eat vegetables needs their head examined, imo. Carrots are very healthy and nutrient dense.
  • Ivyzmama
    Ivyzmama Posts: 108 Member
    My old Weight Watchers leader always said, "nobody ever got fat eating carrots." I know a lot of people nowadays are frenzied about the alleged sugar in carrots, but I believe my old Weight Watchers leader. I think carrots are an important part of a balanced diet.
  • hockeyangie
    hockeyangie Posts: 3 Member
    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    And this is the crux of the reason I think low-carb diets in general are stupid. Any diet that says fruits and vegetables are bad is stupid.

    There are better ways to get your point across without insulting the dietary choices of others.
  • Ivyzmama
    Ivyzmama Posts: 108 Member
    I've lost well over 100 lbs and, though I still have 85 lbs to go, I think the best thing is to just stay away from overly processed foods as much as possible. You don't have to eliminate carbs.

    As a vegetarian my diet is largely bean and lentil - based. Overall my diet is between 55-60% carbs. As has been said, healthy carbs are awesome.

    I just bought two big canisters of old-school oatmeal because I'm willing to bet it'll be a good, healthful breakfast.

    Right on! Vegetarians tend to be slender, extraordinarily healthy, live a decade longer than everyone else and have better quality of life during that time, too. And vegetarians, by necessity, live off carbs. There are a bunch of Olympic gold winners from the London Olympics who are vegetarians, even vegans. Everyone should eat more beans, save themselves and the planet at the same time.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    My old Weight Watchers leader always said, "nobody ever got fat eating carrots." I know a lot of people nowadays are frenzied about the alleged sugar in carrots, but I believe my old Weight Watchers leader. I think carrots are an important part of a balanced diet.

    I agree! They are tasty and nutrient dense.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I've lost well over 100 lbs and, though I still have 85 lbs to go, I think the best thing is to just stay away from overly processed foods as much as possible. You don't have to eliminate carbs.

    As a vegetarian my diet is largely bean and lentil - based. Overall my diet is between 55-60% carbs. As has been said, healthy carbs are awesome.

    I just bought two big canisters of old-school oatmeal because I'm willing to bet it'll be a good, healthful breakfast.

    Right on! Vegetarians tend to be slender, extraordinarily healthy, live a decade longer than everyone else and have better quality of life during that time, too. And vegetarians, by necessity, live off carbs. There are a bunch of Olympic gold winners from the London Olympics who are vegetarians, even vegans. Everyone should eat more beans, save themselves and the planet at the same time.
    I know a lot of overweight and even obese vegetarians.

    I don't blame carbs for that, but I have yet to figure out where this idea that vegetarians are mostly slender comes from.
  • hockeyangie
    hockeyangie Posts: 3 Member
    Perhaps it comes from somewhere close to where many get their misinformation about low-carb lifestyles. I'd be swell if people actually knew what they were talking about before forming an opinion, and then running their mouths to misinform and judge others.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    My old Weight Watchers leader always said, "nobody ever got fat eating carrots."

    This.

    It's a sad world where a vegetable is considered more unhealthy/fattening than, say, and Atkins bar.
    ...
    ...Blimey, I've been raging on Atkins bars lately.
  • awesomek001
    awesomek001 Posts: 167 Member
    Ok! Thanks for your answers. I was mistaken by some friends who are doing low-carb diets because they train like crazies and eat MAINLY MEAT (LIKE REAL MEN YOU KNOW!!!). So I wrongly thought that ALL carbs were bad.

    I'll then be okay with eating good carbs and trying to reduce bad carbs I guess.... Apart from white pasta and bread where can we find bad carbs? (newbie, sorry)

    Unless you have issues with Insulin resistance there is NOTHING WRONG WITH CARBS. Avoid cookies and cakes of course, but as long as you're under for your calories and eating whole, healthy foods, quit spazzing so much.

    I just went to a sport nutritionist because I couldn't maintain the energy for my crazy work out schedule, and she told me to UP MY CARBS - - quinoa, potatoes, whole wheat pasta - - basically anything that isn't processed and white. For anyone who wants to make it a lifestyle, they need to keep the carbs in to keep up their energy.
  • TighteningStrings
    TighteningStrings Posts: 46
    Some "well meaning" woman told me I eat too many carrots when she checked out my food diary (on a different program). She said I'd stay fat forever if I kept eating 'so many' carrots...

    That was when I decided I didn't need her diet advice.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    Some "well meaning" woman told me I eat too many carrots when she checked out my food diary (on a different program). She said I'd stay fat forever if I kept eating 'so many' carrots...

    That was when I decided I didn't need her diet advice.

    Too many fruits in your profile pic. Not gonna make any progress.

    :wink:
  • TighteningStrings
    TighteningStrings Posts: 46
    Some "well meaning" woman told me I eat too many carrots when she checked out my food diary (on a different program). She said I'd stay fat forever if I kept eating 'so many' carrots...

    That was when I decided I didn't need her diet advice.

    Too many fruits in your profile pic. Not gonna make any progress.

    :wink:

    So that's my problem! :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Perhaps it comes from somewhere close to where many get their misinformation about low-carb lifestyles. I'd be swell if people actually knew what they were talking about before forming an opinion, and then running their mouths to misinform and judge others.

    Did you create this account for the sole purpose of harassing me? Private, no photo, no forum posts except to criticize a pretty benign opinion (that only you seemed to have taken personally) and nasty, vulgarity-filled PMs.

    I'm wondering if you sent vulgarity-filled PMs to all the people in this thread who quoted me and agreed?
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    Perhaps it comes from somewhere close to where many get their misinformation about low-carb lifestyles. I'd be swell if people actually knew what they were talking about before forming an opinion, and then running their mouths to misinform and judge others.

    Did you create this account for the sole purpose of harassing me? Private, no photo, no forum posts except to criticize a pretty benign opinion (that only you seemed to have taken personally) and nasty, vulgarity-filled PMs.

    I'm wondering if you sent vulgarity-filled PMs to all the people in this thread who quoted me and agreed?

    Reporting the PMs are your best option. Drudging the drama in this topic is not the way to go about this.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Perhaps it comes from somewhere close to where many get their misinformation about low-carb lifestyles. I'd be swell if people actually knew what they were talking about before forming an opinion, and then running their mouths to misinform and judge others.

    Did you create this account for the sole purpose of harassing me? Private, no photo, no forum posts except to criticize a pretty benign opinion (that only you seemed to have taken personally) and nasty, vulgarity-filled PMs.

    I'm wondering if you sent vulgarity-filled PMs to all the people in this thread who quoted me and agreed?

    Reporting the PMs are your best option. Drudging the drama in this topic is not the way to go about this.

    I blocked her and will be ignoring her on the forums. I did not start this. Maybe you could lecture the person who clearly created a dummy account for the purposes of stalking a fellow MFP member and not the victim.
  • Melroxsox
    Melroxsox Posts: 1,040 Member
    Not all vegetables are created equally. It also depends upon what the veggie is made of. The Atkins website has a list of veggies and their carb count. Carrots are on the no-no list.

    Which is another reason to avoid Atkins.
    nothing wrong with atkins if done properly ;)

    Anyone telling you to NOT eat vegetables needs their head examined, imo. Carrots are very healthy and nutrient dense.
    no one told her to NOT eat veg.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    I blocked her and will be ignoring her on the forums. I did not start this. Maybe you could lecture the person who clearly created a dummy account for the purposes of stalking a fellow MFP member and not the victim.

    Not blaming or lecturing you. Calm down. If you reported and ignored, you did what you needed to do. Bring it up here wasn't a resolution, so I assumed you hadn't taken those measures.
  • teespikes
    teespikes Posts: 31
    I Have done the Low carb and low calorie and I find that the low carb ( Not no carb ) works best for me . If you eat enough fiber and protien it works really well and you dont get the hunger like you do with the low calorie. ( Its just my opinion )
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    Any diet that suggests cutting out one or more food groups is unrealistic and setting you up for failure.

    And any plan that suggests that veggies (or fruit) are bad is ridiculous.

    Carbs are not evil. Not even the "white"ones. Carbs are a great source of energy for your body. If you want to moderate your intake fine, but to think that you shouldn't eat carrots because of the carbs is wrong.

    ^^^ yup!
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    Any diet that suggests cutting out one or more food groups is unrealistic and setting you up for failure.

    And any plan that suggests that veggies (or fruit) are bad is ridiculous.

    Carbs are not evil. Not even the "white"ones. Carbs are a great source of energy for your body. If you want to moderate your intake fine, but to think that you shouldn't eat carrots because of the carbs is wrong.

    ^^ THIS!!
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    The body runs on carbohydrates. Eat all the fruit and vegetables that you want.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Right on! Vegetarians tend to be slender, extraordinarily healthy, live a decade longer than everyone else and have better quality of life during that time, too. And vegetarians, by necessity, live off carbs. There are a bunch of Olympic gold winners from the London Olympics who are vegetarians, even vegans. Everyone should eat more beans, save themselves and the planet at the same time.

    A decade longer than everyone else? Really? Assuming you can reference your claims with published research, don't you mean a decade longer than a person eating the average western diet is deficient in a raft of nutrients and chock full of empty calories? And aren't you referring to those in specific countries not worldwide?

    A lifetime vegetarian is far more likely to eat a less processed/ more wholefood diet, any difference has little to do with the meat/ fish content of the diet. It's no more healthy to eat a cheap commercial beanburger (which often contain only a small percentage of beans!) with sugary white bun and fries than it is to eat a cheap commercial chicken burger with sugary white bun and fries. Both the beans and the chicken could easily be made into a nutritious meal.

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