What are everyones feelings on Carbs?

ikudbne12
ikudbne12 Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Keeping calories below a certain level is the standard pathway to lose weight... What does everyone do about carb intake (if they count or consider them at all) and what should the range be kept under for an average exerciser. (3-4 x week 30-45 mins)
«1

Replies

  • danielleg1709
    danielleg1709 Posts: 1 Member
    While we do not need carbs to survive, they are our bodies preferred source of energy because they are protein sparing and prevent the body from burning muscle as fuel. Firstly if your goal is fat loss, you need to calculate your TDEE which will tell you how many calories per day you burn based on your activity level, then subtract 10-20% of those calories to be in a caloric deficit and lose fat. From there, you should calculate your minimum daily requirements for protein and fats (I suggest using bodybuilding.com or just google it) As long as you are meeting your required intake for protein and fats, the rest of your calories may come from carbs. Each person is different and responds differently to carbs, I personally thrive on a higher carb diet compared to most women. Just get a baseline of how much protein and fats you should be having and see how your body reacts to a moderate vs. a lower carb diet. Also remember that for every one gram of carbohydrate you consume, you retain around 3 grams of water, so don't let the extra water make you believe that you are gaining weight!! Best of luck in your weight loss journey! :D
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
    I had my carbs set to 25% of my daily intake, and usually averaged 15%, and I was doing really well for a while. Then I added back in exercising (C25K and 30 Day Shred) and I very nearly fainted multiple times. I increased my carbs and the shakiness and nausea went away instantly. Right now I'm trying to let my body guide me before making a firm setting. I've been tracking where my carbs have been falling for the last couple of weeks and I've been averaging 30-40% for carbs.
  • honeyandmilk
    honeyandmilk Posts: 160 Member
    I'm a vegetarian, if I didn't eat carbs I would probably die and/or be malnourished. Plus, they're awesome. I get about 200g a day and I exercise 3-5 times a week.
  • Peanutbutterx
    Peanutbutterx Posts: 332
    love carbs!! lol i just balance it out.. fruit, veggies, meats ,healthy fats, carbs (i do wheat and whole grain though), dairy.. a little of everything i dont cut anything out - only thing i try to watch/have once in a greeat, great while - sugary deserts and fried food.. like special occasions (holidays/birthdays).. everything else is good to me though
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    they're tasty?
  • Peanutbutterx
    Peanutbutterx Posts: 332
    tsh0ck is great.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I have protein and dietary fat goals. Once I have those met, I eat the other calories in whatever form I want, and that typically happens to be carbs. I love carbs. Carbs are not evil. Carbs do not make you fat or sick or whatever else the carb haters seem to think (unless you have celiac disease or diabetes, which in that case I am not talking about them).

    I do, however, try to limit added sugars, HFCS, etc. and try to get my carbs from fruits, veggies, whole grain pastas and rice, etc.

    I have noticed that as long as I am in a calorie deficit, it matters not how many carbs I have, I still lose body fat consistently. There's just no need to demonize a single macro and cut it completely out of your diet.
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    tasty carbs: fruit, veg, whole grains.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    I have protein and dietary fat goals. Once I have those met, I eat the other calories in whatever form I want, and that typically happens to be carbs. I love carbs. Carbs are not evil. Carbs do not make you fat or sick or whatever else the carb haters seem to think (unless you have celiac disease or diabetes, which in that case I am not talking about them).

    I do, however, try to limit added sugars, HFCS, etc. and try to get my carbs from fruits, veggies, whole grain pastas and rice, etc.

    I have noticed that as long as I am in a calorie deficit, it matters not how many carbs I have, I still lose body fat consistently. There's just no need to demonize a single macro and cut it completely out of your diet.

    95aadfe16db4581fd07c0fb8dd3e9919.jpg
  • SilverLotusGirl
    SilverLotusGirl Posts: 537 Member
    I don't hate carbs but in trying to cut out sugars I tend to eat less of the. Also my family has high numbers of Type 2 diabetes so I'm trying to avoid that while I'm losing weight. But I'll have fruit and veggies, brown rice, sometimes some cereal. I'm mostly avoiding too much sugar and starchy white flour things not so much on a personal crusade against carbs.
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    They are not the devil.
    Though I do recommend avoiding simple carbs.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,213 Member
    They are not the devil.
    Though I do recommend avoiding simple carbs.
    What's wrong with fruit.:smile:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Keeping calories below a certain level is the standard pathway to lose weight... What does everyone do about carb intake (if they count or consider them at all) and what should the range be kept under for an average exerciser. (3-4 x week 30-45 mins)

    It's not the "standard" pathway. It's the new fad. I average 200 carbs a day. My macros are set to 45/20/35. The standard for weight loss is around 300-500 calories less than you need. Most of your weight coming off will be fat instead of muscle, you will be less likely to stall, you won't be hungry all the time, and it's sustainable.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Carbs are yummy. That is as much thought as I give to that. I have 200-250g of carbs a day (give or take). I run 25-30 miles a week. I haven't yet counted a carb and don't plan to start. I just eat-life is already complicated enough.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I have protein and dietary fat goals. Once I have those met, I eat the other calories in whatever form I want, and that typically happens to be carbs. I love carbs. Carbs are not evil. Carbs do not make you fat or sick or whatever else the carb haters seem to think (unless you have celiac disease or diabetes, which in that case I am not talking about them).

    I do, however, try to limit added sugars, HFCS, etc. and try to get my carbs from fruits, veggies, whole grain pastas and rice, etc.

    I have noticed that as long as I am in a calorie deficit, it matters not how many carbs I have, I still lose body fat consistently. There's just no need to demonize a single macro and cut it completely out of your diet.

    95aadfe16db4581fd07c0fb8dd3e9919.jpg

    Agreed! Carbs are the lowest level priority after 1) calorie deficit 2) protein at a minimum of 1 gram per lb of lean body mass 3) .35 to .4 gram of fat per lb of body weight. Carbs with the rest. They are the macro I give the least thought to.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I get about half my calories from carbs, about 250 to almost 300g a day. And a good chunk of those carbs are from bread, pasta, pizza, potatoes, rice, bagels, chips, buns, biscuits and all other supposedly naughty foods.

    <--- I'm happy with my progress.
  • amye004
    amye004 Posts: 32
    I eat a mainly meat free diet so I can't afford to drop carbs from a nutrition point of view. What I focus on is healthy food, whole foods (minimal processed foods), and portion control. My grains tend to be things like oats, quinoa, brown rice, and multigrained wraps. Fruit is an everyday thing. I really couldn't tell you how many carbs I eat in a day because as long as I am happy with the food choices I make, the carbs can fall where they fall.
  • amye004
    amye004 Posts: 32
    Nutrition point of view being the other nurtrients and fibre that I get from the food choices I make
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    they're tasty?

    This. :laugh:

    I focus first on calories, then on protein (I aim for 97 grams per day), then fat. Everything else is carbs and I enjoy every single one.
  • harvo
    harvo Posts: 4,676 Member
    I prefer fuel injection but if I had to pick a carb I would go with holley...
  • eatcleanNtraindirty
    eatcleanNtraindirty Posts: 444 Member
    In the words of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective: MMMM YUUUMMMMMAAYYYYY
  • tj1376
    tj1376 Posts: 1,402 Member
    My feeling on carbs...they are everywhere, over taking the world slowly and quietly. They are EVIL, and I miss them. :sad:
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
    That they should be eaten.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    Love carbs, I eat a lot of simple ones.
  • KristineW78
    KristineW78 Posts: 42 Member
    I eat good carbs and just make sure that I don't over do it.
  • Craigamears
    Craigamears Posts: 65 Member
    I have to come out on the limit carbs side of the equation. I have lost 90#'s twice and have been a nurse for almost 40 years. I have seen too many healthy looking people with Type 2 diabetes that is typically associated with obesity. Carbs are sugar by whatever definition you may want to use whether they are complex or not. The sugar does effect your body. Please look at the term glyconation. Basically the proteins in your body begin to crosslink and become "sticky", this is one of the things they measure with diabetics to judge their long term sugar management (HgbA1c

    For me that carb limit is around 60 gms.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    As long as I'm hitting my protein goal for the day and I'm under or around my calorie goal, I'm quite happy to eat as many carbs as are going.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    They are not the devil.
    Though I do recommend avoiding simple carbs.
    What's wrong with fruit.:smile:

    This is why "simple" and "complex" are poor word choices.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I eat good carbs and just make sure that I don't over do it.

    Are "good" carbs the ones who obey thier parents, do all thier homework and don't get in trouble at school?
  • kirlia
    kirlia Posts: 81 Member
    I eat between 150 and 400 carbs on any given day, and I'm quite happy with my results :) low carb is for suckers imo

Categories