HOLD ON. What's up with carbs and MFP

3dogsrunning

Carbs/Glutens that are grains like wheat & rice help the body retain water thus causing one to be heavier. I'm doing a low carb diet as a lifestyle not just to lose weight b/c I'm hypertensive which could lead to diabetes & othe health issues. I don't want to get any sicker than I am so I've decided to adjust what I eat along a low carb/gluten free & low sodium diet. So far I've los 25 lbs. & it hasn't been the easist chang in my life b/c I do like breads etc. My wake up call is all the health issues my family suffers from & losing weight was only a small piece of my issue. The weight can come off & I could still end up w/diabetes so I'm just being extra cautious not to rock that boat any time soon. Just trying to live a healty life for as long as I can & if that means to give up carbs/gluten that's a small price to pay & I'm speaking for myself. :flowerforyou:

Carbs from any source are stored as glycogen in the muscles. Glycogen requires water to be stored. It is used by the body as energy (ever heard of hitting the wall while running, that's because glycogen stores are depleted). When someone cuts carbs, the glycogen stores go down along with the water which is why people often see a big drop right away on low carb. This is also the reason people see a big jump on the scale when they eat extra carbs while doing low carb - the glycogen stores are replenished along with the water.
It is "water retention " but not in the same idea as bloating. It's in the muscles and doesn't make much of a difference aside from pure scale weight.

timpicks

Carbs aren't all the same. Eating carbs that metabolize more slowly into sugars (i.e., have a lower glycemic index) triggers less of an insulin response. This in turn can help control appetite and hunger cues which can make it easier to maintain an effective weight loss program. And given the growing prevalence of diabetes, it is a good idea to try to control your blood sugar levels, especially if you have risk facttors such as a family history of diabetes or being overweight.

A low glycemic diet isn't a silver bullet solution, but eating high fiber, low glycemic carbs from whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and legumes as part of a balanced diet while avoiding processed and canned foods are all sensible steps towards addressing weight, fitness, and health issues (or better yet keeping them from occuring).

MSam1205

I do notice when I exercise, all my numbers go up a bit according to how many calories I burn. As a diabetic working with a nutritionist, I've set my carbs to 175 a day. 45 for each meal and less than 15 per snack. And I try (key word try!) to make them "good carbs" high in fiber, whole grain, etc etc. I was told it's best to keep the carb sugars level during the course of the day versus doing heavy carb load at either end of the day. As many before have said, carbs alone are not your enemy, even if you're dealing with something like diabetes. It's the tangled weave of good vs poor carbs.... Whole grain pasta vs plain old white pasta, etc.

Kelly_Runs_NC

Carbs are your friend...it's the food CHOICES made up of those carbs and within your daily caloric nneds that make the difference. Try to make the carbs you eat all healthy choices such as fiberous fruits and veggies. Maybe half a sweet potato and a little brown rice. Don't cut them out though...there is no need.

MercenaryNoetic26

Imma b!+ch when I dont eat enough carbs. I set mine @ 40%. I go over & under.

now_or_never13

Carbs don't make you fat. Excess calories make you fat.

People need to jump off the low carb bandwagon. I understand it may work for some but carbs is not what makes you lose weight. Carbs have been given a bad rap for far too long.

OMG yes. The low carb craze is like the low fat craze of the 80s and 90s. Now it's morphed into this new animal where suddenly everyone I know who was PERFECTLY FINE before suddenly has "realized" they are allergic to gluten. I don't invite anyone to my house for dinner anymore because perfectly healthy people whine endlessly about what I cook and it isn't low carb enough or gluten free or vegan or whatever. Fine - don't come over.

I had to stop myself with my father in law recently as he made comments about how beer is fattening and anything fried and high in fat is fattening and low fat is the way to go.

On your final note... i do partially agree. The only time I will make something specific is if someone who is invited over has either an allergy or is a vegan/vegetarian. I always have a vegetarian meal for dinner ready anyways as I don't eat meat so it would be a very easy switch to make it vegan if needed. If someone I am inviting over has a real gluten issue I will make something without gluten. But I don't know anyone besides myself who will not consume meat and I don't know anyone who can't consume gluten so it's easy!

pink_adrenaline

First off, thanks for those who gave respectful replies. And for the unnecessary "it's not rocket science" type of responses- you might as well not have replied at all. The sarcasm isn't needed. IF I ASKED A STUPID QUESTION- sorry- but it obviously was NOT stupid to me. I'm new here and overall in the nutrition and fitness world- so spare me your smartass answers, there's no sense in being rude. I also was not aware it was double post.. I am pretty busy and do not have much time to spend a lot of time searching. Again, my apologies and thanks to those who were considerate. Geez