So, are carbs evil or not?

SanteMulberry

Carbs have a direct correlation to leptin levels (hormone that regulates metabolism) carbs are good and should be where the majority of your cals come from.

Yes, that is true in non-obese individuals (particularly men). But leptin is already elevated in obese individuals and the blood level of leptin that women have is already, 2 to 3 times that of men at the same level of body fat. The problem is leptin-resistance and that is curbed the same way that insulin resistance is curbed, by cutting carbs. In fact, leptin-resistance predicts insulin-resistance. It just isn't so simple. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707432_7

Leptin resistance is far few and between for the average dieter.

No. To the contrary, leptin resistance is quite common in the obese (and the obese are quite common on this website). Here is a link to a journal article on the subject: http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/285/5/R1011.full

From the article: "...Typical obese humans and animals are hyperleptinemic and resistant to exogenous leptin. Clinical trials with leptin have been disappointing due to this phenomenon of leptin resistance in the obese state, and interest in pharmacological leptin to treat obesity has waned...."

n8thh

they must be cos they taste sooooo good

MsLilly200

Removing carbs is just an easy way of making most meals have less calories.

Take I dunno, a basic meal of steak, potatoes, a sauce and broccoli. Replace one of the first three with more broccoli and maybe 1/4-1/3 of the calories are gone.

Protein helps keep most people full for longer and fat makes everything more yummy. So the easiest thing to remove is the potatoes and the low carb diet does that. Low fat removes the sauce and vegetarian diets(low protein diets?) would remove the meat.

SanteMulberry

Removing carbs is just an easy way of making most meals have less calories.

Take I dunno, a basic meal of steak, potatoes, a sauce and broccoli. Replace one of the first three with more broccoli and maybe 1/4-1/3 of the calories are gone.

Protein helps keep most people full for longer and fat makes everything more yummy. So the easiest thing to remove is the potatoes and the low carb diet does that. Low fat removes the sauce and vegetarian diets(low protein diets?) would remove the meat.

You make some good points. I would add that removing sugar and starch from the diet eliminates a lot of non-nourishing calories that could be spent on other more nourishing items. For me, "empty" carbohydrates are an extravagance that I simply cannot afford on my 1390 calories a day. And there are other bio-chemical issues involved with eating carbohydrates as well.

CoachReddy

Removing carbs is just an easy way of making most meals have less calories.

Take I dunno, a basic meal of steak, potatoes, a sauce and broccoli. Replace one of the first three with more broccoli and maybe 1/4-1/3 of the calories are gone.

Protein helps keep most people full for longer and fat makes everything more yummy. So the easiest thing to remove is the potatoes and the low carb diet does that. Low fat removes the sauce and vegetarian diets(low protein diets?) would remove the meat.

i think this is a little oversimplified though... fats have much more importance in your diet than just making things yummy, and vegetarian diets are not inherently low protein

also, I'm technically eating "low carb" - as they only make up 25% of my diet and mostly come from fruits and veggies - but I eat 188g of them and hit 3000 cal daily. So low carb/restricted carb/etc can mean a helluva lot of different things.

SanteMulberry

Removing carbs is just an easy way of making most meals have less calories.

Take I dunno, a basic meal of steak, potatoes, a sauce and broccoli. Replace one of the first three with more broccoli and maybe 1/4-1/3 of the calories are gone.

Protein helps keep most people full for longer and fat makes everything more yummy. So the easiest thing to remove is the potatoes and the low carb diet does that. Low fat removes the sauce and vegetarian diets(low protein diets?) would remove the meat.

i think this is a little oversimplified though... fats have much more importance in your diet than just making things yummy, and vegetarian diets are not inherently low protein

also, I'm technically eating "low carb" - as they only make up 25% of my diet and mostly come from fruits and veggies - but I eat 188g of them and hit 3000 cal daily. So low carb/restricted carb/etc can mean a helluva lot of different things.

True, dat.

extraordinary_machine

No.

lucypeaks

nope,i still eat SOME carbs and have been steadily losing a pound or two a week for the last few months. As always, everything in moderation so you won't feel deprived! Nothing is forbidden, just well-managed

SanteMulberry

nope,i still eat SOME carbs and have been steadily losing a pound or two a week for the last few months. As always, everything in moderation so you won't feel deprived! Nothing is forbidden, just well-managed

Well, I think most of us eat SOME carbs. I average a little lower than 100 each day--but they come from vegetables, whole grain and fruit, in that order (with vegetables being a much larger part). I would guess that I am eating in a similar way to Coach Reddy, but I am eating less than half of the calories that he is eating so he has a bit more of a cushion than I have, when it comes to eating on track.

magerum

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

SRH7

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

QFT

SanteMulberry

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

But the question is, will it lead to a healthful weight loss for everyone? I would have become quite ill were I to follow your Rx. Eating only 1390 calories a day of "mostly grains, vegetables and sugar" would guarantee it.

mmapags

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

But the question is, will it lead to a healthful weight loss for everyone? I would have become quite ill were I to follow your Rx. Eating only 1390 calories a day of "mostly grains, vegetables and sugar" would guarantee it.

So I guess you are the unique and special snowflake. Many people eat like this all over the world everyday. You may be the exception but the whole world is not you. And 55% carbs is not mostly grain and vegetables. It's 55% (duh). Just over half. The other 45 % is fats and protein. Why are you always trying to represent things in such a way as to fit your agenda?

SRH7

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

But the question is, will it lead to a healthful weight loss for everyone? I would have become quite ill were I to follow your Rx. Eating only 1390 calories a day of "mostly grains, vegetables and sugar" would guarantee it.

So I guess you are the unique and special snowflake. Many people eat like this all over the world everyday. You may be the exception but the whole world is not you. And 55% carbs is not mostly grain and vegetables. It's 55% (duh). Just over half. The other 45 % is fats and protein. Why are you always trying to represent things in such a way as to fit your agenda?

Was thinking that myself too. Magerum said that 55% of his diet is carbs - not all.

Mulberry: out of interest, what percentage carbs do you find works best for you? I've tried lots of different levels over the years (have been as low as 20g a day, currently at 40%, more if I'm doing a big hike) and always interesting to see what works for other people.

magerum

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

But the question is, will it lead to a healthful weight loss for everyone? I would have become quite ill were I to follow your Rx. Eating only 1390 calories a day of "mostly grains, vegetables and sugar" would guarantee it.

I'm a 30 year old 190 lb healthy male and you're a 60 year old woman. You think our needs are even similiar? Also have you forgotten that the OP is a 20 year old male? It happens, we understand.

Defren

To me carbs are evil, but I am a T2 diabetic. I eat around 20g of carbs a day in the form of fruit and veggies. I make up my calories with natural foods, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, seeds etc. I eat a LOT of saturated fat <shock horror> along with my very low carb diet and in 54 weeks I have lost 102 pounds, as a very nice if unintentional bi product of my LC diet.

HOWEVER... this works for me, I have a superb Doctor here in England who keeps an eye on me, and works with me, and while he would like me to replace my lard diet with an olive oil diet he accepts my figures are stunning, and my diabetes reversed.

One thing I did notice, once I got over the carb flu last year, I found I had more energy than I know what to do with, my mind is sharp and alert, I sleep so, so much better, and all carb cravings have gone. My body is now fully keto adapted, and I am happy to keep it that way. I love my diet - nothing is processed or has more than one ingredient except cheese and Greek yogurt, I eat only the purest, cleanest of foods. This is all my choice to help me avoid diabetes complications, and it is all dependent on me staying well away from bread, rice, past, potato's anything that has more than 10g of carbs per 100g.

I don't ask any one to follow my example (I eat Primal opposed to low carb) but it works for me. One year down and I am the best I have been in years, and I look 10 years younger than I am, which at my age is a huge boost. :-)

My advice with any and all diets, don't listen to what anyone tells you, try things for your self. I believe carbs are a huge part of the obesity epidemic in the USA and here in the UK. At the end of the day, it matters not what I or anyone believes, it is what you must find out for yourself.

Good luck.

SanteMulberry

Then there are people like me who lost their weight on 55% carbs. Mostly from grains, veggies , & sugar. Everyone does it differently. Bottom line is simple caloric deficit WILL lead to weight loss.

But the question is, will it lead to a healthful weight loss for everyone? I would have become quite ill were I to follow your Rx. Eating only 1390 calories a day of "mostly grains, vegetables and sugar" would guarantee it.

So I guess you are the unique and special snowflake. Many people eat like this all over the world everyday. You may be the exception but the whole world is not you. And 55% carbs is not mostly grain and vegetables. It's 55% (duh). Just over half. The other 45 % is fats and protein. Why are you always trying to represent things in such a way as to fit your agenda?

I just used his words. I simply cannot afford ANY sugary foods in my diet--I need every available calorie to be a nourishing one. And why the paranoia? What agenda? I haven't accused you of having "an agenda". You have your opinions--I have mine. I know that there are many, many women who share my situation, and telling them to eat like male body-builders while hammering them with the mantras, "Calories in, calories out." and "moderation" simply will not work. You are doing them a disservice and are failing to understand their situation. Is it because none of you he-men can bear the thought of being sugarless? What would Ahnold S. have to say about that? :bigsmile:

SanteMulberry

To me carbs are evil, but I am a T2 diabetic. I eat around 20g of carbs a day in the form of fruit and veggies. I make up my calories with natural foods, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, seeds etc. I eat a LOT of saturated fat <shock horror> along with my very low carb diet and in 54 weeks I have lost 102 pounds, as a very nice if unintentional bi product of my LC diet.

HOWEVER... this works for me, I have a superb Doctor here in England who keeps an eye on me, and works with me, and while he would like me to replace my lard diet with an olive oil diet he accepts my figures are stunning, and my diabetes reversed.

One thing I did notice, once I got over the carb flu last year, I found I had more energy than I know what to do with, my mind is sharp and alert, I sleep so, so much better, and all carb cravings have gone. My body is now fully keto adapted, and I am happy to keep it that way. I love my diet - nothing is processed or has more than one ingredient except cheese and Greek yogurt, I eat only the purest, cleanest of foods. This is all my choice to help me avoid diabetes complications, and it is all dependent on me staying well away from bread, rice, past, potato's anything that has more than 10g of carbs per 100g.

I don't ask any one to follow my example (I eat Primal opposed to low carb) but it works for me. One year down and I am the best I have been in years, and I look 10 years younger than I am, which at my age is a huge boost. :-)

My advice with any and all diets, don't listen to what anyone tells you, try things for your self. I believe carbs are a huge part of the obesity epidemic in the USA and here in the UK. At the end of the day, it matters not what I or anyone believes, it is what you must find out for yourself.

Good luck.

Excellent post. Congratulations on your weight loss.

Iron_Feline

To me carbs are evil, but I am a T2 diabetic. I eat around 20g of carbs a day in the form of fruit and veggies. I make up my calories with natural foods, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, seeds etc. I eat a LOT of saturated fat <shock horror> along with my very low carb diet and in 54 weeks I have lost 102 pounds, as a very nice if unintentional bi product of my LC diet.

HOWEVER... this works for me, I have a superb Doctor here in England who keeps an eye on me, and works with me, and while he would like me to replace my lard diet with an olive oil diet he accepts my figures are stunning, and my diabetes reversed.

One thing I did notice, once I got over the carb flu last year, I found I had more energy than I know what to do with, my mind is sharp and alert, I sleep so, so much better, and all carb cravings have gone. My body is now fully keto adapted, and I am happy to keep it that way. I love my diet - nothing is processed or has more than one ingredient except cheese and Greek yogurt, I eat only the purest, cleanest of foods. This is all my choice to help me avoid diabetes complications, and it is all dependent on me staying well away from bread, rice, past, potato's anything that has more than 10g of carbs per 100g.

I don't ask any one to follow my example (I eat Primal opposed to low carb) but it works for me. One year down and I am the best I have been in years, and I look 10 years younger than I am, which at my age is a huge boost. :-)

My advice with any and all diets, don't listen to what anyone tells you, try things for your self. I believe carbs are a huge part of the obesity epidemic in the USA and here in the UK. At the end of the day, it matters not what I or anyone believes, it is what you must find out for yourself.

Good luck.

Excellent post. Congratulations on your weight loss.

Indeed - but this applies to people who are diabetic - not the 20 year old male op. ( I don't think you said you were)

Defren

To me carbs are evil, but I am a T2 diabetic. I eat around 20g of carbs a day in the form of fruit and veggies. I make up my calories with natural foods, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, seeds etc. I eat a LOT of saturated fat <shock horror> along with my very low carb diet and in 54 weeks I have lost 102 pounds, as a very nice if unintentional bi product of my LC diet.

HOWEVER... this works for me, I have a superb Doctor here in England who keeps an eye on me, and works with me, and while he would like me to replace my lard diet with an olive oil diet he accepts my figures are stunning, and my diabetes reversed.

One thing I did notice, once I got over the carb flu last year, I found I had more energy than I know what to do with, my mind is sharp and alert, I sleep so, so much better, and all carb cravings have gone. My body is now fully keto adapted, and I am happy to keep it that way. I love my diet - nothing is processed or has more than one ingredient except cheese and Greek yogurt, I eat only the purest, cleanest of foods. This is all my choice to help me avoid diabetes complications, and it is all dependent on me staying well away from bread, rice, past, potato's anything that has more than 10g of carbs per 100g.

I don't ask any one to follow my example (I eat Primal opposed to low carb) but it works for me. One year down and I am the best I have been in years, and I look 10 years younger than I am, which at my age is a huge boost. :-)

My advice with any and all diets, don't listen to what anyone tells you, try things for your self. I believe carbs are a huge part of the obesity epidemic in the USA and here in the UK. At the end of the day, it matters not what I or anyone believes, it is what you must find out for yourself.

Good luck.

Excellent post. Congratulations on your weight loss.

Indeed - but this applies to people who are diabetic - not the 20 year old male op. ( I don't think you said you were)

I wish I were 20 something :-) I am considerably older and female, and yes, this would suit a diabetic mostly. A non diabetic could eat the same as I do, but I would suggest that like me, they do see a Doctor at least quarterly, just to be on the safe side. :-)