So, are carbs evil or not?

ScatteredThoughts

I'm pretty sure they are evil. I saw this in the book store today:

tigersword

Carbs are what made mankind! Without carbs your brain can not function. People that cut out carbs to lose weight usually end up failing.

On a side note, carbs kill kittens.

you decide!

Actually, it is untrue that "...without carbs, your brain cannot function..." Our brains are quite comfortable burning ketones for energy. Mankind would have become extinct a long time ago without an ability to function when carbohydrates are not available. Many hunter-gatherers have very low carb diets, subsisting on game and a few roots and berries, for long periods of time.

Actually, very few hunter-gatherers have very low carb diets. The Inuits are the only ones that I know of off hand. Most hunter gatherers eat a majority of fruits, nuts, seeds, and wild grasses, as "gathering" makes up much more of the diet than "hunting." And the Inuits tend to have much shorter lifespans, and much higher disease incidences, so I wouldn't exactly use them as a shining example of how great low carb is, as they kind of prove the opposite. Your brain can survive on ketones, but I wouldn't say it's comfortable. It much prefers glucose, and always gets at least 25% of its energy from glucose, regardless of the amount of carbs you eat.

Perhaps that is true of hunter-gatherers today, but I would point you to the "plains indians" of yesteryear. Before the white man came, they subsisted mostly on buffalo meat and whatever they could forage (and in the plains, that wasn't much). The Inuit may have a lot of illness and shorter lifespans today, but that is a result of being corrupted by foodstuffs from the south. They were quite healthy in the past--to the point that medical researchers believed that they somehow were genetically different from the rest of us to be able to not only survive but thrive on their mostly meat based diet. The faultiness of their reasoning was revealed when explorers came up from the south and lived among the Inuit. It is a fact that they adopted the Inuit diet...and they thrived. The historical accounts are available.

Please stop making things up. Before the 1930's Dust Bowl turned a great section of the plains into a near desert, the plains were an incredibly lush landscape for fruits and vegetables. That's why people settled there and began farming.

MochaMixAZ

Simply: Not.

Calories in vs calories out... the "secret." The quality of the calories may impact how you feel along the way... but that's the bottomline.

Matt_Wild

Carbs are great. I'm dieting on 400g of them a day - they're awesome. A good source of fibre, keeps my guts health and my diet varied - BUT thats because my size and calories allow it.

ashleab37

Macros are very important for a bodybuilder trying to go from 8% BF to 2%. I just focus on calories for the most part.

They're also very important for obese people trying to lose fat and maintain muscle.

Lupercalia

bump so I can read this later....

Acg67

For at least a year, I was trying to lose a little weight, like 5 lbs and drop BF. when I cut carbs, bam! And no, it wasn't because of a calorie deficit. Cals stayed the same. So, I am a believer. You can argue with each other all day long, but unless you try it, you don't really know. It works. I've turned others on to it, and they also get amazing results.

To me, it not carbs per se, it's the amount of carbs we eat. You don't realize how much of it dominates your diet. And, all that gets converted into sugar. If you don't use it, it stored as fat. That's not all bad, but again, the carb heavy world we live in is ridiculous. Carbs are filler food. When you eliminate them, you have to think harder about how to fill your plate. Vegetables become more attractive, at that point. And, you can eat way more volume bd stay way more full way longer.

Ah wizardry, awesome

And veggies are what? Carb dominate foods

redraidergirl2009

It depends on your own body. Personally I tried low carb a few times and felt like I was dying. I was ravenous and binged. Now I just eat carbs if I want them and feel fine. I think my body runs better with carbs than without.

Acg67

For at least a year, I was trying to lose a little weight, like 5 lbs and drop BF. when I cut carbs, bam! And no, it wasn't because of a calorie deficit. Cals stayed the same. So, I am a believer. You can argue with each other all day long, but unless you try it, you don't really know. It works. I've turned others on to it, and they also get amazing results.

To me, it not carbs per se, it's the amount of carbs we eat. You don't realize how much of it dominates your diet. And, all that gets converted into sugar. If you don't use it, it stored as fat. That's not all bad, but again, the carb heavy world we live in is ridiculous. Carbs are filler food. When you eliminate them, you have to think harder about how to fill your plate. Vegetables become more attractive, at that point. And, you can eat way more volume bd stay way more full way longer.

Ah wizardry, awesome

And veggies are what? Carb dominate foods

Veggies are different than a plate of pasta or rice. I didn't say no carbs. If your anti-low carb, I'm not interested in you opinion. I have facts based on my real life. Bye.

Carbs are filler food. When you eliminate them, you have to think harder about how to fill your plate. Vegetables become more attractive, at that point

ndj1979

I am italian so carbs are never evil....

ndj1979

Cutting carbs can make the number on the scale go down due to water weight. It isn't fat loss. Stay within your calories, eat at least 1 gram protein per lb of lean body mass (find out how much you have here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/ ) and eat at least .35 gm fat per lb lean body mass, and let the carbs fall where they may.

I agree with all of your answer except the first two sentences. Yes, initially you will see a quick drop in water weight when you start eating low carb. But, I know people who have lost 50, 60 and more than 100 lbs eating low carb. You can't say that is JUST water weight. You will lose fat on low carb long term also.

I think the point being made is that it was not low carb that caused X person to lose weight it was the resulting eating in a deficit that came from cutting out all the junk foods that they were eating...

No, it was not all water weight. Person X just ate less then they took in and lost weight....

monicalosesweight

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates-full-story/

Interesting article from Harvard about carbs.

I'm usually higher on the veggie end of carbs due to a wheat allergy. My only grain type carbs are rice or potato based. I end up eating this way for my health and my body seems to like it better. That's why we're all different in our beliefs. What one believes does not apply to all. It's like the indian culture that one person mentioned - they were extremely healthy and ate basically Bison on the plains...that was the majority of their food other than a limited amount of gathered items that were findable. That's why it's not a matter of vegan, paleo or any other diet - let's say Atkins or low carb...it's a matter of finding what makes your body function correctly. In my case, vegan would not work but that's because my body does not process beans very well and I notice a definite difference in how my body functions when I eat meat based protein. I eat to make myself healthy and my body has very specific requirements.

Monica

CoachReddy

nope. because guess what? your body needs 'em.

CoachReddy

Cutting carbs can make the number on the scale go down due to water weight. It isn't fat loss. Stay within your calories, eat at least 1 gram protein per lb of lean body mass (find out how much you have here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/ ) and eat at least .35 gm fat per lb lean body mass, and let the carbs fall where they may.

I agree with all of your answer except the first two sentences. Yes, initially you will see a quick drop in water weight when you start eating low carb. But, I know people who have lost 50, 60 and more than 100 lbs eating low carb. You can't say that is JUST water weight. You will lose fat on low carb long term also.

I think the point being made is that it was not low carb that caused X person to lose weight it was the resulting eating in a deficit that came from cutting out all the junk foods that they were eating...

No, it was not all water weight. Person X just ate less then they took in and lost weight....

for the first time ever, we agree.

i honestly think low carb just helps people keep from eating high calorie things without thinking, and thus, going over their TDEE, as many carbs are also high calorie.

obviously in certain situations low carb can be necessary (certain diseases/conditions) but in an otherwise healthy person, it's not the lack of carbs that's attributing to the weight loss, but the calorie deficit.

stargazer008

There is no need to demonize a macronutrient.

tntgal2

No, but like all food types, some carbs are better than others. Choose high fiber bread over highly processed white bread. Beans have carbohydrates and protein, and can be filling - white bean salad with veggies, garbanzos on salad, etc. if by "evil carbs" you mean a 3 inch slice of cake with buttercream frosting, that's no a good carb. Neither is a glazed donut. One cup of whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, diced kale and carrots, garbanzos, and a tbsp of Parmesan is a healthy carb, likly to help you feel full.

It's a balance of proteins, carbs, and fats. And in those major groups, make good choices - I.e. 4 oz fish vs 4 oz of bacon.

michellelemorgan

For at least a year, I was trying to lose a little weight, like 5 lbs and drop BF. when I cut carbs, bam! And no, it wasn't because of a calorie deficit. Cals stayed the same. So, I am a believer. You can argue with each other all day long, but unless you try it, you don't really know. It works. I've turned others on to it, and they also get amazing results.

To me, it not carbs per se, it's the amount of carbs we eat. You don't realize how much of it dominates your diet. And, all that gets converted into sugar. If you don't use it, it stored as fat. That's not all bad, but again, the carb heavy world we live in is ridiculous. Carbs are filler food. When you eliminate them, you have to think harder about how to fill your plate. Vegetables become more attractive, at that point. And, you can eat way more volume bd stay way more full way longer.

I completely agree with this. I had about ten pounds to lose last summer and they fell off quickly once I stopped eating starches. I even got a flat tummy as a result. I might eat starches once a week but I try to keep them limited and only have them on my weekly cheat meal. There are better ways to get calories than by eating bread and potatoes.