why obsess over carbs?
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Hip Hip Hooray Side Steel.....bang on!0
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I'm 42, and I've noticed that too many carbs make me ravenous, and I feel pretty crappy. I've read about high-fat low-carb diets and am getting convinced, but I'm not ready to give up that many carbs yet. Whatever the science, I've learned what my body needs to lose weight. Now I just have to do it, which is the challenging part! I love carbs, but they don't love me.0
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its a forum n ppl discuss all sorts on here i had a question so i asked no insult to anyone.neither did i force ppl to read or reply to it,so no need to get defensive...Because that's what works for some of us. Why is that of any concern to you? What works for you works for you, and what works for me works for me. Our bodies are different, as are we (thank God!).
The reason you're getting grief is the tone of your original post, and your replies aren't helping. If you don't like it, next time you post, change your tone. Simple as.
There was nothing wrong with the tone in her original post. She asked a question and then gave her thoughts on it. No reason for people to get snarky with her.0 -
As a registered dietitian with undergraduate and graduate degrees in nutrition and exercise science, I am here to tell you that the tides are changing on how much carbohydrate you actually need. Albeit, slowly... but it is happening. We are realizing that the "low fat" craze and recommendations from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health were not based on anecdotal evidence as much as they were based on assumptions because the advisory panels were pressured to give recommendations before they were actually ready to do so. In turn, they jumped on the fat begets fat bandwagon.
I have been a practicing professional in the industry for more than 12 years, and have seen hundreds of patients struggling to lose weight; I struggled with my own weight myself as a teenager and young adult, and it will always be something I have to work to maintain. My professional (and personal) experience alone have proven to me that moderate/lower carbohydrate intake can make all the difference in the world for people trying to lose or struggling to bust through plateaus. It has intrigued me so much that I am currently working on my PhD and my research centers around this very subject.
This is like foreplay to me....I do not wish to start arguments, but I do wish to tell you that watching your carbohydrate intake (especially your refined carbohydrate intake) is just as important, (possibly more important) than watching your saturated fat intake and your overall calorie intake. Especially as you get older and hormonal decline really takes it's toll. One thing I would urge ANY person who is concerned with their weight to do is to read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. It is not a diet plan, but rather a map of human nutrition and the medical and governmental war against the obesity epidemic. We should be eating MORE healthy fats and LESS carbohydrates along with the standard prescription of moving more and eating less. I don't mention my degrees to brag or sound like a know-it-all, but more to let you know that I am a professional in this field, who is up to date with all the current research and not just a lay person spewing something they read or believe on faith alone.
I am not advocating a no carbohydrate diet (although that can be a good weight loss tool if you slowly add in unrefined and healthy carbohydrates and reduce your saturated fat intake in order to end up with a more sustainable long-term lifestyle change), but I am advocating one that is devoid of refined carbohydrates (i.e sugar, white flour, processed foods) and sources most of its carbohydrate energy from non-starchy vegetables, fruit, 100% whole grains, starchy vegetables and refined carbohydrates in that order.
Taubes?!?!?!
Now ive got blue balls.....
IMO if you have certain food allergies then avoid those foods.
Otherwise enjoy them at a deficit to lose weight or enjoy them at a surplus to gain weight.
Really simple!0 -
As a registered dietitian with undergraduate and graduate degrees in nutrition and exercise science, I am here to tell you that the tides are changing on how much carbohydrate you actually need. Albeit, slowly... but it is happening. We are realizing that the "low fat" craze and recommendations from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health were not based on anecdotal evidence as much as they were based on assumptions because the advisory panels were pressured to give recommendations before they were actually ready to do so. In turn, they jumped on the fat begets fat bandwagon.
I have been a practicing professional in the industry for more than 12 years, and have seen hundreds of patients struggling to lose weight; I struggled with my own weight myself as a teenager and young adult, and it will always be something I have to work to maintain. My professional (and personal) experience alone have proven to me that moderate/lower carbohydrate intake can make all the difference in the world for people trying to lose or struggling to bust through plateaus. It has intrigued me so much that I am currently working on my PhD and my research centers around this very subject.
This is like foreplay to me....I do not wish to start arguments, but I do wish to tell you that watching your carbohydrate intake (especially your refined carbohydrate intake) is just as important, (possibly more important) than watching your saturated fat intake and your overall calorie intake. Especially as you get older and hormonal decline really takes it's toll. One thing I would urge ANY person who is concerned with their weight to do is to read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. It is not a diet plan, but rather a map of human nutrition and the medical and governmental war against the obesity epidemic. We should be eating MORE healthy fats and LESS carbohydrates along with the standard prescription of moving more and eating less. I don't mention my degrees to brag or sound like a know-it-all, but more to let you know that I am a professional in this field, who is up to date with all the current research and not just a lay person spewing something they read or believe on faith alone.
I am not advocating a no carbohydrate diet (although that can be a good weight loss tool if you slowly add in unrefined and healthy carbohydrates and reduce your saturated fat intake in order to end up with a more sustainable long-term lifestyle change), but I am advocating one that is devoid of refined carbohydrates (i.e sugar, white flour, processed foods) and sources most of its carbohydrate energy from non-starchy vegetables, fruit, 100% whole grains, starchy vegetables and refined carbohydrates in that order.
Taubes?!?!?!
Now ive got blue balls.....
IMO if you have certain food allergies then avoid those foods.
Otherwise enjoy them at a deficit to lose weight or enjoy them at a surplus to gain weight.
Really simple!
ROFLMAO! You are totally killing me here!0 -
Your body runs off of two tanks of gas: fat and carbs.
I watch carbs so I can be a fat-burning machine. But you know, whatever.0 -
thanks for all informtive posts.very helpful
Just to clarify I wasnt trying to imply that we shud only eat carbs or over indulge in them, I never hit my daily allowance but equally I never watch them (so needed to know if i shud be lol) I know that my metabolism and diet will change with age thats normal I would assume.I eat only wholegrain bread,pastas etc and actually eat little proessed foods (as an occasional treat etc) i cook all my meals from scratch and love veg ad fruit so does my hubby so i am lucky there with support at home.I now have a better understanding of good and bad carbs,as before i was questioning if I shud have some even fruits due to high carb content. xxx 0 -
So we're back to: everyone is the same?
QFT! Said it better than I ever could. And I'm 49...CALORIES IN<CALORIES OUT, FOLKS!You are 23, maybe you would consider other dietary options if you were, say, 41 and had a metabolism that had been knocked-about by the progress of time and a diet too heavy in carbohydrate.
When I was 23 I had way more latitude for my diet and I'd be rabbiting 'a calorie is a calorie' and 'we need carbs for energy'. Hey, just eat less and exercise more lardy!
Given I am 41 and prone to reading up about the science, not magazine articles, I don't rabbit anymore.
I turn 41 next month. I don't monitor or count my carbs at all. A full 50-55% (250-300g a day) of my diet comes from carbs - and not all of them vegetables, brown rice and lower-sugar fruits. I eat regular pasta, white bread and sugar regularly. I didn't have any problem losing weight. I haven't had any problem keeping it off. And my bloodwork and all other health measures look perfect.
I think you were kind of rude to the OP. Younger people can read, they can interpret scientific evidence and they can make informed decisions about their own health. And by that token, people over 40 can read popular magazine articles, watch Dr. Oz, and make ill-informed health decisions. Age doesn't determine your capability for making informed decisions.
Different strokes for different folks...0 -
I never said that 100% avoidance of sugar and white flour/rice/pasta was the way to go. If you read my statement I said they should be the last carbs on the list you are consuming regularly. In other words, you should consume them the least, proportionally speaking. I eat them, but not daily and sometimes not even weekly. And not at all right now while I am trying to get back into triathlon/marathon shape after giving birth to twins five months ago.
Furthermore, there is no research conflicting Gary Taubes research because Gary Taubes is not a researcher. He is a scientific journalist, whose job it has been to report the research for decades and in that profession he has reviewed the battery of evidence (primarily from peer-reviewed and gold standard sources) and seen where the research did not point to low fat/high carbohydrate but instead was actually assumed and extrapolated from those assumptions because they just did not understand the implications of insulin nor had they seen the effects of high carbohydrate/ highly refined/processed diets on a population (i.e increased serum cholesterol, increased BMI/body fat composition, increased Diabetes Mellitus, etc.) He basically has done a "literature review" of all the research and then interprets it for you.
The points he makes are absolutely valid and the "debunkers" generally take his words out of context in that they aim to prove that starch does not make you fat. Of course if you eat a caloric deficit you can lose weight regardless of the macronutrient make up of your diet. He doesn't say eat all the fat you want and shoo those bad carbs away forever. He is simply making the point that starch can be just as big a villian as saturated fat if consumed immoderately. What he does say, though is that calories in/calories out is not the only factor at play here. Good,nutrient dense calories are without a doubt better for you than empty ones. Would you dispute that? His point is merely that low fat, high carbohydrate was a rush to judgment and that what ensued was a villification of fat and cholesterol that was not only completely unwarranted, but also scientifically not supported. Americans then started eating low fat and fat free options (many of them processed), as well as white flour, white rice, pretzels, etc and the obesity epidemic has since ballooned to epic proportions. Sure there are other factors at play, portion size and the distortion thereof being the largest factor... Taubes just points out that Americans would likely be healthier if they cut out the bulk of these refined carbohydrates and started eating a little more healthy fat instead of taking the fat is bad/carbs are good stance.
Like I said, I wasn't here to start an argument, and do not have time to argue as I have a 3 full-time jobs (mom/student/clinical manager). I was just letting people know that the tides, they are a changin'. You don't have to believe me, but you will soon come to see what I am talking about. When I entered this profession more than a decade ago, most health professionals debunked moderating carbohydrate intake, but that just isn't the case anymore. The American Heart Association, for instance is currently moderating its recommendations on sugar. So is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), the American Academy of Pediatrics, I could go on and on.
So again, you don't have to give it up, but you should be eating a lot less of it. If for no other reason than it is simply not a nutrient dense food source.0 -
So we're back to: everyone is the same?
QFT! Said it better than I ever could. And I'm 49...CALORIES IN<CALORIES OUT, FOLKS!You are 23, maybe you would consider other dietary options if you were, say, 41 and had a metabolism that had been knocked-about by the progress of time and a diet too heavy in carbohydrate.
When I was 23 I had way more latitude for my diet and I'd be rabbiting 'a calorie is a calorie' and 'we need carbs for energy'. Hey, just eat less and exercise more lardy!
Given I am 41 and prone to reading up about the science, not magazine articles, I don't rabbit anymore.
I turn 41 next month. I don't monitor or count my carbs at all. A full 50-55% (250-300g a day) of my diet comes from carbs - and not all of them vegetables, brown rice and lower-sugar fruits. I eat regular pasta, white bread and sugar regularly. I didn't have any problem losing weight. I haven't had any problem keeping it off. And my bloodwork and all other health measures look perfect.
I think you were kind of rude to the OP. Younger people can read, they can interpret scientific evidence and they can make informed decisions about their own health. And by that token, people over 40 can read popular magazine articles, watch Dr. Oz, and make ill-informed health decisions. Age doesn't determine your capability for making informed decisions.
Different strokes for different folks...
That's not what I said. I'm pretty sure my last line was 'Different strokes for different folks...' which essentially is one way of saying we're NOT all the same. :flowerforyou:0 -
Ok, I'll answer your question. A lot of low calorie food is high in carbohydrates. For example sugarfree frozen yogurt has approx 100 calories for 5oz but has around 25 carbs. Increase in carbs increases your bodies production of insulin if your pancreas is working properly. Over time if forced to over produce insulin it stops functioning as well. Thus starting pre diabetes then being a diabetic. So, I have to watch my carbohydrate intake to keep my blood sugars in check. Not all carbs affect my blood sugars such as carbs from non starchy vegis; but fruit, processed carbs, starchy carbs are not equal to other foods. I limit those to 15g per meal. Oh and by the way, if I had a 23 y/o pancreas and knew what I know now, my 47 y/o pancreas would be working more efficiently.0
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A brilliant man made a fantastic meme the other day.......
I'm done here!
Have a good day gang!0 -
Im diabetic. I've also got a lot of weight to lose. Ive also been quite sick recently.
With that said. The last month Ive cut carbs in my diet to less than 50 per meal as a rule. Yeah, sometimes Ive gone over a little but not much. I havent craved them and Im hoping thats a good thing. I know the hazard carbs are to my blood sugars and how much better I feel without them. Right now the only real carbs Im getting are from fruits and vegies and the occasional baked potato. I dont do pasta, breads, sugars as in candy cakes et al. I do have a dry small baked potato for supper most evenings that I drizzle with lemon and love it. Maybe this keeps me from craving the rest....I dont know.
What I do know is Ive lost like 30- or 35 lbs since the early July. I also found out yesterday that I have major ketones in my urine which could mean several things (not eating enough--I seldom eat more than 1300 a day(they tell me I need closer to 1800)., High blood sugars--Ive had a nasty infection and was hospitalized for it for a week, and of course cutting too many carbs) My doc and nutritionist are not happy with me. I have to increase my calories in a healthy way without increasing the carbs.
Do I have all the answers?? Ohhhhhh hell to the naw, no more than most of you here but, like the rest of you, Im willing to keep trying and keep learning and keep listening and keep losing. Id like to think I have as much to offer as I do to learn.
Let's just support each other.
~Resty0 -
A brilliant man made a fantastic meme the other day.......
I'm done here!
Have a good day gang!
A french fry fell out of my cleavage yesterday...
Just sayin.0 -
@twinkiemommyr
Gluconeogenesis can produce some glucose from amino acids, but if you remain carb starved you produce ketone bodies to fuel your brain while your muscles are fed fatty acids. Those are the backup mechanisms for when you don't have the preferred fuel for your body.0 -
I'm 26 and I'm insulin resistant. I'm 5'7 and 217 pounds after losing 73 pounds eating low carb. Some people just can't process wonderful, delicious carbs.0
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To a point, you are correct. However, I never said carb deprived/zero carb/Atkins type restrictive. I simply advise carb moderate/unrefined types of carbs in moderation (i.e. proper portion sizes/more monounsaturated fat, less carbs than high carb diets advocate).
Moreover, my point is that we should be eating nutrient dense carbs in the interest of overall health and wellness. Taubes also did not say you should go carb-free. He simply arrives at the conclusion that the lipid hypothesis was an irresponsible jump to conclusions. White sugar/bread/pasta is highly processed junk food and should be treated as such. AKA, eaten rarely in favor of their less-processed alternatives.0 -
Great insight Twinkiemommy,
That's a great way to think of sugar white bread and pastas.. Or all of
My fav foods ;( .... I will survive lol and hit my goals. Thanks all for sharing0 -
Do your research. Carbs are absolutely not needed by your body. If there are no carbs your body can get energy from fat.
There is NOTHING that carbs can provide your body (outside of those in fruits and vegetables because those also have vitamins). They offer nothing for nutrition and think about it, do they taste good or the stuff you put on them?0 -
Furthermore, I get the impression that a lot of people haven't read Taubes book, but simply have paraphrased some of his points and, in some cases, twisted them. Maybe read the "Cliff's Notes" version?? I say that because many of the ideas about the book I am seeing here are incorrect, or at the least indicative of someone who has not read the book and instead gathered a few of his points and chosen to broaden what he actually stated. In other words, used the old "grain of truth" logic. Pun intended.0
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