Always exceed carb allowance. Help!

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sawadoll
sawadoll Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello, since joining MFP in July, I have ALWAYS exceeded my carbs allowance. My diary is open. I have my macro set to 40-30-30. Tips and tricks on reducing carb intake would be greatly appreciated :)
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  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    Hello, since joining MFP in July, I have ALWAYS exceeded my carbs allowance. My diary is open. I have my macro set to 40-30-30. Tips and tricks on reducing carb intake would be greatly appreciated :)

    Not eating processed food, grains (bread, pasta, rice etc), potatoes and legumes seems to do the job for me.

    What do I eat you may wonder? Or not ... Anyway I'm going to tell you ;)

    Meat, eggs, fish, veggies (mostly leafy) and cheese forms the backbone my day. Fruit for dessert sometimes.

    50g of carbohydrate a day tops.

    Yum :)
  • shivles
    shivles Posts: 468 Member
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    Agreed cut out all breads, pastas and white rice, plus the junk food
  • astina2727
    astina2727 Posts: 149 Member
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    I was looking at your diary and I notice you eat alot of fruit (which is wonderful) but fruit has alot of "good carbs" so honestly if your going over your carbs look at the fruit sections and see if that is what is doing it. if so i wouldnt worry about it.
  • joy_mccoy
    joy_mccoy Posts: 5
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    Stay away from pasta!!!! It's hard, but you can do it!! ;)
  • whiskeycharged
    whiskeycharged Posts: 400 Member
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    Was this posting in a low carb forum? Let me check... No, okay good. Honest answer time.

    50 grams of carbs a day? Pshh.. That's too low in my opinion. Your body needs carbs for energy. Believe me, you can lose weight without doing the unhealthy low carb diet.

    Whole grains are fine to eat. You can check my diary out but I tend to eat my whole grain carbs for breakfast and switch to vegetables as the day progresses.

    Best tip or trick is just to introduce more protein sources into your diet. I usually log the next day in MFP the night before so I have a good idea on what my macros will look like in advance.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    Was this posting in a low carb forum? Let me check... No, okay good. Honest answer time.

    50 grams of carbs a day? Pshh.. That's too low in my opinion. Your body needs carbs for energy. Believe me, you can lose weight without doing the unhealthy low carb diet.

    Whole grains are fine to eat. You can check my diary out but I tend to eat my whole grain carbs for breakfast and switch to vegetables as the day progresses.

    Best tip or trick is just to introduce more protein sources into your diet. I usually log the next day in MFP the night before so I have a good idea on what my macros will look like in advance.

    Errr, hello, mine WAS an honest answer.

    The OP asked for "Tips and tricks on reducing carb intake would be greatly appreciated :)" and I gave them some carbohydrate sources that I avoid and then I quantified it by saying my carb intake is less than 50g.

    None of this is a lie.

    I didn't say they had to follow me, I didn't say that this was the ideal intake for everyone, we are all different.

    I'll skim over the 'unhealthy low carb diet' comment because to be honest I don't think it's worth the effort to debate.

    Enjoy your 'healthy whole grains'.
  • DeTaart
    DeTaart Posts: 93 Member
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    It is, admittedly, difficult. I don't really eat any bread, rice, pasta and I still clock 130g-150g from fruit, veg, yoghurt etc.

    When I was losing weight and watching my carbs more carefully I aimed for 100g and it worked. I found anything lower unrealistic given my lifestyle and need to grab food on the go a lot. 50g is of course achievable but you will need to cut out bread, probably oats and watch your veggies.

    Two tips:
    - I would say avoid processed foods where possible. A can of soup can have 40g carbs! Ready meals are awful for this.
    - Fill up with protein, it really works. If you can't eat a can of tuna, you're not hungry.
  • sawadoll
    sawadoll Posts: 39 Member
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    Thanks guy! That is such a good idea to snack on protein foods rather than reaching for crackers etc when i want something savory!
    Lesson learnt!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Take a look at your diary yourself. Each day, identify the biggest carb culprit. And then think of what you could have had instead.

    A lot of the time, it's your fruit intake. Bananas especially! Maybe limit them to one a day. And choose lower carb fruits (berries, for instance) or even vegetables (carrot sticks etc) as an alternative.

    But you also seem to be over on calories a few days as well, so it's not surprising that you're over on carbs on thsoe days.
  • SusanMcAvoy
    SusanMcAvoy Posts: 445 Member
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    Carbs are the devil. I notice if I eat around 140 gms a day I mange to lose weight. Stay away from all bread. Carbs just make you crave more food. When I have a high carb day all I do it think about food. Especially crackers. So if I stay in control that doesn't happen. Eat fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, cheese (although high in sodium, get boars head), salad, celery, tomatoes, low fat yogurt, and limit your fruit. Stay away from bananas. I love them too but very high in carbs. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    Thanks guy! That is such a good idea to snack on protein foods rather than reaching for crackers etc when i want something savory!
    Lesson learnt!


    Nuts are good, and I would recommend cutting out those pork buns. Pork buns as a snack. No.

    I second eating more veg, fish, eggs, etc. I personally dont get along with grains, so I avoid them. You can get plenty of energy fro other foods, and good sources of carbs. I eat a lot of sweet potato. Eat fresh, natural foods. You also seem to have been eating a lot of sweet sugary stuff, which will add up, biscuits here and there.

    And Allinseven, you do say you're 'broscience certified'. Almost all the food in your diary has a brand name. Just sayin.
  • whiskeycharged
    whiskeycharged Posts: 400 Member
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    And Allinseven, you do say you're 'broscience certified'. Almost all the food in your diary has a brand name. Just sayin.

    Has a brand name...? Not quite sure what you are trying to imply with that connotation.

    Do I live off a farm and butcher my own animals? No.

    Do I go around picking fruits and vegetables from a garden? No.

    Do I shop at a store and eat healthy 'clean' foods? Yes.

    4925.gif
  • darbear007
    darbear007 Posts: 6
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    Hello everyone, :)
    I would like to say/add one thing.
    Many people advocate no or low bread.
    I eat alot of protein but also alot of bread (wheat whole grain bread).
    I am an American but live in Germany.
    I guarantee you the bread here is always baked fresh, and they have strict laws regulating bread, and how its baked.
    Anyways, if someone is eating like me, good bread, I say go for it!!
    I eat it without anything most days, it tastes really good, and gives me most of the carbs I need for energy throughout the day.
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
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    eat meat instead
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    I checked out your diary. Looks like you hit your goal today. But your sodium is a bit high. Watch out for he deli meats, they are packed with sodium. I try to stay under 100g of Carbs and usually get at least 20g of Fiber, so that's 80 net g of Carbs. Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies bu I do eat bread in moderation. I have found snacking on cheese really helpful. I love cheese and it has like no carbs. I also avoid high carb fruit like bananas and even with all its fiber i rarely eat apples either. I stick with berries and since its summer watermelon on occasion. I do notice the days that I go over my carb goal are days that I eat out or have processed food. So if you limit those two you should be able to hit your goal.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Skim down the carbs column of your diary looking for double figures -

    banana
    kiwi
    muesli
    popcorn
    quaker bar
    brownie
    quinoa
    etc

    Forget them all.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Your body needs carbs for energy
    The sort of BS you read from the animated GIF types - a Richard Cranium award for failing to answer the question. "How do I tighten this screw ? Use a nail instead and hammer it in".

    Your body doesn't need you to eat any carbs. You can eat a lot of carbs for sure and yes they have calories for energy but so do proteins and especially fats and it's personal choice, but don't pretend we need to eat carbohydrates.
  • whiskeycharged
    whiskeycharged Posts: 400 Member
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    Your body needs carbs for energy
    The sort of BS you read from the animated GIF types - a Richard Cranium award for failing to answer the question. "How do I tighten this screw ? Use a nail instead and hammer it in".

    Your body doesn't need you to eat any carbs. You can eat a lot of carbs for sure and yes they have calories for energy but so do proteins and especially fats and it's personal choice, but don't pretend we need to eat carbohydrates.

    Glucose is the form of sugar that travels in your bloodstream to fuel the mitochondrial furnaces responsible for your brain power. Glucose is the only fuel normally used by brain cells. Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply of this precious fuel.

    This blood sugar is obtained from carbohydrates: the starches and sugars you eat in the form of grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    And Allinseven, you do say you're 'broscience certified'. Almost all the food in your diary has a brand name. Just sayin.

    Has a brand name...? Not quite sure what you are trying to imply with that connotation.

    Do I live off a farm and butcher my own animals? No.

    Do I go around picking fruits and vegetables from a garden? No.

    Do I shop at a store and eat healthy 'clean' foods? Yes.

    4925.gif

    I was just being a bit of a cowbag because of your anti-low carb brigade response, but essentially I was pointing out that you dont appear to eat a lot of fresh fruit or veg.
  • sawadoll
    sawadoll Posts: 39 Member
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    Yeah, I was more conscious of what I was eating today. Cutting down on my banana and cookies. I think it was I would eat heaps of banana because I thought it was healthy so I could eat heaps. Lesson learnt!
    AND yeah, I tried snacking on ham instead of cookies for a protein swap. I just need to find something sweet and low carb!
    I understand that you need to have carbs and the importance of it as it gives you energy etc and by no means am I trying to cut it out completely. I just find I go over it on my allowance everyday and was looking on advice to troubleshoot the issue. I knew the obvious "cut out the cookies" one but that banana one surprised me.
    And I don't like the taste of bread or pasta anyways so I am all clear on those areas. The bread in New Zealand taste like cardboard and I hate the texture of pasta.

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