why do people think carbs are so bad/evil?

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  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    its because every gram carbohydrates holds 3 grams of water... some people look at the scale go down because they dont eat carbs, but its just that water weight.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    im just curious. a lot of people do a low carb diet for weight loss.. im not quite sure how low carb helps you lose weight. i always go way over on carbs for the day as per MFP's recommended value but ive had no problem losing the weight.. so even if youre within your calorie budget and still on a deficit- if you go over on carbs that means youll gain weight?

    only people who dont run think carbs are bad :-)
  • rshields9093
    rshields9093 Posts: 20 Member
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    As far as just weight loss is concerned, and for a typical healthy person, there is no specific benefit to a low carb diet. If you consume fewer calories than your body needs for daily activities (on average, over time) then you WILL loose weight.

    There are plenty of reasons why some believe there is value in this or that specialized diet and for people with specific health issues (e.g. diabetes) there may very well be good reasons for a low carb diet. Just like there is reason to consider a low fat diet for heart health, etc. Some people claim that certain specialized diets are easier to stick to for various reasons. But again, just discussing pure weight loss, it is only about calorie deficit (and of course a calorie surplus leads to weight gain).

    As long as you are successfully losing weight and your doctor hasn't given you any advice to the contrary, then I would strongly recommend that you just keep doing what you are doing and don't worry about it.

    That being said, the available research does strongly suggest that for overall health you should strive to make a lot of your carbs complex carbs and avoid too many simple carbs.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
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    I am digesting all this great and fascinating info, but one thing I need to know.....what foods are high in carbs, and which aren't? In other words, what foods should you reach for, and which foods should you avoid, if you are looking to go low-carb?
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
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    I have pcos and insulin resistance so I have to limit my carbs more than the average person. It makes a difference to me but people without issues like these have no problem with carbs!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    im just curious. a lot of people do a low carb diet for weight loss.. im not quite sure how low carb helps you lose weight. i always go way over on carbs for the day as per MFP's recommended value but ive had no problem losing the weight.. so even if youre within your calorie budget and still on a deficit- if you go over on carbs that means youll gain weight?

    only people who dont run think carbs are bad :-)
    Amen. :)
  • nicleed
    nicleed Posts: 247 Member
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    For me (ex-carbaholic) lowering my carbs in favour of fats/protein seems to = feeling fuller for longer on the same amount of cals. So less likely to binge.

    I *try* to keep macros at 40/30/30, but most days it's more like 50/25/25 - still a lot better than when I started tracking them!
  • mandisu
    mandisu Posts: 57 Member
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    For me, it is simple: diabetes.

    I was pre-diabetic, went low carb and am now fine.

    Carbs turn into sugar in your system. You overload your system with sugar and you risk diabetes.

    It's not for everyone, but for me....it was necessary.


    Same for me!

    I have PCOS, which comes with Insulin Resistance.. i.e. pre-diabetic. Going low carb has been the only way I have successfully lost weight. Why mess with something that is FINALLY working? (For me anyways...)
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    I am digesting all this great and fascinating info, but one thing I need to know.....what foods are high in carbs, and which aren't? In other words, what foods should you reach for, and which foods should you avoid, if you are looking to go low-carb?

    SUGAR!! BREAD PASTA RICE, GRAINS, SUGAR!, MOAR SUGAR, FRENCH FRIES HOLY CRAP! did I say sugar? anything not meat and not eggs is on the carby side of life. Nuts are great for low carbers, good balanced food..
  • Copaiba
    Copaiba Posts: 75 Member
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    I don't eat bread, white potatoes or white rice, and I try to maintain a balance of carbs to protein and fat, but I dont avoid carbs anymore. I like them. They make me feel good. So I eat whole grains and legumes and veggies. If I'm really disciplined, I can lose 1.5 a week. I just have to make sure they aren't ALL I eat. I can sit happily down with a bag of Tostito natural tortilla chips and finish the whole bag in a couple hours. hmmm. I lost a lot of weight 10 years ago with a high protein, low carb diet and I was NOT a happy person.
  • pickledginger
    pickledginger Posts: 172
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    The insulin / blood sugar roller-coaster from a high-carb, high-GI diet can cause people to be hungry more often. So not only do people lose more weight on equal-calorie low-carb diets, they also tend to stick to the diet better if it's not high-carb.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    To the poster who said "only those who don't run think carbs are evil"
    not true. I ran 2 half marathons this summer while pregnant doing VLC. You CAN be an athlete and run efficiently on "alternative fuels" ;)
  • Copaiba
    Copaiba Posts: 75 Member
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    And I dont eat sugar or drink soda at all. Sugar makes me ill.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    To the poster who said "only those who don't run think carbs are evil"
    not true. I ran 2 half marathons this summer while pregnant doing VLC. You CAN be an athlete and run efficiently on "alternative fuels" ;)
    But you have to be in keto to do it right? That middle ground of low-ish carbs is terrible for runners!
  • pickledginger
    pickledginger Posts: 172
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    Trouble getting fiber on a LOW-carb diet? Heck, no. Vegetables have lots more fiber than chips or bread or spaghetti.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    For me (ex-carbaholic) lowering my carbs in favour of fats/protein seems to = feeling fuller for longer on the same amount of cals. So less likely to binge.

    I *try* to keep macros at 40/30/30, but most days it's more like 50/25/25 - still a lot better than when I started tracking them!

    Exactly this for me lol.

    Everything in moderation. I have been trying to up my protein levels for weightlifting. In a deficit, for me to achieve that, I have to lower carbs :sad: That being said, I'm trying to build muscle. It depends on your goals. I know people (in real life) who do low/no carbs, and it's more of a fad diet. They've even said, "yeah as soon as I start eating bread, I'll gain all the weight back again" If you have medical problems that make it necessary, then it's necessary.

    Otherwise, everything in moderation :flowerforyou:
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    To the poster who said "only those who don't run think carbs are evil"
    not true. I ran 2 half marathons this summer while pregnant doing VLC. You CAN be an athlete and run efficiently on "alternative fuels" ;)

    Hey, I have to say, it's not alternative.. If we think of our bodies as a fire, and we put carbs into the fire to burn, with all this extra fat on us.. carbs and simple sugars will be our main fuel. if we put fat into the fire, once it runs out of eaten fat.. it turns to the stores of fat all around and says "SNACK TIME!"
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    To the poster who said "only those who don't run think carbs are evil"
    not true. I ran 2 half marathons this summer while pregnant doing VLC. You CAN be an athlete and run efficiently on "alternative fuels" ;)

    Hey, I have to say, it's not alternative.. If we think of our bodies as a fire, and we put carbs into the fire to burn, with all this extra fat on us.. carbs and simple sugars will be our main fuel. if we put fat into the fire, once it runs out of eaten fat.. it turns to the stores of fat all around and says "SNACK TIME!"

    Wishful thinking...
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    Most of those low carb people are paelo or adkins people.

    I tried adkins along time ago. I never get through a day. Now I don't eat meat or animal products so I couldn't do it, but I think it's 100% bs that myth that "protein keeps you full" and "protein is the secret to weightloss". I'd always be hungry an hour later or feel deprived not eating carbs.

    Now I eat as many carbs as I want, which is still less carbs than I ate when I wasn't vegan? Weird huh? But I don't feel deprived or anything. I still lose fat. In fact I lost weight most easily now.
  • nmonty21
    nmonty21 Posts: 17 Member
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    I think the issue is the type of carb. Ill eat brown rice but not white rice, and wheat bread but not white. Its all about what has the best nutrients.

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