Veggies and carbs - jaws dropped.

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OctupyMTL
OctupyMTL Posts: 11
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

Any clues?
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  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    What is your current target for carbohydrate and why?
    12g carbs is not a lot, at all. That's 48 calories.
  • robinr515
    robinr515 Posts: 28
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    You might want to research carbs a little more, before cutting them out completely. In a nutshell, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Vegetables and whole grains are the good kind.
  • sagj
    sagj Posts: 256 Member
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    First, don't worry about about carbohydrates in veggies. Second, don't worry about them in other whole healthy foods either. Sugar and HFCS aren't the greatest, maybe limit there but carbohydrates as a whole are not your enemy.

    I hope that helps :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    And this is the crux of the reason I think low-carb diets in general are stupid. Any diet that says fruits and vegetables are bad is stupid.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    Any diet that suggests cutting out one or more food groups is unrealistic and setting you up for failure.

    And any plan that suggests that veggies (or fruit) are bad is ridiculous.

    Carbs are not evil. Not even the "white"ones. Carbs are a great source of energy for your body. If you want to moderate your intake fine, but to think that you shouldn't eat carrots because of the carbs is wrong.
  • Melroxsox
    Melroxsox Posts: 1,040 Member
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    there are plenty of other green leafy veg that are super low carb. as for fruits, if you want to stay low carb eat melon or berries such as raspberries.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
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    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    And this is the crux of the reason I think low-carb diets in general are stupid. Any diet that says fruits and vegetables are bad is stupid.

    I do low carb because it's the only dietary change I can stick with that doesn't make me hungry throughout the day. However, I don't freak out over veggies. Or craft beer. I don't make it a point to eat carrots or other fruits that aren't berries, though. Just my preference.

    OP There is a chunk of common sense that comes with "hey, this tastes sweet, so it probably has a lot of sugar in it..." that you learn throughout your change in diet. Just do your best with cutting down most processed foods (yes, that includes those horrible Atkins bars) and listening to when your body is satisfied with a meal. And don't be afraid of fat!
  • gerirojas
    gerirojas Posts: 101 Member
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    Just cut out bad carbs, white bread, white pasta white rice, sugar loaded foods pasrtries, cake etc, eat all your veggies and whole grains
  • Cranktastic
    Cranktastic Posts: 1,517 Member
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    Just cut out bad carbs, white bread, white pasta white rice, sugar loaded foods pasrtries, cake etc, eat all your veggies and whole grains

    there is ALWAYS room for cake.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    And this is the crux of the reason I think low-carb diets in general are stupid. Any diet that says fruits and vegetables are bad is stupid.

    Couldn't agree more. Although, don't forget portion control. For example, with fruits, sugar is still sugar, and too much fruit is not good either. It's all about eating what is nutritionally relevant to your body's health needs.

    As a side-note, I did a low / no carb diet before to shed some pounds fast; did it for 90 days. It worked, but my body was completely messed up. And the second I re-introduced carbs (the good ones), my weight jumped back up a good deal, although I was still within my daily requirements...but at least my body was feeling good again. Cutting out lots of foods with carbs usually means you are also cutting out lots of foods with fiber, antioxidants, and many other nutrients...and supplements don't compensate for that.
  • willwillywilson
    willwillywilson Posts: 229
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    Okay, this morning, my jaws dropped when I saw that one cup of carrot was like 12 carbs! Wait, I thought it was good for you to eat vegetables and reduce the carbs! How am I supposed to reduce carbs while eating vegetables? There is something somewhere that I don't understand........

    Any clues?

    Most green veggies are pretty low but most veggies have some. Carrots, corn, and potatoes are higher in carbs. Not sure what your target is but if it's something crazy low like when you start Atkins you're pretty much screwed eating much more than iceburg lettuce. Not that it's a good idea to do that though.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
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    Just cut out bad carbs, white bread, white pasta white rice, sugar loaded foods pasrtries, cake etc, eat all your veggies and whole grains

    there is ALWAYS room for cake.

    As long as it's not carrot cake! So many carbs!
  • OctupyMTL
    OctupyMTL Posts: 11
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    Ok! Thanks for your answers. I was mistaken by some friends who are doing low-carb diets because they train like crazies and eat MAINLY MEAT (LIKE REAL MEN YOU KNOW!!!). So I wrongly thought that ALL carbs were bad.

    I'll then be okay with eating good carbs and trying to reduce bad carbs I guess.... Apart from white pasta and bread where can we find bad carbs? (newbie, sorry)
  • MidwestAngel
    MidwestAngel Posts: 1,897 Member
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    Just cut out bad carbs, white bread, white pasta white rice, sugar loaded foods pasrtries, cake etc, eat all your veggies and whole grains

    there is ALWAYS room for cake.

    And white pasta and white bread, and white rice and ice cream
  • OctupyMTL
    OctupyMTL Posts: 11
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    Ice cream... good thing winter is there! :)
  • Steellotus
    Steellotus Posts: 25 Member
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    Ok! Thanks for your answers. I was mistaken by some friends who are doing low-carb diets because they train like crazies and eat MAINLY MEAT (LIKE REAL MEN YOU KNOW!!!). So I wrongly thought that ALL carbs were bad.

    I'll then be okay with eating good carbs and trying to reduce bad carbs I guess.... Apart from white pasta and bread where can we find bad carbs? (newbie, sorry)

    Unless you have issues with Insulin resistance there is NOTHING WRONG WITH CARBS. Avoid cookies and cakes of course, but as long as you're under for your calories and eating whole, healthy foods, quit spazzing so much.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    Livestrong and a bunch of websites have long and detailed lists...I think there are a ton of threads in MFP with lists as well. But in general, stick with fresh fruits and vegetables, organic whole gain breads (you really just want to read the ingredients...fewer the better,,,also, bread with fiber added is good). Usually, organic is a good way to go. But you still need to read labels to see if the organics are legit, as federal regulations on organics are still not really there, or enforced. As a note, fiber is a way to offset carbs. You can't get a full 1 to 1 ratio, but a healthy amount of natural fiber works wonders on helping process the carbs. I suggest reading up on this and also what makes up carbohydrates. Wikipedia is a good place to start. Enjoy!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Ok! Thanks for your answers. I was mistaken by some friends who are doing low-carb diets because they train like crazies and eat MAINLY MEAT (LIKE REAL MEN YOU KNOW!!!). So I wrongly thought that ALL carbs were bad.

    I'll then be okay with eating good carbs and trying to reduce bad carbs I guess.... Apart from white pasta and bread where can we find bad carbs? (newbie, sorry)

    Do you have a specific reason for going low carb? I don't personally believe that any food is bad. It's just food.

    If you start listening to all the recommendations on what is "bad" food to different groups, there's not much left.
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
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    Don't be afraid of vegetables. You need to research carbohydrates a bit more, I think.
    Just a note though, I eat pasta every night (1/2 cup macaroni) because I'm on a low budget and that stuff goes on sale a lot. And I've lost weight. I'm 9 lbs away from goal. Don't be afraid of carbs.
  • Cinflo58
    Cinflo58 Posts: 326 Member
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    Hello! It is always good to eat vegetables, eat as much as you want except limit the starchy vegetables like corn, peas and legumes (cooked dried peas and beans), Sure carrots have more carbs than many other veggies (dark green leafy vegetables, cucumbers and everything in the cabbage family). But they are mostly water. The vitamins, minerals and antioxidents in ALL vegetables makes them imprtand not only for weight loss but for preventing heart diease, diabetes and CANCER.
    Also include fresh fruit daily - if you are limiting carbs, don't limit the carbs in vegetables and be sure to include fruit and milk - if you use dairy. We should limit all processed foods, white flour and added sugar. BEst of luck on this journey!

    Cindy

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