Low Carb

Carbs=Pasta, rice, cereal,corn, peas,pancakes, potatoes, and pretty much all the junk food like cake, ice cream, cookies.

I eat about a 40/30/30 ratio (but I'm not super strict about it). I think basically you want your carbs to come from whole, unprocessed sources and ones that are low on the glycemic index. So, if you eat bread make sure it is whole grain bread (and no high fructose corn syrup, no white flour masquerading as wheat flour). Choose brown rice instead of white. Sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. Whole oats, bulgur, quinoa, barley are all carb sources that I like. Also, beans and lentils.

I don't know how many calories you are trying to eat, so I don't know how your ratios work out in grams. But 1 gram of carbs is 4 calories, 1 gram of protein is 4 calories and 1 gram of fat is 9 calories.

Duh. Edit to say I just realized you asked what NOT to eat. I avoid white flour (white bread, most cereal, white tortillas, most baked goods, added sugars. Again, I'm not super strict though. I'll sprinkle a little sugar on something if I want it, but not go crazy. I don't have any soda or juice.

I'm doing a low carb regimen right now...The only carbs I try to eat are from fresh produce ....I stay away from potatos tho....It makes ya do alot of label reading just to make sure u arent consuming tons of carbs....I do eat the Lavish wraps made by joseph brand when i want a sandwhich...it's only 14 carbs per serving and theres alot of fiber in it so it cancels some of the carbs out... just start paying attention to the labels on back hun and u'll do good...it takes a while to get into it....personally every now and then I do need a little carb fix so I make one day an exception....Good luck hun and u can do it!!! :flowerforyou:

If you change your goals to 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat in MFP, it'll show you on your daily food diary how many grams it is, I'm not sure exactly. Carbs I avoid:

How do you change this in MFP? I've been wondering how to do so

that was actually really informative and helpful, thank you!!!

Oh, good!! You're welcome.

How do you change this in MFP? I've been wondering how to do so

My Home / Goals / Change Goals / Custom / then just select in the dropdowns for carbs, fat, protein the percentage you want. Easy peasy!

Oooh tyty

Now - quick question, since I decided to do "custom," will MFP still automatically adjust my calorie goals/etc. as I lose weight? Or is that going to have to be manual as well?

Does anyone know of a good low glycemic index cook book? I'm looking on Amazon.com and I've found several with great reviews, but I'd like to know if any of you have any and have found them helpful as well? I'd like to be able to scan through them before I purchase them so I may stop by my local Barnes & Noble to check them out then buy through Amazon because I can get them for almost 3/4 or more of the regular price.

Here are some I'm thinking of getting:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470538708/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764131605/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A26AAPJKERFL0

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592578616/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

you guys are crazy

carbs are my best friend, without them I would be very sad . I just make sure they're good carbs these days!

As far as I can tell, most people here are just talking about making sure the carbs they eat ARE good carbs.

Honestly it really depends on you.

I stay away from bread and whole grains 90% of the time. I rarely eat sweet potatoes but I do eat white sparingly. Most of my carbs come from dairy. I eat fruit sparingly (usually grapefruit or berries) and green veggies. I don't do artificial sweeteners I use sugar and honey. I stick with whole foods with one or 2 ingredients (that is why bread and pasta is out for me unless I make it myself) For me timing is everything. I have no trouble packing in the carbs before or after a cardio/weights session (targeted ketogenic diet).

Books- try the zone or south beach or primal blueprint (which you can read at mark's daily apple).

I personally count calories and carbs because I am a nut nut.:laugh:

Yeah, I guess I don't really consider it "low carb" unless ketosis is the goal and that's not going to happen with 40% carbs. I think how much a person aims for should depend upon their activities. I find that with about 40/30/30 I have plenty of energy (for the type of exercise that I do) and I feel satisfied throughout the day, plus I seem to lose weight consistently. I don't go out of my way to keep them down, but when I concentrate on veggies and lean protein, that just seems to be where the numbers fall. Lately I've been closer to 50% most days, but I'm never real exact.

Yeah, I have no problem with Low carb (any form of such), I more have a problem with people thinking low carb is a better way to lose weight, intrinsically it's no better or worse than any other way to lose weight (healthy). I realize that certain people are force to do low carb because of medical reasons or that they have an allergy, that's cool with me, and there's another group that just prefer low carb because it forces them to stay within their calorie range easier, which is also fine in my book. All valid reasons.

What I always try to make sure people know about low carb is that it's a lifestyle change, I.E. it should be thought of as a permanent change to your eating habits, and NOT a temporary way to diet and lose weight, it's not, and can be dangerous when used that way, there are many issues that go along with a ketogenic diet, you need to be very diligent about your body, and pay very close attention to things (like hydration levels, ketone levels, kidney and liver infection rates go way up with ketogenic diets, calcium depletion and brittle bones, low glycogen reserves...etc.)

Course that all goes for ketogenic diets, just going somewhat lower than the average (55% or so) doesn't really have much in the way of drawback.

Good carbs is the key. I hate the term "low carb". It is very faddish.

Good carbs:
fruits
veggies
whole grain or ezekiel bread <= (highly recommend!)
cottage cheese
yogurt
milk
whole grain wraps or flat out wraps with flax and fiber
whole grain or flax cereal
oatmeal

"Bad" carbs are ok in moderation but just remember they are empty of nutrition.

I almost totally agree with this.

the only (very slight) exception I would make is for those of us with very high endurance and/or after finishing a long (10K or longer) race, simple carbs are actually a good thing. That and right after a hard weight training (to failure) workout. These are the only times (besides when you are diabetic and have low blood sugar) I can think of when injecting a quick simple carb fix is ok for you. And even then you want to keep it moderate. And in the case of weight training you want to pair that with some complete proteins.

The grams are figured out on your food log page most women is is around 200 gms which is about 45 gm per meal. A carb is 15 gm per 1/2 cup serviing unless it is a starch or has sugar then you count double. It is a good ball park guide. You can get exact with a carb counter from Walmart for about 5 bucks

I would not worry about the carbs in fruit. Fruit is good for you. I think everyone gets hung up on the low carb thing, and truthfully, it isn't healthy. Unless you have a reason (i.e. diabetic) you shouldn't stress over carbs. That being said it is smart to balance your snacks...so if you were to eat a peach for instance, which is all carb, I would also have 1/4 cup cottage cheese with it. Balance is the key.

you guys are crazy

carbs are my best friend, without them I would be very sad . I just make sure they're good carbs these days!

As far as I can tell, most people here are just talking about making sure the carbs they eat ARE good carbs.

That's what I mean. I want to know which carbs are good/healthy to eat. I'm not talking about that South Beach diet stuff...
I've been going over my carbs a lot lately & I've mostly been eating wheat except for the cheese tortellini which is white pasta. I used to eat regular flour tortillias, but I recently bought the spinach and herb one. IDK if I'm making the right choices! Should I just stick with wheat/whole grain for every bread-like food I buy? Does it matter if you eat lots of fruits with a lot of carbs?

As a general rule, yes, whole wheat and grain is your best friend as far as good vs. bad carbs. White bread and flour tortillas and the like are all processed carbs. Meaning your body doesn't have nearly as much work to do after you eat them.

My "good carbs" are in fruit and whole grain/wheat items (bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta).

Thanks!! That was helpful. I usually use the tortillias when I'd eat salad and just make a wrap. It tastes better to me when it's inside a tortillia than just by itself, plus I can take it on the go!

you guys are crazy

carbs are my best friend, without them I would be very sad . I just make sure they're good carbs these days!

As far as I can tell, most people here are just talking about making sure the carbs they eat ARE good carbs.

That's what I mean. I want to know which carbs are good/healthy to eat. I'm not talking about that South Beach diet stuff...
I've been going over my carbs a lot lately & I've mostly been eating wheat except for the cheese tortellini which is white pasta. I used to eat regular flour tortillias, but I recently bought the spinach and herb one. IDK if I'm making the right choices! Should I just stick with wheat/whole grain for every bread-like food I buy? Does it matter if you eat lots of fruits with a lot of carbs?

As a general rule, yes, whole wheat and grain is your best friend as far as good vs. bad carbs. White bread and flour tortillas and the like are all processed carbs. Meaning your body doesn't have nearly as much work to do after you eat them.

My "good carbs" are in fruit and whole grain/wheat items (bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta).

Thanks!! That was helpful. I usually use the tortillias when I'd eat salad and just make a wrap. It tastes better to me when it's inside a tortillia than just by itself, plus I can take it on the go!

I love flat outs for that purpose. For some reason it seems easier than making a salad. And I can put a larger variety of things on it. Like hummus.

you guys are crazy

carbs are my best friend, without them I would be very sad . I just make sure they're good carbs these days!

Some of us don't have a choice. I have thyroid disease and my endocrinologist put me on a low carb diet. It's not only recommended for people who are diabetic. And it's not unhealthy. I just don't eat a lot of processed foods where there is loads of sugar hiding. Mainly whole grain (brown rice, whole grain bread) and stay away from starches (potatoes, white flour, corn products). I still eat lots of fruit and veggies.