how does glycemic index affect weight loss/gain?

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balancedbrunette
balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i've come across this quite a bit on here that people encourage low gi foods and im wondering is this because it causes less of a blood sugar spike or what?..just curious and how can you tell which foods are low gi would it be things such as whole-grains? :)

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  • Katetw
    Katetw Posts: 188 Member
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    bump bc I am also curious about this.
  • smcolton
    smcolton Posts: 78
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    Bump. :happy:
  • chooselove
    chooselove Posts: 106 Member
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    bump
  • FoodandFitness
    FoodandFitness Posts: 502 Member
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    It doesn't. GI doesn't even hold the same value once it is mixed with other foods in a meal. Then you're looking at glycemic load, which is a different spin on it.

    The practical application of GI is in minutia.

    Hitting your calorie and macronutrient goals > paying attention to GI
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Short answer: It doesn't.

    Longer answer: It does not
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    It doesn't. GI doesn't even hold the same value once it is mixed with other foods in a meal. Then you're looking at glycemic load, which is a different spin on it.

    The practical application of GI is in minutia.

    Hitting your calorie and macronutrient goals > paying attention to GI

    ^ 100% this.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I used to think it did. A few posts by Taso made it pretty clear I was wrong.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I really like Acg's post here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/532251-let-s-talk-about-the-gi-index
  • TakinSexyBack
    TakinSexyBack Posts: 300 Member
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    Everything I have read about low GI tells me that low GI foods don't raise your blood sugar up as much. For example, a sweet potato has a lower GI than a white potato. If you have blood sugar problems or are affected by high glycemic loads, pay attention to this. If anything you eat doesn't bother you like that, ignore it!

    For me........If I eat a lot of "white" carbs in a meal, I can definitely tell a difference. I have blood sugar spikes and they make me feel like ****! Do I eat carbs and even "bad" carbs..........yes! But, I am learning my tolerance level. I know I can have 40 grams a meal and not feel sluggish. If I go over that........(for me that would be a burger and fries, for example, or a lot of french bread with pasta), I am done and I pay for it with how I feel.

    This whole subject is really about how YOUR body reacts to carbs!
  • TakinSexyBack
    TakinSexyBack Posts: 300 Member
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    It doesn't. GI doesn't even hold the same value once it is mixed with other foods in a meal. Then you're looking at glycemic load, which is a different spin on it.

    The practical application of GI is in minutia.

    Hitting your calorie and macronutrient goals > paying attention to GI
    \\

    And this!! ^^ True, you have to consider the whole glycemic load, not just one item you eat in it. Make sure your macros are set well and stay within them and you should be fine unless you are affected by high glycemic foods.
  • LesaLu4
    LesaLu4 Posts: 83
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    bump
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
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    I really like Acg's post here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/532251-let-s-talk-about-the-gi-index

    thanks for the replies everyone, will also check out this post!:)

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