Carbs, Carbs and more Carbs

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helloonikki
helloonikki Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Another thing that I've noticed on mfp is that it says i'm allowed to have 170grams of carbs per day, however from looking online (I know that what you read online isn't always a reliable source) and most people seem to suggest that in order to lose weight you should be consuming no more than 70grams of carbs per day? I was just curious to find out whether or not people are still managing to lose weight by eating around 170grams of carbs per day? I know carbs are a vital source for energy but carbs are definitely my weakness, I love cereal and bread so so much. I've switched all the white carbs I used to eat to wholegrain and wholewheat but they still contain the same amount of carbs as white bread and cereals do.
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Replies

  • jess_1993
    jess_1993 Posts: 151 Member
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    Bump, I also question carbs!
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    You don't have to cut out carbs , but it is probably better to cut carbs and fat before cutting out protein if you plan to go lower in calories.
  • kkclif
    kkclif Posts: 155 Member
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    I'm always under my carbs on MFP. They are my weakness too, which is why I had to cut down on them :sad:

    When I do eat starchy carbs, I eat Ezekiel bread its a sprouted grain bread so it doesnt use flour. Might be a better choice than whole wheat bread. Quinoa is a good option too for a low carb grain. I have been eating pretty low carb for the past 2 and a half weeks and having success with it (I lost 7 pounds in only 2 weeks). It was hard the first few days, but eventually your body gets used to it. It really just depends on your body and how it processes carbs...mine unfortunately does not do well with them.
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
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    MFP has my daily carb goal set to 204. I never pay attention to how many carbs I eat by my tracker says I never go over that amount. That being said, I have never gained weight eating the way I eat while doing MFP.

    My personal opinion--- I have never paid attention to any of the macros only the calories and water limits and I have done just fine. Im not a garbage food eater and never consume high fat foods but thats not deliberate, just the way I eat.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Another thing that I've noticed on mfp is that it says i'm allowed to have 170grams of carbs per day, however from looking online (I know that what you read online isn't always a reliable source) and most people seem to suggest that in order to lose weight you should be consuming no more than 70grams of carbs per day? I was just curious to find out whether or not people are still managing to lose weight by eating around 170grams of carbs per day? I know carbs are a vital source for energy but carbs are definitely my weakness, I love cereal and bread so so much. I've switched all the white carbs I used to eat to wholegrain and wholewheat but they still contain the same amount of carbs as white bread and cereals do.

    Unless you have a medical reason to limit them, you can lose weight fine consuming a ton of carbs, just as long as you still create a deficit
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
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    You can lose a lot of water weight dropping carbs.
  • Myxalplyx
    Myxalplyx Posts: 129 Member
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    I used to follow what Jess_1993 says she is doing and I did fine. I did start a new diet to cut my carbs back to below 65g a day this past Monday (Just for testing purposes). So far so good! Just been drinking a lot of water and snacking on high protein bits to keep me going and it seems to be working. Either way, drinking water seems to be the key thing to work for me, to keep me feeling full.
  • helloonikki
    helloonikki Posts: 9 Member
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    I'm always under my carbs on MFP. They are my weakness too, which is why I had to cut down on them :sad:

    When I do eat starchy carbs, I eat Ezekiel bread its a sprouted grain bread so it doesnt use flour. Might be a better choice than whole wheat bread. Quinoa is a good option too for a low carb grain. I have been eating pretty low carb for the past 2 and a half weeks and having success with it (I lost 7 pounds in only 2 weeks). It was hard the first few days, but eventually your body gets used to it. It really just depends on your body and how it processes carbs...mine unfortunately does not do well with them.

    How many grams of carbs have you been eating a day roughly? Do you still eat quite a lot of protein, because that's one thing I often seem to go over, I rarely ever go over my carb limit, but to me 170grams of carbs seems a lot anyway, I usually have around 120grams of carbs a day.
  • kkclif
    kkclif Posts: 155 Member
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    I am usually under on carbs and over on protein & fat (healthy fat though). Since we are friends now feel free to browse my diary, its open. I strayed a bit the last couple of days because I was sick though.
  • artsycella
    artsycella Posts: 121 Member
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    MFP has my daily carb intake set at 264. I don't usually hit that--I'm more likely to be over in fat and protein--but I do get close enough most of the time. I've lost slightly more than 20 pounds in a little more than two months. So far so good!
  • mandeenicoleb
    mandeenicoleb Posts: 479 Member
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    I simply can't cut my carbs. I'm honestly trying to lose without cutting them to an unrealistic amount for me. Being that I ideally want something I can maintain, I don't see the point of cutting carbs I TOTALLY intend on putting right back. It is my weakness as well!! I know I don't eat way more than I should so I'm good.

    If I have control over cutting carbs here and there I will. For example, I bought these low carb tortillas from Trader Joe's which I happen to loveeeee and it's 4 carbs. Not bad. Just don't expect me to give up bread and potatoes!!! :D
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
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    Hi

    You can change the Goals for your macros (Carbs, Fat, Protein)

    Tab My Home

    Option Goals

    Option Change Goals

    Good luck in your journey
  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
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    You don't look like you are overweight but people that are clinically over weight, especially if they are obese, have problems processing carbs. That is not an opinion, that is a medical reality. Doctors are pretty much calling all over weight people "pre-dabetic" in America today. Ask your doctor about it if you have questions regarding what that means and if it relates to your weight.(ie trouble digesting carbs, hypoglycemic).

    Can you lose weight eating a ton of carbs? Yeah you can but you can also develop diabetics doing so. Tom Noughton explains it well on his Fat Head documentary:
    http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/fat_head/

    The bottom line is over eating fast digesting carbs without balancing it with protein and fat can damage your body's ability to utilize insulin making you insulin resistant and causing fat storage to happen at a much faster rate along with many other consequences that go along with weight gain. (high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, fatty liver, you name it).

    Eating carbs is fine if you do them in moderation (250+ carbs a day is NOT moderation, less than 100 IS) and you eat them in a balanced ratio of protein and fat to slow their absorption rate. You will need to find your perfect ratio, there are many suggestion online. I do a 3:2:1.5 of protein to carbs to fat, but I work out for 90 minutes 5-6 days a week, and at least 2 of those days are cardio days where I am burning high levels of glycogen. (using up the sugar in my liver as fuel). In other words the carbs in my body are burned as fuel for exercise.

    Are you hungry all the time, even right after eating a large meal? Do you have cravings for carbs? Then you are showing signs of insulin resistance. Reduce your carbs, increase your fat and protein, and exercise. Eat the calories MPF says but be mindful of macro nutrients if you want to prevent future insulin issues.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    You don't look like you are overweight but people that are clinically over weight, especially if they are obese, have problems processing carbs. That is not an opinion, that is a medical reality. Doctors are pretty much calling all over weight people "pre-dabetic" in America today. Ask your doctor about it if you have questions regarding what that means and if it relates to your weight.(ie trouble digesting carbs, hypoglycemic).

    Can you lose weight eating a ton of carbs? Yeah you can but you can also develop diabetics doing so. Tom Noughton explains it well on his Fat Head documentary:
    http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/fat_head/

    The bottom line is over eating fast digesting carbs without balancing it with protein and fat can damage your body's ability to utilize insulin making you insulin resistant and causing fat storage to happen at a much faster rate along with many other consequences that go along with weight gain. (high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, fatty liver, you name it).

    Eating carbs is fine if you do them in moderation (250+ carbs a day is NOT moderation, less than 100 IS) and you eat them in a balanced ratio of protein and fat to slow their absorption rate. You will need to find your perfect ratio, there are many suggestion online. I do a 3:2:1.5 of protein to carbs to fat, but I work out for 90 minutes 5-6 days a week, and at least 2 of those days are cardio days where I am burning high levels of glycogen. (using up the sugar in my liver as fuel). In other words the carbs in my body are burned as fuel for exercise.

    Are you hungry all the time, even right after eating a large meal? Do you have cravings for carbs? Then you are showing signs of insulin resistance. Reduce your carbs, increase your fat and protein, and exercise. Eat the calories MPF says but be mindful of macro nutrients if you want to prevent future insulin issues.

    LOLLERSKATES

    Fat Head is a crock, please do a little more research on the subject
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Sigh......

    Carbs are not the devil...carbs are to the current era what fat was in the '80s...the boogie man. Going low carb may be beneficial for sedentary individuals, but if you're active at all it's pretty much suck *kitten*. I get in about 8 hours per week of vigorous exercise and pretty much need a minimum of 200 grams of carbs per day...more is better...I flippin' burn 'em as fast as I can get 'em.
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
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    I custom set my macros to 40f/30p/30c. Works for me :)
  • helloonikki
    helloonikki Posts: 9 Member
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    I simply can't cut my carbs. I'm honestly trying to lose without cutting them to an unrealistic amount for me. Being that I ideally want something I can maintain, I don't see the point of cutting carbs I TOTALLY intend on putting right back. It is my weakness as well!! I know I don't eat way more than I should so I'm good.

    If I have control over cutting carbs here and there I will. For example, I bought these low carb tortillas from Trader Joe's which I happen to loveeeee and it's 4 carbs. Not bad. Just don't expect me to give up bread and potatoes!!! :D

    You're right, at the end of the day I shouldn't be cutting out something that I love, I want to be able to enjoy food and lose weight at the same time. I think I will start to limit my carb intake to about 70grams for three/four days a week and then just have my normal carb intake that I usually have (around 120/130grams a day) for the other four/three days and see how that goes.
  • robdel302
    robdel302 Posts: 292 Member
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    You're right, at the end of the day I shouldn't be cutting out something that I love, I want to be able to enjoy food and lose weight at the same time. I think I will start to limit my carb intake to about 70grams for three/four days a week and then just have my normal carb intake that I usually have (around 120/130grams a day) for the other four/three days and see how that goes.

    This is a concept referred to as carb cycling and it's a very effective method for weight loss. You can google it to find a method that suits you best. Be forwarned, working out on low carb days can be very difficult due to the lack of glycogen (carbs stored in the muscles as energy).

    Here is a quick general article to give you an idea of how it works.
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wescott4.htm
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    I lost 20+ lbs in 2 months while eating 250-300 grams of carbs a day! Cutting out carbs is not necessary, unless you have a medical reason for it. Carbs are good. Carbs are a great source of energy. Eat them. Adkins sucks!
  • mryak750
    mryak750 Posts: 198 Member
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    when I eat carbs it just makes me want to eat more and more...i limited my carbs for about 10 weeks and saw great results...I ate about 75g a day...however one day a week I would eat 200g or more.

    Then I re-introuced carbs(bread, rice, pasta) back into my diet on a daily basis with the same cal restricton, i did this for about 4-5 weeks and didnt lose a single pound...I found that once I introduced my addiction to bread, pasta, and rice back into my diet i would overeat and i never felt full....now I'm back to 75g a day, get all my carbs from fruits and veggies and I'm losing again....

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