Why do so many people hate carbs?
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(Refined sugar is only medium-glycemic.) Lower-glycemic choices are more complex carbs like whole wheat bread, new or fingerling potatoes, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, etc. which I assume is because of the dietary fiber. They don't spike your blood sugar as much and eaten with 3 oz. of protein and then the rest fruits/veg, that's your life from now on. It's been the only "diet" that I could see myself eating for life, so that's why I'm on it.</quote>
<quote>Take a look at a glycemic index chart. Whole wheat bread is not significantly better than white bread. There are some whole grain breads that are better, but none of them are low. Sourdough bread, at 52, isn't low, and neither is table sugar, at 65.
Eating your carbs with protein and fat should help, however there is no predictable formula that you can use. If you MUST regulate your blood sugar, you need to be able to test it with a glucose meter.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/GlycemicIndex.pdf
You're being pretty presumptuous here. I doubt you are a registered dietician or a doctor, so why are you telling me I should test my blood with a glucometer or doubt what what works for me? Aside from the fact that I asked for no medical advice from you, apparently you can't read or understand what I wrote. I'm writing about what works for me and several other millions of people dealing with metabolic syndrome. And in no part of what I wrote did I say refined sugar was low-glycemic.0 -
She was giving the GI of sugar in order to compare it to things like whole wheat.(Refined sugar is only medium-glycemic.) Lower-glycemic choices are more complex carbs like whole wheat bread, new or fingerling potatoes, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, etc. which I assume is because of the dietary fiber. They don't spike your blood sugar as much and eaten with 3 oz. of protein and then the rest fruits/veg, that's your life from now on. It's been the only "diet" that I could see myself eating for life, so that's why I'm on it.</quote>
<quote>Take a look at a glycemic index chart. Whole wheat bread is not significantly better than white bread. There are some whole grain breads that are better, but none of them are low. Sourdough bread, at 52, isn't low, and neither is table sugar, at 65.
Eating your carbs with protein and fat should help, however there is no predictable formula that you can use. If you MUST regulate your blood sugar, you need to be able to test it with a glucose meter.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/GlycemicIndex.pdf
You're being pretty presumptuous here. I doubt you are a registered dietician or a doctor, so why are you telling me I should test my blood with a glucometer or doubt what what works for me? Aside from the fact that I asked for no medical advice from you, apparently you can't read or understand what I wrote. I'm writing about what works for me and several other millions of people dealing with metabolic syndrome. And in no part of what I wrote did I say refined sugar was low-glycemic.
I eat low carb because I like the food and how I feel eating it. I don't have any diagnosed medical conditions but when I eat a lot of carbs (even "good carbs" like fruit and whole wheat) I'm always hungry and I'm constantly thinking about food and when I can eat next. Losing weight without being hungry and not having to worry about will power or self control is more than enough reason FOR ME to restrict my carbs.
YMMV and that's ok but I wish people would stop with all of the afraid of carbs nonsense because limiting carbs is a choice, not a phobia.0 -
I didn't say that you needed to use a glucometer. If you're not diabetic or at risk for diabetes, why should you? People who need to be strict about their blood sugar should be using one. My only disagreement with you is over the idea that there are good carbs and bad carbs. Starch and sugar aren't very different, in terms of calories or in terms of glycemic index, and some people need to limit even complex carbohydrates.0
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I love carbs but certain ones cause inflammation of my digestive tract (even though i'm not allergic to gluten). in one meal I can go from a flat stomach to looking like i'm 5-6 months pregnant, swollen all the way up to my sternum. I haven't cut them out completely, and won't because I love certain foods too much, but I've reduced my intake by about 80-85%, and I no longer live in a constant state of inflammation and bloating, and I feel so much better.
also, more than 25% of the population over age 65 has diabetes. other age groups, anywhere from 10% - 18% have some form of diabetes. given the growing obesity rates of children (especially in the US), the likelihood of those percentages increasing is very high, so, it's not surprising at all that there is a focus on carb intake these days.0 -
The only way to know what your trainer thinks is to ask.
Personally, I do not hate carbs. However, the way that my macros are set up, if I eat 2-2.5g protein per kilo LBM, and also have a calorie deficit, the result is that my carbs are lower than a lot of other people if you look at the overall percentage. I eat some form of grain with my first meal of the day and also want to eat lots of non starchy vegetables for my overall health, so that doesn't leave a lot of room for much more "carbs" than that. It suits me just fine.
If I'm going to have something that doesn't really fit into my daily plan, I make sure that it still fits into my week.
Do what is right for you. If it's not working, change it. If it works, good for you!0 -
I never met a carb I didn't like. But why are so many people depriving themselves of them?.....Can we all just understand that carbs aren't bad?
I love carbs....but they don't like me. I have diabetes. And there are a lot of people that may be insulin resistant, who aren't actually diabetic, for whom a low carb diet will help them lose weight. I believe that if you don't have a condition that warrants keeping them low, have fun. I wish I could.0 -
Because it gives me pimples
I added flour back to my diet recently and now I look like a teenager. I never really had pimples when I was a teen.
You didn't eat bread as a teenager either?
I did. This didn't start until I was around 30. I literally will get a pimple within a few hours of eating wheat. I tried adding it back because I love pasta and bread, but it didn't work. Back to rice flour bread for me 0 -
Whole wheat waffles do not have enough whole grain in them to be called a whole grain. They are a processed food , If they were whole grain, you would have whole pieces of wheat throughout.
Read "Salt, Sugar and Fat - How the Food Manufacturers Addicted America" or "Pandora's Lunchbox - How Fast Food Took Over the American Dinner Table" if you want the truth about processed foods and how they are made. It's totally disgusting.0 -
Whole wheat waffles do not have enough whole grain in them to be called a whole grain. They are a processed food , If they were whole grain, you would have whole pieces of wheat throughout.
But the only time I have ever heard of 'whole pieces of wheat found throughout' a baked good was when the Ingalls family lived through the long winter of 1888 and survived by grinding up wheat seed in a coffee grinder which didn't grind the wheat like a grist mill would have done, it only flattened the seeds because there was too much moisture in the wheat (and also presumably because the coffee grinder wasn't strong enough.)
So a lot of people will have no idea what I'm talking about :laugh: but some will...and maybe I'm wrong but I don't think that today's whole grain/whole wheat bread has pieces of chaff in it, or does it? Regular flour purchased in the Ingalls' day was processed too--it was not an everyday occurrence to have to bake bread with some ersatz flour that had 'pieces of whole wheat throughout'.
Just sayin'.0 -
Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.
True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....
Which diabetics is it not true for?
Diagnosed in 2009 with Type 2 with A1c of 10.0 @ 560 lbs. Worked with a dietician from that point forward and she set my Macros @ 40/30/30 concentrating on Carbs first and foremost. She had me eating 240 grams a day back then and over the next 4 years gradually increasing my carb intake (and calories and other macros) to my current intake of 425 grams a day. I have lost 312 lbs. and have been running A1c of 5.3 average for the last 24 months. So not all diabetics fall into the low carb regime......
Low is relative. The point is you had to CONTROL your intake, and while that amount of carbs may seem high to some, it was probably drastically lower than what you were consuming previously. And, not to make too fine a point of it, but odds are you developed diabetes because of your weight, and all you really needed to do was lose that weight to resolve it.
So I really don't think you're an exception to the rule. Just a typical type 2.0 -
Whole wheat waffles do not have enough whole grain in them to be called a whole grain. They are a processed food , If they were whole grain, you would have whole pieces of wheat throughout.
Read "Salt, Sugar and Fat - How the Food Manufacturers Addicted America" or "Pandora's Lunchbox - How Fast Food Took Over the American Dinner Table" if you want the truth about processed foods and how they are made. It's totally disgusting.
Reading the label helps. For example "100% whole wheat waffles" have to be whole grain. "Whole grain waffles" might be part whole grain, and part white flour. When in doubt, read the ingredients.
This might be helpful. http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/identifying-whole-grain-products0 -
Because they don't lift0
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Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.
True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....
Which diabetics is it not true for?
Diagnosed in 2009 with Type 2 with A1c of 10.0 @ 560 lbs. Worked with a dietician from that point forward and she set my Macros @ 40/30/30 concentrating on Carbs first and foremost. She had me eating 240 grams a day back then and over the next 4 years gradually increasing my carb intake (and calories and other macros) to my current intake of 425 grams a day. I have lost 312 lbs. and have been running A1c of 5.3 average for the last 24 months. So not all diabetics fall into the low carb regime......
Low is relative. The point is you had to CONTROL your intake, and while that amount of carbs may seem high to some, it was probably drastically lower than what you were consuming previously. And, not to make too fine a point of it, but odds are you developed diabetes because of your weight, and all you really needed to do was lose that weight to resolve it.
So I really don't think you're an exception to the rule. Just a typical type 2.
A diabetic is still a diabetic after weight loss. They still have to maintain their sugar with proper eating. If they eat the wrong foods their sugar will still spike.0 -
Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.
True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....
Which diabetics is it not true for?
Diagnosed in 2009 with Type 2 with A1c of 10.0 @ 560 lbs. Worked with a dietician from that point forward and she set my Macros @ 40/30/30 concentrating on Carbs first and foremost. She had me eating 240 grams a day back then and over the next 4 years gradually increasing my carb intake (and calories and other macros) to my current intake of 425 grams a day. I have lost 312 lbs. and have been running A1c of 5.3 average for the last 24 months. So not all diabetics fall into the low carb regime......
Low is relative. The point is you had to CONTROL your intake, and while that amount of carbs may seem high to some, it was probably drastically lower than what you were consuming previously. And, not to make too fine a point of it, but odds are you developed diabetes because of your weight, and all you really needed to do was lose that weight to resolve it.
So I really don't think you're an exception to the rule. Just a typical type 2.
A typical type 2 with a great A1c, and a great success story! (I agree that controlling carb intake was an important part of that success.)0 -
Carbs are NOT the enemy! Fad diets are the enemy! I eat 40% carbs everyday and have 18% body fat at 40 yrs old. AND I am formerly obese! The proof is in my pics!0
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Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.
True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....
Which diabetics is it not true for?
Diagnosed in 2009 with Type 2 with A1c of 10.0 @ 560 lbs. Worked with a dietician from that point forward and she set my Macros @ 40/30/30 concentrating on Carbs first and foremost. She had me eating 240 grams a day back then and over the next 4 years gradually increasing my carb intake (and calories and other macros) to my current intake of 425 grams a day. I have lost 312 lbs. and have been running A1c of 5.3 average for the last 24 months. So not all diabetics fall into the low carb regime......
Low is relative. The point is you had to CONTROL your intake, and while that amount of carbs may seem high to some, it was probably drastically lower than what you were consuming previously. And, not to make too fine a point of it, but odds are you developed diabetes because of your weight, and all you really needed to do was lose that weight to resolve it.
So I really don't think you're an exception to the rule. Just a typical type 2.
A typical type 2 with a great A1c, and a great success story! (I agree that controlling carb intake was an important part of that success.)
Yes! Which unfortunately actually makes the whole situation atypical. There are far too few success stories out there.0 -
Iron is so right. If we cant blame the govt or carbs. If we cant blame George Zimmerman or George Bush, well....we'd actually have to find that one thing that makes us so happy, and so not give a damn about carbs and racial issues that we would be "in control" of our own happiness. But...that would require constant monitoring of our thoughts. And God forbid, maybe even starting a journal. Nahhhhhh, too much work. lets blame.......
On the other hand, can you imagine what a country we would have if we replaced every McDonalds, every run down building and every seedy bar where people get into very violent fights and...allowed only a small percentage of movies that are released to show crippling or maiming or torturing other people You could pick anything in the world to replace them with, and I assure you that our own level of happiness would go up by 10% automatically.0 -
Carbs are NOT the enemy! Fad diets are the enemy! I eat 40% carbs everyday and have 18% body fat at 40 yrs old. AND I am formerly obese! The proof is in my pics!
By MFP standards, 40% IS low carb! You're doing great!0 -
Eddavenport I noticed your ticker and looked at your profile. You are an amazing AMAZING man!Some people have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, and restricting carbs is a very important tool for controlling blood sugar.
True for some diabetics..... but not all diabetics....
Which diabetics is it not true for?
Diagnosed in 2009 with Type 2 with A1c of 10.0 @ 560 lbs. Worked with a dietician from that point forward and she set my Macros @ 40/30/30 concentrating on Carbs first and foremost. She had me eating 240 grams a day back then and over the next 4 years gradually increasing my carb intake (and calories and other macros) to my current intake of 425 grams a day. I have lost 312 lbs. and have been running A1c of 5.3 average for the last 24 months. So not all diabetics fall into the low carb regime......0 -
I believe they may be the least controllable item for many people. So they just go with the all or nothing mindset. I love carbs too, but I can't let them run my life like they used to. =P
I agree, It's not that people hate carbs. When in fact, they love them! however people have a habit of over endulging with them (breads, pastas) I for one LOVE sweet potatos but my fitness goal is to loose weight and get cut. Because of this, I try to avoid carbs all together. Once I reach my goal weight I'll begin to include them in my foods again.0 -
This thread kind of went in 2 different directions: limiting carbs for weight loss & limiting carbs for medical conditions. I personally do not agree with low carb diets for the sake of weight loss.
Your brain primarily relies on the energy from carbs (a very simplified statement from what I learned in Human Biochemistry) therefore your body needs plenty of them, though there is no minimum recommendation that I am aware of. I do limit some carbs though, like pasta and rice, because sometimes the number of calories I get from them do not balance with the amount of protein and fiber I get from them (yes, even brown rice and whole wheat pasta). I try to balance calories, macros and satiety. So for me a spaghetti dinner would be ~1/2 of the serving (according to the box) of noodles, ~2 oz of ground turkey and ~1/2 cup of a no-sugar-added spaghetti sauce. Then on the other half of my plate I have a salad. This is my attempt at balance while still being able to eat pasta, which I love.
For diabetics, carbs do matter as they directly impact blood sugars. The American Diabetes Association recommends 45-60 gms of carbs per meal. However, this does vary on an individual basis according to other dietery factors, exercise, and other (medication) treatment for diabetes. The type of carbohydrate, in a sense, does matter. Dietary fiber is one of the main forms of carbohydrates. It is not digestable and does not get absorbed and therefore does not increase blood sugar. This is where that Glycemic Index comes in handy.
For those who question credentials, I am a healthcare professional that has taken human biochemistry, as previously mentioned, and nutrition classes and does diabetes education from time to time. (Not saying that means I have all the answers, just saying that in hopes you feel my input is accurate). Regardless, best of luck to everyone in their attempts to be/get healthy.0 -
I don't think carbs are the enemy at all. I think there are many great carb options that are healthy, contain nutrients, proteins, and fiber. Choosing better carb options and limiting them to a serving is really the issue. If it says a serving of rice is 1/4 cup uncooked, then eat 1/4 cup..which is plenty. If you have a choice between processed carbs and unprocessed carbs, choose unprocessed. Not that some yummy italian bread is going to deter your goals, but there is a difference between having a slice or two and an entire loaf. Moderation is important.0
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Carbs rock. I used to eat them.
Then I had to grow up and realize that I couldn't do that on a daily basis anymore, the blood sugar spikes were killong me.0 -
Gluconeogenesis is the pathway for generating glucose from fat and protein, so you can make glucose without eating carbohydrates. Also, the brain can't use fats directly, however the brain can use ketone bodies. It is possible to function on a very low carb diet, if you have to, and, historically, people in some cultures have thrived on very very low carbohydrate diets. (I'm not saying that everyone should go to that extreme).Your brain primarily relies on the energy from carbs (a very simplified statement from what I learned in Human Biochemistry) therefore your body needs plenty of them, though there is no minimum recommendation that I am aware of.For diabetics, carbs do matter as they directly impact blood sugars. The American Diabetes Association recommends 45-60 gms of carbs per meal. However, this does vary on an individual basis according to other dietery factors, exercise, and other (medication) treatment for diabetes. The type of carbohydrate, in a sense, does matter. Dietary fiber is one of the main forms of carbohydrates. It is not digestable and does not get absorbed and therefore does not increase blood sugar. This is where that Glycemic Index comes in handy.
The relatively small amount of fiber that is in grains doesn't seem to matter nearly as much, for the glycemic index, as how "whole" the grain is, literally. Wheat berries, i.e. whole kernels of wheat, have a much lower GI than whole wheat bread, which has about the same GI as white bread.0 -
AMEN!!!0
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I don't think carbs are the enemy at all. I think there are many great carb options that are healthy, contain nutrients, proteins, and fiber. Choosing better carb options and limiting them to a serving is really the issue. If it says a serving of rice is 1/4 cup uncooked, then eat 1/4 cup..which is plenty. If you have a choice between processed carbs and unprocessed carbs, choose unprocessed. Not that some yummy italian bread is going to deter your goals, but there is a difference between having a slice or two and an entire loaf. Moderation is important.
I agree - the problem is people love carbs way too much! And for good reason...they pack a nice big caloric punch. Very efficient. If you don't eat ALL the carbs.
I did really well on a low carb diet back when South Beach and Atkins were all the rage. All it did really was reduce my caloric intake and my insulin release - both of which you can do without totally eliminating carbs. But it was easy. No portion control needed. No counting anything unless you upped your carb intake to a higher maintenance level. You're depriving yourself of something, but you get the reward of eating ALL the fat! I was busy and not into a lot of in depth meal planning, and it worked. For as long as I did it.
I realized I didn't want to be low carb. I like carbs. I like fat. I'm from Texas! Deep fry it, cover it in cheese, and put it in a tortilla and I'll eat the hell out of it.0 -
My simple approach is to eat only complex carbs and eat just enough that I need for energy. A quarter a cup of brown rice won't do any harm. Find how much your body needs to get you through a day feeling energized and alert and don't overindulge. Those of us who strength train need carbs for muscle growth as well.
Personally I have not heard anything about carbohydrates now being an unnecessary macro nutrient, so I'm gonna keep eating them0 -
check out my diary for today and tell me if i hate carbs....0
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I think there's a role for carbs in the diet just like fat and protein. I just don't think it's been identified yet since I frequently hear we don't need carbohydrates at all -- which might be technically true but I think there's probably more to it than that. I thought this excerpt from an article on fat soluble vitamins from Weston A. Price was interesting:Personally I have not heard anything about carbohydrates now being an unnecessary macro nutrient, so I'm gonna keep eating them
While dietary fat is clearly important, there may be a role for dietary carbohydrate as well. Once vitamins A and D stimulate the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, vitamin K activates those proteins by adding carbon dioxide to them. Once added to a protein, carbon dioxide carries a negative charge and allows the protein to interact with calcium, which carries a positive charge. The greater the supply of carbon dioxide, the better vitamin K can do its job.25 Carbohydrates are rich in carbon and oxygen, and when we break them down for energy we release these elements in our breath as carbon dioxide. Because carbohydrates are richer in oxygen, burning them generates about 30 percent more carbon dioxide per calorie than burning fat, and low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to lower blood levels of carbon dioxide (Figure 3).26 Ideally, we should study this further by determining whether dietary carbohydrate affects the amount of activated vitamin K-dependent proteins in humans.
http://www.westonaprice.org/fat-soluble-activators/nutritional-adjuncts-to-the-fat-soluble-vitamins?0 -
I don't hate carbs at all but I'm selective about which foods I obtain them from.
This!
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