Carbohydrates

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I've found from personal experience that carbs prevent or slow down my weight loss. I don't know if this is entirely true or just what's in my head. Maybe my diet has been wrong or my exercise training? I've completely cut them out of my diet recently but I don't know if I should be doing this? Any advice would be great.

Sorry if I seem very knew to this (which I am).
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Replies

  • AmyZ46
    AmyZ46 Posts: 694 Member
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    Carbs totally throw a wrench into my weight loss too. I cut them out as much as possible .
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Hmmmm, loaded question.

    If you've completely cut out carbohydrates, I assume you're in ketosis, in which case, yes, carbohydrates will immediately make you gain weight. But, in the absence of metabolic disease, carbohydrates won't make a person gain weight if their total calories are less than their maintenance calorie expenditure (TDEE).

    Healthy people (no metabolic disease) don't need to completely cut carbs, for most moderately active people (aka the population of this site) around 40% of your total calories from carbs is a good amount, which allows for adequate protein and fat within your calorie limits.

    Carbs are actually not even close to as important as getting the right amount of protein and fat. If you get enough protein and fat, the remainder of your calories can be all carbs, or any combination of protein, fat, and carbs and you will achieve the same results.

    (slight exception for workout-specific carb needs which I'm not going to delve in to here)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I've found from personal experience that carbs prevent or slow down my weight loss.

    Nope.
  • eahill4
    eahill4 Posts: 60 Member
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    I try to keep it low carb but sometimes find it hard to meet my calorie goals as I am trying to make a conscious effort to cut out a lot of fats too (which tend to be 0 carbs).
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Do you mean all carbs, or are you really talking about grains?
  • Sierra_christine89
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    Okay, well it depends on what type of carbs you are eating. If you aren't eating complex carbs, that's probably why the carbs, so you think, are stunting your weightloss.

    You shouldn't cut out carbs completely because its not realistic to a lifestyle. That sounds like some quick fix "Cut this out to lose weight" diet. but once you start incorporating them into your diet again what will happen? You will gain because you haven't been allowing yourself them.
    Eat a specific amount of carbs a day, and you should figure out what amount is right for you because what MFP gives you for your daily amount is not realistic for everyone, as its based off of the average person, and none of us meet up to that "average person" status since each and every one of our bodies are completely different.

    Again, make sure you are eating COMPLEX carbs. That way your body can use those carbs for energy. Noncomplex carbs get turned into fat, or stored as fat.

    Complex carbs..complex carbs..complex carbs..can I stress that enough? :P
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I try to keep it low carb but sometimes find it hard to meet my calorie goals as I am trying to make a conscious effort to cut out a lot of fats too (which tend to be 0 carbs).

    Low carb *and* low fat?
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Since I went keto, my weight loss began again. So carbs can be an issue for some people. I try to keep my net carbs below 30.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    I try to keep it low carb but sometimes find it hard to meet my calorie goals as I am trying to make a conscious effort to cut out a lot of fats too (which tend to be 0 carbs).

    Low carb *and* low fat?

    Does. Not. Compute. :noway: :huh:
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I try to keep it low carb but sometimes find it hard to meet my calorie goals as I am trying to make a conscious effort to cut out a lot of fats too (which tend to be 0 carbs).

    Low carb and low fat don't work together. Protein-only is quite dangerous.
  • BlaZeN13x
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    I have basically cut out pasta/bread/rice/potato but I am going to reintroduce them. I signed up to here today and have got my MFP figures so I will give them a try and see what results I get.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I have basically cut out pasta/bread/rice/potato but I am going to reintroduce them. I signed up to here today and have got my MFP figures so I will give them a try and see what results I get.

    Fine idea. No particular food or nutrient should be off-limits. Focus on getting enough protein, fat, and fiber; getting the right number of calories; and eating a few servings of varied veggies or fruits a day. The rest is just noise.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
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    The main reason people lose weight on low-carb diets is because they are cutting out a large source of calorie-dense food from their usual diets.

    Also, a diet rich in protein can mitigate hunger feelings making it easier to stick to a calorie deficit.
  • Most of them are bad, but you can have the healthy version of stuff. Whole grain seeded brown bread, whole grain rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain tortillas etc. I avoid white rice/ white bread/ white pasta.
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  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Try the whole grain versions, they don't break down everything down into sugar like normal bread/pasta/rice and they give you lots of fibre :)

    Carbs are not bad or unhealthy.
  • I have basically cut out pasta/bread/rice/potato but I am going to reintroduce them. I signed up to here today and have got my MFP figures so I will give them a try and see what results I get.

    Try the whole grain versions of bread/pasta/rice, they don't convert into sugar and they have lots of fibre. Also sweet potato burns fat :)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I have basically cut out pasta/bread/rice/potato but I am going to reintroduce them. I signed up to here today and have got my MFP figures so I will give them a try and see what results I get.

    Try the whole grain versions of bread/pasta/rice, they don't convert into sugar and they have lots of fibre. Also sweet potato burns fat :)

    These "facts" are incorrect.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I like carbs....
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I have basically cut out pasta/bread/rice/potato but I am going to reintroduce them. I signed up to here today and have got my MFP figures so I will give them a try and see what results I get.

    Try the whole grain versions of bread/pasta/rice, they don't convert into sugar and they have lots of fibre. Also sweet potato burns fat :)

    That's not true, all carbohydrates (including all starches) are broken down in to sugars by digestion. Fiber is only slightly digestible, so it passes through your system largely undigested, but carbohydrate digestion IS breaking down the molecules in to simple sugars. No exceptions.