"BAD" carbs?

dakotababy
dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been slowly losing weight, though after looking back since March 2013, I have realized that I have not even lost 10lbs and for some reason, my measurements have actually increased! (I was 210lbs in March), so I would think I would have lost more than that.

My carb intake can be fairly high, about 200-250g/day. I understand there is the "good carbs" and "bad carbs". I am thinking of cutting back on breads, rice, sugars....I am wondering, how many servings of "bad" carbs do you typically have in 1 day?

Typically, I will have at least 2 or 3 servings of bread and/or rice and/or starchy foods per day.

ETA - I dont like labelling foods as good or bad, which is why i put "bad" in quotes.

Replies

  • GymTennis
    GymTennis Posts: 133 Member
    Cut back on your calories!!!. It's that simple... Use MFP to count calories on daily basis,..Determine your TDEE for maintenance of your current weight, and then go 300-500 calories under that number each day to make sure you're losing weight with a steady pace.. If you stay in a caloric deficit each and every day, you WILL lose weight, regardless of white or brown rice or good or bad carbs... or whatever...
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    There are two issues here, carbs and weight loss.

    Carbs don't keep you from losing weight. You must be eating over your calorie allotment. I'm a Carb Queen. I eat 200-300 carbs every day. I have been steadily losing weight since I joined MFP in April.

    As far as good and bad carbs go, the carbs I eat are mostly from food like steamed kale, lentils, apples and other fruit for snacks, etc. I think of calories the same way as money. If I am given 1400 dollars to spend, then I personally would spend it where I get the most bang for my buck with protein, vitamins, fiber, feeling full longer, what's best for my skin and hair, etc. But you can eat whatever you want to eat within your calorie allotment and lose weight. There are plenty of MFP members who have lost a tremendous amount of weight who say they regularly eat ice cream, chocolate, and pizza.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
    There are two issues here, carbs and weight loss.

    Carbs don't keep you from losing weight. You must be eating over your calorie allotment. I'm a Carb Queen. I eat 200-300 carbs every day. I have been steadily losing weight since I joined MFP in April.

    As far as good and bad carbs go, the carbs I eat are mostly from food like steamed kale, lentils, apples and other fruit for snacks, etc. I think of calories the same way as money. If I am given 1400 dollars to spend, then I personally would spend it where I get the most bang for my buck with protein, vitamins, fiber, feeling full longer, what's best for my skin and hair, etc. But you can eat whatever you want to eat within your calorie allotment and lose weight. There are plenty of MFP members who have lost a tremendous amount of weight who say they regularly eat ice cream, chocolate, and pizza.

    Does the same go for someone with type 2 diabetes? Does eating the "bad" carbs make it hard to lose weight?
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    People gain or lose weight due to the amount of calories they eat.

    I don't have diabetes, so I can't say what processes happen with food, insulin, blood sugar, etc.

    If I go back to my example above comparing calories to money and getting the most bang for your buck.... I can eat a giant glazed donut or a piece of raisin bread with cream cheese and will be hungry again within an hour... or for the same amount of calories, I can eat a bowl of steel cut oats or oatmeal with a chopped apple, get more nutrition, and stay full for hours. The oatmeal and fruit is a better deal so I go with that. That's basically how I look at food.
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    According to the South Beach eating plan "bad carbs" are ones that can spike your blood sugar, like foods with added sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes, high sugar fruits, etc. and are strictly limited. For those of us who get cravings and hunger after eating these foods (due to an insulin spike followed by low blood sugar) it definitely helps us to stay on track if we restrict them.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I've been sticking to about 150 grams of carbs a day, which is low by MFP standards. It's been doing good things for my blood sugar. I don't know how many servings of bread that works out to. I watch the total, not the servings. It seems to me that I usually have at least two servings of grains every day, and dairy, which also contains carbs.

    I consider all carbs to be equally bad, and I eat them anyway because I like them. If my blood sugar starts going up, I'll cut back more.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I am wondering, how many servings of "bad" carbs do you typically have in 1 day?

    All of them.
  • rschwabe1
    rschwabe1 Posts: 34
    Plain and simple. Calories in v.s. calories out. Although, most of your carbohydrates should be from sources that are nutrient dense and high in fiber. But that is irrelevant to weight loss.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I have been slowly losing weight, though after looking back since March 2013, I have realized that I have not even lost 10lbs and for some reason, my measurements have actually increased! (I was 210lbs in March), so I would think I would have lost more than that.

    My carb intake can be fairly high, about 200-250g/day. I understand there is the "good carbs" and "bad carbs". I am thinking of cutting back on breads, rice, sugars....I am wondering, how many servings of "bad" carbs do you typically have in 1 day?

    Typically, I will have at least 2 or 3 servings of bread and/or rice and/or starchy foods per day.

    ETA - I dont like labelling foods as good or bad, which is why i put "bad" in quotes.

    You just answered your own question.

    Calories matter for weight loss. Make sure you're getting adequate protein and fats, let the carbs fall where they may.
  • andibenoit
    andibenoit Posts: 71 Member
    Like issyfit said ""bad carbs" are ones that can spike your blood sugar, like foods with added sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes, high sugar fruits, etc."... Especially for a diabetic.

    I'm pretty close to your weight, diabetic, and still losing steady, I eat 15-30 grams of carbs from that category and get the rest of my carbs from more nutrient dense options that have more fiber and/or protein.
  • bbesitos69
    bbesitos69 Posts: 2 Member
    BAD carbs are eviiiiiiillllllllll. They do terrible things for your body on top of causing weight gain! They raise your insulin and can stop your metabolism and cause diabetes. So first things first- don't eat simple sugars. If you want bread-eat sprouted grains. If you want to eat anything with grains make sure it does NOT have "enriched" anywhere in the ingredients. You need to eat whole, naturally high fiber foods. They are good for your body annnd they keep you fuller for longer. I can guarentee you that if you stop eating simple sugars, you'll lose weight. Stay away from anything processed that says "low carb" and "low fat" because this means that they usually add sugars and artifical sugars to make them tasty which causes your body to react in crazy ways. Eat natural whole foods! This means you can eat butter, almond butter, eggs, FATS! yummy yummy fats! and still lose weight. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, sugar does. period.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    BAD carbs are eviiiiiiillllllllll. They do terrible things for your body on top of causing weight gain! They raise your insulin and can stop your metabolism and cause diabetes. So first things first- don't eat simple sugars. If you want bread-eat sprouted grains. If you want to eat anything with grains make sure it does NOT have "enriched" anywhere in the ingredients. You need to eat whole, naturally high fiber foods. They are good for your body annnd they keep you fuller for longer. I can guarentee you that if you stop eating simple sugars, you'll lose weight. Stay away from anything processed that says "low carb" and "low fat" because this means that they usually add sugars and artifical sugars to make them tasty which causes your body to react in crazy ways. Eat natural whole foods! This means you can eat butter, almond butter, eggs, FATS! yummy yummy fats! and still lose weight. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, sugar does. period.

    No. "Bad carbs" do not stop your metabolism, keep you from gaining weight, or cause diabetes. Please stop spreading these lies.
  • rschwabe1
    rschwabe1 Posts: 34
    Our bodies are very efficient at maintaining homeostasis. Our body utilizes sugar as fuel for the brain and also fuel for daily activities/exercise. So by saying 'bad carbs' are evil is not true.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You're probably eating too much, what you eat doesn't really matter honestly. I'd just weigh and log all your food, increase your protein goal to 30% so it fills you up more, and decrease carbs to 40%.

    As long as you're not diabetic, carbs really don't make a difference one way or another.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    look, if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, then carbs matter (as far as I can gather from the people who have it and post here). I don't have either, so I couldn't care less. I do know protein keeps you sated for longer, but again that is of not real issue for me, because I then don't eat enough. However if you are not losing weight, you are having too many calories. Are you logging accurate everything you put into your mouth, weighing everything, measuring only the liquids? Are you itemising you entries and double checking generic entries. How are you determining your exercise calories? These are all thing to ask yourself.

    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
    BAD carbs are eviiiiiiillllllllll. They do terrible things for your body on top of causing weight gain! They raise your insulin and can stop your metabolism and cause diabetes. So first things first- don't eat simple sugars. If you want bread-eat sprouted grains. If you want to eat anything with grains make sure it does NOT have "enriched" anywhere in the ingredients. You need to eat whole, naturally high fiber foods. They are good for your body annnd they keep you fuller for longer. I can guarentee you that if you stop eating simple sugars, you'll lose weight. Stay away from anything processed that says "low carb" and "low fat" because this means that they usually add sugars and artifical sugars to make them tasty which causes your body to react in crazy ways. Eat natural whole foods! This means you can eat butter, almond butter, eggs, FATS! yummy yummy fats! and still lose weight. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, sugar does. period.

    Nope.
  • ermahampton
    ermahampton Posts: 8
    Here is a list of bad carbs http://forum.internationaldrugmart.com/general-discussion-f67/good-carbs-bad-carbs-t5063.html
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    BAD carbs are eviiiiiiillllllllll. They do terrible things for your body on top of causing weight gain! They raise your insulin and can stop your metabolism and cause diabetes. So first things first- don't eat simple sugars. If you want bread-eat sprouted grains. If you want to eat anything with grains make sure it does NOT have "enriched" anywhere in the ingredients. You need to eat whole, naturally high fiber foods. They are good for your body annnd they keep you fuller for longer. I can guarentee you that if you stop eating simple sugars, you'll lose weight. Stay away from anything processed that says "low carb" and "low fat" because this means that they usually add sugars and artifical sugars to make them tasty which causes your body to react in crazy ways. Eat natural whole foods! This means you can eat butter, almond butter, eggs, FATS! yummy yummy fats! and still lose weight. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, sugar does. period.
    That's hilarious!! Do you do children's parties as well?
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Does the same go for someone with type 2 diabetes? Does eating the "bad" carbs make it hard to lose weight?
    There are no bad carbs. There are simple carbs and complex carbs. T2 diabetics generally avoid simple carbs because they can spike their blood glucose level. Complex carbs take longer to digest so they can help with controlling bgl.

    Simple carbs: Cake, candy, jam, white (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta) donuts, etc

    Complex carbs: Sweet potatoes, whole grain (bread, rice, pasta), zuchinni, broccoli, beans, etc

    Total caloric intake is the most important factor for weight loss.
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
    BAD carbs are eviiiiiiillllllllll. They do terrible things for your body on top of causing weight gain! They raise your insulin and can stop your metabolism and cause diabetes. So first things first- don't eat simple sugars. If you want bread-eat sprouted grains. If you want to eat anything with grains make sure it does NOT have "enriched" anywhere in the ingredients. You need to eat whole, naturally high fiber foods. They are good for your body annnd they keep you fuller for longer. I can guarentee you that if you stop eating simple sugars, you'll lose weight. Stay away from anything processed that says "low carb" and "low fat" because this means that they usually add sugars and artifical sugars to make them tasty which causes your body to react in crazy ways. Eat natural whole foods! This means you can eat butter, almond butter, eggs, FATS! yummy yummy fats! and still lose weight. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, sugar does. period.

    Really?! So give it a go explaining my 95lb loss in 11 months to date when I eat pretty much everything you say I shouldn't. Fat "DOES NOT make you fat", sugar "DOES NOT make you fat" either - too many calories in compared to calories out does. "period."

    OP, weigh & measure (solids in grams or ounces, liquids in ml or fl oz rather than cups) everything, log accurately, eat at a deficit and you'll lose weight regardless of what you eat. However, lean meat and lots of veg are more filling for longer than a serving of white rice (50g raw is a small portion that leaves me hungry afterwards). That doesn't ake it a bad carb though, I'd just rather fill up on lower cal stuff so I can still have some treats (chocolate, Haribo & processed sugar FTW!).
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Plain and simple. Calories in v.s. calories out. Although, most of your carbohydrates should be from sources that are nutrient dense and high in fiber. But that is irrelevant to weight loss.

    It should be plain and simple, but not all calories consumed are used by the body as energy so as easier way to look at it is.
    Calories in v calories stored.

    Get plenty of protein to spare lean mass loss.

    Keeping your carbs low is sensible, it's all about limiting the amount of insulin you secrete.

    Good luck.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member

    My carb intake can be fairly high, about 200-250g/day. I understand there is the "good carbs" and "bad carbs".


    Carbohydrates are a nutrient. Nutrients are good. The only way that a carb could be bad is if you are eating too much of it, same as fats and proteins.

    250g/day is only 1000 calories. That's a good number for most people.I lost over 70 pounds eating the same number.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Does the same go for someone with type 2 diabetes? Does eating the "bad" carbs make it hard to lose weight?
    There are no bad carbs. There are simple carbs and complex carbs. T2 diabetics generally avoid simple carbs because they can spike their blood glucose level. Complex carbs take longer to digest so they can help with controlling bgl.

    Simple carbs: Cake, candy, jam, white (bread, rice, potatoes, pasta) donuts, etc

    Complex carbs: Sweet potatoes, whole grain (bread, rice, pasta), zuchinni, broccoli, beans, etc

    Total caloric intake is the most important factor for weight loss.

    Starches are NOT simple carbs. Breads, potatoes, and pastas are all starches, which are complex carbs. It doesn't matter what color they are, starches are complex carbs, period.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    You're right, starches are complex carbs. The amount of fiber affects the rate that food metabolizes. White potatoes metabolize faster that sweet potatoes. For a diabetic, the fiber content can matter. If you're not diabetic none of this matters.
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
    BAD carbs are eviiiiiiillllllllll. They do terrible things for your body on top of causing weight gain! They raise your insulin and can stop your metabolism and cause diabetes. So first things first- don't eat simple sugars. If you want bread-eat sprouted grains. If you want to eat anything with grains make sure it does NOT have "enriched" anywhere in the ingredients. You need to eat whole, naturally high fiber foods. They are good for your body annnd they keep you fuller for longer. I can guarentee you that if you stop eating simple sugars, you'll lose weight. Stay away from anything processed that says "low carb" and "low fat" because this means that they usually add sugars and artifical sugars to make them tasty which causes your body to react in crazy ways. Eat natural whole foods! This means you can eat butter, almond butter, eggs, FATS! yummy yummy fats! and still lose weight. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, sugar does. period.

    Bad troll.. bad bad bad troll. Cookies are GOOD for you.

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