Educate me about Carbs

Makoce · June 2014

I'm so confused and there's so much information online / topics on forums / articles / etc. all saying different things.

I started my weight loss over a year and a half ago, my diet was like 50 - 70% carbs mostly from processed foods.
I lost 65LBS, consistently losing 1 - 2lbs every week and my only exercise was walking/hiking or the occasional DVD so I could eat more.
At the end of my weight loss I suddenly started getting shaky/fatigued/tired/irritable 2-3 hours after eating and needed to eat again. It was like I was having blood sugar issues, so people recommended low carb to me because "fat and protein are filling and wont cause insulin issues" or something.

So I switched to Primal/Paleo and did the low carb thing.
My appetite was suppressed for awhile, but then came back in full vengeance leading to a binge issue Im now dealing with.
( binging on carbs, lol ). Ive sense gone back to just eating whatever I want and ignoring macros because it works better for me in terms of -the rest of my life-.
I mean now I keep it 90% healthy and a lot of my carbs are from fruits/veg and I have maybe one processed thing a day

The more I read, the more I read / saw that if you're a healthy individual without metabolic issues, diabetes, thyroid issues, etc, carbs dont matter. But then I read others who say to avoid them unless you're an athlete. And a lot of people on here talk about avoiding them.

Im so confused ... does where your carbs go in a day matter at all if youre healthy?

I just dont understand it all, to be honest, and want some education...

bajoyba · June 2014

I'm not an expert by any means, so I don't really have any scientific information or evidence to offer. I don't eat low-carb, but carbs are lowest on my priority list. I pay attention to my macros and try to hit them, so my main focus is protein, followed by fat. I try to eat plenty of fiber, and after that, I just try to keep my carbs near or under my goal (which is set at 40% of my total intake).

I know you've been having trouble finding a good balance lately. Do you think allowing yourself a moderate amount of carbs and paying attention to your macros for awhile might help even things out? It might not be realistic for long-term maintenance, but in the short term, maybe trying out different macro percentages and tracking them will help you figure out what makes your body feel most satisfied.

w734q672 · June 2014

1 word, foodgasms

LuckyLeprechaun · June 2014

You'll likely do best striking a balance between fats, protein and carbs. Each contributes something to your overall nutrition.

My macros percentages:

40% protein
30% fat
30% carbs

I chose this because I feel most satiated when I have higher levels of protein and I don't particularly care for carbs much. I'd rather have chicken or steak for dinner than have bread or rice.

The most important thing is to find a balance that you can live with long term. If you love bread/rice/sweets then you're not likely to stick with a plan that calls for you to eliminate them.

More importantly than anything else, you need to maintain a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Paleo, the twinkie diet, all manner of extreme "cut out all one macro" types of diets have shown to be effective in the short term, but if they ask you to adopt an eating style you can't sustain long term, then all you're doing is torturing yourself.

hookilau · June 2014

Go back to what worked for you....if you were feeling shaky and all, you were working too hard without enough fuel and probably having low blood sugar episodes.

I hear they're NOT fun :ohwell:

Calculate your macros & take a small deficit. Eat back some of your exercise calories to fuel your work outs. Starchy carbs are not necessary for all people, but you clearly need them

I happen to be in the opposing camp, however imbalances like this are pretty easy to fix

Good luck & eat MOARRR

Cerakoala · June 2014

Hello

I don;'t have all the answers either. I was diabetic before I lost some weight so as much as I love carbs I had to eliminate them for a while. I have worked them back into my diet slowly. My general understanding from my doctor is carbs turn to sugar when not used lead to fat storage which in longterm can turn to health issues (such as me when I had diabetes. I no longer avoid them but I have them in moderation. On days I work out a lot I may have extra carbs than normal as I know my body will burn them. As what everyone here already said really you have to find what works for you. I think carbs in moderation are fine

Makoce · June 2014

Go back to what worked for you....if you were feeling shaky and all, you were working too hard without enough fuel and probably having low blood sugar episodes.

I hear they're NOT fun :ohwell:

Calculate your macros & take a small deficit. Eat back some of your exercise calories to fuel your work outs. Starchy carbs are not necessary for all people, but you clearly need them

I happen to be in the opposing camp, however imbalances like this are pretty easy to fix
Good luck & eat MOARRR

Im actually not losing anymore, Im onto maintenance ( other than last week, because I was hovering outside my maitenance range ) -- but now im back to it.
Maybe starches are for me, im not sure.

When Ii was having low blood sugar episodes, it was when I as eating oatmeal/cereals for breakfast and breads/sandwhiches/peice of fruit for lunch and whatnot. But I also was eating pretty minimal meals throughout the day so maybe I shoulda just been eating more at each meal vs it being the meal itself messing with me.

Ill have to experiment and find out.

I guess what I was looking for is in the end .. unless you have health related issues .. its not your macros, its calories in vs calories out and you really dont need to obsess over them.

Educate me about Carbs

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