Why are carbs so bad?

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trekkiebeth
trekkiebeth Posts: 172
in Food and Nutrition
I've always heard that whole grains are good for you. They're at the bottom of the food pyramid. I usually eat 3 servings a day. Two pieces of organic sprouted honey wheat with flaxseed bread and one serving of organic brown rice. It seems to me that I'm eating the best kinds of carbs I can and I'm keeping my servings to a minimum. Yet I've had several people recommend that I cut down on carbs by having a sandwich with only one slice of bread or using a tortilla instead.

Why is that? How is 3 servings of whole grains a day too much? Do I really need to have a sandwich with only one piece of bread? That seems pretty extreme. I have no desire to go on a low carb diet, but the people who have been giving me advice make it seem like everyone needs to be on a low carb diet.

Replies

  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
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    In my opinion they aren't. I love my carbs and eat them and still lose weight.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Carbs are not bad for you. Most veggies contain carbs. Its the good carbs you want. Whole grains, beans and legumes and vegetables. Carbs are our bodies primary fuel source.

    Food Pyramid says 6 servings of grains. At least half of those should be whole grains. You can even make them all whole grain. I wouldn't worry too much about what other people say.

    And out of all the daily servings on the Food Pyramid - the grains have the highest number. That tells you something.
  • mandydanyele
    mandydanyele Posts: 121
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    Yeah...my coworker told me that I need to count out ALL carbs and to only eat meat and cheese. NOTHING else. Which I won't be doing because that's not healthy.
  • dshalbert
    dshalbert Posts: 677 Member
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    Carbs aren't bad. Your body needs them for energy. It's simple carbs that are the problem because they breakdown too quickly and cause your bloodsugar level to spike. If you dont use it then you are likely to store it as belly fat. These include overly processed foods like white sugar, white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc. Go for whole grain breads that are high in fiber. Just know that each slice is usualy about 100 calories so a sandwich can be 200 calories before you put anything on it. Go to a nutrional site to get more details.
  • ckehoe89
    ckehoe89 Posts: 144 Member
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    I personally lost 35 lbs without eliminating any of the carbs I eat. What you say you eat is extremely healthy, I wouldn't change it. I'm a carb-oholic, so I would have a tough time with just one piece of bread on sandwich. Just make sure you are also getting all the other important nutrients like protein!
  • nezeray
    nezeray Posts: 34
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    I hear the same thing, even when I've lost 30+ lbs following My Fitness Pal and NOT Adkins or any of those other plans. I think the big thing with carbs is that they're easily turned into sugar in the body. Which then turns into fat if not burned.

    Pick a plan that works for you and just tell the others that you've got a plan and don't need theirs. :)

    James / Nezeray
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    A balanced diet consist of carbs between 45 and 60% of total calories, I believe MFP defaults to 55%. If you are not eating a lot of carbs and some are telling you to lower them, They may be low carb high protein people. But if carbs are working for you don't change it. I eat 50% cals from carbs, my wife who lost all her pregnancy weight in 3 months eats about 60% carbs. Carbs are not the enemy if they are from healthy sources, which from the sounds of it yours are.
  • springgrl
    springgrl Posts: 168 Member
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    Maybe if you have a wheat or grain allergy you should cut down or cut them out otherwise I don't think it is an issue. Especially if you are choosing less processed food.

    This is totally anecdotal but my sister has been a vegetarian for several years, lives on whole grains, beans and soy, and is very fit, healthy and thin. When I have lost weight or gained weight, the change had way, way more to do with calories going in vs calories burned than any particular food type I ate.
  • carl1738
    carl1738 Posts: 444 Member
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    Carbs aren't bad. Too many carbs are bad because if your body doesn't use them for energy, they get stored as fat. Most people eat way too many carbs because of all the sugars and starchs in processed foods. From what you are saying that you eat, I doubt that's true in your case. Ignore them.
  • akgrl1020
    akgrl1020 Posts: 179
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    Carbs fuel the body! You are eating complex carbs, which are exactly what the body needs! The bad carbs are those found in white bread and the like, which are simple carbs, which we don't need. Complex carbs take longer for the body to digest, keeping you fuller longer, and providing a better source of fuel for our bodies. Simple carbs are quickly digested, creating a sugar rush, which we don't need. My husband has Type 2 Diabetes, and I have spent a lot of time researching this, in addition to nutrition classes, recommended by his doctor. Whole grains are exactly what our bodies need, so don't let others guilt you into thinking otherwise!
  • Adsnwfld
    Adsnwfld Posts: 262 Member
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    The right carbs are needed by your body to function. Complex carbohydrates provide you with the fuel necessary to support exercise and physical activity.
    Simple carbs are broken down by your body raising blood sugar quickly, then your blood sugar would drop frequently making you sluggish and hungry again. This is an easy way to eat way to much.
    Complex carbs digest more slowly and raise sugar levels much slower leaving you feeling full longer (not as long as protein) Both carbs and protein have 4 calories per gram so it is in how the body digests and uses it that satisfies you.
    Fruits are ok even though they are simple carbs, the simple carbs to avoid come from white bread, cookies, cakes etc.
    The whole grains, lentils, brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes contain fiber and that keeps you full longer also.
    Most dietitians recommend approximately 50 to 60% of calories come from carbohydrates, although some people do better with lower percentages.
  • sweet_lotus
    sweet_lotus Posts: 194 Member
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    You don't need to cut carbs or even bad carbs to lose weight.

    This nutrition professor famously lost 27 pounds on the "twinkie" diet:

    http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/11/09/2010-11-09_lose_weight_eating_junk_food_nutrition_professor_drops_27_pounds_on_twinkie_diet.html

    However, if you want to invest in your health, it's best to stick with foods that provide nutrients including good carbs. They not only have vitamins, minerals, and fiber but also phytochemicals which may be good for health too. It's also easier to lose by eating healthy foods becuase they're often less caloric.
  • FattieCrosby
    FattieCrosby Posts: 10
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    Because you will burn carbs before fat. If you are trying to lose weight, but eat 60% carbs of any sort, you never get to burning stored fat. Yes, people lose weight on a low-cal low-fat diet. That is likely only because most people when starting to diet cut out junk food and soda and increase vegetable consumption. If your lifestyle burns 250 carb grams a day, you will gain stored fat if you eat that bad stuff. When the diet starts and you cut out soda and oreos because they are high in calories and fat, you will lose weight but not because the fat and calories were causing it, but because the sugar in them was pushing your carb intake above 250 grams. There are also many organic chemistry type reasons to avoid grains that would be too technical here but easily found.
    Yes, carbs are the primary energy source. In a country with an obesity epidemic. They shouldn't be. Fat is a better more evenly regulated source of energy. Carbs are burned first because fat is the preferred source. Fat is stored because it is more energy-dense and thus more useful and efficient during stress times.
    Yes, the food pyramid says to eat mostly grains. You don't think the extreme power of Big Agra has any effect do you?
  • 00Angela00
    00Angela00 Posts: 1,077 Member
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    carbs bind fat and help rid them from your body. There not bad. It's stupid diets that lie to you.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Because you will burn carbs before fat. If you are trying to lose weight, but eat 60% carbs of any sort, you never get to burning stored fat. Yes, people lose weight on a low-cal low-fat diet.

    Not quite, if you are in a caloric deficit you will burn carbs first but once they are gone you burn fat, as you don't have enough calories to sustain your weight. What really matters for weight loss is Calories in - calories out, regardless if the cals are fat, carb, or protein.

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