Why are carbs so bad?

I have been scared of carbs for too long and I dont know why!! Im talking about starch! I love bread and oatmeal but cant eat them without feeling guilty! Why are carbs so bad for weight loss?

They're not!

By the way Niomi, your body is on point. I hope to get to that level for a male of course one day.

I think that a balanced diet of protein, carbs, and fats, are essential to being truly healthy. They are only "bad" if you overeat carbs and don't burn them off, then they store as fat.

but doesnt this happen if you over eat on anything?

Does what happen? Insulin response? No, it doesn't.

Carbs create a hormonal reaction in the body that can slow down or even stop weight loss for most people. If you are insulin resistant (and most overweight people are), you have to avoid highly dense carb sources, like bread. Otherwise, the hormonal response will stop your weight loss. It's possible to heal your body of this problem, but most of us don't try until it's too late, which is a big reason why yo-yo dieting is such a problem. I won't say that an occasional piece of bread is going to kill you, but it will slow you down on your goal of losing weight, or if you are really resistant to insulin it might help you put on a little weight. Your best bet is to reduce your carbs to no more than 30% of your daily calories (lower than 100g a day, aim for 50-75) so that you can lose weight, and to make sure those carbs are coming from things like veggies. You don't want to use them all up in one go by eating a candy bar! Once you've hit goal, you can play around with your carb goal to see where you don't lose weight, but don't gain either.
After all of this, though, I want to add - for many people, one slice of bread causes a binge. You might be better off avoiding starchy carbs altogether until you stop craving them - then you know you won't end up going overboard with them if all you want is one slice!

If you really want to know, read one of Gary Taubes books, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" or "Why we get fat". He gives the best explanation of the low sugar carb theory of nutrition out there. You can also watch the documentary "Fat Head" or go to that movie's website. I'm not advocating anything, but if you really want to know why some people think sugar carbs are bad for weight loss (or nutrition in general) those are the best sources.

^^^THIS^^^ Exactly what you can do!!!

carbs are actually essential for weight loss! You just have to eat proper carbs(and the right serving size) like whole foods such as whole wheat/whole grain items like bread or pasta, oatmeal or brown rice. These are good carbs that will help fuel your body and your brain. Bad carbs come in the form of anything white (bread,pasta,rice) which are refined, stripped of their nutrients and overly processed. Since they are already processed, your body takes no time to digest the bad carb leaving you soon hungry and storing all the fats, where as a good carb, your body needs to take the time to digest and breakdown the whole food which in turn leaves you feeling satisfied for longer and gives your body the chance to absorb all the healthy nutrients. Keep in mind that healthy carbs also come in fruits, veggies, beans and so many more natural foods. If it's in nature, then it cant be bad!

If you are still afraid of carbs, try to have most of your carbs in the morning with your breakfast, this will also help you eat fewer calories during the day!

I have been scared of carbs for too long and I dont know why!! Im talking about starch! I love bread and oatmeal but cant eat them without feeling guilty! Why are carbs so bad for weight loss?

They're not!

It depends on who you are. Some people don't "do" carbs well, like myself, and breads, flours and grains are a waste of time. All my body requires for high energy and fat/weight loss is vegetables and occasionally fruits (berries for the most part).

very true unlike yourself i cant run on just fruits and veggies i get good energy and feel full for a little longer with a good cereal, every body responds to things differently but of course too much of something isnt always good

If you really want to know, read one of Gary Taubes books, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" or "Why we get fat". He gives the best explanation of the low sugar carb theory of nutrition out there. You can also watch the documentary "Fat Head" or go to that movie's website. I'm not advocating anything, but if you really want to know why some people think sugar carbs are bad for weight loss (or nutrition in general) those are the best sources.

I agree. You may want to look at the book "Why We Get Fat" because it is a lot shorter than his original book "Good Calories, Bad Calories".

You need HEALTHY carbs to function--- carbs are fuel for the body. They aren't bad unless you overindulge in it. All things are bad when consuming too much of it.

but doesnt this happen if you over eat on anything?

Does what happen? Insulin response? No, it doesn't.

Sorry forgot to quote xD was to the post above you saying that if you eat too many carbs they store as fat

Exceeding calorie needs in general yes. If you spike your blood sugar from carbs with nowhere to put it, it goes immediately to fat storage regardless of exceeding calorie needs or not. Then, you have to try and unlock that fat to be used as energy.

Things made from whole grain flour are not any better than white flour(which is actually what) in terms of insulin response. Whole grain means in one piece or few large pieces, not flour!

Insulin folds to a hypocaloric diet making it almost irrelevant for fat loss. You're also ignoring the fact that protein spikes insulin levels as well.

You may bloat more on higher carb diet but that is only because of water retention and glycogen stores being filled. It is impossible to gain fat on a hypocaloric diet if you look at the overall picture of the day/week. (Ignoring people with insulin sensitivity/resistance)

If you really want to know, read one of Gary Taubes books, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" or "Why we get fat". He gives the best explanation of the low sugar carb theory of nutrition out there. You can also watch the documentary "Fat Head" or go to that movie's website. I'm not advocating anything, but if you really want to know why some people think sugar carbs are bad for weight loss (or nutrition in general) those are the best sources.

You're not advocating anything yet you recommend an amateur film maker/programmer as the best source for nutritional advise, who doesn't back his many of his claims with scientific evidence and interviews anti-carb zealots?

Yea, okay. :laugh: