Too many carbs!?! Help!!!

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emcooperejc
emcooperejc Posts: 7
edited January 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm starting my diet today - but everything I'm eating has carbs!! Are there good carbs and bad carbs? I'm completely off bread, cheese, biscuits, cake - only snackajacks and Special K biscuits to snack on at work. Porridge with water for breakfast and a banana, weightwatchers you, potato chicken salad for lunch and then salmon, wild rice, quinoa and kale for dinner!
- Is this too much or am I on right track? Bear in mind they are small portions. And do about 1 hour walking a day at least! Please help :(
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Replies

  • erocks308
    erocks308 Posts: 22
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    Have you put your meals in the MFP tracker? Should help you. To me, yes that seems pretty carb heavy, but only one way to know for sure.

    Why not skip the porridge and have an egg or two for breakfast. Choose rice or quinoa instead of both? I go lots of lean protein, lots of veggies, and a small serving (if any) of grains for dinner.
  • markjacobs1987
    markjacobs1987 Posts: 162 Member
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    Yes there are good carbs and bad carbs. First off I want to start off by saying carbs are important for your diet so make sure to have some carb intake. Carbs are a fuel source for your body and very important to have. As for good carbs some examples are fruit, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat/grain breads. Shredded wheat cereal is also something I use for carbs that is good. As for if you're on track I can't really say without seeing your food diary and seeing how many calories you are eating in terms of portion size. It sounds like it might be fine, but until I see your food diary I can't confirm that. I would try to aim for around 1600 calories to start with, see if you lose weight at that amount, and adjust from there. Rule of thumb is that you want to start off eating as much as you can while still losing weight. It is always easier to start at a higher point where you can easily cut calories if you have to. If you start too low you hurt your metabolism and then have to slowly add calories back to build your metabolism before you can cut again.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    There isn't any such thing as good or bad carbs. The key is the manner in which a nutrient works for you. If you goal is to lose weight then the answer will be in your calorie deficiency and not the carbs themselves.
  • emcooperejc
    emcooperejc Posts: 7
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    I do a lot in a day so porridge is the only thing that seems to wake me up!!
  • emcooperejc
    emcooperejc Posts: 7
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    Plus I'm new on here so haven't got hang of everything yet so dont know how you can get to see it :/
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    If you want a low carb diet then fine worry about carbs but you must be able to stick to that for life ...the 3 times I committed to low carb I lost weight but crashed and burned because I simply couldn't stick it...and I put on the most weight directly after each attempt very quickly

    But you can lose weight just sticking to a calorie defecit

    Personally I eat about 50% of my calories from carbs ...not stopped me losing over the last 8 months
  • cotewalter
    cotewalter Posts: 111 Member
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    Weighing foods and tracking are key. Learning what to eat to get enough proteins is a trial and error process. I have oatmeal a lot but I also have granola/snack bars for breakfast with a good amount of protein. Part of the learning process for me was reading the labels on things I buy. It takes a bit more time but after a while you learn what works. Eggs are good or even egg whites. Lean meats. Some fat is ok. I have some potatoes or grains but nothing white. Sweet potatoes topped with chili is a good dinner. make sure you do a variety because the same old same old will get old quick. If you need assistance feel free send a friend request if you like. :D
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    Carbs are not the enemy, but eating a bunch of them can mean that you don't have room in your calorie allowance for enough protein and fat to sustain your energy levels etc.

    When I was losing, I was a lot happier when I based my meals on protein and vegetables (which are also carbohydrates) with enough fat included and limited grain/starch and added sugar. Felt fuller and more energetic for sure.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    It's ok with what you eat. There's no such thing as good carbs, bad carbs... just carbs. Food is food. Either way, the only important part you need to worry about to lose weight is this: eat the amount of calories mfp has given you. That's already put you in a deficit to lose the weight you want.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    As long as you are getting the min fat and protein requirements (which is what you should use the MFP targets as for those two) then the amount of carbs won't matter.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    cotewalter wrote: »
    Weighing foods and tracking are key. Learning what to eat to get enough proteins is a trial and error process. I have oatmeal a lot but I also have granola/snack bars for breakfast with a good amount of protein. Part of the learning process for me was reading the labels on things I buy. It takes a bit more time but after a while you learn what works. Eggs are good or even egg whites. Lean meats. Some fat is ok. I have some potatoes or grains but nothing white. Sweet potatoes topped with chili is a good dinner. make sure you do a variety because the same old same old will get old quick. If you need assistance feel free send a friend request if you like. :D

    You should've stopped right there. The key to weight loss is caloric deficit, either through diet, exercise or both. To state that "some fat is ok", and that "nothing white" is somehow good diet advice shows a fundamental lack of nutrition knowledge and safe weight loss. Fat is an essential macronutrient. Getting too little dietary fat, especially when in a hypocaloric state, can wreak havoc on one's hormonal system and body. Also, staying away from "white" carbs has no bearing on weight loss or gain. Calories in vs out. There are no good and bad carbs.

    OP - I recommend using MFP or other online calculators as a estimate for what your caloric intake will need to be for weight loss. As these aren't 100% accurate, trial and error is needed. As a starting point, since protien and fats are essential macronutrients, the recommended minimum for protien is .86g/lbs, and for fat, .35g/lbs (for women, maybe even .4g/lbs). Fill the rest of your calories in with carbs. While you want to focus on micro-nutrient dense foods, there is nothing wrong with eating white pasta, candy, snickers, ice cream, whatever - as long as it fits your macro and caloric goals.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Try adding protein to your carb meals. For instance, add milk or yogurt to your porridge. Have a piece of cheese with your banana. I personally dislike most of the Special K products as they are simple carbs, too high in sugar, and short on fiber.
  • hlo9603
    hlo9603 Posts: 104 Member
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    Try the Atkins diet plan. Low on carbs high in protein.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    The only thing that matters in terms of weight loss is eating fewer calories than you burn. Create a deficit and you'll lose weight. That's all there is to it.

    That said, some people find that eating carbs affects how satiated they are. IF eating too many carbs makes you get hungry too quickly, it will help you stick to your calorie goal if you swap some carbs out for some protein and fat. But if you're happy with how you're eating right now and you don't have a problem sticking to your goal, just carry on.
  • jessshout893
    jessshout893 Posts: 6
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    I try and limit my self to one set of carbs a day for example I wouldn't have pasta or jacket potatoe on the same day it just cuts everything down your still getting carbs you enjoy
  • royston_ashby
    royston_ashby Posts: 71 Member
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    Try to add some protein into your diet. It sounds like your diet is mainly carbs. With weight loss / fat loss as a goal, you'll ideally need a higher protein in take than carb intake, without neglecting carbs of course. There are many people who think carbs are bad and by having carbs you can not lose weight (idiots)! Carbs fuel your body. Therefore without them you lack sufficient amounts of energy. With the correct balance of Marcos, along with a healthy amount of exercising you will certainly loss weight.

    Feel free to read the below (my experience)

    In my last year of university i piled on the pounds and ballooned to 156kg. Over the last 18-24 months I've lost over 70kg and now weigh 84.2kg. Biggest mistake was being naive and only focusing on cardio. Now my training schedule is a combination of strength and cardio with the focus on dropping body fat.

    Although cardio will lead to a significant drop in weight, gaining an understand about why and how you train along with developing a diet according to your goals, is paramount to your results and success. There are many people including myself who believe cutting out carbs will automatically drop the lbs, and it goes without saying that a cardio and less carbs will help people achieve weight loss but long term this is not the healthiest or most effective method in dropping weight or body fat. There are many programs available online which have been developed to assist you in dropping your overall body fat and they will consist of eating a surprising amount of carbohydrates. (recommend that you research these guides)

    Your diet doesn't have to be a 'diet' as it becomes more a way of life. Once you begin to eat healthier and see results, you'll grow to love the gym and the healthy lifestyle.

  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,110 Member
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    Seems good to me. There are good and bad.

    I seem to go over on carbs :( about 10-15 over so it isn't that bad
  • twhaley1990
    twhaley1990 Posts: 140 Member
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    For me personally, as long as I don't exceed my daily calorie allowance, I'll lose the weight. How I handle carbs, protein, fat, ect is more of a nutritional thing than a weight loss thing. But I know everyone is different.
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
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    A lot of people have covered the high points, but I must ask... Cheese (block) is not low carb? lol... I eat cheese daily (full fat, from the block) and it's relatively low carb, depending on what type it is.

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