Does It REALLY Matter?
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karirenae
Posts: 106 Member
Does it HONESTLY matter WHAT carbs you eat as long as you are under the 20g per day ( that is if that is your goal, it's mine)? I eat the atkins candy, low carb tortillas, and other low carb processed stuff... I seemed to do ok.. but Im curious to know if it really matters. I know some of you say yes, only meat cheese and some veggies, but in REALITY I want to know 
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karirenae it is the number of carbs. To get my fiber I limit my total carbs to ones that are 40-50% fiber. I do not just count NET carbs but total carbs. If I keep them under 50g and follow my 40-50% rule that is my carbs are 40-50% from fiber which insures I am getting enough fiber to stay regular.
Almonds, low starch vegetables, cheese will give me all the carbs I can stand and my fiber.
Yes if one just ate 20 grams of sugar out of the sugar bowl and none others staying in ketosis would happen. I had to learn I had to add in a Fat calorie for every Carb calorie I cut.0 -
For weight loss, no.
For micronutrients it could be very important.0 -
You would still lose weight if you were at an energy deficit no matter what and you'd likely stay in ketosis no matter what the carb type if under 20g. That said, it can be better for health and nutrition to get your carbs from real foods. Fibre and resistant starch are good for gut flora. Carbs from vegetables come with vitamins and minerals. Carbs from treats don't usually give you anything but empty calories. So really it depends on your goal. Do you only want to lose weight or do you want your body to be optimally nourished? (I tend to go for a balance of both, get lots of veggies, a few tasty snacks).0
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I am going to highly recommend taking a multi vitamin and then to answer your question, for me it didn't matter where the 20 Net Carbs came from. I still lost weight regardless of whether I got my 20 Net from veggies or McDonalds chicken nuggets. So long as I was under 20 I lost.
HOWEVER, over time I've noticed that I'm starting to gravitate towards more whole and unprocessed foods simply because they taste better and make me feel better. I like that the transition is happening naturally on its own vs me feeling like I have to be eating a certain way and forcing the issue.0 -
I'll second the vitamin if you're really that averse to vegetables, and you should probably supplement your fiber, too. What it comes down to, really, is doing it with the candy, tortillas, etc, is doing low carb on hard mode. You're giving yourself extra things to worry about, nutritionally and in terms of those things making you more hungry than if you'd had some salad instead.
You may also be convincing yourself those are the only way to get those kinds of things. For example, the candy - I have chocolate all the time, but I use cocoa powder and whipping cream instead of buying something from the Atkins aisle. It takes up less of my carbs, so I still have room for vegetables, plus I control what sweetener goes in, so there's no risk of it being one that will either make me sick or make me hungry 20 minutes later.0 -
How can you immediately assume the need for a vitamin without knowing exactly what karirenae eats or the variety of food she eats? Without specific food logs and/or knowledge that there's possibly nutrition problems, why jump to the conclusion that they are likely? As for supplementing fiber, almost all low-carb replacement foods are loaded with fiber. It's not likely she needs to add even more on top of that. Excessive amounts of fiber can cause the very problems most people try to avoid by consuming it (constipation, bloating, gas, etc.).
Now, I happen to be a real foods person myself. I avoid the processed low-carb replacement foods. But, if you're under your daily carb goal then there's really not a whole world of difference where the carbs came from. You may have some side effecte (e.g. increased hunger, cravings, etc.) but all things kept equal, your weight loss should not suffer from it.0 -
Given that folks are different, the OP MAY need vitamins/minerals. I would if my carbs came from primarily processed sources rather than greens. If the OP feels good doing what she's doing, perhaps not.
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But OP may also need to visit a dentist and have her teeth cleaned. Is it wise to make recommendations without any evidence that they're necessary?
Edit: Perhaps it would be better if I made it clear what I think we should be recommending in a case like this. I feel like we should be recommending that the person make sure that they are meeting their micro-nutrient needs. A simple, "if it fits your macro goals [. . .] Just make sure you're meeting your micro-nutrient needs," is a much better statement. If the person's diet is lacking in something, they can choose to supplement that thing or make minor changes so their diet is no longer lacking. Prescribing a general multivitamin and/or fiber supplements as a "cure-all" for a potentially unbalanced diet isn't necessarily any better than not addressing it at all.0 -
For me, the type of carb matters. Being insulin resistant (metabolic syndrome), I can not eat pure sugar carbs (cake, bread, candy, etc...) without an insulin spike...which of course could cause fat storage. If I eat slow carbs (high fiber foods), then I do not get the insulin spike and I don't seem to gain weight. So, for me, it matters.0
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But OP may also need to visit a dentist and have her teeth cleaned. Is it wise to make recommendations without any evidence that they're necessary?
Edit: Perhaps it would be better if I made it clear what I think we should be recommending in a case like this. I feel like we should be recommending that the person make sure that they are meeting their micro-nutrient needs. A simple, "if it fits your macro goals [. . .] Just make sure you're meeting your micro-nutrient needs," is a much better statement. If the person's diet is lacking in something, they can choose to supplement that thing or make minor changes so their diet is no longer lacking. Prescribing a general multivitamin and/or fiber supplements as a "cure-all" for a potentially unbalanced diet isn't necessarily any better than not addressing it at all.
Yep. I'm good with that. Micronutrient needs. I'm good with that.0 -
For me, the type of carb matters. Being insulin resistant (metabolic syndrome), I can not eat pure sugar carbs (cake, bread, candy, etc...) without an insulin spike...which of course could cause fat storage. If I eat slow carbs (high fiber foods), then I do not get the insulin spike and I don't seem to gain weight. So, for me, it matters.
^^^Me2^^^0 -
Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/0 -
LowCarbHeart wrote: »Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/
Great article.... Well worth it....thanks for posting it.
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LowCarbHeart wrote: »Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/
I can't seem to get this open no matter if I go direct through the link or google separately: is it saying LCHF is bad for your heart?0 -
LowCarbHeart wrote: »Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/
Ty for sharing The article briefly mentions the culprit. From what I've understood from countless hours of research, the volatile INSULIN spikes and inflammatory Omega 6 are what is to be avoided on a regular basis.
Because they **** the hormonal balance and calcify arteries. Yeah, don't supply with more calcium either for artery health.
For osteoporosis resistance training or running is probably best.
Edit: This is why most convenience foods are detrimental for health. They're full of stuff to make OLD food (cookies, frozen dinners etc) look fresher, smell better, not go rancid, taste palatable.0 -
Most of your atkins products contain sugar alcohols/and splenda..I personally have to use those things very sparingly they cause me Migraines, constipation, and also make me feel more weighed down...I have a hard time with salads so I do a lot of low carb finger foods snow peas,celery with organic peanut butter,berries, nuts things like that in the middle of my day when I am running around those finger foods keep me away from places like Mcdonalds and Dunkin Donuts...I had raspberries and nuts for breakfast today...With my Coffee of course...0
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Agreed.Foamroller wrote: »LowCarbHeart wrote: »Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/
Ty for sharing The article briefly mentions the culprit. From what I've understood from countless hours of research, the volatile INSULIN spikes and inflammatory Omega 6 are what is to be avoided on a regular basis.
Because they **** the hormonal balance and calcify arteries. Yeah, don't supply with more calcium either for artery health.
For osteoporosis resistance training or running is probably best.
Edit: This is why most convenience foods are detrimental for health. They're full of stuff to make OLD food (cookies, frozen dinners etc) look fresher, smell better, not go rancid, taste palatable.
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Thank you so much for sharing this article! I have a family history of diabetes (both parents insulin dependent) and heart disease, took care of my mom 2 years ago after she had triple bypass surgery and vowed not to follow her health path. CVD and Diabetes worry me and I know being low carb is going to make me healthier, stronger and here longer for my kids and family.
For the OP, I think most people's physiology is so unique, that you can ask and gather info, but the only way to know what is truly going to work for you is through trial and error. If you hit a stall, maybe then you cut out the processed stuff for a while to see if it helps.0 -
totaloblivia wrote: »LowCarbHeart wrote: »Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/
I can't seem to get this open no matter if I go direct through the link or google separately: is it saying LCHF is bad for your heart?
No. In fact, the title is pretty much completely irrelevant to the content of the article.
Here's the part relevant to the discussion, though:So two of the diets in the study were high in carbs overall, but one was made up of low-glycemic-index foods while the other was composed of high-glycemic-index foods. The other two diets were low in carbs overall, with the same breakdown or low- and high-glycemic items.
“What we were thinking was that the glycemic index of the carbs would be more impactful if the total amount of carbohydrates was higher,” says Sacks. “But what we found was against what we thought originally. The low glycemic index did not improve any of the things we measured.”
In fact, among those eating the high-carb diets, those consuming low-glycemic-index foods had worse insulin response and higher LDL cholesterol. Among dieters eating the low-carb diets, the high v. low glycemic index foods did not make a difference in insulin response, blood pressure, LDL or HDL cholesterol levels.
Overall, those eating the low-carb diets had lower risk factors for heart disease compared to the group eating more carbohydrates, but the type of carbs didn’t seem to make much difference. “We confirmed previous studies that showed reducing carbs is good, but we did not show that the glycemic index of the carb really had any favorable effect,” says Sacks.
That suggests that all the attention to knowing the glycemic index of various foods—and basing your eating habits on these numbers—may not be worth the effort. While bananas may have a high glycemic index compared to an apple, for example, always choosing the apple over the banana may not lead to benefits for the heart. That’s because glycemic index is only one aspect of how we break down and metabolize food; bananas are also high in potassium and fiber, which have been linked to lowering risk of heart disease.
“Consumers should just look at the food, and not worry whether it has a low glycemic index or a high glycemic index,” says Sacks. “If it’s a fruit or vegetable, or a whole grain, then it’s fine.” He also notes that glycemic index isn’t a set characteristic of a food; it’s how an individual person’s body processes the food so it may vary considerably among different people.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »totaloblivia wrote: »LowCarbHeart wrote: »Oh my goodness you guys I just came across this article in Time magazine that speaks to this!
http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/
I can't seem to get this open no matter if I go direct through the link or google separately: is it saying LCHF is bad for your heart?
No. In fact, the title is pretty much completely irrelevant to the content of the article.
Here's the part relevant to the discussion, though:
Thanks so much for doing this for me - that sets my mind at rest! You're a good person! Reassuring for the low carber.0
