Carbs?

Hi all

For all of you that are trying to lose fat, how much of your diet is made up of carbs? I currently have carbs set to 30% of my diet.

Is this working against me??

Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited March 2016
    40-50%
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Most of the time I was losing it was about 40%. It doesn't actually matter, though. It does help to get enough protein.
  • cryptobrit
    cryptobrit Posts: 200 Member
    I have mine at 50%. If I don't have regular carbs/starch I go funny. After all the hype of low carb diets I tried cutting down to 30% but it was a no go for me. I was quite horrified to see some folk going down to very low figures. I guess it is the old story of what works best; it doesn't seem healthy though when going so low. Especially when there are 'good' starches. If it is good enough for Slimming World to eat as much as you want and work, there must be plenty of room for variation.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    50% for me because carbs make me happy :)
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    Mine are always at 60%-75%. I feel my best eating high carb. ;)
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    50%. Keeps me out of jail. I'm not losing weight rapidly but then I don't plan to either. Some wise people on this website kept repeating the mantra notto make an changes I couldn't live with forever so my carbs are @ 50%. Some of these very people have lost huge amounts of weight and kept it off for a long time. Seemed like I should listen to them.
  • Gene81972
    Gene81972 Posts: 30 Member
    I've got mine at 15%. Trying to stay away from refined carbs and only get them from fruit and vegetables.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    Mine are set at 40% which gives me about 145 carbs a day. I'm trying to prevent diabetes and was told by a diabetes educator to stay around 45 carbs per meal.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I usually end up between 45-50% carbs. I don't really care about eating too many carbs. I just try and make sure I get enough fats and proteins in.
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    45% ish
  • Gene81972
    Gene81972 Posts: 30 Member
    Checkout the documentaries "Hungry for Change" and "Food Matters" both very enlightening.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    My settings have my goal at 40% carbs, but realistically I eat 45-50% carbs
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
    Gene81972 wrote: »
    Checkout the documentaries "Hungry for Change" and "Food Matters" both very enlightening.

    Watched both. Very enlightening. Both also very filled with pseudoscience. They do definitely talk about a lot of things that can definitely be beneficial to your health. They take that stuff so far though it ends up more like a an hour and a half of fearmongering and non science than a help.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    edited March 2016
    I am eating gluten free which helps. I don't particularly like bread, don't miss it. I eat salads with chicken, tuna, or hard boiled eggs, or eat some other sort of meat with a large side of vegetables. I drink milk, and occasionally have a one serving side of rice, or quinoa. Not that hard to stick with. Even though my carbs are set at 40%, I always come in under, at around 35.

    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
    tamicoil1 wrote: »
    I am eating gluten free which helps. I don't particularly like bread, don't miss it. I eat salads with chicken, tuna, or hard boiled eggs, or eat some other sort of meat with a large side of vegetables. I drink milk, and occasionally have a one serving side of rice, or quinoa. Not that hard to stick with.

    Yeah that makes sense. Trying again to lower below the 40%-45% mark since a lot of that is still refined sugars and treats. I think it will be a gradual process though. I like the idea of adding in more chicken and tuna into my diet.

  • Gene81972
    Gene81972 Posts: 30 Member
    Gene81972 wrote: »
    Checkout the documentaries "Hungry for Change" and "Food Matters" both very enlightening.

    Watched both. Very enlightening. Both also very filled with pseudoscience. They do definitely talk about a lot of things that can definitely be beneficial to your health. They take that stuff so far though it ends up more like a an hour and a half of fearmongering and non science than a help.

    Take what you like from it and leave the rest. Good luck!
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Gene81972 wrote: »
    Checkout the documentaries "Hungry for Change" and "Food Matters" both very enlightening.

    No, both are one sided propaganda that is all psuedoscience.
    tamicoil1 wrote: »
    I am eating gluten free which helps. I don't particularly like bread, don't miss it. I eat salads with chicken, tuna, or hard boiled eggs, or eat some other sort of meat with a large side of vegetables. I drink milk, and occasionally have a one serving side of rice, or quinoa. Not that hard to stick with.

    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

    There are gluten free breads and such. Also, unless you have a medical condition that requires it, it is not needed to eat gluten free.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Gene81972 wrote: »
    Checkout the documentaries "Hungry for Change" and "Food Matters" both very enlightening.

    No, both are one sided propaganda that is all psuedoscience.
    tamicoil1 wrote: »
    I am eating gluten free which helps. I don't particularly like bread, don't miss it. I eat salads with chicken, tuna, or hard boiled eggs, or eat some other sort of meat with a large side of vegetables. I drink milk, and occasionally have a one serving side of rice, or quinoa. Not that hard to stick with.

    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

    There are gluten free breads and such. Also, unless you have a medical condition that requires it, it is not needed to eat gluten free.


    No kidding. I do have reasons for going gluten free - terrible eczema that has cleared up entirely, and stomach issues that have also cleared up. I have a wheat allergy according to the allergist I went to and it manifests itself as eczema and horrible diarrhea for me. Again, I don't like bread anyway, and the gluten free breads all taste and have the texture of sawdust anyway. It works for me.
  • Gene81972
    Gene81972 Posts: 30 Member
    Hahaha, very matter of fact.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Carbs are about 5%.

    My diet focuses on meats, eggs, full fat dairy, coconut, nuts, avocado and veggies.
  • Gene81972
    Gene81972 Posts: 30 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Carbs are about 5%.

    My diet focuses on meats, eggs, full fat dairy, coconut, nuts, avocado and veggies.

    I'm going with the same approach. To each their own I say. There are many different approaches that work. Some folks have to feel that their way is the only way. Frailty.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    edited March 2016
    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

    My carbs are set at about 20% of a relatively low calorie goal. It's not that hard. If I eat breakfast (I don't always) it's a slice of high-ish fiber and protein toast with something protein-y (spread with peanut butter or sandwich with egg whites, ham, and cheese, something like that), always a big salad with healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc) and lean protein for lunch, a serving of fruit with my afternoon snack which is otherwise protein/fats, and dinner widely varies but I just avoid the majorly starchy parts of whatever meal my family has and eat the rest - for example, if we have tacos I avoid the tortillas and have all the fillings over lettuce in a salad. If we have pasta I skip the noodles and spiralize and/or saute something. I skip the side of rice or couscous or potatoes (or have just a couple bites) and stick to the roasted chicken and vegetables. Stuff like that, you get the idea. Still plenty of carbs where I don't feel like I have to worry about how much broccoli I'm eating or the tablespoon of barbecue sauce on my pork chop or the beans in my chili, but it keeps me from grabbing handfuls of pretzels and stuff throughout the day which is always my downfall. On very special occasions I gleefully dismiss my macro goals (while still paying attention to my calories), I'm just very conscious of making sure it's worth it.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited March 2016
    60% carbs.
    Lots of beans, lentils, barley, oatmeal with blueberries, veggies, sweet potatoes, beans, quinoa, even brown rice.
    I am easily losing. Easy for LIFE.
    Avoid bad/junk carbs. Carbage.
  • dmack073082
    dmack073082 Posts: 21 Member
    It depends on what types of carbs you're eating.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

    I eat between 50 and 80 g per day, so, somewhere around 20%(? Maybe, I don't track calories). I eat beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, fibrous veggies (leafy greens, crucifirous veggies, green beans, etc), butter, cream, berries, dark chocolate, seeds and nuts, bacon and sausage in moderation (try not to eat too much processed meat), full fat Greek yogurt, occasional small amounts of starchy veggies, moderate amounts of savory fruit (avocados, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, etc).... Need I go on? I really just avoid grains, high sugar fruit, added sugars and heavily processed oils (and foods that contain them). I do eat cheese, but I don't put cheese on all the things... Many of them, lol, but not all. :)

  • dmack073082
    dmack073082 Posts: 21 Member
    That soud
    Hi all

    For all of you that are trying to lose fat, how much of your diet is made up of carbs? I currently have carbs set to 30% of my diet.

    Is this working against me??

    That sounds
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

    I eat between 50 and 80 g per day, so, somewhere around 20%(? Maybe, I don't track calories). I eat beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, fibrous veggies (leafy greens, crucifirous veggies, green beans, etc), butter, cream, berries, dark chocolate, seeds and nuts, bacon and sausage in moderation (try not to eat too much processed meat), full fat Greek yogurt, occasional small amounts of starchy veggies, moderate amounts of savory fruit (avocados, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, etc).... Need I go on? I really just avoid grains, high sugar fruit, added sugars and heavily processed oils (and foods that contain them). I do eat cheese, but I don't put cheese on all the things... Many of them, lol, but not all. :)

    That sounds good. As long as you are reaching your goals, you should be good to go. If you are not reaching your goals then something will need to change.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'm at 20-25 % carbs. Keeping them within this range helps me stay in a deficit much easier, as in mucho reduced cravings and not constantly watching the clock counting down the minutes til my next meal.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    That soud
    Hi all

    For all of you that are trying to lose fat, how much of your diet is made up of carbs? I currently have carbs set to 30% of my diet.

    Is this working against me??

    That sounds
    tlflag1620 wrote: »
    To those of you under the 40% mark, what do you eat? I'm not trying to troll here, I am dealing with some health stuff that could possibly benefit from reducing my carbs, but struggle to stay alert and not psycho below 40%. Probably also doesn't help thought that I'm lactose intolerant so melted cheese on all the things is just not an option for me.

    I eat between 50 and 80 g per day, so, somewhere around 20%(? Maybe, I don't track calories). I eat beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, fibrous veggies (leafy greens, crucifirous veggies, green beans, etc), butter, cream, berries, dark chocolate, seeds and nuts, bacon and sausage in moderation (try not to eat too much processed meat), full fat Greek yogurt, occasional small amounts of starchy veggies, moderate amounts of savory fruit (avocados, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, etc).... Need I go on? I really just avoid grains, high sugar fruit, added sugars and heavily processed oils (and foods that contain them). I do eat cheese, but I don't put cheese on all the things... Many of them, lol, but not all. :)

    That sounds good. As long as you are reaching your goals, you should be good to go. If you are not reaching your goals then something will need to change.

    So far I feel like I'm doing pretty well. I certainly enjoy the food I eat, and feel satiated, no cravings, and so it's easy to stick with. I'm a 35 year old female, 5'7", starting weight 195 (what I weighed at my last prenatal appt with child #4). I've lost 45 lbs so far, putting me at 150 lbs. The majority of my prepregnancy clothes fit (there are a couple pairs of jeans that are still a bit too snug for my liking). I'm within the healthy weight range for my height, but I would ideally like to get down to between 140-145 lbs. I expect that process will be slow (it already has slowed a lot - I've only lost two lbs in the last six weeks, but I am still losing), but that's to be expected when one is close to goal, and I am still breastfeeding my seven month old, so until my hormones get back to normal, it may be more difficult to shift that last bit of weight. I'm ok with that tho. I've logged in the past, but mostly to track carb intake. I don't like logging, and can't see myself doing it for the next 40+ years; I tend to agree with the sentiment that if you can't see yourself doing something long term, it's probably not going to be a successful weight loss strategy. That's why I don't track. I know I won't keep up with it, so I don't want to be relying on it now, iykwim. But, yes, if, after my daughter weans, I find that I'm having a hard time getting where I want to be, I may have to employ other strategies. Including the dreaded calorie counting ;)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    When I was losing weight (I am now maintaining), carbohydrates were about 60% of my diet.