Are carbs really important?

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lausa22
lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've come to notice since joining this site that a lot people restrict carbs a lot.
In my house (I live with my parents) we have tons of stuff that it 'high in carbs' ; bread, pasta, potatoes, spaghetti, ect. And it's extremely hard for me to go about my day without having one of those.

My diary is open, if anyone cares to look. (I suggest looking at past days, since I've only had breakfast today)
I ask, is my carb intake way too high? Is it really important for me to track my carbs? Otherwise, I'd hardly be making my limit trying to find foods that are low-carb, because my parents do all the shopping.
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Replies

  • notoriousgtt
    notoriousgtt Posts: 75 Member
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    Carbs are essential.

    They are the fuel that your body uses to function, especially things like pasta, potatoes, spaghetti etc, these are all idea sources of carbs.

    Looking back at your diary I see nothing wrong with your carb intake. Some people will swear by a low carb diet but I could never do it, I need the fuel from them.
  • glampixxie
    glampixxie Posts: 85 Member
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    Every food group is important. The types of carbs you eat matter though. Whole grains, for example, are much better for you than bleached white flour-y foods. Try wheat pasta! I find it has more flavor anyway. :)
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    Thanks :) I was just unsure, because I seen so many people swear by low-carbs. And I'm just about to have my lunch and I wanted to make sure that my regular carb intake was okay and that it wouldn't stop me losing weight in the future if I carried on eating the same amount of carbs.
  • Chuckw40
    Chuckw40 Posts: 201
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    Carbs are essential.

    They are the fuel that your body uses to function, especially things like pasta, potatoes, spaghetti etc, these are all idea sources of carbs.

    Looking back at your diary I see nothing wrong with your carb intake. Some people will swear by a low carb diet but I could never do it, I need the fuel from them.

    I would have to say that pasta is far from an ideal source of carbs. Try some nice healthy fruits and vegatables.
  • wanttogetskinny
    wanttogetskinny Posts: 194
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    I think that a lot of low/moderate carb people are those battling Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, or insulin resistance as an effect of PCOS, from what I've seen. So they have a medical reason for their choice - they just mistakenly think that because it's working FOR THEM, that it is necessarily something that will work for everyone.
  • Chuckw40
    Chuckw40 Posts: 201
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    I think that a lot of low/moderate carb people are those battling Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, or insulin resistance as an effect of PCOS, from what I've seen. So they have a medical reason for their choice - they just mistakenly think that because it's working FOR THEM, that it is necessarily something that will work for everyone.

    Do you believe that ingesting large quatities of carbs may contribute to your chances of becomming one of these people?
  • candistyx
    candistyx Posts: 547 Member
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    All I know is that I can eat carbs for hours and never feel satisfied.
    But if I have a meal of meat and veg I feel fine and not obsessed with food until the next meal.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    I think that a lot of low/moderate carb people are those battling Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, or insulin resistance as an effect of PCOS, from what I've seen. So they have a medical reason for their choice - they just mistakenly think that because it's working FOR THEM, that it is necessarily something that will work for everyone.

    Do you believe that ingesting large quatities of carbs may contribute to your chances of becomming one of these people?
    PCOS and type 1 diabetes aren't conditions that can be caused by diet.
    Also, losing weight helps decrease chance of developing type 2 diabetes and insulin resistances. And losing weight is what I am doing.
    I was meerly asking if my carb intake was going to affect my losing weight, not developing diabetes.
  • Chuckw40
    Chuckw40 Posts: 201
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    All I know is that I can eat carbs for hours and never feel satisfied.
    But if I have a meal of meat and veg I feel fine and not obsessed with food until the next meal.


    This! I could eat a whole bag of potato chips and still crave some Reese's peanut butter cups.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
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    Carbs are essential.

    There is no actual physiological requirement for dietary carbohydrates. From the standpoint of survival, the minimum amount of carbohydrates that are required in a diet is zero grams per day. The body can make what little it needs from other sources.
  • lauraneedstodiet
    lauraneedstodiet Posts: 1
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    carbs are important but having said that you can get 'good' carbs from brown rice, carrots, parsnips etc. It is best to not have them after 4pm ish as your body slows down it finds it much harder to break down the carbs and can store them as fat. it's best to eat carbs with your breakfast and lunch. BUT I do understand, I love carbs too, and I am finding it extremely difficult to try and not eat any in an evening. I have lost just over a stone and am now 8stone 9lb, I am 5ft 3in and am happy with my progress, just wanting to tone up now. I believe knowing when to eat certain foods is the key. Fish or chicken with green veg is the best evening meal. x
  • notoriousgtt
    notoriousgtt Posts: 75 Member
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    Carbs are essential.

    There is no actual physiological requirement for dietary carbohydrates. From the standpoint of survival, the minimum amount of carbohydrates that are required in a diet is zero grams per day. The body can make what little it needs from other sources.

    While that may be technically true from a survival standpoint we are not talking from a survival standpoint. The OP was asking if carbs are "really important" simple answer is yes, they are really important.
    OP followed up by asking if her diary showed her to have excessive carb intake, simple answer no.

    If you want to advise her to eat zero grams per day go ahead, but it wont be much fun from her point of view.
  • notoriousgtt
    notoriousgtt Posts: 75 Member
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    carbs are important but having said that you can get 'good' carbs from brown rice, carrots, parsnips etc. It is best to not have them after 4pm ish as your body slows down it finds it much harder to break down the carbs and can store them as fat. it's best to eat carbs with your breakfast and lunch. BUT I do understand, I love carbs too, and I am finding it extremely difficult to try and not eat any in an evening. I have lost just over a stone and am now 8stone 9lb, I am 5ft 3in and am happy with my progress, just wanting to tone up now. I believe knowing when to eat certain foods is the key. Fish or chicken with green veg is the best evening meal. x

    I don't think you can give a time for when you should or shouldn't eat food. Everyones body and routine is different. Your body also doesn't "slow down", if I was to go to the gym at 1900 I could easily argue that my body would speed up.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
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    Carbs are essential.

    There is no actual physiological requirement for dietary carbohydrates. From the standpoint of survival, the minimum amount of carbohydrates that are required in a diet is zero grams per day. The body can make what little it needs from other sources.

    While that may be technically true from a survival standpoint we are not talking from a survival standpoint. The OP was asking if carbs are "really important" simple answer is yes, they are really important.
    OP followed up by asking if her diary showed her to have excessive carb intake, simple answer no.

    If you want to advise her to eat zero grams per day go ahead, but it wont be much fun from her point of view.

    I wasn't advising her to eat "zero carbs." Was just pointing out that your "carbs are essential" comment was incorrect.
  • katschi
    katschi Posts: 689 Member
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    Nevermind.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    Eh. notoriousgtt told me what I needed to know and didn't start a 'I'm right, listen to me' arguement. So thank you!
    As he said, I wanted to know if my carb intake was too high, he told me.
    Some of you just scrutnized me, some help there /sarcasm.
    Also, all you people telling me to eat fish and meat, I'm vegetarian, sorry I didn't point that out.
  • mynameisnutz
    mynameisnutz Posts: 123
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    While that may be technically true from a survival standpoint we are not talking from a survival standpoint. The OP was asking if carbs are "really important" simple answer is yes, they are really important.
    OP followed up by asking if her diary showed her to have excessive carb intake, simple answer no.

    If you want to advise her to eat zero grams per day go ahead, but it wont be much fun from her point of view.

    Carbs are not essential, nor are they "really important." From a pure weight loss perspective, the most important thing is calories consumed, not macronutrient ratio.

    Having said that, carbs are extremely fun to eat, and for that reason alone I would not recommend cutting them out of your diet. (Assuming there is no metabolic disorder involved.)
  • Chuckw40
    Chuckw40 Posts: 201
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    Eh. notoriousgtt told me what I needed to know and didn't start a 'I'm right, listen to me' arguement. So thank you!
    As he said, I wanted to know if my carb intake was too high, he told me.
    Some of you just scrutnized me, some help there /sarcasm.
    Also, all you people telling me to eat fish and meat, I'm vegetarian, sorry I didn't point that out.

    More like he told you what you wanted to hear.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
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    Eh. notoriousgtt told me what I needed to know and didn't start a 'I'm right, listen to me' arguement.
    .

    Well then your title was misleading then because they are not important. As mentioned, "fun to eat", yes...but not important.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    I meant 'important' as in 'if I eat too much of them, are they going to kill me' that's also why I asked to take a look at my diary to see if I was eating too many.
    I'm just a bit confused because so many people are going 'don't eat over a certain amount' and 'carbs are bad!' so I wanted to see if my habit was bad, because as far as I could tell I was fine.

    ALSO.
    Read what I posted;
    'I ask, is my carb intake way too high? Is it really important for me to track my carbs?'

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