Are all carbs the same?

gottagetitoff11 wrote: »

Are all carbs the same might sound dumb but im just starting and was wondering. Example 30 carbs from bread will it be the same as 30 carbs from rice or potatoes or oatmeal. I read/heard you should give up bread and pasta to lise weight but i thought all the carbs would be ghe same.

Thanks

Ok, a gram of carbs is 4 calories, so 30g from bread or rice/potato/oatmeal would all yield 120 calories. Ultimately, it is calories that matter for weight loss, because you need a calorie deficit to lose weight. MFP calculates your calorie goal with the deficit included, so you would aim to eat that.

Now, as far as sources from carbs go, that's a little different. As mentioned above, different foods contain carbs, and those foods may have more or less nutrition to them. But the reason you probably hear "give up breads and pasta" is because those are foods that are very easy to overeat, so by cutting them out, you would lose weight from the removal of those calories. However, there is also the matter of listening to your own body - if there is a food where you have one or two bites, and then just go overboard, maybe limiting that food is a good strategy.

TeaBea wrote: »

Unless you have medical issues there is no reason to limit carb intake. Carbs provide energy. There is no need to give up bread & pasta to lose weight.

That depends. A lot of people find that a low carb diet reduces hunger and makes it easier to control calories.

As far as the OP question, if talking strictly about carbohydrates in the chemical sense, then all carbs (except fiber, which is not digested) contain roughly 4 calories per gram and become glucose in the blood stream. For complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, the process takes longer than it does for simple carbs like table sugar or what you find in white flour pasta. This time difference is not huge, (I've been told) maybe 20 minutes or so. For someone who is diabetic or otherwise experiencing insulin resistance, that time difference is meaningless. If you don't process carbs in a timely manner your blood sugar peak will be about the same and take roughly the same amount of time to come back down. For those with normal insulin response, it is debatable as to whether glucose/insulin spikes and drops are significantly detrimental versus a flatter progression. It does definitely make a difference in energy levels, though.

With regard to carb containing foods, as was pointed out, complex carb foods such as oatmeal tend to have more micro-nutrient value than simple carb foods like white bread. This can be important for a calorie reduced diet because nutrient deficiency can potentially result in cravings and over-eating, as one continues seeking out the wrong foods until they eventually meet their micro-nutrient needs, but have meanwhile consumed an excess of calories.

Cutaway_Collar wrote: »

All calories are not the same. 100 calories of chocolate are not the same as 100 calories of lentils. That is the prime reason the whole calorie counting thing can be a farce when you don't pay attention to the detail.

You can eat 1600 bad calories and not see any progress. On the other hand, you may eat 2000 good calories and see very good progress.

The biggest culprit is how quickly your insulin levels spike based on your meal. A high simple carb diet like white bread or potatoes are rapidly digestible and increase body insulin. The slower the digestibility the better. Complex carbs take longer to process and the results are much better in terms of insulin levels.

Google the relationship between carbs, the enzyme lipase and triglycerides in fat cells. And you will make wise decisions in calorie counting.

100 calories is 100 calories, no matter what the source is. Nutrition wise, of course they are different, but when it comes to weight loss they are exactly the same.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

What's interesting there is if you look at satiety studies, higher carbs overwhelmingly provide greater satiety for most people in the studies. For sure there are people for whom low carb provides greater satiety, but actual studies indicate that the majority don't. I've also found that many people complaining of lack of satiety from carbs were eating a lot, if not primarily, "junk" carbs.

All I know is plenty of people swear by keto and Atkins type diets. I don't go that extreme myself, but I generally have no problems staying within my calorie target if I keep my carbs to less than 20% of total calories. Of course I also am doing this for blood sugar control, as I do have diabetes. If I go too far over my carb numbers, I end up craving more carb laden foods.
Even for initial satiety though, a breakfast of eggs and sausage fills me a lot better than a calorie equivalent bowl of oatmeal would.

They are all pretty well the same from a calorie point of view. They have varying amounts of fiber. Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber. Though I try and balance my meals to include protein, carbs and fat, I have never denied myself from bread and pasta.

For a real eye opener, weigh out a single serving of rice or pasta. That's it.

I figure it pays to get my carbs from a variety of sources. Each has their benefits and the varying textures are pleasing. Changing up the carbs also helps mix and match your meals for variety.

Chicken with Greek salad.
Butter chicken with brown Basmati rice
Chicken stew with Quinoa
Alfredo sauce (light) with chicken and pasta
Chicken and white bean chili
Parmesan chicken
Roasted chicken with sliced and breaded eggplant
Hot chicken open faced sandwich
McDonalds Chicken wrap
Perogies with chicken
Chicken with stir fry veggies

Then switch it up with beef, or tofu.

Virtually an endless variety of dishes available.

White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.

xvolution wrote: »

The main difference between all carbs is how quickly they affect your blood sugar. There's an index for this called the glycemic index, and the higher the number, the faster and harder a carb-rich food raises your blood sugar levels [and how quickly your body burns through that food. Pure sugar has a really high GI so it raises blood sugar quickly, but is used up quickly, thus the term "sugar crash"].

It's why most recommend eating foods like wheat bread, oatmeal, corn, sweet potatoes, most fruit [they have GIs below 55] over more processed foods like cereal, white bread, white rice, russet potatoes and melons [they have GIs above 70].

Also keep in mind that the GI index is solely based on eating foods in isolation. The moment you eat them with other foods, it kind of goes out the window. Fat, proteins and fiber all slows the processing of carbs.


But even more so, there isn't really a reason to be concerns about spikes in BG or insulin if there isn't a medical issue to be concerned or a personal preference.


OP, cutting breads and pasta (if they are a big part of your diet) may be a way to create a deficit. But I eat bread every day and have lost 50 lbs and fairly fit.