Carbs...are still carbs?

I've started eating a ton of vegetables over the last week. I found a farmers market and got a lot of celery, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, and apples.

Instead of chips and a sandwich, I have a sandwich with carrots and cucumbers.

I was under the impression that eating low calorie fresh foods would surely be a path to weight loss but the nutritionist disagrees saying veggies are still carbs and you can't lose weight eating carbs.

This sort of made my head spin... Any input to this?
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Replies

  • AFewLionCubs
    AFewLionCubs Posts: 22 Member
    Well, more so not to eat too many veggies. She says I should be eating or drinking protein and having very few carbs.

    I added a banana to my protein shake, for flavor and because I was getting leg cramps, she told me it was wasted calories and not a significant source or potassium... and too much sugar.

  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,162 Member
    Veggies have carbs, but you can lose weight eating carbs if you are in a calorie deficit. And veggies are really good for you. I agree with @Sabine_Stroehm. What kind of nutritionist tells you not to eat vegetables? Unless you have a medical reason to limit carbs then you don't need to worry about them.
  • Sugarbeat
    Sugarbeat Posts: 824 Member
    It sounds like you have a nutritionist who is ill informed about low-carb diet plans. Veggies are a good way to fill up without adding a ton of calories. I agree with the above, fire the nutritionist.
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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2016
    I've started eating a ton of vegetables over the last week. I found a farmers market and got a lot of celery, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, and apples.

    Instead of chips and a sandwich, I have a sandwich with carrots and cucumbers.

    I was under the impression that eating low calorie fresh foods would surely be a path to weight loss but the nutritionist disagrees saying veggies are still carbs and you can't lose weight eating carbs.

    This sort of made my head spin... Any input to this?

    Who is "the nutritionist"?

    Claiming you can't lose eating carbs, let alone advising against vegetables, makes me think you need a better nutritionist or to save the money, but maybe we need context.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Yeah, I would probably stop listening to her.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    Just out of curiosity, what was the nutritionist's suggestion for a side with your sandwich? Packing peanuts, or are those too much starch? Because a side of carrots/cucumber with a sandwich sounds like a pretty balanced and healthy meal. Also, was there bread included with that sandwich? Did the nutritionist balk at that?

    I agree with the above posters, dump the nutritionist and if you still need help with planning/food education, see a registered dietitian.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited August 2016
    Protein is great. Veggies are great. Bananas are great. I'm not fond of twinkies, but everyone else seems to think they're great and they can't all be wrong. It's about striking a balance. Twinkies and bananas and veggies and protein can live in harmony.

    Does this nutritionist think that humans are obligate carnivores or something? Is she a crazy cat lady, perhaps?
  • amymurray12282
    amymurray12282 Posts: 154 Member
    Yes, they're carbs, but from my understanding, they're not "simple" carbs (which is where it seems a lot of society's "carb issues" come in). I can understand not eating JUST vegetables, as you still need protein and fat, but I don't think she really grasps the concept of Calories In/Calories Out. You absolutely CAN lose weight while eating vegetables as long as you still put out more calories than you take in (which is really easy to do with veggies!).
  • jackfox68
    jackfox68 Posts: 27 Member
    Not everyone can loose weight while eating carbs, I can attest to that. I was eating roughly a 500 calorie deficit and did not loose any weight, actually went up a few pounds. Everyone's body does not process carbs the same way. The best method to figure out your tolerance is to cut your carb intake to no more than 20 grams per day until you start loosing weight. Then slowly increase your carb intake until you slow/stop loosing weight. Make adjustments from there. Your primary source of carbs should be from green leafy vegetable, nothing more. You fruit intake should also be limited to berries. Check out dietdoctor.com. Great site with lots of great low carb high fat nutritional advice, or simply google LCHF. The most important thing to remember is we all process food in different ways. Why do you think that super skinny gamer friend never gains weight, because the way he body processes the food is different from myself.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    Is this nutritionist also trying to sell you the protein she claims you should be drinking?
  • jackfox68
    jackfox68 Posts: 27 Member
    Is this nutritionist also trying to sell you the protein she claims you should be drinking?

    LOL... good point. No one should be DRINKING protein! You can get all you need from your diet.
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  • jackfox68
    jackfox68 Posts: 27 Member
    Create energy out of nothing? Not following.
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  • jackfox68
    jackfox68 Posts: 27 Member
    edited August 2016
    Eating a high carb low fat diet. My body processes the fuel I eat differently. I am insulin resistant. The best results I have had so far is LCHF. It is not as simple as energy in energy out. There is a lot of great emerging research that supports this.
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  • jackfox68
    jackfox68 Posts: 27 Member
    Could you be more condescending?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    jackfox68 wrote: »
    Eating a high carb low fat diet. My body processes the fuel I eat differently.

    This doesn't explain how you could be burning more than you consumed and yet gaining weight.
    I am insulin sensitive.

    Healthy people are insulin sensitive. The condition that some have that leads to T2D if not checked is insulin resistance. IR actually makes it harder to gain fat -- the cells are resistant to the insulin telling them to do so -- but the body compensates, so long as it can, by increasing the production of insulin. For some this seems to increase appetite. It doesn't provide any means to put on fat when burning more than consumed, but instead explains why many IR people struggle with reducing their calories unless they reduce carbs or combine them with protein and fat.
    The best results I have had so far is LCHF. It is not as simple as energy in energy out. There is a lot of great emerging research that supports this.

    Nothing credible that I have seen.

    If you mean to make people able to keep a deficit, especially if they have already become IR, sure.
  • jackfox68
    jackfox68 Posts: 27 Member
    I meant to say insulin resistant, not sensitive.
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  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    jackfox68 wrote: »
    Create energy out of nothing? Not following.
    You said that you created a 500 calories deficit and went up a few pounds. How did that energy get created if you were at a deficit of energy.

    It is pretty simple - the fat cells in, having been insulin resistant, are inflamed and increase their metabolic activity. This makes them store even more of the body's incoming energy.

    wrong again
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  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    but the nutritionist disagrees saying veggies are still carbs and you can't lose weight eating carbs.

    I would never ever take nutritional advice from this person. Seriously! And if you were referred to them by a medical entity I'd file a complaint.