Calories

clairele84
clairele84 Posts: 29 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I have just started a good diary with Fitbit and mfp. I am having way to many carbs. Today for example, I had cheerios for breakfast, some soup with a bit of bagette and I'm having beef meatballs with pasta tonight.

Can anyone recommend anything to help me get my carbs down? Any alternatives?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Do you have a medical reason to watch your carb intake?

    I would eliminate the baguette with the soup. I still eat Cheerios (did today, even) and I switched to whole wheat pasta, though not everyone prefers that.
  • Jayco141
    Jayco141 Posts: 221 Member
    Welllllll.....
    Cheerios - low calorie but loaded with carbs, Try a good Greek Yogurt for breakfast. I like Siggis due to low sugar/high protein content.

    Pasta, obviously full of carbs, I use spaghetti squash and make a Pho Pasta, plenty of recipes with that.

    Carbs aren't the enemy, we all need them. Just watch the added sugar intake and keep as low as possible.
  • Jayco141
    Jayco141 Posts: 221 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Do you have a medical reason to watch your carb intake?

    I would eliminate the baguette with the soup. I still eat Cheerios (did today, even) and I switched to whole wheat pasta, though not everyone prefers that.

    I love me some cheerios also, had them today as well.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    I'm going to take a step back and make a couple of assumptions, so take this for what it's worth.

    Speaking very generally...
    Most starches (breads, pastas, grains) are going to be primarily carbs.
    So will most fruits and vegetables.

    Animal products (dairy, beef, chicken, fish) will be primarily protein, and in some cases fat.

    Nuts, beans, seeds, and similar will often be all 3 - carbs, fat, and protein.


    Mix and match foods from each of those categories to balance out your nutrition. I find that pre-logging my foods is a good way to figure out what combination of foods add up to the right balance of fats, carbs and protein.
  • TrekkieJenee
    TrekkieJenee Posts: 24 Member
    edited May 2017
    Not all carbs are bad. Cheerios are high in fiber, so no need to cut that out - unless it's one of the sugared varieties. Half a whole wheat baguette isn't bad either. And, as Jayco141 mentioned, if you like pasta, try wheat pasta. Look for added sugars on packaging. Single digits isn't bad, but definitely cut out anything in double digits.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,014 Member
    clairele84 wrote: »
    I have just started a good diary with Fitbit and mfp. I am having way to many carbs. Today for example, I had cheerios for breakfast, some soup with a bit of bagette and I'm having beef meatballs with pasta tonight.

    Can anyone recommend anything to help me get my carbs down? Any alternatives?

    Questions...

    Are you getting enough protein, fat and fiber?

    Are you going over your total calories?
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I just try to limit (not eat excessive amount) the carbs that I think are calorie dense. Breads, pasta and potatoes are in this group that I try to limit. The fruit and veggies I don't limit at all.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    Whole wheat pasta has the same carb load as white wheat pasta.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2017
    clairele84 wrote: »
    I have just started a good diary with Fitbit and mfp. I am having way to many carbs. Today for example, I had cheerios for breakfast, some soup with a bit of bagette and I'm having beef meatballs with pasta tonight.

    Can anyone recommend anything to help me get my carbs down? Any alternatives?

    Did you just start? It's a learning process, so don't worry about being perfect immediately (or ever, but that's a different conversation!). Look at what is contributing carbs, fats, and protein in your diary, increase servings of the things contributing what you are low on, and decrease servings of the things you are high on (in this case, carbs).

    Biggest issue isn't carbs in and of themselves, but displacing other things you need for a balanced diet. For example, cereal can be a pretty low protein breakfast, so having a bit less cereal and something with protein can be good (but if you really love the cereal you can find a way to make it work). Does the baguette keep you from being hungry? If not, you might want to substitute something else, at least on days you are having cereal for breakfast and a higher carb dinner, stuff like that.

    On the whole if you aren't hungry and are finding it easy to meet calories, I don't think it hurts to have more carbs, but you need to make sure you get in enough protein, healthy fats, and vegetables (and overall fiber).
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited May 2017
    What I found helped was to build each meal around my protein source - eggs, greek yogurt, meat - and use my carb source as an addition/side.
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