Noob question about low carb/keto
EllaLeahB
Posts: 310 Member
Hi all..I was curious about the carbohydrates factor. I understand that a majority of them are supposed to come from vegetables, and some fruits, but are we not allowed to eat yams, potatoes or one piece of bread?(gluten free for me)... I haven't and I've been fine. My question is, does it matter what carbs you eat as long as you stay under a certain gram of carbohydrates? I was just curious, sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm a little confused. Also with the carb vs. Net carbs on here. I don't think MFP calculates that. Also if anyone is aware of BCAA's are they ok to sip throughout the day to help with electrolytes? As far as I know I am following the keto diet, but I'm unsure if I'm in ketosis I have not had a chance to pick up the sticks yet. Hopefully I can do that today. Thanks in advance.
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It's all very individual. A lot of people react poorly to grains, nightshades, or even veggies. Others have a higher tolerance for those things. As far as ketosis is concerned if you are under a certain carb level you will be in ketosis and it doesn't matter where you eat the carbs from. Again some people can eat 50 or more and be in ketosis and others need to stay under 20.
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Carbs and Fiber can be tracked on MFP. Just subtract the fiber from the carbs and you'll have your net carbs. It is true that this is really very individual. Some folks have to be careful with certain carbs. I can enjoy a square of dark chocolate but that is something I have to be careful with or I could eat the whole bar, whereas I have no such temptation with broccoli.1
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The "where" is not necessarily important, however, getting proper nutrition from food as much as possible would make choices like bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. a less desirable option as they really have very little nutritional value.
If you haven't yet, I would highly recommend you look through the information in the launch pad on the main page of this group. There is a wealth of knowledge in there that will help you get started without many of the common mistakes that can cause problems.
Also, to be sure to be in ketosis, generally you need to stay under 20 g of carbs per day. There are obviously some who can go higher. They tend to be metabolically healthy and more active than average. That said, 1 slice of bread has 15 g of carbs. So if you are going to eat that one slice, you have pretty much used your entire allotment. A serving of potato that is under 20 g of carbs would be tiny since that is all a potato is.
One does not need to be in a constant state of ketosis to lose weight or to be healthy. One does need to dramatically lower the levels of carbs from what the SAD recommends, though. Avoiding added sugar would be highly recommended, as well.
Those who seem to have the most success tend to focus on eating real food meaning food that does not come in a bag or a box but from nature. As Dr Westman has said, there is no such thing as a pasta tree.
Welcome and good luck.5 -
cstehansen wrote: »The "where" is not necessarily important, however, getting proper nutrition from food as much as possible would make choices like bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. a less desirable option as they really have very little nutritional value.
If you haven't yet, I would highly recommend you look through the information in the launch pad on the main page of this group. There is a wealth of knowledge in there that will help you get started without many of the common mistakes that can cause problems.
Also, to be sure to be in ketosis, generally you need to stay under 20 g of carbs per day. There are obviously some who can go higher. They tend to be metabolically healthy and more active than average. That said, 1 slice of bread has 15 g of carbs. So if you are going to eat that one slice, you have pretty much used your entire allotment. A serving of potato that is under 20 g of carbs would be tiny since that is all a potato is.
One does not need to be in a constant state of ketosis to lose weight or to be healthy. One does need to dramatically lower the levels of carbs from what the SAD recommends, though. Avoiding added sugar would be highly recommended, as well.
Those who seem to have the most success tend to focus on eating real food meaning food that does not come in a bag or a box but from nature. As Dr Westman has said, there is no such thing as a pasta tree.
Welcome and good luck.
Are you quite sure about that....?!
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AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »cstehansen wrote: »The "where" is not necessarily important, however, getting proper nutrition from food as much as possible would make choices like bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. a less desirable option as they really have very little nutritional value.
If you haven't yet, I would highly recommend you look through the information in the launch pad on the main page of this group. There is a wealth of knowledge in there that will help you get started without many of the common mistakes that can cause problems.
Also, to be sure to be in ketosis, generally you need to stay under 20 g of carbs per day. There are obviously some who can go higher. They tend to be metabolically healthy and more active than average. That said, 1 slice of bread has 15 g of carbs. So if you are going to eat that one slice, you have pretty much used your entire allotment. A serving of potato that is under 20 g of carbs would be tiny since that is all a potato is.
One does not need to be in a constant state of ketosis to lose weight or to be healthy. One does need to dramatically lower the levels of carbs from what the SAD recommends, though. Avoiding added sugar would be highly recommended, as well.
Those who seem to have the most success tend to focus on eating real food meaning food that does not come in a bag or a box but from nature. As Dr Westman has said, there is no such thing as a pasta tree.
Welcome and good luck.
Are you quite sure about that....?!
I thought I was sure until @EggToni posted that pic.0 -
While I'll agree potatoes are not the best choice (less desireable as mentioned above) for keeping under a very low carb amount, a 5.3 ounce serving of potato (24 net carbs) has 620 mg of potassium as well as 45% of the RDA for vitamin C plus Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Phosphorous and Magnesium. It even has 3 grams of protein so it is not just carbohydrates. Close but not only.
Eat what you like. Keep it nutritious. I tend to eat vegetables grown above ground but would never refuse a host's homemade vegetable soup or spit out the potatoes in it. I might pass on the cookies or fudge. I'm not diabetic, don't have insulin resistance, or PCOS or any of the other conditions that might cause me to have to severely toil over a tater or a couple of peas. I had a half of a very large ear of fresh corn the other evening. It was delicious.
I've never used BCAAs or ketostix. Someone will shed light on those for you.3 -
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While I'll agree potatoes are not the best choice (less desireable as mentioned above) for keeping under a very low carb amount, a 5.3 ounce serving of potato (24 net carbs) has 620 mg of potassium as well as 45% of the RDA for vitamin C plus Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Phosphorous and Magnesium. It even has 3 grams of protein so it is not just carbohydrates. Close but not only.
Eat what you like. Keep it nutritious. I tend to eat vegetables grown above ground but would never refuse a host's homemade vegetable soup or spit out the potatoes in it. I might pass on the cookies or fudge. I'm not diabetic, don't have insulin resistance, or PCOS or any of the other conditions that might cause me to have to severely toil over a tater or a couple of peas. I had a half of a very large ear of fresh corn the other evening. It was delicious.
I've never used BCAAs or ketostix. Someone will shed light on those for you.
If I am not mistaken, in order to get those nutrients, you have to eat the skin. Back when I ate potatoes, I always ate the skin. However, when I am in a restaurant and look around, I see many, if not most, only eat the inside of the potato and leave the skin on their plates.0 -
cstehansen wrote: »While I'll agree potatoes are not the best choice (less desireable as mentioned above) for keeping under a very low carb amount, a 5.3 ounce serving of potato (24 net carbs) has 620 mg of potassium as well as 45% of the RDA for vitamin C plus Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Phosphorous and Magnesium. It even has 3 grams of protein so it is not just carbohydrates. Close but not only.
Eat what you like. Keep it nutritious. I tend to eat vegetables grown above ground but would never refuse a host's homemade vegetable soup or spit out the potatoes in it. I might pass on the cookies or fudge. I'm not diabetic, don't have insulin resistance, or PCOS or any of the other conditions that might cause me to have to severely toil over a tater or a couple of peas. I had a half of a very large ear of fresh corn the other evening. It was delicious.
I've never used BCAAs or ketostix. Someone will shed light on those for you.
If I am not mistaken, in order to get those nutrients, you have to eat the skin. Back when I ate potatoes, I always ate the skin. However, when I am in a restaurant and look around, I see many, if not most, only eat the inside of the potato and leave the skin on their plates.
Look it up. You might be mistaken about nutrients.0 -
cstehansen wrote: »While I'll agree potatoes are not the best choice (less desireable as mentioned above) for keeping under a very low carb amount, a 5.3 ounce serving of potato (24 net carbs) has 620 mg of potassium as well as 45% of the RDA for vitamin C plus Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Zinc, Copper, Iron, Phosphorous and Magnesium. It even has 3 grams of protein so it is not just carbohydrates. Close but not only.
Eat what you like. Keep it nutritious. I tend to eat vegetables grown above ground but would never refuse a host's homemade vegetable soup or spit out the potatoes in it. I might pass on the cookies or fudge. I'm not diabetic, don't have insulin resistance, or PCOS or any of the other conditions that might cause me to have to severely toil over a tater or a couple of peas. I had a half of a very large ear of fresh corn the other evening. It was delicious.
I've never used BCAAs or ketostix. Someone will shed light on those for you.
If I am not mistaken, in order to get those nutrients, you have to eat the skin. Back when I ate potatoes, I always ate the skin. However, when I am in a restaurant and look around, I see many, if not most, only eat the inside of the potato and leave the skin on their plates.
Look it up. You might be mistaken about nutrients.
The nutrition of the skin is a little better than the flesh, but not as different as I had thought.
Flesh - http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2554/2
Skin - http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2555/2
Did both per 100 g just to be consistent.1 -
While technically you can eat whatever you want as long as your carbs are under your goal (and if you are going for Ketosis - thats 20g max). Everyone is different for sure so find your carb count that works.
For Ketosis I can say pretty confidently no fruits or starchy vegetables or bread. One banana is 23 grams of carbs - Potatoe 26 grams - 7 grain light style bread one slice 18 grams (have seen how small that bread is? good luck in eating just one).
Now a low carb diet is considered under 100 grams - this changes everything if your not going for Ketosis.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo_wkxH9dU
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