Grains/Starches -- to eat or not to eat... that is my question!

cindymwynn · March 2018

So I am a relatively fit 50 year old.
I feel like I have a grip on my workouts -- To lose fat, I must build muscle, ie. lift weights and lift moderately heavy.
I lift anywhere from 3-5 times per week. I do cardio about 3-4 times per week (HIIT usually -- sprints on cardio equipment or some sort of HIIT w/ light weights -- usually 30 minutes either way. )
FOOD is my struggle. I know what to eat and what NOT to eat.. except when I comes to CARBS / starches, etc.
I know there are lots of different people with different thoughts and I try to read as much as I can, but now I'm lost! Don't know where to turn.
FATS / CARBS -- I can't eat moderate amount of FAT (avocados, butter, dairy, nuts) AND also eat Quinoa and Oatmeal. I think I either need to do one or the other. If I'm going to go with extra FATS, I have to strictly limit my CARBS. Isn't this right??
My #1 goal is to lose body fat. Right now i'm at about 25-30% (height 5' 4" and 148lbs) All of my fat is all around my belly and my upper back/bra line. My legs, butt and arms are quite lean.
Just don't know how to treat the whole FAT/CARB thing.
Any help/advise would be appreciated!!

cwolfman13 · March 2018

To lose weight you only need a calorie deficit...doesn't have anything to do with carbs or fat. I eat a pretty well rounded and balanced diet that is comprised of all three macro-nutrients...I'm neither low nor high on any particular macro.

janejellyroll · March 2018

If you want to eat higher fat, you don't *have* to go lower carbohydrate but you do have to eat fewer calories of something else. Some people do find that grains are easier to cut and still meet their calorie goal. If you want to do that, it's perfectly fine.

But you don't have to approach it as some sort of universal all or nothing type thing. When I was losing weight, I did skip grains to eat other things sometimes, but other times I would want some bread, pasta, or rice and have those. You don't have to choose the same approach each day.

Losing body fat is about hitting a specific calorie goal. You can do that while never eating grains, sometimes eating grains, or eating grains daily.

lorrpb · March 2018

You need all the macros: protein, fat and carbs. I would just go for the MFP macro split as long as your protein is enough. You’re overthinking the rest, IMO
It’s false that you "can’t moderate" both fats and carbs. It’s all in your head and you just need to work out the way that’s best for you. Try to have a little protein with every meal and snack. I had to watch my carbs carefully to keep them at 50% which is a "normal"level. You could do higher fat one day and higher carbs the next and try to balance out your macros over the week. Or you could even alternate fat/carb weeks if that makes you happier.
If you’re concerned about body fat but not needing to lose much weight, look into the recomp thread in the Gaining/body building forum. Recomp is losing fat while maintaining weight through lifting. Hope that helps.
Starting at 59, I lost 150 and have maintained for 1.5 years. Age is not a barrier.

AnnPT77 · March 2018

Unless you have special reasons to do otherwise, try to get adequate protein and fat, eat plenty of fruit/veg for micronutrients, and hit your calorie goal. As long as you hit fat & protein minimums, and get micros, what you eat within your calories is all about maximizing satiation and pleasure - personal and subjective.

ETA: Lost around 1/3 of my body weight at 59-60 with that philosophy. Now starting year 3 of maintaing healthy weight.

kommodevaran · March 2018

Calories come in the forms of the macronutrients fat, cabohydrate and protein (and alcohol).

There are so many ways to eat in a healthy way, and so many intricate ways to describe and explain a healthy diet - most are just out to confuse - that the best way of putting it, in my opinion, is that a healthy diet is balanced and varied. You can eat anything in moderation. The more different foods you eat, the better. Every day, eat enough of all the nutrients you need. Over time, don't eat too many calories.

To lose weight, you have to be in a consistent calorie deficit. Exercise is good for you, but you lose weight mainly by eating less (fewer calories than you burn).

You can't decide where to remove fat from your body, as we have our own individual patterns for where we store fat. Fat will be taken from anywhere on your body as you lose weight.

cindymwynn · March 2018

Thanks everyone!!! Yes, I do have a tendency to over-think things!
This is what I hear you all saying:
-Losing weight is more about calorie deficient.
-I need all macros and track closely. OK to vary these by day high/low. On occasion, I'd love a bit of pasta or a piece of bread!
-Log & hit Macros - keep Carbs at around 50%.
-Eat protein with every meal/snack
I'm not certain what my calorie goal should be, but I'll read the recomp thread/post in the Gaining/Body Building forum.
Thanks everyone!!!!

dsboohead · March 2018

I eat breads/starches. I try to keep them whole grain. Brown rice and the such. I keep at a calorie deficit as my main goal. I keep empty calories at minimum and now I do not crave them. I may have a cadbury egg now as of lately once every week with the logging knowledge its 170 calorie. I make room for it in my calorie account budget.
Do not just eat foods for weight loss purposes but for life! Cico does work if you work it!

amusedmonkey · March 2018

Do what feels easiest to you. You could go low carb if you wish, but you could also do something like eating more of a macro per meal. For example, you could have protein oatmeal for breakfast, and a salad with avocado, chicken, and nuts for lunch. But yes, you are right, if you are eating more of something, those calories will have to be removed elsewhere. I know vegetables noodles will never replace the taste, texture, and mouthfeel of real pasta, so I don't replace pasta, but on days I have it I do a lighter breakfast. I know I can't moderate nuts unless they're part of something else, so that's the only way I'll have them because having them on their own would leave me unsatisfied. I know I can moderate chips, so I have them whenever appropriate without problems. I would rather use less oil for frying in order to have more cheese. I just make the choices that feel easier to me, because using less frying oil doesn't leave me as deprived as being too scant on cheese.

Just experiment and find your groove, that is a way of eating that feels comfortable to you. This may as well end up being low carb, but at least you will have arrived at that eating pattern by following your preferences and what helps your dieting better, not by giving yourself ultimatums and making blunt choices.

kommodevaran · March 2018

Losing weight is only about a calorie deficit. How to create, and especially how to sustain, a calorie deficit, is a different matter.
If you count calories, calorie target and correct tracking of calories is your main concern. Macro tracking can make sticking to your calorie allowance easier. (It certainly shouldn't make it harder.) You can start with MFP's default macro split, which is 50% carbs. You can continue eating like that, or change it up as you like. Protein and fat amounts should be regarded as minimum values. Basing your meals on protein, is a smart strategy.
Pasta and bread is normal food and can be part of a healthy diet.

CharlieBeansmomTracey · March 2018

cindymwynn wrote: »

So I am a relatively fit 50 year old.
I feel like I have a grip on my workouts -- To lose fat, I must build muscle, ie. lift weights and lift moderately heavy.
I lift anywhere from 3-5 times per week. I do cardio about 3-4 times per week (HIIT usually -- sprints on cardio equipment or some sort of HIIT w/ light weights -- usually 30 minutes either way. )
FOOD is my struggle. I know what to eat and what NOT to eat.. except when I comes to CARBS / starches, etc.
I know there are lots of different people with different thoughts and I try to read as much as I can, but now I'm lost! Don't know where to turn.
FATS / CARBS -- I can't eat moderate amount of FAT (avocados, butter, dairy, nuts) AND also eat Quinoa and Oatmeal. I think I either need to do one or the other. If I'm going to go with extra FATS, I have to strictly limit my CARBS. Isn't this right??
My #1 goal is to lose body fat. Right now i'm at about 25-30% (height 5' 4" and 148lbs) All of my fat is all around my belly and my upper back/bra line. My legs, butt and arms are quite lean.
Just don't know how to treat the whole FAT/CARB thing.
Any help/advise would be appreciated!!

to lose fat you need a calorie deficit. you dont need to build muscle to lose fat. you should try to retain and muscle you do have while losing the fat. does fat satiate you? if not you can lower it a bit and still eat carbs, if carbs are more satiating for you eat more of them. find a happy medium that works for you. the thing is with high fat diets like keto many drop the carbs to get into ketosis,but its not needed if you arent doing keto.

you could do a 40/30/30 split(assign whatever macro to whatever number you choose) and see how that works for you. if not you can change the split numbers if you want to see what macro satiates you the most. its not going to be the same for everyone. play around with the numbers and see what makes you more satiated and what works for you.

extra_medium · March 2018

cindymwynn wrote: »

Thanks everyone!!! Yes, I do have a tendency to over-think things!
This is what I hear you all saying:
-Losing weight is more about calorie deficient.
-I need all macros and track closely. OK to vary these by day high/low. On occasion, I'd love a bit of pasta or a piece of bread!
-Log & hit Macros - keep Carbs at around 50%.
-Eat protein with every meal/snack
I'm not certain what my calorie goal should be, but I'll read the recomp thread/post in the Gaining/Body Building forum.
Thanks everyone!!!!

losing weight is ONLY about calorie deficit. some people handle a calorie deficit better with a low carb/high fat diet and others do well with the opposite. Find what works best for you so you feel satisfied while consuming fewer calories than you burn.

rybo · March 2018

The way I see it, adjust your fat and carbs (and possibly even the sources they come from) based on what keeps your hunger satiated, while maintaining a deficit. People tolerate different foods in different ways. That's the part that can sometimes be frustrating for those who just want told what to do in black and white. Person A might be able to eat a sweet potato and be stuffed full, while person B eats it and is still ravenous. Neither is right or wrong.

Grains/Starches -- to eat or not to eat... that is my question!

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