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Exactly how many carbs should I really be eating? Will I really see a difference in my diet and exercise if I watch these "Carbs"? I weight around 188, 5'7 and I am trying to get down to 150...which is a size 7/8 for me. I wanted to get to this size by summer. Tell me what you think?

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  • jalley31
    jalley31 Posts: 24 Member
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    Exactly how many carbs should I really be eating? Will I really see a difference in my diet and exercise if I watch these "Carbs"? I weight around 188, 5'7 and I am trying to get down to 150...which is a size 7/8 for me. I wanted to get to this size by summer. Tell me what you think?
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I think the carbs are great when you eat the right ones. They help nourish your body when they are whole grain and as close to non processed as possible and high fiber helps too. I did lower my percentage some to 45% and I think that is good for my body. I would say try a week at what MFP gives you and see how it goes. If you are not losing and sticking to everything well then you might need to lower them but I would avoid the low carb route. I have tried for years to follow them about 29 years to be exact yes since I was 4 and see where they have gotten me!:laugh: Carbs are good when eaten in their wholest form- brown rice, whole grain pasta and crackers(warning enriched means stripped and colored brown not whole grain), sprouted grain breads, steel cut or rolled oats, etc. Hope this helps!

    Amy:bigsmile:
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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

    My favorite post for answers:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I stay away from bread,rice and pasta....I do well it only took 2 weeks to really lose the cravings and I get carbs from my other foods
  • hmo4
    hmo4 Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Get rid of all the whites. Whole wheat everything, fruit and veggies.
  • gone2gym2befit
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    Cutting out the white is going to be key (no refined sugar, no white flour, no white rice and no potato.)
    Complex carbs are good for you and have the added benefit of being high in fiber (i.e. brown rice, sweet potato, wheat bread, etc.) Also, when you eat any carbs, try having a lean protein w/ it. (all it takes is a little!) So that means if you eat an apple, having a Tablespoon of peanut butter w/ it is going to slow down the digestion of those carbs, not allowing your blood sugar to spike (which leaves you feeling hungry again soon after you eat, especially when eating simple carbohydrates) Drinking water w/ it too will be even better for you as to being satisfied longer. Carbs give you energy and are good for you, just pick the good ones. Go online and look up glycemic index of foods and it should help you decipher which carbs you should be eating. High glycemic index foods will be absorbed more rapidly than foods on the low glycemic index.
  • myraamparo13
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    don't cut carbs out completely, carbs are needed to burn protein in the body. (taking nutrition and chemistry in college). i learned that because the chemical makeup of protein has nitrogen it burns poorly in the body when the body is limited to using protein for energy. carbs will burn fat efficiently too. the "best" carbs to eat are complex carbs as stated in another post, such as fiber and starch. starch comes from plants and fiber can be soluble (which will lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol) and insoluble (which will help with the GI tract). you can increase fiber intake by consuming more beans (black, pinto), lentils, fruits such as pears, apples, oranges. additionally everything we eat will be converting into glucose, a type of carb. lastly, carbs, more so complex carbs should make up the most of the diet.