Carbs, do they matter?

jessicaalfaro2427 · July 2018

I have been eating at my calorie deficit of 1600, but not macro wise. For example i eat around 250 give or take carbs a day and only 40 to 50gs protien the rest fat. Will higher carbs defeat calorie deficit ? Will it be harder to lose on high carb? I do workout with weights daily but not like pro or anything and cardio is quite limited.

amusedmonkey · July 2018

Carbs don't matter for weight loss unless they affect your ability to stick to your calories. Your protein looks a bit low, though. Getting enough protein is important for health, especially when you're losing weight. I would double that and reduce the fat or the carbs a bit, whichever is easier to reduce for you.

vicvfit · July 2018

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source. They make you move! Not getting enough of these "partiers of the body" can leave you lethargic. Too much will spike your blood sugar and send your hunger through the roof.

FATS

Fats also provide energy, and you need this macronutrient to help your immune system function, control your hormones, and power your nervous system (your brain is 60 percent fat).[1] But if you eat more fat than you need, you'll store it until you can use it.

PROTEIN

If there was a popularity contest for macronutrients, protein would win. Everybody knows you need lots of it to recover from workouts and build muscle, and protein suppresses your appetite to boot. But if you get too many of your calories from protein at the expense of other macros, you can become sluggish, since it isn't a very good energy source.

This is just a quick write up, macronutrients are important and getting enough protein is essential for muscle protein synthesis, 50 g day for example is no where near enough needed, at the minimum 1gram per body weight lb you weigh.

nutmegoreo · July 2018

vicvfit wrote: »

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source. They make you move! Not getting enough of these "partiers of the body" can leave you lethargic. Too much will spike your blood sugar and send your hunger through the roof.

FATS

Fats also provide energy, and you need this macronutrient to help your immune system function, control your hormones, and power your nervous system (your brain is 60 percent fat).[1] But if you eat more fat than you need, you'll store it until you can use it.

PROTEIN

If there was a popularity contest for macronutrients, protein would win. Everybody knows you need lots of it to recover from workouts and build muscle, and protein suppresses your appetite to boot. But if you get too many of your calories from protein at the expense of other macros, you can become sluggish, since it isn't a very good energy source.

This is just a quick write up, macronutrients are important and getting enough protein is essential for muscle protein synthesis, 50 g day for example is no where near enough needed, at the minimum 1gram per body weight lb you weigh.

It's appropriate to put a link when you copy someone else's work.

https://www.spituplvandveggies.com/single-post/2018/01/10/1-Macro2-Macro3-Macro-floor

AnvilHead · July 2018

jessicaalfaro2427 wrote: »

I have been eating at my calorie deficit of 1600, but not macro wise. For example i eat around 250 give or take carbs a day and only 40 to 50gs protien the rest fat.

As mentioned above, more protein certainly wouldn't hurt anything. It will help preserve lean body mass as you lose fat. Some people also find protein satiating.

jessicaalfaro2427 wrote: »

Will higher carbs defeat calorie deficit ?

No. Nothing "defeats" calorie deficit. You lose weight by consuming less calories than you expend, by whatever means you accomplish that. Carbs have nothing to do with it other than being one of the macronutrients you consume.

jessicaalfaro2427 wrote: »

Will it be harder to lose on high carb?

No. The only difference between a low carb and higher carb diet as far as weight loss goes is a faster water weight loss in the beginning stages of a low carb diet as you deplete your body of water/glycogen associated with the carbs. Over time, low carb and higher carb diets show equal results in terms of weight loss.

pinggolfer96 · July 2018

Protein is way too low

Deviette · July 2018

Your protein looks a little low and if you're working out you should definitely make sure you increase it.

However, with regards to carbs? No, carbs won't sabotage your weight loss, as long as your calories are in deficit. Lots of people eat that amount of carbs daily and lose weight. There are also plenty of people who eat low carb and lose weight, there are plenty of people who eat high carb and lose weight. The key thing is that your calories are in deficit.

sijomial · July 2018

As others have stated it's your low protein that is the macro problem.
High carbs in a calorie deficit cannot stop your weight loss - you aren't adding to your energy stores (body fat) while in a energy (calorie) deficit.

I tend to eat high to very high carbs amounts and my weight tracks my calorie balance. Starchy carbs are also my most satiating foods and give me loads of energy but that's individual.

Higher carbs could be a problem for your weight loss if you find it hard to stick to your calorie goal but you can say that about any macro.

yirara · July 2018

For me they matter as they keep me satiated and happy

Weight loss doesn't depend on macros but purely on your calorie deficit. If you feel better with eating more carbs then eat them. If protein or fat keeps you full, you know what to do.

tinkerbellang83 · July 2018

Agree with most of the other posts here, nothing wrong with your carb intake (I eat 200-250g per day myself and have lost just fine) but ensuring you get the minimum amount of protein for your stats is quite important for muscle insurance, you could probably do with upping the protein a bit.

fb47 · July 2018

jessicaalfaro2427 wrote: »

Will it be harder to lose on high carb? I do workout with weights daily but not like pro or anything and cardio is quite limited.

The short answer is no. I have been bulking and cutting for 5 years and with over 200g+ of carbs even when I am trying to lose weight. Calories in vs calories out. Any nonsense you heard about carbs, get rid of them. With the keto diet being hot at this moment, unfortunately you will get bad info from snakes oil salesmen claiming that sugar and carbs are evil and all this nonsense. The news media isn't any better, never once do I hear on tv that in order to lose weight, you need to eat less calories than you burn. Why??? It just doesn't sell.

You're reaction towards carbs is actually common, I hear it every day how people worry about carbs. Carbs are not what gets people overweight in the first place, it's the fact that the general population eats way too much protein, fats and carbs combined....aka calories. But society loves to blame something and right now carbs are getting all the hate just like fats used to get all the hate back in the 80's and 90's. In 20 years, maybe protein will get blamed for people being overweight.

LiftHeavyThings27105 · July 2018

So, lots of good information in here.

Loosing weight (or, conversely, gaining weight) is all about a caloric deficit (or, conversely, a caloric surplus). The macro break down really does not matter (okay....VERY GENERIC STATEMENT).

What a lot of people do - generally speaking - is that they will determine the caloric needs (based on their caloric maintenance and then the goal) and then break down their caloric intake as follows (and in this specific order):

Protein: between 0.8g - 1.2g per pound of body weight
Fat: between 0.25g - 0.40g per pound of body weight
Carbs: the rest

You will need to play with this to find what best works for YOU....but that is - all things being equal - a general guideline (and I think that most people would agree - in principal - with that).

Naturally, there might be some slight modifications (for example, if you are cutting then you might increase the protein intake slightly - depending on your starting point - to help with maintaining muscle mass during the cut).

I follow the Ketogenic Lifestyle (because of high A1C) so that macro breakdown does not really apply to me. But, my momma said that I was specical - and she was right! LOL! I also happen to really love this way of eating but it is decidedly not for everyone....it is VERY restrictive (you pretty much do not eat more than carbs 25g of carbs - if at all).....and most people can not deal with this.

There are a lot of funny ideas out there about weight loss......it really is - all things being equal - all about calories in vs. calories out. It is that simple (but, never is it ever easy....). The reason that people are obese in the US (very general comment) is because we simply eat way too much. It is not because, necessarily, we eat a lot of carbs. Or fats. Or protein. Or veggies. Or pie. Or cake. Or Tofu. It is because we eat too much of everything. Pretty simple, actually.

Find what works for you....and follow that. What works for me or for him or for her is totally meaningless when it comes to you. We are all very different. I might, additionally, suggest that you play with this for awhile (be that two weeks or six months). Find out what works best for you (and the only way to know that is to try different things). Well, maybe I should temper that by stating that I am very curious and like to see what happens if I do this or if I do that. So, if you are curious about things like I am.....by all means! If not, use the general guidelines from about and adjust accordingly.

Running_and_Coffee · July 2018

It really depends on you. A calorie deficit causes weight loss, period. The question is, what methods help you achieve a calorie deficit that you can maintain for a long period of time. For me, I find that certain foods are more filling and energizing and other foods seem to trigger me to want to eat more than I should. Candy corns for example are my kryptonite. Is it technically possible for me to eat candy corns every day and still lose weight? YES, absolutely. However, my response to eating even a few candy corns is to want to shovel every sweet thing I can find into my mouth. So I just don't eat candy corns, at all. Ever. I eat high protein and high fat, and skip most carbs completely, except for vegetables and "fruits" like tomatoes and avocado. It's such a personal thing, what will work for any individual person, though!

nooshi713 · July 2018

I used to wonder if carbs matter because many people say they do, even personal trainers at the gym. It is crap. I can lose on 80% carbs if I stick to my calories. The only benefit I have found to eating less is that a balance of protein, carbs, and fat keeps me full more than eating that many carbs.

fb47 · July 2018

nooshi713 wrote: »

I used to wonder if carbs matter because many people say they do, even personal trainers at the gym. It is crap. I can lose on 80% carbs if I stick to my calories. The only benefit I have found to eating less is that a balance of protein, carbs, and fat keeps me full more than eating that many carbs.

Carbs are not necessary for survival, but they can help you thrive when combined with some sort of physical activity which is why athletes usually have a high carb diet. And when I talk about athletes, I am not talking just about professionals, even those who play sports at amateur levels. In the end, you chose a diet that will help you stick with your goals. If getting rid of carbs is the only way for you to get rid of cravings, then go ahead. If eating bigger meals at shorter time periods is what makes you happy, then do IF.....if you don't want to eat animals, go vegan....I mean there are countless ways to lose weight, but there's one direct way to lose weight.....eating less calories than you burn.

Carbs, do they matter?

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