Carbs

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I’ve never struggled with carbs. But now I am. Go figure. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’m guessing I need to eat complex carbs at every meal to hit my goal? I’m nowhere close to my goal on a low day much less a high day.

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Your macros can be whatever you want them to be...you don't have to hit your carb macros.
  • rachel780mpg
    rachel780mpg Posts: 83 Member
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    How are carbs causing your struggle? Can you explain more?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    You don't *need* to eat carbohydrates to your goal. Protein and fat -- we have a certain amount that we *need* to have in order to stay healthy. Carbohydrates are different and you can feel free to just have more protein or fat if that is the way that you prefer to eat. That said, lots of carbohydrate-containing foods are delicious and rich in micronutrients and those are reasons that many people like to have them in their diet. They're also helpful in the context of achieving certain fitness goals (like maintaining energy during difficult workouts).

    Unless you've deliberately everything but meat and oil from your diet, you are getting some carbohydrates at every meal.

    If you feel you're missing something nutritionally, I would choose foods rich in that vitamin/mineral. But otherwise, if the way you're eating is working for you, I wouldn't add carbohydrates just for the sake of adding them.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Unless you're feeling fatigued or the lack of carbs is affecting your training (if you train for anything) I wouldn't worry about it personally.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,369 Member
    edited July 2018
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    Are you saying your carbs are below your MFP default goal? That's not a problem: Carbs are not an essential nutrient. (No, I'm not a low carb or keto advocate. But it's a fact. You need certain minimums of protein and fat to thrive (though there are endless "discussions" here about what those minimums are. ;) )).

    There's no nutritionally required carb level. Once you hit a solid protein and fat minimum, the other calories can be spent on any macro of choice. Some people feel better (more energetic) when they eat relatively more carbs. Some people get crazy carb cravings if they eat carbs, so do better if they keep carbs very low.

    If you feel fine on less than the MFP calculated carb level, my advice would be not to worry about it. Even if you feel better on more than the default, it's also not a problem . . . as long as the higher carbs aren't preventing you getting a reasonable minimum level of protein or fats.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    Carbs/fats don't matter to me, I only make sure my fats are not too low, but other than that, I'll have days where my fats can be as high as 50% or as low as 20%.