I don't think carbs are bad!

ekbrwz · April 2019

It seems all the current diet and nutrition advice tells us to cut back on carbs, and eat more protein and fat.

So, when I finish a day, and I'm under my calorie allowance, but I had like 60% carbs, I feel like a failure. It's dumb.

I just don't crave meat!

Veggies and fruit are carbs! Whole grains are carbs!

Am I the only person trying to lose weight in 2019 that does NOT want to limit carbs?

I feel like it's just like 10-20 years ago they were all about limiting fat, low-fat this, non-fat that. Turns out that wasn't the best advice. I feel like pretty soon the Keto/Low-Carb craze will turn out to be just another phaze.

What do you think about carbs?

wilson10102018 · April 2019

Rice is carbs. The healthiest populations eat mass quantities of rice. Pure carbs.

L1zardQueen · April 2019

Yep! I totally agree.

FinntheVeggie · April 2019

This!! All three macros are important. I go by the AHA recommendations, none of this crunchy blogger pseudoscience for me.

That said, based on the AHA guideline (50/30/20), I have to pay the most attention to protein. I'm a vegetarian who's not the biggest fan of dairy or soy, so I have to make a conscious effort to hit that 20% protein. Carbs I always have enough of, and for fats it's easy to add a little olive oil or avocado to my salads if I'm under, but protein takes the most planning & effort.

deannalfisher · April 2019

I eat 3-400g carbs a day and weight is trending down

kzshelbi · April 2019

carbs aren't bad. Everything in moderation !!!

MikePTY · April 2019

I am actually trying to eat more carbs. I'd say right now my diet is moderate carbs, usually in the 30%s of macros but I would like to get it closer to 40%s. I feel they help me a lot with my athletic performance.

I've lost almost 30 pounds eating rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, and every other carb you can think of. There is definitely no need to cut them out of your diet in order to lose weight.

debraah66 · April 2019

Unless your on a keto diet where your limiting your carbs under 30, it is calories that really matter in the long run. You still have to watch them even if you count carbs. I am not eating too many carbs because a lot of them are high calorie and I tend to binge on breads for example. I also love mashed potatoes and pasta but that stuff can easily get out of control for me. Eating protein like eggs is also more filling and helps keep your apetite under control.

nevergiveup812mfp · April 2019

I agree! Lowering carbs made me hungry, crabby, sleepy. Plus my workouts lacked! Everyone is different but I have found carbs are better for me than high protein high fat.

whmscll · April 2019

I love carbs. They keep me happy. I would kill someone if I tried to eat keto. I’m steadily losing my scheduled .5 pound a week happily eating healthy cereal for breakfast, whole grain sandwiches for lunch and whole wheat pasta for dinner more days than not. Along with lots of protein and some healthy fats, and all within my calorie goals,of course.

Fatgonegirl · April 2019

I'm in the United Kingdom and like many people I eat a heavily potato based diet

I also eat lots of oats. I have lost 45lbs to date so I know you can lose weight eating carbs

nooshi713 · April 2019

Weight loss is about calories. The foods with the most antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins are mostly carbs: fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. I see no reason to limit these things.

lemurcat2 · April 2019

Great post, and you are smart to avoid the anti carb hype. Many healthy diets can include lots of carbs.

yirara · April 2019

Most of my satiety comes from carbs. I can eat all the protein and fat and would remain hungry. So what. I like carbs, and lost weight eating a lot of it.

Dilvish · April 2019

Don't confuse simple carbs to complex carbs. Sugars are the enemy when it comes to weight loss. essentially simple sugars are high in calories but low in nutritional value.

If you look at Keto diets, they majorly restrict carbs overall. Why? Because our bodies use carbs for fuel. When carbs are not plentiful, the body looks to burn fat stores instead. This is why Keto diets have become very popular.

These are admittedly short term diets and should never be used long term.

Having said this, regardless, weight loss requires exercise and calorie reduction. If your daily goal is for example 1500 calories, you could eat 1500 calories worth of cupcakes if you really wanted to. You'd likely be starving and your body would lack the proper nutrients to survive but it is possible. These type of diets are called Mono diets. You eat only one thing but at the expense of health issues (the potato diets was popular once).

The biggest issue most people ignore with weight loss and carb consumption is Diabetes. Reducing or eliminating simple sugars/carbs from your diet is paramount if you are overweight, otherwise you run the risk of developing the disease and you may not know it until it is too late.

And to your comment about meat...who said you had to eat it? Protein is great for weight loss but it comes in many forms. Nuts, seeds (pumpkin specifically), plain low fat Greek or SKYR yogurt, eggs, beans, tuna, salmon the list goes on.

snowflake954 · April 2019

Many people are with you. They just aren't as vocal as the keto folks. You are far from alone. I live in Italy, where people are thin and eat lots of carbs--pasta, pizza, breads, pasteries, fruits, rice, and lots of vegetables. Just do what you are comfortable with and stay within your calorie goal. Move more if you can--walking is good to start. Good luck.

WinoGelato · April 2019

Dilvish wrote: »

Don't confuse simple carbs to complex carbs. Sugars are the enemy when it comes to weight loss. essentially simple sugars are high in calories but low in nutritional value.

If you look at Keto diets, they majorly restrict carbs overall. Why? Because our bodies use carbs for fuel. When carbs are not plentiful, the body looks to burn fat stores instead. This is why Keto diets have become very popular.

These are admittedly short term diets and should never be used long term.

Having said this, regardless, weight loss requires exercise and calorie reduction. If your daily goal is for example 1500 calories, you could eat 1500 calories worth of cupcakes if you really wanted to. You'd likely be starving and your body would lack the proper nutrients to survive but it is possible. These type of diets are called Mono diets. You eat only one thing but at the expense of health issues (the potato diets was popular once).

The biggest issue most people ignore with weight loss and carb consumption is Diabetes. Reducing or eliminating simple sugars/carbs from your diet is paramount if you are overweight, otherwise you run the risk of developing the disease and you may not know it until it is too late.

And to your comment about meat...who said you had to eat it? Protein is great for weight loss but it comes in many forms. Nuts, seeds (pumpkin specifically), plain low fat Greek or SKYR yogurt, eggs, beans, tuna, salmon the list goes on.

Sugar doesn’t cause diabetes, it’s not necessary to cut any kind of carbs (simple or complex) in order to lose weight (only calories). Fruit is a simple carb yet has lots of nutrients so I’m not sure why you’d recommend cutting it out? Also, exercise isn’t necessary for weight loss (although it’s beneficial for lots of reasons) and the OP said nothing of eating a mono diet so I’m not sure why that’s relevant. The only people I ever see mentioning mono diets are people introducing a straw man example like you did.

OP don’t worry there are lots of people who find success in weight loss and long term maintenance with exactly the approach you’re suggesting - not restricting any particular food or macro group - and find it to be a healthy and sustainable approach.

lemurcat2 · April 2019

Dilvish wrote: »

Don't confuse simple carbs to complex carbs. Sugars are the enemy when it comes to weight loss. essentially simple sugars are high in calories but low in nutritional value.

Fruit is simple carbs, but many find it satiating, and it is high in nutritional value. So nope, bad advice.

Also, what winogelato says.

snickerscharlie · April 2019

WinoGelato wrote: »

Dilvish wrote: »

Don't confuse simple carbs to complex carbs. Sugars are the enemy when it comes to weight loss. essentially simple sugars are high in calories but low in nutritional value.

If you look at Keto diets, they majorly restrict carbs overall. Why? Because our bodies use carbs for fuel. When carbs are not plentiful, the body looks to burn fat stores instead. This is why Keto diets have become very popular.

These are admittedly short term diets and should never be used long term.

Having said this, regardless, weight loss requires exercise and calorie reduction. If your daily goal is for example 1500 calories, you could eat 1500 calories worth of cupcakes if you really wanted to. You'd likely be starving and your body would lack the proper nutrients to survive but it is possible. These type of diets are called Mono diets. You eat only one thing but at the expense of health issues (the potato diets was popular once).

The biggest issue most people ignore with weight loss and carb consumption is Diabetes. Reducing or eliminating simple sugars/carbs from your diet is paramount if you are overweight, otherwise you run the risk of developing the disease and you may not know it until it is too late.

And to your comment about meat...who said you had to eat it? Protein is great for weight loss but it comes in many forms. Nuts, seeds (pumpkin specifically), plain low fat Greek or SKYR yogurt, eggs, beans, tuna, salmon the list goes on.

Sugar doesn’t cause diabetes, it’s not necessary to cut any kind of carbs (simple or complex) in order to lose weight (only calories). Fruit is a simple carb yet has lots of nutrients so I’m not sure why you’d recommend cutting it out? Also, exercise isn’t necessary for weight loss (although it’s beneficial for lots of reasons) and the OP said nothing of eating a mono diet so I’m not sure why that’s relevant. The only people I ever see mentioning mono diets are people introducing a straw man example like you did.

OP don’t worry there are lots of people who find success in weight loss and long term maintenance with exactly the approach you’re suggesting - not restricting any particular food or macro group - and find it to be a healthy and sustainable approach.

THIS ^^^ Sugar DOES NOT cause Diabetes, but being overweight by overconsumption of ALL food groups (including fats) can put a person at risk for it.

I lost 75 lbs, reached my goal weight 3 years ago and have been in maintenance ever since.

While in the weight loss phase, I continued to eat the foods I've always enjoyed - just smaller portions of them. There were certain foods that once I realized how densely caloric they were (I'm looking at you, peanut butter!) I relegated to the '"Occasionally" list because they weren't giving me enough bang for the caloric buck, so to speak.

amusedmonkey · April 2019

I'm the same. I don't like meat all that much and I feel hungry if I don't have a starch with my meal. I don't know if it's because I'm physically more satiated by carbs or mentally more satisfied (likely both), but that's what has been working for me, so that's what I will continue to do. I also eat a variety of carbs. Starchy, fibrous, complex, simple, processed, unprocessed... everything. My blood sugar is down from almost diabetic to normal levels because I lost weight.

ETA and side note: for protein, try lupin seeds. Just boil them in plain water (without salt), then store them in salted water in the fridge. Such an amazing protein rich snack with a great amino acid profile for a plant. If you also eat egg whites, you're set.

scottwblack · April 2019

Carbs aren't "bad." They're just a macronutrient and macronutrients don't have any moral value. Refined carbs are easy to overeat, though, and stripped of most nutrients, so some people find it easier to cut down on all carbs in order to lose weight. Not everyone can "just eat less" of the foods that got them fat.

danreese30 · April 2019

ekbrwz wrote: »

It seems all the current diet and nutrition advice tells us to cut back on carbs, and eat more protein and fat.

So, when I finish a day, and I'm under my calorie allowance, but I had like 60% carbs, I feel like a failure. It's dumb.

I just don't crave meat!

Veggies and fruit are carbs! Whole grains are carbs!

Am I the only person trying to lose weight in 2019 that does NOT want to limit carbs?

I feel like it's just like 10-20 years ago they were all about limiting fat, low-fat this, non-fat that. Turns out that wasn't the best advice. I feel like pretty soon the Keto/Low-Carb craze will turn out to be just another phaze.

What do you think about carbs?

ek- You are stating why the "what" you are doing is working. You are in what is called calorie deficiet. Without knowing your numbers, I will use mine....I burn like 3000 cals per day. If I only ingest 1700, the body has to make up the difference and it does that by doing 3 things: Consume Fat stores, Decrease metobolic functions (limit hair growth, nail growth, slowly heal wounds) or in extreme cases consume vital materials like bone, organs, stop beating the heart as much, dont feed the brain....Most of your metabolism is keeping you at a toasty 98 degrees, adn you cant measure that, but you can measure in the long run.

If you ate ONLY carbs for that 1700, you would still lose weight...because ...the body isnt getting enough nutrient.

The reason people are hating on carbs, is that it is a quick energy fix...the energy from a carb gives you a short, fast burn of energy which both the brain loves and the body needs...the down side is that boost of energy dies fairly fast. So the body needs another one in a few hours.

The difference, compared to more satient ingredients like proteins and fats, is they are slow, long energy and last for hours and hours.

The body is a machine that gets used to its fuel and if carb is your fuel, your brain will remind you when you need more. If its a protein, it will remind you more slowly (so you will feel less hunger).

Because my diet is 75% protein, 20% fat and 5% carb, I am losing 3lbs per week but I am NEVER hungry anymore...its all slow long energy.

If you predominately eat prots, your body will have energy and maintain its metabolism, the fat will be used to supplement energy and then as your fat stores dwindle, you can actually increase your calories...

I dont follow Keto, but I follow keto-light. Keto wants you at under 25 carbs per day. I hover under 100...25 if its a white carb (rice, pasta, bread, sugar, sweet) and 100 if its natural carbs (beans, potatoes, banana). If nature made it, I feel it ought to be good.

The last piece is despite at calorie deficiet...you will need to add activity into routine...muscle mass and things need to rebuild.

Connect with me if you want more info?

RelCanonical · April 2019

People decided to vilify carbs after government agency recommendations that people merely cut down on added sugars because it was crowding out necessary nutrients. Carbohydrates are an important energy source because they are easy to process by the body. If you are getting necessary nutrients including macros protein and fat, and micronutrients, carbohydrates are a nice way to fill out the rest of your calories for easy added energy. Calories are not the enemy either, it's just that we get too much of them. Even Vitamin A and other nutrients have toxicity levels.

I also want to add that people are not addicted to sugar. People are addicted to the formula of fat and sugar that companies have formulated to be as palatable as possible. If it was truly sugar that was addictive, we'd be freebasing bags of sugar in it's purest form.

Sugar is in fruit, and it's not really different from what you find in baked goods or candy. It's just that fruit contains fiber and many important nutrients that the candy does not. That's why it was recommended that people cut down, but people decided that it was the carbs, not the lack of micronutrients that was the problem, when it never was. Companies then took advantage of this misconception by offering food that played up the low carb phase, but still engineered it to be addicting.

Minor rant there.

WinoGelato · April 2019

danreese30 wrote: »

ekbrwz wrote: »

It seems all the current diet and nutrition advice tells us to cut back on carbs, and eat more protein and fat.

So, when I finish a day, and I'm under my calorie allowance, but I had like 60% carbs, I feel like a failure. It's dumb.

I just don't crave meat!

Veggies and fruit are carbs! Whole grains are carbs!

Am I the only person trying to lose weight in 2019 that does NOT want to limit carbs?

I feel like it's just like 10-20 years ago they were all about limiting fat, low-fat this, non-fat that. Turns out that wasn't the best advice. I feel like pretty soon the Keto/Low-Carb craze will turn out to be just another phaze.

What do you think about carbs?

ek- You are stating why the "what" you are doing is working. You are in what is called calorie deficiet. Without knowing your numbers, I will use mine....I burn like 3000 cals per day. If I only ingest 1700, the body has to make up the difference and it does that by doing 3 things: Consume Fat stores, Decrease metobolic functions (limit hair growth, nail growth, slowly heal wounds) or in extreme cases consume vital materials like bone, organs, stop beating the heart as much, dont feed the brain....Most of your metabolism is keeping you at a toasty 98 degrees, adn you cant measure that, but you can measure in the long run.

If you ate ONLY carbs for that 1700, you would still lose weight...because ...the body isnt getting enough nutrient.

The reason people are hating on carbs, is that it is a quick energy fix...the energy from a carb gives you a short, fast burn of energy which both the brain loves and the body needs...the down side is that boost of energy dies fairly fast. So the body needs another one in a few hours.

The difference, compared to more satient ingredients like proteins and fats, is they are slow, long energy and last for hours and hours.

The body is a machine that gets used to its fuel and if carb is your fuel, your brain will remind you when you need more. If its a protein, it will remind you more slowly (so you will feel less hunger).

Because my diet is 75% protein, 20% fat and 5% carb, I am losing 3lbs per week but I am NEVER hungry anymore...its all slow long energy.

If you predominately eat prots, your body will have energy and maintain its metabolism, the fat will be used to supplement energy and then as your fat stores dwindle, you can actually increase your calories...

I dont follow Keto, but I follow keto-light. Keto wants you at under 25 carbs per day. I hover under 100...25 if its a white carb (rice, pasta, bread, sugar, sweet) and 100 if its natural carbs (beans, potatoes, banana). If nature made it, I feel it ought to be good.

The last piece is despite at calorie deficiet...you will need to add activity into routine...muscle mass and things need to rebuild.

Connect with me if you want more info?

I don’t see how most of this is relevant to the OP who is asking if it’s possible to still consume carbs and have a balanced macro split and still achieve weight loss goals - the answer is yes. OP enjoys carbs and finds them to be a healthy part of a balanced diet. They are! She also doesn’t enjoy meat and while there are certainly meatless sources of protein I’m not sure your high protein diet is something that’s going to appeal to her.

You’re losing 3 lbs a week because of your calorie deficit, not your macro split, and unless you are morbidly obese that is likely too aggressive of a rate of loss as usually 2 lbs/week is the fastest recommended.

And your macro split looks not much at all like a keto diet which usually something like 5% carbs, 80% fat and 15% protein.

lemurcat2 · April 2019

danreese30 wrote: »

The reason people are hating on carbs, is that it is a quick energy fix...the energy from a carb gives you a short, fast burn of energy which both the brain loves and the body needs...the down side is that boost of energy dies fairly fast. So the body needs another one in a few hours.

This is grossly overgeneralized. This is true for a few sources of carbs -- refined carbs. Interesting, these carbs are most often eaten with fat (bread and butter, bagel and cream cheese, fries or chips, any kind of sweet baked good), which is one reason they are often high in cals.

But there are many other kinds of carbs, as carbs are the main source of calories in most plant-based foods. Beans, lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains, including oats, corn on the cob, brown rice, and -- especially -- fruits and vegetables.

I find all of the foods mentioned above more filling than fat (I do find protein most filling). I don't eat low fat because I enjoy fat (healthy fats like from olive oil, avocados, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, mostly), but not because it's all that filling for me.

Because my diet is 75% protein, 20% fat and 5% carb, I am losing 3lbs per week but I am NEVER hungry anymore...its all slow long energy.

I can't imagine a healthy diet that's that high in protein, but I'll trust you that you've found one. I (and apparently OP) would be totally miserable eating that much protein, and unlike OP, I actually do enjoy meat. (I also am over 5% carbs on just non-starchy veg, I never get how people eat so few and get adequate veg, but assume their idea of adequate veg is different from mine. Plus, I love fruit, which would be another problem.)

The benefit of that kind of diet if trying to lose is that it would be hard to eat sufficient calories, but in that OP is losing successfully her way, no reason for her to try to go against what makes her happy to that degree.

I hover under 100...25 if its a white carb (rice, pasta, bread, sugar, sweet) and 100 if its natural carbs (beans, potatoes, banana). If nature made it, I feel it ought to be good.

This is confusing, since 100 g carbs would be 5% only if one had an 8000 cal diet.

In any case, you do know the carbs in refined carb foods like white pasta, rice, and bread all come from plants (nature) too, right? Wheat for pasta and most breads (although there are other kinds of bread and pasta), rice is a plant. The grains are refined which is why they are white, but obviously there are non refined kinds. Personally, I like brown rice and whole grain pasta and have them often (I don't really like bread that much), but nutritionally they aren't that different from white. I would consider a meal main with white pasta, some olive oil, lots of veg, pinenuts, and some shrimp (common meal for me) to be more nutritionally dense and lower cal on average than, say, whole grain pasta with a carbonara sauce and no veg. What really matters with pasta or rice is what else you eat with them -- if you have a normal serving size and don't add tons of fat, and do have protein and veg, the calories will be reasonable and the nutrition excellent. Most who claim to have overeaten pasta had messed up ideas about serving size and ate high cal (because of fat) sauces.

But I digress. Main point is that the carbs are from plants.

Same with sugar, btw -- sugar cane is a plant, and so are sugar beets. I personally tend to prefer fruit to most foods with added sugar these days, and I like that it comes with fiber and micronutrients to a greater extent, but it's not that sugar isn't from nature. (Although the whole natural thing is a rabbit hole and lots of things that grow in nature are terrible for us, like poisonous mushrooms, or polar bear liver.)

HereToLose50 · April 2019

Love love love carbs. My doctor has advised me not to go too low on them. I reduced carbs only because I was taking in way too many but I'm not low carb.

I crave meats and other proteins. A day or two a week I crave more fats instead. The constant is always carbs.

I stick to mostly less processed carbs. The super processed stuff doesn't fill me up fast nor keep me full for long.

pierinifitness · April 2019

Add me to the crowd not thinking carbs are bad. I average 55 to 60 percent carbs on most days. Every now and then I dip below 50 percent but not often.

MikePTY · April 2019

Dilvish wrote: »

Don't confuse simple carbs to complex carbs. Sugars are the enemy when it comes to weight loss. essentially simple sugars are high in calories but low in nutritional value.

If you look at Keto diets, they majorly restrict carbs overall. Why? Because our bodies use carbs for fuel. When carbs are not plentiful, the body looks to burn fat stores instead. This is why Keto diets have become very popular.

These are admittedly short term diets and should never be used long term.

Having said this, regardless, weight loss requires exercise and calorie reduction. If your daily goal is for example 1500 calories, you could eat 1500 calories worth of cupcakes if you really wanted to. You'd likely be starving and your body would lack the proper nutrients to survive but it is possible. These type of diets are called Mono diets. You eat only one thing but at the expense of health issues (the potato diets was popular once).

The biggest issue most people ignore with weight loss and carb consumption is Diabetes. Reducing or eliminating simple sugars/carbs from your diet is paramount if you are overweight, otherwise you run the risk of developing the disease and you may not know it until it is too late.

And to your comment about meat...who said you had to eat it? Protein is great for weight loss but it comes in many forms. Nuts, seeds (pumpkin specifically), plain low fat Greek or SKYR yogurt, eggs, beans, tuna, salmon the list goes on.

Fruits are simple sugars, and can be both saitiating and filled with nutrients. I love pineapple. It keeps me full for a limited amount of calories (a pound of pineapple fruit has about 225 calories), helps to hydrate me, and has lots of vitamins and nutrients.

Keto is popular becuase there always needs to be a popular, quick fix diet. People are drawn to keto because it makes the scale look pretty in a few short weeks, because by cutting out carbs, they shed water weight, which brings down the scale. But that's not fat loss. Fat loss is only done by a calorie deficit, no matter how you accomplish it. Some people feel fuller and can control their eating better on Keto. That's great for them if it does. But it works because they are in a calorie deficit, not because carbs are evil.

Sugar doesn't cause diabetes. Don't believe me? Then let diabetes tell you for me. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/diabetes-food-myths/myth-sugar-causes-diabetes?amp

lemurcat2 · April 2019

I've been craving fruit all day, so just made a delicious smoothie with avocado, zucchini, frozen strawberries, rhubarb, and peaches, plus some coconut and silken tofu. High carb (with some protein and fat intentionally), and really hitting the spot for lunch. I do not think carbs are bad! ;-)

firef1y72 · April 2019

I love carbs, carbs fuel my activity.
I'm also vegetarian, so get most of my protein from carb heavy food.
And I don't have a gallbladder, so cant eat high fat.
I've also lost 140lb eating highish carb, and kept it off

MySweetLavinia · April 2019

Does it really matter what each of us thinks of carbs (or fat, or protein?) Eat whatever diet suits you, works for you and contributes most to your health. I don't understand why it even matters what others think of it.

I don't think carbs are bad!

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