Keeping your carbs down ??
chrisredmayne
Posts: 28 Member
Just started using the tracking and my carbs are way too high for the macro! The first few days I ended up just having a protein shake to balance it all out but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not?
What do you all do to make it balanced? I'm thinking I should have one meal a day that is low carb and that would help ?
I usually buy food for my lunch and snacks while I'm at work and everything I usually get in finding is full of carbs. There's loads of shops close by to me, Tesco, asda, m and s, subway, Gregg, chip shop, sandwich shops... what's the best kind of things I can buy?
Also... snacks!!!! I was just eating loads of fruit, but they all have carbs in too!!!
Feel like I need to rethink my entire eating to get this right...
What do you all do to make it balanced? I'm thinking I should have one meal a day that is low carb and that would help ?
I usually buy food for my lunch and snacks while I'm at work and everything I usually get in finding is full of carbs. There's loads of shops close by to me, Tesco, asda, m and s, subway, Gregg, chip shop, sandwich shops... what's the best kind of things I can buy?
Also... snacks!!!! I was just eating loads of fruit, but they all have carbs in too!!!
Feel like I need to rethink my entire eating to get this right...
2
Replies
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Do you have any medical reason to watch carbs? If not, don't worry about it. Carbs aren't bad.15
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How many carbs to you is "way too many carbs"? The default MFP Marcos say 50% of your calories for carbs. You could even do more than that. It's ideal to make sure you are getting enough protein with some fat. But there is nothing wrong with having carbs as part of your macro mix. There is also nothing wrong with having a protein shake it you want to have more protein.
Honestly it sounds like you may be trying to over think things, and that's just going to sabotage you. Focus on your calorie goal first. You have a lot of flexibility to tweak your macros within that goal based on personal preference and what makes you feel full.7 -
In my humble experience - most of those kind of shops don't sell 'weight-loss' friendly snacks.
I highly recommend you make your own lunch then you know exactly what's in it and can log it to the gram. You add more protein to it if you need it etc.
Takes less time that walking to the shops, searching, queuing and walking back - plus it's cheaper once you're in the habit.
Best of luck.
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How many carbs to you is "way too many carbs"? The default MFP Marcos say 50% of your calories for carbs. You could even do more than that. It's ideal to make sure you are getting enough protein with some fat. But there is nothing wrong with having carbs as part of your macro mix. There is also nothing wrong with having a protein shake it you want to have more protein.
Honestly it sounds like you may be trying to over think things, and that's just going to sabotage you. Focus on your calorie goal first. You have a lot of flexibility to tweak your macros within that goal based on personal preference and what makes you feel full.
I was 70 percent carbs yesterday tho, is that gonna just put fat on me ? Is it more a case of cooking the same meals but changing the portion sizes ? Like a chicken pasta cook less pasta and more chicken ?5 -
MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »Do you have any medical reason to watch carbs? If not, don't worry about it. Carbs aren't bad.
I just want to get them down to 50 on the macro really I don't wanna cut them out1 -
DanSanthomes wrote: »In my humble experience - most of those kind of shops don't sell 'weight-loss' friendly snacks.
I highly recommend you make your own lunch then you know exactly what's in it and can log it to the gram. You add more protein to it if you need it etc.
Takes less time that walking to the shops, searching, queuing and walking back - plus it's cheaper once you're in the habit.
Best of luck.
The only thing I've found that's good is the m and s super foods salad, I might go around and scan stuff in to see how bad or good they are!2 -
If you have no medical reason to avoid them, then go at it. Carbs tend to get a bad rap in weight loss because they typically contain more calories per serving. You could eat twinkies all day and still maintain your weight assuming you only ate within your caloric daily goal.
The biggest culprits obviously are simple carbs - sugar, flour, starchy vegetables etc.
The issue that most people don't realize is that over time, refined sugars (in all their forms) can cause insulin issues and that is why type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels worldwide.
Just be mindful of the types of carbs you eat. Swap white bread for whole grain, white rice for brown or couscous, eat mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Eat whole grain pasta versus white or semolina and cut out things like fast food, soda pop, fruit juice (unless its severely watered down) and skip fruits that are high in fruit sugar (anything tropical...bananas, pineapple etc.).
Bear in mind too that mostly anything that is manufactured/processed contains too much sugar, sodium or fat so just try to avoid them as often as possible.24 -
If you have no medical reason to avoid them, then go at it. Carbs tend to get a bad rap in weight loss because they typically contain more calories per serving. You could eat twinkies all day and still maintain your weight assuming you only ate within your caloric daily goal.
The biggest culprits obviously are simple carbs - sugar, flour, starchy vegetables etc.
The issue that most people don't realize is that over time, refined sugars (in all their forms) can cause insulin issues and that is why type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels worldwide.
Just be mindful of the types of carbs you eat. Swap white bread for whole grain, white rice for brown or couscous, eat mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Eat whole grain pasta versus white or semolina and cut out things like fast food, soda pop, fruit juice (unless its severely watered down) and skip fruits that are high in fruit sugar (anything tropical...bananas, pineapple etc.).
Bear in mind too that mostly anything that is manufactured/processed contains too much sugar, sodium or fat so just try to avoid them as often as possible.
So much bad advice in this comment.
@chrisredmayne carbs won't make you fat; a calorie surplus will. Eat as many or as few carbs as you prefer.14 -
Carbs don't make you fat. eating at a calorie surplus does. if you are eating at a calorie deficit then you will lose weight regardless of WHAT you eat.
honestly making your lunch is the best way to accurately know what you are eating. While salads are considered healthier options, if you add a lot of nuts and multiple protein (chicken, cheese, egg, bacon) and lots of dressing they can easily (and often) be worse than a sandwich.
start small, logging, sticking to your calorie goal. then make slow swaps over time if you want to reduce your carbs. smaller portions of starches (pasta, bread, etc). Make you snacks more vegetable/fruit/protein based.
if you open your diary for awhile we can maybe more easily offer swaps.4 -
chrisredmayne wrote: »How many carbs to you is "way too many carbs"? The default MFP Marcos say 50% of your calories for carbs. You could even do more than that. It's ideal to make sure you are getting enough protein with some fat. But there is nothing wrong with having carbs as part of your macro mix. There is also nothing wrong with having a protein shake it you want to have more protein.
Honestly it sounds like you may be trying to over think things, and that's just going to sabotage you. Focus on your calorie goal first. You have a lot of flexibility to tweak your macros within that goal based on personal preference and what makes you feel full.
I was 70 percent carbs yesterday tho, is that gonna just put fat on me ? Is it more a case of cooking the same meals but changing the portion sizes ? Like a chicken pasta cook less pasta and more chicken ?
Exactly! It just takes practice. When I first started my weight loss I was eating mostly carbs too. I still lost weight by keeping calories in line.
The macros thing is a bit of a puzzle and it does take a while to get them figured out and to be consistently close to goals. I focus on protein every day and I still sometimes don't quite get there.
It's fine, it's about calories for weight management. Protein is important, so is fat. Keep moving in the direction of balance, but be gentle with yourself as you do it.4 -
Just echoing what's already been said - carbs are not the devil. Calorie surplus is.
When I started I had similar questions due to the massive amount of bad info out there and someone here suggested that for a few weeks/months, just try counting calories accurately and don't even worry about the macros, and that worked.
Relax, enjoy and track your food. If you have an overage one day don't sweat it, there's always tomorrow. You'll refine what you eat over time.2 -
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Carbs won't make you fat if you are at/under your calorie goal. But eating too much carbs may mean you are eating too little protein or fat. It's nothing to panic about though, just start logging accurately and consistently, and over the course of a week or so, see where your numbers sit. Then start figuring out how to bring anything you're low in up to goal. Just work on it slowly, and learn as you go.
And some people lose weight just fine never even glancing at their macros once
Calories for weight loss/gain.
Macros for satiety, adherence, and some health/fitness minimums
Check out this thread when you get a chance: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p17 -
I agree with everyone. Try to avoid added sugar and avoid foods with super high carbs. Fiber is a free carb so make sure you are getting 25g of fiber a day and subtract those.
I plan my daily meals that help manage macros a little better. If I’m going to have carbs 1 meal I try to limit my other 2 meals but lately Ive been at 80-90g carbs per day not subtracting fiber. I’ve Ben focusing more on calories, protein, fiber and sugar. Getting under 50 carbs per day is difficult2 -
Keeping carbs down is usually pretty simple if you avoid sugars, breads, pasta, and fruit. I am on a relatively low carb diet right now. I eat a lot of protein and fat, though. Feel free to take a look at my diary if you'd like some inspiration.2
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If you have no medical reason to avoid them, then go at it. Carbs tend to get a bad rap in weight loss because they typically contain more calories per serving. You could eat twinkies all day and still maintain your weight assuming you only ate within your caloric daily goal.
The biggest culprits obviously are simple carbs - sugar, flour, starchy vegetables etc.
The issue that most people don't realize is that over time, refined sugars (in all their forms) can cause insulin issues and that is why type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels worldwide.
Just be mindful of the types of carbs you eat. Swap white bread for whole grain, white rice for brown or couscous, eat mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Eat whole grain pasta versus white or semolina and cut out things like fast food, soda pop, fruit juice (unless its severely watered down) and skip fruits that are high in fruit sugar (anything tropical...bananas, pineapple etc.).
Bear in mind too that mostly anything that is manufactured/processed contains too much sugar, sodium or fat so just try to avoid them as often as possible.
This is almost all wrong. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. White/whole grain counterparts of the same food tend to have more or less the same calorie level. From a weight loss perspective, there is no need to swap them. The whole grain counterpart may have certain aspects of it that are more nutritious, such as higher fiber content, and they may be more filling for some people. So some may find making the switch beneficial if they find that eating refined carbs makes them more susceptible to overeating. But within meeting your calorie goals, there is absolutely no need to make a switch.
Warning someone off tropical fruits is just plain bad advice. Citrus based fruits are incredibly nutritious, and often quite filling for their calorie level. I personally find 150 calories of pineapple a whole lot more filling than 150 calories of beef (I love both and eat both, just for an illustration point).
And most importantly, carbs do not cause insulin issues/type 2 diabetes. Don't believe me, ask Diabetes: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/diabetes-food-myths/myth-sugar-causes-diabetes. Obesity can cause type 2 diabetes, so if you overeat sugar and carbs to the point where it creates a calorie surplus, that could make you more susceptible to diabetes. But the same is true with anything. Whether it be sugar or beef or butter.
Diabetes is at record levels because obesity is at record levels. But it is not from carbs, which humans have been consuming as a staple of their diets for 1000s of years. Depending on where you lived in the world, you diet was mostly bread, potatoes, or rice. Meat was for the most part a luxury reserved for the wealthy. That's why when there was a potato famine, scores died of starvation. Obesity is on the rise because we now consume more food and are less active than in the past. For example, meat consumption has doubled on a per person basis over the last 100 years, but somehow that doesn't seem to get blamed for our rise in obesity as much. Asian cultures that are heavy in (refined white) rice tend to have less obesity than we do in America.
People should avoid certain carbs and sugar if: they have a recommendation from their doctor based on a certain health condition, or they find that eating them causes them to overeat their calorie goals/not meet their nutrition goals. But if neither of these things are the case, then it is not necessary.
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I don’t even look at carbs. I shoot for meeting my calorie goal first, then protein goal, and lastly 25g fiber.6
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I was worried about my carb intake as well, but I eat a ton of fruits & veges, so the carbs I watched the most are pastas, breads, rice, etc. I'm always over mine, but in a reasonable amount once I consider how many fruits/veges I ate for the day. I focus more on my calories, sugar, fat & proteins. Those are the numbers that I look at.0
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We have a qualified nutritionist who does sessions at our workplace. Her advice is to avoid too many refined sugars due to diabetes risk. There are also studies to show too much refined sugar can exacerbate depression and lead to earlier risk of Alzheimer's dementia.
She also suggests swapping wholegrain for white where possible.
She suggests avoiding too much processed food (including processed meats).
Her advice is also to not blindly choose "low fat" products, as sometimes lower fat just means higher added sugar.
She also says exercise is good, but avoid being a "weekend warrior" doing loads at the weekend and nothing during the week if possible.
Her suggestion is to try to make small changes over time and try to make eating well a good habit.11 -
If you have no medical reason to avoid them, then go at it. Carbs tend to get a bad rap in weight loss because they typically contain more calories per serving. You could eat twinkies all day and still maintain your weight assuming you only ate within your caloric daily goal.
The biggest culprits obviously are simple carbs - sugar, flour, starchy vegetables etc.
The issue that most people don't realize is that over time, refined sugars (in all their forms) can cause insulin issues and that is why type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic levels worldwide.
Just be mindful of the types of carbs you eat. Swap white bread for whole grain, white rice for brown or couscous, eat mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Eat whole grain pasta versus white or semolina and cut out things like fast food, soda pop, fruit juice (unless its severely watered down) and skip fruits that are high in fruit sugar (anything tropical...bananas, pineapple etc.).
Bear in mind too that mostly anything that is manufactured/processed contains too much sugar, sodium or fat so just try to avoid them as often as possible.
I am genuinely curious about something and have been debating asking this question for a little while. In the face of all the evidence presented to refute the claims that you make about carbs and processed foods, and with the sheer quantity of 'woos' that are awarded to these posts, why would you keep giving the same 'advice' regarding carbohydrate consumption? I am honestly puzzled by this...
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anniecave1 wrote: »We have a qualified nutritionist who does sessions at our workplace. Her advice is to avoid too many refined sugars due to diabetes risk. There are also studies to show too much refined sugar can exacerbate depression and lead to earlier risk of Alzheimer's dementia.
She also suggests swapping wholegrain for white where possible.
She suggests avoiding too much processed food (including processed meats).
Her advice is also to not blindly choose "low fat" products, as sometimes lower fat just means higher added sugar.
She also says exercise is good, but avoid being a "weekend warrior" doing loads at the weekend and nothing during the week if possible.
Her suggestion is to try to make small changes over time and try to make eating well a good habit.
Do you know what the qualifications of this nutritionist were?
Refined sugars do not cause diabetes. In fact most studies that show a connection between sugar consumption and diabetes or Alzheimers show correlation. Most people who eat high "processed sugar" diets are also very overweight or obese. Their diets are also more likely to be low in nutritive value. And someone who is obese is more likely to have a low activity level. And folks who are obese but do NOT eat high sugar diets are also more likely to suffer from diabetes or Alzheimers. So it's far more likely excess weight and low activity level are actually increasing a person's risk.
You can't tell the nutrition of a grain by the color anymore, that's a 1990's health tip right there.
Personally, I don't think you should "blindly" choose any food, read all the labels.
I agree small changes over time are a good idea, I just don't think it's necessary to focus on carbs.5 -
anniecave1 wrote: »We have a qualified nutritionist who does sessions at our workplace. Her advice is to avoid too many refined sugars due to diabetes risk. There are also studies to show too much refined sugar can exacerbate depression and lead to earlier risk of Alzheimer's dementia.
She also suggests swapping wholegrain for white where possible.
She suggests avoiding too much processed food (including processed meats).
Her advice is also to not blindly choose "low fat" products, as sometimes lower fat just means higher added sugar.
She also says exercise is good, but avoid being a "weekend warrior" doing loads at the weekend and nothing during the week if possible.
Her suggestion is to try to make small changes over time and try to make eating well a good habit.
Your workplace should find a new nutritionist.8 -
anniecave1 wrote: »We have a qualified nutritionist who does sessions at our workplace. Her advice is to avoid too many refined sugars due to diabetes risk. There are also studies to show too much refined sugar can exacerbate depression and lead to earlier risk of Alzheimer's dementia.
She also suggests swapping wholegrain for white where possible.
She suggests avoiding too much processed food (including processed meats).
Her advice is also to not blindly choose "low fat" products, as sometimes lower fat just means higher added sugar.
She also says exercise is good, but avoid being a "weekend warrior" doing loads at the weekend and nothing during the week if possible.
Her suggestion is to try to make small changes over time and try to make eating well a good habit.
Why do you consider her to be a "qualified" nutritionist?
4
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