Whats so bad about carbs??

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katiepie111
katiepie111 Posts: 83 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am 5'11 and around 86 kgs (189 pounds) at present - am doing the 30DS and walking for about 30mins a day - my question is what should my carb/protein/fat ratio be? ive only been on mfp for 2 weeks so am just following what mfp has given me in terms of the ratios, but still become under in my carbs and fats most days - but i see on here people try and eat as little carbs as possible or under 100g, if i wanted a lean toned body should i do this too? i want to start as i mean to continue no point in starting a certain way of eating then having to change it.

Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    There's nothing bad about carbs in general, but you definitely want to cut out the white, processed carbs. Try to avoid white bread, white rice and regular pasta, sugars, etc.

    Whether or not you choose to cut your carbs to below 100 grams per day is really up to you. I did recently and after being stuck in a plateau for a few weeks, was able to start losing weight again. I've just found that low calorie doesn't work for me if I want to drop pounds; I need to lower my carbs, too.
  • routerguy666
    routerguy666 Posts: 188
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    Your pancreas releases insulin after you eat carbs. Insulin can make you feel hungry, for some people very much so. So moderate your carb intake, and don't feel as hungry all the time. Nothing 'bad' about carbs themselves, you need them. Just not nearly as much as folks tend to consume.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    You have asked a very good question, grasshopper, and the sign of a good question is when there is no one easy answer. :tongue:

    Many good-hearted, well-meaning people will give you much advice. But they can only tell you what what worked for them. And that may or may not work for you. Everyone is different.

    Here's the deal: people evolved in different environments. Depending on your ancestry, your body may process certain types of calories more or less efficiently than others. There is NO SUCH THING as a one-size-fits-all diet that will work for everyone. You can see this for yourself: just look at all the perfectly healthy people who are vegan or vegetarian, and then look at all the perfectly healthy people who follow a Paleo or Primal diet. And then look at all the people who follow the US RDA percentages religiously & exercise regularly, and yet can't lose weight. I was one of those last people for 20 years, until my doctor tested my metabolism and found out what my body wants. Apparently my body sucks at processing carbs, so I need a ratio of 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein in order to be healthy. Most people aren't that extreme, of course. My point is that you need to adjust your ratios until you find what works best for you. Most people find that the US recommendations are a little high on the carbs and low on the protein, so you could start by adjusting that slightly.

    I know you said you don't want to start a certain way and then have to change it, but that's really the only way to go about it. You try one system, and if it works, great. But if it doesn't give you the results you want, you gotta tinker with it a little. Use the good old scientific method, trial and error. Unless you can get a doctor to do the three-hour blood glucose test and tell you exactly what ratios you need (which is what I did), but I know a lot of doctors won't bother with it and not everyone has good health insurance so you have to figure it out for yourself. Probably not what you wanted to hear, I know. But if this were easy to figure out, no one would be fat...

    Best of luck to you!
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
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    Nothing's really BAD about them. Theres two kinds of carbs, Simple and Complex. Simple carbs are what you want to avoid (foods with a lot of sugar, syrup, jelly, honey, soda, etc) Complex are the good kind (whole grains, beans, veggies). RDA recommend something like 130carbs a day.
  • sweetnessangel02
    sweetnessangel02 Posts: 2
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    great answer.
  • MercKlebba
    MercKlebba Posts: 55 Member
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    Like the previous posts have said, there is nothing "bad" about carbs. Now, there are better carbs that you should consume in moderation (like 100g/day) and these are mainly your fiberous carbs. Foods like beans, legumes, whole grains, and veggies. Those are mainly complex carbs. Simple carbs are what you really shouldn't eat if you are trying to lose the fat. Foods like refined, sugar, white flour, white pasta/bread/potatos. Fruits with an excess of fructose. Things like that. Take a look at some of the food lists for Atkins/South Beach/Caveman diet. You'll see what kinds of foods have the good carbs and what foods to stay away from. I have been very successful in the past with a low carb/high protein/lean meat diet. But some people have trouble with it, so just do what works best for you. :) Good luck!
  • katiepie111
    katiepie111 Posts: 83 Member
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    thanks all for your very helpful answers :) guess il just keep going as i am, and see what happens! and i tend to only eat the wholegrain carbs most of the time with a few meals including white noodles (i hate wholegrain pasta) and potatoes.
  • joannepapas
    joannepapas Posts: 32 Member
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    As AdAstra said...you will need to find what works for you. I feel better on a low carb diet, I think more clearly on a low carb diet, I lose better on a low carb diet...this means I live better on a low carb diet. And I am not using the word "diet" as in short term that you go on and off later. I mean the way I eat. If my diet is low carb....it just is better. I can still eat many of the normally taboo type things like cheese and steak and bacon...but I load up on veggies and really take it easy on the other carbs. I have been doing it about a month now...and I just feel so good...I am eating less...I don't get blood sugar drops anymore....and I just make sure I have what I need on hand so I don't have to rely on anything else that won't be a good fuel for my body. Drink lots of water too. Watching your carbs is definitely worth a try. You do need to commit to at least two weeks though. Many people quit after a few days, cause the body actually goes through withdrawl from the carbs. But after that you'll feel great. Let us all know how it works out for you. good luck!

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