Scared of carbs....

I think I already know what the answer to this is going to be but here goes....

When I lost weight back in 2006 (managed to keep it off until end of 2008, then lost it again but still hanging a good 9lbs over where I once was) I barely had any refined carbohydrates at all. I allowed myself porridge in the morning and I frequently ate potatoes and sweet potatoes, but NEVER bread or pasta.

Now I am finding it hard to believe I will lose weight eating these foods. For lunch I've had beand on (white) toast with grated cheese on top - I'm still way under my calorie goal, but feel really guilty! Should I be cutting right down on refined carbs to see quicker results and better toning?

White carbs are bad for you, not just the carbs but everything good about them was stripped away. stick with wholewheat breads and pastas, and brown rices. Eating "white" carbs is similar to eating refined sugar, and will spike you blood sugar similarly, and will give you energy peaks and valleys instead of an even level of energy.

When it comes to weight loss calories in vs calories out matters much more than the type of calorie, but you won't be as energetic or healthy eating "white" carbs.

sophs... I feel your pain. The only eating style I could do and NOT grow was what a lot of people refer to as the caveman diet. And, it worked... I supposed... given that I never gained weight, but I never lost it either and started to develop HTN and Hi Cholestorol.

What was missing from my lifestyle is the same thing you did not mention in your post. Excersize. I now do cardiovascular excersize for at least 60 minutes a day. Granted, I have only been doing that for a week... but that, combined with a natural, non-dairy, low fat diet may be the answer to your question of how do you lose weight while adding carbs... Over the past week I have added an english muffin (No offense ) to my diet and a few other carbs and I have lost 7 pounds.

I will add you as a friend so you can see my diary... Keep in mind, before I joined MFP and started P90X I was eating this 7 days a week:

Breakfast - 2 Scrambled Eggs
Lunch - Large Salad with 2 eggs, some other protien like tuna or chicken
Dinner - Whatver protein my wife was serving but I would eat 2 or 3 portions of just the protien

Look at what I have eaten over the past week and you will see the difference.

I think I already know what the answer to this is going to be but here goes....

When I lost weight back in 2006 (managed to keep it off until end of 2008, then lost it again but still hanging a good 9lbs over where I once was) I barely had any refined carbohydrates at all. I allowed myself porridge in the morning and I frequently ate potatoes and sweet potatoes, but NEVER bread or pasta.

Now I am finding it hard to believe I will lose weight eating these foods. For lunch I've had beand on (white) toast with grated cheese on top - I'm still way under my calorie goal, but feel really guilty! Should I be cutting right down on refined carbs to see quicker results and better toning?

White carbs are bad for you, not just the carbs but everything good about them was stripped away. stick with wholewheat breads and pastas, and brown rices. Eating "white" carbs is similar to eating refined sugar, and will spike you blood sugar similarly, and will give you energy peaks and valleys instead of an even level of energy.

When it comes to weight loss calories in vs calories out matters much more than the type of calorie, but you won't be as energetic or healthy eating "white" carbs.

The difference in the majority of cases is fibre and micronutrients. Sticking to whole grain is a good idea if you can but if the macro's are the same then IMO there will be negligible difference in weight loss or body composition.

The spiking of insulin is a risk if you are diabetic but otherwise I don't believe it is something that you really need to worry about.

If you really want to you could limit your refined carbs to post workout when you're body requires the nutrients most.

Im also terrified of carbs, its really screwed up my head! I was on Atkins and i had it drummed into me how bad they are, so any carbs i feel so guilty about these days!

The fear of carbs is just like the fear or dietary fats back in the '80s. When you learn what works for your body you will no longer fear any kind of food (and most people without allergies, food sensitivities, or conditions like diabetes will find that a moderate level of all macros works just fine).

Just remember to make better choices and lower those portion sizes and you can have a healthy balanced diet that includes carbs.

Of course, I hate getting into that carb is evil vs. carbs are great debate...but this thread hasn't become volatile yet. :flowerforyou:

There are carbs in near everything, veggies, fruit, whole grains, some dairy (yogurt, etc)... to limit yourself to one or two food groups because you fear carbs is wrong. Your body NEEDS the nutrients that these foods offer. Now this doesn't mean go have a huge bowl of pasta with a ton of butter and a baked potato on the side? No. But everything in moderation is fine and I haven't seen any negative effects. I feel full longer (with good carbs, whole grain, multi-grain, things like oatmeal, multigrain/sprouted breads, whole grain pastas (sometimes even normal pasta!)), have the energy to get through my day and exercise, and am not depriving my body of anything it needs to keep my skin, hair, nails, and insides healthy. I usually look at the cals per serving size. For things like oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry for example, is perfect for me, because I add a banana and berries to it too... (even though serving says 1/2 cup). Judge for yourself, but realize there's more to fear if you strictly restrict carbs. Your body won't be getting other nutrients found in foods that contain carbs, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Bottom line, I think the point of MFP is to help us learn portion control and HEALTHY eating, not to give us an excuse for another fad diet. You will lose weight by eating healthy and exercising--no need to make things hard on yourself. Slow and steady always wins the race in the long run... always. Don't worry about losing a lot of weight in a small amount of time. I've been here since March and am very happy with how far I've come. Better yet, I don't feel deprived of ANYTHING.

Good luck and stay strong always!

These are scary little suckers alright!