Carbs... friend or foe?
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To low carbs you gain fa,t to many carbs you gain fat. A dietician would really help if you cant tell with your body.0
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Just food.
Not good, not bad, just... food and calories the same way as any other macro.5 -
Carbs - if you mean the traditional starchy carbs (potato, rice, pasta, bread etc) are not my friends - they’re more like that guy or girl who is a friend of a friend who is always around when we spend time together.
They just make my real friends (vegetables and protein) a bit more fun to spend time with. 😊1 -
Friend with limitations.
I'm set up as a 40/30/30 mix but end up exceeding the fat a lot of the time. Probably because I eat meat at most meals otherwise I feel weak. Sometimes I eat beans but they make me bloat. Same with pasta and bread. I like pasta but minimize it. I eat small amounts of whole grains but the bulk of my carbs are from vegetables and a little bit of fruit. About half of the fat I eat is from olive oil.
Using the default range is a good place to start. Then experiment and adjust to what makes you feel the best. I tried low fat back in the 90s and it made me feel like *kitten*. Bad moods and headaches. Since then I embrace the fat. I don't much care if I live to be 100. At what cost?3 -
I sometimes wish I had photographed the tables laden with carbs of all types at the halfway point on a challenging 100km cycle ride, surrounded by slim, fit, healthy and smiling cyclists of all ages including quite a few octogenarians.
A more holistic view of diet, health and activity is probably more helpful than looking for simplistic good/bad or friend/foe options.
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I focus on my calories and on a sufficient amount of protein (minimum 100gr). I don't watch my carbs at all, but I generally end up a bit lower than MFP's standard macros. Still 170-250gr of carbs per day though, on average. Hasn't stopped me from losing 60+ lbs so far.4
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Friend...
And keep in mind that a lot of the things people categorize as "carbs" are actually equal parts, if not more, "fats" (cake, for instance...or ice cream.) Most foods aren't just composed of one macro only.4 -
CARBS ARE A NECESSARY PART OF YOUR DIET.
Just like fat, it's a nutrient that you absolutely need. Just like fat, there are different types--pineapple, garlic bread, beans, carrots and chocolate chip cookies all are high in carbs but obviously very different nutritionally. Just like fat, in the modern diet we tend to get too much and too much of certain kinds and that's where we run into trouble.
I realize most people here understand that, but a fair amount come here with the overly simplistic understanding of "carbs bad" when there's a big difference between eating a bagel with cream cheese for lunch versus vegetable sushi with brown rice and avocado.2 -
kenyonhaff wrote: »CARBS ARE A NECESSARY PART OF YOUR DIET.
Just like fat, it's a nutrient that you absolutely need. Just like fat, there are different types--pineapple, garlic bread, beans, carrots and chocolate chip cookies all are high in carbs but obviously very different nutritionally. Just like fat, in the modern diet we tend to get too much and too much of certain kinds and that's where we run into trouble.
I realize most people here understand that, but a fair amount come here with the overly simplistic understanding of "carbs bad" when there's a big difference between eating a bagel with cream cheese for lunch versus vegetable sushi with brown rice and avocado.
Nope - they are not necessary nor are they required (your body can synthesize all of the glucose it needs from fat and protein).
They are however tasty, filling (for some) and deliver a wide range of micro nutrients.
As to the original question - a very good friend!7 -
Complex carbs are the friend I can rely on to support me and say nice things about me when I'm not around. Simple carbs are more like the nosy neighbour you can't always avoid and you know they're going to be a *kitten* about you when you leave.2
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I get about 60% of my calories from carbohydrates, most of them in nutrient-dense foods . . . but I'm not worried about including some "fun" calories in the context of a varied diet. My weight management has always come down to calories consumed.5
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ExpressoLove11 wrote: »Complex carbs are the friend I can rely on to support me and say nice things about me when I'm not around. Simple carbs are more like the nosy neighbour you can't always avoid and you know they're going to be a *kitten* about you when you leave.
That's a mean thing to say about fruit!
Just because people often seem to think that simple vs complex has something to do with micronutrients, simple = sugar, including sugar in micronutrient rich foods like fruit, and complex = starch, including refined white flour.7 -
ExpressoLove11 wrote: »Complex carbs are the friend I can rely on to support me and say nice things about me when I'm not around. Simple carbs are more like the nosy neighbour you can't always avoid and you know they're going to be a *kitten* about you when you leave.
That's a mean thing to say about fruit!
Just because people often seem to think that simple vs complex has something to do with micronutrients, simple = sugar, including sugar in micronutrient rich foods like fruit, and complex = starch, including refined white flour.
I'm talking about my personal tolerance of the different types of carbs.0 -
realnurse26 wrote: »There is so much conflicting info out there on carbs. Some say Keto is the way to go, others say you must eat carbs in order to lose weight. Some say forget counting carbs all together and just watch your calories. Then there’s the whole “watching macros” deal that makes no sense to me whatsoever. Where do you get those percentages and how on earth do you track them? I understand how important protein is, but carbs are the wild card for me. What’s your opinion/experience with carbs?
Carbohydrates are just carbohydrates...they're one of three macro-nutrients...nothing more and nothing less. There are many nutrient dense sources of carbohydrates as well. Weight management comes down to energy (calories). When you consume energy in excess of what your body needs, that excess energy is stored as bodyfat...basically your backup generator. When you consume less energy than your body requires, your backup generator kicks on to make up the difference and you burn bodyfat for fuel.4 -
Keto (not the bacon, lunch meat, and cheese version) is very effective. I’ve eaten a clean keto diet since last August and am able to maintain my physique, after losing 40lbs. Having worked out for almost 20 yrs, and trying multiple styles of eating, it’s been the most effective for me and is by far the one I’ve been able to stick to the longest.
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Friend. To low carb makes me sick.4
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