Carbs... friend or foe?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Friend. To low carb makes me sick.