I thought carbs are bad?

carisarae8569
carisarae8569 Posts: 19
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
I'm so confused..it says i should eat more carbs..isnt that bread? i eat wheat bread...mostly..is that carbs? lol i thought breads made u store fat... this is all new to me..all i know is..i walk 2 miles everyday n might workout more than that...and its tellin me i need to eat more..im tryin..and i try to eat healthy things..but im not always hungry..i also have a weakness for chocoloate chip cookies late at night..is it bad to eat late at night?

Replies

  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Yep breads are carbs. But, so are whole grains, and fruits and vegetables.

    There are different opinions on this, but carbs are the quickest source of energy and are necessary in the right balance. If you want to get good cardio in, you need your carbs.

    That being said, you can tweak the percentages on the advice of a Dr. or nutritionist. I personally do 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat. That's just what I've found works for me.

    It's not bad to eat late at night, but chocolate chip cookies are only going to drain your calories for the day without providing you with any nutrients, so they're not the best choice. Also, if you're not eating enough throughout the day, that could be why you're craving them at night.

    If you're being honest about both your calories in (food) and calories out (exercise) then the shortest way to losing weight healthfully (in that you can keep it off) is to do what MFP tells you to do.:flowerforyou:
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    No carbs are not all bad, you need SOME carbs. I am not as well educated on carbs as I wish I was (good carbs vs. bad carbs) but you need a certain amount and if your workouts are intense you definitely need them. My brother runs marathons and triathalons and he always needs to have tons of carbs the night before a race.

    As far as eating late at night, I personally don't believe it's bad. You have to get your alloted calories in, so I don't see why a certain time of day is bad, 1200 calories (or whatever you eat) is 1200 calories whether eaten at 6pm or 10pm.

    I think the main reason late night eating isn't reccomended is becasue the stuff we tend to want late at night is bad, like cookies,chips, and all those other goodies that aren't good for us. The occasional cookie is ok.....if I have calories left over I like to have a treat now and then. But eating 200-400 calories worth in cookies isn't going to do you much good. You'll still be within your calories, but you won't get much nutritional value from them.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    carbohydrates are neither good nor bad, they are one of the 3 types of macronutrient that the body processes as fuel and as building blocks, the other two being fat and protein.

    There are 2 main types of carbs, simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are the stuff in processed "white" carbs like white sugar, and white flour...etc. These are generally considered the "bad" carbs because they are so processed that it's very easy for your body to break them down into their components. That's fine except what ever your body can't use right away it stores as fat. Complex carbs are harder to break down and therefore are broken down over a longer period of time, which means your body has more fuel over the long term, but less of a fuel spike that it can't use. Also complex carbs usually come along with fiber, fiber is important for many reasons, one of which is that it makes it harder for the body to break down other nutrients, that's a good thing usually (unless you are diabetic and need glucose NOW!) as it gives your body the time it needs to process those carbs.

    there are times when simple carbs are good, immediately after a long distance road race for instance, or right after a very strenuous ANAEROBIC workout where your body's glycogen levels are severly depleted. But normally it's best to keep the simple carbs to a minimum and focus on things that are whole grains, fruits, and nuts.

    Hope this helps.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    You do need some carbs. THere are lots and lots of conflict over the amount you need, although nearly everyone agrees that the less processed they are, the better. I'd suggest you play with the percentages until you find what works for you.

    I eat my ice cream late at night. I save my calories up for it and although I know the sugar isn't great close to bedtime, it is comfort food for me.
  • carisarae8569
    carisarae8569 Posts: 19
    thank u that was very enlightening!
  • LeanLioness
    LeanLioness Posts: 1,091 Member
    No carbs are not all bad, you need SOME carbs. I am not as well educated on carbs as I wish I was (good carbs vs. bad carbs) but you need a certain amount and if your workouts are intense you definitely need them. My brother runs marathons and triathalons and he always needs to have tons of carbs the night before a race.

    As far as eating late at night, I personally don't believe it's bad. You have to get your alloted calories in, so I don't see why a certain time of day is bad, 1200 calories (or whatever you eat) is 1200 calories whether eaten at 6pm or 10pm.

    I think the main reason late night eating isn't reccomended is becasue the stuff we tend to want late at night is bad, like cookies,chips, and all those other goodies that aren't good for us. The occasional cookie is ok.....if I have calories left over I like to have a treat now and then. But eating 200-400 calories worth in cookies isn't going to do you much good. You'll still be within your calories, but you won't get much nutritional value from them.

    I know someone that runs marathons and does a low carb diet.................Carbs in huge quantities are not necessity.................

    My carbs come mostly from all natural sources. Veggies first, nuts, and fruit. I consume very limited amounts of any grains because I am a carnivore as my ancestors. So fat and protein provide my body with what it needs.

    I go on about 3-4 hours of sleep a night and I feel fantastic, no lack of energy here at all.
  • carisarae8569
    carisarae8569 Posts: 19
    very interesting!
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