What's the difference between a good carb and a bad one?

thatguy010
thatguy010 Posts: 51 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm really trying to lose fat and want to cut out all the bad carbs. Which ones are the bad ones I should cut out?
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Replies

  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Jesus ate only carbs
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Bad carbs wear 2 guns.
  • thatguy010
    thatguy010 Posts: 51 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.

    So if I ate 200g of jellybeans it's the same as 200g of oatmeal?
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
    Bad ones are the ones that don't taste good.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.

    So if I ate 200g of jellybeans it's the same as 200g of oatmeal?

    Pretty much yes. Although you may get hungry again faster with the jellybeans.
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.

    So if I ate 200g of jellybeans it's the same as 200g of oatmeal?

    Eat the jellybeans. Welcome to the dark side.
  • thatguy010
    thatguy010 Posts: 51 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.

    So if I ate 200g of jellybeans it's the same as 200g of oatmeal?

    Eat the jellybeans. Welcome to the dark side.

    Enjoy diabetes eating all that sugar. i want to be healthy, so no jellybeans for me
  • jackpotclown
    jackpotclown Posts: 3,275 Member
    Bad carbs wear black
  • nutritionwhiz
    nutritionwhiz Posts: 221
    The real difference is between refined carbs and whole grain carbs. Whole grain carbs ie whole wheat bread (look for whole wheat in the ingredients list, not all brown colored bread is whole wheat), brown rice, whole wheat pasta, corn or whole wheat tortillas, Quinoa, etc will also include fiber (which helps you fill fuller) and micronutrients that are removed from refined products ie white bread, white pasta, white rice, white flour tortillas. The current recommendation is to make half of the carbs you eat in a day come from whole grain options. However, there is no harm in adults eating ALL whole grains.
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
    Bad carbs wear black

    and big black 'staches.

    They also trip people.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
    Bad carbs wear black

    *****! I'm wearing black. Not bad. :angry:
  • TobyTimmyNala
    TobyTimmyNala Posts: 40 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.

    So if I ate 200g of jellybeans it's the same as 200g of oatmeal?

    Carbs wise it would be the same. Calorie wise, probably not.
  • nutritionwhiz
    nutritionwhiz Posts: 221
    Whole grain carbs also keep your blood sugar levels more even so you don't have the crash :explode: that can come with refined carbs - this crash usually makes people want to eat more so it can help reduced overall food intake.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Getting the most bang for your calorie buck ..... I like to think in terms of "quality"

    Comparison:

    Jelly beans .... all the sugar is sucrose .... the processed kind - your saliva digests this type of sugar. It hits your bloodstream about as fast as you can eat it, no staying power. No fiber & no protein in jelly beans

    Oatmeal ....... complex carbs .... unprocessed .... takes your body awhile to digest (keeps you full longer) .... oats also contain fiber & protein
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
    the words "good" and "bad"
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Getting the most bang for your calorie buck ..... I like to think in terms of "quality"

    Comparison:

    Jelly beans .... all the sugar is sucrose .... the processed kind - your saliva digests this type of sugar. It hits your bloodstream about as fast as you can eat it, no staying power. No fiber & no protein in jelly beans

    Oatmeal ....... complex carbs .... unprocessed .... takes your body awhile to digest (keeps you full longer) .... oats also contain fiber & protein

    In terms of satiety, jellybeans aren't that bad. Not as good as oatmeal but not terrible

    A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995 Sep;49(9):675-90.

    http://ucsyd.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/om_uc_syddanmark/dokumenter/marianne_markers_kursus_NRO/110228_Holt et al Satiety index.pdf
  • sapalee
    sapalee Posts: 409 Member
    I'd be more worried about the glycemic index of different carbs. Ie. How the carbs affect your blood sugar levels. Here is an interesting website.

    http://www.glycemicindex.com/

    For me personally good carbs are all my fruits and veggies.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
    A carb is a carb is a carb.

    So if I ate 200g of jellybeans it's the same as 200g of oatmeal?

    Eat the jellybeans. Welcome to the dark side.

    Enjoy diabetes eating all that sugar. i want to be healthy, so no jellybeans for me

    Green jelly beans are part of the vegetable family.
  • thatguy010
    thatguy010 Posts: 51 Member
    I'd be more worried about the glycemic index of different carbs. Ie. How the carbs affect your blood sugar levels. Here is an interesting website.

    http://www.glycemicindex.com/

    For me personally good carbs are all my fruits and veggies.

    Thank you! this is the kind of stuff I was looking for. So low GI carbs = good carbs?
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    I'm really trying to lose fat and want to cut out all the bad carbs. Which ones are the bad ones I should cut out?

    Carbohydrates cover a gamut of different items. Generally, the "good" ones are ones that burn more slowly (also known as "complex" carbohydrates. When you eat a "good" carbohydrate, your body should be able to burn it off at about the rate you can digest it, so you'll find they provide low levels of energy for a long time.

    The "bad" ones are also known as "simple" carbohydrates or "sugars". These can be digested by the body far more quickly than they can be used, so they hit the bloodstream and give you a quick boost of energy until that reaction is damped with insulin and they are eventually flushed from the bloodstream and stored by the body as fat. Diabetics lack an insulin response or it is impaired so they have trouble regulating blood sugar levels.

    The site already has all the tools you need to find the "good" carbs and avoid the "bad" ones, and also how to balance carbs with other calorie sources. In your food diary, it'll sum up the following items:

    1. Calories. You want to eat as many of these as the site recommends daily, and get as close as you can without obsessing about it. Calories come from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

    2. Carbs. Again, try to track to the number recommended by the site. This is the OVERALL number of carbs you are eating.

    3. Sugars. This is the component of your carbs that are simple carbs. Try to keep this as close to the recommended number as possible (*)

    4. Proteins and Fats: These are the other two sources of calories. Try to meet these goals as closely as possible daily.

    (*) sugars are very hard to avoid, and have many sources, and not all sugars are created equally. The more concentrated a sugar is, the harder the body has to work to regulate it. An apple or an orange are healthy foods despite their sugar content because they are high in nutrients and the sugar is not as concentrated as, say, a teaspoon of white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
  • thatguy010
    thatguy010 Posts: 51 Member
    I'm really trying to lose fat and want to cut out all the bad carbs. Which ones are the bad ones I should cut out?

    Carbohydrates cover a gamut of different items. Generally, the "good" ones are ones that burn more slowly (also known as "complex" carbohydrates. When you eat a "good" carbohydrate, your body should be able to burn it off at about the rate you can digest it, so you'll find they provide low levels of energy for a long time.

    The "bad" ones are also known as "simple" carbohydrates or "sugars". These can be digested by the body far more quickly than they can be used, so they hit the bloodstream and give you a quick boost of energy until that reaction is damped with insulin and they are eventually flushed from the bloodstream and stored by the body as fat. Diabetics lack an insulin response or it is impaired so they have trouble regulating blood sugar levels.

    The site already has all the tools you need to find the "good" carbs and avoid the "bad" ones, and also how to balance carbs with other calorie sources. In your food diary, it'll sum up the following items:

    1. Calories. You want to eat as many of these as the site recommends daily, and get as close as you can without obsessing about it. Calories come from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

    2. Carbs. Again, try to track to the number recommended by the site. This is the OVERALL number of carbs you are eating.

    3. Sugars. This is the component of your carbs that are simple carbs. Try to keep this as close to the recommended number as possible (*)

    4. Proteins and Fats: These are the other two sources of calories. Try to meet these goals as closely as possible daily.

    (*) sugars are very hard to avoid, and have many sources, and not all sugars are created equally. The more concentrated a sugar is, the harder the body has to work to regulate it. An apple or an orange are healthy foods despite their sugar content because they are high in nutrients and the sugar is not as concentrated as, say, a teaspoon of white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

    Great thanks!, So if I eat only good/complex carbs it will help me loose fat faster?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    I'm really trying to lose fat and want to cut out all the bad carbs. Which ones are the bad ones I should cut out?

    Carbohydrates cover a gamut of different items. Generally, the "good" ones are ones that burn more slowly (also known as "complex" carbohydrates. When you eat a "good" carbohydrate, your body should be able to burn it off at about the rate you can digest it, so you'll find they provide low levels of energy for a long time.

    The "bad" ones are also known as "simple" carbohydrates or "sugars". These can be digested by the body far more quickly than they can be used, so they hit the bloodstream and give you a quick boost of energy until that reaction is damped with insulin and they are eventually flushed from the bloodstream and stored by the body as fat. Diabetics lack an insulin response or it is impaired so they have trouble regulating blood sugar levels.

    The site already has all the tools you need to find the "good" carbs and avoid the "bad" ones, and also how to balance carbs with other calorie sources. In your food diary, it'll sum up the following items:

    1. Calories. You want to eat as many of these as the site recommends daily, and get as close as you can without obsessing about it. Calories come from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

    2. Carbs. Again, try to track to the number recommended by the site. This is the OVERALL number of carbs you are eating.

    3. Sugars. This is the component of your carbs that are simple carbs. Try to keep this as close to the recommended number as possible (*)

    4. Proteins and Fats: These are the other two sources of calories. Try to meet these goals as closely as possible daily.

    (*) sugars are very hard to avoid, and have many sources, and not all sugars are created equally. The more concentrated a sugar is, the harder the body has to work to regulate it. An apple or an orange are healthy foods despite their sugar content because they are high in nutrients and the sugar is not as concentrated as, say, a teaspoon of white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

    Great thanks!, So if I eat only good/complex carbs it will help me loose fat faster?
    On a calorie for calorie bases, unfortunately not.
  • MissCheese
    MissCheese Posts: 195 Member
    Is it just me or do all the idiots appear on these boards at about the same time everyday?

    Sorry OP for all the crappy responses you had.

    Eating good or complex carbs will not help you lose fat faster but it should keep you fuller for longer.

    I avoid processed carbs, like white pasta, white rice and white bread, chosing instead brown varieties which are generally lower GI and have more fibre and nutrients. The majority of my carbs come from fresh fruits and vegetables. These are lower in calorie meaning you can stack your plate high and feel satisfied after a meal.

    If you are exercising a lot then you will need to eat complex carbs, such as brown pasta as you will need to consume more calories.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Is it just me or do all the idiots appear on these boards at about the same time everyday?

    Sorry OP for all the crappy responses you had.

    Eating good or complex carbs will not help you lose fat faster but it should keep you fuller for longer.

    I avoid processed carbs, like white pasta, white rice and white bread, chosing instead brown varieties which are generally lower GI and have more fibre and nutrients. The majority of my carbs come from fresh fruits and vegetables. These are lower in calorie meaning you can stack your plate high and feel satisfied after a meal.

    If you are exercising a lot then you will need to eat complex carbs, such as brown pasta as you will need to consume more calories.

    Or perhaps it's silly to label foods good or bad without taking context and dosage into consideration?
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    I'd be more worried about the glycemic index of different carbs. Ie. How the carbs affect your blood sugar levels. Here is an interesting website.

    http://www.glycemicindex.com/

    For me personally good carbs are all my fruits and veggies.

    Many of the physicians and surgeons I work for all recommend this website to their patients..

    REALLY good books on it as well!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Great thanks!, So if I eat only good/complex carbs it will help me loose fat faster?
    Not really.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I'm really trying to lose fat and want to cut out all the bad carbs. Which ones are the bad ones I should cut out?

    Generally "good carbs" refers to carbohydrate foods that contain a good amount of fiber. Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body can't absorb. For this reason, foods high in fiber digest more slowing and cause a slower release of sugars to your system.

    Carbohydrates with low fiber (plain sugars and overly processed grains) digest quickly and cause a sudden rise in blood sugar levels. These are generall refered to as "bad carbs".

    Examples of good carbs - brown rice, 100% whole grains breads and pastas, vegetables, fruits, quinoa, barley, oats, etc.

    Examples of bad carbs - honey, granulated sugar, syrups, white bread, pasta or rice, etc.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Great thanks!, So if I eat only good/complex carbs it will help me loose fat faster?
    Not really.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    The speed of weight loss isn't the point really.

    When you are on a reduced calorie diet, you really need to make those calories count. If you eat a lot of highly processed foods, you will be hungry more & more often. Complex carbs help you stay full longer and have lots of other nutrients & fiber that processed foods are missing.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I'd be more worried about the glycemic index of different carbs. Ie. How the carbs affect your blood sugar levels. Here is an interesting website.

    http://www.glycemicindex.com/

    For me personally good carbs are all my fruits and veggies.

    Thank you! this is the kind of stuff I was looking for. So low GI carbs = good carbs?

    In general yes, though glycemic load is a little more acurate measure. This site as good information on carbs and nutrition in general. All evidence based.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates/index.html

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