Carbohydrates makes me more hungry?

Redemption187
Redemption187 Posts: 8
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks, I am a new member to this site, I must say that it is awesome and very helpful! I love how I can monitor everything that I eat everyday and knowing that I am in control of what I eat! :D I just have one question, every time I eat whole wheat bread, pastas or oatmeal I tend to eat more the rest of the day. I feel like carbohydrates makes me more hungry! I don't know why. Any opinions/answers will be appreciated folks, thank you!

Replies

  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
    Make sure you're getting in plenty of protein with those carbs. MFPs default protein level is pretty low, so I would recommend eating more.
  • jnbud2002
    jnbud2002 Posts: 216
    I concur! It seems like the yummy deliciously fat for you foods make us hungry faster... Which I believe is a factor to our weight gain. WE must get out of this rut! Try drinking a glass of water before you eat, I need to practice what I preach, and also during the meal and after. I'll try it out tomorrow and let you know how it goes. And after you eat these carbalicious meals and feel hungry soon after, drink some water, they say that although you think you are hungry in reality you are just thirsty.
  • shanahan_09
    shanahan_09 Posts: 238 Member
    Maybe change what kind of carbs you're eating. Fibrous carbs ( veggies etc) keep me full longer, mix them with a complex carb (whole grains etc.)...and it's even better. For instance, today for lunch I had steamed broccoli, brown rice, and some fish. Little bit of this, little bit of that, and your stomach will be happy! :)
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    I agree...water...protein, both very good suggestions...also read the ingredients of what you're eating. Just because something is whole wheat doesn't mean it's healthy. The better option is a whole grain bread or even better...sprouted grain bread.
    Watch out for added sugars in your food...take care to avoid high fructose corn syrup...it's an over processed sugar that will make you want more when you eat it. I find pasta is the worst for making me hungry...I've come to the point where I avoid it altogether.
  • SaraSweetheart
    SaraSweetheart Posts: 34 Member
    Alright... here's what's up. Check out the glycemic index of what you're eating. Basically, raw white sugar has a glycemic index of 61. So if anything has a glycemic index of higher than 61, this means that whatever you're eating will spike your blood sugar faster than sugar can! Be careful, because a lot of cereal products have a high glycemic index. Some brown breads have a glycemic index of about 67. 55 is a low glycemic index. If you must have bread, try pumpernickle; it's glycemic index is about 44, so it won't spike your blood sugar.

    If your blood sugar is spiked, insulin is released to try and get the blood sugar down. Eventually, if you have too much sugar in your blood, insulin won't do its job, so you ACTUALLY HAVE TO EAT MORE for that sugar to go away into the cells... and it's the fat cells that get it. In short, sometimes you're not fat because you're eating; you're eating because you're getting fat. Eat for your blood sugar. Don't be afraid of healthy fats. The Canada food guide is actually wrong! If you ate as many carbohydrates a day as it told you to, you would actually gain 3 and 1/2 cups of sugar from all these carbohydrates! So, in summary, get your carbs from low-glycemic foods, try and get as many as you can from vegetables, and eat things like oatmeal without sugar added if you can... or always just limit your intake.

    You should be eating 40 % carb, 20-30% healthy fat, and 40-30% protein. Don't be shy of healthy fats! THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT to feed your brain! Just avoid trans fats like the plague. (This includes processed things like margarine.) Use olive oil, butter instead of margarine (YES BUTTER... it should have cream and salt for ingredients, that's it... your body will digest butter but not margarine), coconut oil, etc etc (NOT VEGETABLE OIL). Eat avocados, nuts in small portions, etc. etc. Flax also helps regulate the blood sugar. Eat this way, and you'll be less hungry. Don't be afraid of dairy either; just don't go overboard. It's always best to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables in as possible.
  • Redemption187
    Redemption187 Posts: 8
    Folks thank you for all the tips! I really appreciate it! :D
  • misskariw
    misskariw Posts: 171 Member
    I totally agree. I had a sub sandwich from Jimmy John's yesterday and was starving by the time I got home, even though that meant I had eaten more yesterday than I've been eating for the last 10-12 days. It's a hard cycle to break, too. I'm ok as long as I'm sticking with meats, cheeses, fruits, & veggies, but as soon as I add that bread factor, i am ready to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly in the form of glucose. Your body can only handle so much glucose in the bloodstream before you go into a coma and die. So, as soon as blood glucose levels start rising, a healthy pancreas starts secreting insulin. Insulin is a key hormone and is part of the biochemical pathway that stores glucose as glycogen (in muscles and liver) and as fat. Big spikes in blood glucose lead to larger insulin secretions. This causes your blood sugar to plummet and WHAM you experience a new sensation of hunger. The key thing to remember is that when we feel hunger, we are not feeling an empty belly. Hunger is how our brain signals us that we have low blood sugar. We often also mistake thirst for hunger and eat when we should actually be drinking water.

    People can also develop insulin resistance which makes this yo-yo more severe. Try carbs that have a low glycemic index and try to eat carbs, fat and protein in every meal/snack.
  • sjmelia
    sjmelia Posts: 8 Member
    Could be the wheat. Good article here:

    http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/8-reasons-wheat-making-you-gain/tip/1
  • Heather_Jen
    Heather_Jen Posts: 33
    AWESOME POST!
    Alright... here's what's up. Check out the glycemic index of what you're eating. Basically, raw white sugar has a glycemic index of 61. So if anything has a glycemic index of higher than 61, this means that whatever you're eating will spike your blood sugar faster than sugar can! Be careful, because a lot of cereal products have a high glycemic index. Some brown breads have a glycemic index of about 67. 55 is a low glycemic index. If you must have bread, try pumpernickle; it's glycemic index is about 44, so it won't spike your blood sugar.

    If your blood sugar is spiked, insulin is released to try and get the blood sugar down. Eventually, if you have too much sugar in your blood, insulin won't do its job, so you ACTUALLY HAVE TO EAT MORE for that sugar to go away into the cells... and it's the fat cells that get it. In short, sometimes you're not fat because you're eating; you're eating because you're getting fat. Eat for your blood sugar. Don't be afraid of healthy fats. The Canada food guide is actually wrong! If you ate as many carbohydrates a day as it told you to, you would actually gain 3 and 1/2 cups of sugar from all these carbohydrates! So, in summary, get your carbs from low-glycemic foods, try and get as many as you can from vegetables, and eat things like oatmeal without sugar added if you can... or always just limit your intake.

    You should be eating 40 % carb, 20-30% healthy fat, and 40-30% protein. Don't be shy of healthy fats! THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT to feed your brain! Just avoid trans fats like the plague. (This includes processed things like margarine.) Use olive oil, butter instead of margarine (YES BUTTER... it should have cream and salt for ingredients, that's it... your body will digest butter but not margarine), coconut oil, etc etc (NOT VEGETABLE OIL). Eat avocados, nuts in small portions, etc. etc. Flax also helps regulate the blood sugar. Eat this way, and you'll be less hungry. Don't be afraid of dairy either; just don't go overboard. It's always best to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables in as possible.
  • RetroGlitzDiva
    RetroGlitzDiva Posts: 109 Member
    Personally I think the default macro settings are ridiculous! Way too many carbs, not enough protein or fat. I try to keep my carbs around 30 g daily unless I do more exercise than usual and even then I try my best to keep under 100. I barely every have cravings anymore and its rare to be ravenous hungry either. Check out Marksdailyapple.com for the eating plan I am on if you are interested.
  • christenwypy
    christenwypy Posts: 335 Member
    Well I know they burn quicker so you are hungry again sooner after eating them. I am guessing this is why. I think carbs also have an effect on mood which is why a lot of them are considered comfort food and so they have an addictive sort of quality to them as well.
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,236 Member
    Yes carbs should be paired with healthy proteins and/or fats
  • jlriffle
    jlriffle Posts: 3 Member
    45-65% of your daily calories should be coming from carbs. They are rediculously important to our bodies, but you need to consume the healthy ones. Get your carbs from whole (not refined) grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans. Read up on glycemic load/index to help you choose better options. If you cook pasta, cook it for 3-4 minutes only, leaving it al dente, for this will cause the glycemic load to decrease.

    Carbs leave our stomachs within 1-2 hours generally, proteins 2-4 and fats can stay much longer than both, which is why we feel full for so much longer after a high fat meal (this is why we get so hungry withing 2-4 hours after chinese food. it is usually carbs [veggies and rice] with small bits of protein [meat/tofu] both of which leave our stomachs within 4 hours). When our stomachs are empty a hormone is released (ghrelin) that sends hunger messages to the brain.

    If you add a decent amount of healthy fat to these carb meals, you will most likely find the satiety lasts much longer.
  • Inebriated
    Inebriated Posts: 271
    I used to have the same problem so I stopped eating a lot of carbs and more fats/proteins.
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
    Hi folks, I am a new member to this site, I must say that it is awesome and very helpful! I love how I can monitor everything that I eat everyday and knowing that I am in control of what I eat! :D I just have one question, every time I eat whole wheat bread, pastas or oatmeal I tend to eat more the rest of the day. I feel like carbohydrates makes me more hungry! I don't know why. Any opinions/answers will be appreciated folks, thank you!

    I have found that if I eat protein with my carbs this doesnt happen. I have a very active job and discovered if I ate just oatmeal for breakfast I was hungry again in two hours. But when I had two eggs with a piece of whole wheat toast that didnt happen
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
    This is a funny one because, although a lot of people find that carbs make them hungry (like me!) some people actually do better with a lot of carbs. You might get people who say that there is nothing wrong with eating a lot of carbs, but that's what works for them and not necessarily what works for you. Some people find that they have to restrict their carbs to very small amounts but I find that doesn't agree with me. I guess we're all different. If you are finding carbs make you hungry then follow the advice above and it will really help. I can vouch for it. I have my macros at 30% protein: 30% fat: 40% carbs and that's what works for me :)
  • Arthemise1
    Arthemise1 Posts: 365 Member
    I notice that I am definitely sensitive to carbs. If I keep them to a minimum and have lots of protein, I don't get hungry nearly as much.
  • BigSexy0_0
    BigSexy0_0 Posts: 57
    bump
  • bcmlam1001
    bcmlam1001 Posts: 118 Member
    Hi folks, I am a new member to this site, I must say that it is awesome and very helpful! I love how I can monitor everything that I eat everyday and knowing that I am in control of what I eat! :D I just have one question, every time I eat whole wheat bread, pastas or oatmeal I tend to eat more the rest of the day. I feel like carbohydrates makes me more hungry! I don't know why. Any opinions/answers will be appreciated folks, thank you!


    FACT: It makes me that way also! I have STOPPED eating wheat bread and oatmeal. I gave up oatmeal about 6 months ago and about 2-3 months gave up wheat bread. I have cut alot of bread out in general but when and if I do eat a sandwich or burger or hotdog or sub I don't eat wheat bread. It usually has more calories and fat to but the main reason was just the carb load it made my sugar crash and I would eat eat eat. No fun! So I just gave it up mostly

    *I try to stay at 150 or lower and that just helps eliminate alot of carbs for the day! Bread at breakfast lunch and dinner for me ==not good at all!
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
    ... I just have one question, every time I eat whole wheat bread, pastas or oatmeal I tend to eat more the rest of the day. I feel like carbohydrates makes me more hungry! I don't know why. Any opinions/answers will be appreciated folks, thank you!
    As has been mentioned, whole-wheat bread is generally very high-glycemic and often has added HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup) in it. Not kidding, look at your label you may be surprised...

    Sprouted-grain breads are a better choice as they're made without flour, thus are much better for you than most breads in the supermarket.

    Pasta is refined carbohydrate from soft wheat, regardless if it's white, wheat, whole-grain, or "low-carb" pasta. Even if cooked al-dente or even undercooked it causes huge spikes and drops in both glucose and insulin - and this is well known to trigger food cravings.

    Oatmeal can be good - but commercially-available rolled oats are actually not that great for you. If you can, get some steel-cut oats. They're higher in fiber, slower-digesting and overall lower glycemic.

    There's nothing wrong with eating 40% of your calories from healthy carbohydrates for the majority of people (exceptions are those with diabetes/metabolic syndrome, PCOS, hashimotos, epilepsy or any other medical reason to reduce carbs) but even for those that CAN eat lots of carbohydrate, the best sources of carbs - in terms of amount of nutrition per gram of carbohydrate - are non-starchy vegetables and lower-GI fruits, especially berries. If you can avoid the starchy carbs (such as grains, potatoes, corn, parsnips) and ESPECIALLY avoid refined carbohydrate (flours and sugars) you'll likely find that you don't get those cravings that make you eat more than you need.
  • nikkidannih
    nikkidannih Posts: 1
    i definitely agree, i find when i eat carbs, even complex carbs such as oats and sweet potatoes i have far more cravings, that i find impossible to resist. when i eat only protein or protein and veggies i don't have this problem. i'm sure its all to do with the blood sugar levels (insulin) spiking after eating carbs, hence when they return to normal, cravings. I take chromium, a mineral that helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which helps to reduce this. also i mix it up, having some days only eating protein (ducan style) some only protein and veg, some days when i need more energy with carbs too. hope this helps :)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    tumblr_inline_mghfxgDg3P1raj8mk.gif

    protein. put it inside you!
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