Carbs...How many do you eat per day?
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TabbyP1987
Posts: 8
I read that for optimal weight loss you should only eat 50-100 carbs per day. I have been paying close attention to the amount of carbs in my food and I just logged a cup of grapes for the first time and it came up at 25! I thought fruit would be the way to go on this new lifestyle but apparently I was wrong. What do you guys eat throughout the day as snacks without the carbs adding up? How many carbs do you average per day and still see weight loss?
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Well, when I'm on plan, I try to hit around 75-80. I lost like 4 pounds in 3 weeks where I had hadn't really lost much weight in months. I keep my fruit intake to one serving a day. I like to snack on pork rinds, beef jerky, nuts....
I've been doing pretty bad lately but today is a new day and I'm trying to stay positive.0 -
You might find after a few months eating this way that snacking drops off your radar. Snacking goes hand in hand with the roller coaster ride that is eating carbs. Eat carbs, hour later you're ready to gnaw your arm off :-) Eat a meal that's high in fat and protein and it stays with you longer; snacks not needed so much.
That being said, a snack for me would be a handful (not half a bag!) of nuts like walnuts, pistachios, macadamia; can of sardines; smoothie (rare); beef or salmon jerky; or like today: banana sliced into ghee/coconut oil with a tsp maple syrup and dollop of coconut cream (this was not typical but was insanely wonderful!)
Edit to actually answer your question: 20% of calories ... MFP calculates that to be 60 grams.0 -
Most days I am a little over 150, but then other days I am below 75...it just depends on how I feel like eating that day, and what I am doing. I run about 5 days a week and also do crossfit 5 days a week, so the carbs I eat (pretty much all fruits and vegetables) don't have time to hang around in my body, so I don't really worry about it. If you are pretty active going over 100 is not so much a big deal IMO.
On days where my workouts are not as intense and/or I don't run as far or fast as others I try to limit the amount of sugary carbs from fruits.
Snacks for me range from a piece of fruit, to a few almonds, to a leftover chicken breast or pork chop or other meat. If I want something a little more indulgent I will eat a couple strips of beautiful bacon dipped in some 84% dark chocolate...so tasty.
If you eat snacks with carbs like fresh vegetables (a handfull of baby carrots or whatever) you won't get the sugar high and feel as hungry an hour later as you would if you ate a bunch of fruit or other sugary type snacks0 -
i try to keep my carbs around 100 or so. I'm rarely successful. But I figure that if most of my carbs are coming from fruits and vegetables, I'm ok with it. Right now my only daily concession to refined carbs is the sugar in my coffee. I'm working on cutting it back.0
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Well, when I'm on plan, I try to hit around 75-80. I lost like 4 pounds in 3 weeks where I had hadn't really lost much weight in months. I keep my fruit intake to one serving a day. I like to snack on pork rinds, beef jerky, nuts....
I've been doing pretty bad lately but today is a new day and I'm trying to stay positive.
Yea I've been stuck for about a month now after losing 9 lbs over a few months so I have decided that I need to cut all off the "poison" out of my diet. 4lbs in 3 weeks is awesome keep up the good work!!0 -
You might find after a few months eating this way that snacking drops off your radar. Snacking goes hand in hand with the roller coaster ride that is eating carbs. Eat carbs, hour later you're ready to gnaw your arm off :-) Eat a meal that's high in fat and protein and it stays with you longer; snacks not needed so much.
That being said, a snack for me would be a handful (not half a bag!) of nuts like walnuts, pistachios, macadamia; can of sardines; smoothie (rare); beef or salmon jerky; or like today: banana sliced into ghee/coconut oil with a tsp maple syrup and dollop of coconut cream (this was not typical but was insanely wonderful!)
Edit to actually answer your question: 20% of calories ... MFP calculates that to be 60 grams.
Good point with the whole carb roller coaster I did not think of that! I guess I just did not realize that fruit had a decent amount of carbs but I did buy some nuts to snack on and I bought them in snack packs so I cannot eat the whole bag! So, good to know that is the way to go. Do you buy the jerky from the store or make it yourself? I have a hard time finding anything natural in the stores around me.0 -
i try to keep my carbs around 100 or so. I'm rarely successful. But I figure that if most of my carbs are coming from fruits and vegetables, I'm ok with it. Right now my only daily concession to refined carbs is the sugar in my coffee. I'm working on cutting it back.
I am beginning to follow this new lifestyle tomorrow and my only real concern is the coffee as well. I definitely cannot drink it black so I guess one I finish the creamers that I have maybe I will try to just drink with just cream because I read on www.marksdailyapple.com it is best to go with a natural heavy cream than something that has been processed. Do you know anything about that or would you go with something more like skim milk?0 -
Most days I am a little over 150, but then other days I am below 75...it just depends on how I feel like eating that day, and what I am doing. I run about 5 days a week and also do crossfit 5 days a week, so the carbs I eat (pretty much all fruits and vegetables) don't have time to hang around in my body, so I don't really worry about it. If you are pretty active going over 100 is not so much a big deal IMO.
On days where my workouts are not as intense and/or I don't run as far or fast as others I try to limit the amount of sugary carbs from fruits.
Snacks for me range from a piece of fruit, to a few almonds, to a leftover chicken breast or pork chop or other meat. If I want something a little more indulgent I will eat a couple strips of beautiful bacon dipped in some 84% dark chocolate...so tasty.
If you eat snacks with carbs like fresh vegetables (a handfull of baby carrots or whatever) you won't get the sugar high and feel as hungry an hour later as you would if you ate a bunch of fruit or other sugary type snacks
Thanks for all of the great info. I usually modify what I eat anyway on day when I do not get to work out. Do you find that you are still losing weight when your carbs are in the higher range since you are completing intense workouts?0 -
I stalled when I went below 50g per day so I'm between 50-100 most days now and losing again0
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i try to keep my carbs around 100 or so. I'm rarely successful. But I figure that if most of my carbs are coming from fruits and vegetables, I'm ok with it. Right now my only daily concession to refined carbs is the sugar in my coffee. I'm working on cutting it back.
I am beginning to follow this new lifestyle tomorrow and my only real concern is the coffee as well. I definitely cannot drink it black so I guess one I finish the creamers that I have maybe I will try to just drink with just cream because I read on www.marksdailyapple.com it is best to go with a natural heavy cream than something that has been processed. Do you know anything about that or would you go with something more like skim milk?
Someone here suggested to buy canned coconut milk (in the baking or ethnic foods aisle, not the refrigerated section), let the solids settle out in the fridge, and whip it to use in your coffee. I tried it, and it's pretty good. I still need sugar though. Mostly I've been using heavy whipping cream (not whipped, just pour it straight out of the carton), and it is FANTASTIC.
There's a thread on this group about "bulletproof coffee." http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/520969-bulletproof-coffee I'm pretty sure when I made it I still used a little sugar, but it was less than I usually use, and it was FANTASTIC. Sounds gross, but give it a try. I added cinnamon.0 -
I try to keep it between 50-80 per day for maintenance. For losing i kept it below 50.0
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I keep under 100/day - I have my dairy set to 85 - but I have been taking a little break from journaling as of late.
It can be hard with fruits and some veggies like certain squashs and sweet potatos since they are higher in carbs and sugars.
I try to stick with 2 lower carb fruits a day...berries, small orange or apple (be careful on the apple sizes - I buy what they call "lunchbox size")
I save higher carb things like sweet potatoes for my big workout days (which is far less now-a-days due to my kids scheduale)
My coffee is the one thing I won't give up - what I usually do is some half and half and then for one of my cups (I have 2 a day) not quite a serving of Naturals coffee creamer (since it basically has cream, sugar and natural flavorings vs a bunch of chemicals in the other creamers). I have also used coconut milk in the past when i am doing a really strict - I use the light version since it will stay liquid in the fridge for the week0 -
I'm shooting for 50 and under. I don't eat fruit, as a rule and I'm trying to quit my Greek yogurt just to see if it effects my fat loss.0
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I usually eat below 50g of carbs. 1 oz. of 2% milk in my coffee and espresso drink. I am happy with that. No sugar at all. Sometime I just drink black coffee.0
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As someone who used to drink coffee with 2 creams/milks and 2 sugars, I used to think I couldn't (WOULDN'T) drink black coffee either. Before I started paleo/primal though, I decided to try to ween myself off of it. It took a few months of gradually cutting back. I would do 2 weeks or so with one less sugar, then when I felt ready, I'd cut back on the cream too. I repeated this process until I was down to just a little bit of cream in my coffee. The first week of drinking coffee black was a bit rough, but now I don't like it any other way, and I've actually come to LOVE dark roasts because I enjoy the taste of the coffee so much. And I don't have to worry about the added calories of cream or milk in there.0
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I eat between 50-100 a day occasionally it goes over. Fruit has a lot of sugar which is why it goes high in carbs. It's a very small part of the Paleo triangle too, plus what kind of fruit are you eating? try and stick with berries and you'll find them easier.
I seem to tolerate the 50-100 gms quite well. I managed to get them under 20 at one stage but stopped losing weight.0 -
As someone who used to drink coffee with 2 creams/milks and 2 sugars, I used to think I couldn't (WOULDN'T) drink black coffee either. Before I started paleo/primal though, I decided to try to ween myself off of it. It took a few months of gradually cutting back. I would do 2 weeks or so with one less sugar, then when I felt ready, I'd cut back on the cream too. I repeated this process until I was down to just a little bit of cream in my coffee. The first week of drinking coffee black was a bit rough, but now I don't like it any other way, and I've actually come to LOVE dark roasts because I enjoy the taste of the coffee so much. And I don't have to worry about the added calories of cream or milk in there.
This ^^^^ if I have cream or even milk in my coffee now I find I can't drink it. I used to do cream and sweetener, or those flavored sweeteners always! Now I love dark roast, black. I'm sipping one right now!0 -
I've been aiming for under 60g/day.
I have a few berries with my eggs in the morning and a handful of cherries to cap the evening. Otherwise, my carbs come mostly from veggies.
For me, snacks usually consist of beef jerky, turkey snack sticks, hard-boiled eggs, or sardines.
I really love fruit, especially with all of the juicy goodness that is in season right now. I can't completely avoid them (and I really don't want to), so I try to pick my fruit wisely and really restrict my servings.0 -
This ^^^^ if I have cream or even milk in my coffee now I find I can't drink it. I used to do cream and sweetener, or those flavored sweeteners always! Now I love dark roast, black. I'm sipping one right now!
Exactly! Even a little bit of cream or milk in my coffee now and I'm like eww, this doesn't even taste like coffee anymore! Don't even get me started on "flavoured coffees". I used to love French Vanilla coffee (with cream & sugar of course). Try to drink that stuff black and you'll find it tastes like perfume. How appetizing...0 -
I try to stay around 60 and am successful most days. Sometimes I take in less, and sometimes more. Like other posters have said, stick to lower glycemic fruit like melons and berries. I typically will only do a single serving of fruit a day, if at all as I'm not at goal just yet. Grapes, however, are the highest in sugar along with bananas, one of the highest in carbs.
As for coffee, half & half whole fat is the only way to go for me. I used to drown my coffee in creamer and sugar but once I went Paleo/Primal, it's all about the full fat. Ditch the 2% and skim, and go with the least processed you can find. Bulletproof coffee is unbelievably good though, although the idea of it sounds awful.0
