CARBS

hellooo everyone

so i've been trying to lose weight on and off for what seems like forever. one of the main rules for some of myprevious weight loss attemps was to keep carbs as MINIMAL is possible. this time around, however, i decided to cancel that rule. of course, BAD carbs like chips, cupcakes, and enriched bread/pasta are out, but is it okay to be eating a fair amount of decent (ie.ww) carbs everyday? and by fair amount i mean having a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner.

today i ate cereal (corn flakes) for breakfast, a chicken sandwich w/mustard and lettuce (on wholewheat) for lunch, and pasta with healthy chicken sauce on top. i also ate a granola bar, an apple, and carrots. does this sound okay? usually, instead of the chicken sandwich i wiill have a chicken salad; and my dinner always varies but is never anything "unhealthy". for breakfast, since i have a hard time eating in the morning, i usually just have a fruit or a bowl of cereal.

what do you guys think? are good carbs always okay to eat? and any suggestions as far as my usual daily food goes? THANKS :)

Yes. Don't be afraid of carbs. Important thing is to have a well balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, etc.

UD

different people need different balances of food, that being said. enter your daily food choices into the food analyzer and see what your carb/fat/protein ratio is.

what my body seems to like best is a fairly even balance of the three (although i generally get a little less fat than carbs) but i know a lot of people here suggest you need more carbs and less of the others.

one thing i had to adjust to when i started here was thinking of my fruits and veggies as carbs. honestly from the daily food you just mentioned i'd say you could stand a lot more veggies and a few more fruits.

good luck!

here is an easy way to tell whether you are having too many simple (ie bad) carbs in your diet. If you are having trouble meeting your calorie goals due to being hungry, you are having too many. Replace them with more proteins and high fiber types of carbs. However if you are meeting your goals easily, you can afford to have some more tasty carbs (add them in slowly!)

by the way, corn flakes and pasta are not "good carbs", whole wheat breads can range from very healthy to barely better than white bread so you have to check the label, and granola bars usually contain enough sugar to act like a candy bar.

Simple changes can be made to make them better, though.. try getting a high fiber breakfast cereal...whole wheat/high fiber pasta... read the bread labels and pick the ones with the most protein and fiber... and get granola bars with the most protein and fiber. Good luck!!

Carbs are not bad. You're right processed simple carbs like cake, pie, donuts, chips and so on are not good. But for more than one reason. It is just junk.

Complex carbs are good for you and you need them. Same with fat and all of the other food categories. It is all about clean/balance. Diets do not work but changing your "diet" does.

People are confused with all of the low carb diets. We have been told that Carbohydrates are bad. This is not true. The human body needs carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for the body. We cannot live without them. Carbohydrates are digested by the body and converted to glucose (sugar) and used for energy. But there are different kinds of carbohydrates and understanding the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is what is important. You want to limit your intake of simple carbohydrates and get the recommended daily allowance of complex carbohydrates.  It is best to get most of your complex carbohydrates from fresh vegetables and some fruit.

The big difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is how the body handles them during the digestion process. Complex carbohydrates are digested slowly. The body works harder to process complex carbohydrates and glucose is released more slowly into the system which is better for the body.  Your glucose levels stay at a more even keel. Most complex carbohydrates are naturally high in fiber. Diets high in fiber keep you full and satisfied longer so it just makes sense that if you eat a diet that includes more complex carbohydrates you will maintain a healthy weight because you will not be hungry again so quickly.

Simple carbohydrates are digested very fast releasing glucose very quickly which can cause glucose levels in the body to spike, which is not good. When this happens you may get a sudden burst of energy but come crashing down quickly. You will also be hungry again in a short time. Sudden spikes in glucose levels also promote weight gain and cause our bodies to store fat.

Complex Carbohydrates

Spinach

Whole Barley

Grapefruit

Turnip Greens

Buckwheat

Apples

Lettuce

Prunes

Oat bran bread

Apricots

Zucchini

Oatmeal

Pears

Asparagus

Oat bran

Strawberries

Okra

Wild rice

Oranges

Cabbage

Brown rice

Yams and Sweet potatoes

Celery

Multi-grain bread

 Carrots

Cucumbers

Beans

Dill Pickles

Yogurt

Soybeans

Skim milk

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cauliflower

Peas

Tomatoes

Simple Carbohydrates

Table sugar

Corn syrup

Fruit juice

Cake

White bread

White pasta

Pop

Candy

All white flour products

Some cereals

http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_ viewer.php?mid=61

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate

http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-Good- Carbohydrates-Vs-Bad-Carbohydrates-and-Choosi ng-Healthy-for-Weight-Loss&id=1130787

I agree w/ 4theloss. If you are feeling hungry a lot of the time, you may want to think about cutting some carbs. I save carbs for mealtimes only and don't snack on them at all because carbs just make me feel even hungrier with just a few minutes. 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!

i feel like i know so much more about healthy eating from posting this thread. i know so many more foods that are okay to eat. thanks for all of your help i really appreciate it!!

It is a great board. You're welcome. Keep up the good work.