Carbs Carbs Carbs

Hi All!

I've recently been trying to cut down on carbs. Looking at my CalorieCount analysis pie chart my diet is almost 50% carbs.  

However a lot of this is coming from fruits. Are there good carbs and bad carbs? any tips?

thanks! :)

I truly believe there are good carbs and bad carbs. If you get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies then you shouldn't worry about it. But if you get most of your carbs from raw sugar and processed sweet food then you need to re-evaluate what you eat.

Just like there are good fats and bad fats ( those trans fats thingies).

I am struggling with the same thing .. going from 50% carbs to 40% while staying in the same calories and trying to add protein.  I have done OK with replacing fruits with vegetables and nuts.  I mostly ate fruits as snacks (4-5/day before) and have cut back to 1-2 fruits, 1-2 veg snacks and 1 nut snack.  The difference in calories between the fruits and the vegetables has let me fit in the nuts (higher calories for a portion) while keeping calories the same.  Hoping for results from the switch.  Hope this helps.

As far as fat loss is concerned, good carbs/bad carbs is pretty much a question of where they are on the glycemic index.

Anyway, you get used to cutting carbs. I had trouble going to 40% at first, but I'm at 15-20% on low carb days now and it doesn't really bother me.

Original Post by xoxkeke:

Are there good carbs and bad carbs?

No, there's real food and fake food.

good carbs are carbs WITH the fiber they originally came with, i.e. litely processed.  Vegetables, whole grain (not whole wheat) bread.  These are better because they are low glycemic index, and that is because the fiber slows their obsorbtion in the g.i. track and prevents a big insulin response (the sugar high and then the crash)  Insulin causes the body to convert blood sugar to fat. 

Eat light, often, higher in fiber, protein and fat to give you energy that is slowly obsorbed and provided to you so that you blood sugar is stable and much less insulin is required, therefore less sugar is converted to fat, AND you will be craving less.  See "Protein Power", "Smart Excercise" and all the other books about low carb, high protein diets. This is why Atkins and South Beach diets work, and they do work.  Start with Protein Power.  It explains this very well.

I try for 55% to 60% carbs because that's when I lose weight and feel my best.  My carbs are mostly from whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables.  I eat very few refined, white carbs, but I do eat small servings of regular pasta about twice a week, and commercial whole wheat bread another 2 days a week. 

I also eat more fat (olive oil, nuts, avocados etc) than most dieters - around 25% of my calories come from fat.

If you look up Mediterannean Diet, that's pretty much what I eat.  A nutritionist I consulted a few years ago said she theorizes that it might be because my genetic makeup is 100% Italian.

Everybody has to find what balance works for them.  My profile outlines my entire weight loss history if you care to look.  I lost it slowly and it's staying off.

Yes, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Bad carbs are usually referred to as empty calories. The carbs you gain from fruits or whole grains are packed with nutrients. Of course you don't want to over eat anything. 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day are recommended. Whole grains are extremely dense in nutrients and rich in fiber, so you should definitely incorporate them in your daily meals. Americans consume about 1 whole grain food each day but nutritionists suggest we should triple that. 

According to an article I read, if you have about 2000 calories a day, you should aim for at least 3 1-ounce equivalents of whole grains. 

Hope this helps. 

By cutting carbs, you are depriving your body of nutrients it needs.  Fiber is a carbohydrate.  Carbohydrates are required for energy, your body turns carbs into energy much quicker than fat or protein.  During high intensity work outs, your body burns almost all carbs.  If you are carb deprived, you will run out of steam - quickly.

If you work out at all, a low-carb, high protein diet is not recommended.  If you're trying to lose weight without working out, a low carb diet could work, in the short term.  In the long term, your body adjusts and you stop losing weight.  Also, all the saturated fats from high-protein foods can have a negative effect on your body.  Add to the fact that your not getting the nutrients you need from fruits and grains... I just don't recommend the diet.

There truly is no substitute for cutting calories and excercise.  Keep your carbs in the 60-65% range.  Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Get the nutrition your body needs.

--J

Original Post by jaminv:

By cutting carbs, you are depriving your body of nutrients it needs.  Fiber is a carbohydrate.  Carbohydrates are required for energy, your body turns carbs into energy much quicker than fat or protein.  During high intensity work outs, your body burns almost all carbs.  If you are carb deprived, you will run out of steam - quickly.

If you work out at all, a low-carb, high protein diet is not recommended.  If you're trying to lose weight without working out, a low carb diet could work, in the short term.  In the long term, your body adjusts and you stop losing weight.  Also, all the saturated fats from high-protein foods can have a negative effect on your body.  Add to the fact that your not getting the nutrients you need from fruits and grains... I just don't recommend the diet.

There truly is no substitute for cutting calories and excercise.  Keep your carbs in the 60-65% range.  Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Get the nutrition your body needs.

--J

Actually none of this is proven true, there are studies that support the legitimacy of low carb and the requirement of fiber is scientifically questionable (nutritionally speaking, obviously it makes you go). The fact that entire cultures such as the Inuit have lived for centruries without carbs proves that carbs are NOT required for energy.

During high intensity workouts your body burns carbs first yes, then will burn fat just as happily. Trust me, I know. I've run a 2:30 triathlon while in ketosis (completely carb void). I did the last 2 months of a 1/2 ironman training program in ketosis - no problems.

It's a comon misconception that low carb causes an energy drain because it takes your body a couple weeks to get used to burning fat instead of carbs, but once you adjust I would say workouts are actually more intense, especially if using gels (carbs) during a long (2+ hrs) workout ... just like adding a little nitro to the gas tank :)

Low carb may not be a choice for everyone, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a legitimate, healthy way of eating.

Original Post by jaminv:

By cutting carbs, you are depriving your body of nutrients it needs.  Fiber is a carbohydrate.  Carbohydrates are required for energy, your body turns carbs into energy much quicker than fat or protein.  During high intensity work outs, your body burns almost all carbs.  If you are carb deprived, you will run out of steam - quickly.

If you work out at all, a low-carb, high protein diet is not recommended.  If you're trying to lose weight without working out, a low carb diet could work, in the short term.  In the long term, your body adjusts and you stop losing weight.  Also, all the saturated fats from high-protein foods can have a negative effect on your body.  Add to the fact that your not getting the nutrients you need from fruits and grains... I just don't recommend the diet.

There truly is no substitute for cutting calories and excercise.  Keep your carbs in the 60-65% range.  Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  Get the nutrition your body needs.will

--J

"Run out of steam"?

So, at that point to you just fall over and die?

No, your body uses an alternative fuel source. If there are no carbs, you will be running on fat. That's the stuff we're trying to lose, by the by. A low carb, high protein diet is very effective at sparing muscle while allowing fat loss. Can't say the same for a high carb, low protein diet. Sorry.