Help with "low-carb" questions, please.

I am trying hard to lose weight. I joined Curves and I walk. I count calories, but some days, life gets in the way... and my weekends are usually my undoing.

Anyway, after speaking to my Curves leader, she thought, after hearing what I eat, that I may just be taking in too many carbs. (Breads, tortillas, cereal, brown rice...etc.)

So...my question is...how many carbs per day are really too many? I realize fruit has carbs and stuff...but what percentage of my day can and should be carbs? I have no idea as I've never really tried a low carb way of life. I'm clueless.

Thanks!!

50-60% of your daily diet should be from carbohydrates, but make sure you're getting good carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains).

Hi.. I try to keep my intake of carbs at 50%... (50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat).. However, I know of people who feel that a good ratio for them is 60/20/20.

A low carb diet can be different for every person.. I consider my diet low in carbs, however I eat a good amount of veggies, legumes and fruits... What I have done is limit my intake of processed carbs and substituted white for whole wheat (flour, bread, pitas, bagels, etc), which has helped incredibly!

Perhaps this aproach would help you?

I have switched to brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat english muffins, whole wheat tortillas...etc... that wasn't working, apparently. So, I'm just going to try to keep my carb intake to about 50% and only from what you stated above, then, I guess. I don't know what else to do.... It's so frustrating!

Thanks for the help!

I think the problem is less about the carbohydrates ... although keeping to 50- 60% might help... but the days where 'life gets in the way' and the weekends that are your 'undoing'.   Sadly, the most common cause for gaining weight or not losing weight are that you eat more than you need.  It's boring but there you go.   So keeping in control of the calories has to be consistent across  weekends and busy days (and holidays and birthday parties) as well as the other ones.   Try not to go too low with the calories during the week & treat yourself to an extra couple of hundred at the weekend.   But keep it steady and that might help you achieve your aims.  Best of luck

Thanks gi-jane, for the good advice. I think a mix of lowering carbs and staying on board over the weekend will hlep. I usually get slack with my counting on weekends.

IF your body can deal with carbs then 50-60% is OK.  However like me, carbs are the enemy, and my body takes them and stores them like we are headed out to the desert!  So, I keep mine around 30% or less if possible.  I (my body) enjoys way more protein than carbs.

It is a trial and error, your body will tell you what it needs over a week or so, and then you can adjust and move on.

Oh! So 30 or even 40 % is okay, if that is what my body seems to need to get the weight off? (Or get it off in the first place?)

"Don't do anything to lose weight that you can't see yourself happily doing for the rest of your life".   Low carb diets illustrate that adage quite well.   If you go with 30% be prepared to stay there for ever (as nived1964 is doing) because any subsequent increase and you'll inflate like a life-jacket with the toggle pulled.   It's a personal choice, and some people have different needs, but keep your eye on the prize which is not to be slim for a day but a healthy weight for life.  

Gotcha! Okay...so I'll stick to the 50% range and keep it there, if possible.

Makes sense!! Thanks!

I agree with GI-Jane, it is a choice that I made based on what I hearmy body telling me.  I am sure some people can eat complex carbs in buckets full and not have an issue.  I do not seem to have issues with the simple carbs, such as fruits and veggies, it is just the complex ones.

I was a heavy, and I mean heavy complex carb eater.  I could eat an entire loaf a bread a day, and then go out to eat and down even more bread and complex carbs such as pasta with ease.  I never thought I could get away from them due to "thinking" I was addicted to them.  Every meal, every snack, everything had to have white bread or white rice or pasta.  The complex carbs I do get are only from whole wheat.

However, I have so much more energy during the day, I get up without pain in my ankles, I do not feel stuffed after i eat and want to take a nap and on and on without the carbs.  I know that sounds strange because carbs are to give you energy, bu it works the opposite way on me.  I get tired, I get sluggish and want to sleep. 

Again, "I" think it is a matter of listening to what your body is saying.  We all "think" we know what our bodies need, but we have a system inside us that reacts to what we put into it, and how we work our bodies. 

We are all good talkers, but very bad listeners and I found if I shut up, and listen my body rewards me with better health and weight loss in the long haul.  It is education, knowing your body, knowing your foods and what is in them and trial and error on short trips (4-7 days) with different foods.

Dave

I see exactly what you are saying. I did switch away from most everything made with "white" flour, as stated above, yet my weight isn't moving. After talking to a few people, someone said that maybe I'm still eating too many carbs...and after thinking about it, I decided to try and cut down.

I really had no idea how to this...I watch what my "analysis" says at the end of each day, and I DO tend to eat a lot of carbs...so now I have a number to keep my eye on...(40-50%) of carbs per day.

Now, I'll just see what happens, and as you said...start listning to my body. I hope I can hear it... :) I figure it's worth a try.

Thanks everyone!!

Even though you switched from whites to wheats....make sure you are looking at the ingredient list and it states "whole wheat" first. This will mean that there aren't as many additives or they didn't just color white bread with caramel.

Also, most of your carbs a day should come from fruits and veggies and not grains. Your body digests foods easier when they are as close to their "normal" state as possible. I believe this means that the food should be as unprocessed as possible. I always notice that healthier (whole wheat) bread tends to be heavier also.

Also, when I am eating a carb loaded meal...I slow down and put my fork down between bites. I used to scarf down pasta dishes and bread as fast as I could because they were delicious. But, when I slow down and actually taste my food, I tend to realize when my stomach has reached satiety.

Also, my understanding is that if you are actually counting grams of carbs, if you eat a lot of fiber, you deduct that from your carbs.

So say you eat a whole wheat tortilla that has 12g of carbs, but has 8g of fiber, your net carbs would be 4g.   

So since it seems like your doing the right thing by switching to wheat breads, brown rice, etc, you're probably fine keeping your carb % around 50.

Original Post by thmheh:

Also, my understanding is that if you are actually counting grams of carbs, if you eat a lot of fiber, you deduct that from your carbs.

So say you eat a whole wheat tortilla that has 12g of carbs, but has 8g of fiber, your net carbs would be 4g.   

So since it seems like your doing the right thing by switching to wheat breads, brown rice, etc, you're probably fine keeping your carb % around 50.

Hmm, I didn't realize that.

I do check my labels, for sure...that's one of my big things...I don't want a lot of chemicals in my food. Blech. I think I just ate almost all carbs with some protein thrown in here and there. I did eat veggies, but not fruit, which I've just upped. Hopefully, this time, I'm on the right track!!!

Hi leah,

I have also found that, for myself, like another poster, keeping carbs to less than 50% works, long-term for me.

One very easy way to cut some unnecessary carbs (in my humble opinion) is to opt for a high-protein breakfast, such as scrambled egg whites with turkey, low-fat cheese and lots of veggies, OR plain 0% or 2% Greek Yogurt with fresh berries and a bit of cinnamon and Stevia (natural sweetner).

I find that this kind of breakfast keeps me really full for a long time, and I tend to have fewer energy level dips/swings and feel balanced and focussed in the mornings.

Again, this is what's worked for me; might not be for you, but it's worth a shot!

~ CC

The type of carbs your eating is going to have a much bigger impact than the % of your total calories that come from carbs.

That breakfast with yogurt sounds great...but where do I find the "Greek" yogurt that I keep hearing soooo much about??? What brands? I find organic, but not 'greek'....

The easiest way for me was to double my veggie intake and switch my other carbs to a whole grain rice or noodle.

whole wheat does not mean low-carb, it means a little more fiber (which keeps you full a little longer and helps you to be regular). But it is the same amount of calories and carbs as white rice or white flour pasta. greek yogurt is not anything better for you. It has more fat and thicker then usual yogurt so I would not recommend to seek greek yogurt. Try any plain low-fat yogurt, add any fruits or berries you like or even 1/4 c of granola or cereal - yummy! But I would not suggest to have a high-protein breakfast. You still need carbs in the morning, especially in the morning, when your sugar level is low after a night of not eating. You need some energy to keep going during the day. easy to cut carbs in the evening - if you eat pasta - cook 1/2 c pasta with 1 c of veggies - broccoli, peas, carrots, asparagus.

Original Post by thmheh:

Also, my understanding is that if you are actually counting grams of carbs, if you eat a lot of fiber, you deduct that from your carbs.

So say you eat a whole wheat tortilla that has 12g of carbs, but has 8g of fiber, your net carbs would be 4g.   

So since it seems like your doing the right thing by switching to wheat breads, brown rice, etc, you're probably fine keeping your carb % around 50.

Hmm, I didn't realize that.

I do check my labels, for sure...that's one of my big things...I don't want a lot of chemicals in my food. Blech. I think I just ate almost all carbs with some protein thrown in here and there. I did eat veggies, but not fruit, which I've just upped. Hopefully, this time, I'm on the right track!!!

 

 This is so not true! fiber is the same carb and it has the same calories, only it might take longer to adjust that so you stay full longer. You should not substract it from your carbs