What is wrong with carbs?

[ashortland]

I have to ask this because carbs is my favourite thing.... I love pasta and bread and tend to have bread for breakfast/lunch and pasta for dinner. Are these really all that bad if I stay within my calorie limit or will this still prevent me from losing weight?

[pcrw Maintainer Healthy BMI]

Simple carbs turn to sugar when you eat them and cause a spike in blood sugar levels.

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello ashortland 😊

A healthy diet is about balance, and eating a wide range of nutrients. Too much of anything upsets this balance. However, what constitutes a balanced diet is contentious.

Many modern ‘carbohydrates’ are highly refined and act just the same as sugar, white bread/rice/pasta for example. Wholemeal versions are better but still need to be carefully portion controlled.

Unfortunately, many of us (me included) have followed a low fat diet for many years and this had led to an in balance in our digestive hormones that means we cannot process carbohydrates very well, leading to difficulties losing weight.

I know from previous posts you are not a big fan of salads, but eat some vegetables. I try to have half my plate filled with vegetables and the other half split between protein, good fats and some slow-release, low GI Carbohydrates.

If you read this post healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... you will see some excellent links supplied by Hidden who is very knowledgeable about this subject.

I hope this answers your question

Anna

[Hidden in reply to IndigoBlue61]

OOO I need to read that post too will do tomorrow

[Hidden]

I still have lots of carbs. As a veggie/pescetarian, pasta, rice and potatoes are a big part of my diet. But I've made some changes that stop them being the main element. One way is to set a daily protein/fat goal, make sure you're having a good protein source with each meal. Try to mix your meals up a bit more, but still having bread and pasta on occasion is still fine. Things like pasta bake/lasagna can be made with much less pasta, bulk it out with veg, lentils, beans etc. Try wraps instead of sliced bread and add extra filling, or go wholegrain. There's lots of ways to play around with pasta, rice etc

[rutheliza]

I was sticking to 1700 calories per day but struggling to lose weight. I've cut down on carbs, not cut them out completely just cut them down, still at 1700 and I am losing weight better now. I do miss carbs and I'm eating so many veg to fill up and make up the calories, that my digestion is protesting. It might not be for everyone but it seems to work for me. Maybe as time goes on I'll have one day a week of eating carbs normally, just to stop me craving them

[ashortland in reply to rutheliza]

Ahhhhh yes cos i feel i stick within my calorie range and i dont eat a lot but my love of carb lets me down and stops me from losing weight..... so thinking i shouldnt eat so much of them! Thanks

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to ashortland]

General guidelines are about 135g per day of carbohydrates, or between 30-40% of our daily calories. But this includes carbohydrates in fruit and vegetables. MFP is useful for working out the balance ashortland 😊

[JiminyCricket 7lbs]

For me it's not so much the carbs as what I have with them. Butter being the principal culprit but also cheese, rich sauces, chorizo etc etc. If I want to limit these things I have to limit my carbs.

Generally I've felt healthier for it so I don't mind.

[James40Cheshire]

I can't really add to the advice above it is spot on from my experience. I can however sympathise because I am a massive carb addict! I would kill my own brother for pasta/chips/doorstep of white bread sometimes, but I am much better off without them and they are now an occasional treat. Good luck with it. James