Carbs or no carbs

[Bron78]

Are carbs bad some people say have them some say don't I try to stick to 1200 to 1400 cals a day just a bit stuck on weather to have bread or not any ideas ??

[RuthMarianne]

I am no expert but the carbs are basically sugar which gets burnt up more quickly which is more likely to leave you hungry sooner. I have tried wholewheat pasta & bread, brown rice and just don't like them, so now I eat lentils with curry or when I would have had pasta and sweet potato have replaced regular pots, but the white bread remains for the occasional sandwich or toast. It definitely helps with the hunger just takes a bit of getting used to.

[trafford1]

Hi there, yes have them, they are part of a balanced diet and are on the NHS eat well plate, but do eat it in moderation as to many carbs will tot up your calorie count.

[OlsBean]

Bit of a complex conundrum to be honest and there is no straight forward answer.

I think it depends on a number of things, someone who is metabolically damaged and showing signs of metabolic disease may well benefit from a restrictive carbohydrate diet.

There is an expression "Everything in moderation" and that can applied to what we eat, if (and it's an important IF), you've practiced that for most of your life, if you've not then depending how much you've not, could also mean that you need to make a more dramatic change for the rest of your life, carbohydrate restriction may need to be one of them.

The other issue that comes into play is that we know that some people are much more capable of eating and handling carbohydrate than others, genetics maybe? Northern Europeans for example (pre-modernisation) would have had access to carbohydrate for far fewer months of the year than say someone living along the Eastern Mediterranean. I know people as I am sure you do, that appear to eat nothing but sugar, including copious amounts of energy drinks, are they Obese? Not all of them, Healthy? Probably Not, Will have Longevity? Only time will tell.

Another important thing is that not all Carbs are equal, we all know that refined sugar and products containing refined sugar are not the best thing to eat but what also comes into play is things like Mashing Potato which can be far more detrimental to eat than eating it as a whole, as is juicing fruit and even choosing a large/jumbo flake porridge oats over something like Readybrek which is finely milled, oat flour, can have an impact.

If what you are currently doing is not working for you, then maybe try Carbohydrate restriction for 3 to 4 weeks to see if you notice a difference, it won't kill you as Carbohydrate in none essential for life and you'll know at the end of it either way.

P.S If you do decide to restrict then I would advise you wean slowly if carbohydrate currently makes up a moderate amount of your diet to reduce withdrawal effects that you may or may not feel (Carb Flu)

Good Luck with your journey.

[HRHGaby]

A low-carb diet will help you lose weight faster, but it can also make you feel tired and it's not a sustainable thing to do. Dieticians recommend two dishes of rice/pasta a week and whole wheat bread in moderation (two slices a day). Rye bread is strongly recommended as it has less sugar in it. Good luck!

[ppole27]

In my opinion it's okay to have carbs but important to control your carb intake.

Before I used to eat carbs at work on my lunch break and then carbs at home for dinner.. Now I try and balance so if I'm planning on having a dinner at home that j know has more carbs I would try to not have them for lunch at work.

I think it's important to balance yourself and think it's very unhealthy not to have carbs at all, they are an important part of a health diet.

[Emma44]

I think people have different reactions to carbs and sugar we are not all the same how we process them. I find that limiting them too much doesn't work for me as I get a bit obsessive about thinking about lovely toast etc if I am thinking of it as being 'bad'! Best just to have small portions when you have them and experiment with lentils/beans/wholewheat things as alternatives to bread. Good luck!

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Bron78,

I agree with quite a few of the points raised by people who've already responded. I also think that this is a link that is quite helpful in terms of thinking about the 'quality of carbohydrate' and its inclusion as part of a balanced healthy eating plan. The link is here and I think it summarises some useful information:

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

I try to choose healthy carbs to include with each meal and snack - tonight I'm trying quinoa for the first time to try some variation.

Lowcal

[fibronfedup]

Depends on how quickly you can burn the sugars in it before it turns to fat i believe, some are slow release and some are quick release. you still need some carbs in your diet so try swopping to healthy choices like wholemeal bread over white bread. If you eat some before your workout it can be beneficial as can help you to burn more fat, only when its turns to insulin before you can burn it off it becomes a problem i think. As many of the others have said everything in moderation really, you will fond if you are calorie counting the wholemeal versions tend to be lower calories. Trial and error is the best way to find what works for you. all the best

[Penel]

If you are seriously obese, cutting right down on carbohydrates is a recognised way to lose weight and improve health. This is a review from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the effects of a very low carb diet, which gives the science behind it.

nature.com/ejcn/journal/v67...

There is no one right answer on whether or not to eat carbs, it is something to experiment with, to see if it works for you. It's definitely a good idea to stick to the 'brown' and avoid the 'white'. I haven't eaten bread for years, unless I've made it myself.

[OlsBean in reply to Penel]

Great success story of LC helping a seriously obese lady over at dietdoctor today.

dietdoctor.com/i-feel-great...

[Penel in reply to OlsBean]

What a great result. I'm surprised how sensitive she was to the re-introduction of a small amount of carbs.

[GRUMPYA]

Carbs are essential for health. In the short term low carb and no carb diets can help you to lose weight. There are good carbs like wholemeal bread, pasta,rice etc. They contain vitamins that are good for you and fibre, they also keep you full. The biggest advantage of eating a balanced diet is that it teaches you good habits that you can sustain for the future.

Bad carbs are white sugar and processed cereals. They do not fill you up and have empty calories in them. Most carb free diets are high protein and can be high in saturates both of which cause health problems long term.

If you want to fit in a pair of trousers in 14 days and need to lose some weight quickly and short term then very low or no carb diets are fine. If you want to lose weight in larger amounts and keep it off then some good carbs are sensible.

Also be very wary of diets that promise you can eat huge amounts of a limited list of foods, they teach you gluttony and to overeat and when you get tired of them you continue to overeat but add foods that aren't allowed and regain all the weight you lost. For a diet to be effective and to keep weight off it needs to be an eating plan you can stick to for the rest of your life preferably one where you can happily eat out, at work and with friends. Calorie counting is tedious but fits those criteria