[sunshine900]

Hi everyone,
I have a question...why does everyone insist that carbs are evil? I eat healthy I have yougurt every day, 2 or 3 egg whites, some chicken, and the rest of my day is filled with veggies. I live by a farmer's market so I go there every day and get fruits and veggies. I rarely eat processed foods and if I do then it's usually cheese or bread. Now in the end of the day I have 150g on average of carbs, around 50%. I just don't understand the low carb diets, and how I could eat healthy and be on one. I've tried to change things in my diet so I'll lower my carbs, but it's just impossible because they all come from vegetables. I had an apple yesterday and it was like 30g carbohydrates....HELP ME!!!

[SoulBliss]

Not everyone insists carbs are evil. Most medical professionals suggest that people eat a good percentage of their calories daily from carbs. Like you, I eat carbs, mostly in the form of vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes and whole grains.

[ladybugnessa]

while i'm not a calorie counter I dont' see a problem with what you are eating... what you have are COMPLEX carbs not refined carbs... and that's a big difference.

[alinnell]

Carbs are not evil (well, unless you're doing Atkins). Carbs that are in healthy, whole foods are good for you (fruit, vegetables, whole grains). Just steer clear of those in refined, processed foods (cookies, white breads, pastries, etc.).

[Kilketay]

I am personally PRO-CARB (good carbs, anyway!). Yum!

[GrammyL]

I agree with everyone, we need good carbs to fuel our body.

[kaplods]

Let's face it, "extremes" are in, and so are "one size fits all" approaches. The moderate view is rarely a popular one, and neither is the opinion that different people have different needs. So, if you're eating carbs, it may seem like "everyone" is on low carb (and vice versa, for that matter).

My husband and I were very anti-low carb, assuming it was an unhealthy fad diet, but our doctors suggested that we try it. Apparently some longer term studies have suggested that for people who've been obese most of their lives, and for some diabetics and insulin resistant people, low carb, especially low grain diets had a much better success rate, with none of the side effects that the researchers were expecting (high blood cholesterol, heart disease...)
We really didn't expect much, but figured it was worth a try. We both were impressed with the results, especially in reducing our previously uncontrolled appetites.

South Beach style eating works well for me (now if I can only follow it as closely TOM than the rest of the month), and husband restricts his carbs further, eating very few grains at all (fresh corn and rye crackers, are about it and once in a great while some brown and wild rice as he will overdo even healthy grain carbs).

I don't recommend low carb for everyone, especially for those who can lose on a less restrictive diet, but for some of us, it's the only thing that has ever worked.

[AquaWarlock]

Carbs are not evil per se for weight loss/control, but it does influence blood sugar levels much faster than proteins/fats does, and with blood sugar dips you'll feel hungry and be tempted to eat more calories. Of course, this effect is exaberated with processed/refined carbs, which are much more readily absorbed by your body.

On top of influencing blood sugar levels, carbs (and fats) break down more easily than proteins, which also influences your hunger since your GI tract will send eat-more signals when it's done processing & breaking down the foods.

I'm not a carb counter, but I do try not to eat meals that's just full of carbs (e.g. pasta dishes) and/or supplement it with some form of fiber or protein to help stay full longer.

[rockinrobin]

I eat plenty of carbs - the ones found in fruits and vegetables though. There is no way on earth I'm going without onions, tomatoes, carrots, sugar snap peas and all that other extremely HEALTHY carbs there are in the world.

What I don't eat is pasta, rice, bread and any grains. Oooh wait, except for my morning breakfast of Kashi Go Lean Cereal mixed with Fiber One cereal. I count calories and all that floury/grainy stuff have lots more calories in them then vegetables, so I stay away from them. I am not satisfied with 1/2 cup serving so for me I choose to completely avoid them.

[zenor77]

Personally I think too much protein is evil. Lol.

I agree that nothing is one-size-fits-all when it comes to diet. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Listen to your body and decide what is best for you.

I eat a lot of carbs. At least 50% of my calories and I haven't noticed any problems with my rate of loss; other than one completely normal short stall. I would say that 90% of my carbs come from complex carb sources, so I'm not too worried about it. Refined carbs are what you need to watch your intake of.