Hi!
I have been trying to follow Jillian's the trainer's plan from the Biggest Loser. She gives calorie counts for each day, but also says to shoot for 100g of protein, 80 grams of complex carbs, and 40g of fat. I was wondering how I count "complex carbs." Would that be what is listed as total carbs. on nutrition labels? Thanks!

Complex carbs are whole grained, unrefined carbohydrates. Nutrition labels don't differentiate between simple and complex. You need to read the ingredients of a food to decide if it is simple or complex. Here's a short list:
Complex
Oatmeal (old fashioned, unsweetened)
Brown rice
Sweet Potato
Whole Grain Pasta
Whole Grain Bread
Beans (not canned baked beans)
Corn

Simple
Sugar (kind of the ultimate simple carb)
High fructose corn syrup (even worse)
White pasta
White bread
Cookies
White rice
Pudding
Mashed Potatos

Getting the idea? Read the ingredient! The carb content may be the same, but the way your body processes and reacts to a slice of true whole wheat bread is quite different from what happens when you eat a cookie.
HTH

Mel

Maybe some day they will require better nutrition labeling.

Berkeley Wellness (University of California) wrote a great article on simple and complex carbs that also might help further.

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html...ut03Carbs.html

Actually, all breads, pastas and rice are considered complex carbs, even the 'white' kind. Simple carbs are sugars, refined and even sugars from fruit. According to my doctor, although fruit is good for you, it should be eaten in moderation. Your body can't tell the difference between 'natural' sugars from, say, a banana and 'unnatural' sugars from a candy bar.

Diabetics, however, need to watch their intake of the 'white' carbs because they tend to cause spikes in blood sugar levels. And it's a given that the 'brown' carbs are healthier than the white carbs, simply because they contain more fiber and are digested more slowly, therefore lessening the impact on the blood sugar. But as far as weight is concerned, it boils down to calories in vs calories out, regardless of what you eat.

You're right; the actual definition of a simple carb is sugar or starch with no fiber and a complex carb is any carb with contains both starch (or sugar) and fiber. For weightloss purposes, the "slower acting" and higher fiber, the better.

Mel

Agreed

The higher in fiber, the better. Although, again, weight loss all boils down to calories, regardless of what you eat. But I agree, there are good calories and bad ones. And higher-fiber calories are certainly more valuable than high-calorie foods that don't pack much nutrition. For example, brown rice is way better for you than white.

I personally love those whole wheat pastas. Great stuff!