Carb Question
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| Wed, 04-20-2005 - 10:57pm |
I know, I'm a pain. LOL! Been here only two days and have been asking lot's of questions already. LOL! Sorry!
Anyway, as you may or may not know from my other posts, I am trying to eat low cal/low fat (or no fat)/veggies/fruits/fish/lean meats. I'm also trying to keep my calorie intake between 1200 and 1500 a day to help me lose 100+ lbs. So, after entering all my food intake for the day on Fitday, it tells me that 53% of my calories are from carbs. Now, I've done a low carb diet in the past and it didn't work out for me. However, at the same time I don't want to be taking in too many even though the way I'm eating now isn't low carb specific. Does that make sense? LOL!
So, as I said 53% of my calories for the day are carbs. However, they are coming from things such as grapefruit juice, rice cakes, no fat milk, grapes, bananas, oranges and apples. So, Fitday says. I personally do not find them too accurate because some of the things I add Fitday says is "x" amount in calories while the container/package/etc. I have of the food says otherwise. And yes I am making sure the correct quantity is adjusted on Fitday. So, the total carb numbers could possibly be less (as well as calories). Either way, do any of you low carb dieters think that this is too many carbs even though they are coming from healthy foods/drinks? As I said, I am not doing low carb. Just trying to keep my total calories low by consuming low fat (no fat), low calories foods (i.e., lots of veggies, fruits, leans meats, etc.) Thanks again!

The low carb diet I did went for a 30%fat, 30 % protein and 40% carb. I'm not sure if this is the "right" answer, but I think if you are getting all your carbs from fruits, veggies, and whole grain foods than you are okay. After a week or two look at the scale and use that as your guide.
One other thing. I noticed you said you are trying to go no or low fat. Make sure you are still getting a little fat in each day. your body needs some to function and be healthy. Just try to stick with healthy fats like olive oil and nuts.
sharla
Thanks Sharla. I most definitely will be eating some fats don't worry. LOL! I'm just trying to buy some of my things with low or not fat such as my milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. But, I do still have regular peanut butter, for example, that I will eat here and there with apples and such.
After posting I did a little searching on the Internet and found that the carbs I am consuming are considered "good" carbs. So, I guess I am ok. I was just wondering because when I went to Curves for 4 months about a year ago I also did their low carb diet during the same time. And, I remember how their low carb book's meal plans had like no veggies or fruits listed for the day. Or if they did there were only certain ones you could have. In fact, we had to be on the low carb diet for a certain period of time before we could have certain fruits and veggies.
Who knows. It's been a while since I read the book. Just trying to go on memory.
I also found another site where you can put in your age/sex/weight/height/etc. and it tells you what percent of fats/carbs/proteins calories you should have each day. And, for me it says I should have:
Carbs 45-65% of total calories
Fat 25-35% of total calories
Protein 10-35% of total calories
By Fitday's calculations, based on what I entered, I am right on target. Thanks for the info.
Question? Are you doing "Atkins" or "Low Carb for Dummies"? If you are doing Atkins you should not be drinking grapefruit juice or eating rice cakes, no fat milk, grapes, bananas, oranges or apples.
Atkins has a jump start for 2 weeks you only eat lean meat protiens like fish, turkey, chicken, then beef and lastly pork...IN MODERATION.
The only fruit you can have is strawberries and blueberries. No tomatoes, only red onions...etc...and no startches, like rice, or rice cakes, potatoes, some veggies....you need a book girlfriend!
Now Low Carb for dummies is a little more understanding of how a low carb diet works and what you can eat. I suggest you go to a book store and sit there and read it. Then if it looks like its a book for you then purchase it.
The dummies book gives you more fruit to eat and some starches...and a whole new understanding of how a low carb diet works.
Good luck! I used dummies to jump start my diet and lost 15 pounds right off the bat....then stalled out big time....switched to ww and have only managed to lose 1 pound....but not because of WW but because of me and my temptations.
I am going to school, eating very bad. Plus I am not exerciseing....but I will!
So hang in there...and go for it!
Sussie Q
312/298/280 (for now)
I'm not doing low carb at all. I am just eating low cal/low fat (or no fat) foods. Things like lots of veggies, fruits, salads, lean meats, fish, no sugars, sweets, junk food, etc. And trying to keep my calorie intake between 1200-1500 a day.
When I entered my foods for the day on Fitday it said that 53% of my calories came from carbs. So, I was just asking if that amount of carbs was ok in my case since they are coming from foods such as no fat milk, apples, etc. And not from junk type foods.
As I said earlier, I did some research after I posted and found out that the carbs in my situation are considered "good" carbs. So, I figured it must be ok.
I did a low carb diet in the past and it didn't work for me. I lost only half a pound in 4 months. And that was with 30 minutes of exercise 5, sometimes 6, days a week. So, now I am trying the low cal/low fat/counting calories way.
I think you are going to be fine. If what you are doing works for you, then you have the perfect amount of carbs. I would watch however, and see if you get hungry sooner with more carbs and very low fat. I've discovered that that is what happens to me. Fat and protein keep me full longer, so I tend to go for foods high in those. I too use fitday and I too am trying to keep my calories between 1200-1500. I have never done a low carb diet and never wanted to, but using fitday, I discovered that only about 30-35% of my calories were from carbs, then 30-35 from protein and 30-35 from fat, and that was without even consciously planning for that. I eat A LOT of low fat dairy products, and lean chicken, and that was where most of my protein was coming from. I asked Lizzy on the "healthy eating expert" board if I was getting too few carbs and too much protein, and she said that as long as I drink plenty of fluids (I have about 20-25 cups of water a day) and am getting lots of fruits and veggies (7-10 servings), then I am fine. If you get stuck with how you are eating and seem to want to cheat more often than not, you might want to change it up some until you find a mix that works for you, but it sounds like you are doing great and are on the right track :)!
Staci
275/260/170
Thanks Staci. Sounds like we are both kinda doing and eating the same things. I don't ever want to do the low carb thing again either. This is why I am trying things the way I am this time around.
I haven't found myself more hungry at all. In fact, the first day I started I posted on here asking if I should eat even though I didn't feel hungry.
I have been forcing myself to eat breakfast (something I always skipped). Usually it's a hard boiled egg or two and some fruit salad I make myself with a tablespoon or two of no fat cottage cheese. Then I have little snacks between breakfast and lunch that usually consists of some sort of veggie or fruit...maybe even some wheat thins or triscuits. Then at lunch I may have a salad, or low fat/low sodium soup or something. Then snack on the same stuff mentioned above between lunch and dinner. Then for dinner I eat a big salad and a normal portion of chicken, fish etc. with some more veggies. If I get hungry between dinner and bedtime I usually have some fruit again. Maybe a tablespoon or two of some peanut butter on an apple or some yogurt.
So far, I've been doing good. Drinking about 128 oz of water a day. Haven't had any coffee yet. But if I do I will use splenda or something with it and no fat milk instead of whole milk and tons of sugar like I used to. LOL! The only problem I seem to be having, if you can call it a problem, is not feeling hungry between breakfast, lunch and dinner. So, I usually eat the snacks mentioned above just to make sure I'm eating enough more so than eating them because I feel hungry. Thanks for the suggestions.