All carbs are not created equal!

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
No, not simple & complex, I already knew that!

After years of low carb, I recently switched to low cal & started incorporating them back into my diet. Unfortunately I took this as license to go crazy w/carbs as long as I stayed below 1500 cals a day. While I stopped gaining weight, I didn't really lose any.

So I had this epiphany that probably I was overdoing the carbs a bit. I decided to try limiting myself to 1-2 starches per day (don't know if cereal counts as a starch, but I eat that right after I do cardio so it's probably insignificant). I am watching other carbs, but I'm not really limiting them--I probably have 2-3 servings of fruit, & maybe 1-2 servings of some high carb protein.

Bingo! The weight starts coming off. Not super fast like on Atkins, but I am seeing some progress.

What is it about starches? And when I say starches I mostly mean bread. Maybe it's the gluten? I remember reading someone found they had a gluten intolerance & found she lost weight when she stopped eating it. I'm not complaining--I'm so happy to be eating fruits & cereals again!--but I would like to understand.
 
If you mean mostly bread, maybe it's because breads are made more of refined carbs, simply because we're talking about flour instead of whole grains. I mean, even whole wheat flour is more refined than eating the wheat itself, right?
 
Oh I've been eating all whole grains. Yummy! I swear I start drooling just thinking about them! Whole grain bread, whole grain bagels, whole grain hamburger rolls--whole grain rocks!

I just don't get it. There is something about starch that "sticks to your ribs"--and the rest of you--I guess.
 
I'm the same way w/ bread. I can eat the low-carb tortillas or flatbreads, but once I start eating the whole grain bagels & rolls I just can't seem to stop.....and it seems to go right to my stomach. UGH! I mainly stick to oatmeal, brown rice, and high fiber cereals instead of bread for my good carbs. It's just what I've found works for me!

Glad that you're seeing the weight drop, not like you need it! ;-)
 
I think you are still looking at simplex vs complex. Don't breads fall into simplex and therefore metabolize quickly into glycogen?

And the cereal is probably in the same boat, but since you are eating it early in the day and keeping your fruits and veggies later on in the day it is probably working well.

I have seen a few nutrition plans that limit the breads, pastas and potatos to lunch time and no later. Then eating veggies and possibly a fruit before bed the remaider of the day. I know with my slowing metabolism the evening meal that contains bread, pasta or potato doesn't do much be stick to the saddlebags on me.:7 I try very hard to eat only veggies for dinner.
 
SIMPLEX? WTH Jacque? That's a new one on me! LOL! Yeah I think you're right--I haven't really had carbs after lunch time. Other than my whole grain belgian waffle one or two nights a week. Potatoes, rice & pasta, well.......I'd gone so long without them I had a little feeding frenzy for a few weeks. ;-) Now I'm gonna have them every once in a while for a treat.

Jess, I haven't tried tortillas or flat breads, but they might be worth looking into, thanks for the tip! :)
 
My fav flatbread is the Joseph's Flax & Oatbran (Lavish bread, they call it) or pita. Very soft & great for sandwiches! The Light Flatout is good too, really high in fiber as well! And the La Tortilla have yummy low-carb tortillas in different varieties like garlic & herb and green onion, etc. HTH!
 
I 2nd the La Tortilla Factory tortillas. Only 80 cals, I'm thinking about 8 gms of protein. Even better than a piece of good grained bread nutrition wise.

Laura Max - not saying that my pea brain was working when I first posted, maybe I was thinking glycemic index?

Guess I should check before I post, duh !x(
 
>I 2nd the La Tortilla Factory tortillas. Only 80 cals, I'm
>thinking about 8 gms of protein. Even better than a piece of
>good grained bread nutrition wise.

I 3rd it. I love those things! 14 g fiber too, I think they're absolutely magical. My go-to quick snack is a little hummous and spinach wrapped up in one. :9
 
Hi all,

I agree that all calories are not created equal. For years, I was a low fat / high carb eater and realized that although I controlled my weight, my body composition was not what I wanted.

Once I switched to low fat / higher protein, I've seen great changes in my body composition. I pretty much rarely eat pasta, rice or white potatoes, but do indulge in a slice of WW bread daily. I do up my carb intake after a run, but I try to limit it to complex carbs. If I don't, I get cravings and then can't really control myself, plus I don't have the energy for the next workout:)

I am eating some fruit. I was looking at a sample diet in Oxegen and that didn't include much/any fruit. I think there is a fine line between eating healthy and controlling carbs etc.

For me, the old addage of you are what you eat is true.

Tracy
 
Laura,

Bread...what's that :)

Trust me, as you get older, you have to be more and more discerning and particular as to what type of carbs you eat!
 
>Laura,
>
>Bread...what's that :)
>
>Trust me, as you get older, you have to be more and more
>discerning and particular as to what type of carbs you eat!
No kidding! I never would have thought that one complex carb could have more effect on your weight than another. And this diet thing......good gawd........low fat pre-30; low carb post-30; now low fat/low cal/low carb post-40.

I don't know what's next. Perhaps I'll invent the low-chew diet. Like, if you chew each bite a minimume of 300 times your freakin meal will last all day & you'll never get hungry. x(

This is too confusing for me. I just ordered a couple of low glycolic index cookbooks--I *think* that's what I need--b/c I'm just too dense to create these meals on my own.
 
I find that the only complex carb that doesn't bloat me are sweet potatoes and yams. I find that I don't look as "cut" when I consume oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, sprouted grain bread, etc.
 
Lorrayne,

I noticed the very same thing about sweet potatoes and yams:eek: And they really stick with me also.
 
In regards to Matiana's post, I've copied a few paragraphs:

"Graham said the less positive blood responses sparked by the whole wheat are likely due to the fact that the milling process involved in making the whole-wheat bread used in the study is similar to that used for white bread.

" 'The parts of the grain like wheat germ and bran that have the health benefits are taken out to create white flour and then partially added back to make whole wheat,' he says."

I wonder what would happen if the study was repeated using whole wheat flour that was milled differently - as in keeping the germ and bran in it in the first place, as the higher quality flours do.
 
I didn't read the article, mostly b/c I only eat whole grain, not whole wheat. I'm hoping whatever's in there doesn't apply to whole grain?
 
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