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Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

nytimes.com

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Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#71

Post by jrimbault »

E6300 wrote: post #42
jonnathanson wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mother simply does not understand what a "carbohydrate" is, let alone the relationship between starch and sugar, or why things like mashed potatoes are not low-carb. ("But I didn't use any butter in them, so they're low-carb!") When left to her own devices, she will consistently confuse and/or conflate carbs and fats. I think this is because she's from a generation that totally bought into the war on fat, and rais…

Well, fat certainly is worse than carbs, as far as weight loss is concerned. Fat contains twice the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates or protein, that's why things like cheese and oil are a big no-no if you're trying to lose weight. Butter is alright as long as you don't take a big ol' chomp out of a stick.

You're wrong, but to illustrate why: when people talk about cheese, often you'll think of France -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_paradox

It's not strictly speaking a rebuttal, but it illustrates a point quite clearly, fat is not the culprit.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#72

Post by E6300 »

khuey wrote: post #54
E6300 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, fat certainly is worse than carbs, as far as weight loss is concerned. Fat contains twice the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates or protein, that's why things like cheese and oil are a big no-no if you're trying to lose weight. Butter is alright as long as you don't take a big ol' chomp out of a stick.

That diets like paleo and keto work is pretty strong counter evidence to this position.

The only diet that works is caloric restriction. You can follow any fad diet you want, but if you don't expend more calories than you ingest you're not going to lose weight. Replace all the carbs in your equilibrium diet with the same amount of fat per mass and you're going to start gaining weight. It's as simple as that.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#73

Post by teamhappy »

joelrunyon wrote: post #31
overcast wrote: post #4

Because they are delicious. Life is too short, not to enjoy one of life's simple pleasures. Obviously moderation is key, but it's silly not to take advantage of being human.

I don't think anyone is for removing them entirely. But when you look at the obesity epidemic, there's certainly a case for tamping down on the avg American's intake.

But wouldn't it be much easier to just remove all the crap from your diet (soda, candy/chips, processed food, ...) and exercise every once in a while rather than monitoring your carb intake every day?

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#74

Post by specialist »

jonnathanson wrote: post #12
kbar13 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My mother is convinced if i dont eat carb heavy foods (rice, fruit) that I will die of some disorder or other. It is hard to stay on diet whenever I go home.

My mother simply does not understand what a "carbohydrate" is, let alone the relationship between starch and sugar, or why things like mashed potatoes are not low-carb. ("But I didn't use any butter in them, so they're low-carb!") When left to her own devices, she will consistently confuse and/or conflate carbs and fats. I think this is because she's from a generation that totally bought into the war on fat, and rais…

I've begun to notice the elderly in my life eat worse as they age. My mom was a health food nut (in a good way). Now at 80, she eats whatever looks yummy at Trader Joe's and Costco. She's earned it, sure, but there are consequences. I've suggested to my siblings that we get her back on Meals on Wheels, just so she'll eat some real food.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#75

Post by mcone »

hashable wrote: post #34
nathan-wailes wrote: post #24

Preface: Over the past 12+ years I have spent a fair amount of time learning about foods/diets, at first to try to get rid of my acne (which I was successful at), but then later to stay lean and stop any diet-related dips in my mood (which I was also successful at). What I want to say: Cutting carbs is difficult for most people because of two things: 1) withdrawal from the sugar-high that you get from eating high-gly…

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day, I think you're mistaken. Carb is the only macronutrient that is not required. The body can make glucose via gluconeogenesis. Take someone who has not eaten a single carb for a month and measure their blood glucose level and you will find a stable 90mg/dL. This is why Type-1 diabetics still need insulin (although much much lesser than otherwise) in spite of being on…

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sugary stuff you find in pop but also stuff like pasta and white rice. Basically the goal should be to avoid overly processed foods, not all carbohydrates.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#76

Post by nathan-wailes »

bhalperin wrote: post #55
nathan-wailes wrote: post #24

Preface: Over the past 12+ years I have spent a fair amount of time learning about foods/diets, at first to try to get rid of my acne (which I was successful at), but then later to stay lean and stop any diet-related dips in my mood (which I was also successful at). What I want to say: Cutting carbs is difficult for most people because of two things: 1) withdrawal from the sugar-high that you get from eating high-gly…

How'd you get rid of the acne?

Interestingly enough (since it relates to the topic of this article), I got rid of my acne by ceasing to consume all of the unhealthy carbs (grains, sugars, etc) that were messing with my blood-sugar levels. My body seems to over-react to these changes in blood sugar, and a day or two after I eat these things I'll get some kind of bump on my face.

What makes it worse is that the withdrawal from the sugar-high seems to sometimes make the pimples hurt more than they otherwise would, and makes me feel some kind of intense compulsion to pick at the pimples, and so my face ends up looking much worse than it otherwise would if I just left the pimple alone; it honestly reminds me of the descriptions of drug addicts who pick at their own body (I think meth addicts do that?).

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#77

Post by johnwilkesbooth »

nathan-wailes wrote: post #24

Preface: Over the past 12+ years I have spent a fair amount of time learning about foods/diets, at first to try to get rid of my acne (which I was successful at), but then later to stay lean and stop any diet-related dips in my mood (which I was also successful at). What I want to say: Cutting carbs is difficult for most people because of two things: 1) withdrawal from the sugar-high that you get from eating high-gly…

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day, and people are cutting bad carbs without replacing them with good carbs, and thus experiencing an inescapable craving for carbs.

I'm sorry but this is simply not true. Since switching to a ketogenic several months ago I have maintained a very low (< 15g / day) net carb intake and not only have I not experienced any adverse effects from this, I feel much better (better mood, more energy, less hunger cravings) overall. I should also point out that I am a very active person as well (yoga & Crossfit daily), implying that a high fat diet is suitable (in terms of energy requirements) for maintaining an active lifestyle.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#78

Post by E6300 »

jrimbault wrote: post #71
E6300 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, fat certainly is worse than carbs, as far as weight loss is concerned. Fat contains twice the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates or protein, that's why things like cheese and oil are a big no-no if you're trying to lose weight. Butter is alright as long as you don't take a big ol' chomp out of a stick.

You're wrong, but to illustrate why: when people talk about cheese, often you'll think of France -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_paradox It's not strictly speaking a rebuttal, but it illustrates a point quite clearly, fat is not the culprit.

I'm talking about weight loss, not overall health.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#79

Post by Ixiaus »

nathan-wailes wrote: post #56
abtinf wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day This is factually wrong. The human body ~100 grams of protein, ~10 grams of fat, and zero carbs to stay healthy. The minimal amount of glucose required for brain function can be synthesized from protein intake. And carb deficiency is not associated with any impairment or disease.

Thanks for the response; see my response to hashable. I'm trying to think a better way of expressing what I mean; I'm open to suggestions.

I think if you framed what you're trying to say in terms of addiction, availability, and avoidability [of carbs] it would be clearer. That's my interpretation of what you were trying to say, which might be wrong.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#80

Post by abtinf »

nathan-wailes wrote: post #24

Preface: Over the past 12+ years I have spent a fair amount of time learning about foods/diets, at first to try to get rid of my acne (which I was successful at), but then later to stay lean and stop any diet-related dips in my mood (which I was also successful at). What I want to say: Cutting carbs is difficult for most people because of two things: 1) withdrawal from the sugar-high that you get from eating high-gly…

> [I consume] carbs in the form of two bags of "steam-in-bag" broccoli and a bag of carrots

Keep in mind that the glycemic index of foods influences how your body reacts. Broccoli is a very low GI food. Carrots are quite a bit higher.

I would guess you can eat quite a bit less broccoli than you can carrots, because the insulin response to carrots is going to be much more severe.

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