Question about Carbs

[The ADD]

How bad are they for you really? I hear some people cringe at the thought of them and others don't seem to care so much.

[7:30femmefatale]

i know your body turns them into sugar and energy quickly so if you're active i don't think they're nearly as bad as if you're a lazybones who sits around munchin chips and cookies while watchin tv.. but i'm no expert so i'll let someone else confirm for you.

[Big H]

How bad are they for you really? I hear some people cringe at the thought of them and others don't seem to care so much.

Depends on your goals. On a diet, keeping carbs low have been shown to drastically speed up fat loss. While others who bulk or maintain, will consume moderate-high amounts of carbs. Its also good to keep in mind that many people will avoid certain TYPES of carbs in general. Sugar, for example, is a type of carb that does nobody good. Sugar provides nothing more than an immediate rush of Insulin and a spike in blood sugar which in most Americans lead to weight gain and fat retention. Consuming sugar or some other sort of refined carb after a hard workout or during physically taxing activities is fine though. Since your muscles are working more than usual, their Glycogen levels drop and eventually need to be replenished; this is where sugar and carbs come in. If you time your carb intake correctly you will be able to replinish these levels while eliminating fat gain.

Clean and complex carbs like %100 Whole Grain for example, are okay on a diet since it takes longer for them to be converted in your body. In other words, complex carbs provide long lasting energy that is used slowly by the body. Thats why consuming things like whole grains, steel cut oats, veggies, etc. are great on a diet to keep you full and also provide some type of energy. Once again the key is moderation and keeping it low. Sugar should be eliminated on a serious fat loss diet though; this is where reading labels will play a huge role in your food selection.

[The ADD]

Depends on your goals. On a diet, keeping carbs low have been shown to drastically speed up fat loss. While others who bulk or maintain, will consume moderate-high amounts of carbs. Its also good to keep in mind that many people will avoid certain TYPES of carbs in general. Sugar, for example, is a type of carb that does nobody good. Sugar provides nothing more than an immediate rush of Insulin and a spike in blood sugar which in most Americans lead to weight gain and fat retention. Consuming sugar or some other sort of refined carb after a hard workout or during physically taxing activities is fine though. Since your muscles are working more than usual, their Glycogen levels drop and eventually need to be replenished; this is where sugar and carbs come in. If you time your carb intake correctly you will be able to replinish these levels while eliminating fat gain.

Clean and complex carbs like %100 Whole Grain for example, are okay on a diet since it takes longer for them to be converted in your body. In other words, complex carbs provide long lasting energy that is used slowly by the body. Thats why consuming things like whole grains, steel cut oats, veggies, etc. are great on a diet to keep you full and also provide some type of energy. Once again the key is moderation and keeping it low. Sugar should be eliminated on a serious fat loss diet though; this is where reading labels will play a huge role in your food selection.

Preciate that

When you say sugar I take it you mean the typical cake, cookies andthind with plain old cane sugar. What about fruits? I remember someone on here saying that wasn't the best thing for you, which seems like :huh:

[Big H]

Preciate that

When you say sugar I take it you mean the typical cake, cookies andthind with plain old cane sugar. What about fruits? I remember someone on here saying that wasn't the best thing for you, which seems like :huh:

Fruits also fall in to that category, but don't confuse it with plain old sugar. Fruits contain a sugar called Fructose which is natural and healthy. The question once again comes down to your goals. Fruits are great for healthy living and bulking, but if your trying to lose fat/weight, fruits aren't the best choice. Certain fruits like berries, apples, bananas, etc. are acceptable, but in extreme moderation. Fruits like oranges, grapefruit, etc. are not a good choice while dieting. Even though Fructose is "healthy" sugar, it does not mean it can't be converted to fat if not used in your body.

On a side note, its important that you watch what nutrients your combining as well. By this I mean, fats/carbs/protein. One of the main reasons people pack on weight and fat in this country is because they don't understand this concept, and food producers and fast food places exploit it. But anyways back to the combinations... If your trying to lose weight or maintain weight its important that you avoid eating one devasting combination: Carbs and Fats at the same time. Its fine to separate Carbs with Protein or Fat with Protein, but combining Carbs and Fat is terrible.

Fat and Carbs both provide energy that is readily available to our bodies, and when either one satisfies our energy needs, guess where the excess goes??? straight to your adipose tissue (fat cells). This is why diets like Atkins, Keto, or South Beach have become so popular. They allow dieters to indulge in certain "forbidden" foods while still enabling them to lose weight, and its all because they know what combinations are acceptable.

But, back to the fruits lol. Fruits are good for you; they provide essential vitamins and minerals and are a good source of energy, but once again it comes down to your goals. Dieters will think of fruits as being the enemy, while people on maintenance diets will embrace them as part of their healthy diets. Just be sure to stay from the sugars you mentioned like candy, cake, etc. These types of sugars are extremely bad for you.