Carb and fat questions

[MANOWAR]

I still don't understand anything about carbs and fats.

First off... why do people avoid carbs when cutting?
What's so bad about simple sugars?
Why do people consider soda and wheat breads poison?

What are good fats to have?
Whats the best way to avoid getting fat?
Is mixing carbs and fats bad (pizza)?

When is the best time to have fats?
When is the best time to have carbs?
How do you know when to compose a meal of fats and when to eat carbs?

Lastly, this one really confuses me.
Don't carbs give your body energy?
Why do I always want to sleep after carbing up? It gets me so tired

Sorry for all the questions. I've done research but still don't understand much about carbs and fats, and I always get confused as to what to have.

Thanks in advance for all the help

 

[DirkMoneyshot]

First get yourself a trainer so you don't spin your wheels-

So lets answer some questions I'll be in bold

I still don't understand anything about carbs and fats.

First off... why do people avoid carbs when cutting?
Cutting carbs keeps insulin release minimized which is a hormone that for simple terms halts fat burning.
What's so bad about simple sugars?
Simple Sugars cause huge spikes in insulin levels - remember the question above. They also do not maintain energy levels because of this. Complex carbs like oatmeal, brown rice, baby red potato, sweet potato, ect are best
Why do people consider soda and wheat breads poison?
I don't consider wheat bread posion but soda is again just sugar water- nothing nutritional about it - Many will eliminate bread as there are better sources during a "cutting phase" IE: choices above

What are good fats to have?
Olive Oil, Fish Oil, Flax Oil, Nuts, ect
Whats the best way to avoid getting fat?
Eat clean 80 - 90% of the time and cheat on the other. 2 to 3 cheat meals (All out)
Is mixing carbs and fats bad (pizza)?
Mixing fats and carbs are not bad as long as they are from "good sources" IE: Oatmeal and Flax oil along with egg whites at breakfast is not bad- Eating processed carbs and saturated fats such as Pizza is not good. (at least all the time see the cheat question above)

When is the best time to have fats?
No best time----I would add some extra fat to meals that are lower in carbs to make up for lower kcals - 15 to 20% fat intake is what I recommend / day.
When is the best time to have carbs?
No best time again as all meals are of importance but you should have a tad more at breakfast and after your workout.
How do you know when to compose a meal of fats and when to eat carbs?
Again see the question on pizza

Lastly, this one really confuses me.
Don't carbs give your body energy?
Yes carbs do give you energy and so does fat -
Why do I always want to sleep after carbing up? It gets me so tired
Because your spiking your insulin levels which will cause you to get sleepy - You need to eat lower GI carbs like previously mentioned.

Sorry for all the questions. I've done research but still don't understand much about carbs and fats, and I always get confused as to what to have.

Thanks in advance for all the help

 

[John Benz]

3 quick rules of thumb.

#1. Never eat carbs AND fats at the same meal. Either is fine mixed with protein, but not together.

#2. No carbs (barring PWO shake) 3-4 hours before bed.

#3. Eat 6-8 small meals each day, and increase your water intake.

If you mix fat with carbs the body will use the carbs first and convert the fat to glucose. (read..BODY FAT!)

Download a glycemic index chart and rely primarily on low g.i. carbs.

Using the Glycemic Index (GI) as a measure, foods lower than 55 on a scale from 0 - 100) are cosidered low g.i., between 55 and 70 are medium, and greater than 70 are high.

Based on how fast a particular food raises blood sugar over a 2-3 hour period, the glycemic index uses a numbering index, whereby glucose is the reference point of 100 (some sources use white bread as a reference of 100, in which case glucose would be 140). *A baked potato for instance ranks 85 on that scale, brown rice 79, white bread 72, table sugar 65, bananas 51, milk 30, grapefruit 25, and broccoli 6.

You can eat all the green vegetables you like, and the body burns off more calories digesting raw cruciferous veggies, like broccoli and cauliflower than they contain. Also, all grams of fiber are regarded as non-impact carbs, and you can deduct them from your carb total.

Good rule of thumb...If it looks fattening....it probably is!

You can eat all the raw green vegetables, broccoli, bell peppers, celery, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower and even cabbage, without gaining a pound. They are very low gi AND very low in calories, which is a win-win situation. I can eat a huge bowl of raw green vegetables and feel empty and hungry as hell a half hour later. Bran and fibre, which are considered zero impact carbs, stay with me longer than greens.

The problem is this....most people equate green vegetables with salad dressing, cheese and cottage cheese, dip, etc. Whole different ballpark when you add fats. Also, not all vegetables are LOW G.I. Corn and carrots, for example are not included. I don't gain weight from eating even these, except when I cook and butter my corn.

And....white bread is like any other white flour product...even worse than sugar. They strip the bran layer which contains all the fiber and B-vitamins, then they dispose of the germ which contains the protein, vitamin E and other micro-nutrients, and then they bleach the starch layer which is all that is left. You have an extremely high g.i. food that clogs the intestinal tract and is in large part the cause of gluten allergies and even Crohn's Disease.

And when the bread says made with "enriched" wheat flour, the vitamins added vs the ones disposed of is akin to robbing a man of $20, then giving him back a nickel and saying you've enriched him.

 

[DirkMoneyshot]

3 quick rules of thumb.

#1. Never eat carbs AND fats at the same meal. Either is fine mixed with protein, but not together.

#2. No carbs (barring PWO shake) 3-4 hours before bed.


If you mix fat with carbs the body will use the carbs first and convert the fat to glucose. (read..BODY FAT!)

These are completely BUNK----Especially #1 And your last comment I'm not sure where to begin a guide on human physiology might be appropriate...

 

[Suareezay]

These are completely BUNK----Especially #1 And your last comment I'm not sure where to begin a guide on human physiology might be appropriate...

i was gonna say something, but then i remembered what you told me in an earlier thread a while ago about just leaving people alone lol.

 

[Tafman]

These are completely BUNK----Especially #1 And your last comment I'm not sure where to begin a guide on human physiology might be appropriate...

i think those comments are right, my know a chick that followed a diet where she didnt mix carbs with fats and lost about 40 lbs and is keeping it off a year later.

 

[Suareezay]

i think those comments are right, my know a chick that followed a diet where she didnt mix carbs with fats and lost about 40 lbs and is keeping it off a year later.

people have been mixing carbs and fats since the beginning of time and getting/staying lean.

just because you know one fat chick who didnt eat McDonalds for a while doesnt mean shit.

 

[DirkMoneyshot]

i think those comments are right, my know a chick that followed a diet where she didnt mix carbs with fats and lost about 40 lbs and is keeping it off a year later.

No one here is arguing that seperating your fats and carbs doesn't work in losing weight. What concerns Suareezay and myself is a lack of understanding of what happens with fats and carbs (from his post) along with the fact that it says NEVER. Its crap that needs to stay out of the diet forum. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating carbs and fat along with protein in the same meal. As long as they are from "good sources".

A meal consisting of

12 egg whites
1 cup Oatmeal w/ .5 cups Strawberries
1 tbsp. Udos choice Oil

is looked at buy internet gurus as bad because it contains "oh gosh" fruit and fat along with carbs.

use your damn head guys. Pull out your physiology books and learn how food is broken down and what happens to them.

 

[John Benz]

The man asked questions specifically about fats and carbs pertaining to weight loss.

You NEVER mix fats and carbs if you are trying to cut bodyfat.

 

[John Benz]

No one here is arguing that seperating your fats and carbs doesn't work in losing weight. What concerns Suareezay and myself is a lack of understanding of what happens with fats and carbs (from his post) along with the fact that it says NEVER. Its crap that needs to stay out of the diet forum. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating carbs and fat along with protein in the same meal. As long as they are from "good sources".

A meal consisting of

12 egg whites
1 cup Oatmeal w/ .5 cups Strawberries
1 tbsp. Udos choice Oil

is looked at buy internet gurus as bad because it contains "oh gosh" fruit and fat along with carbs.

use your damn head guys. Pull out your physiology books and learn how food is broken down and what happens to them.

If you believe that's a good meal you've outlined there, why throw out the egg yolks?

 

[Suareezay]

see what im saying dirk lol

 

[DirkMoneyshot]

The man asked questions specifically about fats and carbs pertaining to weight loss.

You NEVER mix fats and carbs if you are trying to cut bodyfat.

I guess you should probaby let my clients doing Nationals and the USA I don't have a clue what i'm talking about.

While your at it Phil Hernon diets his clients on a 40/30/30 breakdown. You might let him know as well. Let him know i sent you.

 

[DirkMoneyshot]

If you believe that's a good meal you've outlined there, why throw out the egg yolks?

Then use 3 egg yolks instead of the flax oil - Just a matter of preference.

 

[John Benz]

While your at it Phil Hernon diets his clients on a 40/30/30 breakdown. You might let him know as well. Let him know i sent you.

That's the breakdown I use as well. I just don't eat the fats and carbs at the same meal....

 

[gogo4]

I tried the carb/fat seperation and it worked well!!! Than I tried mixing fat/carb and it didnt change a thing! lol and its still working well!!!

 

[DirkMoneyshot]

Your right it won't change a thing as long as your sources of protein/carbs/fat are from good foods and your eating a balanced diet.

The problem that a lot of internet nutritionist don't understand is the body does not switch energy sources like they want you to believe.

The main idea behind the plan of dividing your carbs and fat up is limiting insulin spikes. However theses spikes are limited when eating good sources of balanced nutrients. The problem with combing carbs and fats come when you over eat in kcals and eat simple sugars along with saturated fats. A meal of the following will not cause you to gain substantial fat just because there is fats/protein/carbs all in the same meal.

10 oz. Top Sirloin Steak
10 oz. baby Red Potato

 

[MANOWAR]

Thanks Dirk and all who replied and helped.

Things I learned:
-Carbs cause insulin release which prevents fat burning
-Carbs are okay if they have a low g.i. (oatmeal, brown rice, yam, grapefruit, broccoli)
-Carbs should be emphasized more during breakfast and post workout
-Processed food = bad because they are stripped of nutrients, and are loaded with salt and sugar
-Carbs & fats are okay together as long as they are from good source

Couple of things I am still confused about, some of which I haven't asked yet:
-What is so bad about sodium?
-To prevent loosing muscle, I've heard running on an empty stomach should be avoided. What should I eat/drink before a cardio session to burn the most fat and keep the most muscle?
-Is eating every 2 hours okay? I will have very small meals because I've read that it speeds up your metabolism.
-When is the best time to drink Green Tea? I am thinking in the morning, before and after a workout.

Thanks again guys, this is really helping me out.

 

[tonality]

I'll let Dirk and Suar correct me if i'm wrong on this one (take their word over mine)...


I *believe* that you weren't specific enough with your question about running on an empty stomach (or perhaps what you read/heard wasn't specific enough with their answer)...
Running HARD on an empty stomach will definitely burn too much muscle...but staying in a target 60-70% heart rate (brisk walk or light jog, depending) for 45-60 minutes on that same empty stomach will shred you pretty quickly, something to do with your anabolic thresholds and V02max levels that are only interesting if you're a big nerd about it like me HIIT (look it up) will cut you up just as fast or faster, but will take muscle with it based on my (limited) understanding of the physiology behind cardio. The reasoning behind doing your (light) cardio on an empty stomach is because you're guaranteed to be insulin-free.

-Every 2 hours is fine, and Green tea is fine whenever you want to drink it. Good stuff, I like it too, just watch that you don't overdo your caffeine intake.

 

[invisiblekid_uk]

I was under the impression that meals should be balanced. Therefore Protein, Carbs and Fats.

My rule was no more than 10g fat in a meal if I was having say Carbs and Protein and visa versa - no more than 10g carbs if I was having a Protein and fat meal. Its very rare I have more than 10g fat per serving due to the fact I like to space my cals out - this is a luxery I have - not everyone can eat 8 times per day.

It might not be ideal but its working.