Are carbs bad for weight loss? How many carbs to lose weight?

With the rise in low-carbohydrate diet, keto diet or high-fat diet, so many of us aren’t quite sure should we eat them or avoid them completely?

In this article we will explore why do we need carbohydrates and what they do for our body — as well as differentiate between good carbs and bad carbs.

Now you need to understand not all carbohydrates are bad for you.

Some are very beneficial and provide a load of essential nutrients.

They form an important role in a well-balanced diet.

Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy.

How do carbohydrates provide energy?

Here’s an easy way to understand, how carbs are converted to energy;

After digestion, carbs are broken down into glucose where it enters the bloodstream and with the help of insulin a hormone.

It shuttles glucose or sugar into the cells of our body where it can be converted into energy.

If there is a surplus of extra glucose it is then stored in our liver and muscle cells in the form of glycogen which you can say are tiny energy reservoirs.

Now, whenever your body needs energy these tiny energy reservoirs or glycogen are broken down to release glucose for energy.

Okay, what kind of carbs should I eat?

Here I will differentiate between good carbs and bad carbs.

I will first start with what are bad carbs?

Bad carbs are mostly processed refined carbohydrates without their fiber content, key vitamins, minerals & fatty acids that provide us with energy but are not healthy and nutritious.

They impact insulin levels much differently than good carbs.

They are readily broken down in the body, and the energy is released which leads to a spike in blood sugar levels.

Having a diet consisting mostly of refined carbs may lead to many diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart problems, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer.

 

Examples of bad carbs would be colas, fruit drinks, ice creams, pastries, products made with refined flour like white bread, white pasta, etc.

What Are Good Carbs?

Unprocessed, whole carbs are known as good carbs (complex carbohydrates).

Good carbs basically have their fibers and nutrient intact.

In complex carbs, the energy is slowly released due to the presence of fiber which contains long chains of molecules or polysaccharides that takes a longer time for the body to digest or break down.

This does not lead to a spike in blood glucose levels and releases energy more consistently compared to bad carbs.

 

This way person feels fuller for longer and doesn’t have frequent hunger pangs.

It also helps in improving metabolism and boost immunity.
Some examples include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, rice, etc.

Some Important Tips

Talking about fruits they contain fructose which is a form of simple carbohydrate, it leads to a spike in glucose levels but we also know that they are full of vitamins, minerals, and fibers.

Eat them in moderation or have one to two servings daily before and after some kind of physical activity as your body can utilize them effectively.

If you are buying a packaged product from the market such as whole wheat product, fruit juice or cereals always check for added sugars on nutrition labels.

How many carbs to lose weight?

It differs from person to person.

You would have seen this commonly that you should get 45 percent to 65 percent of total daily calories from carbohydrates.

That equates to about 225–325 grams per day based on a 2000 calorie diet.

But what I would suggest is for people looking to slim down, a range of 100–150 grams of good carbs is a good place to start.

You can later on increase or decrease your carbohydrate intake on a weekly basis depending on your results.

Athletes or fitness enthusiasts who are training intensely may take 150–250 grams of carbs per day.

As they tend to require more carbs for muscle protein synthesis, better recovery, and hormone support.

Here’s A List of Low Glycemic Carbohydrate or Good Carbs Sources:

It is a number ranging from 0-100 and gives you an idea of how fast your body converts carbohydrates present in a food into glucose after digestion.

Lower the number the better it is.

Here I have considered all low glycemic carbohydrate sources which are mostly under 55 on GI index.

 

Cereals
Food Source	GI Index	Carbs per 100 g Approx.	Calories per 100g Approx.
Rolled Oats	55± 2	67.5	382.5

 

Bread
Food Source	GI Index	Carbs per 100 g Approx.	Calories per 100g Approx.
Specialty grain bread	53 ± 2	44 (4 Slice)	276
Chapatti	52 ± 4	45 (2 ½ Piece)	300
Barley	28 ± 2	28.6	125.5

 

Fruit & Fruit Products
Food Source	GI Index	Carbs per 100 g Approx.	Calories per 100g Approx.
Apple, raw†	36 ± 2	14.2	54.1
Orange, raw†	43 ± 3	12.6	48.3
Banana, raw†	51 ± 3	22.9	89.3
Mango, raw†	51 ± 5	15	59.4
Dates, raw	42 ± 4	75	282
Peaches, canned†	43 ± 5	9.5	39
Strawberry	40	7.7	32

 

Vegetables
Food Source	GI Index	Carbs per 100 g Approx.	Calories per 100g Approx.
Raw Carrots	16	8.2	35
Green Peas	39	16	84
Brinjal	15	8.7	35
Broccoli	10	7.2	35
Cauliflower	15	4.1	23
Cabbage	10	5.5	23
Mushrooms	10	5.3	28
Tomatoes	15	3.9	18
Chilies	10	9.5	40
Lettuce	10	3.3	17
Green Beans	15	7.9	35
Red Peppers	10	6	31
Onions	10	10	44

 

Legumes
Food Source	GI Index	Carbs per 100 g Approx.	Calories per 100g Approx.
Chickpeas	28 ± 9	27	164
Kidney beans	24 ± 4	23	127
Lentils, Red	21	59.4	330
Lentils, Green	30	66	396
Soya beans	16 ± 1	8.4	177.6
Pinto Beans	45	27	147
Black-eyed Beans	50	21	118.8
Yellow Split Peas	32	66.8	339.4

 

Staples
Food Source	GI Index	Carbs per 100 g Approx.	Calories per 100g Approx.
New Potatoes	54	20.9	92.2
Brown Rice	50	24	112
White Rice Long Grain (Basmati)	44	28	130
Sweet Potatoes	48	18	76

 

† Average of all available data.

 

My Final Thoughts on Good Carbs

It is obvious that every individual body will respond differently to the number of carbs.

So, it is important to start eating healthy good carbs first.

Thus, there is a dire need to understand what amount is right for your body.

Stick to whole unprocessed carbs and avoid processed, unhealthy, refined or bad carbs.

 

Source:

https://draxe.com

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foods

https://fuelfoods.ca/