Carb Sources For Fat Loss ?

[Pharm_Fed]

So I have been trying to lean up lately while holding onto as much muscle as possible. I have cut my carbs down to around 200 to lean out and might drop it a little lower. What I'm really wondering if what is the best source for carbs while trying to lose fat?

I have been getting most, if not all, of my carbs lately from fruits and veggies. My theory was based on the negative calorie principle of most of those foods. Apples, strawberries, green beans are all supposed to take more energy to digest than is derived from the food, resulting in a 'negative' calorie result from eating it. I am also getting carbs from grapes, bananas, and the few that are in my shakes and meat that I eat.

I am back and forth as to if these are good sources for carbs or not. At first I figure the negative calorie aspect would help aid in fat loss, but am also thinking that if that's the case, are the carbs really even doing my any good?

Does anyone have links to some good information regarding this aspect of dieting, or some good advice anyone has to offer would also be appreciated.

Thank

 

[MMX2]

Well its not strawberries, grapes- those have a good amount of sugar. I would begin with the glycemic index. This will give you a good start of carbs that are good for you and those that are not based on the index number. Understand the difference between a complex carb and a simple carb:

**Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars – These carbs are broken down and digested very quickly, but most simple carbs contain refined sugars and very few essential vitamins and minerals. Examples include table sugar, candy,desserts,fruit juice, milk, yogurt, honey, molasses, maple syrup and brown sugar.

**Complex carbohydrates – The complex carbs take longer to digest and are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. Examples include vegetables, whole grain breads, oatmeal, legumes, brown rice and wheat pasta.

Just curious, you talk about carbs here, but do you have any EFA's (essential fatty acids) in your diet as well?

 

[Get_Swole]

good question mmx need some good fats in there too bro.
Yam's, oats, wheat bread, sweet potatos, brown rice etc.
like mmx said this should help ya http://www.glycemicedge.com/glycemicindextable.html

 

[Crazymank]

This is the reason why i switched to wheat bread. Check out some of my recipes for wheat bread.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Yeah I have my O3's and O6's in there. I eat fish for one of my meals, use EVOO and have some natty peanut butter. Not sure if I'm eating enough of them, getting between 50-100g of fats/day. Right now I weigh about 193-195lbs. Is that enough? Too much? Another question about healthy fats, do you want equal amounts of O6's and O3's or should you have some more of one than the other? Is there some ratio so you know how much of each you need? I watched the Palumbo videos that Teedugbee posted but he just generalized it with "moderate". Well, that could mean several things. I am a numbers kind of person. Any help here?

MMX -> I do understand the difference between simple and complex carbs, just not really sure which ones are better in which situations. For dieting one want a complex carb so you stay full longer?

GS -> Thanks for the link bro.

NS -> I've seen a few of your recipes and they look great, I will be trying them out soon.

I'm just looking for advice as to when to eat which kind of carb. Like simple = better for gaining because you can eat them more often, or complex = better for leaning out because they keep you feel longer. Something like that.

 

[Get_Swole]

complex are better for leaning out for sure, simple carbs or sugars for that matter raise your bloodsugar and your insulin will then spike causing you to hold onto some fat. Complex carbs however take longer to digest and stick with you longer so in turn this keeps your insulin levels more stable which is a good thing when trying to lose fat. Simple carbs are best eatin directly after post workout. See my pixie stix thread lol.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Yeah I have been following that thread. Don't really have a lot of input but I'm interested in seeing how it works out. Usually immediately PWO I drink my protein shake and eat an apple. Would you say this is effective?

Also, I find that fruits are much easier for me to eat without getting tired of. They just taste better to me, and are usually cold and refreshing. eating hot food all the time, IMO, get old. How rice, hot potato, hot oatmeal, hot pasta. I need something cool once in a while, ya know?!

I was looking at the link you posted and there are a bunch of fruits that are in the "Low GI" range. Would those still be acceptable for carb sources for fat loss?

Also in the link you posted it says the lower the GI index the better. Well, I've always heard brown rice is better for you than white rice, but in that same link white rice has a lower GI index than brown rice, which doesn't make any sense. Even the whole wheat bread is almost exactly the same as white bread. Only the whole/multi grain are really lower.

What kind of split of complex and simple carbs is good? When is a good time during the day to eat each one?

 

[Get_Swole]

brown and white rice may be about the same glycemic wise however nutritionally brown rice is much better for you. When the rice is harvested they have to shread the outer edge to get to the edible rice. Brown rice is left at that white rice is takin a step further and it takes away alot of the nutritional benifits of the rice.
Similar things can be said about whole wheat bread vs white bread. i forget the names exactly but 3 main things are used in the whole wheat bread to make it and in white only 1 of them are used, wheat is higher in fiber, b vitamins manganese and several other vitamins.

I try to steer clear of fruits unless early in the morning. Whether it be high or low glycemic index its still sugar, all things in moderation and you will be fine.

when dieting i keep my carbs from what i said above pretty much, with some simple carbs post workout and thats about it really.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Ok, so is there a place for fruits in bulking or are complex carbs better for that as well? I love my fresh produce and would hate to think I don't get to eat it anymore.

 

[Get_Swole]

Im not simply saying dont eat fruits just dont go overboard and i wouldnt use them as a direct soure of carbs for sure. Bulking i eat pretty freely, not mcdonalds or anything like that but if i want some strawberries then im getting some strawberries lol. Its not nearly as bigga deal when bulking.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

alright. Well I'm aiming for about 200g carbs a day. Would half of them from fruits be too much? 25% be better?

 

[muscleitis]

dont forget to throw in snacks. I use a home made trail mix. if your body has a constant source of energy it wont store everything you feed it. I've found that a completely balanced nutrition plan works best for the long term and you can slightly modify it as needed ie bulking (simple carbs pwo, higher cals, and more protein, and complex carbs w/ meals).

 

[Get_Swole]

alright. Well I'm aiming for about 200g carbs a day. Would half of them from fruits be too much? 25% be better?

i would say thats a little high 25 would be ok. Im just not sure 100g's of carbs would be enough for you. As the other 100g's from the fruits cant be as easily used as energy as real carbs from foods mentioned above if that makes sense.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Yeah that makes sense bro. You think 100g carbs is too low for fat loss?

 

[Get_Swole]

Yeah that makes sense bro. You think 100g carbs is too low for fat loss?

it really depends on "you" ive ran a keto diet with 40g's of carbs from non carb sources and thats it. It worked but i felt like shit and hated it. I stay below 200 usualy if im dieting like right now i think my carbs fall between 140 and 180 depending on the day. and i lose fat just as fast as i did on the keto diet. Dieting isnt an absolute science what works for me may not work at all for you and so forth. 100g's is a little low but can be just fine as long as your hitting your calorie goal dont wanna drop them too low or youll start burning muscle as well.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Ok, I'll keep the banana and blueberries only as they both have great health benefits to them. Together I only get about 38g carbs from them. I'll get the rest from complex carb sources and see if that helps the dieting. Thanks.

 

[Get_Swole]

that sounds much better bro i bet that will help a bunch. Good luck man keep me posted on your progress .

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Will do

 

[Pharm_Fed]

I've been reading more about carbs and am finding conflicting things. Some articles say that certain fruits contain complex carbs

This one for example has apples, pears, plums, strawberries, oranges, apricots and grapefruits all listed as containing complex carbs. This contradicts what many others say, and what I have always heard. Even this site has complex carb sources listed as fruits, vegetables, and grains. It even says fresh fruits and veggies are the best source of complex carbs?? This website says that fruits are mostly made up of simple carbs, but are low in simple sugars and do not promote weight gain.

Then there's site like this one that backs up what I've always heard about complex carbs.

 

[Get_Swole]

veggies are best to get carbs from but you would have to eat an ungodly amount to get your number of carbs from them. Fruits contain fiber and fibrous carbs and they are the right kinds of carbs. Although that does not change the fact that they still contain a ton of sugar. Make sense? If we ate everything on the food table they recommend the average person would be obese eating healthy as shit, 5 servings of fruits a day is IMO way too much. Try what you want and if you can prove me wrong that will be great ill learn something new but i just know sugar is the enemy of my bodytype, and fruit no matter how you put it natural or from a sugar cane its still sugar. In a large apple there are about 20 to 23 grams of sugar.