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2003/04/16, 04:41 PM
Finally deciding to control my diet. Going on a diet sounds so harsh. I've never been on a diet and just kind of natually seem to have a pretty steady, healthy weight. Lucky yes, but I'm also <30 y.o. So I figure now's a good time to make sure I know *how* to diet should my metabolism start to shift. I've been tracking (since Monday, but it's a big step for me) my diet on fitday. It's not as hard as I thought...but I do get a lot of carbs, mainly from fruits. Anyway...
I've searched the msg boards and the web and can't get a really good explanation for "effective carbs".
I understand that you can subtract some carbs due to fiber. Is it 1:1? Why are you only subtracting from carbs - what about the protein?. What about fibers eaten from other foods in the same meal?
How can a bar say 2 net carbs if the total carb = 23g and the dietary fiber is <1g???
Also, should I take this into account when I'm trying to determine my avg. current P/C/F and in developing my future diet ratios and food choices?
Thanks in advance for your help!
-Krb
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2003/04/16, 05:36 PM
You lost me with all of that. :)
But it sort of sounds like you are describing something close to what Weight Watchers does. They have a slide rule that lines up the calories, fat, and fiber in an item and assigns it a point. Then you are allowed a certain amount of points a day based on your current weight.
I'm curious to see answers to this so I can understand better what you mean by "effective" carbs and diet ratios.
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~Jennifer
http://www.gwindalyn.com
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2003/04/16, 05:42 PM
Effective carbs ~ I've heard of it lately with the Atkins diet and other low-carb kind of theories. You know how oatmeal has ~25g of carbs for a 1/2 c (dry) serving? Well, in some cases there's a difference between the g of carbs listed and the "effective" carbs - as I understand it, this is what's actually absorbed by your body. But I think that it might be marketing BS, hence my questions.
Diet ratio is just what percentage of your calories come from fats, proteins and carbs. You might have seen people talking about a P/F/C ratio of like 50/30/20...that's it.
Oh yeah, and fitday (www.fitday.com/) is a food tracking website that has been suggested by ppl on these boards :o)
-Krb
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2003/04/16, 06:21 PM
No, it is not marketing bs. Humans lack an enzyme that is needed to digest fiber, so, when you ingest fiber, it basically passes through your whole system without being touched. Since our bodies cannot digest it, then obviously it cannot yield any energy, thus, no calories.
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2003/04/16, 06:41 PM
Thanks, dahayz. I understand fiber. (on some days I understand it more than others (o; ) But what is it's link to carbs and how come it doesn't affect proteins the same way? Is it a chemical structure/bonding sort of thing?
And how is that math done to get the effective carbs?
Come on - I'm an engineer - somebody give me a formula!
-Krb
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2003/04/16, 06:47 PM
LOL Krb!
Thanks for explaining! I guess I knew what diet ratio was all along and just never made the connection.
Now I'm really interested in this formula to find effective carbs! :) I love math!
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~Jennifer
http://www.gwindalyn.com
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2003/04/16, 07:07 PM
Impact or effective carbs are carbs that actually impact your blood sugar, thus instigating an insulin response. Fiber does not do this, and carbs like glycerine supposedly do not either. This is why they have been used in diabetic foodstuffs for years. Impact carbs actually inhibit/reduces the bodies ability to burn fat as energy. It is the glycemic index that separates these types of carbs. High glycemic foods have a tendency also to stimulate appetite. They don not make you feel full for long, so appetite returns quickly. You are right to question the aspect of carbs effectin proteins, but it is more protein affecting high glycemic carbs! Protein will help blunt the insulin release. That is why it is always smart to have some protein with each meal also, especially so a high glycemic meal. Hope this helps some. Lots to get into here.
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The one goal you will NEVER achieve is the one you never attempt.
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2003/04/16, 07:29 PM
So...
when a bar says "2g effective carbs", that means that those are from the high glycemic index ingredients or is it related to the fiber content (or both)?
How do impact carbs inhibit the body's ability to burn fat as energy? What is it using then for energy?
How is fiber involved - or is it considered as part of a low glycemic food?
If my carbs are coming from low glycemic foods like oats, whole wheat bread and fruits (how are they on the scale? bet it varies, huh?) - is that "better" than coming from white rice and pasta? Or does it all just boil down to calories in - calories out?
-Krb
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2003/04/16, 08:55 PM
Wow, I can tell you, there are literally hundreds of books and materials on this subject alone. Like bb1fit said, There is a lot to go on. There is so much information on this topic that it would not do it justice to just talk about it here on a message board. I highly recommend finding a nutrition book or doing some research on the web.
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2003/04/17, 11:57 AM
Ok. Thanks for everyone's help!
-Krb
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2003/04/17, 01:54 PM
I do the low carb (Atkins) and it really works for me, I never feel hungry and I never ever feel I am on a diet.
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