How do YOU explain to people that…

[BeginnerGainz]

Carbs absolutely are an essential macronutrient? I feel like the internet has been taken over by a very LOUD minority that will yell KETO at anyone who will listen.

[tripod29]

I don't.


Cheers.

[Tommy W.]

Carbs aren't essential to some. For us though, nothing like a good carb blast before training

[EiFit91]

Carbs absolutely are an essential macronutrient? I feel like the internet has been taken over by a very LOUD minority that will yell KETO at anyone who will listen.

I don't think they are essential, unless you are thinking about optimal performance wrt lifting or some other athletic activity. At least not essential like protein and fat.

[BeginnerGainz]

I don't think they are essential, unless you are thinking about optimal performance wrt lifting or some other athletic activity. At least not essential like protein and fat.

True. Your body CAN make all the glucose it needs. So not “essential” like amino acids or fats.

Title of my post should have included “to a good diet” because IMO no diet is complete without healthy carbs.

Carbs aren't essential to some. For us though, nothing like a good carb blast before training

Hell yeah. I’m about to get up on that actually.

[desslok]

I don't think they are essential, unless you are thinking about optimal performance wrt lifting or some other athletic activity. At least not essential like protein and fat.

Exactly, they are not essential. But a lot of people will perform better with carbs. And a marathon runner might make it a mile or two without carbs.

[air2fakie]

I never think about things like carbs or fats etc., they tend to take care of themselves by eating normal food IMO. And I definitely don't talk to people IRL about macros.

[EliKoehn]

I think when "essential" is used to describe fats and protein from a dietary standpoint, it is meant literally. I'd say there's an equally loud (or louder) voice among those who are accomplished lifters and athletes who promote high carb diets and view it positively.

The people who say "carbs are bad" are ironically almost always overweight and not very successful athletes of any sort.

I am sick of them past about 200g in a day, personally, and don't prefer to eat that many, anyway. I may try to incorporate more without increasing fats at the same time and see if it boosts performance, but I'm really just not inclined to eat more than a medium amount of carbs for whatever reason.

My one dry-measured cup of rice at dinner and then maybe a bagel in the morning is an amount I'm perfectly content with, day in and day out.

But in regards to the question, it is amusing to me how many people in my daily life are hooked on the idea that these fad diets (particularly those having to do with carb cycling) have some kind of magic power that keeps fat loss from being a simple equation. I don't talk about it much, but after a few conversations with various people (often learned and intelligent people), I don't think I'd be able to change their mind. I started a thread about it last year because it bewildered me that something so obvious can be missed right in front of one's face.

It's not among the more important things in life, though, I guess.

[Tommy W.]

Exactly, they are not essential. But a lot of people will perform better with carbs. And a marathon runner might make it a mile or two without carbs.

lol, the KETO warriors say if you train your body to run on fat you’ll never run out of energy. Tell that to a marathon runner that’s at 6%.

[desslok]

lol, the KETO warriors say if you train your body to run on fat you’ll never run out of energy. Tell that to a marathon runner that’s at 6%.

I used to go on long mountain bike rides and have a lot of cyclist friends that ride 50-100 miles often. You WILL bonk without carbs. Mountain biking is a different animal, 8-12 miles in some mountains is like 50 on the road. So mountain biking i would usually bring power bars, gu, clif bars, whatever to snack on every 45 minutes or so

[AdamWW]

I don’t even care if they’re essential or not, I just like them

[desslok]

I don’t even care if they’re essential or not, I just like them

So essentially, its not essential to you whether they are considered “essential” or not.

[EliKoehn]

I don’t even care if they’re essential or not, I just like them

The thing with me on this, is if it's not just a high calorie food overall like pizza, it's hard to eat plain carbs without it being really dry or kind of unpalatable. With the exception of fat-free yogurt, I can't think of a way to eat plain bread, for instance, in a way which wouldn't be clotty and hard to get down.

The other thing that comes to mind is oatmeal or some kind of porridge, or cooked cereal like rice, but a lot of "carb" sources are kind of hard to eat on their own IMO.

[Tommy W.]

I used to go on long mountain bike rides and have a lot of cyclist friends that ride 50-100 miles often. You WILL bonk without carbs. Mountain biking is a different animal, 8-12 miles in some mountains is like 50 on the road. So mountain biking i would usually bring power bars, gu, clif bars, whatever to snack on every 45 minutes or so

ive done the Rosario to Ensenada race many times and the night before we’d have the biggest spaghetti dinner possible. There is a 13 mile long hill and you can tell who wasn’t carbed up, lol.

[EiFit91]

The thing with me on this, is if it's not just a high calorie food overall like pizza, it's hard to eat plain carbs without it being really dry or kind of unpalatable. With the exception of fat-free yogurt, I can't think of a way to eat plain bread, for instance, in a way which wouldn't be clotty and hard to get down.

The other thing that comes to mind is oatmeal or some kind of porridge, or cooked cereal like rice, but a lot of "carb" sources are kind of hard to eat on their own IMO.

French fries?

Potatoes in the oven properly seasoned and together with root vegetables along with your protein? Maybe some good sauce along with that?

[AdamWW]

The thing with me on this, is if it's not just a high calorie food overall like pizza, it's hard to eat plain carbs without it being really dry or kind of unpalatable. With the exception of fat-free yogurt, I can't think of a way to eat plain bread, for instance, in a way which wouldn't be clotty and hard to get down.

The other thing that comes to mind is oatmeal or some kind of porridge, or cooked cereal like rice, but a lot of "carb" sources are kind of hard to eat on their own IMO.

Why would you eat plain carbs? I mean unless it’s like a treat or something after a meal?

Other than things like cereal or pancakes… most carbs are either combined with sauces or a protein, or fat…

PBJ
Cereal
Any fruit
Rice and sauce with protein
Waffles or pancakes
Toast with jam

People don’t usually just munch on plain baked potatoes as a meal

[desslok]

The thing with me on this, is if it's not just a high calorie food overall like pizza, it's hard to eat plain carbs without it being really dry or kind of unpalatable. With the exception of fat-free yogurt, I can't think of a way to eat plain bread, for instance, in a way which wouldn't be clotty and hard to get down.

The other thing that comes to mind is oatmeal or some kind of porridge, or cooked cereal like rice, but a lot of "carb" sources are kind of hard to eat on their own IMO.

But who was juice?

[BeginnerGainz]

Y’all are making me really hungry ngl

And I managed to stay under 290 for like a month now I want the scale to keep moving steadily south lol

PBJ
Cereal
Any fruit
Rice and sauce with protein
Waffles or pancakes
Toast with jam

Those are some of my favorite things

[desslok]

Those are some of my favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

[Underwrought]

I've come to my own conclusion is matter FAR more that what you're eating is organic and close to natural as possible more than whatever fad diet. Which is supported by all the blue zones having pretty different types of foods, but all being very local and organic.

[AdamWW]

I've come to my own conclusion is matter FAR more that what you're eating is organic and close to natural as possible more than whatever fad diet. Which is supported by all the blue zones having pretty different types of foods, but all being very local and organic.

lol wut?

Something being local or organic has basically nothing to do with it's health benefits...

[Tommy W.]

I've come to my own conclusion is matter FAR more that what you're eating is organic and close to natural as possible more than whatever fad diet. Which is supported by all the blue zones having pretty different types of foods, but all being very local and organic.

organic is a fad diet. An expensive fad diet.

[air2fakie]

I've come to my own conclusion is matter FAR more that what you're eating is organic and close to natural as possible more than whatever fad diet.

That's why it's your own conclusion. Half the stuff you're eating isn't even really "organic" anyway, even if it did make a difference.

[TolerantLactose]

I'm surrounded by people who think carbs are so essential they need a hit every 3 hours while they're awake.

[Strawng]

I don’t even care if they’re essential or not, I just like them

This

PBJ
Cereal
Any fruit
Rice and sauce with protein
Waffles or pancakes
Toast with jam

l

Those are some of my favorite things

Dasitmane!

Also, although carbs aren't "essential", they are "optimal" from a performance/recovery standpoint for both muscular performance & aerobic endurance in the VAST majority of cases.

[Strawng]

I'm surrounded by people who think carbs are so essential they need a hit every 3 hours while they're awake.

Yea. I'm still trying to explain to my family that Corona, Jack Daniels, weed, vodka, rum, painkillers, & benzos aren't essential. So far, no such luck...

[EiFit91]

Yea. I'm still trying to explain to my family that Corona, Jack Daniels, weed, vodka, rum, painkillers, & benzos aren't essential. So far, no such luck...

I am trying to explain to Corona that it's not essential but it won't listen (not the beer)

[paulinkansas]

organic is a fad diet. An expensive fad diet.

It's a way to make money off the gullible.

For example, pet rocks. There was a farmer back in the '70s that lived in an area that experienced a drought. A river that ran through his land went dry. All he had was a riverbed full of rocks. He started selling them as "pet rocks". He made $4,000,000.

[paulinkansas]

Yea. I'm still trying to explain to my family that Corona, Jack Daniels, weed, vodka, rum, painkillers, & benzos aren't essential. So far, no such luck...

That's because you list them in random order. Try categorizing them. Ups, downs, smiles, frowns, smoke and blow. That combination will take you anywhere you want to go.

[desslok]

Yea. I'm still trying to explain to my family that Corona, Jack Daniels, weed, vodka, rum, painkillers, & benzos aren't essential. So far, no such luck...

There was a time in my life where I literally could not/would not play basketball without a 40 of malt liquor.