Carbohydrates and An Effective Diet Plan

Carbohydrates are one of THREE components to calories, the other two being fats and proteins.

For an effective diet plan you need the proper combination of all three. Carbohydrates are found in almost everything we eat and that's mainly why they seem to be harder than fats and proteins to maintain, or balance, for a healthy and effective diet plan. 1 gram of carbs is worth 4 calories. So, if you chose a food with 12 grams of carbohydrates that is 48 calories in carbs alone.

There are two kinds of carbs -simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are sugars. Foods such as sugar cereals, soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit punch, lemonade, cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream, and candy are very rich in sugars (ie. simple carbohydrates).Complex carbohydrates include both starches and fiber, which are found naturally in foods such as breads, beans, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and milk and dairy products.

The purpose of carbs is to provide energy so that your body can function properly throughout the day. Carbohydrates are compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
The basic form of carbs are called simple sugars and include honey, jams, jellies, syrup, table sugar, candies, soft drinks, fruits, and fruit juices. Glucose (also called dextrose) is a common simple sugar found in fruits, honey, and vegetables. It is also the substance measured in blood. (In other words, blood sugar equals blood glucose.)

Complex carbohydrates, or starches, are found in foods such as grains, vegetables, breads, seeds, legumes, and beans. Whether it's a handful of jelly beans or freshly sliced whole grain bread, it's all carbohydrate!

Let's look at an example of a "good" carb vs a "bad" carb.
A sweet potato (good carb) and a 20oz. bottle of soda (bad carb):

SWEET POTATO (complex carb)

260 calories
potassium
magnesium
vitamin A
folic acid
vitamin C
fiber

SODA - simple carb (sugar)

260 calories

And that's about it! Both have the same amount of calories, but the sweet potato, also has many of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to be healthy. In addition, the soda will be absorbed into the blood stream immediately, giving you a "sugar high" something we all want to avoid in our children right before bedtime!

Most medical experts say that 60 percent of the calories you eat every day should come from carbohydrates. To find out how many carbohydrates you need, multiply the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight by .6. For example, if you need 2,000 calories per day, 2,000 multiplied by .6 = 1,200. So you know you need 1,200 calories from carbohydrates. There are 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate. Take your 1,200 calories and divide by 4 = 300 grams. That may sound like a lot, but the choice of foods that contains carbohydrates is vast. You should not have to much trouble finding the right combination that works for you.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, a study was conducted in 2003. Two groups of dieters were closely followed. One group followed the Atkins low-carb diet and the other, a conventional diet of reduced caloric intake. In the first three months, the Atkins group had lost 7-10% of their original body weight while those who ate the conventional low-calorie diet only lost 3-5% of their original weight. After 6 months, the results were similar to those at 3 months; however, after one year, those on the Atkins diet had regained enough weight so that differences in weight loss between the two diets were not significant.
Another study looked at the effects of physical activity on those dieting with low-carb plans. The results strongly supported the hypothesis that individuals who consume the Atkins-type diet will experience more fatigue, more negative and less positive effects of exercise than those consuming the more conventional low-calorie diet.

Look at it this way....
You weigh 200 pounds and want to lose 50 pounds. If you follow a healthy, effective diet plan and lose 2 pounds per week, that a whopping 24 pounds in the first 3 months alone! AND because it's a safe and healthy diet, you will keep that weight off! You've changed your lifestyle - not just your eating habits.

A much more effective diet plan for weight loss is a sensible diet plan that incorporates carbs, fats, protein and exercise into your daily routine. Of course, finding the right mix of all these ingredients specifically tailored to you and your needs is the difficult part. I have just spent the better part of a day grungiing through the FDA website. They have some wonderful tools there to help you analyze the deficiencies in your daily physical activity and food consumption - but like I said, it's almost 5 hours and although I have a pretty good picture of where I stand, they don't give specific suggestions and it's not at all user friendly as far as ease of use.

Strip that Fat is an online diet program that does most of the work for you. In the planning phase anyway! (You DO have to do the actual implementation!!). At Strip That Fat, they have a wonderful, easy to use diet generator, menu planner and grocery shopping list. What I like about the diet generator is that you begin by entering in the foods that YOU like - you're not forced to choose between two foods that you hate. That's a recipe for disaster right from the get go!

Strip That Fat will help you lose up to 2 pounds each and every week - EXACTLY what the FDA recommends. It is NOT a fad diet. It's safe, sensible and very easy to follow. Since I found Strip That Fat,I have begun a journey that will last a lifetime and allow me to live life without the many complications of being overweight. This is the best option for me - I think you'll be surprised at what you find there.