Most nutritionists believe that to lose weight, you need to increase your protein intake and limit carbohydrates. But there is another approach, according to which you can lose weight on complex carbohydrates. This diet is suitable for those people who cannot consume large amounts of protein due to health problems (for example, kidney disease).
The carbohydrate diet for weight loss is considered one of the simplest. Its essence comes down to the fact that you need to consume complex carbohydrates, and in addition to them - a small amount of fats and proteins. A proper nutrition system is built on these principles.
- Chicken and pea soup
Carbohydrates: which ones you can, which ones you can’t
Carbohydrates (sugars) or cargo are special organic compounds necessary for the life of people, animals and plants. In the process of photosynthesis of the latter, the planet receives this important component.
For humans, carbohydrates perform a lot of essential functions. Among the most important are plastic and energy. Being part of more complex molecules, cargos participate in the construction of DNA. But most of all, these compounds are known as the main source of energy for the functioning of the body. Once inside, they oxidize, releasing energy. When 1 gram of carbohydrates breaks down, 4.1 kcal and 0.4 g of water are released.
Content:
- Carbohydrates: which ones you can, which ones you can’t
- The essence of the carbohydrate diet
- Carbohydrate menu
- Calendula decoction for carbohydrate diet
- Mathematical Carbohydrate Diet
- Cream of mushroom soup with celery
- Strict carbohydrate diet
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Carbohydrate diet: what the doctor says
Sugars are made up of special structural units. Depending on the number of these units, they are distinguished: monosaccharides (1 unit), disaccharides (2 units), oligosaccharides and the most complex ones - polysaccharides. It is precisely the latter that are the saviors in the carbohydrate diet.
All simple carbohydrates contain a high glycemic index (sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose). Once in the stomach, they are quickly digested and converted into sugar. The “cunning” human body is very complex and cannot be easily deceived. In order to prevent hyperglycemia, it simply transforms sugar into fat. This process, from the “point of view” of the human body, is very useful, since stored fat is a guarantee of an energy source for a rainy day. This is the trap for all obese people: with a sharp drop in blood glucose, a feeling of hunger appears. Therefore, when a person eats sweets, he continues to want to eat.
Another thing is complex carbohydrates. These are, first of all, glycogen, starch and cellulose. These components consist of many structural units. Therefore, it takes more time and, most importantly, energy to digest and process them.
Low glycemic index foods
Weight loss products with simple and complex carbohydrates from the list in the table can be safely consumed while following a diet. They have a low GI, supply energy, but do not increase the glycemic level.
| Product | GI |
| Boiled oatmeal | 49 |
| Boiled carrots | 49 |
| Avocado | 20 |
| Lemon | 20 |
| Boiled peas | 22 |
| Fructose | 23 |
| Cashew nuts | 23 |
| Chocolate 70% cocoa | 25 |
| Grapefruit | 25 |
| Boiled barley | 25 |
| Hazelnut | 25 |
| Boiled red lentils | 26 |
| Boiled red beans | 27 |
| Whole milk | 31 |
| Dried apples | 29 |
| Boiled black beans | 30 |
| Dried apricots | 31 |
| Soy milk | 31 |
| Low-fat yogurt with sugar | 33 |
| Boiled whole wheat pasta | 37 |
| Pear | 38 |
| Apple | 38 |
| Tomato juice | 38 |
| Fish fingers | 38 |
| Boiled ravioli with meat | 39 |
| Plums | 39 |
| Apple juice, unsweetened | 40 |
| Strawberry | 40 |
| Peach | 42 |
| Papaya | 42 |
| Pudding | 43 |
| Pear compote | 44 |
| Lentil soup | 44 |
| Coconut | 45 |
| Lactose | 46 |
| Orange juice without sugar | 46 |
| Bulgur | 47 |
| Grapefruit juice without sugar | 48 |
| Rice | 48 |
We can say that the less sweet a product is, the lower its glycemic index. From foods containing complex carbohydrates, the body can produce sugar, but this is a long process. The slower sugar is absorbed from food, the better. This parameter determines the glycemic index.
The essence of the carbohydrate diet
There is an opinion that carbohydrates are the main culprits of mass obesity. Against the backdrop of total consumption of fast food, low-quality products and fast food, this may seem true. But this misconception is based on a misunderstanding of the glycemic index of carbohydrates themselves.
The glycemic index is, simply put, the rate at which cargo is processed. For simple carbohydrates it is high, and for complex carbohydrates it is low. Eliminating them completely from the diet will, of course, lead to the loss of several kilograms. But, soon the body will “revenge” this deficiency with the appearance of a host of health problems and with the same weight.
The carbohydrate diet is built on the principle: burn what you have accumulated and prevent a new reserve of fat. At the same time, fast carbohydrates are not excluded, so as not to reduce the sugar content to a crisis minimum. Not only representatives of the fairer sex resort to it, but also professional athletes for the so-called drying. Nutritionists have developed several general useful tips for effective weight loss:
- You need to drink at least 1.5 liters of purified water per day;
- a single serving of food should be 100 g, liquid - 150 ml;
- meals should be separate (5-6 meals);
- 3 hours before bedtime you should not eat;
- exclude fried foods, sweet sodas, alcohol;
- physical activity should gradually increase.
This diet includes foods containing fiber and starch and some simple carbohydrates. Among the obligatory purchases will be: cereals, fruits, vegetables, lean meat, fish, dairy products. Unlike other diets, this one boasts a bright and varied menu. You will only have to completely give up sugar and flour. The amount of protein (meat, eggs, flour products) is also reduced.
The entire course takes two weeks. The first seven days are accompanied by a more stringent regime and a small amount of incoming calories. During this period, 6 to 7 kilograms of excess weight are lost. If we are talking about morbid obesity, the weight loss will be even greater. Men on a carbohydrate diet have a slightly harder time losing weight than women. The next stage is designed to consolidate the result. Weight loss in the second week proceeds more slowly, but the lost kilograms go away for a long time. According to reviews from those who have already completed the entire course of the carbohydrate diet, 0.5-1 kg may return in recent days. You shouldn’t be afraid of this; with proper nutrition and moderate exercise, your weight will stabilize.
In addition to the main two-week option, a carbohydrate diet for one week has been developed. It is distinguished by a more stringent regime, rapid weight loss and is recommended in emergency situations.
Simple and complex carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are divided into simple (fast) and complex (slow). We will look at simple carbohydrates below, a list of foods with a table for weight loss; the body breaks them down quickly. They are quickly absorbed by the blood, instantly saturating with energy, but it only lasts for a very short time. They do not satisfy hunger, and pose a danger to the figure , therefore, of the total amount of carbohydrates consumed per day, they should account for no more than 20%.
Complex carbohydrates, a list of weight loss products that you should also consider, take quite a long time to digest. The body spends a lot of energy on processing them, and they give us their energy resources gradually, so they last for a long time, and you can satisfy your hunger for a long time. These products are considered more beneficial, both for health and for weight loss, so they should become the main sources of energy in your diet.
Carbohydrate menu
In the first seven days, the diet will contain more dairy products and vegetables. One serving should be no more than 100 grams. You can create your own menu, excluding prohibited foods: potatoes, sweets, sparkling water, sugar, flour products.
A sample menu for the first week may consist of:
- Breakfast: oatmeal, fruit, cottage cheese, black coffee without sugar or tea.
- Lunch: 150 ml of kefir, natural yoghurt or fermented baked milk.
- Lunch: baked fish, steamed or stewed vegetables, beans, lentils.
- Snack: 150 ml of kefir, natural yogurt or fermented baked milk.
- Dinner: vegetable salads, stewed cabbage, boiled chicken breast.
Over the next seven days, portions increase to 200 grams of food and 250 grams of liquid. Throughout the course, before meals, it is recommended to drink calendula decoction to maintain digestion.
A sample menu for the second week may consist of:
- Breakfast: natural yogurt with fruit, porridge, cottage cheese, boiled egg (no more than 2 times a week).
- Lunch: 250 grams of kefir or a handful of nuts.
- Lunch: meat or fish with a side dish of vegetables.
- Snack: 250 grams of kefir or fermented baked milk.
- Dinner: boiled rice with vegetables, salads dressed with lemon juice, fish.
What carbohydrates should you eliminate to lose weight?
From the information above, you can highlight the key point - simple sugars pose a danger to your figure. As a result, you yourself can easily tell which carbohydrates you should not eat when losing weight – fast ones, i.e. sources of high GI. Their main problem is the synthesis of insulin in response to the entry of such a macronutrient into the blood. If the body does not immediately begin to use up the resulting sugars, they become fat deposits. Experts advise eating such foods only before physical activity.
Mathematical Carbohydrate Diet
One of the carbohydrate diet options is based on counting the amount of cargo consumed. They are calculated in so-called carbograms (kbg), which are essentially the same grams. Each product contains a certain amount of carbohydrates, from 0 to 100. On such a diet, you can consume 120-150 kg per day. The table for the carbohydrate diet contains the main products from the usual diet.
| Product (100 g) | Carbohydrates (cbg) |
| Wheat bread | 50,15 |
| Rye bread | 41,82 |
| Butter bun | 56,80 |
| Buckwheat (kernels) | 68,0 |
| Semolina | 73,3 |
| Oatmeal | 65,4 |
| Rice | 73,7 |
| "Hercules" | 65,7 |
| Beans | 8,3 |
| Peas | 53,3 |
| Beans | 54,5 |
| Lentils | 53,7 |
| Soybeans | 26,5 |
| Oil (corn, olive, sunflower) | 0 |
| Porcini mushrooms | 3,40 |
| Pork | 0 |
| Veal | 0 |
| Mutton | 0 |
| Chicken | 0,6 |
| Leaf lettuce | 0,7 |
| Celery | 1,1 |
| Spinach | 0,6 |
| Apples | 11,80 |
| Grapefruit | 10,30 |
| Orange | 10,30 |
| White cabbage | 5,4 |
| Potato | 19,7 |
| Beet | 10,8 |
| Carrot | 7,0 |
| Parsley | 8,1 |
| Green peas | 13,3 |
| Cucumber | 3,0 |
| Radish | 4,1 |
| Tomatoes | 4,2 |
| Garlic | 21,2 |
| Cow's milk | 5,16 |
| Butter | 0,80 |
| Brynza | 0 |
| Coffee beans | 15,0 |
| Black tea | 15,0 |
| Cocoa | 3,50 |
List of complex carbohydrates for weight loss
According to nutritionists, all high-carbohydrate foods that contain more than 2 molecules will not negatively affect your figure. However, to be more confident in a positive result from a diet or simple menu correction, you need to know the list of complex carbohydrates for weight loss. Food aimed at losing weight should contain:
- fiber;
- pectins;
- glycogen;
- starch (to a lesser extent).
You can see this list of carbohydrates in weight loss products - cereals, nuts, seeds, which contain fiber, apples and apricots, cabbage, cucumbers, cranberries - sources of pectin, buckwheat, rice, pasta, which contain starch. It is difficult to obtain glycogen from food, since it contains it in minimal quantities (mainly in fish), but it is in excess and is not needed.
sovets.net
Cream of mushroom soup with celery
A recipe suitable for almost any type of carbohydrate diet.
Per serving: calories – 343, proteins – 4.1, carbohydrates – 4.9 kbg.
You will need to take:
- petiole celery – 200 g;
- champignons – 200 gr;
- carrots – 120 gr;
- purified water – 500 ml.
All ingredients are cleared of excess and washed thoroughly. Everything is cut into large cubes and cooked under the lid until fully cooked without salt. Then the finished broth is brought to a creamy state using a blender. When serving, you can sprinkle with a pinch of dill or celery greens.
The right carbohydrates for weight loss
A good food for weight loss is rich in fiber and has a low GI: it takes a long time to break down. The right carbohydrates for weight loss can be easily identified by the absence of natural sweetness, i.e. fructose, sucrose, etc. there are no elements there. “Good” macroelements will be found in:
- vegetables (especially cruciferous);
- greenery;
- cereals;
- legumes
Please note that it is not enough to consume only complex carbohydrates when losing weight - they should be included only in breakfast and lunch, and in the evening and at night you should eat only proteins. If you really want light carbohydrate-containing food (milk and its “relatives” are here), you need to eat it in the morning. For snacks, sweets can be replaced with high-carbohydrate nuts - they are heavy because they contain a lot of fat, but they provide good nutrition, and a small portion (10 pieces) will not harm.
Strict carbohydrate diet
A more restrictive version of the carbohydrate diet for a week is recommended in extreme cases. As a rule, it is used before holidays, competitions or as prescribed by a doctor. This regime can be repeated no more than 2 times a year.
The peculiarity of the regime is a clear meal schedule and a very limited menu. Accidental snacks are completely excluded. All supplied products are distributed evenly throughout the day. A total of 6 appointments at: 7:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 19:00. By following the rules, you can lose up to 7 kilograms of weight in a week.
Strict carbohydrate diet menu for a week
Day one: 400 grams of baked potatoes and 0.5 liters of low-fat kefir.
Day two: 400 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and 0.5 liters of low-fat kefir.
Day three: 400 grams of fruit (except grapes and bananas) and 0.5 liters of low-fat kefir.
Day four: 400 grams of boiled chicken breast and 0.5 liters of low-fat kefir.
Day five: 400 grams of fruit (except grapes and bananas) and 0.5 liters of kefir.
Day six: fasting (water only)
Day seven: 400 grams of fruit and 0.5 liters of low-fat kefir.
In this case, you need to completely eliminate salt and sugar. You need to get out of this diet gradually, returning familiar foods and increasing portions.
What are carbohydrates
If proteins are the building blocks for muscle tissue, and fats are needed for blood vessels and the heart, then carbohydrates are a source of energy, without which the body’s vital functions are impossible. Their complete exclusion, as you might guess, leads to the fact that a person becomes lethargic, experiences weakness, cannot concentrate on basic tasks, and feels hungry. Doctors say that a deficiency of this macronutrient in the diet (as happens during active weight loss) is the main reason for the craving for “harmful” foods (chocolate, cookies), since they contain glucose, an alternative source of energy.
Figuring out what carbohydrates you can eat while losing weight is the main task of every person who cares about their health. A simple classification helps with this, according to which they are divided into:
- complex or slow;
- simple or fast.
Advantages and disadvantages
Most diets are aimed at sharply reducing body weight. Many who want to lose weight cannot resist the temptation to get rid of the hated “layers” quickly, easily and for a long time. But, as a rule, such express diets are associated with stress for the body. Excluding the necessary components, minerals and vitamins from the diet has a bad effect on the well-being and condition of the skin and hair. The most aggressive weight loss methods often result in the return of lost pounds.
A carbohydrate diet is accompanied by constant replenishment of the body with the necessary energy. Does not completely exclude proteins, which allows you to maintain muscle tone. At the same time, playing sports is not difficult. Unlike many other modes, fatigue does not appear and loss of strength is not observed. The stomach and intestines remain in order due to the constant supply of food in small portions. The prescribed products contain everything necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system.
Among the disadvantages, the main one, according to reviews of those losing weight, are fasting days. In the case of a strict carbohydrate diet, it is very difficult to control yourself and not eat something tasty. The first three to four days are a difficult period; the body will rebuild and adapt. But from the fourth, everything will become much easier.
At the end of the second week, some of the lost weight may return. However, if proper nutrition becomes part of life, they will undoubtedly disappear. The main thing to remember is that it is not a diet that is taken as a basis, but proper nutrition. Quitting alcohol, nicotine, sugar and fat has never harmed anyone.
Eliminating sugar from the diet becomes a problem for most people with a sweet tooth. In this case, you should be guided by the rule: “Everything is good in moderation.” An hour's walk in the park will cover one slice of cake. And, if you go for a run, you can sweeten the tea.
Simple carbohydrates
Most simple carbohydrates do not provide any benefit because they block the main process for losing weight, namely the process of breaking down fat cells for energy when there is a lack of other resources. How does this happen?
For normal functioning, the body needs energy. He gets it from carbohydrates. If the energy obtained from carbohydrate-containing foods is not enough for him, he has to take it from his own resources. First of all, these are glycogen stores in the muscles and liver. If it runs out, adipose tissue becomes the source. If the energy comes from carbohydrates, then the body first uses it for its own needs, fills the liver and muscles with what is left, turning it into glycogen, but the rest becomes adipose tissue.
If we eat complex carbohydrates, the body receives a constant and slow flow of energy. It is not enough to cover all needs, but it is enough to break down fats. And this process is labor-intensive, and also very energy-consuming. In view of this, the benefits of complex carbohydrates for weight loss are great.
How do simple carbohydrates affect the body? Fast carbohydrates, a list of foods in the table for weight loss that we will present below, immediately provide the body with a lot of glucose. Part of it is split to cover its own energy costs. The rest fills the muscles with glycogen, but the remainder goes directly to fat deposits. After a couple of hours, you will want to eat again, although you have received a lot of calories. In this case, it makes sense to talk about so-called “empty” calories, which do not bring anything useful to the body, but easily lead to excess weight.
So, soon you feel hungry and eat again. However, in fact, the body no longer needs what you ate. He still has enough energy and glycogen (if you have not resorted to heavy physical activity). Accordingly, what is eaten goes only to reserves. Simple carbohydrates are extremely poor at satisfying hunger while covering energy needs. Therefore, all additional resource receipts are postponed…. That's right, into fat .
The most harmful simple carbohydrate is sugar. It is absorbed into the blood very quickly and provides a large amount of energy, but it ends very quickly. But fructose is considered a healthy simple carbohydrate. It does not provoke strong spikes in insulin, and therefore is not stored in fat.
Insulin is a hormone that processes glucose and is responsible for where it ends up - in muscles, fat or energy.
The list of carbohydrate foods for weight loss that are harmful to your figure and should be limited includes the following:
- sugar and sweets that contain a lot of it: chocolate, pastries, cookies, waffles, cakes, etc., as well as packaged juices and carbonated drinks;
- sweet dairy products, such as store-bought yoghurts with fillings, curd or glazed cheesecakes;
- most alcoholic drinks;
- snacks like chips, popcorn and so on.
In addition, there are healthy simple carbohydrate foods, the list and table for weight loss include the following:
- sweets, which mainly contain fructose or glucose (honey, marmalade, dried fruits, candied fruits, and so on);
- fruits and berries;
- birch sap, various natural fruit drinks, juices and compotes without sugar;
- red wine.
Here is a chart of carbohydrate foods for weight loss that includes popular sources of simple carbohydrates:
| Product | Calorie content, kcal | Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g |
| Sugar | 374 | 0,3 | 0 | 99,5 |
| Honey | 308 | 0,8 | 0 | 80,3 |
| Chocolate (milk) | 547 | 6,9 | 35,7 | 52,4 |
| Marshmallow | 299 | 0,8 | 0 | 78,3 |
| Butter pastries | 297 | 7,6 | 4,5 | 60,0 |
| Dried apricots | 272 | 5,2 | – | 65,9 |
| Prunes | 264 | 2,3 | – | 65,6 |
| Bananas | 91 | 1,5 | – | 22,4 |
Another argument against simple carbohydrates is that many of them, for example, chocolate, baked goods and other sweets, contain large amounts of fat, and harmful fat, which is dangerous for your figure and health. Therefore, it is recommended to limit these carbohydrates in food products, the weight loss table of which will help you learn more about them, in the menu.
Where does this myth about insulin and carbohydrates come from?
The emergence of such concepts as “good” and “bad” calories has shaken up society. Now everyone has started counting calories and actively losing weight. Books on proper nutrition say in black and white that insulin is the main cause of obesity. No, of course, there is some truth in this: the hormone is really involved in the regulation of subcutaneous fat. But you shouldn’t make it the main culprit of your excess weight.
Why? Our endocrine system is a very complex mechanism, the coordinated operation of which depends on the activity of many hormones. Insulin plays an important role in metabolism (including fats and carbohydrates), but it is only a small part of this system.
To understand how insulin works, it is worth moving a little away from generally accepted facts and looking at it from a different perspective.
Types of carbohydrates
Conventionally, all types of carbohydrates can be divided into sugars, starches and fiber . They form the basis of all carbohydrate-rich foods.
Sugars are simple carbohydrates (mono- and disaccharides), which are sometimes called “fast” or “easily digestible”, since the process of their absorption begins from the moment they enter the mouth. Their list is not limited to the well-known table sugar.
Fiber and starches are complex carbohydrates (oligo- and polysaccharides). They are sometimes called slow because the digestion process is much longer and ends in the large intestine.
| Table: Types of carbohydrates | |
| Monosaccharides (1 glucose molecule) | Glucose, Fructose, Galactose |
| Disaccharides (2 glucose molecules) | Sugar, Lactose, Maltose |
| Oligosaccharides (3-20 glucose molecules) | Raffinose (3 glucose molecules), Stachyose (4 glucose molecules), Verbascose (5 glucose molecules) Fructooligosaccharides, Commercial glucose polymers/maltodextrins (5-15 glucose molecules) |
| Polysaccharides (20-1000 glucose molecules) Starches and Non-starchy polysaccharides | Amylase, Amylopectin, Cellulose, Pectins |
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What foods are carbohydrates?
In the understanding of most of us, carbohydrates are sugar, pasta, bread... Someone may also add porridge and potatoes to this list.
In fact, the list of foods containing large quantities of carbohydrates is much wider. Among them are even those that we are accustomed to consider protein:
- cereals or porridges;
- vegetables, especially starchy ones (potatoes, corn);
- fruits;
- dairy products;
- nuts;
- legumes;
- seeds;
- bakery products;
- sweet foods produced by man.
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What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates enter the body with food: grains, rice, cereals, sweets and most fruits.
While proteins are responsible for muscle strength and regeneration of the body, carbohydrates provide the body with energy to function. Carbohydrates are the “fuel” of the body.
After eating food, our body converts carbohydrates into glucose in our cells, where it is subsequently converted into energy. If after this there remains “extra” glucose that the cells do not need, it is stored as fat.
Different carbohydrates - different functions
There are three types of carbohydrates that any weight-conscious person should be able to distinguish between: fiber, simple and complex carbohydrates.
Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. Fiber-rich foods contain components that are not broken down in the body and converted into energy or fat. When ingested with food, they provide a feeling of fullness for a long time and are good for the heart and intestines.
There are two types of digestible carbohydrates:
- Simple carbohydrates, such as those found in refined sugar and fruit, are broken down quickly, and scientists have recently suggested that such "fast" carbohydrates may increase insulin production and thereby increase hunger, which contributes to weight gain.
- Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down and use more energy in the process, so they are healthier overall.
