Rice vs. Sugar page

[atmetal]

I've been cycling my daily carb intake from high to low based on my workout days, and it seems to be working pretty well so far in losing the last few pounds of fat, while still gaining strength. While the majority of my carbs on workout days come from vegetables and fresh grapes, I also eat white instant rice due to its high density making things more convenient.

However, the rice leaves me feeling and looking bloated, something simple carbs don't do as much. I've considered ditching the rice in favor of more fruit, but my living situation (in the military) limits me both economically and the ability to prepare my food. I was considering canned fruit, but to get a dense dose of carbs, I would need the stuff packed in syrup. I already know to avoid corn syrup, but some brands use sugar instead of corn. Obviously, sugar isn't much better. But I was already consuming rice. As far as I can tell, sugar causes nothing except inflammation, which the rice was doing anyway. And unlike rice, sugar doesn't contain anti-nutrients common to all grains. And increasing my fruit intake is always good, of course.

So if I were to substitute my rice for canned fruit in (sugar-based) syrup as a cheap and easy carb source, would I be any worse off?

[jakey]

this is a really interesting question in the whole sucrose vs. glucose debate! can't really give you an answer other than to go with what makes your body feel best. i would think that you would slowly adapt to the bolus of glucose in the rice, but if the fruit-in-sugar is easier, i'd go with it. it won't have many vitamins and minerals, but still more than the white rice.

fruit juice may be your best option if you don't like the glucose. dehydrated potato flakes may be worth a shot though.

Is It Good to Eat Sugar? | Perfect Health Diet

Andrew Kim Blog: Fructose is > glucose (final): why sugar is unlikely the cause of obesity

[atmetal]

I decided against juice because it has zero effect on satiety.

Instant potatoes is a great suggestion that I never considered. I know that potatoes are quite filling, so I'll have to see if that equates to bloating. Perhaps I can even find instant sweet potatoes (more nutrients than white potato).

[Dirlot]

What are you doing that you need that much rice?

[atmetal]

It isn't as much rice as you think. About 700 calories worth on a day in which my total caloric intake is about 2900. That rice is delivering 163g of carbs. From the vegetables and grapes I mentioned, I'm getting 190g. So the rice is the minority, it just doesn't seem to agree with me.

Right now, I'm about 4 weeks into the StrongLifts program, so I'm not lifting that heavy, probably making my current carb intake excessive. But I'm still losing weight and I'll eventually reach a point where I'm lifting to failure, depleting my glycogen quite a bit. At that point, high carb intake will not only be helpful, but necessary.

Why do I choose to use rice?...As a filler, because eating the volume of veggies required to achieve this level of carb intake is impossible and I'm already eating 24 oz of grapes, so if I were to increase fruit intake, I would want more variety, hence my original question.

[Damiana]

I don't know where you live but bananas are really high in sugar and dirt cheap where I live. At ~70 cents a pound, you can eat your fill without breaking the bank.

[AlanC]

Nooooo! to the instant potatoes!

I made that mistake, then entered them in my Biggly... 500+ calories for one cup!




AC

[atmetal]

I don't know where you live but bananas are really high in sugar and dirt cheap where I live. At ~70 cents a pound, you can eat your fill without breaking the bank.

God, I wish! I love bananas. Sadly, I'm mildly allergic. I didn't always have this allergy, so I thought that my lifestyle choices pre-primal had finally caught up to me. Alas, after all my other environmental allergies disappeared once primal, I tried bananas as a test and I was still allergic.

Nooooo! to the instant potatoes!

I made that mistake, then entered them in my Biggly... 500+ calories for one cup!

Not sure if you're trying to tell me that I'll probably overeat instant potatoes, but if so, I track my calories to the point of OCD. For instance, my workout days currently calls for 2.62 dry servings of rice (144.1g) in the post-workout meal. If it's even a gram more than that, I remove some rice from the scale.

[Dirlot]

There are much more tasty and nutritious ways to get 700 Calories

[atmetal]

There are much more tasty and nutritious ways to get 700 Calories

On a military salary? With nothing but a microwave to cook with? With a fridge that's as small as your entire freezer? In a one-room barracks that doesn't have a kitchen? With less than an hour for lunch, half of which must be spent on clean-up since I have to keep my room inspection ready at all times?

Compromise and sacrifice is inevitable. I know very well my diet isn't ideal.