The right carbohydrates, like vegetables and fruits, speed your success with ShapeWorks and leave you feeling energized and satisfied. The wrong carbohydrates - like pastries, chips and candy - can slow your progress and leave you tired and hungry. Three important factors help distinguish the good from the bad: glycemic index, glycemic load and fiber. Glycemic Index (GI)
Measures how fast the carbohydrates in a food you eat turn into sugar. High-GI foods are converted quickly, encouraging your body to store fat and making weight loss more challenging. Low-GI foods are converted more slowly, helping your body maintain a healthy blood-sugar balance, for effective weight loss.
Glycemic Load (GL)
Measures the amount of sugar a food actually releases in your body by factoring in both the GI and the carbohydrate count in a given serving. Low-GL foods are best for your ShapeWorks program. (Usually low-GI foods will also have a low-GL.) Fiber
Slows the rate at which a carbohydrate food is absorbed by your body and converted into sugar. High-fiber carbohydrates are converted more slowly than low-fiber carbohydrates, making them the best for weight loss. In general, high-fiber foods have a low GI and GL.
Choose your carbs from the low-Glycemic Index/Load lists & stay on track for healthy weight loss. Hi / Low | Hi GI (>55) and Low GL (<16) Foods | All Low Calorie
(110 or less) |
Food | GI | GL | Calories | Fiber (gm) | Apricots | 57 | 6 | 70 | 4 | Orange Juice | 57 | 15 | 110 | 0 | Papaya | 60 | 9 | 55 | 3 |
Pineapple | 59 | 7 | 75 | 2 | Pumpkin | 75 | 3 | 85 | 7 | Shredded Wheat | 75 | 15 | 110 | 5 | Toasted Oats | 74 | 15 | 110 | 2 | Watermelon | 72 | 7 | 50 | 1 |
Low / Hi | Low GI (<55) and Low GL (<16) Foods | But High Fat and High Calorie | Food | GI | GL | Calories | Fiber (gm) | Cashews | 22 | 4 | 395 | 2 | Premium Ice Cream | 38 | 10 | 360 | 0 | Low Fat Ice Cream | 37 | 13 | 220 | 0 | Peanuts | 14 | 1 | 330 | 5 |
Popcorn (Full Fat) | 72 | 16 | 110 | 2 | Potato Chips | 54 | 15 | 345 | 2 | Whole Milk | 27 | 3 | 150 | 0 | Vanilla Pudding | 44 | 16 | 250 | 0 | Fruit Yogurt | 31 | 9 | 200+ | 1 | Soy Yogurt | 50 | 13 | 200+ | 1 | Hi / Hi | | High GI >= 55 and High GL >= 16 |
| Many Trigger Foods, Many Higher Calorie | Food | GI | GL | Calories | Baked Potato | 85 | 34 | 220 | Brown Rice | 50 | 16 | 215 | Cola | 63 | 33 | 200 | Corn | 60 | 20 | 130 | Corn Chips | 63 | 21 | 350 | Corn Flakes | 92 | 24 | 100 |
Cranberry Juice | 68 | 24 | 145 | Cream of Wheat | 74 | 22 | 130 | Croissant | 67 | 17 | 275 | French Fries | 75 | 25 | 515 | Macaroni & Cheese | 64 | 46 | 285 | Oatmeal | 75 | 17 | 140 | Pizza | 60 | 20 | 300 | Pretzels | 83 | 33 | 115 |
Raisin Bran | 61 | 29 | 185 | Raisins | 66 | 42 | 250 | Soda Crackers | 74 | 18 | 155 | Waffles | 76 | 18 | 150 | White Bread | 73 | 20 | 160 | White Rice | 64 | 23 | 210 | | Low / Low - Lowest Calorie | Low GI (<55) and Low GL (< 16) Foods |
Lowest Calorie
(110 calories per serving or less) | | Food | GI | GL | Calories | Fiber (gm) | Apple | 40 | 6 | 75 | 4 | Banana | 52 | 12 | 90 | 3 | Cherries | 22 | 3 | 85 | 3 | Grapefruit | 25 | 5 | 75 | 2 | Kiwi | 53 | 6 | 45 | 3 | Mango | 51 | 14 | 110 | 3 |
Orange | 48 | 5 | 65 | 3 | Peach | 42 | 7 | 70 | 2 | Plums | 39 | 5 | 70 | 2 | Strawberries | 40 | 1 | 50 | 4 | Tomato Juice | 38 | 4 | 40 | 1 | Most Other Vegetables GI < 20, GL < 5, Calories 40, Fiber 0 | | Low / Low - Moderate Calorie | | Low GI (<55) and Low GL (< 16) Foods |
Moderate Calorie
(110 to 135 calories per serving or less) | | Food | GI | GL | Calories | Fiber (gm) | Apple Juice | 40 | 12 | 135 | 0 | Grapefruit Juice | 48 | 9 | 115 | 0 | Pear | 33 | 10 | 125 | 2 | Peas | 48 | 3 | 135 | 9 | Pineapple Juice | 46 | 15 | 130 | 0 | Whole Grain Bread | 51 | 14 | 120 | 2 - 5 |
| Low / Low - Higher Calorie | | Low GI (<55) and Low GL (< 16) Foods | Higher Calorie
(160 to 300 calories per serving) | | Food | GI | GL | Calories | Fiber (gm) | Barley | 25 | 11 | 190 | 8 | Black Beans | 20 | 8 | 235 | 15 | Garbanzo Beans | 28 | 13 | 285 | 12 | Grapes | 46 | 13 | 160 | 2 |
Kidney Beans | 23 | 10 | 210 | 9 | Lentils | 29 | 7 | 230 | 15 | Soy Beans | 18 | 1 | 300 | 8 | Yams | 37 | 13 | 160 | 6 |
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