no carbs

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lee2012w
lee2012w Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried cutting carbs out of their diet. I have heard and from looking online today that cutting them out is a really good way of helping weight loss. I need to lose around 40lbs. I have a problem with some carbs anyway so try not to eat too much bread, potatoes and pasta as it irritates my i.b.s, though since starting eating healthier from monday i have been eating more bread :( If anyone has done this and has any ideas of things i can eat instead it would be great. The biggest issue i think would be breakfast because from looking at my food diary and online most cereal has a lot of carbs. I would like to keep them as low as possible. So any tips and ideas would be really appreciated x
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Replies

  • cartrat
    cartrat Posts: 120 Member
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    are you looking into ketosis or just simply cutting down?

    ketosis is 20 g of carbs a day. which believe it or not gives you some wiggle room. what i've been eating for breakfast are basically bacon and eggs or yogurt and almonds. yes no more cereal but you end up not missing it anymore :)

    these foods are your friends:
    meat (beef, chicken, seafood, anything that was once alive lol)
    eggs
    cheese
    heavy whipping cream
    almond milk

    and a few veggies: spinach, green onions, mushrooms...

    edit: this web site is a godsend...
    http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

    just do some research. there are tons of low carb recipes out there and they're usually all delicious :)
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    I eat a high carb diet but I'm pretty careful about the kind of carbs. I rarely eat bread, cereal and other refined carbs.

    For a lower carb breakfast, a cereal-like option might be something I use for a snack, Chia pudding. I add 1/2 cup of pumpkin, 2 tbsp of chia, some liquid (I use soy milk, almond milk is good), and some cinnamon. Mix together, wait 10 minutes and eat.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Cutting them out altogether is REALLY difficult, and not a good idea. Fruits and vegetables, for instance, have carbs.

    Cutting them down, on the other hand, is fairly straightforward. I like to keep mine at about 100g per day.

    That means no cereal or toast for breakfast (have eggs or yoghurt instead)
    No sandwich or bread based lunch - soup or salad instead.
    And a smaller portion of rice/ potatoes/ pasta for dinner.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Going carbless, is a very big step. It's difficult to maintain, it requires very closely monitoring your hydration levels, and understanding that certain types of activity will be hampered with this behavior. Not to mention that before you attempt it, you should be given a clean bill of health (especially for your liver and kidneys) from your doctor and confirm that you have no history or genetic prevalence toward liver disease or kidney disease.

    Not that it's impossible or even bad for you, if you meet all the criteria, it's a perfectly valid option. It just requires a lot of willpower to succeed. I know I couldn't do it. I'd go insane after like 1 week without carbs. I love my Broccoli and whole wheat pasta!
  • legaline
    legaline Posts: 35 Member
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    Wow what a great website! I've been wanting to reduce carbs as well, and it looks like she has some good (and more importantly, easy) recipes.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    I looooove carbs and eat plenty per day.. I still lose weight well without cutting them out.
    If you do choose to cut carbs, just make sure it's sustainable. As stated before, it's very difficult to have foods that you're absolutely not allowed to have and will cause many people to break their 'diet' eventually when a delicious food comes along that you just can't say no to. Pick something that you can sustain permanently as a lifetyle. :)
  • michelle_mareshfuehrer
    michelle_mareshfuehrer Posts: 312 Member
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    I feel like death if I go below 50g/day. My blood sugar gets out of whack and I am a useless human being. However, I have been having steady success with staying under 100g/day. I found a nifty carb chart online some time ago that showed 50-100g being the "sweet spot" for steady weight loss, whereas 100-150g was maintenance, and 150+ was steady gain. Perhaps being somewhere below 100 will work for you! You can try to make those 100g more healthy than breads, etc. But you don't have to kick yourself if you have a bread item :)
  • LoriBeMe
    LoriBeMe Posts: 165 Member
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    MFP is recommending 165g carbs per day for me. I'm averaging 130g. I'm losing, so I guess this is a good number for me. I'm also always under on my sodium. I've also noticed that I'm usually right around the recommended 1200 calories for the day but go over on the recommended protein & fiber.
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
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    If you go zero carbs, you run the risk of screwing up your electrolytes, and possibly kicking the bucket.

    http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/diet-myths-dangers-of-highprotein-lowcarb-diets.html

    There are much easier ways of losing the lbs. I've lost 30 lbs in the past 6 weeks following "Eat to Live". It's something worth considering.
  • YouAreTheShit
    YouAreTheShit Posts: 510 Member
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    bump
  • michelle_mareshfuehrer
    michelle_mareshfuehrer Posts: 312 Member
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    Here's the chart I referenced: http://www.crossfitignitesydney.com.au/weight-loss-and-nutrition/carbohydrate-curve-and-food-pyramid
  • SerenaNatasha
    SerenaNatasha Posts: 246
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    bump
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I couldn't live without carbs... Good luck, though. =)
  • lee2012w
    lee2012w Posts: 10
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    Thanks everyone,

    I don't want to cut them out completely because i know some fruit and veg etc have carbs in them. What i ideally want to do is try and keep them under 100g a day. My eating habits were really REALLY bad before. Until this week i never usually ate breakfast or lunch! I am determined to change my eating habits and try shift the extra weight. I think i was a bit delusional before about my weight. I weighed myself for the first time yesterday! When i joined this site i actually guessed my weight which was 20lbs out. I have been trying to cut out coffee too because it is a big thing for me. I mostly survived on coffee and smoking! So i am trying to drink around 2 coffees a day on being black with sweetener instead of sugar. Really i want to cut them down but not completely out. I love salad sandwiches etc but i find too many carbs because of my ibs can leave me constipated which them makes my stomach look like i'm pregnant and i haven't had a problem so far with a bloated stomach this week
  • cartrat
    cartrat Posts: 120 Member
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    i have been eating more bread :(

    total former carbivore here. i'm always looking for paleo/low-carb recipes of bread. you just substitute the flour for flaxseed, almond and/or coconut flour. i made these mock cornbread muffins and they were soooo goood! it really hits the spot when you want something fluffy and breadlike but you won't break the carb bank (calorie wise is a different story) lol.

    anyway, even just cutting down to about 100 grams, just make your carbs matter: eat more fruits and veggies.
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
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    I went from no definition to a six pack eating about 50% of my diet as carbohydrates. I got them from fruits, veggies, and whole grains mostly. On the weekends or when traveling, though, they might come from chocolate chip cookies or pie or whatever looks good.

    Sticking to your recommended calorie intake for the day is MUCH more important than all this silly micro-managing of your diet. Try that first. If it DOESN"T work, then think about getting complicated.

    Also, take a close look at the profiles of people whose advice your take. If they have met the same goals you would like to, then maybe listen to what they have to say. If not, it might be a good idea to look elsewhere. This is what I do, personally, but of course everyone has choices.

    I personally do not see a benefit from a low carb diet. Carbs are the best source of energy, which your body needs to burn fat and get a good workout.
  • nicolio8699
    nicolio8699 Posts: 141 Member
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    special k protein plus is a god send for those of us who crave cereal, but don't want to give up that kind of carbs to eat it;) also, it's yummy!
  • Sarah_Wins
    Sarah_Wins Posts: 936 Member
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    Excellent topic. Haven't seen this one in a while.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    I'm just wondering if anyone has tried cutting carbs out of their diet. I have heard and from looking online today that cutting them out is a really good way of helping weight loss. I need to lose around 40lbs. I have a problem with some carbs anyway so try not to eat too much bread, potatoes and pasta as it irritates my i.b.s, though since starting eating healthier from monday i have been eating more bread :( If anyone has done this and has any ideas of things i can eat instead it would be great. The biggest issue i think would be breakfast because from looking at my food diary and online most cereal has a lot of carbs. I would like to keep them as low as possible. So any tips and ideas would be really appreciated x

    The one thing that you may need to think about is that low carb diets still include vegetables. Many of those vegetables may make your IBS worse.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    I'm just wondering if anyone has tried cutting carbs out of their diet. I have heard and from looking online today that cutting them out is a really good way of helping weight loss. I need to lose around 40lbs. I have a problem with some carbs anyway so try not to eat too much bread, potatoes and pasta as it irritates my i.b.s, though since starting eating healthier from monday i have been eating more bread :( If anyone has done this and has any ideas of things i can eat instead it would be great. The biggest issue i think would be breakfast because from looking at my food diary and online most cereal has a lot of carbs. I would like to keep them as low as possible. So any tips and ideas would be really appreciated x

    Before the Carb-police swarm in for the kill: For medical reasons, I was asked to eliminate everything found in the bread/grains related group. No breads, rice, pasta, flour, corn, etc. Ill tell you it was the best thing I could have ever done.

    All of my carbohydrates come from fresh vegetables, a few servings of cheese, and what is found in Almond milk for my protein smoothies. I have an extreme limitation to one serving of berries daily if I want them.

    I have excellent cholesterol numbers, in fact you wouldnt even know I have a metabolic-related disorder. My A1c is 5.2 as well.

    Again, for medical reasons that Im dealing with, I was asked to consider this by my personal Endocrinologist.

    What works for one person might not be beneficial for the other when you take other things into consideration. You may want to chat with the clinicians overseeing your care to see if this would be an avenue you could take. Good to be on the safe side, I always believe!

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