Maintaining weight but eating too many "bad" carbs

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jrwms714
jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I have been maintaining my weight for 2.5 years. It has been relatively easy, and healthy eating is just a natural for me. However, for the past few weeks, I have set up my carb craving again ... I totally am addicted. When they talk about that carb addiction, my name is right there in the definition! I am maintaining my same weight; I log and I count and my exercise is still the same. I have not gained more than a lb. if that. But I find myself eating more things like white bread and cookies and it is daily. It may be only 1 cookie or only 1 small pita, but I know it is setting me off. Advice, anyone?
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  • tuckahoe88
    tuckahoe88 Posts: 31 Member
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    Switch to whole grains instead of white flour, perhaps?
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
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    Simple carbs, to me, when not whole grain, are simply sugar or convert to sugar. They aren't the same as complex carbs, which I generally try to eat. I do believe that there is sugar addiction and, for me, at least, it is real and my consumption of this stuff continues because of it. It is good to hear you say that if I am counting it in, I am probably fine. But I guess I was not really clear. I apologize. What I didn't say is that sugar, in any form, is something I have always avoided because I just don't find it fits with my healthy eating. I usually am very strict about whole grains only, so this is out of character for me. And it seems to be continuing, even tho' it's a few weeks.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    Seriously, one a day is not "setting you off"...unless it leads to binging, which you don't mention, so I'm assuming you really do only eat the one. I'm failing to see the problem unless the problem is your strict diet saying it is wrong.. Maybe change your goal to include a treat? If you really think it is that bad, you would not do it anymore...
  • HappyGrape
    HappyGrape Posts: 436 Member
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    Another carb fan here. Enjoy them!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Why are you eating more of these "bad" carbs? What set you off?
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
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    Not sure what set me off and yes, it really is only one although on very rare days it could be one of each: a cookie, a pita, and maybe a half of a bagel. But generally it's only one. I am fairly sure I'm very sensitive to sugar and sugar conversions because even that little amount causes me to want more of the same the next day. I am always well within my calorie and weight ranges, but I just don't like how I feel afterwards. I am logy, plus I want another/more the next day. And to me, that's craving. My regular diet is similar to vegan but isn't quite that strict. It is really how I like to eat. It does include treats, but they have not been sugary things until now. I don't even really like them. My treats are generally whole grain carbs or a larger portion of something similar that I usually eat, like maybe four slices of a veggie pizza, no cheese, whole grain crust instead of two. But I think the others are becoming a habit I don't want. I read somewhere that to "get off" sugar, avoid it completely for three days. I may try that.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
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    Why worry about it if you haven't started regaining? Carbs in itself would not be the cause of regain, eating more than you move would be the cause. If you are craving something, and have the wiggle room in your calorie goals to stay in maintence, then eat it! Enjoy your pizza, pitas and your cookies too!
  • tahxirez
    tahxirez Posts: 270 Member
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    Well I've been cramming Cuccidati into my face as fast as I can lately but its no big deal. I totally understand the whole "ate a lot of refined carbs and now can't stop" mentality. I don't usually get legit out of control but I do often take more that I would rationally like to. I try to avoid keeping a lot of refined carbohydrates lying around because 1. they are hyperpalatable to me and 2. they are easy to overeat without inducing satiety. That being said I don't think I'm addicted just that I have more trouble regulating foods that fit this description than others. My only suggestion is to avoid the temptation by removing them from your field of view. Out of sight out of mind does work if you can get over the initial temptation.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    No such thing as 'bad' carbs in my opinion. Sure, multi-grain/whole grain is supposedly good for you but it's all energy for the body. I guess if you are diabetic or diagnosed as getting close to being diabetic then yea, cut them down along with sugar but otherwise pfffft.
  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
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    jrwms714 wrote: »
    I have been maintaining my weight for 2.5 years. It has been relatively easy, and healthy eating is just a natural for me. However, for the past few weeks, I have set up my carb craving again ... I totally am addicted. When they talk about that carb addiction, my name is right there in the definition! I am maintaining my same weight; I log and I count and my exercise is still the same. I have not gained more than a lb. if that. But I find myself eating more things like white bread and cookies and it is daily. It may be only 1 cookie or only 1 small pita, but I know it is setting me off. Advice, anyone?

    There is nothing inherently harmful about carbs.

    There are medical reasons to avoid them (diabetes, and the cravings triggered cause you to eat enough carbs that you are skipping other essential nutrients in order to stay within your calorie limit, as two examples).

    There are quality of life reasons to avoid them (because you don't like the way you feel when you eat carbs, and because you have identified carbs as a trigger for overeating - or similar things that make it harder to eat the way you want to, as two examples).

    As to what to do about it - if you have decided (for whatever reasons) that simple carbs are incompatible with your life, don't start the cycle. Don't eat the cookie or small pita.

    For me, sugar triggers cravings - as do certain fats (bacon, for one) - as does the lack of grain-based complex carbs in my diet. I just don't ever eat sugar or the fats I know cause cravings without being very intentional about it so that I can avoid blindly giving in to the cravings that will follow. Can't do anything about the lack of grain-based complex carbs, since grain-based complex carbs are incompatible with my metabolism (diabetes). So I always have to be conscious of cravings because I don't have the grain-based complex carbs I need to stave them off.

    Not sure what else you're looking for - other than perhaps the argument that always follows when someone mentions carb addiction or "bad/wrong" carbs.

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