Carb-Substitutes = No Weight Loss?

kyubeans
kyubeans Posts: 135 Member
Hi there,

About five weeks ago, I discovered Tumaro's Low Carb Tortillas. I went a bit tortilla happy for a week or so, eating 2-3 of them each day. This came out to below my target daily carb intake, but it also upped my fiber a lot. Since then, I've evened out to maybe 1 or 2 tortillas/low carb bread substitutes per week, so it's not too often. So even though I don't use them that often, I found that my weight loss came to a screeching halt.

I wasn't worried about it for the first two weeks, but after a month at plateau despite eating at a deficit, I scoured my diary for clues. The only big change in my eating/activity was the addition of the low carb tortillas.

I cut them out for a week and immediately the scale moved. I recently also purchased some low carb sandwich bread from Amazon, but I'm nervous about trying them.

Are you guys finding that carb-substitutes have this effect on you, despite the nutrition info fitting into your eating plan?

Replies

  • Liadin123
    Liadin123 Posts: 67 Member
    I've found I cannot tolerate too much "carb substitute" stuff, not even nut flours. I can tolerate the fat head pizza with almond flour every other week, or "keto pancakes" every other week, but that's about it. Quest bars and keto bread etc... just either stall me or cause a gain, and I see it immediately or a day later. Very annoying. I'm sure some can tolerate it, but this body just says "No... stick the whole stuff."
  • kyubeans
    kyubeans Posts: 135 Member
    Liadin123 wrote: »
    I've found I cannot tolerate too much "carb substitute" stuff, not even nut flours. I can tolerate the fat head pizza with almond flour every other week, or "keto pancakes" every other week, but that's about it. Quest bars and keto bread etc... just either stall me or cause a gain, and I see it immediately or a day later. Very annoying. I'm sure some can tolerate it, but this body just says "No... stick the whole stuff."

    Interesting! Do you think there's a scientific reason behind it? At first I thought it was the sudden increase in fiber, but after a month I thought maybe that wasn't it after all...
  • Xerogs
    Xerogs Posts: 328 Member
    I've noticed the same thing here. I had to freeze the rest of my low carb tortillas and limit myself to one tortilla maybe every other day or so. After that I noticed my weight starting to drop again. I think low carb tortillas are OK you just can't go overboard on them it must be they way they are made or they are not entirely what the package states they are (maybe variation in the recipe). They could be inflammatory in some way as well. I look at them now as a treat.
  • Liadin123
    Liadin123 Posts: 67 Member
    edited July 2017
    @kyucifer I am sure there is science there, but not being a scientist I would not dare to guess. My determination after 3+ mos. of keto-ing, and researching, reading, culling through boards and science, is that the body is NOT a calculator and rarely adheres to calculations, each body likes different things for different reasons, and one solution never works for all. :) For me, honestly I think I just am very metabolically disordered and until the insulin resistance is healed (and liver) my body just wants the whole foods and fat, and deviating beyond that is problematic. Perhaps when I've lost all my weight I'll be able to have more tolerance. At any rate, I figure it isn't a bad thing, it's keeping me honest!

    (Example of weight gain recently due to nut flours: I did a fat head pizza Sat. night and I broke an intermittent fast yesterday with "keto pancakes". Today? Today I had a 1.5lb gain. I know it will come right off again being good all week, but dang!)
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    I've never seen any that didn't contain Wheat and I personally cannot include Wheat at all. I find it and even other fiber sources are inflammatory and will have a sudden water weight gain if I eat them.
    I think if I stay inflamed I would probably have trouble losing weight.
  • __Roxy__
    __Roxy__ Posts: 825 Member
    I agree with Sunny_Bunny. I just cannot do grains of any kind or my body inflames, big time. Even low carb versions... if there is a even a smidge of grains, I pack on water weight.

    I have not noticed a problem with almond flour yet, but I don't eat it every day. Almond flour dough is a rare occasion, and does the trick if I'm really "needing" to have pizza or something.
  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
    Just talking from personal experience, carbs from non grain sources seems to have little effect, add any grains (I don't touch gluten) and I instantly bloat and can easily retain up to 3-4KG overnight in water weight.

    I tend to eat mostly vegetables with some fruit and some dairy these days for my carbs. Even though I stay under in my calories and carbs, my body just seem to dislike the grains.
  • kyubeans
    kyubeans Posts: 135 Member
    Thanks for all the feedback! Glad to see I'm not imagining it. I will be much more mindful of my carb-substitute intake from now on out!