Is it necessary to cut out bread when wanting to lose weight?

I love bread. I'm basically the pinnacle of Opera in that one commercial. I just can't help myself with bread. And im wondering if by eating it, if it's hindering my weight loss? Are there any other foods that I could eat that would replace bread and still make food taste good? (And don't hit me with using lettuce as bread cause we all know lettuce is plain and sad. At least I think so. I've tried it and it makes me sad)
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Replies

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Why would you think eating bread would prevent you from losing weight?
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
    edited October 2017
    I eat bread daily. Don't let the carb cultists lie to you. As has been pointed out, calories are what matter to weight loss, and on that front you have plenty of options to keep this under control. There are several good low calorie breads out there in the 30 to 50 calorie a slice range that do nicely. Probably my favorite, and if you have it in your area a bread you should check out, is the 35 calorie Aunt Millie's breads. Its by far the most bang for your calorie buck with a particular tip of the hat to the Potato variety. It's yummy and toasts like a boss.

    Another solid option is from the company Healthy Life. They are pretty much the Gestapo of the low calorie bread market and operate market wide throughout North America. They have also diversified their operations into other areas like bagels, muffins, etc. It's not as good as AM's in my opinion, but still a solid choice and you can pretty much find it anywhere they sell groceries.

    For tortillas and wraps, a company called Ole makes their "Xtreme Wellness" line that are 50 calories a pop and they taste delicious. There are times I prefer this to bread.
  • Sid_Mishra
    Sid_Mishra Posts: 3 Member
    No, follow CiCO. It will help if you eat bread with complex carbs e.g. whole grains. In the end your intake is the most important factor.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    bump
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  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,271 Member
    I can see that fillings wrapped in lettuce would be a lower calorie option than same fillings between 2 pieces of bread aka a sandwich.
    Which might be a tasty alternative for some people and way to reduce calories.

    But no need to avoid bread altogether if you like it - like all foods it has to fit into your calorie allowance though.
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  • sksk1026
    sksk1026 Posts: 215 Member
    Ditto. Weight loss depends on you eating fewer calories than the amount you use up. So you can eat bread as long as it is part of your calorie allowance. I eat low calorie bread just because it's half the calories of regular bread. I also make open sandwiches so I use less bread. This is so I have calories left for a fierce snack habit!!!
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    edited October 2017
    I consume about 600kcals from whole wheat flour everyday and have lost about 4-5lbs a month.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    If you like bread and if fits your calorie goal then have some. Some bread is lower calorie than others.

    I don't eat a lot of bread in a day because it doesn't help me reach my protein goal so much. Protein foods fill me up more than bread. One sandwich is fine. Bread at every meal is less fine.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited October 2017
    I’m having bagels for breakfast so no
  • Spiderpug
    Spiderpug Posts: 159 Member
    I love rye bread 100cals for a tiny slice but to me it's worth it!
    If you love it, count it & eat it. You may change how/what you choose as calories allow.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    I’m having bagels for breakfast so no

    I'm having donuts!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited October 2017
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Why would you think eating bread would prevent you from losing weight?


    Maybe I'm losing it but I swear I've heard a million times that bread just goes to people's legs and crap. And when I go to Jimmy Johns they have the "healthier option" of a sandwich wrapped in lettuce. I've never heard anyone tell me that it's healthy.

    What they all said. Jimmy John's is trying to sell sandwiches, and if keto people want to avoid bread then Jimmy John's is happy to sell a sandwich to them with lettuce instead of bread.

    If suddenly Jimmy John's discovered that Americans had become vegan, they'd offer meatless sandwiches on lettuce for vegan keto people. I don't right now doubt that I could find a meatless sandwich on the Jimmy John's web site. Jimmy John's is no more a source for valid health data than is any other retail food establishment.

    And I did. https://www.jimmyjohns.com/menu/#/subs/vegetarian/ I'm highly confident they'd sell it to you with no bread.

    Indeed, all sandwiches have the "unwich" option with lettuce for all. It knocks a couple hundred calories off the total.

    I might have to go get one for lunch.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    Like so many people have said, "no'!

    But, there is a whole lot behind that "no"! I am going to be really basic here - and, to be clear, not being disrespectful or speaking in a disparaging way....not to you, not to anyone.

    So, you want to loose weight. Okay...cool! You need to find your maintenance TDEE. SIDENOTE: this is not the way mfp does things...I will address that in a moment as well. No idea how to figure that out? No worries. Just search for a "TDEE Calculator" on-line. There have been several different tools mentioned in the forums here. Pick one. I like the one at http://tdeecalculator.net. Put in your details and look at the results.

    It will break things down for you. Now, here is the important part: THIS IS SIMPLY A STARTING POINT! So, whatever the on-line calculator tells you....DO NOT CONSIDER THAT YOUR NUMBER. Use it as a starting point and play...give it a week or two and see how your body responds.

    So, if you are - based on this tool - supposed to be at 1,750 Calories then eat 1,750 Calories for a week. Weigh yourself everyday, at the same time, on the same scale and note that weight. Over the course of the week you will get your average weight....and you will see a trend (either up a little, down a little or no change). Also, since you are a woman....doing this while you are on your period is not likely a good idea. So, if you have a regular cycle wait until after this month's cycle is gone.

    So, let's just say that over the next two or three weeks you are eating that 1,750 Calories every day and you are weighing yourself every morning on the same scale and you see that your weight does not really change (of course there will be daily fluctuation.....we are human beings...that happens). So, hawt dang! You are the one person in the world for whom the on-line calculator was spot-on! :wink:

    So, now we know your maintenance caloric intake. At this point we are not going to change anything on your menu. So, whatever you were eating, keep on eating.

    If you want to loose one pound of body fat in a week then you need to be 500 Calories/day less than your maintenance. In terms of one week (and that should be - I would suggest anyway - the 'measurable unit' when talking about nutrition and weight.....generally speaking) that would be 3,500 Calories below maintenance.

    So, let's just say that is what you want to do. So, you drop down to 1,250 calories a day (I would not suggest really doing this....just to be clear.....as this is getting really low....it is not sustainable, anyway....so, could you do this? Yes, for a few weeks or so. But you would be HANGRY soon!)

    So, you continue weighing yourself every day for four weeks. You notice that you have - on average - actually lost four pounds over those four weeks. Just like we thought.

    This is a legit scenario - generally speaking. All we did was find out your maintenance caloric intake for one day (using a tool.....as a starting point.....and then playing with numbers for a few weeks to pinpoint your specific and unique numbers) and reduce that number by 500.

    We did not change Physical Activity, N.E.A.T or anything. Just "Calories In" in the "Calories In/Calories Out" formula.

    For most people, that works. Generally speaking.

    Now, if you have some food intolerance then you would likely need to address each one appropriately. A food intolerance - one that is very common is a problem with milk (aka, lactose intolerance) - will lead to inflammation and that is a bad bad bad thing - well, if it is a chronic thing - for the human body.

    See how no where in there did I mention anything specifically about bread? Or anything other kind of food? Nothing about "healthy" food....nothing about "clean" food. Just mentioned calories. There is a reason for that.

    So, we could hypothesize about the intent of the "just cut bread out of your diet and you will be okay" comment. I mean, let's have some fun, right? Let's get creative and come up with 25 fun and crazy reasons for that statement. Maybe that person was sharing his/her experience and for him/her that worked. But, he/she left out some important details.....like he/she has a gluten intolerance and he/she was eating only wheat bread (because that is what he/she REALLY likes) and, of course, wheat bread is very likely not gluten-free! So, maybe an innocent oversight.......maybe not, though.

    Who knows?

    There is truly no "bad" food - assuming no food intolerance. I follow IF (well, mostly....so not really a true Intermittent Fasting regime) and I like Flexible Dieting. Essentially, as long as I have room in my 'nutritional budget' for something - and there is no 'lactose' in it (I do not respond well to lactose any longer) - then there is no need to make it disappear from my meal plan.

    So, as many have said.....if you enjoy bread (I lived in Germany for a few years after graduating University here in the States and bread is a HUGE part of their meals....so, I really enjoy good bread) then by all means continue to enjoy bread.

    In other words.....and, yes, I used 10,000 words when I could have stated this: there is no magic food, per se, that is going to make of break your weight loss plan.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    no. i love bread.

    i dont eat a TON of it, but i certainly eat it and dont avoid it.
  • cairnsmom
    cairnsmom Posts: 93 Member
    I limit them because they do not satisfy me, so I overeat, which then makes me sluggish and bloated. It's a personal choice.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited October 2017
    I don't find that bread improves a meal, so for me it's an easy thing to do and not remotely difficult (same with rice). Saves calories, no loss in pleasure (for me).

    But if you love bread, then eat bread. Cut out calories that you won't miss much. (For the same reason I also cut down on added oil and butter, although did not cut it out. I just found I could use less and not notice the difference. I also consume smaller portions of pasta and potatoes when I eat them.)
  • whosshe
    whosshe Posts: 597 Member
    edited October 2017
    I love bread. I'm basically the pinnacle of Opera in that one commercial. I just can't help myself with bread. And im wondering if by eating it, if it's hindering my weight loss? Are there any other foods that I could eat that would replace bread and still make food taste good? (And don't hit me with using lettuce as bread cause we all know lettuce is plain and sad. At least I think so. I've tried it and it makes me sad)

    Nahhhh. I cut out a lot of carbs at the beginning of my weight-loss but added them back because they're delicious. Count your calories, lose the weight. Bread is good and sandwiches are so easy.