Carbs out of control
Anita777michelle
Posts: 28 Member
I'm trying to get my carbs under control but keep failing. Any tips/advice?
1
Replies
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Do you have a medical condition that requires you to restrict carbs?11
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Anita777michelle wrote: »I'm trying to get my carbs under control but keep failing. Any tips/advice?
Why are you concerned about your carbs? And what have you done in the past that has not succeeded?6 -
What are you doing to try and "control them"? Perhaps you're being too restrictive - it can lead to binging on them...
If your goal is to lose weight, sticking to your calorie goal is what is important. If you're eating a lot of Carbs it's not necessarily a bad thing, but you could be limiting your intake of proteins and fats (both important for health, and satiating for a lot of people). Perhaps focus on increasing your consumption of those rather than thinking of it as reducing carbs10 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »What are you doing to try and "control them"? Perhaps you're being too restrictive - it can lead to binging on them...
If your goal is to lose weight, sticking to your calorie goal is what is important. If you're eating a lot of Carbs it's not necessarily a bad thing, but you could be limiting your intake of proteins and fats (both important for health, and satiating for a lot of people). Perhaps focus on increasing your consumption of those rather than thinking of it as reducing carbs
Thank you. Your advice was very helpful and I will definitely take this advice!0 -
Crochetluvr wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »I'm trying to get my carbs under control but keep failing. Any tips/advice?
Why are you concerned about your carbs? And what have you done in the past that has not succeeded?
I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.0 -
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Anita777michelle wrote: »
theres a big difference between carbs and junk. Which is it your trying to avoid2 -
It really depends on what carbs you are eating. I personally watch my carbs as well as my calories, and I try to pick good carbs to eat. I want to get healthy and lose weight and I just can't control myself around pasta.7
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Anita777michelle wrote: »
"junk" is usually a glorious combination of carbs and fats... Don't demonise the carbs.13 -
Eat more fats and eat more Protein.
I love starches, breads, sugar in general, but the more days i go with out them the less i craved them. Now i only think about them in passing.
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I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
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Crochetluvr wrote: »I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
I don't believe in carb addiction. I think they taste good, particularly while combined with fat. Most often when people talk about carbs that they can't resist they are foods that are high in both fat and sugar, but the sugar gets blamed because it's the boogeyman of the day.
I do believe cravings can be powerful, but learning controlled indulgence goes a long way to prevent that deprived feeling followed by binges on the "offending" food followed by feelings of guilt and shame for yet another failure.
I was craving something sweet the last few days and planned to have a piece of cake for dessert last night. The cake I really wanted was over 700 calories, so noped out. I ended up having cookie dough ice cream. It hit the spot and the craving has passed. I do this a couple times per week now. I used to fit in a small serving of ice cream or a beer every day. I found that, knowing I was going to have the indulgence and it fit into my day, released me from the guilt and it gave me something to look forward to as well as motive to stay on plan.12 -
It's not that I don't eat carbs - I just opt for them in fruits and vegetables and not desserts and bread and pasta. I don't get cravings, so I am probably not the best person to give advice on how to handle them at this point. (but I have in the past - pizza and cheeseburgers, and gooey cheesy pasta dishes).1
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Crochetluvr wrote: »I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
I think our bodies go through withdrawal especially with sugar when you start counting calories and start avoiding just eating what we feel like. So I agree that our bodies do get addicted to carbs. Sugar has been compared to heroin with how it ways us down & is so addictive. The more sugar, the higher the carbs so they work together to keep our bodies dependent. I definitely need to get my mind off of the cravings and do something productive. It's hard b/c I'm home a lot. But also I did recently by a lot of the junk carbs so that's been very hard to stay on track. I won't do it again. I know the good carbs & healthier sweets I like. Kind bars are one I already have made my plan on what I'm going to do on my next grocery trip. I don't want to deprive myself, but I need limits on what is in the house.22 -
Junebug2022 wrote: »Eat more fats and eat more Protein.
I love starches, breads, sugar in general, but the more days i go with out them the less i craved them. Now i only think about them in passing.
I know that's what I'm going to do. I bought way too much junk so next shopping trip will not do that.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »
"junk" is usually a glorious combination of carbs and fats... Don't demonise the carbs.
How did I demonise junk?4 -
JaydedMiss wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »
theres a big difference between carbs and junk. Which is it your trying to avoid
Junk has higher carbs is all I meant. The good carbs like whole grains, veggies/fruit is what I need more of & limit the bad carbs like hostess cakes, candy bars & so forth. I just call it junk b/c it's not very healthy & definitely not good to have in excess. That's all.9 -
JaydedMiss wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »
theres a big difference between carbs and junk. Which is it your trying to avoid
Junk is higher in carbs and are the bad carbs I'm referring to.11 -
By definition, nothing is good to have in excess. There are no "good" carbs or "bad" carbs. It depends on context and dosage.
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Anita777michelle wrote: »Crochetluvr wrote: »I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
I think our bodies go through withdrawal especially with sugar when you start counting calories and start avoiding just eating what we feel like. So I agree that our bodies do get addicted to carbs. Sugar has been compared to heroin with how it ways us down & is so addictive. The more sugar, the higher the carbs so they work together to keep our bodies dependent. I definitely need to get my mind off of the cravings and do something productive. It's hard b/c I'm home a lot. But also I did recently by a lot of the junk carbs so that's been very hard to stay on track. I won't do it again. I know the good carbs & healthier sweets I like. Kind bars are one I already have made my plan on what I'm going to do on my next grocery trip. I don't want to deprive myself, but I need limits on what is in the house.
When you reduce carbs your body will release a lot of water, along with electrolytes - that's the cause of you feeling like crap, it's not carb withdrawal.8 -
Anita777michelle wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »
"junk" is usually a glorious combination of carbs and fats... Don't demonise the carbs.
How did I demonise junk?
You didn't. You're blaming the carbs for your problems but "junk" often has a similar amount of fat.4 -
I think our bodies go through withdrawal especially with sugar when you start counting calories and start avoiding just eating what we feel like. So I agree that our bodies do get addicted to carbs. Sugar has been compared to heroin with how it ways us down & is so addictive. The more sugar, the higher the carbs so they work together to keep our bodies dependent. I definitely need to get my mind off of the cravings and do something productive. It's hard b/c I'm home a lot. But also I did recently by a lot of the junk carbs so that's been very hard to stay on track. I won't do it again. I know the good carbs & healthier sweets I like. Kind bars are one I already have made my plan on what I'm going to do on my next grocery trip. I don't want to deprive myself, but I need limits on what is in the house.
I am disabled and don't work so I am home a LOT. I try to fill my time with projects...I crochet and I do crafting. I just finished refinishing a kitchen table for my apartment. But, like you, I was going to the grocery store and picking up junk to eat. Last trip I walked past the pastries and bought some nuts and yogurt and popcorn and even some rice cakes, the last 2 which I can have in moderation.
It takes me about a month to get past the cravings completely. But when I do, I honestly don't crave the junk anymore. I will, on occasion, splurge a little and indulge but I don't go overboard. We all deserve to indulge on occasion....we just have to be able to make it the exception and not the rule.
I should add that, as a diabetic, ALL carbohydrates are something I have to limit....not only the bad ones but the good ones as well. I can have a half cup of pasta....that's it. It's not much so I just don't eat it at all. Potatoes....I have to avoid them or eat half a potato at the most and only occasionally. Rice....I don't eat it. Noodles....don't eat them. Bread.....on occasion and in moderation. Fruit....again, I have to be careful and I never eat dried fruit...that has a higher sugar content than fresh fruit. All these things spike my sugar and I am already dealing with nerve damage in my ear, my feet and must be wary about my eyesight. I won't demonize carbohydrates....they serve their purpose in a balanced diet....just not so much in my diet.1 -
Anita777michelle wrote: »Crochetluvr wrote: »I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
I think our bodies go through withdrawal especially with sugar when you start counting calories and start avoiding just eating what we feel like. So I agree that our bodies do get addicted to carbs. Sugar has been compared to heroin with how it ways us down & is so addictive. The more sugar, the higher the carbs so they work together to keep our bodies dependent. I definitely need to get my mind off of the cravings and do something productive. It's hard b/c I'm home a lot. But also I did recently by a lot of the junk carbs so that's been very hard to stay on track. I won't do it again. I know the good carbs & healthier sweets I like. Kind bars are one I already have made my plan on what I'm going to do on my next grocery trip. I don't want to deprive myself, but I need limits on what is in the house.
I eat what I feel like but make it fit into my calories. Im not addicted to carbs as for the sugar vs heroin debate Im pretty sure there are NO legit studies saying it affects the brain like heroin does. I still lost weight eating things I like and improved my health markers doing so. a lot of that was due just to losing some weight.the other was meds I HAVE to take as well as eating a low fat/low cholesterol diet(health issue) so my carbs have to be on the higher side. I am more satiated eating higher carb than I do eating lower carb and my energy is better.4 -
Also withdrawal (even though it is electrolyte imbalance) doean't necessarily mean addiction anyways. There are lots of cases of physical dependency on things that isn't addiction.4
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Anita777michelle wrote: »Crochetluvr wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »I'm trying to get my carbs under control but keep failing. Any tips/advice?
Why are you concerned about your carbs? And what have you done in the past that has not succeeded?
I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
As others have said - there really aren't "good" carbs and "bad" carbs, particularly as it pertains to weight loss goals. What I, and many others find benefit from, is looking at dietary choices in the context of an overall balanced diet, not focusing on individual foods, macros or ingredients. If you are eating a calorie appropriate, varied and balanced diet that hits macro and micronutrient goals - there's nothing wrong with things like sweets, chips, etc in moderation.
You said that your current weight loss goal is 6 lbs - that is not a lot and as such, you really are going to have to be hyper focused on the CALORIE intake, more than the carb intake. In fact, carbs have a tendency to influence water retention - reducing them significantly can lead to a drop in water weight which can look like you've lost the weight you are striving for, only to then have that rebound if you try to resume a "normal" intake. Better to set an appropriate calorie goal (with less than 10 lbs to lose, you can expect about 0.5 lb/week which is only a 250 cal deficit) and focus on logging everything as accurately as possible, ideally using a food scale. You can cut out or eliminate whatever your definition of "junk" is, as these tend to be calorie dense and may be harder to fit in, especially if you have difficulty moderating your intake - but as others have pointed out, labeling these as "bad carbs" when they tend to be comprised as much of fat as carbohydrates - just isn't an accurate representation.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »Crochetluvr wrote: »I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
I think our bodies go through withdrawal especially with sugar when you start counting calories and start avoiding just eating what we feel like. So I agree that our bodies do get addicted to carbs. Sugar has been compared to heroin with how it ways us down & is so addictive. The more sugar, the higher the carbs so they work together to keep our bodies dependent. I definitely need to get my mind off of the cravings and do something productive. It's hard b/c I'm home a lot. But also I did recently by a lot of the junk carbs so that's been very hard to stay on track. I won't do it again. I know the good carbs & healthier sweets I like. Kind bars are one I already have made my plan on what I'm going to do on my next grocery trip. I don't want to deprive myself, but I need limits on what is in the house.
When you reduce carbs your body will release a lot of water, along with electrolytes - that's the cause of you feeling like crap, it's not carb withdrawal.
Tomato, tomato... I do think our bodies go through sugar withdrawals b/c it is compared to heroin how it affects the body when the body has too much & some carbs are full of sugars. Good carbs like whole grains, veggies & fruit don't have all that bad sugar. So I think it depends on the carbs. I've not been eating enough iron I researched today also. I've been very low energy & didn't know why. I was craving the high sugar carbs b/c my body is lacking iron. I don't feel like crap from reducing carbs. It was from the sugar carbs & low iron.20 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »By definition, nothing is good to have in excess. There are no "good" carbs or "bad" carbs. It depends on context and dosage.
I disagree. There are bad carbs. Processed foods that are high carbs & full of sugars are bad carbs. Good carbs are whole grains, fresh veggies and fresh fruits. Fruit does have sugar but it's not processed and much healthier to eat. I don't think it's good health to eat processed sugars & high carbs a lot. It will increase the appetite and slow the metabolism. Everything is ok every once & awhile but not day to day. I don't like it in my house.
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Anita777michelle wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »By definition, nothing is good to have in excess. There are no "good" carbs or "bad" carbs. It depends on context and dosage.1
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Anita777michelle wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Anita777michelle wrote: »Crochetluvr wrote: »I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have been craving a lot carbs. Binge eating has not helped me. I have tried to eat only good carbs to find myself craving carbs. I'm not good at dieting. It's a miracle I have lost weight. I lost 30 lbs over year ago. I just want to lose 6 more lbs so I'm lighter but have been not able to get out of this rut.
I don't know if others agree with this or not but I honestly believe we get addicted to the carbs. I know I do. Now that I am back on program, I feel the cravings....they can be very strong. But I work my way through them by redirecting myself to do something to take my mind off them until they pass. And they do pass. One thing I do is post on MFP...keeps me occupied.
I think our bodies go through withdrawal especially with sugar when you start counting calories and start avoiding just eating what we feel like. So I agree that our bodies do get addicted to carbs. Sugar has been compared to heroin with how it ways us down & is so addictive. The more sugar, the higher the carbs so they work together to keep our bodies dependent. I definitely need to get my mind off of the cravings and do something productive. It's hard b/c I'm home a lot. But also I did recently by a lot of the junk carbs so that's been very hard to stay on track. I won't do it again. I know the good carbs & healthier sweets I like. Kind bars are one I already have made my plan on what I'm going to do on my next grocery trip. I don't want to deprive myself, but I need limits on what is in the house.
When you reduce carbs your body will release a lot of water, along with electrolytes - that's the cause of you feeling like crap, it's not carb withdrawal.
Tomato, tomato... I do think our bodies go through sugar withdrawals b/c it is compared to heroin how it affects the body when the body has too much & some carbs are full of sugars. Good carbs like whole grains, veggies & fruit don't have all that bad sugar. So I think it depends on the carbs. I've not been eating enough iron I researched today also. I've been very low energy & didn't know why. I was craving the high sugar carbs b/c my body is lacking iron. I don't feel like crap from reducing carbs. It was from the sugar carbs & low iron.
The body breaks carbs down into sugar, even fruits and veggies.
I've looked at some of the studies (on rats and mice) regarding the addictiveness of sugar and there is considerable inappropriate extrapolation that has been undertaken by the media.
As for the pleasure centres lighting up (which is one of the ways that it is compared to heroin), any pleasurable activity does this. That includes petting puppies and kissing. That doesn't make petting puppies addictive, it makes it pleasurable.
If you want to consider yourself an addict, then so be it, but I really don't think this is something that is helpful in the long run. It gives away too much of your power.
I've never heard of low iron causing carb cravings. Meat cravings maybe, but not carbs.
I don't really care if you want to give up carbs, but there is so much misinformation that you are buying into and spreading here. I just don't think it's helpdul to anyone, including yourself. All the best.16 -
Bouncing blood sugar does cause cravings, and quick digesting carbs are a way to shoot your blood sugar up high and drop it quickly. Not all people have the same bodies - many have no issues with carbs, while many others are insulin resistant to some degree. Since fat people often have some degree of insulin resistance, reducing carbs can be helpful.
Incidentally, @livingleanlivingclean - carb withdrawal is a real thing. It's so common in keto dieters that it's nicknamed "keto flu." Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy, and when they are not available it takes a while to adjust.12
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