How to Eat Less Carbs??
kariii24
Posts: 7 Member
How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc
3
Replies
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Tell yourself you are not going to eat carbs at all three meals. I also love pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc. I will not lose weight eating those types of carbs at every meal. I do not keep those carbs in my house; if I did I would eat them at a low moment when I get a craving or more accurately the need/urge. All week I was offered cheesecake, chocolate kisses, pastries, box of cookies and ice cream. I said no to them all. I did great by saying no to them all.8
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150poundsofme wrote: »Tell yourself you are not going to eat carbs at all three meals. I also love pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc. I will not lose weight eating those types of carbs at every meal. I do not keep those carbs in my house; if I did I would eat them at a low moment when I get a craving or more accurately the need/urge. All week I was offered cheesecake, chocolate kisses, pastries, box of cookies and ice cream. I said no to them all. I did great by saying no to them all.
I wish I had your willpower. ❤️2 -
I lost 30 lbs in 4 months by eating 100gr of carbs or less a day. SO I picked and chose what carbs I wanted, some days I would have a mini cup cake, other days I would have bread, small bag of chips. Lowering my carbs really helped, you cant have them at every meal7
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Why do you feel like you can't have them at every meal? Weight loss is about lowering calories, not carbs. Many of us have successfully lost a lot of weight while keeping carbs as a big part of our diet.20
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You enjoy these things, sure, but did you eat them every single day and all on the same day and at every meal before dieting? How exactly did you eat before dieting and how much overweight are you? Your answer to that would help you figure out your next step. It could range anywhere from displacing them by eating more satiating food to reducing the amount but not completely removing them to not changing anything.5
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They do not. That is a myth that you may find in some blogs and YouTube videos, but it is 100% false. Eating more calories than your body burns is what causes you to gain weight. Period. It does not matter if those calories are from carbs, fat, or protein.
I eat plenty of carbs and have lost over 30 pounds.20 -
OP's profile says she's pre-diabetic and PCOS, so that could be why. But I'd highly recommend talking to a dietitian (can you get a referral from your doctor)?
Beyond that, OP, structure and logging help. Identify your carb goal (probably net carbs, since I think fiber can be a good thing with pre-diabetes) and divide it into your 3 meals (or however many). Then figure out what other foods you want to eat.
I think for many it's easier to have the same thing for breakfast daily (except maybe the weekends) and a template for lunch and dinner. (For example, my dinner template is half the plate of veg, a source of protein, and a starch, and if I wanted to cut carbs I'd keep the starch but eat a smaller portion of it and increase the size of the protein).
I think if you plan some well-balanced meals that include foods you enjoy with the carbs you can decrease the amount of carbs and having the other foods with it will make the overall meal satisfying. Don't put out more than you want to eat, which will prevent reaching for seconds.
If there are foods you have no willpower with, consider not keeping them in the house.
Also, since you probably do want to avoid eating a bunch of sweets (or sugar+fat) on their own, you might want to explore some alternatives.
For example, if pancakes are a love, explore protein pancakes made with eggs and a whole grain mix and a sugar free syrup with raspberries (or just raspberries) -- how are the macros? If still too high carb, can you eat a smaller amount with an egg on the side and be happy? Stuff like that. Or try some dark chocolate with a lower sugar and higher fat content and try eating it slowly. Or look at some of the keto dessert/muffin alternatives (not thinking you are keto, but those are made to hit a sweets/muffin craving without adding many net carbs -- just watch the cals!).
For me, a sweet tooth isn't my main issue, but I do better saving indulgent/dessert-y stuff for after dinner. You could try saving 100 cal for after dinner and then eat a cookie (with the message that you can eat it if within your cals, and can always have another tomorrow).
When I'm feeling out of control, creating structure is usually the answer, but what that structure is depends on how you want to eat.10 -
I eat a lot of carbs, but some of my lower carb meals are things like loads of steamed veggies or a huge salad with a protein source and a fat source. E.G. veggie or normal sausages, a bunch of steamed broccoli, and tahini dressing or avocado. If I make pasta, I bulk it up with a bunch of veggies so I can still have some pasta but a bigger bowl.
Like the above poster, I try to switch out some stuff I love with nutrient dense versions--protein or oat pancakes instead of flour, for instance. A protein bar instead of a snickers bar as it'll keep me fuller longer.
But overall losing weight is about a deficit.5 -
How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc
I enjoy those foods too, but don't find them filling at all, so they are basically empty calories for me - as far as satiety is concerned, I may as well have eaten nothing. So I have to plan very carefully for them, and fit them in as a treat, not a staple.
Also, I can't eat them in the beginning of the day. On the rare occasion that I have pancakes, I have them for dinner, on a night when I have nothing planned for the rest of the evening, as they make me sluggish.
All the of the foods you mentioned except for candy have flour, sugar, and fat. I feel very different after a high carb meal such as rice and beans than when eating foods that were mostly flour, sugar, and fat. Try playing around with the composition of your meals.
Also, try having fruit as a dessert. We are coming into strawberry season where I am and local strawberries are just amazing. I grow my own. When they are not in season, I buy frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I like some Greek yogurt with berries for a dessert - it satisfies my sweet tooth for way less calories than cake, and there is a bonus of protein.
Speaking of protein, when mine is low, I get cravings for carbs. Try focusing on hitting your protein goal and see what that does for your carb cravings.
Also, since you have medical conditions, do look into getting a referral to a dietitian who can help you with this.4 -
Mexicangreensalsa wrote: »You can eat as many carbs as you want! As long as you are under your calorie goal, you will lose weigh. Nothing else matters for weight loss.
While this is technically true, and would certainly work in a controlled eating setting, if these foods do not make the OP feel full she will not be able to stay in a calorie deficit and thus lose weight.5 -
How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc
Experiment with keto recipes for pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies, etc.
That's still a lot more work and expense than simply buying a package of such things from the nearby grocery.7 -
How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc
I find that carbs make me tired and hungrier, and then I end up overeating. So what I have found helpful is:- Not eating carbs alone - I make sure I have more protein and/or fat with my carbs. For example, I generally have a bagel for breakfast, but since it is a high protein bagel with cream cheese, it doesn't seem to kick off cravings. My macros for that end up being 29p/27c/12f, with 4g of fiber.
- Having a low carb meal in the middle of a day - I seem to have an easier time when my lunch is just protein and veggies, no bread, pasta, etc. The protein helps keep me full, and the carbs from veggies don't seem to kick off the cravings, probably because of the fiber/taking longer to digest.
- Limiting access to stupid carbs - I try not to keep foods that I know are just going to cause problems in the house.
- Timing my carbs for the end of the day - Dinner tends to be my most "carb heavy" meal, and if I have a dessert, it's usually something with a lot of carbs compared to other macros. But by that point in the day, I've had enough food volume to feel full (and mentally know I've eaten enough), and I'm usually so tired from the rest of the day that if the carbs make me feel tired, I can just go to sleep.
A good place to start is just to track your normal eating pattern for a while and how you feel after meals, then start playing around with your food combinations and macros to see if you can find your sweet spot.5 -
No they do not. Excess calories make you gain weight. I ate @ 200g of carbs while losing weight, and have continued to do so through 2 yrs of maintenance.
If you need to reduce carbs for medical reasons or because carbs don't fill you up enough for the calories, try just adjusting portions at first. Try to give more volume to lower carb veggies and proteins while reducing serving size of higher carb items. Build your meals around protein, fat, and veg. If you log accurately and consistently, over time you can learn from your previously logged days what foods fill you up and which are a waste of calories and go from there. :drinker:11 -
I have seen many people claim that going super low carb quelled their craving. However people often report results after only a few weeks so it could be a placebo effect that is not lasting and you have to remain skeptical of anecdotal evidence. With that said I see no harm in conducting an experiment but I do suggest that if you try very low carb that you taper off over a week or so instead of going in cold because it can diminish your electrolytes. This is commonly called the keto flu. There are ways to avoid it like increasing salt consumption but I don't think it is wise to risk it. Electrolytes help regulate some very vital internal systems.
If the experiment seems successful you should try to raise your carbs back up to 75-80 and see if it is still holding then raise it again to 110-125. There is no reason to remain ultra low carb if it is not necessary.4 -
Willpower is temporary, and will ultimately lose the battle between you and the addictive properties of processed carbohydrates such as sugar. You have to realize that sugar is one of the most addicting substances known to man. Your amygdala or Lizard Brain which is the primal survival, out of pain into pleasure, portion of your brain gets addicted to it (otherwise known as cravings). Binging is the lizard brain taking over. Anyway, the only successful way I’ve found to defeat the lizard brain is through a character struggle, and lots of character affirmations. So if you can tell yourself consistently, “I’m the kind of person that doesn’t eat processed or refined sugars because it causes inflammation, obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” you can win the battle.
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How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc
I find that carbs make me tired and hungrier, and then I end up overeating. So what I have found helpful is:- Not eating carbs alone - I make sure I have more protein and/or fat with my carbs. For example, I generally have a bagel for breakfast, but since it is a high protein bagel with cream cheese, it doesn't seem to kick off cravings. My macros for that end up being 29p/27c/12f, with 4g of fiber.
- Having a low carb meal in the middle of a day - I seem to have an easier time when my lunch is just protein and veggies, no bread, pasta, etc. The protein helps keep me full, and the carbs from veggies don't seem to kick off the cravings, probably because of the fiber/taking longer to digest.
- Limiting access to stupid carbs - I try not to keep foods that I know are just going to cause problems in the house.
- Timing my carbs for the end of the day - Dinner tends to be my most "carb heavy" meal, and if I have a dessert, it's usually something with a lot of carbs compared to other macros. But by that point in the day, I've had enough food volume to feel full (and mentally know I've eaten enough), and I'm usually so tired from the rest of the day that if the carbs make me feel tired, I can just go to sleep.
A good place to start is just to track your normal eating pattern for a while and how you feel after meals, then start playing around with your food combinations and macros to see if you can find your sweet spot.
Yes, I am hungry again in less than an hour after eating a whole bagel with butter, but am slightly more satisfied after having a whole bagel with cream cheese, and a half bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon is a good smallish meal for me.3 -
I eat carbs at every meal and have been losing steadily. Granted, not cookies, cake, muffins, cinnamon rolls and other “empty” calories, but whole grain cereal, whole wheat bread and English muffins, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, veggies and fruits. Every meal has at least one of these (often two if it includes veggies). I love carbs, and no sustainable eating plan can eliminate them for me. Carbs do not make you gain weight, eating too many calories does.7
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Satisfiedwithbetter wrote: »Willpower will never win the battle between you and the addictive properties of processed carbohydrates. You have to realize that sugar is one of the most addicting substances known to man. You amygdala or Lizard Brain which is the primal survival, out of pain into pleasure, portion of your brain gets addicted to it (otherwise known as cravings). Binging is the lizard brain taking over. Anyway, the only successful way I’ve found to defeat the lizard brain is through a character struggle, and lots of character affirmations. So if you can tell yourself, “I’m the kind of person that doesn’t eat processed or refined sugars because it cause inflammation, obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” you can win the battle.
Sigh. None of this is true. Sugar intake does not directly cause any medical condition. It is not a cause of diabetes, period. If you don't believe me go check what the NIH has to say about it. Obesity is a factor in diabetes and many other health issues, but sugar doesn't directly cause obesity either. Eating more calories causes obesity. If you do not find sugar to be very filling, and find it very easy to overeat food high in sugar, then yes, sugar can help lead to obesity for you. But that is true of any type of calorie. I actually find items with sugar or carbs to be decently filling. Especially fruit. Give me a piece of fruit and it will hold me over better than most things. But I find high fat items to be incredibly unfilling. I didn't gain weight by eating too many sugars or carbs, as I was never really a fan of many sweets. I did it by binging on high fat meats and cheeses. So everyone's triggers and foods they find satiating are different, which is why I will never paint anything with an "x is bad for you", because it simply isn't true across the board.13
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