Cutting out Carbs
Replies
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Two words:
Lunch+Box
^ this, along with planning your meals for the week during the weekend.
Check these video for some tips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TYOlg43a-U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN_rFMvavMY
Each person reacts differently to carbs. I personally found completely cutting out carbs make me hungry and cranky all the time.
So now I try to keep some carbs on the diet but I've upped my proteins.
When you go to the gym or hit the tracks, you need to have some strength to finish your workout. Without enough carbs of protein in your diet, you will burn out quickly and lose muscle.
So do try to include some complex carbs
Good luck 0 -
I did Atkins for a couple of years. It definitely works, but you have to be very diligent about it. Because of the metabolic process involved, you can't cheat, even a little bit. One slice of pizza or cake can throw your body out of ketosis for a couple of days.
I did fine on Atkins, but it's not for everyone. It is very carb-restricted, and that can be a problem for some people. I found that Dreamfields pasta and Carb Balance tortillas really helped satisfy the carb cravings (but you can't have these in induction).
Today, I have a more traditional macro balance, but I stick to the healthy carbs - whole grain bread, vegetables, brown rice, etc. I almost never eat refined sugar. Frankly, I've found it just as easy to lose/maintain weight this way. If you do decide to go low-carb, I suggest you read Atkins' book first. Good luck!0 -
As far as carbs go, yes, you do need them. It has also been shown that cutting out a good portion of carbs can help. I would go Paleo diet or something like that. Perhaps the zone diet.
I
what is that??0 -
Carbs are my fwiend. They're tasty and delicious, fill me with energy.
My carbs snuggle me at night0 -
The rice won't help with low carb. You could try to get the cooks to let you have just meat instead of sandwiches or meat and rice mixes, although you'll probably have to pay more or get less. You could also smuggle in some boiled eggs, or see if they're on any of the salads as topping (I've seen them on salad bars).
I had great luck with low carb for many months when I was very overweight. Not so much when I had less to lose, but maybe nothing works fast and well when you're on the last few pounds. However, if you're going to do it, to get the most benefit, you really should do it for months, not weeks. That is partly because a lot of people lose water weight the first few weeks, which makes the loss look better than it is, but mostly it's because becoming fully keto-adapted takes time. Some people find they feel great on low carb after the first (rather rough) month or so and I felt even better after two months. So if you like meat a lot and are one of those people who feels great eating low carb, you might want to adopt it long-term, not just for loss, but for maintenance.
Also, everyone is different. I'd never suggest not trying it, since I did have great results for nearly a year, but some can't stick to it, others feel not so great on it, and others don't lose on it (calories still count!).0 -
the only way you lose by cutting out carbs is water weight. Your glycogen stores deplete (and they are the ones "holding" water) so your body releases the water it's held and you get a few pounds lighter. Once you go back on carbs the glycogen stores replenish and hold water again, so you will gain it back. And you are not shifting any fat which is the ultimate goal, right?
The above is assuming you eat the same amount of calories in a day regardless of whether you eat carbs or not.
Just figure out the maximum amount of calories you can eat and lose weight, increase your protein consumption for satiety and muscle protection and you're good to go0 -
+1 for lunch box. Pizza is ridiculously calorific and the carbs and fat are really low-grade. Crappy salty white bread and cheap cheese. Omit from your diet!
Include carbs from wholegrain rice, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain cereals etc. They'll keep you fuller for longer and prevent snacking. Also have more fibre which is generally something people lack in their diet. Protein rich meals are another way to decrease carbs because they are filling. Eggs; 0% fat yoghurt; chicken breast; skimmed milk; all these are delicious easy ways to add protein. Hope that helps.0 -
Carbs are my fwiend. They're tasty and delicious, fill me with energy.
My carbs snuggle me at night
Carbs snuggle me at night too! In the form of fat around my midsection!0 -
the only way you lose by cutting out carbs is water weight. Your glycogen stores deplete (and they are the ones "holding" water) so your body releases the water it's held and you get a few pounds lighter. Once you go back on carbs the glycogen stores replenish and hold water again, so you will gain it back. And you are not shifting any fat which is the ultimate goal, right?
The above is assuming you eat the same amount of calories in a day regardless of whether you eat carbs or not.
Just figure out the maximum amount of calories you can eat and lose weight, increase your protein consumption for satiety and muscle protection and you're good to go
Wow... So I lost 89 pounds of water weight? Interesting......0 -
I'm doing that myself because I don't feel well when I eat processed carbs - and it seems that processed carbs are what you're talking about. There are plenty of carbohydrates that our bodies need in fruits and vegetables. Don't overdue eat things like berries - maybe once a day. People freak out when someone wants to do away with carbs but it's not as difficult as it seems and it's good for you. I feel more clear-headed and energetic than I have in quite sometime by cutting out breads and pastas and basically grains in general. I'm gluten intolerant and don't do well with many grains so it's actually been a relief for my body. I've found some alternatives to things - zucchini can be spiraled into pasta - look for a spiralizer on Amazon - it's awesome I use mine several times a week. Cauliflower is another way to go even for pizza crusts - look it up online - look up cauliflower pizza crusts. You can also use grated cauliflower in place of rice - it's amazingly good and doesn't bloat you. Look that up too. We get into a mindset that we need all these grains and we really don't. Eat good protein and lots of vegetables and you'll be fine. All the best to you.0
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I'm doing that myself because I don't feel well when I eat processed carbs - and it seems that processed carbs are what you're talking about. There are plenty of carbohydrates that our bodies need in fruits and vegetables. Don't overdue eat things like berries - maybe once a day. People freak out when someone wants to do away with carbs but it's not as difficult as it seems and it's good for you. I feel more clear-headed and energetic than I have in quite sometime by cutting out breads and pastas and basically grains in general. I'm gluten intolerant and don't do well with many grains so it's actually been a relief for my body. I've found some alternatives to things - zucchini can be spiraled into pasta - look for a spiralizer on Amazon - it's awesome I use mine several times a week. Cauliflower is another way to go even for pizza crusts - look it up online - look up cauliflower pizza crusts. You can also use grated cauliflower in place of rice - it's amazingly good and doesn't bloat you. Look that up too. We get into a mindset that we need all these grains and we really don't. Eat good protein and lots of vegetables and you'll be fine. All the best to you.
Cauliflower pizza crust is a great idea! I've seen some ideas for using cauliflower for things like substitute wings on Pinterest before, and I am a huge fan of it. I will have to remember that next time we make pizza at home!0 -
I'm doing that myself because I don't feel well when I eat processed carbs - and it seems that processed carbs are what you're talking about. There are plenty of carbohydrates that our bodies need in fruits and vegetables. Don't overdue eat things like berries - maybe once a day. People freak out when someone wants to do away with carbs but it's not as difficult as it seems and it's good for you. I feel more clear-headed and energetic than I have in quite sometime by cutting out breads and pastas and basically grains in general. I'm gluten intolerant and don't do well with many grains so it's actually been a relief for my body. I've found some alternatives to things - zucchini can be spiraled into pasta - look for a spiralizer on Amazon - it's awesome I use mine several times a week. Cauliflower is another way to go even for pizza crusts - look it up online - look up cauliflower pizza crusts. You can also use grated cauliflower in place of rice - it's amazingly good and doesn't bloat you. Look that up too. We get into a mindset that we need all these grains and we really don't. Eat good protein and lots of vegetables and you'll be fine. All the best to you.
Cauliflower pizza crust is a great idea! I've seen some ideas for using cauliflower for things like substitute wings on Pinterest before, and I am a huge fan of it. I will have to remember that next time we make pizza at home!
I make Meatza pizza and we love it! You just make a crust out of beef! I never can get cauliflower to turn into all of her fancy stuff other than mashed cauliflower.0 -
As others have said, take your own food in, it's cheap and you will get plenty of variety.
I'm not sure why you think you would get bored of eating salads though, but didn't mention getting bored of pizza. As with most changes, it's largely psychological.
So you may struggle to start with, but keep remembering why you are doing it.
Whenever I try eating more salads in order to eat healthier I get bored eventually. Maybe I don't know how to get variety in the flavors in the salad, but eventually they just start tasting the same to me. There is variety for pizza, which helps, plus I don't always eat pizza at work. We do sell other things, they just aren't much healthier.0 -
OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….0 -
OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….
There's no medical reason behind this, I've just known some people to do it either by choice or necessity, and it's worked as a good kick-start for them. I haven't been doing what I should for my diet as much lately, so I'd like to get myself started and really motivated again.0 -
OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….
There's no medical reason behind this, I've just known some people to do it either by choice or necessity, and it's worked as a good kick-start for them. I haven't been doing what I should for my diet as much lately, so I'd like to get myself started and really motivated again.
you can't really "jump start" weight loss…
you either eat in a calorie deficit or you do not…
what is going to happen after two weeks of low carb and you go back to regular carb…you are going to gain about 5 pounds as glycogen replenishes and then you will gain another 5 pounds in water retention….
So why not just get a food scale, create a 500 per day calorie deficit, and lose actual fat..?0 -
OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….
There's no medical reason behind this, I've just known some people to do it either by choice or necessity, and it's worked as a good kick-start for them. I haven't been doing what I should for my diet as much lately, so I'd like to get myself started and really motivated again.
As a jump start it's not really a good idea because once you stop it you WILL gain back.... If you do it you need to stick with it....
If you don't plan on doing it full time I would probably recommend doing lower calories instead.
I have to do it to stabalIze blood sugar for insulin resistance because I tried low calorie and got no where with my blood sugar problems and my PCOS symptoms....0 -
OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….
There's no medical reason behind this, I've just known some people to do it either by choice or necessity, and it's worked as a good kick-start for them. I haven't been doing what I should for my diet as much lately, so I'd like to get myself started and really motivated again.
you can't really "jump start" weight loss…
you either eat in a calorie deficit or you do not…
what is going to happen after two weeks of low carb and you go back to regular carb…you are going to gain about 5 pounds as glycogen replenishes and then you will gain another 5 pounds in water retention….
So why not just get a food scale, create a 500 per day calorie deficit, and lose actual fat..?
I eat at a deficit. With my activity level I should be eating around 2000 calories a day, but I limit myself to 1300 or 1400. I haven't seen any downward movement on the scale in months, it just stays the same. It's hard to stay motivated to keep trying when nothing is working.0 -
I tried a low-carb diet last year to get some quick results before "settling down" with my new lifestyle. I lost about 20 lbs, but gained them all as soon as I started expanding my foods again. I did not take the time to research how much was ok to eat and what types to eat. Just went back to old habits. We need some carbs, veggies and fruits if you can have them, people talk about grains, etc. I am not an expert yet. From what I see in the previous posts it has to do with making a real-life plan and planning on sticking with it. If you find good recipes in the internet for low-carb and you feel that's the right thing for you, go ahead and enjoy it! If you want a quick start-up, make sure you have a plan for when you end that period and move on with what is next without missing a step. Good luck!!!0
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OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….
There's no medical reason behind this, I've just known some people to do it either by choice or necessity, and it's worked as a good kick-start for them. I haven't been doing what I should for my diet as much lately, so I'd like to get myself started and really motivated again.
you can't really "jump start" weight loss…
you either eat in a calorie deficit or you do not…
what is going to happen after two weeks of low carb and you go back to regular carb…you are going to gain about 5 pounds as glycogen replenishes and then you will gain another 5 pounds in water retention….
So why not just get a food scale, create a 500 per day calorie deficit, and lose actual fat..?
I eat at a deficit. With my activity level I should be eating around 2000 calories a day, but I limit myself to 1300 or 1400. I haven't seen any downward movement on the scale in months, it just stays the same. It's hard to stay motivated to keep trying when nothing is working.
open your diary …
do you weigh/log/measure every single thing that you eat? If you are are in a deficit you will lose weight.it is basic math ...0 -
I've known a few people who have cut carbs out of their diet for a few weeks and have lost a bunch of weight, and I'm really interested in trying it for a few weeks as a bit of a kick-start to get myself back into my diet. My biggest problem with this, though, is my job. I work 4 nights a week at a pizza place, and eat dinner there each of those nights (I work 10+ hour shifts each night). Our menu is almost all pizza or fried food or sandwiches, which isn't going to help me with not eating carbs.
The only option I can come up with is to just eat salads when I'm working, but I worry that I'm going to get sick of them really fast and won't be able to keep up with it. The other option I've considered is, because we also deliver for a Mexican restaurant, I have ordered a shredded chicken/Spanish rice dish before that would work, but it's not very filling and I wouldn't know what to get with it. Can anyone give me some suggestions for how I can eat without carbs while working at this restaurant? Or at least how I can cut way, way, way down on the carbs I do eat at work?
umm....salads are carbs so....0 -
This!!!i. It takes 30 sec to pack your lunch when you have all the items ready in your fridge. Spread some cream cheese on a whole grain tortilla, slap on some meat, shove in sandwich bag. Grab orange, cheese stick, yogurt and a few crystal lights and you are good to go. All for around $1.75Two words:
Lunch+Box0 -
Every time a person begins a "low carb" diet plan, an Angel somewhere cries...
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OP …do what you want to do ..
but why can't you just eat in a moderate deficit and get 30% of your calories from carbs…? Do you have some kind of medical condition/carb sensitivity?
I would rather enjoy all the foods I like, be healthy, and still lose weight/maintain, etc….
There's no medical reason behind this, I've just known some people to do it either by choice or necessity, and it's worked as a good kick-start for them. I haven't been doing what I should for my diet as much lately, so I'd like to get myself started and really motivated again.
you can't really "jump start" weight loss…
you either eat in a calorie deficit or you do not…
what is going to happen after two weeks of low carb and you go back to regular carb…you are going to gain about 5 pounds as glycogen replenishes and then you will gain another 5 pounds in water retention….
So why not just get a food scale, create a 500 per day calorie deficit, and lose actual fat..?
I eat at a deficit. With my activity level I should be eating around 2000 calories a day, but I limit myself to 1300 or 1400. I haven't seen any downward movement on the scale in months, it just stays the same. It's hard to stay motivated to keep trying when nothing is working.
I went through the same thing before my official diagnosis... I lost 89 pounds in around 5 months doing Atkins and it was great. Then I was put on a medication that was making me gain weight at an alarming rate and gained about 15ish pounds a month for two months so I stopped taking it and went on back to eating normal but still nowhere near as many calories as I had been before low carbing and in about 4ish months I had gained back about 70+ pounds and by the end of the year I had gained it all back and then some......0 -
This isn't a direct answer to your question, but it may help make food decisions easier in the future.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
Might also benefit you to research If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). The IIFYM is a personal choice, but I find it rather liberating...
Cheers!0 -
Bump0
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the only way you lose by cutting out carbs is water weight. Your glycogen stores deplete (and they are the ones "holding" water) so your body releases the water it's held and you get a few pounds lighter. Once you go back on carbs the glycogen stores replenish and hold water again, so you will gain it back. And you are not shifting any fat which is the ultimate goal, right?
The above is assuming you eat the same amount of calories in a day regardless of whether you eat carbs or not.
Just figure out the maximum amount of calories you can eat and lose weight, increase your protein consumption for satiety and muscle protection and you're good to go
Wow... So I lost 89 pounds of water weight? Interesting......
ALnoog, I said assuming you eat the same amount of calories per day (eating carbs or not), you're going to lose only water weight. In the end it boils down to calories in/calories out, unless there is a medical condition.
I myself have reduced pasta and bread, but i don't credit my success to low carbs. It was simply the food that I would eat too many unnecessary calories of. So while I might eat less carbs now, the main thing I did by reducing the bread and pasta was cut down calories.
if you cut out carbs and just replace it with other food, then you will only lose water weight.0 -
I never lowered the calories I ate... In fact I ate more because old Atkins encouraged SO much fat intake...0
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I never lowered the calories I ate... In fact I ate more because old Atkins encouraged SO much fat intake...
if you eat more calories, you will gain weight. unless you defy the laws of thermodynamics.
You may have felt like you were eating more, because protein and fat keep you satiated longer. Another reason I don't eat too many carbs, I prefer to spend my calories on meat.
If you think you have truly eaten less calories with carbs, then stopped eating carbs but increased your calories and lost 90 lbs, then you must have been logging inaccurately at one part of this process or the other.
I mean you see the logic, right, eating more calories will make you bigger, just like adding bricks to a house will make it bigger. Can't keep adding bricks and make a mansion into a studio flat 0 -
I've been on a ketogenic diet for a little over a year now,. Lost over 130 lbs in that timeframe strictly less than 25g of carbs a day. You don't "need" carbs at all to survive. Have to look at it as a lifestyle change, and not a "diet."
^ This.
I only started in January. But even since then, its been great, never felt better. You don't need carbs. Like any other diet, it works best as a lifestyle change not a diet. And I don't know about other people, but I'd rather spend my calories eating fat/protein which will keep me fuller longer, and eliminate those energy crashes as opposed to spending it on carbs.0
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