How successful is a no-bread diet?

kc_swiss

I am thinking of trying not to eat any bread, white rice or pasta for a month. Has anyone tried this tactic before? How successful were you?

MphsThomas

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

marandaj77

I am cutting out white bread and as much sugar as I can to see if this will help. My problem is going to be rice and pasta I love both. I am not a fan of brown rice and wheat pasta. Good luck I hope it gives you the results you are looking for.

NoExcuseTina

I live similarly to this...the one difference is I do eat some rice products (rice chips, rice crackers and steamed rice about once a month)...I find that my digestion is much better, less gas and less irritation to my stomach and intestine area

check out my food diary for some ideas

lfcutie

i agree with the post above its great until you eat bread again.,.,.,if you like bread don't stop eating it maybe eat less and whole grain instead of white .....brown rice is good also....good luck:)

Johnnyswife

We swtiched to whole grain wheat breads, and brown rice. Than we eat it in moderation. :flowerforyou:

kc_swiss

Thanks!

momma3sweetgirls

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

For me, cutting back would be easier than going without completely.

sexyprincess69

I tried it ;but it did not work for me within a few days I was back eating bread. Whole wheat instead of white. It's very hard to keep carbs out of your diet what I have done is limit the amount I eat. No carbs in the week day however on the weekend I have some.

Rubie81

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

For me, cutting back would be easier than going without completely.

This! 1 slice instead of two. I like the Arnold Nutty Grain Bread.

Angela4Health

Don't cut out bread, just make sure you're eating 100% whole grains! That goes for pasta and rice as well!

SunLove8

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

SO TRUE!!!!

ShaeDetermined

I am thinking of trying not to eat any bread, white rice or pasta for a month. Has anyone tried this tactic before? How successful were you?

I think no WHITE bread, WHITE rice and WHITE pasta is a fantastic idea. I eat only whole grain bread, brown rice and on the rare occasion whole wheat pasta.
I cut out all "white stuff" and sugar for 2 years now - I've lost 40lbs in that time and have 15 to go to weigh less than I did before I had my 5 kids.
It's worth a shot.

Good Luck!

nehushtan

I am thinking of trying not to eat any bread, white rice or pasta for a month. Has anyone tried this tactic before? How successful were you?

Sounds like a low-carb diet. If that's the case, to make it work you need to cut out starch and sugars as much as possible. If you are just trying to eliminate starch you still need to track your total calories. Full-sugar sodas will sabotage you.

cjnorman

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

SO TRUE!!!!

Completely true, but I had to start eating carbs again to stop losing weight. Now the goal is not to gain.

Christyp123

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

Ditto.

shortcake05

I'd have to agree that bread is ok in moderation. I've seen some positive changes to my overall digestion and weight when I've drastically reduced my bread intake. And I do try to avoid white anything as much as possible.

absolament

Diets are stressful... emotionally and physically. Stick with nutritious food in the right amount. Your body will thank you.

Behavior_Modification

GREAT UNTIL YOU START EATING BREAD AGAIN

Exactly. It is just as great as any other diet. It may help you lose weight, but it will not help you keep it off.

catcrazy

I've been doing fine with it, I have the occasional bread but not had rice or pasta for months. I'm not a fan of brown rice or pasta so would rather go without. I prefer brown bread over white but rarely touch either...my weakness comes when I smell toast! Don't ban yourself as this is likely to lead to cravings but if you plan your meals based around other foods you should be able to largely avoid it.

TropicalKitty

It depends on you. I feel best when I don't have a lot of bread and pasta. There are people who believe that we shouldn't be eating the grains we do, regardless of being whole wheat or white breads. Part of me agrees, but the reality is, they are very difficult to avoid. That's something I've learned since I've had to be gluten free - grains are used way too much in the US.

Anyway, even though there is some ok gluten free bread, I'm happy without bread. There are other things out there that you can eat to get that "sensation" (or to get that "carb fix) like beans. And if you still want grains, just not the processed stuff, there are tons of whole grains you can choose from - quinoa, amaranth, teff...barley...

The thing you have to figure out is what is best for you. If you think you can go without those products, then rock on. Like someone else said, if you start eating them again, especially in larger quantities, you'll gain. I learned that lesson, hard.

GL!

Just1forMe

Why cut it out completely? Can you do that forever? If it can't be a lifestyle change forever, then why do it? I eat whole grain bread (not often usually), brown rice, whole grain cereals, and once in a really great while a potato. None of those things, when eaten in moderation, are bad for you.

kc_swiss

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your input

mimikeke

I follow the old WW core plan loosely, which is no bread, but you can eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta, potatoes or whole grains once a day. You however are given some extra calories to "spend" during the week in which you can eat some whole wheat bread (make sure it doesn't have tons of added sugar). I haven't been to WW in a while so I don't know how the new system works but while I was on the core I got 35 extra points which equals about 1750 extra calories to spend a week. However, you have to follow the other parts of the core plan, and of course watch your protein/sodium/etc.

http://guiltlessgourmet.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/weight-watchers-core-food-list/
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If I were you, I would just make the switch to really hearty whole wheat breads/pasta and brown rice rather than cutting it out completely. Your first week, try not eating any bread and just the whole wheat pasta/potatoes/brown rice (only one option, one meal a day). It's a personal thing but it always gets me to drop weight.

Then, limit yourself to EITHER bread, or a choice of pasta OR rice OR potatoes to ONE meal each day.

I have found this diet to be the easiest to maintain over a period of time. I've dropped to a size 2 jeans this week which is pretty crazy.

If you are a huge carb/starch eater or hate vegetables or seafood or you never cook, then this diet will not work for you. Then again, if you hate all those things, good luck dieting the rest of your life ^^

Also, it doesn't require counting any calories other than the ones you eat outside your diet which is nice!

~~Another thing that keeps me from eating too much bread is trying to avoid meals that make you want it, i.e. soups, stews, meals with tons of sauce (like buttery seafood sauce or creamy Indian curry) during the weeks that you've cheated a lot.
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If you don't like brown rice it's probably cuz you are cooking it too dry. I used to think I hated it until my roommate made some in a rice cooker with a small dab of butter or margarine and it came out tasting very moist and buttery. It's super tasty with a serving of grilled onions/bell peppers and a dash of teriyaki cooking sauce that have been thrown together in a pan.

nshamler

I've tried and was very successful. I say go for it. I concentrated on doing it a week at a time. It was much easier this way.

bcattoes

I think it's a good idea to cut this stuff out completely and forever. White pasta/bread/rice should be considered sugar and eaten in very limited quantities. If you are currently eating a lot of bread and pasta then cutting them out completely for a month could be a good thing. Then gradually add them back, but in whole grain form. When you want pasta try a meal with brown rice or quinoa instead. You can satisfy your carb craving in a much healthier way. If you are interested, below is a link to a good article explaining why carbs are important and why they should be whole grain.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates-full-story/index.html#what-are-carbohydrates

skimmylatte

My diet consists of no bread. And I have effectively done it . But I find that bread for me was a filler food. So now I tend to eat more protein and drink more tea. But Yes I agree that my digestive system is much better off. And yes, it is hard but not impossible. Because there are a lot of alternatives. Such as lettuce wraps. I feel like bread does not provide any substantial amount of energy, so I haven't experienced energy loss either.

crystalbusybee

Here's the problem I see with many ppl when it comes to bread:
Super high calories, zero nutrition, obviously leads to weight gain
The typical daily eating habits I've seen of those who say they exercise a lot and have trouble losing weight have a daily diet consisting of this type of pattern:

breakfasf: cereal (usually with simple carbs) and milk, or a latte and pastry of some sort
lunch: sandwich or pasta meal
dinner pasta or dinner which involves too many potatoes, or a meal with bread typically as a side item (such as garlic bread etc)

If you are going to have bread limit it to one meal, preferably in the morning and thats it, what you are doing is filling up on zero nutrition when you could be filling up with something better.

I know easier said than done and trying to decrease cravings is difficult but it can be done over time and with will power. A lot of folks who start cutting out simple carbs notice the they are "starving!!" this may be due to a few factor; you aren't eating enough protein or you are simply increasing your metabolic rate (which is a good thing!!!)and need to supplement with healthy calories and complex carbs and the like. Also make sure you take in enough water, that can sometimes make you feel hungry when really you are just dehydrated.

Sarahmeridith

I couldnt do it! but I found the BEST bread. Aunt Millies light whole grain and light potato bread only 35 calories per slice!

I love sandwhiches and couldnt give them up! But I have stopped eating pasta and rice for the most part just because it doesnt usually fit into my calories comfortably.

leslielt

sounds awful but then again I like bread but i do limit it

Chrystibel

I did the little or no carb thing for a while and you lose weight very fast while doing this, but if you don't eat healthy when you start eating carbs again, all the weight comes right back. That's why I'm going for a lifestyle change this time around rather than a crash diet.