bread and other carbs

Hanna1983

Hi all,

I have heard yesterday that the reason why many people dont lose weight is because their carbohydrate intake is very high and that carbohydrates are basically sugar. Speaking for myself, I do admit I eat alot of bread. 20 minutes ago I had 2 rolls for breakfast... :noway:

I also like to eat alot of pasta and rice. I try and reduce it but it is not really working, as we can see this morning. :grumble:

I was wondering what you guys do to reduce your carbohydrate intake? Do you replace bread with anything? what do you use instead of pasta and rice to fill you up? I love Spaghetti Bolognese, but I imagine without the spaghetti it would be a little boring :ohwell:

Any ideas?

H :bigsmile:

Hanna1983

Hi all,

I have heard yesterday that the reason why many people dont lose weight is because their carbohydrate intake is very high and that carbohydrates are basically sugar. Speaking for myself, I do admit I eat alot of bread. 20 minutes ago I had 2 rolls for breakfast... :noway:

I also like to eat alot of pasta and rice. I try and reduce it but it is not really working, as we can see this morning. :grumble:

I was wondering what you guys do to reduce your carbohydrate intake? Do you replace bread with anything? what do you use instead of pasta and rice to fill you up? I love Spaghetti Bolognese, but I imagine without the spaghetti it would be a little boring :ohwell:

Any ideas?

H :bigsmile:

Jackie_W

I just looked it up, and found this:

• Simple carbohydrates are sugars—glucose and fructose from fruits and some vegetables, lactose from milk, sucrose from cane or beet sugar, and others. Table sugar is pure sucrose. Much of the simple carbs we eat are sugars added to processed foods such as sodas, cookies, etc. These added sugars are the main reason why sugar now accounts for 16% of all calories consumed by Americans; 20 years ago, it supplied 11%. Soda alone supplies about one-third of this added sugar.

• Complex carbohydrates, which are chains of simple sugars, consist primarily of starches as well as the fiber that occurs in all plant foods. Starch is the storage form of carbohydrates in plants. Foods rich in complex carbs include grains and grain products (such as bread and pasta), beans, potatoes, corn, and some other vegetables.


Hope it helps to explain it a little better :flowerforyou:

Jackie_W

A little more info:
Whole grains (such as oats, whole wheat, brown rice) are more nutritious than refined grains, since they retain the bran and the germ, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and beneficial phytochemicals. Whole grains are digested more slowly, and thus have a more modest effect on blood sugar than refined carbs or sugars (see below). The same is true of vegetables and beans. The fiber in these foods has many health benefits. In particular, soluble fiber (found in oats, barley, and beans) may help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. In fact, people whose diet is rich in whole grains and other high-fiber foods tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

allaboutme

I use more fiber and protein instead of the carbs. Instead of a stirfry with two cups of white rice underneath, I use brown rice, and measure 3/4 of a cup and add more of the stirfry instead of the other way around. Lots of veggies and chicken or beef, same as pasta, I use multi grain or whole wheat and measure, if you don't measure you really can't tell how many calories you are consuming

The whole wheat or multi grain I find is more filling and satisfying than plain white rice and pasta, and I don't feel like eating again an hour afterwards. Don't try to eliminate it all together, or you will feel too deprived.

If you are going to eat bread make sure it it whole wheat. I find it more filling because of the added fiber. I would only eat one piece of bread a day, at most 2. I also use whole wheat pita pockets and whole wheat wraps instead of bread.

It takes a while to get used to whole wheat as opposed to white, but I don't even notice it now. (my daughter thinks she is getting a treat if I buy white bread but now they have the stuff that is almost as good as whole wheat but looks white, so she thinks I am treating her, but really I am not :laugh:

kristineh86

I'm the SAME way! I eat so much bread/carbs and i've lost over 50 pounds! I don't know how cuz seriously the majority of what I eat is carbs! I make sure to eat whole wheat and the carbs I do eat have a lot of fiber in them. Also, I drink a TON of water and work out!! I never understood why people go on those "no carb diets." They are so unrealistic!

allaboutme

the no carb diets are a quick fix for people, I have tried them, you do lose weight quickly, but you are miserable the whole time, and of course you gain it all back just as quickly if not quicker. I think these people hope being overweight is the fault of one food group. That is why we are all here, to learn that it is not.

Hanna1983

Hi everyone.

Thank you for your replies. I do understand what you are saying about swapping white bread/pasta/rice with the brown version, and I am already doing that. I find brown bread has much nicer flavour than white bread anyway so that was no problem.

I also understand that if I was to go off bread,pasta,rice,potatoes completely it would not really help either. I would probably get a massive craving and eat a truckload of bread in one day. If you have read my introduction post I mentioned about my stupid personal trainer who made me stop eating any bread,pasta and rice and I lost 0.00gr in weight.

I am just trying to find the reason why I dont lose any weight. And I cannot seem to find one.

When I joined MFP I was given 1,200 cals per day to eat as a guidance for my 1.5lbs per week weight loss aim. I am sticking to that.

As you can see, still have my 41lbs to lose. :ohwell:

even though I stick to 1200 cals a day I was wondering if it is maybe the carbs that I am eating.

One day I had bread for breakfast, a roll with my salad for lunch and then 2 slices rye bread with ham for dinner. It was all within my 1200 cals allowance. I still did not lose any weight but had put on 0.5lbs the next morning :indifferent:

I dont know if I am too impatient. But I am starting to get really upset with not losing any weight whatsoever. I ahvent had pizza for ages, no indian take away, no chips. I have joined a gym and am going 3x a week. Yet I weight the same still :frown:

I remember how I used to weight 126lbs. I cannot believe how hard this is to lose the weight I gained.
I feel like giving up.

:frown:

allaboutme

Okay if you have 40 lbs to lose, you are probably not eating enough at 1200 calories per day. Have you calculated your BMR in the tools section, 1200 is the standard that MFP sets, you have to calculate what you need on an individual basis through the BMR calculater and adjust your daily requirments.

Are you also eating your exercise calories, because if you were only eating 1200 you must eat the exercise calories too.

Your body is holding on to the calories it is getting because it isn't getting enough to do what it needs to that is probaby why you aren't losing, it doesn't want to let go. Your body has to be fed properly before it is willing to let go of its reserves

Have your read some of the posts about BMR calories, and not allowing yourself to go into starvation mode??

Hanna1983

HI allaboutme

OK. I did not know this was a standard amount. I just found the BMR calculator.
But I dont really understand it.

My BMR is BMR calculater 1,487 cals/day.

In the little box at the side it explains that

"it is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating.
Your BMR does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise."

So does this mean my goal should be not to go over 1,487 cals per day? And then whatever calories I burn when I do exercise is what will be workign towards my weightloss?

allaboutme

this means you should never go under that (until you lose weight and your BMR changes) if you do, your body is not getting enough to perform its basic functions and is essentially starving for more, therefore it will try to hang on to its reserves i.e. fat. You should change your calorie setting to this and not go below it, if you exercise that day and are only already eating just BMR calories, you need to eat the calories you burned off exercising or else your exercise will put you into starvation mode.

allaboutme

go to the general message board, and read the posts at the top, for the newbies and things you should read again and again really informative. Someday I will figure out how to link these in :laugh:

Hanna1983

Thanks will do

kristineh86

Hanna, how much water are you drinking? I could be wrong but I feel that if you do eat a lot of carbs/bread then you should drink even more water than the recommended amount. Good luck!

ChubbyBunny

I eat about 60% carbs... but I try to limit my refined carbs.
I did the low carb thing and it killed my body....
I use my BMR as my guide for minimum calorie intake.

Flyultralite

Food is Fuel. Portions are your power! Carbs (Complex) are an important part of your daily intake. Carbs are your energy source. In the begining I cut all Carbs, sure I lost alot of weight, but still felt like a couch potato. Now (more wisely) I portionalize my Carbs, make better choices and live a more active lifestyle. Low and behold the weight is still coming off!!!

kendallalissa

I too am a bread and pasta fein! Since joining MFP, we have pasta only 1x/week for dinner. I only use whole wheat pasta and limit to just 1/2 cup, no 2nds! Then, I SLATHER 1 cup of marinara sauce to fill myself up. Oh, and steamed veggies for a side. It really does fill me up. No 2nds!

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

Angiebangie

I love vegetables, so a pasta switch for me (even though I don't eat tons of carbs, and the ones I do are whole grains) is spagetti squash. You poke it with a fork a bazillion times and microwave it for like 10-12 minutes, cut it in half, scoop out the goop, and then take a fork and pull all the strands of "spagetti" out. I use this for my noodles and put any sauce on it, it's also good in soup!

Also, Sara Lee makes a "Delightful" bread, it comes in 100% whole wheat, and 100% multi-grain, that's only 45 calories a slice, yummy!

Phoenixflame

Yeah, I hate low carb diets. I do eat a good amount of protein, because I work out a ton, but carbs are GOOD. Just stick mostly with the whole wheat kind.

Oh, one piece of advice! When shopping for bread, don't be fooled just because it says "wheat" on the bag. Check the ingredients. If it has whole wheat in it, then it's legit. If it doesn't, then you've been suckered into bread that might as well be the white junk. Wheat bread has gotten more popular, so companies like to trick you into buying what you think is better. The exception, of course, would be if it's rye or spelt bread, in which it would say so in the ingredients.

Atkins and similar diets are not smart at all. Yeah, you drop weight quickly, but it's mostly water and muscle. You'd gain it all back the moment you went off of it.

Plus, whole grains fill you up. There is a REASON why people crave foods like bread and rice. They are filling and hearty. It's just decades of refined carbs that have manipulated our palates into wanting white bread. I actually had to grab a sandwich the other day that was on white bread. I found it terrible, and just ate the sandwich sans bread.

kerrilucko

Yeah, I hate low carb diets. I do eat a good amount of protein, because I work out a ton, but carbs are GOOD. Just stick mostly with the whole wheat kind.

Oh, one piece of advice! When shopping for bread, don't be fooled just because it says "wheat" on the bag. Check the ingredients. If it has whole wheat in it, then it's legit. If it doesn't, then you've been suckered into bread that might as well be the white junk. Wheat bread has gotten more popular, so companies like to trick you into buying what you think is better. The exception, of course, would be if it's rye or spelt bread, in which it would say so in the ingredients.

Atkins and similar diets are not smart at all. Yeah, you drop weight quickly, but it's mostly water and muscle. You'd gain it all back the moment you went off of it.

Plus, whole grains fill you up. There is a REASON why people crave foods like bread and rice. They are filling and hearty. It's just decades of refined carbs that have manipulated our palates into wanting white bread. I actually had to grab a sandwich the other day that was on white bread. I found it terrible, and just ate the sandwich sans bread.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. I am very anti-low carb diets because they are unrealistic, and I feel that unless you have a medical condition or are under a doctor's supervision they should not be used. BUT that is just my opinion. I am also a little iffy about this BMR thing. I have been consitently eating less than my BMR since March with no ill effects, SO I'm not sure about that. I can tell you though that 1200 cals is very low. Unless you are moderately obese at least, 1200 calories is not enough. Are you eating excercise calories too? Please say yes, otherwise you are literally starving yourself. You likely have your settings to high (are you seeking to lose 2lbs a week?) try changing that to 1 lb a week, this will give you a much more reasonably caloric deficit and you should see some changes.

As for carbs, I too am a carb fiend but I have had no issues losing weight as a result of that. Carbs are your body's main energy source so they are especially important if you are active. As long as you are not neglecting your fat and protein needs, this should not be a major problem. Switching to whole grains (at least for the most part) is a good idea because they contain more nutrients and since you are eating at a deficit, you need all the nutrients you can get.

Good luck, keep us informed how how it goes! We are all rooting for you :flowerforyou:

Hanna1983

Thanks Kerri and everyone else for the replies.
I am in such a big learning process right now through MFP. It feels great!

I have swapped all my bread for wholewheat options. I also eat alot of Ryvita and rye bread.
I hardly ever go over the carbs amount given to me by MFP it just seemed alot to me because even though I stay within my guidelines, you would still find alot of bread and pasta products on my food diary every day.

What I seem to learn at the moment is that I should worry less and simply stick to the guidelines I get from MFP for my food diary. It will take some time for me to get used to it it seems.

Thanks everyone

cherapple

Try always combining your complex carbs with a lean protein.

I've had 3 lbs. melt off in the last week since I've started doing that! And I feel so satisfied and full. Many days I have struggled to eat all my calories because I'm not hungry all the time, like I used to be. My carb cravings are actually going away!

lessertess

Try always combining your complex carbs with a lean protein.

I've had 3 lbs. melt off in the last week since I've started doing that! And I feel so satisfied and full. Many days I have struggled to eat all my calories because I'm not hungry all the time, like I used to be. My carb cravings are actually going away!

I agree. I've been doing the same for quite a while.

abs0830

QUOTE:

Try always combining your complex carbs with a lean protein.

I've had 3 lbs. melt off in the last week since I've started doing that! And I feel so satisfied and full. Many days I have struggled to eat all my calories because I'm not hungry all the time, like I used to be. My carb cravings are actually going away!


I agree. I've been doing the same for quite a while.

Any suggestions on recipe?

ChubbyBunny

Also, I had to bump up my calories to 1500, which is WAY closer to my BMR then MFP initially set me at. I also had to cut back/eliminate working out for a while. I was being counter productive with it.
Ever since those 2 changes off comes the weight.... :flowerforyou:

Hanna1983

What do you mean with lean protein? Chicken? Eggs?

lessertess

A lean protien can be any protien source that does not contain saturated fats (or has low fat) . So:

Fish
Chicken
Lean cuts of beef and pork
Shrimp
Beans
Hummus (if it's made fat free)
Tofu
Eggs
Fat free or reduced fat cheeses (I like fat free cottage cheese which has 14 grams of protien in 1/2 cup)
Sprouts
Nuts (good protien but high in good fats)

You don't really need recipes just combine a serving of protien with a vegetable or with a whole grain for each meal. Limit sugars and refined carbs (fruit, white rice, white bread, white pasta, sweets) as they will spike your blood sugar and may cause your body to hold onto the fat. Also, some people are very much addicted to refined carbs (I know I am) and tend to crave more, the more they eat. If you're eating complex carbs you'll get the fiber you need automatically.

Pasta can be very deceiving. I love it, but it was a shock to find out that 1/4 uncooked macaroni is a single serving and 1 cup of cooked spaghetti is a serving, I beleive a 1/2 cup of cooked rice is a serviing. The calories are really high and I tend to want to eat twice or three times as much as a siingle serving. Most of the nutrition and fiber has been stripped from these sources. I love them so I can't give them up entirely but I've drastically cut back on them.

Also, just as a side note: don't be afraid of fat. Your body needs healthy fats in order to function properly and to give you energy.

Here's an example of a typical day:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal with a banana (quaker has an oatmeal that is fortified with extra protien)
1 serving (3 slices) microwave bacon (don't panic it's only 70 calories)

Mid Morning Snack:
Fat free Cottage cheese and salsa with carrots and celery

Lunch:
Salad with grilled chicken breast and lowfat dressing (for an extra protein kick add some mushrooms and sprouts).
whole grain roll

Mid Afternoon Snack
Hard boiled egg
Small Apple
V8 juice

Dinner
Baked sweet potato w/1tbs butter
3 or 4 oz grilled lean protien of your choice
steamed vegetable with herbs

I'm pretty sure if you add all that up it's still within 1500 calories. If you have a 1200 calorie goal and exercise for 60 minutes....you're good.

Hanna1983

Lessertess,

Thank you that is brilliant, so much info!

I can't believe how much I learn through being at MFP! :bigsmile:

lessertess

You're welcome:flowerforyou:

let me know how it goes, I'm betting if you use the protien carb combo you'll feel fuller longer and start seeing some weight loss pretty quickly.

Hanna1983

Thank you :flowerforyou: I will certainly give it a go!!