Tips for watching carbs HELP

Chris_bee05

I don't want to do extremely low or no carb, but I'd just like to be more mindful of carbs than I currently am. I'm drinking SlimFast which I just realized has 18g of sugar in it O_o Also, I eat whole grains, like brown rice and whole grain pasta, but it still eat quite a bit of those items. We have spaghetti once a week and I eat rice (white or brown) as a side dish several times a week. I also eat bread a lot, like as a snack. Oh and I've also been eating Lean Cuisines....

I'd like to cut a lot of those things out. I'm going to get some low carb tortillas and low carb bread, but what other things can I do and how many carbs a day should I aim for? Anyone else watching carbs?

I want to do this because A) I know from my experience over the last 6 months that sugars really effect my ability to lose weight, so I'm assuming carbs do the same and I have hypothyroidism and I've read from a few people on here with this condition that they watch carbs, so I'd like to try and see if this will help.

Any advice would be appreciated. TIA

mamabun

I have been eating low carb for six months and feel better than I have in almost 20 years. I have also lost over 40 pounds. I go to a weight coach who taught me to count net carbs. To count net carbs, you subtract grams of fiber from the total number of carbs. So, the low carb tortillas I like have 18 g carbs, but 12 g of fiber, making the net carbs only 6. I began this new lifestyle by completely eliminating carbs from any food other than veggies. I am a complete sugar / carb addict, and love my new low carb life because I don't feel the need to take naps anymore. I was always drowsy after eating, and I ate all day long. One of things I like most about eating low carb is NOT feeling hungry, EVER! I eat string cheese and almonds for snacks. I love muffins made with 1/2 banana and flax seed. I eat at least one egg every day. I only eat salad if it has lean meat on it. Eating sugar and carbs makes your body release insulin, which then leads to a crash (what I call a carb coma) and a spike in your hunger. For me, it's just not worth it. When our family has spaghetti night, the kids eat the pasta while my husband and I eat the meatballs and a salad. We don't even eat the same sauce as the kids. They eat Rinaldi, but we get a Roundy's organic sauce that has half the carbs of theirs. When it's taco night, we either use romaine leaves for shells or make a taco salad, without any chips. I know that when I "let " myself eat carbs, I go overboard, and it takes me forever to get back on track. So, because I feel so good, I don't "want" to eat carbs. They make me feel yucky and disappointed. There are so many wonderfully delicious, high fiber foods to eat that aren't full of sugar and starches. Read your labels. You can do it!