Giving up carbs

sicchi

I am currently eating low carb, about 50g net a day (BTW, net is carb grams minus fibre grams, fibre has no effect) and I aim for 25 g fibre a day (so i eat about 75g carbs). An easy way to start is maybe having eggs for breakfast, chicken and greens for lunch, chicken/fish and greens for dinner and snacks of nuts (small portions) and berries. Then you can start to add in more foods as you learn how many carbs are in the foods you eat. The first couple of days you may feel a little weak and tired, totally normal. Your body is used to using carbs (sugars) as energy and has to change its ways. Also, I don't believe in all that bacon, heaps of cheese stuff. I tried that and the scales didn't budge (I dont know, I've never been overweight, maybe its differant if you have a lot to lose). And I felt pretty yuck. You can eat heaps more fat, but stick to natural, unprocessed fats, like nuts, avocado, salmon,coconut ect..... you will lose quite a bit of weight in the first couple of days, most of it water, but it does give you the psychological boost, lol. Goodluck, and remember, eat HEAPS of greens, good fats, and drink water like its your job!

andrewlazenby

Um, I don't. Why would anyone want to do that?

I was just thinking the same thing... Carb is not your enemy, just stick to complex carbs and manage your grams consumed... Carbs are your best source of energy and can be your friend in the weight loss journey! The drastic change you see at first in the scale is water loss instead of fat loss since carbs (glycogen) hold on to water.

What are complex carbs? is this more complicated than I thought?! Generally I am the right weight for my height and Im at the gym 3-4 times a week but Ive put on 14pounds. Am just trying to lose a bit so my clothes fit again. Was thinking if i cut out carbs this would help? I generally eat quite healthily, except indulge with pasta and potatoes.

Then cut back on pasta and potatoes. Don't cut them out.

rocknrollcliche

I'm low carbing for a little bit. My go tos are Atkins shakes, string cheese, celery and fiesta ranch dip, low carb fried pickles (nomnomnom) almond milk, omelettes. And lots of low carb booze haha. Its not that difficult after the first few days if you stick with it but if you cave it never gets easy!

I didnt know you could even get low carb booze! what do you drink?

Thanks

Well pretty much all hard liquor is low carb like vodka tequila etc. I make delish Marga ritas.

Light Jose cuervo marg mix, ice, tequila, handful of frozen strawberries voila delicious.

Sounds great!

sicchi

Um, I don't. Why would anyone want to do that?

I was just thinking the same thing... Carb is not your enemy, just stick to complex carbs and manage your grams consumed... Carbs are your best source of energy and can be your friend in the weight loss journey! The drastic change you see at first in the scale is water loss instead of fat loss since carbs (glycogen) hold on to water.

complex carbs release the energy slower. Or referred to as low GI. High gi foods use all the energy quickly, and can leave you feeling hungry again sooner, like sugar and white bread.... but you still gotta burn all those calories! Sugar is the devil for weight loss. Steer clear (unless its a treat of course, We're only human!)
What are complex carbs? is this more complicated than I thought?! Generally I am the right weight for my height and Im at the gym 3-4 times a week but Ive put on 14pounds. Am just trying to lose a bit so my clothes fit again. Was thinking if i cut out carbs this would help? I generally eat quite healthily, except indulge with pasta and potatoes.

It's a distinction most people don't need to worry about, but one that a lot of people do, presumably, just to over complicate things.

your body needs carbs. Keep the intake to a reasonable amount, keep them from varied sources, have a great day.

lpchica36

Google "carb back loading
...

It works.

jacksonpt

Um, I don't. Why would anyone want to do that?

I was just thinking the same thing... Carb is not your enemy, just stick to complex carbs and manage your grams consumed... Carbs are your best source of energy and can be your friend in the weight loss journey! The drastic change you see at first in the scale is water loss instead of fat loss since carbs (glycogen) hold on to water.

complex carbs release the energy slower. Or referred to as low GI. High gi foods use all the energy quickly, and can leave you feeling hungry again sooner, like sugar and white bread.... but you still gotta burn all those calories! Sugar is the devil for weight loss. Steer clear (unless its a treat of course, We're only human!)
What are complex carbs? is this more complicated than I thought?! Generally I am the right weight for my height and Im at the gym 3-4 times a week but Ive put on 14pounds. Am just trying to lose a bit so my clothes fit again. Was thinking if i cut out carbs this would help? I generally eat quite healthily, except indulge with pasta and potatoes.

It's a distinction most people don't need to worry about, but one that a lot of people do, presumably, just to over complicate things.

your body needs carbs. Keep the intake to a reasonable amount, keep them from varied sources, have a great day.

Why is sugar the devil to weight loss?

RebeccaLeinen

i just started this a couple weeks ago... i was dreading it...i'm italian so pasta has been a big part of my meals my whole life... but i've gotten carb counter books and cook books and it's really kind of fun trying new meals! I've noticed now that cutting out breads have actually made foods taste better... less sugar i've learned i just feel better! i lost 10 lbs in a week and a half...but it takes dedication... the atkins diet has alot of good advice...i'm not following that diet by any means but the ideas in there are useful! Phase 1 cookbook has alot of good recipes... good luck!

RunnerBlonde808

Hi guys,

I am quite new to the message board side of things here but thought id give it a shot. Im needing help with a carb issue also. Im conditioned to wanting potatoes or pasta etc with every meal. Eg: chicken breast, salad and i feel i NEED a jacket potato or something similar. Does anyone have any ideas of what to replace this with? Just salad/meat on its own doesnt seem to be filling enough. Same with pasta, bread etc. Always want carbs but i struggle to find things to replace them. Sick of eating salad for lunch every day! Thanks

Cauliflower baked is almost exactly like potatoes. I eat a lot of green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, sometimes asparagus, and squash. I have been eating low carb for a while now. There are wraps that are low carb that I use also. LaTortilla factory has one that has 6g net carbs.

snowgrrl83

CARBS ARE IMPORTANT!
It is virtually impossible to cut them out completely - unless you want to be brain-dead.
If you are cutting out fruits and starches completely (pasta, rice, bread, cereals) and are solely relying on vegetables to fuel your body's needs for carbohydrates, it may not be enough.

YOUR BRAIN REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CARBS TO FUNCTION.
http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

Also, if you restrict your carbs too much, your brain/body might fight this urge and YOU WILL END UP BINGEING!...which derfeats the purpose, doesn't it?!
So, the key is not to cut out carbs completely, but maybe have a little less than usual.

rocknrollcliche

i just started this a couple weeks ago... i was dreading it...i'm italian so pasta has been a big part of my meals my whole life... but i've gotten carb counter books and cook books and it's really kind of fun trying new meals! I've noticed now that cutting out breads have actually made foods taste better... less sugar i've learned i just feel better! i lost 10 lbs in a week and a half...but it takes dedication... the atkins diet has alot of good advice...i'm not following that diet by any means but the ideas in there are useful! Phase 1 cookbook has alot of good recipes... good luck!

That sounds really interesting. I will have to take a look. Thanks!

NesianStyle

I just finished the 4 hour diet (slow carb diet) over the last 12 days and I stopped today because it just wasn't for me. I basically got sick of eating meat with every meal to the point of where the smell of cooking meat was making my mouth water in a bad way yesterday. Even though I did lose 10-11 pounds over that time I would prefer just to eat well but not restrict any one thing or another....good luck!

rlmadrid

Um, I don't. Why would anyone want to do that?

I kind of agree! I mean, if you eat 200-300 g of carbs every day you should probably cut down. But a normal intake of carbohydrates provides your body with energy to burn. This is particularly important if you are doing intensive cardio several times a week. Runners need carbs like heavy lifters need protein.

I personally don't eat gluten products because they will hurt me. I still manage to get my carbs through potatoes, rice, and of course vegetables. If you are trying to limit or lower your intake, look at this chart for high/low carb food relative to their calorie levels. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR16/wtrank/sr16a205.pdf

rlmadrid

Also, from experience, cutting carbs too low will likely cause you to have "carb cravings". In a way, this is your body asking for the carbs, but it can cause you to over do it. I tend to binge, )like a whole bag of chips kind of binge) if I don't get a small serving of carbs at least once a day.

XxCaz89xX

Check out the dukan diet! Great tips and food ideas

wewon

People people people...

Worry more about how much you eat and less about what you eat. Speaking purely from a weight loss standpoint, you're going to have more success eating 1500cals of McDonalds every day than you are 2000cals of fresh fruits and veggies.

Don't lose perspective here and get all wound up about what your eating to the point where you forget about how much you're eating. Carbs are fine, good and necessary actually... just don't go crazy with them.

Limit, don't give up.

But that's purely for weight loss, not getting healthy.

OP, my perspective on this is to limit your carbs to non-refined items.

If you eat fruits and veggies as your carb sources, you might get to 150 grams on a good day (unless you're trying to gorge yourself to prove a point).

What really racks up the carbs are things like sodas, candy, potato chips and most foods that have been processed to remove the fiber.

Rule of thumb, if its advertised on TV its probably not good for you, and its most likely a carb.

tonilizzy88

i could never cut carbs out completely as i need them for my cardio trainning. however i do try and limit them through the day. i make sure i have a good breakfast and its normally :-

50g oats
5g flaxseed
2egg whites
a little almond milk
mix it all together and fry it with fry light (it will look like a pancake)

i then drizzle honey on top this keeps me full for about 4 hours and lets me train full of energy

hope this helps

jacksonpt

Worry more about how much you eat and less about what you eat. Speaking purely from a weight loss standpoint, you're going to have more success eating 1500cals of McDonalds every day than you are 2000cals of fresh fruits and veggies.

But that's purely for weight loss, not getting healthy.

True. I certainly wasn't suggesting people do it, only making the point that people often lose sight of the bigger picture, that the quantities people are eating are often more important than what the are eating.

JennyZD

People people people...

Worry more about how much you eat and less about what you eat. Speaking purely from a weight loss standpoint, you're going to have more success eating 1500cals of McDonalds every day than you are 2000cals of fresh fruits and veggies.

Don't lose perspective here and get all wound up about what your eating to the point where you forget about how much you're eating. Carbs are fine, good and necessary actually... just don't go crazy with them.

Limit, don't give up.

But that's purely for weight loss, not getting healthy.

OP, my perspective on this is to limit your carbs to non-refined items.

If you eat fruits and veggies as your carb sources, you might get to 150 grams on a good day (unless you're trying to gorge yourself to prove a point).

What really racks up the carbs are things like sodas, candy, potato chips and most foods that have been processed to remove the fiber.

Rule of thumb, if its advertised on TV its probably not good for you, and its most likely a carb.

From a weight loss perspective, you should aim to lose BODY FAT, you're not going to get that by eating refined sugars and McDonalds. I disagree with the "calorie in, calorie out" theory. I aim to have good aesthetics and be healthy, so although some simple sugars are necessary, complex carbs help maintain your insulin levels and trigger less hunger since it metabolizes slower.