Low Carb Diet

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Kimbermcle9
Kimbermcle9 Posts: 15 Member
in Getting Started
I'm starting this today and I'm feeling good but then I've only been awake for an hour and half! For those that have done low carb, how do you get over the cravings for sugar, bread and pasta? I don't really crave bread and pasta but they are just staples in my diet - but that I can work around - I know my triggers will be ice cream, froyo and coffee creamer - so I need to find some "tricks" to get over the cravings.

Thank you! ;)

Replies

  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    If you are looking to lose weight...

    I would focus more on staying below your caloric needs vs. cutting out carbs.

    Good Luck
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I'm starting this today and I'm feeling good but then I've only been awake for an hour and half! For those that have done low carb, how do you get over the cravings for sugar, bread and pasta? I don't really crave bread and pasta but they are just staples in my diet - but that I can work around - I know my triggers will be ice cream, froyo and coffee creamer - so I need to find some "tricks" to get over the cravings.

    Thank you! ;)
    What are your current macros? If you don't know that answer, you shouldn't be doing a "low" anything.
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
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    The cravings will go away after a few days. Until then, make sure you fill up on the lower carb foods so that you are not hungry. One of the advantages of low carb is that it really helps with cravings and appetite control. Good luck!
  • Nanba007
    Nanba007 Posts: 77 Member
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    String cheese is a good snack, and makes you feel like you are eating fun food. Good luck!
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
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    A couple of tips from my experience:

    Don't go so low-carb that you're afraid to eat fruit. I've tried in the past, and then I realized that if I was lusting after strawberries THAT much, maybe I was meant to eat strawberries.

    I'm like you--sandwiches, pasta... They were easy cuts for me. But I'll eat carbs when they count. A good pizza, a slice of homemade bread, a bun to hold my cheeseburger. Not every day, but certainly once a week. It stops any sense of deprivation.

    I tend to have a fairly carb-heavy breakfast. I get most of my activity by noon, and I need the extra energy. I usually have a fruit and yogurt smoothie and a slice of whole grain bread with butter or some high-fiber cereal with whole milk. Then my other meals are made up of tons of vegetables plus ample protein and fat.

    I've settled into a very comfortable zone of about 100 carbs and 1500 calories. Lowering carbs, if it's your thing, can be very helpful for staying in your calorie range--and remember, this is what's important. You MUST be eating at a deficit in order to lose weight.

    Good luck!
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
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    It sounds like you mean you are cutting down on refined, processed low nutrient for the calories type of carb and not complex nutrient dense carbs such as vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains. Carbs are really important just choose wisely and have the "other" carbs as treats. Of course, the more exercise you get the more treats of any kind you can afford within your calorie limits. In the end a calorie deficit is the most important. There are also high calorie junk foods in the protein and fat categories but people tend to focus on carbs - I guess they are the greatest temptation for a lot of people when it comes to overeating.
  • aarnwine2013
    aarnwine2013 Posts: 317 Member
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    A couple of tips from my experience:

    Don't go so low-carb that you're afraid to eat fruit. I've tried in the past, and then I realized that if I was lusting after strawberries THAT much, maybe I was meant to eat strawberries.

    I'm like you--sandwiches, pasta... They were easy cuts for me. But I'll eat carbs when they count. A good pizza, a slice of homemade bread, a bun to hold my cheeseburger. Not every day, but certainly once a week. It stops any sense of deprivation.

    I tend to have a fairly carb-heavy breakfast. I get most of my activity by noon, and I need the extra energy. I usually have a fruit and yogurt smoothie and a slice of whole grain bread with butter or some high-fiber cereal with whole milk. Then my other meals are made up of tons of vegetables plus ample protein and fat.

    I've settled into a very comfortable zone of about 100 carbs and 1500 calories. Lowering carbs, if it's your thing, can be very helpful for staying in your calorie range--and remember, this is what's important. You MUST be eating at a deficit in order to lose weight.

    Good luck!


    Already said most of what I wanted to say. I also eat fruit but I mainly eat low carb. The cravings for me stopped after a few days. The biggest thing I noticed was how good I felt. I don't know if everyone feels this as I'm kind of new to this, but the high energy is great!

    Good luck and feel free to friend me!
  • jjwilde265
    jjwilde265 Posts: 19 Member
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    i like low carb but only as it's easier for me to keep it low calories. I need one or two days eating carbs though as after two or three days my gym starts to suffer. you can get low carb pasta and rice though now if you still want to eat it but I generally just have the real stuff on my carb up days. in the end it's finding something you can live with. if I could never eat any carbs it would make me crave it more. :-)
  • ThatMouse
    ThatMouse Posts: 229 Member
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    I did low carb for about six months strictly, then on and off until recently.

    For me, bread cravings went away after two weeks. It became less of "I can't have it" to more of "I don't really want it". I mean, what I missed was baking the bread, or the perfect bite of some kind of soft bread. But most times, if I tried a bun or something, I regretted it - I'd built it up so much in my mind that only the freshest stuff from a bakery would've been able to satisfy, ha ha! So it was easier to avoid the disappointment and just not eat it to begin with.

    At first, though, it was a lot of getting rid of anything in the house - or actively avoiding what I couldn't get rid of - that I would crave. And a lot of discipline. But after those first two weeks, I lost the desire for it. I started craving small little rounds of brie or home-made mushroom chips.
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
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    I know that this is not anything new to most readers but, may I suggest a distinction between starches and low carb? (This is just my opinion. I'm not a dietician or any sort of medical professional.)

    Starches include rice, pasta, corn, peas, bread, anything made of wheat or grain.

    Carbohydrates come from starches and also from fruits and vegetables. Fruits are great so long as you watch the sugars; vegetables are foundational to a good diet.

    My point is that starches and sugars, not carbs, are to be minimized but, not avoided altogether, and vegetables should be included and even maximized.

    I hope that my 2 cents worth helps.
  • Rainboots80
    Rainboots80 Posts: 218 Member
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    I eat low carb wraps in place of bread, spaghetti squash in place of pasta and cauliflower "mac"and cheese.
  • thatgirlkellib
    thatgirlkellib Posts: 150 Member
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    I eat a lot of raw veg, like peas, carrots and celery or some fruit, after a few days it will be better, everytime you feel a craving grab the water bottle and teach your mind to obey your body. mind / matter
  • Linda8989
    Linda8989 Posts: 39 Member
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    My advice would to be very careful. I did great on Atkins/south Beach some years back. After a week or so, I adjusted to the no carb thing by eating lots of protein and fat. I lost 80 lbs in about 6 months, felt great, and then Bam! I happened to grab a beautiful pear off of a conference room table at work and that was the beginning of the end. Within days, my body craved all types of carbs again and I was stuffing down fries, toast, sugar snacks - and gained it all back. I would suggest eating a little of everything in moderation in order to keep any cravings now, or in the future, under control.
  • SJKirk51912
    SJKirk51912 Posts: 176 Member
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    I have been doing "low carb" for about 2 months and the following really helped me with sweets:

    1) Avoid diet pop. Their sweet taste really made me crave more sweet things.
    2) Avoid processed "low carb" bars (atkins bars) for a similar reason.

    I really focused on eating natural foods, especially in the beginning, and my taste buds have changed significantly. I think around the 3 week mark is when I started being able to easly avoid the breads and sweets. I still have temptations and cravings once in a while but very minimal.
  • m_o_
    m_o_ Posts: 40 Member
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    Beyer's makes a low-carb/ carb smart vanilla ice-cream that I adore. I tend to plan my meals in advance so I know if it will fit into my day or not.

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