Low Carb Diet

good carbs come from vegetables
bad carbs come from sugar - bread , pasta or anything with sugar in it that is not naturally occuring

Good carbs are also in whole grains and brown rice. Most people lose quite a bit of weight on a low carb diet, but if you are a person who really craves bread, pasta, etc. you won't do well on this type of plan for very long. I'm currently following the Atkins plan but I'm not one who "needs" carbs. I do miss my sugary, non-chocolate sweets from time to time, but there are a lot of good sugar free substitutes for when I'm dying for them.

Another well-recognized plan is the South Beach Diet. These are two different approaches to a lower carb lifestyle. I'd suggest going to their official websites and getting the information straight from them, without distortion.

I'm trying to avoid carbs from any wheat (whole or otherwise) and eat extra services of veggies and fruit, plus milk and other sources (just not bread, pasta, etc.) I think I might include brown rice, but that's the limit.

Low carb diets are usually around 20 grams per day. I'm at around 100g per day, which is more of a "lower carb". I find it regulates my blood sugar better and makes me feel less hungry.

Low carb diets are usually around 20 grams per day. I'm at around 100g per day, which is more of a "lower carb". I find it regulates my blood sugar better and makes me feel less hungry.

The Atkins plan is 20 grams of carbs but only for the first two weeks, certainly not a long time. You then start to slowly add in carbs until you are losing weight at a comfortable rate. Once you reach your weight goal, you would figure out how many grams of carbs you can eat to maintain that weight. For a lot of people, that's right around your 100 grams or so.

bad carbs are all the carbs are "processed/refined" foods, that spike the sugar levels in your blood; they give you a good feeling rush that doesn't last much, then there's a drop of the sugar level and you feel drained, sleepy or tired. That's why they are "bad".
All candy, pastries, white pasta, cookies, etc are bad carbs.

Good carbs: fruit, veggies, brown rice or brown grains and whole wheat pasta, unsugared cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, ...

chocolate is a bad carb but if it's very dark and consumed in small amounts, it's extremely healthy for you.

Bread is my weakness! I have definitely cut down my bread intake, but I also try to avoid white bread as much as possible and stick with wheat bread. I understand how hard it can be to lower sodium too, I have always been a salt girl, I'd chose something salty before something sweet any time. When I first started I preplanned my meals for the day and that helped. If it looked like I was going to go over on carbs or sodium I would look and see what had high amounts and try and change my meals. I have gotten my sodium intake under control on most days now.

Hi from a former lover of bread and pasta! Breaking the habit of bad carbs is no where as hard as people say that it is For most the first two weeks are the hardest and once your body is rid of the bad carbs it becomes easier. It was not uncommon for us to have pasta & bread a couple times a week for dinner but I stopped that when I decide to give the Atkins plan a shot. I started off following Atkins to break the cycle and after a few days it became easy.

I was one that dealt with low blood sugar issues and now that I am away from all bad carbs I do not have blood sugar issues anymore. My blood work is excellent and my overall health has improved, including my skin. I have been following a lower carb plan for well over a year and do not miss any of the bad carbs that I once ate. Once you get off of that stuff you will be amazed at how much bad carbs really did have an impact on your life. I used to blame garlic for making me gassy and making me bloat afterwards when all along it was the pasta I was eating. I eat a lot of garlic now and never have that problem. I have other examples but that is not what you asked for.

The majority of my food comes from protein, fat & then carbs. My dinners usually are some sort of veggie (carb) with a protein. My breakfast a lot of times is an apple with almond butter. I don't eat a ton of fruit but that is my choice as I never really did. The fruits I usually eat are strawberries & once in a while a granny smith apple. I eat vegetables now that I never ate before. Cauliflower is amazing and there are so many options for it that most people do not know or will never try.

Whatever you choose, if you shop the perimeter of the store and not go down the middle aisles you will have made a big change in your diet.

edited to add - that if I want pasta now I eat Dreamfields. It does not cause any bloat nor does it cause that craving for something sweet after eating it.

Allie,

It really is hard to train yourself not to eat breads,pastas, etc. or all the bad carbs! I have found that if you simply replace them with whole grain and watch your portions, you really don't have to give them up. For example, when I cook a pasta dish now instead of using the huge pot like most of us do, I use the small stovetop and only make about 1-2 cups of pasta instead the entire package! Retrain your cooking to use the bigger pots/dishes for the vegetables!

I hope this helps

Thanks girl!! That is definitely a great idea

Allie- Definitely challenge yourself just for a week to do this, it's crazy hard at first, but you'll see results in your food diary!

Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs.... eh - I don't know. I would suggest to anyone, try to get as many vitamins and nutrients and minerals as possible from food with as few fluff carbs and calories as possible, then concentrate on adding protein and fat to your diet.

Nice post but in my opinion building from protein up is the way to go.

In reality the only macronutrients your body REALLY needs to survive is protein and some essential fatty acids (EFAs) Of course, simply because that is the case does not mean you have to eliminate everything else, or that is even desirable on an indivdual basis.

In short, keep protein high (30% or 1-1.5g per lb of body weight as a guideline) chuck in some EFAs and the rest is entirely up to the individual as to what they prefer and plays to their strengths. If that is low carb, high fat then so be it. If it is high carb and low fat then that is cool as well. Everything in moderation like me? Go for it....

There is way too much dogma and nonsense floating around and it does nothing but hold people back. Play around with carbs and fats and find out what you like and what you can stick with easily and for the long term.

Me? I could never be low carb. My body and workouts (strength / power work) responds favourably to them. Plus, I like booze waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much