Carb addicts?
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corinic91
Posts: 148 Member
Basically, I LOVE carbs. Potatoes and bread in all of their glorious forms :laugh:
I'll tell myself that I'll limit them, but as soon as I start eating them (e.g. a sandwich, a small bag of pretzels, etc.) I start to crave them and it almost instantly triggers a "who gives a f***" mindset and an inevitable binge.
I currently have my diary set to 50/30/20 C/P/F, but I'm wondering if I should edit that to decrease my carb intake? I'm just worried that if I tell myself I can't have carbs, I'll fall off track even faster.
Anybody else feel like they can't control themselves with carb-heavy food? What has worked for you?
I'll tell myself that I'll limit them, but as soon as I start eating them (e.g. a sandwich, a small bag of pretzels, etc.) I start to crave them and it almost instantly triggers a "who gives a f***" mindset and an inevitable binge.
I currently have my diary set to 50/30/20 C/P/F, but I'm wondering if I should edit that to decrease my carb intake? I'm just worried that if I tell myself I can't have carbs, I'll fall off track even faster.
Anybody else feel like they can't control themselves with carb-heavy food? What has worked for you?
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Replies
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well i do have a binge problem myself big time, this will not work for all but my solution was- sounds so crazy, you ready? to let myself binge guilt free one day a week. it has helped tremendously and my binges got less and less and my fat loss started moving for the first time as i was more compliant on all other days knowing i was gonna have it on that one day. now its so much more controlled the only thing is becuase i know i cant have a little, i don't have any unless its my time to have treats. this is what helped me0
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I have the same problem. I did a Whole30 and found that if I cut out the bread and pasta and stick to potatoes my cravings went away. But, just like you, once I eat them ... game over. Now, when I eat the stuff I just remind myself that I'm going to have to fight the cravings that will come soon after.0
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I can't resist grabbing crackers or cookies so I don't keep anything like that ready to eat in my house. Any carbs besides fruit needs to be cooked which is usually enough to keep me from grazing on them all day.
If you can hit your calorie targets with 50/30/20 it shouldn't be a problem. Higher fat and protein helps people feel more satiated so if you can't keep in your calorie targets, then perhaps a higher protein and fat diet is worth a try.0 -
do you have the same problem with vegetables..? Because you know, carbs...
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It's not a carb issue for me, but a grain issue. Wheat and oats especially. If I eat either of those things I will want to eat everything in sight for the rest of the day. Potatoes can do the same thing. Vegetables do not.
I personally cannot lose weight on the 50/20/30 ratio. I try for 30/40/30.0 -
first....take everything you hear and read about what is the best eating plan or "diet" with a big grain of salt. our bodies are amazing and can take just about everything we throw into them (twinkie iet, grapefruit diet, etc)
second- experiment with different macro ratios and limiting "trigger" foods. Eventually you will find a balance that works. it does take patience and time and maybe even a slight weight gain but there are no hard and fast rules as to what is best for YOU. Make it interesting by tracking everything, journal about your reactions (energy...sleep...satiety, etc) Make it fun...live and learn0 -
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I used to be like this too. I love baking and make my own bread, muffins etc. My issue was with starches not "carbs" which are in fruits and vegetables (and nuts and seeds and beans and lentils..). It was very hard to stop at just one slice of bread.
I took a different mindset. I started to focus on getting enough protein, fat and fiber first and still staying within my calorie limit. The starches just got kicked out naturally, and I don't have those cravings any more, and still enjoy my homemade baking.0 -
I do better with slightly fewer carbs--right now when I'm doing lots of cardio I still like about 40% and tend to be under more than over, and when I was exercising less (and had fewer calories) I was good at 30% or under (and specifically tended to stay around 100 grams). For me this is an easy way to cut calories without feeling like I'm cutting anything essential, and I tend to feel more satiated if my fat and protein is relatively higher (I do about 30% of each and did 35% of each when my carbs were lower).
I'm not sure how relevant this is, however, since I don't experience the binge thing. I do have a hard time not overeating a few foods that I particularly love (usually involving fat too--my very favorite breads, my favorite sweet baked treats), although I personally think this is just about wanting to eat more of something I love, not anything more. Are you saying that if you eat some, say, pasta or potatoes you want to go eat more pasta (plain?) or potatoes, independent of the rest of the meal? That wouldn't apply to me at all--in part because it's just not feasible. For example, if I roast some potatoes as part of a meal I roast the amount needed and immediately put away the leftovers for lunches, so it's not like I could eat more than the size I'd planned to, even if I wanted to (although I wouldn't).
The reason I ask is that if it's not this--an urge to binge--but simply not feeling satiated after a meal with carbs, the issue might just be the overall composition of the meal and perhaps fixing that or decreasing the percentage of carbs overall might help. (I find meals that are mostly carbs aren't especially filling for me.) If it's more like feeling uncontrollable desire to eat until you are sick or some such, I suspect it's more an issue of identifying trigger foods (probably not carbs in general, in that that would include fruits and veggies, but who knows) and less about macro percentages.
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Your percentages are consistent with being a runner -- you are probably burning off most of the energy generated by those carb calories. Unless you decide to do Paleo or such stick with the carbs to fuel your endurance training.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »I do better with slightly fewer carbs--right now when I'm doing lots of cardio I still like about 40% and tend to be under more than over, and when I was exercising less (and had fewer calories) I was good at 30% or under (and specifically tended to stay around 100 grams). For me this is an easy way to cut calories without feeling like I'm cutting anything essential, and I tend to feel more satiated if my fat and protein is relatively higher (I do about 30% of each and did 35% of each when my carbs were lower).
I'm not sure how relevant this is, however, since I don't experience the binge thing. I do have a hard time not overeating a few foods that I particularly love (usually involving fat too--my very favorite breads, my favorite sweet baked treats), although I personally think this is just about wanting to eat more of something I love, not anything more. Are you saying that if you eat some, say, pasta or potatoes you want to go eat more pasta (plain?) or potatoes, independent of the rest of the meal? That wouldn't apply to me at all--in part because it's just not feasible. For example, if I roast some potatoes as part of a meal I roast the amount needed and immediately put away the leftovers for lunches, so it's not like I could eat more than the size I'd planned to, even if I wanted to (although I wouldn't).
The reason I ask is that if it's not this--an urge to binge--but simply not feeling satiated after a meal with carbs, the issue might just be the overall composition of the meal and perhaps fixing that or decreasing the percentage of carbs overall might help. (I find meals that are mostly carbs aren't especially filling for me.) If it's more like feeling uncontrollable desire to eat until you are sick or some such, I suspect it's more an issue of identifying trigger foods (probably not carbs in general, in that that would include fruits and veggies, but who knows) and less about macro percentages.
I'm sure it does have a lot to do more with "trigger foods" rather than the actual carb content of my diet. I'll experiment with different macros/goals, but continue to limit those foods that tend to trigger bad habits. Thanks for the response!
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Your percentages are consistent with being a runner -- you are probably burning off most of the energy generated by those carb calories. Unless you decide to do Paleo or such stick with the carbs to fuel your endurance training.
Definitely true, I do a lot of running. I'm just trying to avoid things that, as many have suggested, trigger bad habits. I definitely won't eliminate carbs (no way could I maintain that), but I'll try and stick to the healthy ones that won't lead to overeating
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Personally I'm on 60% carbs and I feel great + losing weight, also easier to get lots of fiber in xD Just do what makes you feel good, may take some experimenting0
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dopeysmelly wrote: »I used to be like this too. I love baking and make my own bread, muffins etc. My issue was with starches not "carbs" which are in fruits and vegetables (and nuts and seeds and beans and lentils..). It was very hard to stop at just one slice of bread.
I took a different mindset. I started to focus on getting enough protein, fat and fiber first and still staying within my calorie limit. The starches just got kicked out naturally, and I don't have those cravings any more, and still enjoy my homemade baking.
Good distinction. It's definitely starchy foods that wake up the binge monster :laugh: Thanks!0 -
I agree with that as well. Processed carbs or starches trigger binges in a lot of people. Sticking with natural carbs like fruit, potatoes, or sweet potatoes (lower in carbs and more vitamin rich), you're more likely to feel satisfied and stay in control.dopeysmelly wrote: »I used to be like this too. I love baking and make my own bread, muffins etc. My issue was with starches not "carbs" which are in fruits and vegetables (and nuts and seeds and beans and lentils..). It was very hard to stop at just one slice of bread.
I took a different mindset. I started to focus on getting enough protein, fat and fiber first and still staying within my calorie limit. The starches just got kicked out naturally, and I don't have those cravings any more, and still enjoy my homemade baking.
Good distinction. It's definitely starchy foods that wake up the binge monster :laugh: Thanks!0 -
hiswaywardgirl wrote: »
I agree with that as well. Processed carbs or starches trigger binges in a lot of people. Sticking with natural carbs like fruit, potatoes, or sweet potatoes (lower in carbs and more vitamin rich), you're more likely to feel satisfied and stay in control.dopeysmelly wrote: »I used to be like this too. I love baking and make my own bread, muffins etc. My issue was with starches not "carbs" which are in fruits and vegetables (and nuts and seeds and beans and lentils..). It was very hard to stop at just one slice of bread.
I took a different mindset. I started to focus on getting enough protein, fat and fiber first and still staying within my calorie limit. The starches just got kicked out naturally, and I don't have those cravings any more, and still enjoy my homemade baking.
Good distinction. It's definitely starchy foods that wake up the binge monster :laugh: Thanks!
Good thing potatoes are starch free
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And another thread of opportunistically obtuse replies. cheers!0
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