I CAN'T DO THIS!
doobzflo
Posts: 17
I am seriously going nuts here. In order to lose the weight that I want, I've been told that I need to cut out all carbs. This is the HARDEST thing for me because I love carbs! Bread, pasta, cake, cookies, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! If I don't eat carbs with every meal I seriously get irritable. Sometimes I will be on the verge of tears. I am a full on carb addict! What can I do to get over this? How can I motivate myself to keep going? I've lost 15 pounds and need to lose 20 more but I feel it's impossible. I feel hopeless. I will be good one day but then go crazy on the weekends. I can't control myself and often feel ugly and fat. Anyone relate?
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I do better cutting those foods out, but a lot of people don't have to do that at all. Who told you that you have to cut out all carbs? If it wasn't a doctor you can certainly try other methods, like the usual advice on portion control and weighing and measuring and tracking all food that you eat.0
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You do realize there are carbs in vegetables, fruits...etc? So if you are told to cut out all carbs, I suppose you will be on an all meat diet?
If someone told you to cut out all carbs, they don't know what they are talking about and you should get a second opinion.0 -
You don't have to cut out carbs or any other food group to lose weight.
Reasonable calorie deficit
Patience
Log your food
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I tried to cut out carbs once. I was so B!tchy my hubby threw a cookie at me and told me to eat it! You need carbs in a healthy diet. Figure out your TDEE (google it). Subtract 15% for weight loss, and then log everything faithfully using a food scale. You can get a food scale for $15-$20. There is no need to cut out carbs.0
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GiveMeCoffee wrote: »You don't have to cut out carbs or any other food group to lose weight.
Reasonable calorie deficit
Patience
Log your food
^^^ This.
There is no specific food that makes you fat. Some food have more calories than others, so you have to work those into your calorie goals, but there are no magical fat-burning or fat-gaining foods.
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Who told you to do that? I live in Italy---carb heaven, and it's all portion control. Watch your carb allowance on your food diary and try to stay within it, while hitting your calorie goal. Don't get frustrated and hangry---eat your carbs.
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Give it time! How long have you been trying to do this? It takes dedication and practice, and, yes, it's not for everyone. But, once you really give it a good, honest shot, the benefits can be well worth it! For me personally, going low carb was the best thing I ever did for my health. I once thought the same way you did, but now I can honestly say I don't miss those carbs at all. I get plenty in my vegetables.0
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You do realize there are carbs in vegetables, fruits...etc? So if you are told to cut out all carbs, I suppose you will be on an all meat diet?
If someone told you to cut out all carbs, they don't know what they are talking about and you should get a second opinion.
This.
OP who told you to cut all carbs? Is it the chunky lady you work with eating her salad that is smothered in fattening dressing?
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Lets start this again. What do you want to accomplish. Are you male or female, how tall are you, what do you weigh? What is your ultimate lifestyle goal?0
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I have to limit the carbs I eat for medical reasons - but I find that lower carbs = less hunger and more satisfaction with my meals. My current limits are maximum 30 carbs per meal and total 90 per day ... so I usually aim for 20 - 25 per meal or snack. (I started with max. 20 per meal / 60 per day - both of these levels approved by my doctor and my nutritionist.)
I was a complete carb addict, but improving my health has given me the motivation to stick with this plan. If you can make it through two weeks, it does get easier as you adapt to it.
I deal with temptation by getting up and doing some exercise instead. But my serious moments of temptation are few and far between now.
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find awesome alternatives...it might sound lame now, but you'll soon realize that you don't mind zuccini noodles, and broccoli slaw. I make an awesome portebello mushroom pizza, and instead of using bread, use romaine lettuce for wraps. Pinterest is a great website for recipes, go on the Health and Fitness board, there's tons of ideas.0
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Thanks for your replies! And yes, thanks for pointing out that I did not state the advice I got correctly. I meant complex carbs - the bad ones like cookies, pasta, bread... all the things I love. I pretty much can't have anything refined/processed. I've been told sugar and bread are the devil. The reason for this is that I have PCOS, which has made weight loss much more difficult.
I am currently 148 and would like to be 130. I carry most of the fat on my tummy as most women with PCOS do.
I've been told to calorie count, weigh my food, but it seems so tedious. What I really need a lesson in is self-control!! How do I accomplish this?0 -
I thought I was like that but have found that eating more protein helps to balance to lower carb intake and counter the mood swings. Also, everything you mention has gluten in it: is that a coincidence? You could perhaps try eating brown rice (the parboiled 10 minute option keeps preparation time down), bananas, aubergine - they have fibre and bulk and that seems to help me.0
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do, or do not, there is no try0
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Thanks for your replies! And yes, thanks for pointing out that I did not state the advice I got correctly. I meant complex carbs - the bad ones like cookies, pasta, bread... all the things I love. I pretty much can't have anything refined/processed. I've been told sugar and bread are the devil. The reason for this is that I have PCOS, which has made weight loss much more difficult.
I am currently 148 and would like to be 130. I carry most of the fat on my tummy as most women with PCOS do.
I've been told to calorie count, weigh my food, but it seems so tedious. What I really need a lesson in is self-control!! How do I accomplish this?
I have PCOS and I've lost weight still eating all those things. If I were you I'd just have smaller amounts of those things. There are no 'bad' carbs or 'good' carbs. Carbs are carbs. Calories still matter more than macros for PCOS women, so make sure you're in a deficit and counting calories correctly.0 -
Yes, I've heard many women with PCOS say the same when it comes to avoiding carbs.
I've done low carb meal plans in the past (not sustainable with my lifestyle, unfortunately) and one thing I've always liked about them is that after the first few days I no longer feel like I need carbs; the cravings go away. I start eating different types of snacks and it's a lot easier for me to lose weight because I have no trouble resisting sweets and temptations. Give it a few weeks and I'm betting you find that it's the same for you. It's actually very liberating for something with a huge sweet tooth.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »
What makes it even harder is that I am pre-diabetic due to the pcos. So I have to eat low-glycemic foods as well. AND need to limit my dairy intake. So on my "stay away" list is now bread, grains, brown rice, white rice, dairy, pasta, large amounts of fruit. I just don't know what options I have any more. AND on top of all this, I don't eat meat. I've never liked it and choose not to for moral reasons.
What options are left??!?!0 -
However, I know that even with limited options, it is still possible. I just need to find the will power. Any ideas?0
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I promise it does get better. It's like exercising for the first time, you know it's going to hurt but it will get better. Arm yourself with lots of good recipes and think of different plans of action. When they were testing me for PCOS, they told me to look into diabetic recipes, they have low glycemic index foods in them. There's also a chart you can print out that shows you the glycemic index of each food. Brown rice, whole grains, your own baking with almond flour or whole wheat flour really helps.0
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You have plenty of options left. You still have eggs, legumes, all green vegetables, reasonable amounts of fruit...by the way some fruits are relatively low in carbs, raspberries come to mind. You say you must limit dairy? Does that mean none at all, or can you have one or two servings a day...if you can greek yogurt has a lot of protein, so does cottage cheese. There is more than enough there to give you all the nutrition you need. You just need to be open to eating some new things and focusing more on healthier choices for your condition.However, I know that even with limited options, it is still possible. I just need to find the will power. Any ideas?
And the easiest way to not eat the cakes and other things you aren't supposed to eat is to not buy them. I just never bring things I don't want to eat into my home...it's much easier and more reliable than willpower 24/7.
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I agree with a lot of the people on here who say you don't need to cut it all out... start by lowering your intake instead of going cold turkey. If you're really asking about will power, there's lots of research available online around the topic ("The Power of Habit" is a great read, for example). One of the main ideas about will power is that it is finite... you can only make so many "good" decisions in a day before you deplete your will power and succumb to your desire or habit. To avoid that, minimize your need for willpower by reducing your decisions. Pre-plan your food and exercise for the day and schedule it all in, so you don't have to fight with yourself about what to eat throughout the day. You can also pre-make as much of your food as possible, for the same reason. Will power is also like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Finally, the best way to replace an unwanted habit is to trade it for a desired one... don't create a vacuum, fill that "void" with something more desirable (Example: If you crave cookies after a long day of work and usually eat one when you get home... go for after work instead of going home. Cookie habit replaced by walking habit).
Good luck!!0 -
Thanks MoiAussi! That was some really great advice!
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OP, I thought calorie counting would be tedious, too. In reality it only takes a few taps on the qpp, or clicks on the computer to log each meal. After a few weeks, it's just part of my routine. It gets easier. Just do the best you can everyday. You CAN do this!!!!0
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Well I managed to lose 141 pounds without cutting anything out. Why make it difficult for yourself0
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I agree with a lot of the people on here who say you don't need to cut it all out... start by lowering your intake instead of going cold turkey. If you're really asking about will power, there's lots of research available online around the topic ("The Power of Habit" is a great read, for example). One of the main ideas about will power is that it is finite... you can only make so many "good" decisions in a day before you deplete your will power and succumb to your desire or habit. To avoid that, minimize your need for willpower by reducing your decisions. Pre-plan your food and exercise for the day and schedule it all in, so you don't have to fight with yourself about what to eat throughout the day. You can also pre-make as much of your food as possible, for the same reason. Will power is also like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Finally, the best way to replace an unwanted habit is to trade it for a desired one... don't create a vacuum, fill that "void" with something more desirable (Example: If you crave cookies after a long day of work and usually eat one when you get home... go for after work instead of going home. Cookie habit replaced by walking habit).
Good luck!!
Thank you! This is some great advice and I will be buying this book for kindle tonight!0 -
ilovemypeekapug wrote: »OP, I thought calorie counting would be tedious, too. In reality it only takes a few taps on the qpp, or clicks on the computer to log each meal. After a few weeks, it's just part of my routine. It gets easier. Just do the best you can everyday. You CAN do this!!!!
Thank you!! 0 -
eat at a calorie deficit....that's it.
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When you have cysts on your ovaries, a mere calorie deficit doesn't work...0
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