Eliminating bread and rice?

Personally I did this, along with pasta, while I was losing weight, and I'm now slowly incorporating them back. I'm trying to go for brown rice and pasta instead of white, since the high processing that white flour and white rice goes does strip some of the nutritional value. As for bread, I've switched from white to a flaxseed flatbread. It's actually a little higher in calories per slice, but much higher in fiber and omega 3s.

I've done the "eat this, don't eat that type diets"....and now here I am back again. Now I'm just making lifestyle changes because that is what will help me keep the weight from coming back (again).

If low carb, or no bread and no rice are changes you can make permanently then that will work for you. Your weight loss plan (and future maintenance) should fit you.

shapenerfiterratii wrote: »

vfit10 wrote: »

It will depending on your goals -- let's say white bread while losing weight won't help it will get you full yes ,but (for like 45 minutes then you will be hungry again ) now if you eat some wheat bread it will keep you fuller for a longer time.

Isn't wheat bread higher in calories though?

It's not just about the calorie count. Wheat bread will be more filling than white because it retains more protein and fiber....same with brown rice (vs. white...yucky). When you reduce your overall calories it becomes more important to "get the most bang" for your calorie buck.

shapenerfiterratii wrote: »

But does it help to remove them from your diet?

Are you trying to lose weight, or feel better? You could always try to remove them from your diet temporarily and see if it makes a difference. (i.e. do you eat healthier, do you feel better, does it make it easier to stay within your calorie goal, etc.)

TeaBea wrote: »

shapenerfiterratii wrote: »

vfit10 wrote: »

It will depending on your goals -- let's say white bread while losing weight won't help it will get you full yes ,but (for like 45 minutes then you will be hungry again ) now if you eat some wheat bread it will keep you fuller for a longer time.

Isn't wheat bread higher in calories though?

It's not just about the calorie count. Wheat bread will be more filling than white because it retains more protein and fiber....same with brown rice (vs. white...yucky). When you reduce your overall calories it becomes more important to "get the most bang" for your calorie buck.

indeed !

If you love it and can make it fit, go for it. I prefer double veggies and meat to a serving of rice, but I wouldn't say that I "cut it out of my diet".

you need simple carbs like rice and bread to fuel exercise and workouts and to recover from same. If you're working out or lifting, you want your body to burn carbs so you want to have carbs available (And if you are NOT lifting or training along with your nutritional changes, then YOU SHOULD BE). Supplying your body with enough carbs will help your body spare muscle tissue as fuel during your workouts. Many athletes find that cutting out grains and trying to get by on veggies and fruit for their carbs hurts their workout performance as well. Those things are not dense enough to fuel hard workouts. Personally, I fuel with simple carbs like rice and bread before and after workouts and then lay off them for the rest of the time and stick to veggies, fruits etc. In general, whole grains are much better for your body than are processed grains, but they are also digested slower. So overall, cutting out grains altogether decreases athletic performance and usually lessons the load you will be able to handle in your workouts. Ultimately, this would mean you build less muscle and probably burn more muscle - which sucks. ON top of that, trying to cut out these simple carbs is pretty hard and usually results in the ping pong effect. People can do it for awhile, but most end up falling off the wagon because such a low carb diet is just not sustainable for "life." This is the problem with diets like Paleo or Whole 30. They can be sustained for 30 days and then people blow up. Most people who do these no-grain diets do them "80%" or they will add in a "cheat" day...

If you want a ruling on whether cutting out these simple carbs is "good" or "bad" - I say "bad." You'll harpoon your efforts to build/preserve muscle which ultimately means a decrease in your metabolism - not to mention that your performance will suck and you will feel like crap.

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But I typically avoid Texas Toast because...who needs to DOUBLE the calories?

mls100771 wrote: »

I'm a low carber, so bread and rice are out for me. But isn't white bread a simple carb?

Most sources will not list white bread as a complex carb, its actually difficult to find anywhere that it is a complex carb as it is made from wheat, it is more commonly listed as a refined starch as most of the nutritional content has been stripped out then nutrients added back in.

The more complex a carbohydrate the slower it is broken down in your system, thats why whole grain or seven grain bread is more associated with complex carbs.

The more refined a starch the faster it is absorbed into you system which can result in blood sugar peaks and drops causing a less stable energy level.