Cutting Out Carbs

Hi super_mom,

I am currently following low carb ....and I wouldn't recommend removing carbs all together....your body needs them but you don't need as many as most people eat on a daily basis....I tried removing them all together and got sooooo lethargic, tired, had memory fog, slept alot etc...not fun at all.....but by limiting them it can have the opposite effect.....now I have more energy then I ever had and feel great.....as for substitutes I am not sure what you want to substitute...if your talking about bread there really isn't one....but if i have a slice then it is half of a slice of whole grain or rye bread......pasta...again i don't think there is a subsitute but i only eat pasta now a couple of times a month....I think it is about limiting and trying to take out the white stuff.....bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and making low carb healthy choices....I have been losing pretty steady the last few weeks that i have been focused on taking my carb intake way down and so far so good .....if i eat low carb the majority of the time then when i do have the pasta or whatever it won't kill my week......oh and another side effect was that my carb/sugar cravings disappeared...wasn't expecting that but it was a nice side effect ......hope that helps.....

I just read the previous post..... and yes I do eat more fat than I use to ....that is also a nice perk .......

I LIVE for my carbs.... BUT... I have had to learn moderation.
Rice, potatoes, pasta....it's all good stuff our bodies need....
However, it doesn't usually NEED 2 cups of pasta and 4 slices of french bread!!!! :laugh:

thanks for the advice, i love carbs and i sometimes have more of those
that veggies, so should i just limit them like maybe for lunch and breakfast
and none for dinner or have them for each of my meals, sometimes i tend to
go overboard with rice and potatos

I have nothing against carbohydrates...they're great sources of energy, and I use a lot of it. I followed a ketogenic (no carb) diet for almost a year, and I lost just as well without it.

If you like, you can go to My Home, then to Goals, and Change Goals, and choose Custom to choose what % of carbohydrates you want to eat. 40% is perfectly fine if you want to limit carbohydrates; MFP sets you at 60% by default but that's not necessary.

Carbohydrates don't make you fat. No nutrient does. So while you are welcome to group them in whatever way you like, it really won't make much of a difference. It's always best to pair a carbohydrate with a protein or fat to control blood sugar and keep you feeling more full. It's also helpful to eat carbohydrates and proteins after your workout to improve recovery.

Yes- fat.

Here's how your body works:

It uses stored sugar called glycogen. It breaks it down into glucose when it needs to make energy.

When you are out of glycogen, it turns fat into things called ketones. Ketones can be used to make energy. Your body will also change protein into glucose, because the body always needs glucose.

It may seem odd to eat more fat than protein, but it's important to do so for several reasons:

Glucose is used in energy systems that produce very little energy. So too much protein and too little fat makes it hard for your body to make energy.

Protein metabolism leaves ammonia behind. It is quickly converted to urea, but very high amounts of protein (70%+) have been linked to kidney problems due mainly to dehydration, and dehydration is common with these types of diets. That's because there's no glucose to bind to water in the muscles.

Ketones from fat are used in energy systems that produce a lot more energy. This makes it easier for your body to make energy and it won't have to use as much muscle protein to make glucose.

It is not advisable to go without carbohydrates entirely without the involvement of a Dr. and ketone strips to monitor your ketone concentrations, which can let you know how hydrated you are. Don't do this if you're diabetic.

My nephew is on a diet like this one. He has a rare and severe seizure disorder and the diet is the only thing that has caused improvements in him. Trust me, you do not want to take on a diet like this. I have seen how he has to eat. Believe me any average person couldn't do it. All he can drink is straight water and a special cream that is carb free (remember, even dairy has carbs). Imagine DRINKING cream. He has to 4 times a day. Then his meals look like this: ham, cooked in a mixture of cream and butter (real, unsalted), a few broccoli trees and a couple strawberries. His gets very few carbs (through fruits and vegetables only) and my sister spends about 200$ on his groceries EVERY WEEK.

Actually, that's how Ketogenic diets came into popularity--they were actually used as treatment for epilepsy. When parents joined their kids, they lost a lot of weight. Ta-da, brand new diet.

It is definitely expensive. Lots of meat, lots of cream, lots of fresh non-starchy vegetables. That's part of the reason I quit...I HATE CHICKEN BREAST. :laugh: The steaks sure were tasty though.

I would highly discourage cutting out carbs. Carbs, lipids, and proteins is where your body gets its energy from. They are a vary important part of a healthy diet. If you cut them out you will be depriving your body of not only energy, but also essential nutrients that are found in foods that contain carbs.

I suggest continuing to eat them, but do so in moderation and balance them with your lipids (fats) and proteins. Try making at least half of your grain intake to whole grains and keep your grain intake within that of the Nutrition Guidelines.