CUTTING BACK ON CARBS.. NOT CUTTING OUT.

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jadasanders14
jadasanders14 Posts: 17 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I need to cut back on my carbohydrates. I eat way too much "white" I recently started using whole wheat pasta, cut back on my white bread, and trying some brown rice with supper tonight. I am not looking to go on a strict "no carb" diet, I just want to cut back a little. What are some substitutions you all use? Tips and tricks to help cut back on the carbs?

Thanks in advance! B)


https://www.fitbit.com/user/3NJ5TW

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  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
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    I keep my carb consumption in check by making sure I eat enough protein and healthy fats each day. So for me this means a decent amount of meats, nuts, cheese, and yogurt to go along with the main sources of carbs I eat (whole grains, potatoes, fruit). Also, I did increase my vegetable consumption.
  • BelleCakes2018
    BelleCakes2018 Posts: 568 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I guess it depends if you are looking to restrict carbs, or just eat less refined carbs.. For restricting carbs you might be best limiting your portion size whether it is whole or white.. where are if you are just focusing on avoiding refined carbs, why not take a look at the Paleo/Primal ways of eating? They focus on eliminating refined carbs and sugars completely and have a wealth of information on that.
  • BradW99
    BradW99 Posts: 103 Member
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    Splenda
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Build your meals round the protein. If you're reducing one macro you need to increase another. Plus make sure you're getting enough fat & fibre to keep you feeling full.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    If you want to eat less bread, eat more fat: beef, pork, dark meat chicken, butter, cheese, eggs, salmon, avocados, chia seeds, almonds, mayonnaise, hummus, full fat yogurt, coconut oil.
    For example, pan fry a pork chop or small steak and saute a bunch of zucchini in butter with onions.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    The easiest way is just to have smaller servings of starchy carbs and larger servings of other foods (like the protein and the non-starchy veg, which have fewer carbs and calories by volume).

    Another option is simply leaving out the starchy carbs from a meal or two. Have a salad with protein instead of a sandwich for lunch or add in a variety of non starchy veg (or somewhat starchier options like root veg, winter squash) instead of rice or pasta or potatoes.

    I'm not low carb at all, but these are easy ways to cut calories and make sure you are getting in enough vegetables and protein. (I also make sure I eat healthy fats -- half an avocado can be a satisfying sub for a starchy side -- but find that I tend to get plenty of fat through using olive oil and nuts and of course some cheese and with the proteins I eat, so for me cutting down on carbs tends to be more about adding a bit more protein or cutting calories.)
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Adding more non-starchy vegetables is a great place to start. It has helped me. My carbs were at about 65% of my calories when I first started. Adding more non-starchy veggies helped me cut the calories and the carbs to where they needed to be.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    Also, adding fiber lowers your net carbs, so if you get a high fiber bread with say 10 g of fiber, and it has 35 g of carbs, you net 25 carbs. The fiber helps slow down the spike in blood sugar. Also, a good substitute for regular potatoes is sweet potatoes. Focus on complex carbs and just replace the refined carbs with them.

    I try to stay at a net carb intake of 45 per meal. I don't want to get diabetes so by staying at this level, (which is generally what a woman with diabetes should stick to) I shouldn't get it. Also, it does help me control calories. High carb foods tend to be what people way over eat. I know when my mother got diabetes, she was shocked at how small a serving of pasta was. She used to eat an entire plate of spaghetti and thought that was the appropriate amount, when in reality, it is about 5-6 times the serving size.

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