Carbs out of whack
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Kimma41
Posts: 46 Member
Hi,
I can't seem to do anything right!! My daily carbs are all over the place. Tonight I gave in and had spaghetti, which I haven't had in 2 weeks. I feel like a failure. Will I ever lose weight? AARGH!!
I can't seem to do anything right!! My daily carbs are all over the place. Tonight I gave in and had spaghetti, which I haven't had in 2 weeks. I feel like a failure. Will I ever lose weight? AARGH!!
3
Replies
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You can lose weight and eat spaghetti. I had pasta 1-2x a week when losing weight (90 lbs).
Daily carbs being all over the place is fine too (unless you are limiting carbs due to T2D or prediabetes). Personally, I watch protein and fiber and let carbs and fat fall where they may. At this point they are more often than not consistent, but they varied a lot when I first started.
Thinking of pasta as off limits might make it harder. If you are limiting carbs, one option is to eat LESS pasta and pair it with protein and lots of veg and some healthy fat.6 -
Weight loss is determined by calories, not carbs. Some people find that going low carb helps them feel full longer, but not everyone finds that.
Did you log what you ate? Did you enjoy what you ate? Did you stay under your calorie goal for the day?
If you've been sticking to low carb, you might find a bump on the scale tomorrow. That's related to water weight, not actual fat gain, so just ride that part out for now.
Is there a reason you are restricting carbs (diabetes, PCOS, insulin resistance)? Was there something else going on that may have made your supper choices more emotional? It's good to take some notes regarding what's going on, so that you can look for patterns. If you are noticing that you have uncontrollable hunger a couple days per month right before TOM (which is fairly common), maybe consider having a couple days at maintenance calories each month.
One meal won't make or break you. It's your reaction to it, and your patterns of behaviour over time.4 -
U lost 90lbs?? congrats! How did you do it? I need to lose at least 100lbs. Ive been practically starving myself x 2weeks. I don't know how to manage anything.1
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No reason restricting carbs except to lose my addiction to them. I was hungry tonight Ive been so strict x 2weeks.1
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I lost ~140 pounds while eating ~50% of my calories from carbs. Calorie intake and output are what matter for weight loss.
I didn't starve myself. I crafted my current way of eating by starting with how I liked to eat and experimenting with reduced portions and/or satisfying substitutions.
I suggest that you start by logging the way you like to eat for a week or two to gather data before you start making changes. You want to figure out a comfortable eating plan that leaves you at a calorie deficit. Make small changes bit by bit that you can live with forever.4 -
Awesome Seska422!! I wish that was me, I'm really struggling to find the right balance. Did you exercise while losing weight?0
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How did you lose all that weight?0
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One day at a time.How did you lose all that weight?
I experimented to find a calorie intake amount that made me comfortable (for me it was 1350) and ate that until I got close to goal. I didn't worry about how quickly I lost. As long as I had a downward weight trend over the months, I was good to go.2 -
You sound really overwhelmed right now, and struggling.
I used to think I was addicted to foods. It took some time to shift my thinking around it. Once I let go of those thoughts, everything became much easier. I would start a diet, with all sorts of strict rules about what I could and couldn't eat. I would do great for a week or two (sometimes even three). Then the cravings would hit, and I would cave. I would eat something on my "forbidden" list and then berate myself for being a weak failure. At that point, I would just give up. After all, I didn't have the will power to stick with it for a couple weeks, I deserved to just stay fat. I also tied my self worth in with my weight. Looking back on those times, I was really emotionally in a bad place.
I'm not sure exactly what happened to flip that switch, but I do credit reading the forums here for much of my change in attitude towards food. I read about people enjoying their food and not using "good" and "bad" labels on everything. They would eat well throughout the day and have a treat once in a while. They would have a burger at a restaurant and not feel guilty about it. It was such a weird concept to me, and completely against everything that the media/internet/trashy magazines in the checkout line tells us about losing weight.
I found a lot of information here reading through the posts that are stickied at the top of each section, particularly the most helpful posts in the general forum and the getting started forum.
I love to cook, but found it difficult to do during the work week. So I started batch cooking on the weekends. Pick several recipes and then freeze them in single servings. Quick grab and go lunches with minimal effort. I would play around with recipes. Add more vegetables than called for, to give more bulk to the meal. That kind of stuff. I also did some reading. I like Geneen Roth as an author for her approach to food. The Beck Diet solution is a good book, focusing on CBT, rather than a specific diet. There's so much information out there, it's difficult to pick what's good information and what's just garbage. The important part is finding something that you can do consistently for a long period of time. This is going to be a bit different for each of us.10 -
One day at a time.How did you lose all that weight?
I experimented to find a calorie intake amount that made me comfortable (for me it was 1350) and ate that until I got close to goal. I didn't worry about how quickly I lost. As long as I had a downward weight trend over the months, I was good to go.
Did you worry about any other factors like fat, protein or carbs?
0 -
I've lost 90 pounds too, and lost it by figuring out which foods gave me the most bang for my caloric buck so that eating at a deficit to lose weight wasn't a struggle.
The foods (whether they be proteins, carbs, or fats) that satisfy one person might be different for another person.
Be open to experimenting, and use your food diary to keep notes about what keeps you full. Start to see if you notice patterns. It's okay if this process takes a while. You don't need to do anything quickly.
The thing to realize is that this is just one step on the way to forming a habit of being in tune with logging food, and learning to make the most of it. Weight management will be a life long thing. It's okay to take it in baby steps.5 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »You sound really overwhelmed right now, and struggling.
I used to think I was addicted to foods. It took some time to shift my thinking around it. Once I let go of those thoughts, everything became much easier. I would start a diet, with all sorts of strict rules about what I could and couldn't eat. I would do great for a week or two (sometimes even three). Then the cravings would hit, and I would cave. I would eat something on my "forbidden" list and then berate myself for being a weak failure. At that point, I would just give up. After all, I didn't have the will power to stick with it for a couple weeks, I deserved to just stay fat. I also tied my self worth in with my weight. Looking back on those times, I was really emotionally in a bad place.
I'm not sure exactly what happened to flip that switch, but I do credit reading the forums here for much of my change in attitude towards food. I read about people enjoying their food and not using "good" and "bad" labels on everything. They would eat well throughout the day and have a treat once in a while. They would have a burger at a restaurant and not feel guilty about it. It was such a weird concept to me, and completely against everything that the media/internet/trashy magazines in the checkout line tells us about losing weight.
I found a lot of information here reading through the posts that are stickied at the top of each section, particularly the most helpful posts in the general forum and the getting started forum.
I love to cook, but found it difficult to do during the work week. So I started batch cooking on the weekends. Pick several recipes and then freeze them in single servings. Quick grab and go lunches with minimal effort. I would play around with recipes. Add more vegetables than called for, to give more bulk to the meal. That kind of stuff. I also did some reading. I like Geneen Roth as an author for her approach to food. The Beck Diet solution is a good book, focusing on CBT, rather than a specific diet. There's so much information out there, it's difficult to pick what's good information and what's just garbage. The important part is finding something that you can do consistently for a long period of time. This is going to be a bit different for each of us.
I am overwhelmed and struggling. I did a strict low carb plan for 2 weeks and then tonight the cravings hit and I had spaghetti with meatballs. Yes, I feel like a failure now and want to give up. What will keep me going?
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »I've lost 90 pounds too, and lost it by figuring out which foods gave me the most bang for my caloric buck so that eating at a deficit to lose weight wasn't a struggle.
The foods (whether they be proteins, carbs, or fats) that satisfy one person might be different for another person.
Be open to experimenting, and use your food diary to keep notes about what keeps you full. Start to see if you notice patterns. It's okay if this process takes a while. You don't need to do anything quickly.
The thing to realize is that this is just one step on the way to forming a habit of being in tune with logging food, and learning to make the most of it. Weight management will be a life long thing. It's okay to take it in baby steps.
CONGRATS! I know whats good for one isn't good for another. Ive just tried so many diets many times over and over. I want to find something that sticks. Low carb isn't it....0 -
I enjoy carbs & consume them throughout the day! You don't have to totally forgo something that you enjoy. Some people love keto, some people don't. It's not for me. I like being able to have pasta or rice or bread or whatever. If you want to keep carbs in your diet, there's no reason you can't.0
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I enjoy carbs & consume them throughout the day! You don't have to totally forgo something that you enjoy. Some people love keto, some people don't. It's not for me. I like being able to have pasta or rice or bread or whatever. If you want to keep carbs in your diet, there's no reason you can't.
But how do I fit carbs into my lifestyle? I am tracking but is it that easy?0 -
I started with MFP's macro suggestions and found that, for satiety, I did well with at least 20% of my calories from protein and 30% from fat so I aimed for those every day. I also aimed for at least 25g fiber and less than 2400 mg sodium.
One day at a time.How did you lose all that weight?
I experimented to find a calorie intake amount that made me comfortable (for me it was 1350) and ate that until I got close to goal. I didn't worry about how quickly I lost. As long as I had a downward weight trend over the months, I was good to go.
Did you worry about any other factors like fat, protein or carbs?
I also drank hot tea between meals to keep my mouth and hands busy and put something warm in my stomach.
I log everything right before I consume so that I don't forget and so that I can decide if I really want to it something and, if so, how much of it.
If I fell off the wagon, I immediately jumped back on. Each bite is a choice, not a sin. Letting go of the guilt related to food helped immensely.
I control what goes into my mouth. Saying "no" to others can be hard but gets easier with practice.1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »I've lost 90 pounds too, and lost it by figuring out which foods gave me the most bang for my caloric buck so that eating at a deficit to lose weight wasn't a struggle.
The foods (whether they be proteins, carbs, or fats) that satisfy one person might be different for another person.
Be open to experimenting, and use your food diary to keep notes about what keeps you full. Start to see if you notice patterns. It's okay if this process takes a while. You don't need to do anything quickly.
The thing to realize is that this is just one step on the way to forming a habit of being in tune with logging food, and learning to make the most of it. Weight management will be a life long thing. It's okay to take it in baby steps.
CONGRATS! I know whats good for one isn't good for another. Ive just tried so many diets many times over and over. I want to find something that sticks. Low carb isn't it....
Read this thread for good advice on how to find a sensible, sustainable way of eating that's not a "diet plan", but rather a way of eating you can customize for yourself. It also explains how to start slowly and ease into things:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1
I also suggest reading all the forum stickies to learn as much as possible about accurate logging and other weight-loss related issues.6 -
I enjoy carbs & consume them throughout the day! You don't have to totally forgo something that you enjoy. Some people love keto, some people don't. It's not for me. I like being able to have pasta or rice or bread or whatever. If you want to keep carbs in your diet, there's no reason you can't.
But how do I fit carbs into my lifestyle? I am tracking but is it that easy?
It really is that simple. It's not easy though. It will take some time to wrap your head around everything and find a balance that works for you. You will still have some rough days. If one of your friends came to you and told you that they had been following a strict diet for the last two weeks and then were overwhelmed with cravings and gave in tonight. What would you say to them? Would you say the things you've been saying to yourself tonight? I'd bet a pretty penny that you wouldn't. You would respond with kindness, support, and understanding.8 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »I enjoy carbs & consume them throughout the day! You don't have to totally forgo something that you enjoy. Some people love keto, some people don't. It's not for me. I like being able to have pasta or rice or bread or whatever. If you want to keep carbs in your diet, there's no reason you can't.
But how do I fit carbs into my lifestyle? I am tracking but is it that easy?
It really is that simple. It's not easy though. It will take some time to wrap your head around everything and find a balance that works for you. You will still have some rough days. If one of your friends came to you and told you that they had been following a strict diet for the last two weeks and then were overwhelmed with cravings and gave in tonight. What would you say to them? Would you say the things you've been saying to yourself tonight? I'd bet a pretty penny that you wouldn't. You would respond with kindness, support, and understanding.
Thank you Nutmeg that touched me.. Your right. It definitely won't be easy but with people like you & MFP I should be ok I hope.4
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