How to Eat Less Carbs??

kariii24
kariii24 Posts: 7 Member
edited December 21 in Health and Weight Loss
How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc

Replies

  • kariii24
    kariii24 Posts: 7 Member
    150poundsofme wrote: »
    Tell yourself you are not going to eat carbs at all three meals. I also love pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc. I will not lose weight eating those types of carbs at every meal. I do not keep those carbs in my house; if I did I would eat them at a low moment when I get a craving or more accurately the need/urge. All week I was offered cheesecake, chocolate kisses, pastries, box of cookies and ice cream. I said no to them all. I did great by saying no to them all.

    I wish I had your willpower. ❤️
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    kariii24 wrote: »
    How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc

    I enjoy those foods too, but don't find them filling at all, so they are basically empty calories for me - as far as satiety is concerned, I may as well have eaten nothing. So I have to plan very carefully for them, and fit them in as a treat, not a staple.

    Also, I can't eat them in the beginning of the day. On the rare occasion that I have pancakes, I have them for dinner, on a night when I have nothing planned for the rest of the evening, as they make me sluggish.

    All the of the foods you mentioned except for candy have flour, sugar, and fat. I feel very different after a high carb meal such as rice and beans than when eating foods that were mostly flour, sugar, and fat. Try playing around with the composition of your meals.

    Also, try having fruit as a dessert. We are coming into strawberry season where I am and local strawberries are just amazing. I grow my own. When they are not in season, I buy frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I like some Greek yogurt with berries for a dessert - it satisfies my sweet tooth for way less calories than cake, and there is a bonus of protein.

    Speaking of protein, when mine is low, I get cravings for carbs. Try focusing on hitting your protein goal and see what that does for your carb cravings.

    Also, since you have medical conditions, do look into getting a referral to a dietitian who can help you with this.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I have seen many people claim that going super low carb quelled their craving. However people often report results after only a few weeks so it could be a placebo effect that is not lasting and you have to remain skeptical of anecdotal evidence. With that said I see no harm in conducting an experiment but I do suggest that if you try very low carb that you taper off over a week or so instead of going in cold because it can diminish your electrolytes. This is commonly called the keto flu. There are ways to avoid it like increasing salt consumption but I don't think it is wise to risk it. Electrolytes help regulate some very vital internal systems.

    If the experiment seems successful you should try to raise your carbs back up to 75-80 and see if it is still holding then raise it again to 110-125. There is no reason to remain ultra low carb if it is not necessary.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    kgeyser wrote: »
    kariii24 wrote: »
    How can I sway my craving for carbs during every meal? I enjoy pancakes, muffins, candy, cakes, cookies etc

    I find that carbs make me tired and hungrier, and then I end up overeating. So what I have found helpful is:
    • Not eating carbs alone - I make sure I have more protein and/or fat with my carbs. For example, I generally have a bagel for breakfast, but since it is a high protein bagel with cream cheese, it doesn't seem to kick off cravings. My macros for that end up being 29p/27c/12f, with 4g of fiber.
    • Having a low carb meal in the middle of a day - I seem to have an easier time when my lunch is just protein and veggies, no bread, pasta, etc. The protein helps keep me full, and the carbs from veggies don't seem to kick off the cravings, probably because of the fiber/taking longer to digest.
    • Limiting access to stupid carbs - I try not to keep foods that I know are just going to cause problems in the house.
    • Timing my carbs for the end of the day - Dinner tends to be my most "carb heavy" meal, and if I have a dessert, it's usually something with a lot of carbs compared to other macros. But by that point in the day, I've had enough food volume to feel full (and mentally know I've eaten enough), and I'm usually so tired from the rest of the day that if the carbs make me feel tired, I can just go to sleep.

    A good place to start is just to track your normal eating pattern for a while and how you feel after meals, then start playing around with your food combinations and macros to see if you can find your sweet spot.

    Yes, I am hungry again in less than an hour after eating a whole bagel with butter, but am slightly more satisfied after having a whole bagel with cream cheese, and a half bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon is a good smallish meal for me.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,748 Member
    I succeeded at losing weight by cutting carbs. Not eliminating them, but reducing them. The weight loss happened because that cut out a lot of calories that I normally eat - beer, ice cream, cookies, etc. What ultimately worked best for me was to try to eat as healthy as possible, but on the weekend I could have two items that I normally wouldn't - either a beer or a piece of pie or pizza, etc. Not a cheat meal or cheat day, just two items that were treats. Since I knew I could have them later, I didn't feel that deprived. It led me to think about which foods I was happy skipping (chips) and which I really enjoyed (ice cream). When treats become every day foods, i gain weight. When they really are something special, I don't. YMMV
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Google blue zones. The world is full of people who eat high carb diets and aren't obese.

    Cookies aren't just carbs anyway. Cookies, pizza, and candy generally include a high portion of fat also. Fat and carbs are often a yummy combination. Eliminating them for a diet (temporarily) is a strategy.....for dieting.

    Look for forever strategies. I like to focus on meeting protein and fiber. This helps me choose foods that are more filling to me. I allow a treat everyday. I think it forces me to be more choosy.
  • zeejane4
    zeejane4 Posts: 230 Member
    edited May 2019
    whmscll wrote: »
    One thing I think people do is lump all carbs together. But there is a HUGE difference between carbs from cookies, cakes, ice cream, white bread, etc., and whole grain, whole fruit and vegetable carbs that also contain protein, vitamins/minerals, and less fat. I often see people refer to “carbs/sugary stuff.” But there is a difference between empty sugary carbs and carbs that actually contain a lot of nutrition.

    It's still going to be pretty individualized though. I'm transitioning from a mostly whole foods plant focused, high carb/low fat diet to a mostly whole foods, low carb/high fat diet, and I now realize that higher carb whole foods-things like whole grains, beans, fruit etc do nothing for me, in terms of making me feel full.

    Cutting down on those types of whole foods and replacing them with high fat foods, that are also nutrient dense whole foods, has had a pretty significant impact on my hunger cues and I no longer have a constant nagging hunger and have had a major reduction in appetite, which has led to me taking in less calories etc.

    Different foods/different macros is so individualized, what clicks with one person will be another person's failure.

    eta: edit grammar stuff
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    zeejane4 wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    One thing I think people do is lump all carbs together. But there is a HUGE difference between carbs from cookies, cakes, ice cream, white bread, etc., and whole grain, whole fruit and vegetable carbs that also contain protein, vitamins/minerals, and less fat. I often see people refer to “carbs/sugary stuff.” But there is a difference between empty sugary carbs and carbs that actually contain a lot of nutrition.

    It's still going to be pretty individualized though. I'm transitioning from a mostly whole foods plant focused, high carb/low fat diet to a mostly whole foods, low carb/high fat diet, and I now realize that whole grains, beans, fruit etc do nothing for me, in terms of making me feel full.

    Cutting down on those types of foods and replacing them with high fat foods, (still nutrient dense, whole foods), has had a pretty significant impact on my hunger cues and I no longer have a constant nagging hunger and have had a major reduction in appetite, which has led to me taking in less calories etc. Different foods/different macros is so individualized, what clicks with one person will be another person's failure.

    While that's true (white bread is a staple in my diet because it satisfies me), we need to consider why OP is trying to cut down on carbs. She heard they make you fat. They don't, at least not without context. There is no good reason to cut them out other than personal preference or medical concerns. She does have medical concerns, so cutting down (not necessarily out) does help if she can manage it, but it's not absolutely necessary if she can't. If including them feels less of a struggle than cutting them out, then that trumps any perceived or real benefits of any particular diet. Prediabetes is not a diagnosis, it's a precursor. Weight loss helps immensely with that, regardless of the choice of diet.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited May 2019
    whmscll wrote: »
    One thing I think people do is lump all carbs together. But there is a HUGE difference between carbs from cookies, cakes, ice cream, white bread, etc., and whole grain, whole fruit and vegetable carbs that also contain protein, vitamins/minerals, and less fat. I often see people refer to “carbs/sugary stuff.” But there is a difference between empty sugary carbs and carbs that actually contain a lot of nutrition.

    You make an important point. I do think OP might have good reason to limit (to some degree) even nutrient dense carbs, but to me "carbs" (used casually) tends to mean starches (beans, lentils, corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, barley, rice (brown or white), pasta (which is typically eaten with veg and protein and fat IMO), so on), plus fruit. Veg are of course primarily carbs too, but are low enough cal that they don't have a lot until you eat a lot. I don't really think of sweet treats as "carbs" since I dislike pretty much all sweet treats that don't also include fat (with the exception of these popsicles made from fruit juice only that I sometimes get a craving for when it's hot).

    I think it's interesting when people call "cakes, cookies, muffins" and even pizza (which has all three macros) carbs when really for many people the issue is likely that they are carbs + fat, and get lots of cals from both (often more from fat), so are high cal and for many tend to be harder to control than plain carbs would be, especially if they have higher fiber and are eaten in the context of a meal. As others have said, I like some dessert foods (ice cream! pie! coffee cake!) and used to enjoy muffins (muffins are just never worth the cals for me anymore), but they are tons of cals, not great in terms of nutrients, and not filling for me in a lasting way (and too easy to eat when I'm not hungry), so even though I don't limit carbs, I tend to limit cals for them and eat them only with extra cals that have been designated (I usually don't log now, but basically follow the same pattern).

    Also (and I may be repeating myself), many of the foods mentioned are dessert items, so they likely are eaten on their own. As others have said, I think it gets easier to make good food choices and not overeat when you make sure your diet is full of balanced (include protein, healthy fat, fiber, vegetables, maybe fruit) meals and don't automatically reach for treats when hungry. If you have had a nourishing meal and aren't hungry it's easier to have a bit of something high cal and not go overboard.
  • vggb
    vggb Posts: 132 Member
    I have found that when I eat "carbs" like baked goods, or grain products (breads of all kinds) and sugar that is refined, I am hungry and will eat to curb that hunger. It takes a while to get over it too. But when I eat "natural" carbs, fruits and vegetables, I do well and don't get the hunger pangs that drive me mad!
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    whmscll wrote: »
    One thing I think people do is lump all carbs together. But there is a HUGE difference between carbs from cookies, cakes, ice cream, white bread, etc., and whole grain, whole fruit and vegetable carbs that also contain protein, vitamins/minerals, and less fat. I often see people refer to “carbs/sugary stuff.” But there is a difference between empty sugary carbs and carbs that actually contain a lot of nutrition.

    You make an important point. I do think OP might have good reason to limit (to some degree) even nutrient dense carbs, but to me "carbs" (used casually) tends to mean starches (beans, lentils, corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, barley, rice (brown or white), pasta (which is typically eaten with veg and protein and fat IMO), so on), plus fruit. Veg are of course primarily carbs too, but are low enough cal that they don't have a lot until you eat a lot. I don't really think of sweet treats as "carbs" since I dislike pretty much all sweet treats that don't also include fat (with the exception of these popsicles made from fruit juice only that I sometimes get a craving for when it's hot).

    I think it's interesting when people call "cakes, cookies, muffins" and even pizza (which has all three macros) carbs when really for many people the issue is likely that they are carbs + fat, and get lots of cals from both (often more from fat), so are high cal and for many tend to be harder to control than plain carbs would be, especially if they have higher fiber and are eaten in the context of a meal. As others have said, I like some dessert foods (ice cream! pie! coffee cake!) and used to enjoy muffins (muffins are just never worth the cals for me anymore), but they are tons of cals, not great in terms of nutrients, and not filling for me in a lasting way (and too easy to eat when I'm not hungry), so even though I don't limit carbs, I tend to limit cals for them and eat them only with extra cals that have been designated (I usually don't log now, but basically follow the same pattern).

    Also (and I may be repeating myself), many of the foods mentioned are dessert items, so they likely are eaten on their own. As others have said, I think it gets easier to make good food choices and not overeat when you make sure your diet is full of balanced (include protein, healthy fat, fiber, vegetables, maybe fruit) meals and don't automatically reach for treats when hungry. If you have had a nourishing meal and aren't hungry it's easier to have a bit of something high cal and not go overboard.
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Google blue zones. The world is full of people who eat high carb diets and aren't obese.

    Cookies aren't just carbs anyway. Cookies, pizza, and candy generally include a high portion of fat also. Fat and carbs are often a yummy combination. Eliminating them for a diet (temporarily) is a strategy.....for dieting.

    Look for forever strategies. I like to focus on meeting protein and fiber. This helps me choose foods that are more filling to me. I allow a treat everyday. I think it forces me to be more choosy.

    This is important. A lot of times I see foods that get lumped into the "carbs are bad" category that are not actually that carb heavy. I've even seen it in other threads where posters will use fast food as carbs being an example of being bad. But if you look at a lot of fast food, it's actually pretty low overall in carbs (minus obviously like a 40oz big gulp). For instance at Wendy's, the Dave's Triple Classic (a favorite of mine), is practically Keto. 26 grams of carbs, which is only 10% of the total. A lot of fast food is very high in fat and low in carbs. So it's weird how carbs gets singled out of some of these foods.
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