Cutting Carbs... but I need your help!

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SarahSway
SarahSway Posts: 85 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've always been a huge lover of carbs. My newest adventure is to lower my carb intake tremendously and cut refined carbs completely!

The problem is that I feel like a lost puppy. What alternatives have you used in place of these? I tried spaghetti squash the other day, and I could definitely get on board with that. I will try anything at least once so give me what you've got!

Also, what are some surprising foods that are loaded in carbs? I used to eat Amy's Burrito's at work since they were easy and delicious, but they have 56 grams of carbs! Yikes!!

Thanks for any and all advice! I love this community! :-)
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Replies

  • wendylady76
    wendylady76 Posts: 21
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    Friend me :) I'll help you along with some recipes :)
  • Ichbinceiling
    Ichbinceiling Posts: 97
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    I'm having the same struggle. I talked to a nutritionist and he said i'm carb dependent :(. He wants me to have an intake of 80g of carbs a day. However, if I eat an apple and a banana, that means I've consumed almost 50g of carbs!!!

    Help!
  • rcrews4
    rcrews4 Posts: 46 Member
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    Check out Linda's Low Carb recipe website for TONS of great low carb and induction daily meal plans. http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

    I recommend this site to anyone interested in lowering carb intake. Be careful though, some are high in fat to make up for the low in carb. :)
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
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    for a bread alternate, there's this brand called Joseph Lavish bread, it's only like 6 grams of carbs maybe not even. My wife and I have used it to make pizza. Thin crust, but pretty good. a full serving of carbs is 15 grams and 100-125 calories. The lavish bread is in the MFP database if you wanna check it out.
  • jamielise2
    jamielise2 Posts: 432 Member
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    The nutritionist told me that you can subtract half the number of fiber grams from your carb grams (i.e. if the food has 10 gm of carbs and 4 grams of fiber, you only have to count 8 grams of carbs). But mashed cauliflower is a great substitute for mashed potatoes if you're cutting carbs.
  • dezedeze
    dezedeze Posts: 96 Member
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    Pretty much anything processed has sneaky amounts of carbs in it...also watch out for beans and certain fruits (berries are usually a good bet if you want to keep carbs on the lower end), especially tropical fruits.

    Here's another yummy-looking spaghetti substitute that I've been dying to try....
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-pasta-substitute/

    There's also cauliflower "rice" that you can make....cook cauliflower, put in cuisinart until you get a rice-like consistency!!

    You may find lots of other good recipes on that site, actually, since a lot of primal eating entails cutting back on heavy carb intake.

    Also, google carb flu...if you're going cold turkey you may get it, and it helps to a) expect it and b) know that it will go away. When it does, you'll feel awesome!
  • jennifer3998
    jennifer3998 Posts: 144 Member
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    I am doing the exact same thing, just started Tuesday. The only real bread I am using is once a day Mission Carb Balance wraps. They are 6 net carbs, full sized and taste like regular flour tortillas. I put chicken, wholly guacamole, red onion and tomato in it. Or cheese instead of guac. I love it.
  • daniela3264352
    daniela3264352 Posts: 5
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    I'm a maaassive carb-lover too! If I have refined carbs I get into a vicious cycle of craving more and more (helped along by my insulin resistance and thyroid issues) so I just completely avoid them...after a couple of hard weeks you'll begin to feel like you don't need them :)
    One of the best replacements to refined carbs (I find) is oats. I eat porridge (if you're american I think you guys call it oatmeal...) every morning for breakfast. Just a small serving of 40g with lots of water soaked into it (takes a lil longer to cook) feels like a massive meal and is only 130 calories. then for snacks think protein protein protein!

    P.S: It is just under 20g carb, which could be considered high by some people, but they're not refined so it's a complete different story to straight sugar... :)
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
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    Steam broccoli slaw in the microwave to replace pasta.

    Make "cauliflower" rice and/or mash potatoes (lots of recipes on here, basically steam it till done, then blend with a bit of cream)

    Lots of salads with low-carb veggies.

    I used to make (it's high-calorie but low-carb, and I'm mostly doing low-calorie stuff now): layer chicken breast, carrots/broccoli, whatever veggies you want, into a cake pan. Top with a jar of Alfredo sauce, shredded cheese, and then REAL bacon (turkey bacon won't work, it's too dry). Bake in 375 oven until bubbly and bacon/chicken are done. It is the yummiest, most indulget thing ever and very low carb (but high calorie, so use sparingly!).
  • DanyelleKimberly
    DanyelleKimberly Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm having the same struggle. I talked to a nutritionist and he said i'm carb dependent :(. He wants me to have an intake of 80g of carbs a day. However, if I eat an apple and a banana, that means I've consumed almost 50g of carbs!!!

    Help!

    I talked with one as well and I was at a 100 carbs a day they told me to cut it to 50 carbs a day zeo sugar and zero flour. Do you know how hard that is I dont even no what to do even fruit and veggies have sugars. I could use the help to guys.
  • SarahSway
    SarahSway Posts: 85 Member
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    Wow you guys, tons of great feedback already! I love these recipe ideas. I feel a bit overwhelmed because I'm such a carb lover and I'm starting from scratch. I've never counted before so I feel like I have to go over everything in my kitchen and see whats what. :-)
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
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    Feel free to add me and take a peek at my diary for ideas! :smile:
  • SarahSway
    SarahSway Posts: 85 Member
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    What about keeping up energy to work out? Is it okay to work out if I'm low on carbs, or should I up them for hard work out days?
  • jennifer3998
    jennifer3998 Posts: 144 Member
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    Same here. Feel free to friend so you can look at my diary. This is the healthiest I have ever tried eating!

    Jennifer
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
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    Cauliflower made into mashed potatoes is good!
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    For me the easiest thing to do is NOT try to find low carb replacements for things. Instead of trying to find a low carb hamburger bun, I just plop the burger down on a bed of arugula and top with some onions and mustard. The bun is only the vehicle anyway--so I just eat it with a fork instead of my hands, no big deal.

    I eat lots of eggs with veggies for breakfast, salads with tuna or leftover meat for lunch, and usually some sort of meat with veggie combo for dinner (the other night was beef and butternut squash stew with mashed cauliflower and kale).

    I have also heard fantastic things about the new cookbook "Make It Paleo" -- I know that you aren't specifically looking for grain-free recipes, and this isn't a "low carb" cookbook per se, but it does use real, whole foods which is always a good thing.
  • Ichbinceiling
    Ichbinceiling Posts: 97
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    for a bread alternate, there's this brand called Joseph Lavish bread, it's only like 6 grams of carbs maybe not even. My wife and I have used it to make pizza. Thin crust, but pretty good. a full serving of carbs is 15 grams and 100-125 calories. The lavish bread is in the MFP database if you wanna check it out.

    Where do you find this type of bread?
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
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    for a bread alternate, there's this brand called Joseph Lavish bread, it's only like 6 grams of carbs maybe not even. My wife and I have used it to make pizza. Thin crust, but pretty good. a full serving of carbs is 15 grams and 100-125 calories. The lavish bread is in the MFP database if you wanna check it out.

    Where do you find this type of bread?

    My wife found it at the grocery store not sure which one, I think stop and shop where they keep the Pita breads. In the deli area.
  • dezedeze
    dezedeze Posts: 96 Member
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    What about keeping up energy to work out? Is it okay to work out if I'm low on carbs, or should I up them for hard work out days?

    Go with how you feel...but you may find that if you do heavy cardio while eating low carb you'll poop out once your body uses up its glycogen stores...then you'll end up with some serious carb cravings once your workout is done.

    Some ways around that can be a) eat something with higher carb content, like a banana or b) stick with the fat-burning zone (55-75% of your max predicted heart rate) during your cardio workouts. Low-carb is essentially training your body to use fat for fuel, so this zone actually works really well and you won't have issues with crashing/cravings.
  • hockey7fan
    hockey7fan Posts: 281 Member
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    Giant leaves of romaine lettuce make a great wrap. I use them for BLTs, burgers, chicken wraps, etc.

    Eggs with lots of veggies. Berries are a lower carb fruit and eat them with some protein.

    I make taco meat and put it on a bed of lettuce with tomato, onion and cheese. You can add salsa and avocado if you like them.

    A sweet potato is a better choice for carbs if you need some nutrition wise.

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