How do you cut your carbs?

BA19430
BA19430 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,

I need some suggestions.... I need to cut my carbs (so says my nutritionist) to hopefully avoid diabetes but I am a CARBO QUEEN!!!! I have been watching what I eat and I am doing pretty good but I can't seem to get my carbs down. Pasta, rice, bread, etc..... I am still eating too much.

So how do you all cut your carbs? I need ideas!!!!!
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Replies

  • danithegirl89
    danithegirl89 Posts: 203 Member
    First try cutting out "white" carbs. No white sugar, white bread, or white rice. So that means no soda, etc. Buy whole wheat bagel thins or sandwich thins. Eat oatmeal instead of sugary cereal. Go into your settings and change your macros. Mine are 40% protein, 30% carbs 30% fat. It's a start at least. :) Good luck.
  • BA19430
    BA19430 Posts: 10 Member
    How do I change the macros? I looked but didn't see it.
    I like the idea of starting with the white carbs. I already don't drink soda and I just started using Truvia in my coffee. Just need to work on the rest of that.
    Thanks for the tips.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    Eating less grains in general is the easiest way, but as someone said, a good first step would be to reduce refined carbohydrates. I'm not a low-carber, but if you're headed that way, ease yourself into it. Don't go from eating white bread, pasta, rice, etc. to only having 30-40g of carbs per day.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    How do I change the macros? I looked but didn't see it.
    I like the idea of starting with the white carbs. I already don't drink soda and I just started using Truvia in my coffee. Just need to work on the rest of that.
    Thanks for the tips.

    Goals --> Customize goals.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Sometimes I use a knife, or my bare hands. But for some carbs, like oats, no cutting required.
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
    please go to this site...it will give you everything you need...great foods and great snacks...low carb veggies.....fruits...meats...and other proteins.....you will love it..


    www.lowcarbdiets.about.com


    try it


    Bill
  • Sometimes I use a knife, or my bare hands. But for some carbs, like oats, no cutting required.

    trolololololololol
  • dont eat pasta, potatos, white breads, sugars, candy, bananas, pears, look up low glycemic index and only eat those foods with a GI index of less than 45
  • Think out of the box (or bread bag) when looking for a piece of bread or cracker! A slice of cucumber or a slice of daikon radish (sometimes called lo bok) or a square of red, green or yellow pepper makes a great "cracker). Sandwich meat wrapped inside a lettuce leaf also makes a substitute sandwich. Spaghetti squash works well as substitute for pasta.
  • BA19430
    BA19430 Posts: 10 Member
    Sometimes I use a knife, or my bare hands. But for some carbs, like oats, no cutting required.

    Hahaha! Awesome!!!!



    Nopedotjpeg- thank you!

    Bill - on my way there now. thank you for the link!
  • dlj1970
    dlj1970 Posts: 186 Member
    bump
  • onedayillbamilf
    onedayillbamilf Posts: 662 Member
    Usually a fork works just fine.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Don't think of it as cutting carbs, but as increasing veggies or other components in your meal.
    I don't do "low carb" (not a fan) but I have changed the ratio of pasta or rice on my plate compared to the other components.
    If I cook pasta I usually have it with a sauce with heaps of veggies plu some meat or chicken or fish.
    When I make fried rice I use lots more veggies than I used to.
    This isn't such a big and scary change but it means you are getting in more veggies and protein, so the carbs decrease naturally.
  • KellyKAG
    KellyKAG Posts: 418
    bump
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    dlife.com has a lot of recipes for people who are worried about diabetes. It helped me along with tracking.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    It's going to come down to some self-discipline on your part. You have to decide if eating a carby dinner versus a protein and vegetable heavy dinner is worth you potentially getting diabetes. You should ask yourself every time you feel like chowing down on stuff your dietician suggests you avoid.

    As for techniques, start replacing foods that are carb-heavy with vegetables, fresh fruits, and proteins like lean meats, beans, etc. Fruit does contain sugar and carbohydrates, but far less than a bowl of noodles. They also provide vitamins and nutrients.

    Examples:

    Instead of eating pasta for dinner, opt instead for some lean chicken and veggies with a dessert of fruit.
    Instead of eating white bread, try going for flatbread instead which cuts down on your total calories as well as your carbs for sandwiches.
  • BA19430
    BA19430 Posts: 10 Member
    dont eat pasta, potatos, white breads, sugars, candy, bananas, pears, look up low glycemic index and only eat those foods with a GI index of less than 45

    Crap this is going to be a lot harder than I thought..... I totally wasn't thinking about bananas being carbs.... I eat at least one a day! Ahhh. ok so thats done.
  • shreyaj
    shreyaj Posts: 196
    I eat a lot of the same things but I cut the carb's out and replace it with something else. Like instead of using bread to make a wrap I use lettuce, I try to get most of my carbs from veggies, so if try to eat them with every single meal to keep the hunger at bay. Also I'm learning to stay away from fat-free stuff they tend to have more carbs and more sugar so I stick with the real stuff just less. It's been a struggle for me to cut carbs but little things like that are helping me keeping it under control.
  • BPayton27
    BPayton27 Posts: 626 Member
    I saw a nutritionist a couple of months ago because I DO have the dreaded diabetes. It is controlled now after 3 months of hard work, but cutting carbs was my suggested key too. For me, this is what was recommended: 15g carb per snack, 40-60g carb per meal split amongst 2-3 items if possible.

    Read your labels. Beans (green beans are my best friend), cottage cheese, (some) fruit...they're all low carb. Grapes over bananas! Lots and lots of skinless grilled chicken too. If you can't go cold turkey on the things you love, go way smaller portions. Bread (like rolls) and pasta I avoid for now.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    dont eat pasta, potatos, white breads, sugars, candy, bananas, pears, look up low glycemic index and only eat those foods with a GI index of less than 45

    Crap this is going to be a lot harder than I thought..... I totally wasn't thinking about bananas being carbs.... I eat at least one a day! Ahhh. ok so thats done.

    Don't think about that too much. While there are fruits like bananas that are high on the glycemic index, you should try to go with small steps at first.
  • I don't eat near as much bread and if I do it's in much smaller portions, and I even cut back on banana's and yogurt. I rarely have pasta, unless it's in soup and that is a rare occasion. Like a few others have said, try to limit it to 40-60 carbs a meal over your three big meals a day and eliminate carbs in smaller in between snacks.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    go to a Brazilian steak house and skip the "salad" bar and definitely the apps.
  • I was cutting out most carbs suggested by my nutritionist. I have a hard-boiled egg for breakfast but sometimes eat cream of wheat.(about 1-2times a week). I also went with wheat bread and hamburgers without the bun. If I eat potatoes, rice(brown or yellow) or noodles, I cut my serving half of what I was used to eating. I also eat on occasion wheat pasta which doesn't really taste any different. I eat granola bars(90 calorie) for snacks. If you limit yourself Mon-Fri. then splurge a little on the weekend. It won't hurt too much as long as you watch your servings.
  • i've lost by just avoiding potatoes. that junk is carboriffic!
  • ReverendJim
    ReverendJim Posts: 260 Member
    bump
  • essicajt
    essicajt Posts: 2 Member
    hahaha, what about an ax?
  • time2bhealthy
    time2bhealthy Posts: 211 Member
    Bump
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    Sometimes with a butter knife, sometimes with a sharper knife.. depends on what I'm eating :bigsmile:
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 378 Member
    You may want to pick up a book about glycemic index. This is what most diabetics and prediabetics are being taught these days. The glycemic index is all about what foods raise your blood sugar faster than other foods. If you switch to complex carbs that are high in fiber, your glycemic index will not rise quite so fast.

    What raised blood sugars do is cause the pancreas to release insulin. If you have over-indulged in high-glycemic foods in the past, the pancreas will release more insulin than needed, which causes you to crave carbs to use up the excess insulin. Trouble is that when you eat those carbs, you may need more insulin. So the pancreas releases more insulin, usually in excess, and the cycle repeats itself with you craving more and more carbs.

    What you need to do is break the cycle by eating low glycemic foods. This does not mean that you can't eat carbs; it just means that you need to be wiser about what carbs you can eat. You will want to pick up a book to learn about glycemic index. One book that covers it is the South Beach Diet, which is based upon the glycemic index. He explans this cycle very well in his book.

    As a nurse, I know that this is what most diabetics are being taught when it comes to controlling blood sugars, but it makes for a very sensible diet.

    Good luck!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    usually with a knife and fork. or just my teeth.
This discussion has been closed.