Carbophobia

summer_tyme
summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
edited December 23 in Food and Nutrition
Several years ago I lost a substantial amount of weight in a rather short period of time (65 lbs in approx 3 months) doing Atkins Induction. I kept the weight off for about 6 years just watching my carb intake. Two years ago I changed jobs and re-enrolled in graduate school. I used to teach and coach and remained fairly active throughout the day and sometimes exercised with my teams.

Now, as a principal, I spend my days doing paperwork and sitting in classrooms evaluating as opposed to moving around teaching. Combine that with full time graduate student and you can guess that I have gained back about 30 of the 65 pounds I have kept off for so long.

I tried to resume low carb a few times and have been unsuccessful. Maybe I lost my willpower or something because I just can't seem to stick to it. I signed up for MFP to try something different but have a phobia with carbs I guess. I don't know if it is because I was successful on Atkins or what, but I have a really hard time accepting my carb intake that MFP suggests.

Any suggestion or advice anyone?
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Replies

  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i'm the same way. carbs terrify me, because i KNOW low carb is the way to go (and i feel fabulous in ketosis)

    psych yourself up for a few weeks, then just do it!
  • Sarah_Wins
    Sarah_Wins Posts: 936 Member
    Why not just stick to what you know works for you?
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
    If you can't do low carb, why not lower carb? I set my macros to 30% carbs, 35% fat and protein. This gives me around 100g of carbs a day which i consume in fruits, veggies and a few low carb items (wraps and such). I found this work well for me because I am insulin resistant.
  • econut2000
    econut2000 Posts: 395 Member
    You don't have to follow exactly what MFP states - you are allowed to change your settings so that you can do low carb. I ALWAYS forget how to change the settings so I may not be the best person to ask how to do that if you don't know already (I think it's under 'goals' but I'm always searching a half hour before I find the correct screen!).

    Congrats to you on your initial weight loss. I lost the same amount 8 years ago, but I REALLY had a terrible time sticking to it in the long term. Plus, I tried starting it again several times and you don't get the same response you did the first time around. Now I'm trying as much as possible to go the all things in moderation route and see where that gets me! :wink:

    Good luck!!!!!
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    Caraiselite & Sarahqt2012...Agree with you both. I KNOW low carb works for me!! I think my biggest problem is the difference in my lifestyle (then & now). And I know I must plans prepare better to make it work. It seems as though I am ALWAYS, ALWAYS on the go! Up at 4:30 am to drive a school bus, principal thoughout the day (sedentary), bus driver again after school, after school activities, single parent and son plays fb & baseball, full-time Ph.D. student....GOOD GOD...I GOTTA FIND MYSELF SOMEDAYS...LOL.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    if you eat fast food often, then just get grilled chicken/burger on lettuce instead of bread.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Several years ago I lost a substantial amount of weight in a rather short period of time (65 lbs in approx 3 months) doing Atkins Induction. I kept the weight off for about 6 years just watching my carb intake. Two years ago I changed jobs and re-enrolled in graduate school. I used to teach and coach and remained fairly active throughout the day and sometimes exercised with my teams.

    Now, as a principal, I spend my days doing paperwork and sitting in classrooms evaluating as opposed to moving around teaching. Combine that with full time graduate student and you can guess that I have gained back about 30 of the 65 pounds I have kept off for so long.

    I tried to resume low carb a few times and have been unsuccessful. Maybe I lost my willpower or something because I just can't seem to stick to it. I signed up for MFP to try something different but have a phobia with carbs I guess. I don't know if it is because I was successful on Atkins or what, but I have a really hard time accepting my carb intake that MFP suggests.

    Any suggestion or advice anyone?

    I would go with lowER carb. I did atkins 8 years ago, and sticking to 40-50g net carbs SUCKED, so I have been avoiding it for like 4 years now. I tried going by the MFP suggestions and it was just too much. I lost weight the first month, then I gained and lost the same 3 pounds for 2 months. As soon as I cut my carbs down under 100g net per day, the weight started coming off MUCH easier--4.8lbs the first week and ~1.25 pounds a week there after--a total of 11 pounds in 6 weeks.

    I think once you get started and you see the scale moving, you'll get excited and want to keep going.
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    Several years ago I lost a substantial amount of weight in a rather short period of time (65 lbs in approx 3 months) doing Atkins Induction. I kept the weight off for about 6 years just watching my carb intake. Two years ago I changed jobs and re-enrolled in graduate school. I used to teach and coach and remained fairly active throughout the day and sometimes exercised with my teams.

    Now, as a principal, I spend my days doing paperwork and sitting in classrooms evaluating as opposed to moving around teaching. Combine that with full time graduate student and you can guess that I have gained back about 30 of the 65 pounds I have kept off for so long.

    I tried to resume low carb a few times and have been unsuccessful. Maybe I lost my willpower or something because I just can't seem to stick to it. I signed up for MFP to try something different but have a phobia with carbs I guess. I don't know if it is because I was successful on Atkins or what, but I have a really hard time accepting my carb intake that MFP suggests.

    Any suggestion or advice anyone?

    I would go with lowER carb. I did atkins 8 years ago, and sticking to 40-50g net carbs SUCKED, so I have been avoiding it for like 4 years now. I tried going by the MFP suggestions and it was just too much. I lost weight the first month, then I gained and lost the same 3 pounds for 2 months. As soon as I cut my carbs down under 100g net per day, the weight started coming off MUCH easier--4.8lbs the first week and ~1.25 pounds a week there after--a total of 11 pounds in 6 weeks.

    I think once you get started and you see the scale moving, you'll get excited and want to keep going.

    100 net carbs per day seems much more doable than the strict 20. Maybe I can try this as a starting point and work backwards rather than starting with 20 and working up. I feel I can lose faster beginning with induction but not if I can't stick with it!!
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    You don't have to follow exactly what MFP states - you are allowed to change your settings so that you can do low carb. I ALWAYS forget how to change the settings so I may not be the best person to ask how to do that if you don't know already (I think it's under 'goals' but I'm always searching a half hour before I find the correct screen!).

    Congrats to you on your initial weight loss. I lost the same amount 8 years ago, but I REALLY had a terrible time sticking to it in the long term. Plus, I tried starting it again several times and you don't get the same response you did the first time around. Now I'm trying as much as possible to go the all things in moderation route and see where that gets me! :wink:

    Good luck!!!!!

    Thanks and I agree that I didn't get the initial dramatic weight loss that I expected this time around. Maybe that's why I can't find my willpower??? Good luck with the moderation thing. Will check in with you to see how that works for ya!!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Several years ago I lost a substantial amount of weight in a rather short period of time (65 lbs in approx 3 months) doing Atkins Induction. I kept the weight off for about 6 years just watching my carb intake. Two years ago I changed jobs and re-enrolled in graduate school. I used to teach and coach and remained fairly active throughout the day and sometimes exercised with my teams.

    Now, as a principal, I spend my days doing paperwork and sitting in classrooms evaluating as opposed to moving around teaching. Combine that with full time graduate student and you can guess that I have gained back about 30 of the 65 pounds I have kept off for so long.

    I tried to resume low carb a few times and have been unsuccessful. Maybe I lost my willpower or something because I just can't seem to stick to it. I signed up for MFP to try something different but have a phobia with carbs I guess. I don't know if it is because I was successful on Atkins or what, but I have a really hard time accepting my carb intake that MFP suggests.

    Any suggestion or advice anyone?

    I would go with lowER carb. I did atkins 8 years ago, and sticking to 40-50g net carbs SUCKED, so I have been avoiding it for like 4 years now. I tried going by the MFP suggestions and it was just too much. I lost weight the first month, then I gained and lost the same 3 pounds for 2 months. As soon as I cut my carbs down under 100g net per day, the weight started coming off MUCH easier--4.8lbs the first week and ~1.25 pounds a week there after--a total of 11 pounds in 6 weeks.

    I think once you get started and you see the scale moving, you'll get excited and want to keep going.

    100 net carbs per day seems much more doable than the strict 20. Maybe I can try this as a starting point and work backwards rather than starting with 20 and working up. I feel I can lose faster beginning with induction but not if I can't stick with it!!

    Did you ever do the other phases? If you did the final phase, do you remember what your maintenance carb level was? You could always just start a few carbs below that...

    There are days that I do not get anywhere near 100g net carbs, but I definitely feel less stressed knowing that I can go up to 100g net if I need to. My breakfast is usually about 10g net, and my lunch is 10-15g net
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    First of all what are the type of carbs that you're eating? Because I doubt that you'll gain weight by eating fibrous carbs such as veggies. Cut out the refined carbs such as white bread, cereals, pasta. Stick to the fibrous carbs as they are lower in calories & go easy on the starchy carbs like rice, potatoes, corn.

    Like others have said, you don't have to follow what MFP is recommending. Perhaps you're really carb intolerant so instead you can adjust the settings to lets say 25% carbs, 55% protein, 20% fat but first you have to know what are the exact macros you really need.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    Teacher, here. I barely have time during the day to go to the bathroom, let alone eat lunch, but sometimes I'll have time to swing by the lounge and heat some leftovers. I'm doing a ketogenic diet right now, and so far, I cook every three or so days. Make meals in advance, throw them in tupperware, and you're set!

    Also, because low carb diet means a high fat diet, I sometimes don't eat at all in the afternoon. Make a good breakfast casserole and you'll be set until you go home (and if you get a little hungry, usually water and a serving of jerky or almonds helps a lot).

    Now that it's summer for me, I've been spending this whole month restarting my habits so I can keep going strong when school gets back in session. Friend me if you want, but you HAVE to visit this website for recipes. I've gotten SO many ideas for dinners, lunches, snacks, breakfasts, party food, appetizers, etc.

    http://genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    I never moved through the phases. I just stayed under 20 carbs until I lost all the weight. For the next five years or so I just "watched" my carb intake. Never tracked carbs just knew what was low carb foods and ate those so I don't really know what my carb threshold is. I know it is more than 20 though because I kept the weight off for 5+ years this way.
  • NYChick84
    NYChick84 Posts: 331 Member
    I have cut out 95% of carbs in my life and I feel great from the inside out!!! No more bloating, cramping, gassy feelings I used to get. It is the way to go in terms of living a healthy life.

    My rule of thumb is that I eat real food only. If I can't pluck it, milk it, grow it, or shoot it, I don't eat it. No chemicals or preservatives anymore. It's very unnatural.

    Feel free to peek at my diary and see what I eat on a daily basis.....and you can always add me as a friend! :)
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    I never moved through the phases. I just stayed under 20 carbs until I lost all the weight. For the next five years or so I just "watched" my carb intake. Never tracked carbs just knew what was low carb foods and ate those so I don't really know what my carb threshold is. I know it is more than 20 though because I kept the weight off for 5+ years this way.

    You were probably eating around/under 100g of carbs. That's the maintenance phase once you've lost all you wanted to lose, or putting the diet "on hold" for a bit. My plan is to stay under 20 until I lose most of my weight, then I'll use CKD to start to build muscle.

    I haven't had sweets, bread, pastas, sweet tea, and other high carb things, and to be honest, I do not miss them. The first week was hell, however. It's like getting over an addiction. It really, truly is.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    I eat carbs and still lost 35 pounds. I didn't deprive myself and hardly ever felt hungry.

    I don't lift weights or run so I don't need lots of carbs for energy. So, I am careful about the carbs that I eat.

    I only eat whole wheat or grain breads. Arnold Sandwich Thins are delicious and great for my turkey paninis or whatever you want to make them with. I think that they make the best whole wheat bread.

    Also, I eat sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.

    If you're on a serious mission to lose weight and keep it off, you want to change your lifestyle and habits to something lasting and sustainable. Don't set yourself up to be miserable or hungry or you won't succeed in keeping the weight off.

    Eat and enjoy! Just eat in moderation and choose wisely.

    My two cents.

    ^^ this... I more about COMPLEX carbs than low carbs,
    My Mom had been really sick on Atkins so I always stayed away from that.

    I did low fat for a while... now that I'm on MFP and see my Macro Pie Chart every day I realize that nutrition comes to us in the form of Carbs/Fats/Protiens to cut out or severely restrict any catagory seems unwise to me.

    Eat Carbs but shoot for Complex Carbs
    Eat Fats, but shoot for healthy plant/fish based fats. (helps brain function, wards off diabetes)
    Eat Proteins, but keep them lean.

    Find a way to eat that gives you more life, don't let it consume your life.
    Have fun!
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    Teacher, here. I barely have time during the day to go to the bathroom, let alone eat lunch, but sometimes I'll have time to swing by the lounge and heat some leftovers. I'm doing a ketogenic diet right now, and so far, I cook every three or so days. Make meals in advance, throw them in tupperware, and you're set!

    Also, because low carb diet means a high fat diet, I sometimes don't eat at all in the afternoon. Make a good breakfast casserole and you'll be set until you go home (and if you get a little hungry, usually water and a serving of jerky or almonds helps a lot).

    Now that it's summer for me, I've been spending this whole month restarting my habits so I can keep going strong when school gets back in session. Friend me if you want, but you HAVE to visit this website for recipes. I've gotten SO many ideas for dinners, lunches, snacks, breakfasts, party food, appetizers, etc.

    http://genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html

    Great advice and I love that website. Check this one out as well
    http://buttoni.wordpress.com/

    She has some good ones too. I also found great recipes on low carb friends forum.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    I would go with lowER carb. I did atkins 8 years ago, and sticking to 40-50g net carbs SUCKED, so I have been avoiding it for like 4 years now. I tried going by the MFP suggestions and it was just too much. I lost weight the first month, then I gained and lost the same 3 pounds for 2 months. As soon as I cut my carbs down under 100g net per day, the weight started coming off MUCH easier--4.8lbs the first week and ~1.25 pounds a week there after--a total of 11 pounds in 6 weeks.

    I think once you get started and you see the scale moving, you'll get excited and want to keep going.

    40-50? and you were having trouble?

    induction is 20 grams per day... so i dunno what you were doing :P
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    I have cut out 95% of carbs in my life and I feel great from the inside out!!! No more bloating, cramping, gassy feelings I used to get. It is the way to go in terms of living a healthy life.

    My rule of thumb is that I eat real food only. If I can't pluck it, milk it, grow it, or shoot it, I don't eat it. No chemicals or preservatives anymore. It's very unnatural.

    Feel free to peek at my diary and see what I eat on a daily basis.....and you can always add me as a friend! :)

    No kidding! When I did Atkins a babillion years ago, my brain was "Sweet! Bacon and cheese 4 LIFE." Needless to say, I quickly fell off that wagon. Now that I'm more grown up, I've been making sure to really try to eat more grown up things. I have now switched my addiction from cookies to zucchini. If anyone tells me "High fat/low carb isn't healthy ZOMG," I just laugh because I am eating SO much better than I have ever eaten.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    I have cut out 95% of carbs in my life and I feel great from the inside out!!! No more bloating, cramping, gassy feelings I used to get. It is the way to go in terms of living a healthy life.

    My rule of thumb is that I eat real food only. If I can't pluck it, milk it, grow it, or shoot it, I don't eat it. No chemicals or preservatives anymore. It's very unnatural.

    Feel free to peek at my diary and see what I eat on a daily basis.....and you can always add me as a friend! :)

    excellent mindset!
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    Great advice and I love that website. Check this one out as well
    http://buttoni.wordpress.com/

    She has some good ones too. I also found great recipes on low carb friends forum.

    Mother of science! My browser just exploded from the awesomeness! Thanks for the resource!
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    I say ignore what MFP says and do what works for you...I do.
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    First of all what are the type of carbs that you're eating? Because I doubt that you'll gain weight by eating fibrous carbs such as veggies. Cut out the refined carbs such as white bread, cereals, pasta. Stick to the fibrous carbs as they are lower in calories & go easy on the starchy carbs like rice, potatoes, corn.

    Like others have said, you don't have to follow what MFP is recommending. Perhaps you're really carb intolerant so instead you can adjust the settings to lets say 25% carbs, 55% protein, 20% fat but first you have to know what are the exact macros you really need.

    I will be the first to admit I gained the weight back because my diet was RIDICULOUS!!! I went crazy just eating whatever I got a notion for!! Lower/Healthier carbs kept the weight off for me for a long time. Your suggestions are how I kept it off but I guess my mindset was different when I was at my ideal weight that now tht I have to lose again....

    How do I adjust my macros on MFP?
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    Go to goals on the website (not the app), change goals, custom, and set the ratio to 60 fat 35 protein and 5 carbs.

    Also to show a nifty chart at the bottom and net carbs instead of having to subtract (see how lazy I am? Can't even bother to subtract fiber from 20g carbs haha) check this script out. Started using it this week!

    http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/124645
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I would go with lowER carb. I did atkins 8 years ago, and sticking to 40-50g net carbs SUCKED, so I have been avoiding it for like 4 years now. I tried going by the MFP suggestions and it was just too much. I lost weight the first month, then I gained and lost the same 3 pounds for 2 months. As soon as I cut my carbs down under 100g net per day, the weight started coming off MUCH easier--4.8lbs the first week and ~1.25 pounds a week there after--a total of 11 pounds in 6 weeks.

    I think once you get started and you see the scale moving, you'll get excited and want to keep going.

    40-50? and you were having trouble?


    induction is 20 grams per day... so i dunno what you were doing :P
    [/quote

    My doctor told me that I could skip induction and go straight to maintenance of about 50g per day. I had been diagnosed with IR and it was a test to see if I could control/reverse it with diet. I did such a great job that I lost 15-20 pounds AND got pregnant within the first 2 months. The last month or so was the hardest because I would totally lose it and inhale peanut butter filled pretzels etc in the evening and then feel guilty that I had zero will power. Turns out that my willpower died practically the instant my son was conceived. OB ordered me to eat 200-250g of carbs per day :(
  • summer_tyme
    summer_tyme Posts: 16 Member
    Just asking....what is everyone's thoughts about ketosis?
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    Love it. Been in ketosis for exactly 23 days now. It's pretty much the medical name for induction phase. I keep failing to drink lots of water, and the breath is bad, but I feel so much healthier and look better, too.

    Been using my suggested calories, too. In fact, I made myself eat almonds, and I'll be making some decaf coffee just so MFP doesn't yell at me.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    Oh, and if you are a redditor, there is a keto subreddit.

    http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/

    Lots of food porn there, good recipes, blogs, NSVs, and SVs to keep you motivated. Take a look at the right side. There's a bunch of useful links.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    change the macro settings to suit your needs. Select custom goals.

    MFP is just a tool, it isn't a plan. People that say "I'm doing MFP" confuse the hell out of me because you can dial in all manner of settings and eat anything.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Don't be afraid of carbs! They are yummy deliciousness!

    Also, you don't have to lower your carbs to lose weight. When lowering carbs, you basically lower your calories bringing you back to a lowered calorie diet anyway.
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