Breadless Diet?

I have decided that I am going to not eat bread in my diet. Rolls, Sandwich bread, Toast. I am looking at the nutrition facts, and on the sandwich bread, I would be eating over 200 calories just in bread, and that is just for one Sandwich! I decide that unless I am eating at Subway, I will not be eating bread. Plus, I feel that there are many other ways to get fiber (regular wheat bread doen't really have anything good in it anyways). Instead, I am going to get fiber out of my Kashi cereal, and when on my cycling rides, I have a protein and fiber packed energy bar. Any opinions on this? Any alternatives?
I also feel sandwich meat has too many additives in them. Any advice on that?
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Replies

  • run17
    run17 Posts: 27
    Whenever I give up carbs I get terrible headaches and I feel very tired. I have given up white flour for the most part. I do feel better. Before a workout I eat a mini whole wheat bagel with natural peanut butter or a carb balance tortilla with PB or scrambled eggs with veggies.

    I just bought a smoothie maker on sale. I am addicted to the Green Goddess Protein shake. Sounds gross but it is yummy. I drink it before a hard workout day.

    Green Goddess Smoothie

    raw spinch pulverized in blender first (takes a minute to liquify)
    1/4 cucumber
    5 chunks of pineapple, cantaloupe or any fruit you want to add
    container of plain or vanilla greek yogurt
    1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
    1 scoop of flax meal
    mint- optional
    It has lots of prtein and vitamins_ It is very filling- You can drink it pre or post workout
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    I find that giving up bread works for me - although for me I think it's the yeast more than the carbs (I still eat flatbreads).

    I'd make sure to check the sugar content on the Kashi cereal; I find their products tend to be loaded with refined sugars. Same thing with the energy bars.

    I get headaches from sandwich meat so generally avoid it.

    I have decided that I am going to not eat bread in my diet. Rolls, Sandwich bread, Toast. I am looking at the nutrition facts, and on the sandwich bread, I would be eating over 200 calories just in bread, and that is just for one Sandwich! I decide that unless I am eating at Subway, I will not be eating bread. Plus, I feel that there are many other ways to get fiber (regular wheat bread doen't really have anything good in it anyways). Instead, I am going to get fiber out of my Kashi cereal, and when on my cycling rides, I have a protein and fiber packed energy bar. Any opinions on this? Any alternatives?
    I also feel sandwich meat has too many additives in them. Any advice on that?
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
    My husband gave up bread and dairy dropping 20 pounds in 3 weeks time. He used tortilla wraps in place of bread for sandwiches. We also started buying lunch meat at the deli counter where they slice it right there for you, less preservatives and additives that way.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    I don't do breads normally... I have added some in the last few days b/c I was traveling and counting on other people to provide my meals. My carbs normally are completely developed around fruits, veggies, and low fat dairy. I also do a GNC lean 25 shake everyday. It's 200 cals, 25 pro and 9 fiber. I usually get about 20-25 grams of fiber daily in about 100 carbs.

    what I have noticed is that be letting go of the breads and grains my body fat, especially in the mid section has decreased more with my weight loss. It's a good thing.

    Hezz
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    Go primal, great results. http://www.marksdailyapple.com
  • j_wilson2012
    j_wilson2012 Posts: 293
    Yes, hhayes06, I have been dieting for almost a week, and working out for about two weeks. In just the last 4 days, I have lost 5 pounds, with no drugs or vitamins. It is not a malnourisment thing, I am just bustin *kitten* on the bike. I am also swapping the cereal box for Saltines and salsa when snacking (I can sit there and eat a whole 18 oz cereal box like popcorn). It is a new lifestyle for me, but I am making changes for the better. I do not own a microwave, as it has caused me to overeat, and eat fatty foods a lot more. Thanks for the input! I am going to try that tortilla trick. I like tortillas!
  • karmah2771
    karmah2771 Posts: 42 Member
    If you don't want to give up bread entirely, there are lower calorie versions out there. (Some of the "light" styles can be 45 calories a slice). Bagel things and sandwich thins are about 100 - 120 calories each. There are also low calorie wraps. You just have to read the labels and pick the ones calorie/ingredient/nutrition wise that are the best choice for you personally. You could also still have your higher per-calorie slice bread, just try an open-faced sandwich, or have a half sandwich.

    As for lunch meat, there are nitrate free ones out there you just have to do a search on what brands, etc. to look for and then see if you can find them locally. If you like chicken, ham, turkey, etc. you could just do it the old fashioned way. Cook a chicken (etc.), slice it up and then use it for your dinner and then extra for sandwiches for a few days. Then you don't have to worry about nitrates, etc. Tip: It's easier to cut the meat into thinner slices if you let it cool down. Even better if you let it cool, then refrigerate, then slice.
  • spokaloo
    spokaloo Posts: 25 Member
    Nature's Own Whole Wheat only has 50 calories per slice and those sandwich thins are also only 100 calories. Just an idea if you would like to have sandwiches. I love bread and pasta and it is hard to give up! Good luck :)
  • myfitnessval
    myfitnessval Posts: 687 Member
    i stopped eating bread for a long time and only recently added it back in in moderation. i rely on la tortilla factorys low carb whole wheat tortillas. theyre amazing. you can find them at most supermarkets or trader joes. they are a blessing.
  • I gave up bread and I will never go back. Anything that bloats you as much as bread does me can't possibly be good for your body.
    It really doesn't have many nutritional benefits anyway, so better to stick with something high protein, especially in the morning.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    I have decided that I am going to not eat bread in my diet. Rolls, Sandwich bread, Toast. I am looking at the nutrition facts, and on the sandwich bread, I would be eating over 200 calories just in bread, and that is just for one Sandwich! I decide that unless I am eating at Subway, I will not be eating bread. Plus, I feel that there are many other ways to get fiber (regular wheat bread doen't really have anything good in it anyways). Instead, I am going to get fiber out of my Kashi cereal, and when on my cycling rides, I have a protein and fiber packed energy bar. Any opinions on this? Any alternatives?
    I also feel sandwich meat has too many additives in them. Any advice on that?

    I haven't bought bread in forever. I eat small corn tortillas or a wholewheat tortilla now and then. I mostly use Iceberg lettuce leaves as wraps.
  • jtakingcareofherself
    jtakingcareofherself Posts: 144 Member
    Read "Wheat Belly" by William Davies MD and you'll learn the science behind why gluten reduction works so well for weight loss (and a lot of other health concerns). The book is also available as an MP3. I listen to non-fiction when I do cardio.
  • I gave up bread and I will never go back. Anything that bloats you as much as bread does me can't possibly be good for your body.
    It really doesn't have many nutritional benefits anyway, so better to stick with something high protein, especially in the morning.

    uuuuh..not true. have you eaten broccoli? bloat city!
  • alexveksler
    alexveksler Posts: 409 Member
    I gave up bread about a year ago. Best thing ever happened to me. There is nothing wrong wrapping your burger patty between 2 thick slices of lettuce. :)

    Most of my carbs are from veggies, although recently I've increased carb intake to 45 grams and able to eat fruit. I also increased my cardio exercise to keep my calorie deficit.
  • I gave up bread and I will never go back. Anything that bloats you as much as bread does me can't possibly be good for your body.
    It really doesn't have many nutritional benefits anyway, so better to stick with something high protein, especially in the morning.

    uuuuh..not true. have you eaten broccoli? bloat city!

    I eat quite a raw diet, and my body reacts quite well to cruciferous vegetables. I clearly said that bread bloats ME, thus, I don't believe it's good for my own body. Eat what works for you.
  • j_wilson2012
    j_wilson2012 Posts: 293
    Nature's Own Whole Wheat only has 50 calories per slice and those sandwich thins are also only 100 calories. Just an idea if you would like to have sandwiches. I love bread and pasta and it is hard to give up! Good luck :)

    the only difficulty with that is "Thin" doesn't tend to fill me up unless I have like half the package haha. When I buy lunch meat, I tend to buy the one ounce slices, and have like 3 of them. And this is why I am swaying away from bread, is because the lunch meat can have too much fat in them, and the healthier stuff is out of my budget. I hate having a sandwich where I am not sure where the meat is . I have a pretty fast metabolism, too
  • j_wilson2012
    j_wilson2012 Posts: 293
    :smile:
    I gave up bread and I will never go back. Anything that bloats you as much as bread does me can't possibly be good for your body.
    It really doesn't have many nutritional benefits anyway, so better to stick with something high protein, especially in the morning.

    uuuuh..not true. have you eaten broccoli? bloat city!

    I eat quite a raw diet, and my body reacts quite well to cruciferous vegetables. I clearly said that bread bloats ME, thus, I don't believe it's good for my own body. Eat what works for you.

    I wouldn't know what "bloated" feels like. I just feel full or gassy :smile:
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    I eat sara lee 45 cal a slice wheat bread, and thomas bagel thins. I would feel like something was really missing if I gave up the bread. About 10 years ago I did adkins, and cut out the bread and tortillas, etc, and the weight loss was dramatic.
  • Arexxx
    Arexxx Posts: 486 Member
    Thats basically what I do. I allow myself one peice of wholegrain bread a day, sometimes not even that.
    It's much better to get your carbs and calories from veggies.
  • BDazzle07
    BDazzle07 Posts: 2
    Read the book, Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD. It totally changed the way I look at bread and wheat products. I am one week wheat free and lost 5.2 this week. The only change was giving up wheat...I feel amazing!
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
    I go through periods of not eating bread and I lose weight quickly without trying because I replace those empty carbs with veggies and fruit. I just spend about a week at a conference, so I had some time off from my healthy eating, but back to breadless tomorrow now that I've been grocery shopping tonight and I've got some meals ready for tomorrow.

    I had a Paleo-style burger a couple days ago at a restaurant in Austin, Texas -- a grass-fed beef burger with portobello mushroom buns. It was really drippy. Good in its own way, but hardly like having a real burger. I keep bread as a treat when I want something like a real burger. I really miss bread in the first few days I stop eating it, but then I don't when I've been off the high starch foods for a while.
  • theologynerd
    theologynerd Posts: 264 Member
    Go primal, great results. http://www.marksdailyapple.com

    I second this. I have never felt better in my life, even when I was thin before. My husband and I are new people! Editing to add that yes, lunch meat is full of junk. Hormel does make some "natural" stuff that you could check out. I don't remember it being completely ideal, but certainly better than the alternatives.
  • jodyw83
    jodyw83 Posts: 38
    It's risky to cut out a whole food group when you are trying to lose weight. If you just allow yourself a reasonable portion size and fill up with low cal fruits and veggies, then you can satisfy that craving without feeling miserable or guilty. And your body NEEDS CARBS! I hate the low carb. I did it. Then I looked at a potato wrong and gained all the weight back. Look at your default MFP graphs and I know that mine is 55% carbs. We need these quick burning calories to get through, but people just eat too much of them. In moderation is fine. I eat a baked potato almost every day and I'm not shy of a sandwich or pasta and I've lost 50 lbs in a little under four months. I know it will be a lasting change because I'm not eliminating anything from my diet FOREVER! It's better to lose a little more slowly and spend this time learning how to eat properly. Then it won't be such a challenge when we are doing maintenance for the rest of our lives :) Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
  • marekdds
    marekdds Posts: 2,232 Member
    I was forced to give up bread, b/c of gluten. I don't miss it much. (I found gluten-free bread to be nasty) In turn there is no point in deli meats for me (loaded w/ salt & preservatives anyway) I never go hungry. I eat a lot of fruits & vegetables & dairy (which I don't have a problem with).Most bread is a lot of empty calories. It can be done. Good luck
  • j_wilson2012
    j_wilson2012 Posts: 293
    It's risky to cut out a whole food group when you are trying to lose weight. If you just allow yourself a reasonable portion size and fill up with low cal fruits and veggies, then you can satisfy that craving without feeling miserable or guilty. And your body NEEDS CARBS! I hate the low carb. I did it. Then I looked at a potato wrong and gained all the weight back. Look at your default MFP graphs and I know that mine is 55% carbs. We need these quick burning calories to get through, but people just eat too much of them. In moderation is fine. I eat a baked potato almost every day and I'm not shy of a sandwich or pasta and I've lost 50 lbs in a little under four months. I know it will be a lasting change because I'm not eliminating anything from my diet FOREVER! It's better to lose a little more slowly and spend this time learning how to eat properly. Then it won't be such a challenge when we are doing maintenance for the rest of our lives :) Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

    Dang, I brought up an interesting topic! I am not going to completely eliminate a food group. I am just substituting it. I look on the package of my bread, and all that it has listed are Calories, Calories from fat, and Carbs. Nutritionally it doesn't do anything for me. Given, it is the cheapest bread in the aisle. But I can still get the same amount of carbs, with fiber, in my cereal, and not have to add on extra calories like mayo and mustard, cheese and whatever is in my lunchmeat, not to mention what is put on toast.
    As far as breakfast, I have gotten rid of my one true love in the morning, pancakes and syrup. Maybe I will eat at Denny's about once a month to reward myself. I am going to focus on protein intake. I have increased my protein goals, as well as fat, because a lot of times they go hand in hand. I think my body can keep up with the fat intake, as long as it does not outweigh everything else.
    One of the previous people suggested substitute Tortillas for bread. I might like that trick, although I dont know what is in tortillas either, besides flour. But I think that would give me an excuse to make cheese quesadillas all the time. I would be too tempted not to.
  • stacygayle
    stacygayle Posts: 349 Member
    Sounds like a good plan to me. Bread really doesn't seem to have much value in my diet except as a comfort food. I don't eat much of it anymore
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    I'm gluten free due to an intolerance so I don't typically eat bread. When I do it's got to be gluten free and it just isn't the same as the wheat bread we're all used to. I make mine because I don't want to pay $7 for a loaf of specialty bread when it's cheap to make at home! Giving up bread doesn't mean that you have a carb free diet though. I get plenty of carbs from fruits, vegetables and gluten free grains that I occasionally eat.

    In place of bread I will use corn tortillas, lettuce or just roll up the lunch meat around some cheese and squirt a little spicy mustard on it. But I've never been a big bread fan anyway so I'm not saddened by this. It was a happy day for me when I realized that I could get a lettuce wrapped burger at Carl's Jr. and not because I was low carb or even gluten free at the time!
  • cfloresmt
    cfloresmt Posts: 33 Member
    I'm on a ketogenic diet. <10gr a day carbs I try. Feel amazing and havent looked this good in years, and with intermittent fasting I feel much more alert and active before my eating window.

    Anyways, things get so easy once your body adjusts to things. You become less hungry, more alert and aware of things. A v low carb diet really made a HUGE difference to me. Fat melts off if you couple it with some weight lifting. I built muscle and lost loads of bf in just two months on this diet.

    Bread and pizza were my favourite food. No more, and the few times I try eating it out nowadays I start craving for my meat. Get your body to adjust to things you want it to adjust to, at first it will be difficult but things get much easier past the first slope. Progress will keep you going.
  • It's risky to cut out a whole food group when you are trying to lose weight. If you just allow yourself a reasonable portion size and fill up with low cal fruits and veggies, then you can satisfy that craving without feeling miserable or guilty. And your body NEEDS CARBS! I hate the low carb. I did it. Then I looked at a potato wrong and gained all the weight back. Look at your default MFP graphs and I know that mine is 55% carbs. We need these quick burning calories to get through, but people just eat too much of them. In moderation is fine. I eat a baked potato almost every day and I'm not shy of a sandwich or pasta and I've lost 50 lbs in a little under four months. I know it will be a lasting change because I'm not eliminating anything from my diet FOREVER! It's better to lose a little more slowly and spend this time learning how to eat properly. Then it won't be such a challenge when we are doing maintenance for the rest of our lives :) Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

    Dang, I brought up an interesting topic! I am not going to completely eliminate a food group. I am just substituting it. I look on the package of my bread, and all that it has listed are Calories, Calories from fat, and Carbs. Nutritionally it doesn't do anything for me. Given, it is the cheapest bread in the aisle. But I can still get the same amount of carbs, with fiber, in my cereal, and not have to add on extra calories like mayo and mustard, cheese and whatever is in my lunchmeat, not to mention what is put on toast.
    As far as breakfast, I have gotten rid of my one true love in the morning, pancakes and syrup. Maybe I will eat at Denny's about once a month to reward myself. I am going to focus on protein intake. I have increased my protein goals, as well as fat, because a lot of times they go hand in hand. I think my body can keep up with the fat intake, as long as it does not outweigh everything else.
    One of the previous people suggested substitute Tortillas for bread. I might like that trick, although I dont know what is in tortillas either, besides flour. But I think that would give me an excuse to make cheese quesadillas all the time. I would be too tempted not to.

    I wouldn't look at it as eliminating a whole food group when there are so few nutritional benefits that you get from eating it! Vegetables still give you your carb intake and are highly nutritious. No one mentioned giving up potatoes.
  • j_wilson2012
    j_wilson2012 Posts: 293
    I'm gluten free due to an intolerance so I don't typically eat bread. When I do it's got to be gluten free and it just isn't the same as the wheat bread we're all used to. I make mine because I don't want to pay $7 for a loaf of specialty bread when it's cheap to make at home! Giving up bread doesn't mean that you have a carb free diet though. I get plenty of carbs from fruits, vegetables and gluten free grains that I occasionally eat.

    In place of bread I will use corn tortillas, lettuce or just roll up the lunch meat around some cheese and squirt a little spicy mustard on it. But I've never been a big bread fan anyway so I'm not saddened by this. It was a happy day for me when I realized that I could get a lettuce wrapped burger at Carl's Jr. and not because I was low carb or even gluten free at the time!

    Oooooh, what I wouldn't do for a Double Western right now!