I love carbs.....

[ProudGrandma]

I love pasta, bread, rolls, crackers...so much, I fear...so much my tummy is getting bigger than I like. What is the best way to make limiting carbs not so painful? How much can I eat without too much damage?

 

I am 5ft2in... Small build...except my tummy and behind.

 

Any suggestions for me?

 

Thanks.

[AimeeM]

Following. DH is Italian and food--especially carbs--is his love language. Well, actually, it's his entire family's love language. Food (pastas, breads, cakes, etc.) is how everything is done... funerals, birthdays, holidays, baptisms, arguments, make-ups, you name it. 

 

He needs to cut back on the carbs, but cutting them out entirely isn't sustainable for him long term. 

 

So, no advice, just following the thread.

[Guinevere]

Can you try some mock dishes? There are some paleo recipes that feel carby, but aren't. Maybe just start by switching to paleo forms, even some rice noodles, and then ease off from there. Instead of trying to eat less, eat more! (Just of the knock-off version).

[QueenCat]

Focus on complex carbs. Whole wheat versions can be found of most things. My dr helped me device an eating plan that allowed carbs yet allowed me to reach a healthier weight. I eat approx. 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat. I'm now at a healthy, sustainable weight. The key for me was that I crave carbs but that I needed to change the type of carbs we eat. So all the rice is brown rice, all the pasta is whole wheat, the flour is white whole wheat, etc. It works for me.

[MBM]

Different nut flours can work well as substitutes. Some of the almond flour/meal breads use baking powder to give it more of a "real" bread texture. There's one on Reddit that's supposed to be good. Pinterest is also a good resource for these kinds of recipes. I prefer nut flours over grains nowadays. Tasty and filling.

[AimeeM]

Focus on complex carbs. Whole wheat versions can be found of most things. My dr helped me device an eating plan that allowed carbs yet allowed me to reach a healthier weight. I eat approx. 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat. I'm now at a healthy, sustainable weight. The key for me was that I crave carbs but that I needed to change the type of carbs we eat. So all the rice is brown rice, all the pasta is whole wheat, the flour is white whole wheat, etc. It works for me.

 

For pastas and rices, have you found brands that you prefer the taste and consistency of?

[MyLife]

Actually, I have found that cutting carbs has completely zapped my desire for carbs and sugar. I eat 20-30 carbs per day. I was afraid I would crave them, but I don't.

 

ETA: You will feel bad for a couple of days if you significantly cut carbs, but after that the craving stop.

Edited August 29, 2017 by MyLife

[kewb]

I, too, love carbs.

I rarely buy bread because I will eat it.

I switched to whole wheat pasta decades ago. White pasta is a special treat.

I have never found a satisfactory brown rice. I will eat it but it is not as enjoyable as white rice. My dh and kids won't eat it.

 

When my husband developed type II diabetes we switched to a low carb lifestyle. I don't crave carbs the way I used to. I still enjoy them but I don't have the cravings like I used to.

[happypamama]

Zucchini noodles are not terrible. They give the mouth feel of spaghetti, anyway, so I can eat some of my favorite dishes that need a pasta. And mashed cauliflower makes a decent stand in for potatoes; it's also really good loaded with cheese, cream cheese, bacon, and green onions.

 

If you go low carb but are okay with high fat, cheese, avocados, olives, etc. can give the hefty feel that carbs do, so they're satisfying.

 

I would focus heavily on low carb at breakfast. I eat eggs with cheese and often veggies and/or mushrooms, all fried in real butter, almost every morning, and it definitely makes a difference in how I feel and what I crave throughout the day.

[dsmith]

I love carbs, too, but I ended up going gluten-free to reduce inflammation. I allow myself oats, sweet potatoes or long-grain wild rice about 4 times a week. I don't function well if I go very low carb. I've found some almond flour crackers that are delicious, and occasionally I have some potato chips or tortilla chips from Jackson's Honest. I don't bother with commercial g/f baked goods because they usually have ingredients I can't have or too much added sugar. Since I started eating this way I've lost just over 30 pounds, but I eat a LOT of veggies and fruit, 7 - 9 cups a day, so I can't say it's just going gluten-free that did it. Dh recently bought me some pasta made from chick peas and it was pretty good! I don't eat it often, but once in a while I really crave pasta with a meat sauce. I live in a carb hell, surrounded by cookies, breads, occasional cakes and pies, donuts... :drool5:  It's really hard sometimes but wheat causes a ton of inflammation in my body, and with 2 auto-immune diseases I avoid inflammation like the plague, lol. 

 

Before changing my diet I followed Weight Watchers. The new plan really helped me to lower my carb intake without feeling deprived, and their new social media platform was filled with great ideas. I loved it, but it didn't work well with my new eating plan, which is somewhat high in healthy fats, so I was going over my points and losing weight. 

[fraidycat]

I love carbs, too, but I ended up going gluten-free to reduce inflammation. I allow myself oats, sweet potatoes or long-grain wild rice about 4 times a week. I don't function well if I go very low carb. I've found some almond flour crackers that are delicious, and occasionally I have some potato chips or tortilla chips from Jackson's Honest. I don't bother with commercial g/f baked goods because they usually have ingredients I can't have or too much added sugar. Since I started eating this way I've lost just over 30 pounds, but I eat a LOT of veggies and fruit, 7 - 9 cups a day, so I can't say it's just going gluten-free that did it. Dh recently bought me some pasta made from chick peas and it was pretty good! I don't eat it often, but once in a while I really crave pasta with a meat sauce. I live in a carb hell, surrounded by cookies, breads, occasional cakes and pies, donuts... :drool5: It's really hard sometimes but wheat causes a ton of inflammation in my body, and with 2 auto-immune diseases I avoid inflammation like the plague, lol.

 

Before changing my diet I followed Weight Watchers. The new plan really helped me to lower my carb intake without feeling deprived, and their new social media platform was filled with great ideas. I loved it, but it didn't work well with my new eating plan, which is somewhat high in healthy fats, so I was going over my points and losing weight.

I have a killer gf almond flour pasta recipe. I wouldn't say it's low carb b/c it has tapioca and arrowroot but it honest to God tastes exactly like "real" pasta. I do have a manual spaghetti noodle machine, but I usually just make lasagna noodles out of it because I'm lazy. My nephew who HATES anything considered "paleo-ish" ate a piece of my lasagna and "said this is really good, did Auntie C (a fantastic cook) make it?" because he knows that I don't cook with, and our household doesn't eat wheat unless Auntie C brings treats for the rest of the family. :D

 

I'm on vacation right now, but if you remind me next week, I can share the recipe.

[Epicurean]

Following. I'm doing maintenance level (100g) because that's what Dr. Atkins recommended for breastfeeding women, but I fully expect:

 

a) even the extra carbs I'm allowed to eat will be no where near enough for my intense cravings

 

b) my breast milk supply will probably still take a huge hit, even when eating to fullness

 

I feel seriously addicted. Like I dream about croissants and pizza. I know I need to make this change, but it makes me want to cry. Especially because life is hard right now in other ways, so I have to resist the urge to turn to comfort food.

[Rosie_0801]

Eat more cheese?  :drool5:

[QueenCat]

For pastas and rices, have you found brands that you prefer the taste and consistency of?

 

For pasta, I have been fine with any of the name brands. Store brands have been a mixed bag. I don't like the Giant brand but the Harris Teeter was fine.

 

For rice, I like the RiceSelect Jasmati and the Harris Teeter Brown Jasmine. For brown long rice, Mahatma.

[Anne]

Here are two things we did:

 

First, we stopped eating more than one carb at a meal - bread OR pasta OR dessert - not all three which was what we used to do.

 

Reduce dessert to twice a week rather than every day.

 

JUst these two were relatively easy and made a lot of difference. From there, you can decide what, if any, changes need to be made.

 

Anne

[Katy]

DH says the Tinkyada brown rice pasta I eat due to allergies is much more filling than the regular kind, but doesn't taste much different. 

 

I had an Italian friend tell me once that in Italy they consider pasta to be healthy food, and it's meat they consider fattening.  But she also pointed out that most pasta there is handmade with flour and eggs and a pinch of salt, so by adding a bit of tomato sauce it really is a complete meal and more filling.  Not the boxed flour and water junk here.

 

She also mentioned that in Italy you walk everywhere to just do life - she thought that if you walked 3 hours a day and avoid junk you can eat whatever you want without exercise.  She also tended to fast for 3 days or so if she gained weight, or to skip all meals but have a huge dinner if she was worried about her weight.

[regentrude]

Physical activity.

In our extended family, we all like carbs and just eat them. The traditional diet in my home country is very carb based and has been for centuries. We are physically active and walk a lot, except for my dad, the only family member who is overweight. Females in my family live healthy lives into their nineties.

 

Unless there is a medical reason like diabetes, I see no need to jump through hoops to replace carbs. Just burn them.

Edited August 29, 2017 by regentrude

[Carrie12345]

Whole grain everything!

 

I've always loved carbs, and I still do. But a single serving of whole grain pasta satisfies me, while I could easily eat my way through multiple servings of stripped spaghetti!  Same for rice, breads, etc.  My stomach knows when to say when on whole grains.

[regentrude]

Actually, I have found that cutting carbs has completely zapped my desire for carbs and sugar. I eat 20-30 carbs per day. I was afraid I would crave them, but I don't.

ETA: You will feel bad for a couple of days if you significantly cut carbs, but after that the craving stop.

 

This may not generally be true. When I had to cut out bread (because I developed an intolerance to store bought breads), I never reached that stage. I lost weight, which I never intended, and was constantly hungry. I cannot eat eggs fried in butter in the morning - I'd just puke. I still find it difficult to replace the lost bread calories.

Low carb does not work for everybody; fat and protein are much harder to digest.

Edited August 29, 2017 by regentrude

[teachermom2834]

Same here. Italian family plus growing up with unlimited junk food. I am a total carbaholic and thought that could never change.

 

I know it is not helpful but the only thing that helps for me is to go almost zero carb. That zaps the cravings if I can stay on it long enough to get to that place. I am currently where I don't miss them and am doing well without them. I can have some at one meal or a lone cookie once a week or so. Anymore than that and I am off the wagon.

 

I tried making everything whole grain and that didn't help at all. I gain weight every time I do that. I think whole grain carbs are still delicious and they can be calorie dense. I don't find they fill me up so much that I don't overeat.

 

For me it feels like an addiction that I can't dabble in. Every time I start back with carbs I just feel awful. So as much as I love them I feel happier and healthier on a low carb diet.

 

I wish moderation worked for me! I love to bake (and eat) my own bread :(

Edited August 29, 2017 by teachermom2834

[wintermom]

Eat more cheese?  :drool5:

 

This or eat more proteins. Fill up on other foods, and the desire to eat carbs decreases. 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by wintermom

[MBM]

I have a killer gf almond flour pasta recipe. I wouldn't say it's low carb b/c it has tapioca and arrowroot but it honest to God tastes exactly like "real" pasta. I do have a manual spaghetti noodle machine, but I usually just make lasagna noodles out of it because I'm lazy. My nephew who HATES anything considered "paleo-ish" ate a piece of my lasagna and "said this is really good, did Auntie C (a fantastic cook) make it?" because he knows that I don't cook with, and our household doesn't eat wheat unless Auntie C brings treats for the rest of the family. :D

 

I'm on vacation right now, but if you remind me next week, I can share the recipe.

I would love that recipe!

[KrissiK]

Actually, I have found that cutting carbs has completely zapped my desire for carbs and sugar. I eat 20-30 carbs per day. I was afraid I would crave them, but I don't.

 

ETA: You will feel bad for a couple of days if you significantly cut carbs, but after that the craving stop.

This. It'd difficult at first, but it seems like if you can make it through the first 2-3 days, you don't crave so much. I've been on a very up and down journey with low-carb for the past year. I do feel better and I don't crave carbs when I'm "on the wagon". And I find, too, that sugar makes me bloated. My stomach is much flatter after a couple of days with no carbs. However, I am working out the whole, "you gotta live, too" thing. When I go out, I will have carbs, but only carbs I like. I try to make it count. For example: last week we had Awana training at church and they served pizza. Pizza, and especially that brand, does not tempt me. It would have been good, but not worth the carbs to me. So, I piled my plate with salad. OTOT, this weekend we went to the Fall Festival at our church camp. Homemade blueberry pie with homemade Icecream?? Yes, please. That was worth it to me. But, I'm home this week, so I'm back to salads, protein shakes ,etc.

[Reefgazer]

This.  Once you're off the excess carbs, you will crave them less.  Cutting back very gradually worked for me.

This. It'd difficult at first, but it seems like if you can make it through the first 2-3 days, you don't crave so much. I've been on a very up and down journey with low-carb for the past year. I do feel better and I don't crave carbs when I'm "on the wagon". And I find, too, that sugar makes me bloated. My stomach is much flatter after a couple of days with no carbs. However, I am working out the whole, "you gotta live, too" thing. When I go out, I will have carbs, but only carbs I like. I try to make it count. For example: last week we had Awana training at church and they served pizza. Pizza, and especially that brand, does not tempt me. It would have been good, but not worth the carbs to me. So, I piled my plate with salad. OTOT, this weekend we went to the Fall Festival at our church camp. Homemade blueberry pie with homemade Icecream?? Yes, please. That was worth it to me. But, I'm home this week, so I'm back to salads, protein shakes ,etc.

 

[AnnE-girl]

My kids have done much better with a mix of zucchini noodles and whole wheat spaghetti rather than a complete switch. Maybe cutting down on carbs that way would help?

[trulycrabby]

There's a way to cook rice that cuts the carb calories:http://time.com/3754097/rice-calories-resistant-starch/

[fraidycat]

I would love that recipe!

Found it even without my computer bookmarks! There are a lot of similar ones out there, but I know and love this one, so here it is.

 

http://www.paleocupboard.com/paleo-pasta.html

 

Couple things, because I'm lazy:

 

I've never used blanched almond flour - regular works fine.

 

I've never used the food processor and all the fussy step by step stuff. I either dump it all in a bowl and mix/knead by hand, or toss it in the Kitchen Aid with the dough hook, then knead by hand for the last couple minutes.

[ProudGrandma]

Thanks for all of this. I am thinking I want to just reduce the amount of carbs I eat...I think it might kill me to eliminate them altogether.

[happypamama]

This. It'd difficult at first, but it seems like if you can make it through the first 2-3 days, you don't crave so much. I've been on a very up and down journey with low-carb for the past year. I do feel better and I don't crave carbs when I'm "on the wagon". And I find, too, that sugar makes me bloated. My stomach is much flatter after a couple of days with no carbs. However, I am working out the whole, "you gotta live, too" thing. When I go out, I will have carbs, but only carbs I like. I try to make it count. For example: last week we had Awana training at church and they served pizza. Pizza, and especially that brand, does not tempt me. It would have been good, but not worth the carbs to me. So, I piled my plate with salad. OTOT, this weekend we went to the Fall Festival at our church camp. Homemade blueberry pie with homemade Icecream?? Yes, please. That was worth it to me. But, I'm home this week, so I'm back to salads, protein shakes ,etc.

That's how I feel about so many things as well.  The kids wanted pizza last weekend.  The pizza they wanted wasn't worth the carbs to DH or me.  So we had zucchini noodles with alfredo sauce and homemade shrimp scampi.  Could have eaten many pounds of that scampi (and would have if it wasn't so expensive, even on sale) -- it was totally worth the effort!  But then I made a pie with peaches from a local orchard, picked at peak peach time, and that was worth the carbs.

 

The kids' English muffins this morning, on a cold, rainy day when I woke up with a headache, looked pretty good.  But I don't really love plain English muffins, so I figured it wasn't really worth the carb splurge.  I opted for an omelet with cheese and mushrooms, plus coffee with cream and toffee stevia, and the English muffins didn't look as appealing once I had eaten my breakfast.  Now, if they'd been one of the flavored ones like cranberry or french toast, that might have been worth the carb splurge.  Bagels are not.  I think that's a healthier way to look at things -- do I really enjoy this item?  If not, skip it.

[MyLife]

This. It'd difficult at first, but it seems like if you can make it through the first 2-3 days, you don't crave so much. I've been on a very up and down journey with low-carb for the past year. I do feel better and I don't crave carbs when I'm "on the wagon". And I find, too, that sugar makes me bloated. My stomach is much flatter after a couple of days with no carbs. However, I am working out the whole, "you gotta live, too" thing. When I go out, I will have carbs, but only carbs I like. I try to make it count. For example: last week we had Awana training at church and they served pizza. Pizza, and especially that brand, does not tempt me. It would have been good, but not worth the carbs to me. So, I piled my plate with salad. OTOT, this weekend we went to the Fall Festival at our church camp. Homemade blueberry pie with homemade Icecream?? Yes, please. That was worth it to me. But, I'm home this week, so I'm back to salads, protein shakes ,etc.

We went out to eat today for lunch. I ate salad, zucchini, and grilled chicken and felt VERY satisfied. I didn't eat (or even want to eat) the bread on the table and did not partake in dessert. I don't at all feel deprived. But if I were merely restricting calories without watching carbs, it would have been a major battle to not eat the bread and dessert.

ETA: At a cookout a few nights ago, I ate a bunless burger and few fries. I love fries, it was a "party," so I ate like 4 or 5 fries, and I was satisfied.

Edited August 29, 2017 by MyLife

[MyLife]

This may not generally be true. When I had to cut out bread (because I developed an intolerance to store bought breads), I never reached that stage. I lost weight, which I never intended, and was constantly hungry. I cannot eat eggs fried in butter in the morning - I'd just puke. I still find it difficult to replace the lost bread calories.

Low carb does not work for everybody; fat and protein are much harder to digest.

There are many options besides fried eggs in butter 😂 Edited August 29, 2017 by MyLife

[regentrude]

There are many options besides fried eggs in butter 😂

 

That was a specific example mentioned by another poster as a satisfying meal w/o carbs. Anything else high fat would similarly not work for me. Some people cannot digest a high fat diet, for example if they don't have a gall bladder. Carbs are easily digestible. 

Without carbs, I am just freaking hungry all the time and struggle to consume enough calories.  There's only so much nut butter one can stomach.

Edited August 29, 2017 by regentrude

[regentrude]

I don't understand the vilification of carbohydrates. Carbs have been the staple of many traditional diets for centuries - because protein and fat were expensive, and it was not feasible for most people to consume the massive amounts of meat proponents of low carb diets suggest (yes, I know, the inuit only had meat and fish, but that seems to be an exception). For centuries, people have managed to live on carb heavy traditional diets without developing obesity or diabetes. 

Do many people eat too much sugar? Yes, absolutely. But carbohydrates per se have always been a staple, for a variety of reasons. Deciding that they are evil is very odd. 

Edited August 29, 2017 by regentrude

[EmilyGF]

I love pasta, bread, rolls, crackers...so much, I fear...so much my tummy is getting bigger than I like. What is the best way to make limiting carbs not so painful? How much can I eat without too much damage?

 

I am 5ft2in... Small build...except my tummy and behind.

 

Any suggestions for me?

 

Thanks.

Measure them out on your plate and don't take seconds? Make sure you savor every single bite instead of rushing on to the next? Don't put carbs out to "graze" on but serve them up on a plate and then put away. That way you don't fool yourself into thinking you have eaten a reasonable amount. 

 

Plate up the food in the amount you think should be satisfying and don't go back for seconds.

 

(The way I best lose weight is to follow No-S - no snacks, no seconds, and no sweets except on S days.)

 

Save sugary things for special occasions, and no, getting up in the morning isn't a special occasion!

 

Emily

[mamaraby]

Low carb does not work for everybody; fat and protein are much harder to digest.

Heck yeah! Low carb makes me nauseous and it never goes away. Feeling like you're about to throw up every day for six months is no way to live.

 

There is no one way to lose weight. Low carb works for someone? Good for them, but it is not *the one and only* solution. Weight loss is an n=1 situation. MyLife loves it? Good for her. That she loves it, does not feel deprived, and her body was able to adapt? Fantastic! That is not a generalizable principle to everyone else. Just because it works for her /= it will work for everyone else. I get that people are excited about what they feel works for them, but be careful that your excitement does not dismiss the experiences and concerns of others.

 

OP, I like carbs. Fiber fills me up. So I found a way to eat those things and lose weight - as in, I lost 104lbs and counting. I was only ever able to stick with a low carb, high fat diet once. It lasted 6mos, I felt terrible and lost 40lbs. When I went off the LCHF diet I gained those 40lbs back and then some. Then I tried low carb several other times including Paleo/Primal/South Beach/Sommersizing/etc and each time the amount of time I could stick with it got smaller and smaller until I gave up altogether. I got all the way up to 274lbs on my home scale and despaired because everyone always said LCHF was the *only* way to be successful.

 

Then one day, I decided I'd had enough. I didn't want to be nearing 300lbs. I didn't want my feet to hurt all the time. I didn't want to eat LC so I'd try something else even if it wasn't the "right" way. I counted calories first. Then I found shortcuts that worked for me. I still eat bread and pasta. I just make it count. I don't eat my pasta with a bunch of oil/cheese/fat. I choose whole grain except when I don't. I have a sandwich. I eat rice and beans and oats and potatoes of every color. I eat the "wrong" fruit. I ignore the glycemic index.

 

Small changes that you can sustain for the rest of your life will win out over a "diet" you go on temporarily every single time. Based upon how the OP is describing herself, I would look less at carbs or bread as the culprit and I would suspect that a LCHF diet is maybe not a good fit. So, if it were me, I'd record what I eat all day for a week so that I could be honest with myself about what I'm eating. What goes with that bread or pasta? Then, I'd look back over that one week and figure out a small change I could make. And I'd just do that for awhile. Then I'd pick another change.

 

Maybe the answer is to moderate your intake. In fact, maybe that's answer enough if you don't have a lot of weight to lose. Maybe you eat bread a few times a week. Maybe being honest with yourself about serving sizes does it. You won't know until you try it.

 

It doesn't have to be painful and you don't have to give up everything you love.

[ProudGrandma]

I don't understand the vilification of carbohydrates. Carbs have been the staple of many traditional diets for centuries - because protein and fat were expensive, and it was not feasible for most people to consume the massive amounts of meat proponents of low carb diets suggest (yes, I know, the inuit only had meat and fish, but that seems to be an exception). For centuries, people have managed to live on carb heavy traditional diets without developing obesity or diabetes.

Do many people eat too much sugar? Yes, absolutely. But carbohydrates per se have always been a staple, for a variety of reasons. Deciding that they are evil is very odd.

I am not really over weight, by any means...I probably weigh about 115... But I have my tummy.

 

So maybe carbs aren't my problem. So what can I do? Will exercise alone do it?

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

[mathnerd]

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a balanced diet. I don't think that a no-carb or low-carb diet will work for me. I eat lower carb - which means a larger proportion of protein and vegetables in my meals every day. But, I do eat carbs. I modified my diet 2 decades ago to eat only whole grains. I eat a mixture of whole grain - quinoa, whole wheat, steelcut oatmeal, barley, millet, freekeh, brown rice etc. I cook this mixture and frequently add sweet potato to this mixture as well. This is my carbohydrate component to my meal. My friend from Asia told me that in her country many people substituted white rice with a similar mixture and I tried it and liked it very much. I also buy organic whole wheat pasta in bulk from costco. I have found that whole grain carbs make me feel full without overeating. So, my portions are controlled and I don't feel hungry often in a day. I also eat a salad with lunch and dinner and hence the bulk of my meals are non-carbohydrates.

[regentrude]

I am not really over weight, by any means...I probably weigh about 115... But I have my tummy.

So maybe carbs aren't my problem. So what can I do? Will exercise alone do it?

 

Exercise can certainly tone the abdominal muscles. But it may not eliminate the tummy.

Tummy can also mean you might be storing water. Or be bloated; I get a very visible tummy when I eat certain things that cause gas to develop. It goes away when I avoid these foods, without any actual change in weight. (ETA: I am not talking about a "slight" tummy -  I look  pregnant when I eat certain foods)

 

But also, perhaps the expectation that adult women are supposed to have a flat stomach is simply unrealistic.

Edited August 29, 2017 by regentrude

[MBM]

I don't understand the vilification of carbohydrates. Carbs have been the staple of many traditional diets for centuries - because protein and fat were expensive, and it was not feasible for most people to consume the massive amounts of meat proponents of low carb diets suggest (yes, I know, the inuit only had meat and fish, but that seems to be an exception). For centuries, people have managed to live on carb heavy traditional diets without developing obesity or diabetes. 

Do many people eat too much sugar? Yes, absolutely. But carbohydrates per se have always been a staple, for a variety of reasons. Deciding that they are evil is very odd. 

 

If anything has been vilified in the past 30 years in the US, it's been fat.

 

I agree that carbs can and should be eaten. Most people I know, even those on very low carb diets, do eat carbs but they tend to be vegetables and fruit.

 

For some, grains cause problems. My youngest for some reason has problems with gluten. Both my husband and I carry one of the genes for Celiac so maybe that's it. I also know people who have no digestive problems eating bread while in many European countries but do have problems with US bread. There must be some difference. Maybe ours has been more hybridized? I don't know.

 

People should eat what works for their body. Sugar in great abundance is not a good idea, though. I think most people except the US sugar lobby would agree.

[MBM]

I am not really over weight, by any means...I probably weigh about 115... But I have my tummy.

 

So maybe carbs aren't my problem. So what can I do? Will exercise alone do it?

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

 

It's possible to be thin and have a fair amount of fat. One of the ladies in our group weighed in at 140-ish pounds but was 40% fat according to her DEXA scan.

 

You could try fasting if you can safely fast. You'd want to read how to do it, though, and ideally have a doctor monitor you. (Good luck there.) Jason Fung and Valter Longo discuss fasting and techniques, what to watch out for. Tummy fat is the first to go during a fast. Fat in the organs, then fat around the organs. I'm doing a mini-fast right now actually. :D

[regentrude]

 I also know people who have no digestive problems eating bread while in many European countries but do have problems with US bread. There must be some difference. Maybe ours has been more hybridized? I don't know.

 

I definitely found this to be true. I can eat bread in Germany just fine, but I cannot eat store bought bread in the US. Since I can, however, eat bread that I bake myself in the US from flour available in regular stores, I am inclined to believe that the culprit is something in the processing/an additive, and not the different varietal of grain.

 

If anything has been vilified in the past 30 years in the US, it's been fat.

 

and that is stupid, too. All that tasteless low fat crap with tons of sugars so it tastes like something. Give me a small real piece of full fat cheese - much more satisfying that an entire package of the low fat nonsense.

 

Can we just go back to eating real food?

Edited August 29, 2017 by regentrude

[Rosie_0801]

I am not really over weight, by any means...I probably weigh about 115... But I have my tummy.

 

So maybe carbs aren't my problem. So what can I do? Will exercise alone do it?

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

 

Diastasis Recti? 

[J-rap]

This was an interesting article I read today...

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/large-study-suggests-carbs-not-fats-bad-for-you/

 

 

[mamaraby]

This was an interesting article I read today...

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/large-study-suggests-carbs-not-fats-bad-for-you/

This article and the study it reports on is absolutely part of the problem. From the article:

 

The researchers noted that their study did not look at the specific types of food from which nutrients were derived. And, that, said Bethany O'Dea, constitutes a "major flaw from a nutrition standpoint." O'Dea is a cardiothoracic dietitian with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

It didn't look into specific types of carbohydrates - just lumped everything together. Ok, but an apple is a carb and so is sugar.

 

Also, they relied on self-reporting via questionnaires and then calculated average daily calories and macros from that? From a study quality perspective? I'd want something far higher quality than this.

[wintermom]

I love pasta, bread, rolls, crackers...

 

Do you really? Or do you actually love them as a medium for getting sugar, salt and/or fat into your body?

 

Plain pasta, bread, rolls, crackers are not "love" worthy because they have almost no taste. I doubt you actually eat them without sugar, salt or fat. 

 

So think about what it is that you actually do "love."

Edited August 30, 2017 by wintermom

[MyLife]

Heck yeah! Low carb makes me nauseous and it never goes away. Feeling like you're about to throw up every day for six months is no way to live.

 

There is no one way to lose weight. Low carb works for someone? Good for them, but it is not *the one and only* solution. Weight loss is an n=1 situation. MyLife loves it? Good for her. That she loves it, does not feel deprived, and her body was able to adapt? Fantastic! That is not a generalizable principle to everyone else. Just because it works for her /= it will work for everyone else. I get that people are excited about what they feel works for them, but be careful that your excitement does not dismiss the experiences and concerns of others.

 

OP, I like carbs. Fiber fills me up. So I found a way to eat those things and lose weight - as in, I lost 104lbs and counting. I was only ever able to stick with a low carb, high fat diet once. It lasted 6mos, I felt terrible and lost 40lbs. When I went off the LCHF diet I gained those 40lbs back and then some. Then I tried low carb several other times including Paleo/Primal/South Beach/Sommersizing/etc and each time the amount of time I could stick with it got smaller and smaller until I gave up altogether. I got all the way up to 274lbs on my home scale and despaired because everyone always said LCHF was the *only* way to be successful.

 

Then one day, I decided I'd had enough. I didn't want to be nearing 300lbs. I didn't want my feet to hurt all the time. I didn't want to eat LC so I'd try something else even if it wasn't the "right" way. I counted calories first. Then I found shortcuts that worked for me. I still eat bread and pasta. I just make it count. I don't eat my pasta with a bunch of oil/cheese/fat. I choose whole grain except when I don't. I have a sandwich. I eat rice and beans and oats and potatoes of every color. I eat the "wrong" fruit. I ignore the glycemic index.

 

Small changes that you can sustain for the rest of your life will win out over a "diet" you go on temporarily every single time. Based upon how the OP is describing herself, I would look less at carbs or bread as the culprit and I would suspect that a LCHF diet is maybe not a good fit. So, if it were me, I'd record what I eat all day for a week so that I could be honest with myself about what I'm eating. What goes with that bread or pasta? Then, I'd look back over that one week and figure out a small change I could make. And I'd just do that for awhile. Then I'd pick another change.

 

Maybe the answer is to moderate your intake. In fact, maybe that's answer enough if you don't have a lot of weight to lose. Maybe you eat bread a few times a week. Maybe being honest with yourself about serving sizes does it. You won't know until you try it.

 

It doesn't have to be painful and you don't have to give up everything you love.

The thread is about limiting carbs. Read the original post. I shared my experience, but because it is not the same opinion as some others' experiences, it is now dismissive? Don't want to eat low carb? Then don't do it.

[regentrude]

Do you really? Or do you actually love them as a medium for getting sugar, salt and/or fat into your body?

Plain pasta, bread, rolls, crackers are not "love" worthy because they have almost no taste. I doubt you actually eat them without sugar, salt or fat. 

So think about what it is that you actually do "love."

 

That is an odd assumption. I don't know what kind of bread or rolls you eat, but I know they must not be particularly good. Really good bread and rolls are wonderful all by themselves. That's why there is a bakery on every corner in Germany :) And that's why, when I bake and the bread comes out of the oven before dinner, my folks will devour an entire loaf in one sitting.

Edited August 30, 2017 by regentrude

[dsmith]

I'd break out my Atlas pasta machine for that! 

I have a killer gf almond flour pasta recipe. I wouldn't say it's low carb b/c it has tapioca and arrowroot but it honest to God tastes exactly like "real" pasta. I do have a manual spaghetti noodle machine, but I usually just make lasagna noodles out of it because I'm lazy. My nephew who HATES anything considered "paleo-ish" ate a piece of my lasagna and "said this is really good, did Auntie C (a fantastic cook) make it?" because he knows that I don't cook with, and our household doesn't eat wheat unless Auntie C brings treats for the rest of the family. :D

I'm on vacation right now, but if you remind me next week, I can share the recipe.

 

[mamaraby]

The thread is about limiting carbs. Read the original post. I shared my experience, but because it is not the same opinion as some others' experiences, it is now dismissive? Don't want to eat low carb? Then don't do it.

Except that what the OP is talking about doesn't necessarily require she limit carbs which was my point. And yes, you were dismissive of regenetrude.

 

If the OP is a self professed lover of carbs then low carb may not be a good fit.

[Ausmumof3]

DH says the Tinkyada brown rice pasta I eat due to allergies is much more filling than the regular kind, but doesn't taste much different.

 

I had an Italian friend tell me once that in Italy they consider pasta to be healthy food, and it's meat they consider fattening. But she also pointed out that most pasta there is handmade with flour and eggs and a pinch of salt, so by adding a bit of tomato sauce it really is a complete meal and more filling. Not the boxed flour and water junk here.

 

She also mentioned that in Italy you walk everywhere to just do life - she thought that if you walked 3 hours a day and avoid junk you can eat whatever you want without exercise. She also tended to fast for 3 days or so if she gained weight, or to skip all meals but have a huge dinner if she was worried about her weight.

Also although it's probably less common now there were traditionally fasts etc as well as the feasts