Cutting carbs

Hello people, I recently (within 2 months) changed my diet for the better and am doing cardio on a regular basis. I am at around 150 and want to be at 140-144. I have encorporated excellent eating habits and are sticking to them well. I just wonder if I am consuming too many carbs, I have one or two pieces of wheat or multigrain toast for breakfast and a turkey or tuna sandwich plain for lunch, again with two pieces of bread. Should I cut down to help me lose weight quicker, perhaps even cutting out my carbs completely. I dont drink milk or eat cheese as dairy makes me feel quezzy.

cutting out any macronutrient sets you up for success in the short term and i'm sure you can guess what will happen in the long term. don't restrict your carbs but perhaps you should try varying them. for example, have oatmeal instead of toast, so that you are getting oats and not just bread, try beans on your salad instead of a sandwich each day. have a wild rice stir fry for dinner, don't get all of your carbs from bread but make sure you are consuming enough whole grains because this is actually beneficial for weight loss!

definately dont cut your carbs completely.  ive done that before and its just flat out not sustainable.  however, i personally think its a good idea to rarely base a meal aroud carbs.  also, i dont really consider vegetables carbs even though they are just because i cant imagine any healthy eating plan that would restrict vegetable intake (except for maybe corn and potatoes because they are really starchy).    I think keeping meals balanced is the key.   Also, you gotta do whatever is working for you as long as you're not starving yourself or taking diet pills or something else dangerous.   Usually extreme low carb doesnt work for people just because its so unsustainable.   Listen to your body.

Carbs help give you energy.  Where people get in trouble (and was has given carbs a bad name) is when you practically live off of carbs, like have them be the majority of every meal, but then spend all day sitting at your desk and then come home and be a couch potato.   If you are exercising, you are fine and need these carbs, but I would vary it up a bit in stead of having 4 slices of bread per day.  Fruit has carbs, any grains have carbs... maybe instead of two pieces of toast have some oatmeal with fruit in it, some yogart with granola, or a multigrain cereal (I'm thinking of Kashi).  If there is a day that you push it super hard with cardio, you can be a bit more liberal with your carbs, and if there is a day that you are relatively sedentary, you might want to consider putting your turkey on a salad instead of a sandwich for lunch. 

I have some form of complex carb for every meal (for example:  whole wheat toast or high fiber cereal for breakast/whole wheat bread or  black beans for lunch/brown rice, whole wheat pasta/quinoa for dinner).  Carbs generally make up 40 - 45% of my diet.  I NEVER eat white, bleached, enriched anything...just whole wheat, rye, whole grain.  I have successfully dropped nearly 12 pounds since February 16th.  I would say it's all about the quality of food, and the simple equation of calories in being less than calories out.  

Your carbs do not have to come from rice, bread, and pastas. As someone that cannot tolerate very high amounts of any of these items (severe stomach cramps; diabetes), I would say that you can easily switch to items, particularly vegetables, rich in fiber and not suffer from nutrient loss.   I myself eat vegetables at every meal and every snack and do not miss rice, bread, or pastas. Of course, it helps that hurt my stomach hurts so bad that the consequences make consumption not worth it.

To keep from eating boring combinations all the time, try going to eatingwell.com and using their advanced search feature. Check the "low carb" box or "diabetes" box and select what meal you're looking to make, such as dinner, snack, etc. You can even specify what item you would like to use.  I use this feature each week to develop new menu items (my boyfriend and I are home chefs that entertain guests often).

I would suggest you try getting your complex carbs via vegetables for a few weeks and see how you feel. If you don't like it, you can always switch back.

p.s. I have no affliation with eatingwell.com. I just love the website.

yesmar, 4 pieces of bread a day doesn't sound like a lot of carbs to me, unless it's really big bread. I eat a lot of whole grain thin sliced bread for toast and sandwiches.  4 slices is only 200-250 calories and contains 10 grams of fiber.  It's one of the healthier things I eat, and it's the last thing I would drop if I were still trying to lose weight.  I depend on peanut buttered toast for breakfast, and toast and preserves for snacks.

If you want to drop some carbs, take out (or reduce serving size on) chips, dry breakfast cereals, soda, and candy before you drop the bread.