Cutting Out Carbs

Hello~

I'm a little bit new to the weight loss thing, and I have to admit that even though I have been losing weight by cutting back on portion size, I know I'm not eating the healthiest stuff. Most of the success stories that I see, people usually say they cut back on carbs, but I'm not even sure I know what that means, or exactly how to do it. Can anyone suggest good filling foods to eat without carbs, or suggest foods to avoid that are loaded with carbs? Your help would be much appreciated~ Thanks!

~*~Gela~*~

Carbs have gotten a bad reputation for no real good reason IMHO. Your body needs them to survive. That being said the choice of which carbs is important. Try choosing whole grains over processed/refined as a general rule. So whole grain bread vs white bread, brown rice vs white rice, etc. Of course going with choice B won't kill your or ruin your diet, but as they say "moderation is a key".

When making a meal plan try to look at the entire menu not just parts of it. As an example some people avoid potatoes like they are black death or something. The reaction goes something like this "OMG IT HAS CARBS AAAHHHH". In reality potatoes are also loaded with minerals and vitamins, and if you leave thes kin on also provides fiber. So a dinner that includes a general helping of veggies, a potatoe and some kind of lean protein and a fruit for a snack afterwards is actually quite healthy, and well balanced.

UD

Rather than getting hung up on 'carbs' ..... do a little reading up on what a healthy balanced diet and good nutrition really looks like.  This website isn't a bad place to start, for example http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/teens /

In a nutshell... eat mostly plants e.g vegetables, fruit, wholegrain foods, pulses (legumes).  http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/nutriti onessentials/starchfoods/ Add some meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, tofu, dairy products... and similar. Flavour with herbs and spices rather than salt.  Moisten meals with some oils and fats.   Enjoy sweet foods sparingly.  Drink plenty of water

Learning to cook also gives you a better than fighting chance of getting a healthy diet.  A lot of ready-made & packet foods tend not to be very healthy and they're often quite calorific.  Whereas if you prepare your own foods you can be more in control of the content.

Finally.... count the calories.  With a better diet you have a much better chance of success.

To answer your question, one should never cut back on all carbs (so many people get this wrong though), because that can lead to calcium deficiencies etc. But what they are refferring to by "cutting carbs" simply means cutting diwn your carbs so low that your body is forced to use it's own fat stores as a form of Glucose, hense you are not running on carbs for energy but your own body fat. Just look at labeling, any meat (unseasoned, no additives etc.) is going to have 0 carbs, eggs and cheese have approx. 1 carb per serving, and veggies have about 5 carbs per serving. So, If you are looking to lower your carbs, I would suggest you cut out all of your breads, pastas, rices etc, and dairy such as milk, and of course some of your denser fruits, such as bananas, and ALL sugars and processed foods. Though such as any extreme diet this should be done in moderation. Basically eating only meats, veggies, and 4 oz. cheese a day. You will lose weight. The only problem with that is (sorry this is so long!) the majority of the "weight loss" you will see is water weight on this plan, and though you may lose some fat, when you start eating normally again, you will see rapid weight gain, wrether that be the water you lost, or simply your body becomes so dependant on Keloids (produced to be used in place of carbs on this plan), that an exces amount will shock your system causing over production of insulin causing you to store fat. lol Sorry this was crazy long, hope you can find some use out of this info! Luck!

Original Post by umneydurak:

Carbs have gotten a bad reputation for no real good reason IMHO. Your body needs them to survive. That being said the choice of which carbs is important. Try choosing whole grains over processed/refined as a general rule. So whole grain bread vs white bread, brown rice vs white rice, etc. Of course going with choice B won't kill your or ruin your diet, but as they say "moderation is a key".

When making a meal plan try to look at the entire menu not just parts of it. As an example some people avoid potatoes like they are black death or something. The reaction goes something like this "OMG IT HAS CARBS AAAHHHH". In reality potatoes are also loaded with minerals and vitamins, and if you leave thes kin on also provides fiber. So a dinner that includes a general helping of veggies, a potatoe and some kind of lean protein and a fruit for a snack afterwards is actually quite healthy, and well balanced.

UD

It is kind of a bad idea to start your post out with a false statement.

The body does not need carbs to survive, it can create enough glucose to live on from proteins.

It is not the optimum decision healthwise to cut out all carbs, but it remains a fact that too much carb consumption inhibits weight loss. Anyone eating a high carb diet and stuck on a plateau will experience instant resumption of weight loss if they drop to moderate or low carb levels.

I don't think there's much debate among most experts that a ketogenic diet is the fastest way to lose fat. It's not the healthiest way though.

But "Cutting carbs" does not have to mean ketosis. A 30-40% carb diet is low in carbs compared to how most people eat, is not ketogenic, and is perfectly healthy provided it is made up of the right foods.

I have been logging my exercise and food for months without much weight loss. Then I began to look at the percentages for fats, proteins, and carbs that I was eating. Though my calories had been correct, I began to lose steadily and slowly with a <55% intake of carbs.

In prior years, I lost lots with various low carb diets. I tried everything from Adkins to just reducing carbs. The bad part always was the same; one slip up (Halloween candy, birthday cake, or champagne at New Year's) and a giant binge was loosed. As a result, I would always gain back the weight, PLUS.

This time, I eat differently. I restrict nothing, just eat in moderation and balanced. I eat carbs, but like the others point out, I use whole grains, brown rice, etc. A typical breakfast consists of a low carb, low fat, high fiber tortilla, 4 T cooked egg white, 1/4 c. brown rice, salsa, ff cheddar cheese, and ff sour cream. It's about 200 cal with a glass of skim milk and I am ready to go. Fruit and celery make up my midmorning snack. Salad with melon or berries for lunch. The afternoon snack is just about anything I desire that fiberous, filling, and low fat/ carb (like celery with ff cream cheese, pepper slices, or an apple dipped in ff vanilla yogurt. Then a meat with lots of  veggies for dinner. I end up with 1200-1400 cal per day and never once feel hungry or deprived. Best part, if I do have wine, beer, bread, even a cookie or cake, there is no foodfest that follows. I simply enjoy the treat and move on to the next day. Most times when I know that I will indulge, I work the calories and carbs into my plan for the day. That reduces the "what the Hell" attitude that comes when I fall off the wagon.

Good luck, and don't get caught up in the daily diet hype and misinformation that's out there in every magazine staring at you in grocery line. It is much easier to eat and enjoy life than limit and feel miserable.

J-mom

Original Post by ibez:

Original Post by umneydurak:

Carbs have gotten a bad reputation for no real good reason IMHO. Your body needs them to survive. That being said the choice of which carbs is important. Try choosing whole grains over processed/refined as a general rule. So whole grain bread vs white bread, brown rice vs white rice, etc. Of course going with choice B won't kill your or ruin your diet, but as they say "moderation is a key".

When making a meal plan try to look at the entire menu not just parts of it. As an example some people avoid potatoes like they are black death or something. The reaction goes something like this "OMG IT HAS CARBS AAAHHHH". In reality potatoes are also loaded with minerals and vitamins, and if you leave thes kin on also provides fiber. So a dinner that includes a general helping of veggies, a potatoe and some kind of lean protein and a fruit for a snack afterwards is actually quite healthy, and well balanced.

UD

It is kind of a bad idea to start your post out with a false statement.

The body does not need carbs to survive, it can create enough glucose to live on from proteins.

It is not the optimum decision healthwise to cut out all carbs, but it remains a fact that too much carb consumption inhibits weight loss. Anyone eating a high carb diet and stuck on a plateau will experience instant resumption of weight loss if they drop to moderate or low carb levels.

I don't think there's much debate among most experts that a ketogenic diet is the fastest way to lose fat. It's not the healthiest way though.

But "Cutting carbs" does not have to mean ketosis. A 30-40% carb diet is low in carbs compared to how most people eat, is not ketogenic, and is perfectly healthy provided it is made up of the right foods.

Fine if you want to neat pick the body can canobalize muscle tissue to create glucose.

UD

I think what ibez meant by protein is meat, and not muscle tissue. If you are ketotic the body maintains lean muscle, just saying.

FOOD WITH LITTLE OR NO CARBS: (All very filling)

- Fish of all types (grilled, broiled, sauteed, steamed or poached)

- Red Meats

- Poultry

- Eggs & Egg Whites

- Asparagus

- Artichokes

- Cucumbers

- Celery

- Brocolli

- Seaweed

- Spinach

- Kale 

- Romaine Lettuce 

- Green Beans

- Mushrooms

- Eggplant

- Onions & Leeks & Garlic

- Zucchini & Summer Squash & Spaghetti Squash

- Bell Peppers

- Tomatoes

- Olive Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Hempseed Oil & basically all other oils

- Olives 

*Protein & Fiber are what fill your stomach so that you feel full and don't eat more than you should. The foods listed above have protein or fiber in them... Protein is by far the best for suppressing hunger while fiber adds bulk and helps moves things along in your digestive system. 

*Fiber is a form of carbohydrate but its not absorbed in the body - this type of carb is what you should focus on. SO read all nutrition labels on the foods you buy and be sure that there is at least 3 grams of fiber PER SERVING! :)

*Try to limit your consumption of donuts, cookies, cakes, white bread, white pastas, white rices, candy - things like that! 

I didn't mean to start an argument lol. But at least I got to see the different sides and decide for myself. Thank you giasbash6260, your suggestions were very helpful and I will keep them in mind.