Carbs

[wdwgal]

I need to lose about 50 pounds, but I am so addicted to carbs. I feel that if I could cut back my carb intake, it would help me lose weight. I like starchy carbs, like potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, etc. I am not much of a sweets eater. I could take them or leave them, however I have never met a potato I didn't like! I am a good water drinker...can easily drink 64 oz a day, but I truly crave carbs.

Does anyone have any advice on how they reduce their carb intake? What do you eat to help curb the cravings? Anything low carb that would satisfy me? I may have to go cold turkey! Any advice would be appreciated.

TIA
wdwgal

 

[lovetoscrap]

Have you looked at South Beach? It is a low carb plan that starts off as no carb for 2 weeks. It can be rough to start but it really helps to break the addiction. It also helps if you clean everything not recommended out of the house . Then you gradually add back acceptable carbs that don't have such a high glycemic index, like sweet potatoes instead of white ones. This helps with the addiction and weight loss.

You should be able to get the book at the library or used book stores. It has been out so long I am sure there are many old copies lying around.

I love me some carbs too, so I really find that South Beach helps a whole lot. There is a phenomenon that is called "South Beach Flu" on the SB forums-- you most likely will feel crappy for a few days sometime around the end of the first week as your body adjusts. My husband didn't believe me until it happened to him! But I actually get pretty sick if I cut all carbs so on the advice of my dr I do sort of a modified stage 1.5 Even without going to no carbs I lose the addiction and lose weight. Usually after a few weeks I really find that I am not even hungry enough to eat snacks.

Let me know if you want more information.

 

[minniebeth]

Yep, I agree with lovetoscrap...South Beach diet works WONDERS for carb lovers. I am just like you, wdwgal, I'm not a big sweet or junk eater, but breads and pastas are my weakness. South Beach is the only thing that really works for me in cutting carbs, because it REALLY does make the cravings go away IF you follow the first two weeks. It's amazing. The first two weeks are h-e-double hockey sticks for me, but if I stick to it and don't cheat at all, it's like freedom from the carb cravings.

It's like heaven when you can start adding the whole grain carbs back in, plus I'm not a fruit lover, but then I actually crave fruit instead of breads, etc. which helps a whole lot.

Otherwise, I know a million people that love Weight Watchers, which allow you your carbs in moderation.
Even if you don't go with a plan, you can "eat this, not that..." kind of choices like switching from white potatoes to sweet potatoes, switching to multigrain wraps and sandwich thins for bread and thin or mini bagels. Brown rice instead of white, whole wheat couscous, multigrain pastas.
All with portion control...read the labels once I started, you become aware of what a real portion is!
Also, eat smaller portions more often to curb in-between meals cravings~
These are some of the things that we've implemented with our family and it's really helped.

 

[loganpaulsmom]

I am very good at tell others what they should eat, however, I love my food too much so sometimes I don't always follow my own directions...

Don't cut carbs out completely.. I find when I do that and it doesn't end up being a lifestyle change that when I go back I overindulge.. I find that if I just change the kind of carbs that I am eating that I actually end up liking the ones I choose as much as I like for instance fresh french bread or homemade pasta..
I buy the bread thins.. for sandwiches.. I get thin and trim chicken breast, 2% cheese, I even do some baked chips.. totally satifying.. a multi grain cereal with low fat milk.. For dinner.. I always do a protein, veges.. and then I have found this great pasta that has 5 carbs and it doesn't taste any differently than reg., pasta.. if you start to introduce the less caloric choices or the multi grains you will still be able to eat them, but you will see yourself losing weight..
I have also found that WW is by far the best type of diet to use..although, it really doesn't have you eliminate any foods it helps you to choose better foods that will then allow you to lose weight..

 

[Dancind]

Wdwgal, I am going to disagree with my fellow posters. Pick up the feb 2011 issue of Readers Digest with the bacon and eggs on the cover. It basically says that Dr. Atkins had it right. Most of the diets we hVe all been on are based on faulty studies from the 80s that said low fat was the way to lose weight. That is the premise of the Weight Watchers diet and many. Others even South Beach to an extent.

After discovering in February that I was pre-diabetic, I cut out carbs almost completely. I lost 30 pounds with not much effort, and not much exercise either. You really should exercise though!

Anyway, I was able to do it with very little pain because I ate when I was hungry and didn't worry about fat. Yes, I eat bacon, and butter, and love Julia Childs.

Haven't lost any in a while but I did maintain and felt sooo much better. It helped my joint pain, reflux, energy level, blood sugar, and you should see my skin! Lol. The carbs were sneaking back in, yes I an addict too, and I ate lots of them on two trips to WDW in the last four months. So I have started induction again, along with my husband and daughter. Time to lose the last 20.

So yes, I say cold turkey! After a couple of weeks or even a few days, you will be amazed at how easy it is. Just don't let yourself get hungry.

 

[Reddy]

Oh yeah!!!! I start back on Atkins - did great on it before going to Disney
got to my goal weight & maintain it for awhile but now that we are going back to Disney, I want to lose another 15 to make walking easiler

 

[lovetoscrap]

Wdwgal, I am going to disagree with my fellow posters. Pick up the feb 2011 issue of Readers Digest with the bacon and eggs on the cover. It basically says that Dr. Atkins had it right. Most of the diets we hVe all been on are based on faulty studies from the 80s that said low fat was the way to lose weight. That is the premise of the Weight Watchers diet and many. Others even South Beach to an extent.

I read this article the other day and found it really very interesting. The connection with insulin and fat cells makes a lot of sense.

I tried Atkins many years ago and I did lose weight pretty easy but I just couldn't keep going with no carbs. I just love my pasta and potatoes way too much. The interesting thing is that my friend that talked me into trying Atkins with her quit much earlier than I did- she just couldn't handle not having her morning bagel and crackers and and other things. Then several years later after a whole lot of misery she was finally diagnosed with celiac and had to give all that up anyway.

 

[Dancind]

I should not post with my Ipad, too many typos to correct!

Discovering you have diabetes is a great motivator to get off the carbs. Bread is nearly my favorite food, but I can still have other foods that I love. New Mexico green chile, wine, steak. It's not all bad. I made cauliflower mashed "potatoes" tonight with a bolognese sauce and my family loved it.