The FastDay Forum

I'm a self confessed carb lover - bread, pasta, noodles, rice, starchy veg - bring it on!

I'm also very aware of that it's not sustainable for me to keep eating so much of it.

So how curb my intake? I like rye bread, so switching to that I guess would help. Brown rice has it's place, so I can do that some of the time. I'm beginning to be able to have main meals (on non-fasting days) with just veg (roasted cauliflower for examle, a revelation) with my meat/fish etc, but it's not easy.

Fasting today, and I know that tomorrow morning I could easily eat four slices of toast - so what to do?

Oh, can't stand porridge. So don't even go there.

It's not easy! I used to be a carb lover, still am but I've just got used to eating less of them. I started out gradually reducing the quantities and frequencies that I ate them. I refused to eat food that I didn't want or enjoy so rather than go down the brown rice route etc., I merely had smaller portions of what I really liked and didn't have them quite as often. Believe it or not it works and now most days are relatively low to med carb. Fast days are NO carb, I can do that once a week but could not do it every day. Good luck, I am aware that you will get a lot differing advice about this but you need to work out the way that suits you and that you can sustain long term.

Ballerina x

Hi @swedey,
I have just started reading up on this myself. There is a low carbers tent here. That is full of useful links and info, though it runs to 76 pages currently.

The basic message I got was to reduce, then cut refined carbs like wheat products and sugary stuff. Once you are comfortable with that, start looking at sneeky carbs in seemingly healthy food like root vegetables, fruit, spices, pulses, sauces. MFP can be used to monitor carb intake.

These links might be of interest too:
http://http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-food-list.html
And
http://www.holdthetoast.com/content/welcome-wonderful-world-low-carb
And
http://www.marksdailyapple.com
Im sure some of the more knowledgeable low carbers will be along shortly. A google for ketogenic or paleo diets might help too.

[Debs]

Hi Swedey, I too confess to being a carb lover, but like Ballerina I have managed to cut down drastically and don't eat many now. I prefer to save myself for some really good quality bread, small portions of basmati rice. My hubby has bought some spelt pasta so I'll let you know how that goes!
My downfall are the sugary carbs and I am currently trying to restrict myself to occasional treats, not easy but I try and only have occasional quality rather than constant rubbish!! I am also experimenting with chromium picolate which does seem to be helping.
The beauty of this though, is not giving up everything, just being a bit more mindful. Good luck!

For breakfast on non-fast days I like a teaspoon of coconut butter and two organic medium soft boiled eggs with fresh decaff coffee. A good protein and fat start fills you up for longer too :0)

Oh yeah @debs, I have some chromium in the vits basket. I must dig it out. Cinnamon is also good for stabilising blood sugars.

@Azureblue, is the decaf coffee just a preference, or is the decaf version lower carbs? I have read that milk is fairly high in carbs. What do you put into your coffee?

What about pulses? As in chickpeas, lentils, etc? Love them too! I'm really not looking to cut out carbs altogether, but if I can eat less and switch to "better" carbs, that'll do me (and I know some will say there are no "good" carbs).

@Azureblue, is the decaf coffee just a preference, or is the decaf version lower carbs? I have read that milk is fairly high in carbs. What do you put into your coffee?[/quote]

Caffeine affects me strongly, I drink it when the grandchildren are about and I need the energy boost, but too much makes me shaky and paranoid and not sleep.
Milk is high in lactose, a form of sugar so carb high. Fermented milk is better, as in natural greek yogurt and hard cheese, much better for you. I drink my coffee black, nothing added.

It has taken me all this year to change from a cake/bun/biscuit eater to a nut/cheese nibbler, moving purposefully away from gluten and sugar. I do have two squares of 90% chocolate now and then but that's enough. Also gluten free oatcakes are good with cheese but not too often. I'm keeping a count on carbs and sugar intake a couple of days a week too.
Beware of fruit and it's high fructose content, 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' is fine as the fibre is intact, but a large smoothie of mashed fruit is not so helpful, no fibre and high sugars.

Good luck, and explore different foods and new tastes, I love all things coconut now!

[carieoates]

Full fat natural yoghurt with some stewed berries, crab sticks, cheese, sugar free jelly. Smoked salmon with full fat cream cheese inside.

Had to get them out before I forgot.
So I'm the proverbial carb lover. When in the zone I drop all white carbs and within a few days I'm sitting pretty. "De carbonation" is my name for it. Eggs too they're great. Hard boil some and snack on them very filling indeed. Cook some streaky bacon till very crispy, snack on that too. Decent sausages also very filling. Just get some decent un-played with food low in carbs and before you know it you'll be singing hallelujah.
Good luck. And yes check out the low carbers tent.

Is there a list somewhere of alternatives to bad carbs like swop this bad but lovely crusty white bread for.....?? I have reduced my carb intake massively but now need to have some in smaller quantities? Help....

[carorees]

https://www.fastday.com/buzz/6-smart-fo ... -calories/ has a few ideas

I know it's hard but sometimes I think you have to just ditch foods - end of! They'll still be there once you get to maintenance - if you still feel the need for them - or the occasional treat if you can't wait that long!

Hi @Swedey and @Joey bear
I am another carb lover - probably many of us were (and still are) and that's one of the reasons we were/are overweight.

I certainly wonder if the only way to deal with the "addiction" is to ditch certain foods, as Matcatlady says. And lots of people have successfully done this. And for some, it seems, quite easily. Lucky them. But for others it does require a big commitment - to say that I am never (or almost never) going to eat (certain food) again. And if you are not really committed, then you might end up "giving in", overindulging, and then end up giving up trying to lose weight.

So you do need to think about what foods you can live without. Try the alternatives, as suggested by others and in the link given by carorees. I have found that lightly cooked cabbage strips are a much better alternative to spaghetti with bolognaise sauce, for example. In fact, I fill the bowl with veggies, and just have a small amount of sauce, and feel much more satisfied and "better" after this than when I had the spaghetti. (Although I am not sure if this would work so well for carbonara, for example.) I found that I could give up having rice with most Asian meals. I do love bread, but reserve that for special occasions. My weakness is milk chocolate, but I have decided that I am not going to give that up, just find ways to manage how much I eat of it. I haven't always had much success doing this - ie I can often have too much - but as overall I have still done very well with this way of eating, chocolate remains a "can have"!! I rarely have sugary drinks any more - an occasional coke when I have fish and chips or pizza!!! - or salty snacks such as crisps (I still like them, but don't miss not having them).

So what I am saying is that you have to sort out what you can and can't live without. You might be able to cut down portion sizes, or just have the food once a week or on special occasions. I am sure you will find a way to manage those carbs! Good luck

I too am a carb lover but now eat around 70g daily because it suits me and I think I was/am quite insulin resistant) but I had to reduce them gradually - my downfall was bread and I never thought I could go without bread but I use a low carb bread mix called sukrin which makes me feel I'm having my bread fix (it tastes like a really seedy loaf and is lovely toasted) and I get by that way. I don't now eat rice/pasta/cereals and potatoes only in very small quantities. I now find if I eat lots of carbs I gain a massive amount of water weight (can be up to 7lbs or so which is depressing) and yet if I stick to my 70g ish I eat loads of food (veggies etc), more fat, feel more full and have plenty of energy. The hard thing is eating out or going on holiday - we go to Germany a lot and it's not a low carb friendly nation, sadly !

I never thought I could do it but it can be done

Have a serious study of the website below - its all about the Paleo way of eating. Fresh meat, fish and veges and NO cereals

www.marksdailyapple.com

I gave up carbs overnight !! Literally. I dont know what clicked but something finally hit home.

I have been doing 5.2 but results were very, very slow because I was eating lots of carbs on non fast days.

Good luck and give it a week. I felt better after 3 days.