I have been a CT fan for a long time, post occasionally. You all seem to have wonderful ideas and successes w/this weight loss thing. Here's my issue: I have tried low carb/no carb diets and lost weight, but have always gone back to carbs because 1. I love them and 2.they are easy for me to cook. I think I have been so trained to believe carbs are "bad" and whenever I eat them I feel this overwhelming sense of failure toward my weightloss goals. But, whenever I go back to no/low carb the weight comes off. Has anyone else experienced this with low/no carb? I want to be able to eat all foods because I love to cook and eat.

quote:

Originally posted by jillybean:
Terri, that is exactly what I was going through w/no carbs, stressing way too much if something had a carb in it.Jill

I totally bought into the No/low fat fad in the 1990's... and felt the same way about fat grams. And I did lose weight... but the back lash when I made up for 2+ years of ultra low fat was NOT pretty!

I think that there is something to be learned from every fad... too much fat is bad... too much sugar and white flour is bad... and too many carrots will turn your skin orange...

I'm with SheltieGuy... I ate/eat mostly whole grain carbs... but I eat white flour, white rice, sugar, chocolate, etc.

Although, it has been a process to ditch the "All or Nothing" thinking...

Thanks so much for all the replies! I am excited to know that you have all been able to eat carbs, the good for you carbs, and still lose weight. Terri, that is exactly what I was going through w/no carbs, stressing way too much if something had a carb in it. I am trying to read as many post as possible to see other ideas and opinions about nutrition and am reading EVERYTHING on this website. I think, like many of us, I want the quick fix-and low carb/no carb provides that but at the same time deprives us of many nutrients.
Thanks again,
Jill

Jilly,
Can't top all this fantastic advice and experience - I'll just throw my 2 cents in so you have lots of experiences to base your opinions on!

It sounds like you have already seen what works for your body, and every one here has had to do that. It's such a process! For me it has taken keeping a detailed food journal to see what works to fuel me, what leaves me tired (low energy), what causes me to have gains, what just bloats me - etc, etc. Details only I am interested in, but I have learned them over the past 5 months. I feel like I'm my own private dietician of my own body now, which is cool. I've lost 38 lbs across that time by eating really well and working out hard.

I have low-carbed it at lunch and dinner, and this has worked for me. (Oatmeal and/or KD's granola at breakfast, always) What I end up doing is factoring carbs into the whole day. If I have a meal with a carb like potato, I will try to do it at lunch, and I'll do fish at dinner or something to balance the effect.

As far as feeling a sense of failure when you eat certain things, I would suggest you ask yourself what that is about. Are you setting out a plan and sticking with it, and is it working for you - because those are the only rules.

I heard Maria Shriver once say, "You can have it all, just not all at once." That's my food philosophy these days.

Hope this helps!
Lynne

Glad you decided to speak up.
I have found that if you follow any diet for a while and then go back to your old habits you will regain the weight (& then some). KD has helped me learn this. However, if you don't "diet" you don't have to worry about "cheating". If you live a healthy lifestyle and eat in moderation you will lose weight if your body needs to. It will be slow weight loss & there will be frustration but you don't have to completely cut out anything you love. Just don't eat it 3 times a day every day. KD says moderation not elimination.

I lost a significant amount of weight while eating "everything" in moderation; white bread, whole wheat bread, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, white pasta, brown rice, white rice...

Rather than restricting my diet, I expanded my diet, by adding more complex carbs. No restrictions, no cravings.

A life without toasted white bread and peanut butter? Unthinkable!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheltieguy,

quote:

I think I have been so trained to believe carbs are "bad" and whenever I eat them I feel this overwhelming sense of failure toward my weightloss goals. But, whenever I go back to no/low carb the weight comes off. Has anyone else experienced this with low/no carb?

Hi Jillybean,

I'll tell you my experience.

I tried the whole low carb thing TWICE, gained weight both times...go figure. I was so stresssed about the food choices... (oh no..this has a carb in it! kind of stuff)..that I couldn't stand it. It didn't work for me..period.

I believe it's the quality of carbs we eat that makes the difference. YES..cut out the white flours, white pasta, the excess sugars (some is ok for cooking..not a lot though), and things like that. This is for every day life. Once in a while I believe it's ok to have a treat, but not often.

If you want pasta..have it but make it whole wheat and you'll be fuller on less and have good carbs..be sure to have a portion, not a pot though ..as I did once..ack! Change the white things to brown..brown rice, pasta...and be sure to have lots of fibrous veggies and fruits. Those are just my opinions...but you may want to consult a dietitian or your doctor about it.

Plus, one thing about eating quality carbohydrates, is you don't feel the need to "Cheat" on your way of eating. You can have dessert, but be sure to have extra fibre or good stuff as well.

I love that I have so many options available to me. I felt so restricted when I did the low carb thing and I craved fruit! Your body usually somehow tells you what it needs.

Let us know how you feel about it all!

Terri

I'm with Sandy and Sheri. I eat whole grain carbs and really limit my white/refined carbs.
On an average day, 50 - 55% of my calories come from complex carbs and I've been maintaining a 75 pound weight loss for a couple of years now.

I personally do not subscribe to the low/no carb thing and think it is dangerous as a long-term (i.e., lifestyle) change...that's just my personal opinion and I know many will disagree with it.

As with Sandy, my focus with carbs has been to reduce simple/refined (white) carbs and increase complex (whole grain) carbs. In the first year of my journey, I switched from white bread, tortillas, pasta and rice to whole wheat bread, pasta and tortillas and brown rice. I eat a whole grain cereal for breakfast.

At this point, it is a rare treat for me to have a white carb. I still love a good chunk of crusty white bread but have it rarely. I have white pasta or rice even more rarely. If in a restaurant, I will ask if they can sub whole wheat pasta or brown rice for the white. Some places can't/won't...some will. Can't hurt to ask.

I can tell you that there is a noticeable difference how my body metabolizes white carbs vs. wholegrain. I eat wholegrain carbs every day with no problem but when I eat a white carb, my weight shoots up immediately. I have heard there is a link between hypothyroidism and an increased difficulty in metabolizing white carbs, so perhaps this is the reason. I just know that I am healthier and happier without white carbs in my life on a daily basis and that, for me, carbs are a necessary part of my lifestyle change.

Have you tried thinking more in terms of good carbs and limited carbs? I do have to limit my carbs. (I could easily eat 2 cups of white pasta with sauce and cheese. I need to measure 1 cup of whole wheat pasta instead.)
I have switched to oatmeal for breakfast, but also measure that. I could eat 1 cup and have 1/2 cup.
For me, it is about moderation and portion control. Even though I have been on maint. for some time, I still weigh and measure food most of the time.