# Talk to me about low carb eating...



## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

Do you think it works? I was wondering about getting a book called "Why we get fat..." and it discusses the benefits of low carb eating.

For me I could give up bread but not potatoes...plus potatoes are not something I can just grab and start eating like bread..bread especially rye and white can be like a huge trigger for me...if it is in the house I am too tempted.

Is there something to this low carb way of eating.

I am 48 and have 40 lbs to lose (well the same 40 lbs I have been trying to lose the last two years)


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## pidge70 (Jan 17, 2011)

It works, but it is hard. Hard for me anyway. You have to make it a permanent lifestyle change or the weight comes right back.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cletus (Apr 27, 2012)

There's nothing particularly special about carbs and weight loss other than the fact that carbs are a particularly potent source of calories per pound. A low carb diet is really just a way to make it harder to put too many calories in your hole too fast. 

I've lost 50 lbs in six months with no restriction on the type of food I eat other than counting calories and exercising more. A diet that completely eliminates a food that you absolutely love is a diet that sets you up for failure.


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## Mr. Nail (Apr 26, 2011)

I hated the extremely low carb diet. I was ok with the insulin resistant diet which is low carb but offers twice what my extremely low carb diet did. Even with the open ticket to eat a plate of bacon whenever I wanted. I'm a potato fan as well. But I meet people all the time who won't give up rice. 

I think the key to any low carb diet is get ready to eat a lot of vegetables. just not Corn. You will miss juice. Better to eat your fruit whole.


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## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

Cletus said:


> There's nothing particularly special about carbs and weight loss other than the fact that carbs are a particularly potent source of calories per pound. A low carb diet is really just a way to make it harder to put too many calories in your hole too fast.
> 
> I've lost 50 lbs in six months with no restriction on the type of food I eat other than counting calories and exercising more. A diet that completely eliminates a food that you absolutely love is a diet that sets you up for failure.


Yeah I am inclined to think that too...after I posted a read a review of this book and someone said that it is not that easy. Just as easy to learn moderation and eat less and not restrict anything.


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## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

I think the big thing with me is to not let myself get too hungry because when I do...it is like my mind shuts off and I gravitate toward high fat junk food. At least when I am not starving but just a little hungry I tend to make better choices and or just eat less of whatever I am eating...

So I have to ensure I have a protein bar or something like that with me always.


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## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

Look into white bean extract.


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## pidge70 (Jan 17, 2011)

richie33 said:


> Look into white bean extract.


Does that actually work? I bought some, but haven't tried it yet.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

pidge70 said:


> Does that actually work? I bought some, but haven't tried it yet.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I think it helps. I know others who don't think so but after talking to them I knew why...they would eat 4 slices if pizza and wonder why it didn't work, calories still need to be burned off. It's no miracle pill but along with sensible eating I find it's a good addition to my routine.


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## happy2gether (Dec 6, 2015)

my wife is on a low carb diet and drinking keto o/s. She is down 7.5 pounds in 2 weeks and her energy level is definitely up from where it was. I personally don't like the way they push you to sell it, as it is basically a pyramid scheme style compensation. But it seems to work for her so far so we shall see if the results keep up after she has been on it a month or so.


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## Vulcan2013 (Sep 25, 2013)

I lost 35 lbs with low carb dieting. The best thing was I lost a lot of my food cravings. I sometimes have to remember to eat. Ive kept it off for four years now. 

What convinced me of the science was my own experience. If I skip breakfast, I can easily wait until lunch time to eat. If I have a donut or other high carb snack, I am starving by 10. 

Once you lose the weight, you can add carbs back in. I lift weights, and found I needed more, mostly brown rice and fruit. 

Once you are out of weight loss mode, you can have more carbs and still maintain your weight. 

"Why We Get Fat" is a great book. The author is a science writer, not a debt "expert". 

When I had some blood work last year, my doctor was puzzled by the results. My triglycerides were high, but my cholesterol was really good, almost all HDLs. I told him I do low carb, and he whispered, "that's the only thing that works". Whispered like it was too politically incorrect to say out loud. 

There's evidence that adding in intermittent fasting (IF) increases the weight loss. This involves not eating for 10-12 hours, usually at night.


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## Ynot (Aug 26, 2014)

I am a fan of low carb diets. One of the keys is recognizing good carbs and bad carbs. Basically just about any kind of processed carb is a bad carb. Whole foods are generally good carbs. Apple sauce is bad - but an apple is good for example. But even then I still feel that limiting your carb intake is a good thing. The government recommends 300 grams of carbs a day, which is about 200% more than anyone actually needs. It isn't that hard to go low carb, but it does take some effort. Unfortunately most anything you get out is going to be polluted with carbs.
And as with any kind of diet. It is worthless to starve yourself and deny your body if you don't exercise. Way too many people just rely on one end of the equation. They starve themselves to lose weight but they never bother to exercise. Diet without exercise is a recipe to get fat.


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## TeddieG (Sep 9, 2015)

I had great success with low-carb, but when I fell off of it, I gained more weight back than I lost. It seems to me that some people are more carb-sensitive than others. And I can't be without potatoes and rice now that I have no gallbladder. There are supplements I could take that would help me with my digestion and weight loss, but damn I get tired of taking 3-4 pills with every meal on top of my vitamin supplements. 

And while low-carb is often recommended for people like me without gallbladders, rather than low-fat, I find that the low-carb diet is slower in terms of weight loss for me now than it used to be. But the really interesting thing is, I took wheat out of my diet - no bread, in particular - and one attempt at this lost 7 pounds in a week. I think it is more the quality of the carb and how processed it is. Even the Atkins diet site says that vegetarians can be low-carb but they start with a higher number of carbs per day than the induction period. 

The really amazing thing is, when I heat low-carb diet, with salads, certain veggies, a small piece of steak or a chicken breast or a nice fish, I have NO digestive distress at all. But if I mix starches and meats, I'm in for a helluvan upset stomach. Lately I've been looking into food combining, but the problem there is you have to eat either low-carb or vegetarian at any given meal. 

So yes, the low-carb has always worked well for me, but I was under a lot of stress the few times I was on it, and I missed my comfort foods, like a fully-loaded baked potato, and I just couldn't make it last. And I like yogurt, which is generally not recommended for the first few weeks of a low-carb regimen. Essentially, all my comfort foods are NOT on a low-carb diet list! 

Glad you brought it up, though, because I'm been considering giving it another try.


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## Vulcan2013 (Sep 25, 2013)

Oh, I should mention, be careful of sugar substitutes. Some of them cause significant intestinal issues. Malitol, a sugar alcohol, ferments in my gut, producing unbelievable volumes of gas until my whole digestive tract is empty. Others, like Splenda, have no effect on me.

The hilarious reader reviews of sugar free gummi bears should give you an idea of what to avoid: https://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Candy-Gold-Bears-5-Pound/dp/B000EVOSE4/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468692533&sr=8-1&keywords=sugar+free+gummi+bears


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## Vulcan2013 (Sep 25, 2013)

There is also a "crash" 3-4 days in that feels like a mild case of the flu. At that point your body has consumed its store of glycogen, and is switching to burning fat. You also dump some serious water weight, which is why you often lose 5 lbs or more the first week. 

Losing the water throws your electrolytes off, so it is recommended to up your salt intake with bullion or something else. Not that big a deal, and the crash only lasts a day or so.


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## *Deidre* (Feb 7, 2016)

I think that it's about eating a balanced diet, not necessarily low carb. Because a lot of people who strictly low carb, leave fruits and veggies out, or keep them low, because they too have carbs. It's about making a healthy way of eating a lifestyle, not just a diet. So, choose foods low in sugar/white flour, and steer towards higher fiber content, lean proteins (more fish and chicken than red meat) balanced portions of leafy green and regular green veggies, and drink lots of water, daily. I echo the poster who said to stay away from sugar substitutes, those are not good for you. Eat less boxed foods, and more whole, natural foods. Staying away from processed high carb stuff is what is key, too, as opposed to staying away from veggies and fruits that have carbs. No one really becomes overweight because they ate too many veggies and fruits. lol


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## FrazzledSadHusband (Jul 3, 2014)

I lost weight eating grilled pork steaks, red & green peppers in tinfoil with butter and salt & pepper. Rub a little oil on zucuni (forgive my spelling), and grill it as well.

I found that I didn't have to go totally low carb as long as I also upped my fiber intake. I dropped my cholestrol 9 points by sprinkling ground flax meal on my salads & putting it in my oatmeal or cereal.



Walk at least 2 miles a day.
Lift weights 2-3 times a week. One of the national gyms have memberships for $10/month.
Avoid processed foods. There are a few high fiber breads out there. Just because it says whole wheat, doesn't mean anything. Check the fiber on the label.

You can't exercise weight away and still eat bad. You can lose weight without exercise, but it takes longer.

Weight training will slow down your weight loss, but you WILL lose inches!

Push the water, if your urine is not either clear or light yellow, may want to drink more.

As another poster said, may need to put a little salt on your food as you will lose more with the extra water.

Lastly, I learned the hard way, it's a forever, not a do it till you hit a certain weight.

Good luck!


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## SunnyT (Jun 22, 2011)

I like a low carb diet. But ya, you have to make it a life change. 

I'm not fond of fruits and vegetables, so low carb is easier for me than low fat. Plus, in spite of missing potatoes and bread, it keeps me away from sugar, junk food and ice cream.


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## TeddieG (Sep 9, 2015)

Vulcan2013 said:


> Oh, I should mention, be careful of sugar substitutes. Some of them cause significant intestinal issues. Malitol, a sugar alcohol, ferments in my gut, producing unbelievable volumes of gas until my whole digestive tract is empty. Others, like Splenda, have no effect on me.
> 
> The hilarious reader reviews of sugar free gummi bears should give you an idea of what to avoid: https://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Candy-Gold-Bears-5-Pound/dp/B000EVOSE4/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468692533&sr=8-1&keywords=sugar+free+gummi+bears


QFT! A lot of the Atkins products have malitol and xylitol, and whoo boy, who needs a laxative???!! So i can't use those.


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## TeddieG (Sep 9, 2015)

FrazzledSadHusband said:


> I lost weight eating grilled pork steaks, red & green peppers in tinfoil with butter and salt & pepper. Rub a little oil on zucuni (forgive my spelling), and grill it as well.
> 
> I found that I didn't have to go totally low carb as long as I also upped my fiber intake. I dropped my cholestrol 9 points by sprinkling ground flax meal on my salads & putting it in my oatmeal or cereal.
> 
> ...


Yup. 

And about weight training and muscle mass, yes, I've heard that if you have strong muscles your weight might appear to increase but your measurements go down. I'm hoping to take up swimming, but our university is doing away with the pool to build a parking garage, so I may have to go to Plan B. Once I read on a blog about a woman who took up swimming to lose weight, and she didn't lose much, but she said she redistributed it and her entire body changed and was totally balanced; she lost lots of inches. But I AM screwing up my courage to start, at 50-something, a weight training plan. Seriously, my right arm is buff from carrying my purse, so I've got some serious catching up to do on the other side!! 

The thing about the low-carb diet that makes me know it is right for me is that when I eat protein, I'm satisfied, full, and not hungry. But I can eat pizza or other carby thing and I swear within two hours I'm hungry again. It's why I can't be vegetarian.


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## notmyrealname4 (Apr 9, 2014)

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## BobSimmons (Mar 2, 2013)

Cletus said:


> There's nothing particularly special about carbs and weight loss other than the fact that carbs are a particularly potent source of calories per pound. A low carb diet is really just a way to make it harder to put too many calories in your hole too fast.
> 
> I've lost 50 lbs in six months with no restriction on the type of food I eat other than counting calories and exercising more. *A diet that completely eliminates a food that you absolutely love is a diet that sets you up for failure*.


This.

Everything should be about moderation. It's not a secret. It's not a fad.

The rules never change, to lose weight there must be a caloric deficit.

The only reason fads like no carbs take off is because of the promise of being able to eat as much meat as you want.

A potato doesn't make you gain weight..not even two. Smaller portions, find a healthy snack when peckish, work out and unbelievably you lose weight.


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## FrazzledSadHusband (Jul 3, 2014)

Protein does make you feel fuller longer. I also have a glass of whole milk with one scoop, instead of 2, of whey protein before I head to the gym. Label says 2, but that's a little thick for me.

I ya really want to STOP any weight loss for a couple of days, drink a diet coke. I can be steadily losing weight, drink a diet anything, for that matter, and the scale stops going down.

Almonds are a good source of protein and fiber. pistachios are a good snack as well.

Another favorite of mine is to marinate some halved chicken breasts in fajita seasoning and lemon juice, and cook them on a Forman grill. Put on some pepper slices towards the end too.

Put all that on a high fiber/flax meal tortilla with some gauc or sour cream.

There are lots of natural foods that have good fats. They actually help you feel full longer and are good for you. Whole milk has a better mouth "feel" and will fill you up longer. The difference between skim, 2 percent and whole really is not that much. But it does fill you up longer.

I do have a potato once in a while, just not a steady part of diet.

I would say low carb just requires more planning, the foods are not so convenient.
You don't even have to go all out on low carb, Cut down carbs and increase exercise, you will stop gaining at least.

I've stopped losing, but by eating low carb, cardio and weight training, my blood work numbers are the best they have been in years.

Stay away from processed foods! So many of the "whole wheat or multi grain" products have had most of the fiber milled out of them. Check the label, most breads have 3 grams fiber, whether it's white, wheat or rye.

I don't eat any more meat than normal on low carb, just more vegetables, and tortillas or breads with high fiber content.


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## joannacroc (Dec 17, 2014)

Went on whole 360 for a while and it SUCKED. But I did lose a bit of weight while I was doing it. It wasn't very sustainable for a busy lifestyle. I have experienced more sustained weight loss cutting back on sugar and items with added sugar, and including more avocados, olive oil, nuts and olives in my diet - they're very filling.


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## FrazzledSadHusband (Jul 3, 2014)

TeddieG said:


> Yup.
> 
> And about weight training and muscle mass, yes, I've heard that if you have strong muscles your weight might appear to increase but your measurements go down. I'm hoping to take up swimming, but our university is doing away with the pool to build a parking garage, so I may have to go to Plan B. Once I read on a blog about a woman who took up swimming to lose weight, and she didn't lose much, but she said she redistributed it and her entire body changed and was totally balanced; she lost lots of inches. But I AM screwing up my courage to start, at 50-something, a weight training plan. Seriously, my right arm is buff from carrying my purse, so I've got some serious catching up to do on the other side!!
> 
> The thing about the low-carb diet that makes me know it is right for me is that when I eat protein, I'm satisfied, full, and not hungry. But I can eat pizza or other carby thing and I swear within two hours I'm hungry again. It's why I can't be vegetarian.


GO FOR IT!! Start lifting lite and work your way up. A day or two after lifting you will be a little sore. Just make sure it's not a lot sore! 

Soon you will know by the amount of soreness how much to push the next workout.

A side benefit to getting strong is this - last winter I had one NASTY slip/fall on the ice. I got up & started to walk again & then I realized something. If I would have taken a spill like that before I started training, I probably would have been hauled away in the ambulance. By being toned, I took the hit better.

It takes a while to get into the habit, but I'm 50 and in better shape then I've been in a long while.

Life is short, go give it a try. Better to have given it a year of work, then to wish you had at least tried later in life.


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## Lostme (Nov 14, 2014)

I do intermittent fasting, because low carb was not for me. I have my first meal which is lunch, time spent sleeping is counted into that my fasting hours and in the mornings I workout and am busy at work, I also drink lots of water. I cut off my eating time at 8pm so I have an 8 hour window that I eat in which is 12 to 8 even if I eat dinner at 6:30 or 7 I do not have anything after 8pm, a few times I have wanted an evening snack and would have yogurt or some watermelon. 

This has worked the best for me, because I love taters and bread too.


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## Adelais (Oct 23, 2013)

Several years ago my Dr. put me on the South Beach Diet, a low carb diet (Phase 1) for high cholesterol. It also focuses on eating healthy oils. The first few days were very tough because of the lack of carbs for energy. However, once my body switched over I was fine and had lots of energy. In two weeks my cholesterol went down to normal levels, and as a bonus I lost 10 lbs! I have kept the pounds off.

Eating plenty of good vegies with your proteins is important, to stay healthy while on the low carb diet.


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## brooklynAnn (Jun 29, 2015)

highwood said:


> Do you think it works? I was wondering about getting a book called "Why we get fat..." and it discusses the benefits of low carb eating.
> 
> For me I could give up bread but not potatoes...plus potatoes are not something I can just grab and start eating like bread..bread especially rye and white can be like a huge trigger for me...if it is in the house I am too tempted.
> 
> ...


When I had to stop eating bread, I thought I died and went to hell. I could hear the bread calling me, every time I walked by. I had such bad cravings, I was thinking about bread all the time. I LOVED Bread.

After a while I stop craving it. I don't remember when it happened but it went away. I still enjoy the smell of bread baking but not the crazy need to eat it. 

So, if you are going to stop eating bread and carbs, I would work on the bread first. Don't cut out everything at one time. I still eat potatoes but only once a week. I eat brown rice about 2 x a week. 

You can substitute pasta with quinoa pasta, so you have more protein than carbs. Or you can follow the gluten free diet. Or you can check out the paleo diet. There was a thread here for the paleo diet created by [MENTION=13321]Happpyasaclam. A few of us did it with good results. I learned quite a bit from that thread. I worked thru the program and I lost about 10 pounds. My allergies are a lot better, so is my stomach and skin. 

Good luck. Check out the paleo thread.


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## Bremik (Feb 6, 2009)

High protein diets build lean tissue. People don't like to hear that animal protein is most like ours so from an amino acid standpoint it is very high quality protein for us that very closely matches our amino acid makeup.It acts like a catalyst and speeds things up as well. Sugar, starch, processed foods are the equivalent of dynamite and gas in a diet. Great for a burst of energy but that's it. They peak very fast and overload the body's methods of energy utilization- enter in diabetes related problems.

Fat is energy dense and burns more slowly but 2.25 times the energy of starch and sugar. Sounds bad on a calorie basis but you eat less of it and feel satisfied much longer after a meal. Even more important in this discussion is genetics possibly plays the next biggest role over what we eat as far as how food is utilized.

Dr. Atkins was spot on with his opinions of processed food and carbohydrates. What many miss is that his program also took into account genetics because you are allowed to adjust your carbohydrate intake after a base is established. It was too easy to pick on it as a fad.


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## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

brooklynAnn said:


> When I had to stop eating bread, I thought I died and went to hell. I could hear the bread calling me, every time I walked by. I had such bad cravings, I was thinking about bread all the time. I LOVED Bread.
> 
> After a while I stop craving it. I don't remember when it happened but it went away. I still enjoy the smell of bread baking but not the crazy need to eat it.
> 
> ...


LOL...I find the really healthy "dietitian" recommended bread is good bread for me to keep around the house because it is not as tempting as say rye, white, etc. type bread. That stuff I can just grab and eat but the healthy stuff not as much.


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## notmyrealname4 (Apr 9, 2014)

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## katies (May 19, 2015)

get an app like MyFitnessPal on your phone and count calories. Potatoes aren't bad, per se, but not nutritionally outstanding. Aim for 100 grams of protein a day. Lift heavy. Limited cardio.
This is what I do and I'm a size 2.


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## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

notmyrealname4 said:


> Feel I should say, I only (90% of the time), eat whole grain breads and pasta. Potatoes; I leave the skin on.
> 
> At first, this is weird. After a while, "white" bread and rice taste like paste, and only the roasty, earthy flavor of whole grains satisfies.
> 
> ...


Yeah if I keep the ultra healthy high fiber bread around, as I said, definently less tempting for me, as I have never over indulged on that bread. I also need to ensure that I have high protein bars with me at all time because the moment I get starving I tend to think junk food...it makes a huge difference when I am hungry but not starving my choices are way better.


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## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

I think too for years I have had this "low fat" mentality in my head and that is hard to shake...

My first instinct is to obsess over fat and keeping it low thus stuff like bread, etc. that was low in fat I would gorge on.


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## notmyrealname4 (Apr 9, 2014)

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## highwood (Jan 12, 2012)

notmyrealname4 said:


> Yeah, wish I could remember where I first read it; but whenever you have a deficit in protein, apparently that triggers a craving for sugar.
> 
> I remember when I was a kid, having candy wasn't often. I didn't get an allowance; but every once in a while we'd get some change to buy candy.
> 
> ...


I agree!

I know it amazes me how it is like I am out of my right mind when I get shaky hungry....all I think of is high fat/sugar foods...all logic seems to go right out the window.


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## BetrayedDad (Aug 8, 2013)

notmyrealname4 said:


> And I would gorge on the cheapest, nastiest crap: Jolly Ranchers, Abba Zabbas, yuck.
> 
> About an hour or so after this *sugar orgy*


I don't know why but this made me LOL.

Thanks!


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## brooklynAnn (Jun 29, 2015)

I like eating something sweet when I am tired. That's my trigger so now I am working on retraining my thought process that I should drink water. It's better for me by rehydrating my cells. It works sometimes but I am like you @highwood, I reach for candy. I have a bowl of ginger candies made with cane sugar, no corn syrup and it's natural. All the lies I tell myself.:crying:


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## Adelais (Oct 23, 2013)

brooklynAnn said:


> I like eating something sweet when I am tired. That's my trigger so now I am working on retraining my thought process that I should drink water.


 Your brain will rewire, and sweet things will taste too sweet after a while. If you want something that tastes good at night have you tried a cup of tea that you like with a tiny bit of Stevia? (Too much stevia ruins anything it is put in IMO.)


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## Anon1111 (May 29, 2013)

there's no magic formula

just get used to eating less food if you want to lose weight

small portions with higher fat and protein can make you feel satisfied for longer, but there will be an adjustment period if you're not used to eating like this during which time you will feel very hungry.

just look at how French people eat and you've got a rough guide.

they don't skip out on bread or desert or booze, yet they're not fat either.

they just eat less.


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## Kivlor (Oct 27, 2015)

Any diet needs to be a lifestyle change. It's got to be something you can live with. If you quit paying attention, the weight is almost guaranteed to return. Low carb has worked great for me. It's hard, because most of my friends and family always want pasta. 

Your body is not meant to take in much sugar on any given day. Sugar causes metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Sugar is also readily converted into fat, and dietary studies indicate that individuals on low carb high protein / fat diets burn more calories per day on the same exercise regimen as those on low fat high sugar diets.

Honestly though, if you want to lose weight, there are many methods, and yet there is only one method: eat less.


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## norajane (Feb 7, 2012)

I diligently tried low carb at one point. I chose to go two meals with very low carbs, and one meal with carbs, per day. It worked...because it sucked so much delicious out of my meals, that I wasn't eating much. I'm not a big meat eater, so that limited an already limited approach. It also worked because it did minimize food cravings - after a few days of low carb, I didn't crave carbs as much. Plus, my favorite snacks are loaded with useless carbs, so by eliminating them, I eliminated the whole cycle of snack, rinse, repeat. So it wasn't a good plan for me, personally, mostly because I don't love meat, but it worked. I can see how it would work really well for people who love meat.

These days, what works best for me is portion control regardless of what I'm eating. I am still mindful of carbs because I know the refined carbs offer no nutrition and tempt me to eat too much, so I eat them but don't go overboard. I might indeed have pasta because I LOVE pasta, but it won't be a huge plate, and it will have seafood and vegetables, and very easy on any bread. If I must have an evening snack, I keep my favorite cheeses on hand, skip the crackers. I might have a full breakfast, but will only have one piece of toast and just a little of the hashbrowns, while eating more of the veggie and cheese omelette. I never limit fruits and vegetables of any kind, except for potatoes in the form of french fries.


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