what to do about carbs

[jllybean1982 0]

I was wondering how many carbs you guys eat in a day? I was thinking that by cutting my carbs down, maybe my weight loss would pick up instead of me being at a stand still. :Dancing_biggrin:

[crazydaisy0729 1]

I don't measure carbs per say, but I try to just stay away from them in general because I have found having some carbs makes me crave more carbs and so on. Mostly I follow a low-carb diet and stay away from sugar. I have a bodybugg and according to it, I get about a third of my daily calories (currently around 1000) from carbs which comes out to be between 40 - 50 g.

Are you measuring your food/counting calories? I think carbs don't stick with you like Protein does so you get hungrier and crave more, and therefore it can slow/stop your weightloss.

[jllybean1982 0]

Thanks crazydaisy! I do measure my food..actually I'm kind of OCD about it! lol What's a bodybugg? I may have to look that up! :Dancing_biggrin: I was eating 600-900 calories a day, but am trying to up them a little thinking I"m eating too little. Today I had about 1000 calories. Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate it! :ohmy:

[LapNYC 3]

I was at a crazy plateau for a month. I started having a Protein Shake for Breakfast, a piece of chicken for lunch and a piece of fish for dinner. That, and some fruit and vegetables picked off my kids' plates and a couple sugar free popsicle for dessert. I'm now losing weight freakishly quickly, even though I put whatever sauces on the chicken and fish I want. For all I know I'm dying of carb depletion or something, but the weight loss has been amazing and it hasn't been all that hard!

Edited June 4, 2010 by LapNYC

[reverie 49]

I try to stay under 50 a day, but it's different for each person. Low carb diets are like 20-30 carbs a day.

[crazydaisy0729 1]

A bodybugg is a device you wear on your upper arm that measures how many calories you burn. You then plug the device into the computer and it shows calorie deficit based on what you eat also (you have to put in what you eat). Also gives you total Protein, carbs, etc for the day and you can track over time. It's a pretty neat gadget.

[Momto3redheads 18]

I don't measure anything.....but I do try and stay away from carbs as much as I can. I have noticed that I do much better when I vary my diet ---- I remember when I was on weight watchers they said to never eat the exact same amount of points every day as your body gets stuck....to make sure to vary it. So I just try and vary my diet - eating mostly Protein as that is what I crave the most anyway. I do sometimes have a scoop of ice cream or a piece of thin crust pizza - but overall my weight loss has still been steady....so I think it is all in the quanities we are eating and trying to make good decisions to give your body the fuel it needs.

Good luck!

[jllybean1982 0]

LapNYC you made me feel so much better by telling me that you plateaued for a month. I was getting nervous! I want to lose weight "freakishly quickly"!!! LOL The bodybugg sounds neat crazydaisy! I may have to get one! :thumbup: Reverie, that sounds about right..50g a day. I'm going to start there! :tt2: Momto3redheads I know all about the body getting stuck and holding onto the weight! LOL Thank you guys for your help. I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend!

[btrieger 21]

Everybody hits a long plateau sooner or later. You just have to expect it and not let it get you down.

I've never measured my carbs and am getting lazy about plugging my meals into bodybugg but I try not to have bread, rice or potatoes with more than 1 of my meals a day.

[BetsyB 9]

I agree that plateaus are just part of the process. I journal and use a body bugg---and when I plateau, I can tell whether it's due to something I'm doing, or "just because." Almost 100 percent of the time, it's "just because."

That said, I do pay careful attention both to portion size (weigh Protein, measure fruits and veggies), and limit carbs. I have not yet added grains back in to my repertoire.

For now, my net carb intake is generally 35-50g/day. These come from veggies and legumes, mostly.

I know it is not true for everyone, but my body really does lose best when it's fed a diet that emphasizes lean Protein, fruits, veggies, legumes, and heart-healthy fats. I will ultimately add whole grains back in, because they are nutrient-dense and the primary source of Fiber in the diet. And they're relatively low glycemic, as compared to other, more refined, carbs--so they are satisfying. But I will be very cautious with them; I will add them at a point where adding extra calories to maintain my weight is necessary.

[jllybean1982 0]

Thanks for your help! You guys are making this plateau much easier to handle! :thumbup:

[Jachut 487]

Why not try it and see? Like Betsy says, its not necessarily forever, you might find you lose best that way.

for me, it was never ever necessary, I lost slowly at about 1lb a week longer term (really fast at first though) but I never plateaued out significantly, instead, the loss got slower and slower till it was 1lb every 4 weeks! That's not a plateau though when you're BMI's already under 25, you've lost 90+ lb and you're just seeing where you end up.

I do what Btrieger is suggesting, I dont limit carbs on purpose, but I probaby wouldnt eat bread or Cereal or Pasta with more than one meal a day - I cant eat that many "heavy" meals in a day. If I ate it for lunch, I really wouldnt fancy much for dinner kind of thing.

[JoiaRox 430]

I don't measure anything, but I'm at the point now (9cc in a 14cc band) that I'm lucky to get food down at all! I drink a lot of fluids throughout the day, snack on some fruit (I freeze it in baggies...grapes, strawberries, etc. and it lasts me all day!), slivers of chicken, etc. Breads are tough on me at all, so carbs really aren't an issue. I do have some pita bread with hummus (tear off pieces of pita and dip it in hummus) as a snack most nights...but considering how little food I take in, and the continuing weight loss? Restriction is glorious and working just fine :tt2:.

I always resigned myself to the fact that this was NOT a diet. I refuse to count anything (mainly because I have no patience for it) and will eat anything I want to. I had a vanilla malt tonight, it was delicious! Is it going to set me back? Maybe. But, my problem in gaining weight didn't have so much to do with the food choices I made, but the AMOUNT of food I would shove into my body every day. I'm of the mindset that you should eat healthy foods the majority of the time, take your Vitamins, drink your Water...but enjoy your life :thumbup:. I do - and it's brought me a 57 pound weight loss since my surgery 5 months ago. I'll take that!!

[jllybean1982 0]

You guys have all done such a good job! I am just going to be more aware of what kind of food I put in my body, especially while I don't have restriction (hadn't had a fill) yet. I do think I wasn't eating enough..since I have increased my calories to 900-1000, the pound I gained back plus another half pound is gone. Thank you so much for your input..it REALLY helps those of us who are still fairly new at being banded!