Alternative to Carbs?
 

Hi all,

I've recently joined and am finding this site fab!

I've always known that my downfall is carbs - I have drastically cut down on my bread intake, as I would often have 2/3 sandwiches per day for breakfast, dinner and tea (with butter,mayo etc). so the bread slices have been thrown out and I'm eating wholegrain bagels, muffins, wraps etc. But I still notice that in my chart, I am way over-doing the carbs...can anyone suggest an alternative or should I be eating a majority carbs per day anyway?

Thanks
mary

Me again!

I'm still noticing a huge amount of carbs in my pie chart:(. I am trying to balance it out, and eat fruit and veg and lean meat, but the porridge for breakfast, the wrap/bagel for lunch etc are all adding up!!

Anyone any ideas please????

I hate to break it to you but going from sliced bread to bagels isn't drastically cutting down on bread. That's like trying to cut back on pasta and going from angel hair to lasagna.

Try cutting back on servings instead of types.

I too struggle with grain based carbs. You might try spaghetti squash in place of pasta. Spaghetti squash has carbs too, but not so many as pasta. One thing I do often is to eat the stuff I used to put in a sandwich, but I skip the bread. Egg salad or tuna salad right out of the bowl or wrapped in a leaf of lettuce is actually rather filling and loaded with protein. If you need bread you might look for one that is low calorie and high in protein. Some of the "wraps" on the market might help your numbers, the Flat Out brand have 9 grams of protein and are 90-110 calories depending on the flavor. Another thing you probably need to look at is high protein snacks, like Greek yogurt, soy nuts, nuts in general, beef jerky etc etc.

thanks for replies!

I realise that going from sliced bread to bagels isn't a massive jump, but I've excluded the butter and included so many other good, hi proten foods with the bagel - so I've made changes, but not enough obviously!

I'm in Ireland and haven't a clue what beef jerky is (although I have heard it mentioned on american tv shows:D). I hadn't thought of the nuts for high protein - must include them in my next shopping spree.

Bread, unfortunately, is my 'thing' - I wouldn't thank you for a bar of chocolate, a packet of crisps or a biscuit - but boy would I thank you for a slice of bread! I remember oprah referring to carboholics and laughing, thinking they didn't exist...how wrong was I!!!

Beef jerky is thin strips (a ground & reformed) of beef (you can make venison, turkey, chicken, etc) and spiced with different recipes then dehydrated either in a dehydrator or in the oven. It gets almost tough and is usually pretty salty. It is delish! We make venison jerky several times a year here.

Hi Mary,

Try to think about it this way:

You've swapped your bread for a bagel (so, a grain for a grain). You've cut out butter and mayo -- those aren't carbs, they're mostly fat! :) You've added more protein, which is good, but you're really still eating, more or less, the same amount of carbs.

You're swapping out bad fats for proteins, which is a great start, so kudos to you!

Maybe you can try cutting bread/grain/pasta out of one meal a day. For instance, instead of a sandwich, have a soup or a salad, maybe, for lunch? Or, instead of an egg sandwich or porridge for breakfast, just make the eggs, or an omelet with some nice veggies?

If you still want the "feel" of a sandwich, Almeeker makes some great suggestions, such as lettuce-wrapping instead of bread-wrapping or searching for low-carb/high-fiber wraps (FlatOut wraps are great!)

Good luck!

Thanks alot Terri!

I know carbs is my downfall. I grew up in a large family with 7 brothers and I remember mam filling us all up on bread for every meal (I imagine money was tight back then!)...so the habit has stuck!

I have definitely cut down my sandwich intake - a few weeks back, I was eating 2 slices of toast for breakfast, 2 slices of bread for a sandwich lunch and another 2 slices of bread with my tea in the evenings!! I have been known - on occassion - to make potato sandwiches (I love them sooooooo much!)...that's how much I crave carbs!!

Anyway, I have cut out the bagels every morning, but am sticking with the porridge as it's really filling me up, and I am already feeling more energised in work each morning because of it! I'll have to figure out other ways to cut the other carbs though - love the lettuce wrapped 'sandwich' and will give that a try over the weekend - thanks again!

Mary, CARBS are good!

You need 50 to 60 percent of your calories from carbs.

You can eat two sanwiches, but you just have to eat whole grain bread.
Where I live, I found Diet whole grain bread that is only 50 calories per slice, and no fat.

The carbs that are bad are white bread, white sugar, regular potatoes, white rice.

What happened is that from the popularity of the ATkins diet, everyone including me thought that you were not supposed to eat them.

Then I found out the truth, that 50 to 60 percent of your calories should come from carbs, and 20 to 25 percent from protein, and around 15 to 25 per cent should come from fat.

That is how I arived at FITDAY, because the notebook was tedious to do my tallies constantly.

Eat carb, count carbs, eat the correct amount, and don't go over.

WHOLE GRAINS!

Brown rice, veggies, fruits, oats, anything natural is extremely good for you.

That's great jackedup - thanks for that! And I'll defo buy wholegrain bread at the weekend.

White sugar would be another downfall of mine! I only drink one cup of tea in the morning and one cup of coffee in the afternoon, but love 2 spoons of sugar in both. I'd also have a teaspoon of sugar in my porridge in the mornings. I am reluctant to change that to sweetner as I've so much bad press about artificial sweetners - would brown sugar be a good alternative (or is that a silly question sorry!!)

Mary, you may want to use stevia.

I have a sweet tooth too, and can't live without it, so I just use a zero calorie sweetner that has no chemicals either.

When I want sweet, I have it.

Mary, just re read your post.

In your search for bread, the whole grain is one part of what you should look for but you want a bread that is low fat, and low calories as well.

You may have to go to a couple of places before you find it.

As for your tea, and coffee, and porridge, the sugar does not really have that many calories, but, I believe it triggers an insulin response which you will have to gogle to get the exact information on why you wouldn't want that as I would be unable to explain it.

I am having a coffee right now (2nd one), and I have a zero calorie stevia sweetner in it. I hate coffee without sweetner and milk.

Also from what I have been researching, you should keep the fats really low.

I recently found a cheese made with soy, so while there is 4.3 grams of fat in my cheese, it isn't coming from animals which makes it healthier, but still, too much of it will add to my spare tire.

By the way, how is it going so far?

Mary, for me personally, I decided that the morning cup of tea was not something I was going to compromise on. I also try to avoid sweeteners, but I know that sugar's not great, either. I've switched over to using turbinado (raw) sugar, though. Whether it's better or not, who knows, but it is less processed. The way I look at it, some things are easier to change than others; don't deprive yourself of everything, because then you won't stick with it.

Thanks again guys.

Progress so far is stupendous!! I've lost 9lbs as of this morning:D

But it's not even about the weight - I honestly feel like I've had a bolt of lightning hit me these past few weeks - it's like all of a sudden I 'get it'! I have done alot of work on my self-esteem over the years so I believe it's all come together at a time when my son is now old enough to help around the house, make his own breakfast etc. 9years of caring solely for him - now it's my turn (I won't neglect him tho..promise;))

I don't think they sell any of the stuff you have both suggested in Ireland though - am I right about the artificial sweetners?? I don't want to deprive myself of anything either and would rather do without tea/coffee if I couldn't have milk and sugar in it.

I suppose if I went into a health food store and got a 'healthy' artificial sweetner it might be better than the store bought one??

Gotta love your mindset, Mary!

The turbinado sugar is sometimes marketed as Sugar in the Raw; do you have that? A health food store or natural food market may have it if your grocery doesn't.

As for being right about the sweetener, no one really knows for sure. There is a ton of conflicting information, so maybe just try to read up on it, educate yourself, and make the best choice for you.

Agave syrup is another good option; it's natural, and does not hit your bloodstream with sugar the way refined sugar does. Calories are similar to sugar or honey.

I'm all for including carbs in your diet, but making them good quality ones. A baked potato, for example, doesn't have to be slathered with fat.. just add a very little bit of fat. A sandwich can be made with thinly sliced bread and very little mayo or butter (fats). And pumped up with tomato and lettuce and onion and any other raw veggies! It ends up being very filling. If you are somewhat addicted to the convenience of sandwiches, that would make them less caloric. When you look at the carbs number at the end of the day, pay MORE attention to the number of calories at the end of the day. Fitday gives you guidelines for the calories you need, given your weight and height, etc.

If you are determined to use sugar (not artificial sweetener), then just cut the sugar in half.

I, once upon a time, took cream and sugar in my coffee. Then just milk. Now, nothing in my coffee. Just black. It was a gradual progression. But it worked.

I also have a baked potato at a restaurant and use only one small pat of butter, no sour cream. I take home the other pats of butter they give me, and the sour cream (all in individual containers) and keep them in the fridge for my husband to use. I don't miss them.

Great tips Kathy, and thanks:)

I am also all for eating the right carbs - I have changed my food intake so much and have started taking some Evening Primrose Oil for the old 'moods';). When I think of the fish oils and multi vitamins I ensure my little fella eats every day...and nothing for me!! No more though!

Thanks again guys..I'll keep an eye on the calories too.

You'll probably get mixed responses regarding sugar. cut back sugar or switch?
Switching to an artificial sweetener will probably help with weight loss, but also take into consideration the unknown effects on the body that artificial sweeteners may have. (Some are labeled as possible carcinogens)
I used to put a lot of sugar in my coffee too. I cut back 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon every couple of weeks until I was down to less than 1/2 teaspoon total in my coffee... it took a while for my taste to adjust, but I enjoy my morning coffee just fine now without all the sweetness.
You could look into the natural sugar substitutes that are out there - like stevia.

well i eat jerky a lot. And i also try to use it in my different recipes.