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Why do people find it so hard to temporarily give up carbs?
Not mentioned: cost!
If you're on a fixed income or just don't have much money coming in, buying a lot of meat and fresh produce can kill a food budget.
When I buy flour and yeast in bulk, I can make two loaves of bread for $2.10 (counting the energy cost to bake two loaves in a gas oven).
I can make a potato casserole that serves six (with some bits of sale ham) for about $0.45 a serving.
Almost any lentil dish can be made for $0.20 - 0.30 a serving.
Fortunately, eggs have come down in price (cheap protein).
I remember when a roommate started doing Atkins: her grocery bill went from $75/week to about $140. She lost the weight but wasn't able to keep it off.
One has to have a somewhat decent income and/or a garden to do a lot of today's diets.
If you're on a fixed income or just don't have much money coming in, buying a lot of meat and fresh produce can kill a food budget.
When I buy flour and yeast in bulk, I can make two loaves of bread for $2.10 (counting the energy cost to bake two loaves in a gas oven).
I can make a potato casserole that serves six (with some bits of sale ham) for about $0.45 a serving.
Almost any lentil dish can be made for $0.20 - 0.30 a serving.
Fortunately, eggs have come down in price (cheap protein).
I remember when a roommate started doing Atkins: her grocery bill went from $75/week to about $140. She lost the weight but wasn't able to keep it off.
One has to have a somewhat decent income and/or a garden to do a lot of today's diets.
Beans are cheap too and they are so versatile and add protein and a lot of fiber.
As a diabetic, I have to be very conscious of carbs. What I've been told is your body tends to burn what you eat if your blood sugar is in the ~80-~120 range. That's easy to do until carbs are introduced.
My nutritionist, even with the knowledge of my diabetes told me I should have a minimum of 45 carbs per meal. If I subscribed to that, my blood sugar would be well over 150 and my A1C would be over 7.0.
Typically, I'll restrict myself to around 20 carbs per meal. It's worked well for me, to date.
You nutritionist probably follows the ADA guidelines which are severely flawed UNLESS you are on insulin. In actuality they recommend up to 60 grams per meal just to keep you from going low when taking a standard dose of insulin. If you are on medication or just control your diabetes with diet alone, 45 to 60 grams per meal is a disaster waiting to happen. The ADA recommends you keep your BG at or below 180. That is too high regardless and will cause long term complications. Your meds will stop working, your b-cells will burnout eventually and you will be forced to go on insulin. I know this because I've been down this road before. When I was first diagnosed, I received no dietary advice whatsoever from my MD. Their idea is, just keep taking the meds and all should be fine. What they are doing is creating a viscous circle of eating poorly (for a diabetic), taking the pills and having your health suffer as a result.
Beans are cheap too and they are so versatile and add protein and a lot of fiber.
So true. I gave up meat almost two years ago, and I don't spend nearly as much on food. It allows me to be a little lazy when I want and buy precut vegetables and salads. I live alone so it's not worth it to waste all that time chopping and peeling and then cleaning up the mess just for me to eat.
Everyone has to do what works for them. However, when the suggestion is made for someone to try low carb, people act like someone suggested not breathing air.
I love bread, potatoes, sweets, etc just like most people. However, it's made sense for me to give them up while I'm trying to lose weight. It's not been that big a deal. I'll reintroduce them back into my diet at the appropriate time. For other people, it's like asking the unimaginable.
Why do people find it so hard to temporarily give up carbs?
I don't feel satiated if I don't have enough carbs during the course of a day. Aka I feel starving and crappy.
The needs are different based on what I have done in a given day. Days when I do intense cardio = I need more carbs.
Some workouts need more carbs for fuel than others.
I don't feel satiated if I don't have enough carbs during the course of a day. Aka I feel starving and crappy.
The needs are different based on what I have done in a given day. Days when I do intense cardio = I need more carbs.
Some workouts need more carbs for fuel than others.
When I went low carb my workouts sucked. I had no energy to push myself. My legs felt leaden. I need my grains too. Plus the fiber! Low carb left me struggling in the bathroom if you get my meaning. Plus low carb did not fit my lifestyle of being social and going to friends for dinner or having them over, and the wine events I routinely go to, some of them mandatory for my job. Quality of life is something I need to factor in or no eating plan will work.
I am not knocking people who do low carb and succeed. And for people with diabetes it is a real game changer. I just get PO'ed at the folks who claim it's the only way to lose weight.
I don't feel satiated if I don't have enough carbs during the course of a day. Aka I feel starving and crappy.
The needs are different based on what I have done in a given day. Days when I do intense cardio = I need more carbs.
Some workouts need more carbs for fuel than others.
Same here. I'm not a big meat eater, so if I cut out carbs I'd be limited to eating mostly veggies. I like my veggies, but if that's all I ate I'd be starving all the time.
First of all, ignore anyone who says calories are all that matter. Excess fat isn't a caloric problem, it's a hormonal one. If you understand how and why your body stores fat and specifically the role insulin plays, then you'll understand why carbs matter. Second, the reason to pay attention to carbs isn't just because of excess body fat. So many of today's leading health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer are a direct consequence of diet. That's not to say all carbs are bad. But intuitively, I think most people know that fruit and vegetables are better both for weight and health than a bowl of pasta. Personally, I don't get why people get so worked up over someone else cutting carbs. Why do you care what they do? If they're getting the results they want, what's it to you? I eat a low carb diet, but I'll still indulge in the occasional burger, pizza, or ice cream. A friend or relative will lecture me on why low carb is bad. But I'll be the one who's in better shape and health than them. I won't lecture the person I see going vegetarian or the one spending hours at the gym trying to burn off last night's lasagna. But in my mind, I'm just shaking my head. What has low carb gotten me besides easy fat loss and better health? How about a lot of saved time. 3 weight training sessions a week. I'll take that over hours and hours on a treadmill.
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