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I've been eating healthy cereal in the morning during my weigh loss quest (I've lost 32 pounds so far, another 58 to go). I recently read that cereals are not a good breakfast choice due to the amount of carbs. I checked my cereals, and most contain about 25 g of carbs per serving. Can anyone tell me how many total carbs is safe to consume so I can continue losing weight? My weight loss has of course slowed down since I started 7 weeks ago, and I want to do everything I can to continue losing at a steady pace (about 2 to 3 pounds per week). If cereal is out for breakfast, any other breakfast recommendations? Thanks!
There are many different approaches to weight loss so if you are continuing to loose weight that should be fine...slow is healthier..some have typical proportions as high as 55% carbs some are no or very low carbs. They all seem to work BUT
Most cereals are ridiculously high in sugars. [either as sugar or high fructose corn syrup] So I would watch the labels there or consider something like plain oatmeal which has good soluble fibers. I like steel cut oats and they can be made chewy instead of crunchy and are less processed.
Everyone has different opinions - my take is to worry less about the carbs than the sugars, which are simple carbs.
I have been looking for an alternative for fiber one because it has aspartame in it. But Kashi has some of the better cereals.
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Oh, when you start a diet you usually DO loose more at the beginning few weeks then taper off. If you are loosing 1-2lbs a week, I would not change what you are doing. JMO.
GrannyNancy hit the nail on the head with her excellent advice...I usually start the day with a small amount of bran flakes topped with half a banana, (or chopped apple or blueberries) and some walnuts. This makes it nutritionally dense and keeps my hunger away until lunch time. In the winter, oatmeal rules!
Low carb diets are for those who do not exercise. Cereals can be good for you. But I agree you can adjust them to be better cereals. Sugar is useless, so I would focus on reducing that because it also ads to the carb level of a product. With the lower sugar high fiber cereals it will be naturally lower carb. Another thing about counting carbs is "net carbs" You subtract the fiber grams from the total carbs.
Its only about 2 bucks a bag. And because its whole grain I can eat about half of what I would quaker instants. I feel SO FULL on these cereals. You can flavor them with low carb fruit or stevia.They are not low carb BUT have a good dose of protein and fiber and zero sugar.
Those fake sugars you use count as carbs. Every pkt = 1 carb.I forget what diet soda is...But I would assume 3 carbs because there are about 11 servings of sweetener in regular soda....
Before you bother with carb counting. Try switching to more whole food choices. Skip processed things. Its much easier to do,and naturally pulls down your sugar,salt and carbs a bit. Plus it may give you an energy boost.
p.s. It is normal for weightloss to slow as you get into it. The big first loss is a lot of water weight coming out of you. It is best and healthy to aim for no more than a 2lb loss a week. Your skin will thank you. If you try to lose too fast it will ruin your skin maybe forever. So don't do it!
Rather than give you a "hard and fast number" of carbs to consume ...
I think it's better to approach carb consumption as part of a planned diet strategy.
For example, if you look at the Atkins diet program, it's very limited when you start out. But after several weeks, you can slowly re-introduce carbs and monitor your weight loss progress at that time. If you stop losing weight, then you've eaten too much carbs in the most recent few days and need to adjust the carb intake accordingly.
Most important, however, is that each person's metabolism is different, and may even vary for an individual during the course of a diet regime. I think it's best to do any weight loss diet under the supervision of a medical professional ... and I lean toward ND's and OD's, not MD's for this. It's also important to know how your body chemistry is responding to your diet. At a minimum, you might consider blood work to monitor that, get a baseline, and then adjust your diet accordingly.
What works for me ... a very low carb intake diet with lots of fresh home grown veggies, poultry, pork, beef, and lamb ... leaving out the potatoes and corn we grow ... has given me a steady weight loss and very low cholesterol levels while maintaining a 120/70 BP at 60 resting pulse rate. Other cardiac testing is in the excellent range for my age, and again ... you might consult with your health care pro about doing such testing to be sure that you're on the right track with your weight loss, not adversely affecting body functions/peformance with a diet that's not compatible with your body type or that you are affecting other hormone/endocrine/organ functions in a bad way.
I agree that a steady 1-2 lbs per week weight loss is desirable, but it's essential to be sure that you're maintaining your overall health at the same time.
RE: comment above about "low carb diets being for those who don't excercise" ... Some of us don't need to head for the gym as our normal physical work and recreation activity is substantially more work/calories burned than many who have sedentary jobs.
RE: comment above about "low carb diets being for those who don't excercise" ... Some of us don't need to head for the gym as our normal physical work and recreation activity is substantially more work/calories burned than many who have sedentary jobs.
Those Bob's Red Mill Cereals Look pretty darned good and it looks like two chains near me carry them.
Going to give the high fiber one a try. Hopefully they carry it - if not may look into mail order.
Thanks everyone! Some great advice! I will also try Bob's Red Mill cereal. It's sold at several local stores here.
7 weeks ago I decided to change my lifestyle by eating healthy and excercising more. I've never felt better. This isn't a diet to me, but a new way of life, and I love it! I really enjoy the foods I'm eating now, so I know I'll be able to maintain a healthy weight once I reach my goal. I've also started walking 45 minutes a day, 5 to 6 times per week.
The biggest hurdle so far has been my lack of patience. But I do realize that slow, steady weight loss is the best way to go.
Thanks again for all the advice. It's much appreciated!
I'm with you all on the Bob's Red Mill products--whole grains are the ticket...they're just loaded with the minerals that have been milled out of many corporate brand name cereals--and low in sugars and salt, too. A little goes a long way toward fill you up--a win-win.
I've been trying different grains these days--barley, quinoa, millet and such...trying to eat some whole grains other than wheat...
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