EAT CARBS Without Gaining Weight!

You have lost weight by avoiding the carbs – you pass up the local Bakery and order protein and vegetables at restaurants. You ask the waiter to take the bread basket away and forget dessert – right!? Have you noticed a change in your mood? Do you still crave carbs? For many people, low-carb eating is not satisfying for the long term. They continue to eat their steak and eggs but at some point miss their whole wheat toast or their favorite pasta dish.

It is possible to re-introduce carbs if you introduce the right carbs in the right way! You might gain some weight but that is because carbs hold water in the body. When you start adding carbs back in, you are going to store water which is a good thing. Start by looking at your diet! WHAT ARE YOU ACTUALLY EATING EVERYDAY? This might surprise you because many people are following low-carb diets but are eating more carbs then they realize!

Many people start with a low-carb plan of less than 20 grams of carbs per day and then increase it gradually! Less than 60 grams per day is pretty standard during the weight loss phase! One slice of bread has 15 grams of carbs! The best way to start is to stay away from PROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES like white bread, white rice, white pasta, French fries, baked goods and snack foods! They are all processed in the body like sugar because they create an exaggerated insulin response which lead to overeating and less staying power because they have LESS NUTRIENTS!

Look for carbs that give you the most nutrition! Steel-cut oats for oatmeal, whole-grain bread for toast. The fiber content promotes good gastrointestinal health which lowers cholesterol and keeps you full! Whole fruits are fine because they are low in calories, natural sugar and high in fiber! Beans and legumes will fill you up without fattening you up and low-fat dairy products like yogurt will strengthen your bones and help your body with weight loss.

Weight loss still comes back to calories so as you add carbs back into your diet, you must watch your calorie intake! There are over 100 studies that show weight loss is primarily due to decreased calories – not decreased carbs! Watch your portion sizes especially at restaurants! What foods do you keep in your refrigerator? Your office? Your car? Do you eat standing up? Or on the run? The best advantage about the low-carb diets is that it has made people aware of their eating habits and portion sizes! They realized there are some good things about carbs like stimulating the production of serotonin – the mood elevating chemical in the brain.

The best trick is to enjoy your favorite carbs but not all at once! Do not have garlic bread, cheesecake and pasta all in the same meal. Here are some low-carb foods that have great flavor and texture!

NET CARBS – Manufacturer’s calculate “net carbs” by subtracting the carbs that come from fiber or sugar alcohols from the total grams of carbohydrates. Since carbs from fiber are NOT absorbed and those sugar alcohols are NOT turned into glucose, they are thought by some not to “count” as much. The U.S. FDA currently does not have a definition of net carbs or “digestible carbs”.

1. low-carb whole-wheat tortillas – these have 80 calories per tortilla with 2 grams of total fat and only 12 grams of carbohydrates – they taste better when heating or grilled!

2. Whole-grain breads – usually have 80-90 calories per slice and 0.5 grams of fat with 16 grams of carbohydrates. This bread tastes better toasted and is a better choice than light, low-calorie bread

3. Multi-grain breads – have 60 calories per slice and only 9 grams of carbohydrates. Always better tasting when toasted.

4. low-carb pasta – has about 190 calories per cup with 1 gram of fat – you will see on the label 42 grams of carbohydrates – that include 4 grams of fiber so a NET carb of 38. It is a little chewier than full-carb pasta – remember – look at your fist – that is the amount you should eat anyway so choose your favorite.

5. High-fiber cereal – has about 100 calories per cup with about 2.5 grams of fat. 11 grams of total carbohydrates with 6 grams of fiber so a net carb of 5 grams. Crunchy, sweet and filling! Try it with some vanilla soy milk.

Whole-grain carbohydrates are ideal for weight loss! They are filling and less refined because the whole-grain is intact before it is processed. Look for ingredients like whole wheat, whole barley, cracked wheat, graham flour, whole cornmeal, whole oats. Refined grains have been processed to remove the bran and germ – try mixing brown or wild rice with some white rice. The low-carb breads do not provide as much nutrition as whole-grain breads – Wheat flour found in whole-grain bread is more likely to be enriched with vitamins, folic acid and iron!

You can still enjoy some good carbohydrates and still lose weight painlessly and not feel deprived. Remember, portion control does count and so does exercise – at least 30 minutes per day! Everyday!

Sherry Granader – Nutritionist, National Speaker, Spokesperson,
Author, Writer, TV and Radio Host – http://www.sgfit.com – 406-288-0114

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