So….do we eat them? Well yes, sometimes and some types. BUT we avoid the refined, processed kinds of carbs……cookies and cakes and all the obvious no no’s; but also ANYTHING made with white flour.
Bagels are basically donuts minus the sugar glaze in terms of what they do to your waistline, they might be fat free but they’re 3X the size they were a generation ago and have an entire meals worth of calories before you’re even tempted by the cream cheese etc. While we’re on breakfast carbs…muffins are cupcakes by a different name. We don’t eat them. Ever. Nope, not even the bran and raisin healthy looking types. Even they are full of calories in the form of sugar and refined sugar is not the friend of a healthy, lean, toned physique.
White flour is only one minute level above sugar…once you’ve eaten it the body can break it down almost immediately…you get an energy rush and then it’s gone, leaving you tired, cranky and HUNGRY all over again. It sets up a cycle of craving and the more you eat the more you want, and the more calories you end up consuming overall. So we just don’t go there. It might hurt initially (in-fact it did…..for us both!!) but truthfully, the less you eat them and the more effort you make to find interesting alternatives the less you crave it.
We don’t eat pasta or noodles almost ever, yes you can eat the whole-wheat kinds, and they’re definitely the vastly preferable option, but portion control is a HUGE issue with this kind of food. Just as a guideline; a restaurant serving of pasta is almost always at least DOUBLE the serving size quoted on the calorie listings on the back of a packet of dried pasta. That’s before you factor in the sauce it’s covered in! So if you have to have it, it helps to get real disciplined about splitting an order and eating it with a large mixed salad, or vegetables. We don’t really do white potatoes ever…but sweet potatoes are full of valuable nutrients and we’ll sometimes have them baked or slices grilled with a little olive oil brushed on top as a treat.
We know that not everyone WANTS to eat this way, or isn’t interested in being quite so disciplined. All we can honestly share is what we’ve learnt works for us and the bodies that we like to have, while being happy, healthy and full of energy each day!
Next time I’ll talk about the CARBS we DO eat! They exist….I promise.
Also appearing soon…..FATS…they are NOT the enemy in our food plans at all but an important part of a healthy satisfying approach to food.
And our overall approach to food and eating style…..VOLUMETRICS.!
sweatcity.wordpress.com 
Great tips and I’ll definitely keep them in mind. It sounds like someone did some homework and I appreciate that. 🙂 I also took a nutrition class and a few health classes in my day. It was always taught to not cut out carbohydrates completely depending on the type of carbohydrate yes, but moderation is important to any diet no matter what the food. 🙂
Fiber is key to a normal and natural digestive system.
(Serving sizes in restaurants are ridiculous…)
“Don’t be misled by fad diets that make blanket pronouncements on the dangers of carbohydrates. They provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.
The best sources of carbohydrates—whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients. Easily digested carbohydrates from white bread, white rice, pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.” -Harvard (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates-full-story/index.html) <– full article
I just got this book about the sugar solution diet, cutting out all refined carbs and sugars, eating less more often and exercise, to try and lose weight. Any other good tips you can give to help me, like when reading the nutrition information on the back of packages, i heard that all food you consume should have less than 2g of sugar p/100g, is that correct? What else should you take note of in the nutrition info?
I think being in love with someone who loves you back is cool, and no one else should matter to either of you.
It looks like you and jess have that, it impresses me and gives me hope
THANK YOU
p.s to k-lo thanks for your words to me in the break up post, i replied you are awesome.
In terms of the ‘Sugar Solution’ I know of this book and agree with its basic principles. However I personally try to avoid becoming too fixated on the “grams of this per that” way of eating.
The more in its natural state the food you are eating is, the better it is likely to be for you. It’s when food becomes too highly processed and doesn’t look or really taste like anything you’d find in nature that I think the major problems arise. Fruit is fruit, an egg is an egg etc but a so called “health bar/protein bar” etc may not be anything of the sort.
My top tip for reading nutritional information on food packets is that is it has three or more ingredients in it that you can’t pronounce….probably NOT that great for you, try not to go there.
Also they list the ingredients in order of QUANTITY so if you think you’re buying a healthy fruit drink and the first ingredient listed is sugar, that’s a sugar drink. Put it down!
Thanks for all your comments Dilemma….we love to hear your thoughts 🙂