Has anyone cut carbs just a bit and had results?

[BigOldBlobber]

I will preface with: I have an allergy prone and fussy toddler who we are trying to get to eat what we eat more so low low/no carbs is not going to work.

I need to lose a stone at least in 9 weeks for our holiday so I can feel lighter/fitter/happier to enjoy it with my DD. I've felt horrid in my skin for the last three years now and I'm sick of it.

I can cut out SOME carbs but have no idea where to start if I don't want to go super low carb.

Any ideas?

SW: 12s3lbs (5ft 4.5) body type naturally good at building muscle when I try/can be arsed and small boobed hourglass if that info is needed?

GW in 9 weeks: 11 stone ish max

I am time poor btw. Toddler, 2 jobs (30hrs plus 5 hrs) and an ongoing degree.

Also finance poor due to nursery fees!

That’s not how it works, you are basically just cutting calories when you do that, well as long as you don’t substitute with other foods.

if you can’t go low carb then go low calories, there is no magic easy answer to weight loss.

Well I don't think you'd lose a whole stone but when I'm feeling sluggish I drop pounds by cutting bread, rice, pasta, and cereals, sugary drinks, biscuits etc. I don't drop all sweets at all. In practical terms this means I buy and eat

black coffee, plain greek yoghurt, berries (for breakfast)
crustless quiche (I buy 3 a week), coleslaw and tomatoes (for lunch)
a rotisserie chicken, nice salad dressing and a dozen eggs
a giant block of good cheddar and good peanut butter
some big heads of round lettuce to make lettuce wraps for burgers etc
apples, oranges

Then when I'm drinking I drink gin and tonic instead of beer. If I'm snacking I eat cheese, boiled eggs, and peanut butter. If I'm eating with family who are eating rice I just eat the curry. If I'm sad or ill I just eat sweets and don't worry about it. If I do this for six weeks or so I'm back to fighting weight and celebrate with a pizza 😉

Obviously this is not based on cooking low carb. There's a whole low carb world out there full of courgetti and cauliflower rice and mushrooms and delicious aubergines etc. But like you I am very very busy at the moment so this is affordable, low-cook / no-cook stuff that is just easy to have in, child friendly, and lower carb by default.

You can make progress by cutting carbs rather than eliminating them.

• replace your carbs with whole carbs where possible (you'll need a smaller quantity then)
• replace processed with unprocessed (or less processed)
• slowly bring down the quantity and replace with more veg/protein
• add exercise if you can

It works!

It could be helpful. Fat is higher in calories per gram than carbs or protein, however the majority or people will feel full for longer after eating a meal based around healthy protein, healthy fat, & vegetables. Depending on what carb choices you make & your individual metabolism, digestion etc, carb heavy meals are generally digested & turned into sugars more quickly than any other source of calories. And, because we're hard wired to find them delicious (because carb sources were more scarce only a few thousand years ago) most people are naturally inclined to overindulge on carbs, especially if they are mixed with fat. Example ice cream, cake etc, apparently there's a specific ratio of fat:carbs which makes for peak taste satisfaction & therefore means you're more likely to keep going back for second helpings.

Realistically it's just reducing calories by eliminating a food group. As long as you're still getting some carbs from vegetables, maybe beans & fruits occasionally if you want to include them, it should be perfectly manageable & not necessarily too expensive. Eggs are a great cheap protein. Also look for fish, especially oily fish, the small types that tend to be cheaper such as sardines, mackerel etc. Tinned are fine.

And yes, agree to going for unprocessed or less processed options. Highly processed, low carb/low calorie foods are not an improvement.

This is what I have been doing, and I feel much better, though it has only been a couple weeks so not much noticeable weight loss- I do feel that my waistbands are looser though! I have cut tight back on bread, pasta etc and mostly cut out cakes and biscuits. I am still eating plenty of fruit though even though they can be carb high.

Yes I find cutting out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and sugary stuff makes a big difference to how bloated I am, and loses a few pounds.

From there you can progress to more full-on keto to lose a lot of weight, if you want to.

If you don't want to low carb, calorie counting works really well - I lost 2 stone in 2 months at the beginning of the year and it honestly didn't feel like that much hardship. Just careful measuring and logging of calories.

Good luck!