Getting over 'carb' phobia and other junk.

[Jinga]

I need some advice on getting past the mainstream 'carb' hysteria. I have a history of body images issues and related eating experiences. I do know that 'carbs' are not magical creatures that deposit cellulite on your butt while you sleep, but I constantly have this lingering part of me that doesn't listen to food logic. All the dumb anti-carb marketing these days doesn't help. It is actually flaring my old distorted mindsets. This lingering presense is also one big reason I have trouble staying completely veg or vegan, depite the fact that I dont like the taste or idea of meats, eggs, and most dairy. My veg self struggles with worrying I am not eating enough or ends up eating way too much to compensate, but I end up never feeling satisfied. I dont think the food is the problem so much as the mindset. I want to find a balance, but when I think balance I think control, which leads me to a time in my life where I did eat meat, dairy, and eggs to adhere to a very specific set of 'balanced numbers'. Not exactly happy times, and there are many reasons I dont want to go down that road again.

Basically, I am looking for a way to convince myself that it really doesn't matter how many carbohydrates I eat as long as they are the healthy kind, and I get enough protein, fat, and other nutrients. I am wanting to eat balanced and feel satisfied. I do have a basic knowledge of having some protein, fat, fiber at every meal to stay satieted ... but something in the equation doesn't click in my head. Argh. :cry:

[NDvegan85]

I know what you mean completely! I am one of the most anti-Atkins people and I would discourage anyone from doing that or the South Beach Diet, but yet sometimes I catch myself thinking at a meal "Should I eat that slice of bread? I've already got rice..." or something along those lines. And I know in my head that it's okay and carbs aren't evil, but that doesn't seem to stop it.

I just try to keep it all in perspective. Those people pushing low carb products are just trying to make a buck off of people's insecurities by convincing them that they need to not eat certain things and buy their stuff to feel good about their bodies. It's the same type of people that try to sell diet pills and other weight loss supplements or whatever. This whole anti-carb thing doesn't have the public's best interest in mind... it's just another way for companies to make money, along with the majority of the diet industry. And that makes me pretty mad, and so I can stay motivated to not listen to them.

[beforewisdom]

http://www.atkinsfacts.org

[beforewisdom]

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html

[beforewisdom]

Here is a koan for you:

If high carb diets make people fat why does the US have an obesity epidemic despite having atkins and high carb eating countries like China, Japan etc do not?

[beforewisdom]

The amount of carbs you eat doesn't matter, but the amount of calories do.

Unrefined carbs have fibers which fill you up before you can eat more calories and these fibers slowly release sugar into your blood which acts as an appetite control.

Refined carbs ( white flour products, pasta, bagels, cookies, sweenter rich food etc ) do not regulate your appetite, do not have the fiber that gives you a full feeling on fewer calories and many of them are more calorie dense.

I went to an interesting talk by vegan RD George Eisman who said that he has seen studies that show that even whole grain flour products may not be one of the better foods for weight control. Apparently the fiber in whole grains lose their ability to make people feel full and regulate their appetite when the grains are ground up very small to make flour products.

If you are interested in weight control witout being obsessive about it:
- minimize refined carbs
- minimize all flour products
- minimize sweets
- drink only water, most beverages have 1/3- 1/2 the calories of a full meal

These simple things along with exercise should get you very far with little effort.

I have known about 4 people who lost about 30 lbs over the course of a year doing nothing but giving up soda and drinking only water.

[Jinga]

NDVeg - I'm glad I'm not the only one! I do need to keep reminding myself they are just trying to make money on a fad. Just like I have to remind myself that all the women I see in magazines are there to sell stuff ... not something I am supposed to resemble. :-/

Steve - Thank you for all the responses. I have luckily never been into Atkins-ish dieting. When I go 'carb-phobic', I actually strive to eat a balanced diet that consists of about 20% fat, 50-something% carbohydrates, and the rest protein. I just haven't figured out how to achieve that balance veggie style without eating tons of fake meats. It gets grody after a while and I would prefer to have whole foods at least 2 of the three of my meals. When I don't make an effort to eat balanced I constantly graze. Since I am not needing to lose weight, its more of a maintanence and sanity issue.

I do have that koan stuck in my head :yes: I even use it on other people. The Okinawins have a greater percentage of people over the age of 100 than any other nation in the world. Their diet is mainly whole grains, veggies, and soy. Of course, they are also very active people. Unfortunately, their yonger generations have been adopting more of a western diet which is already leading to 'western' health related problems.

I do think that the time I was obsessive about staying in my 'balanced numbers', I was eating too many refined grains and sugars. I think that is why I was eating meat, dairy, etc. to 'balance' it out. I am aware that calories are what counts (yet another thing I tell other people), but it seems like I have a hard time not eating way too many. Maybe part of it is due to the wheat digestion issue you mentioned. Perhaps basing my meals on veggies then adding a little bit of other stuff would help. For example instead of making pasta with some broccoli, I'd make broccoli with some pasta ;)


My brain is still have conflicts with itself, but thanks both of you for the helpful words. :D

[beforewisdom]

NDVeg - I'm glad I'm not the only one! I do need to keep reminding myself they are just trying to make money on a fad. Just like I have to remind myself that all the women I see in magazines are there to sell stuff ... not something I am supposed to resemble. :-/

Steve - Thank you for all the responses. I have luckily never been into Atkins-ish dieting. When I go 'carb-phobic', I actually strive to eat a balanced diet that consists of about 20% fat, 50-something% carbohydrates, and the rest protein. I just haven't figured out how to achieve that balance veggie style without eating tons of fake meats. It gets grody after a while and I would prefer to have whole foods at least 2 of the three of my meals. When I don't make an effort to eat balanced I constantly graze. Since I am not needing to lose weight, its more of a maintanence and sanity issue.

I do have that koan stuck in my head :yes: I even use it on other people. The Okinawins have a greater percentage of people over the age of 100 than any other nation in the world. Their diet is mainly whole grains, veggies, and soy. Of course, they are also very active people. Unfortunately, their yonger generations have been adopting more of a western diet which is already leading to 'western' health related problems.

I do think that the time I was obsessive about staying in my 'balanced numbers', I was eating too many refined grains and sugars. I think that is why I was eating meat, dairy, etc. to 'balance' it out. I am aware that calories are what counts (yet another thing I tell other people), but it seems like I have a hard time not eating way too many. Maybe part of it is due to the wheat digestion issue you mentioned. Perhaps basing my meals on veggies then adding a little bit of other stuff would help. For example instead of making pasta with some broccoli, I'd make broccoli with some pasta ;)

Hallelujah!

Crank up the organ!

Everyone clap and sing!

[Jinga]

What happened to your last post? *is confused*

I wouldn't say its time to celebrate yet. A distorted mindset takes lots of time and effort to change :-/

[beforewisdom]

NDVeg - I'm glad I'm not the only one! I do need to keep reminding myself they are just trying to make money on a fad. Just like I have to remind myself that all the women I see in magazines are there to sell stuff ... not something I am supposed to resemble. :-/


I have seen your pictures. I don't mean this in a smarmy way or anything but you look good.

I remember seeing a film on eating disorders about a million years ago. It was called THE HUNGER WITHIN. The film made one interesting point which I have remembered all of these years. Back in the 1950s the average American woman as well as the average Miss America contestants were both about 5 5 and 150 lbs. Starting with a model called "Twiggy" in the 70's models moved further and further away from the demographis of the average American woman by becoming ever more tall and thin.

Most models are naturally hight metabolism women and even they have to eat so little that many of them are hooked on stimulants. It is true that the camera adds 10 lbs. I have heard a lot of stories of people meeting some models and actresses in real life and commenting upon how sickly/emaciated they look.

The way women look in magazines is a contrivance. Many men do not find super thin women attractive either. Men like women to built like *women*. *Cough* *Cough* :)



Perhaps basing my meals on veggies then adding a little bit of other stuff would help. For example instead of making pasta with some broccoli, I'd make broccoli with some pasta ;)

I bet if you do that you will turn around one day and notice that you feel very, very good.

People whine about being too tired to cook fresh vegetables when they get home, but I swear those fresh vegetables give back energy.

After I got back from Summerfest I made it a point to double my flax intake to two tablespoons a day, take my b-12, and eat fresh green leafy vegetables everyday.

One day I was sitting at my desk at about 5pm......a time of day I usually feel lousy and I noticed that I didn't feel like crap. I actually felt like *doing* things when I got home.

[Jinga]

I bet if you do that you will turn around one day and notice that you feel very, very good.

People whine about being too tired to cook fresh vegetables when they get home, but I swear those fresh vegetables give back energy.

This reminds me of my experience with exercising. When I sit around all day, its hard to find the energy to do anything, but if I go for walk or jog everyday, I suddenly feel great. Plus I sleep better. I guess I need to get off my booty and go for a run then chop some vegetables :D Working on building healthy habits is definately something I want to focus on.

I think I just need to be reminded of these things periodically. When I feel negative stuff coming through, its nice to have something to squash it back down with. I know feeling good and 'looking good' are somewhat interchangable. When I feel healthy physically, I feel better mentally, which in turn makes me look at my physical appearance in a more positive way. When I treat my body like a precious temple that houses my soul and allows me to experience life, I do indeed see it as a beautiful thing. Cheesy, but true ;)

PS - Thanks for all the responses and the non-smarmy compliment :p

[beforewisdom]

What happened to your last post? *is confused*

I wouldn't say its time to celebrate yet. A distorted mindset takes lots of time and effort to change :-/

I think you are a perfectionist ( you are an architect, aren't you? ).

Aside from that you seem like a normal woman to me.

Steve

[Jinga]

Yup ... I am a female architect perfectionist.

[colorful]

personally, the whole low-carb diet craze is driving me nuts.

My mom swears by it, but she is so mis-guided. She used to be on Atkins, lost tons of weight fast, and then gained it all back (plus some). Then a year and a half ago she went on this low-carb diet, that also restricts calories. That worked for her (duh...with the calorie restriction you will lose weight eating just about anything!) and now she swears by it. The thing is, she is so unhealthy. She has a certain allotment of carbs she can "spend" each day and she doesn't want to waste them on foods she doesn't like. So she basically eats meat, cheese, eggs, doughnuts, popcorn, and ice cream. She makes an effort to eat 1-2 pieces of fruit per week, for her health! :wall:

And she has zero energy. It was really hot out a few weeks ago, and I said, hey, let's go swimming at our apartment complex! She was like, ugh...that sounds like too much work! Come on! Floating in the water is one of the most relaxing things I can think of!

Okay, end of rant about low-carb diets.

Jinga, I know it's got to be hard to ignore the whole low-carb craze, especially when it's in all the TV/radio commercials, all the restaurants are offering "Atkins-approved" options, and we all know at least one or two people who have lost tons of weight on it. Just remember that it is a temporary and super unhealthy solution.

Personally, I like to think about the good qualities in foods. Instead of focusing on what foods to avoid, focus on what foods to eat, which have the most nutrients. Eat that fresh banana and think about the potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and phytochemicals you are getting. Don't think about how many carbohydrates it has. If you fill yourself up on nutrient-dense foods, you won't have much room left for the less-healthy stuff. :D

and oh yes, exercise is good! :hamster:

[Jinga]

Colorful,

The low-carb thing is also driving me nuts. I think the fact that it messes with my healthy train of thinking makes it even more frustrating. I actually lost the 30lbs I gained in college, the first time I went vegan. My food intake consisted of whole foods that were definately high in good carbohyrates, and I hadn't yet discovered veg junk foods. You'd think that would be enough to keep me from even attempting to think I needed to watch my 'carbs'. I've maintained my weight, but my eating habits go in circles. *pulls out hair*

I am trying to focus more on what to eat, rather than what not to eat. I need to break out the ole cookbooks and cook! Part of my not feeling satisfied probably has to do with my overly simple eating habits and never really feeling like I've had a meal.

[MollyGoat]

How about this:

For every 100 calories of fat you consume, your body can store 98 of them as fat on your body.

For every 100 calories of carbohydrates you consume, your body can store only 47 of them as fat on your body.

So what's more fattening, now?

[ChelsRm007]

I've maintained my weight, but my eating habits go in circles. *pulls out hair*



:lol: ... :sealed: Ya, I'm in the exact same boat.. not too fun.

[Jinga]

How about this:

For every 100 calories of fat you consume, your body can store 98 of them as fat on your body.

For every 100 calories of carbohydrates you consume, your body can store only 47 of them as fat on your body.

So what's more fattening, now?

Thanks for the factoid. I will use it! :D I do know fat is the most fattening of them all. Its the scariest! :worried: I have to eat something though. I usually go low fat first, but I seem to have dwindled my options of acceptible foods to an undesirable amount.

[Jinga]

:lol: ... :sealed: Ya, I'm in the exact same boat.. not too fun.

Darn us! If I could live on pretzels and diet coke, and be healthy, I would. :wayne: to the pretzels gods.

*wishes there was dancing pretzel icon*

[beforewisdom]

Darn us! If I could live on pretzels and diet coke, and be healthy, I would. :wayne: to the pretzels gods.

*wishes there was dancing pretzel icon*

Jinga, put the coke down.......take my hand and step into the light....

[Jinga]

Jinga, put the coke down.......take my hand and step into the light....

Nooo!!! You cant take it away from me! No! No!

[beforewisdom]

Nooo!!! You cant take it away from me! No! No!

Jinga thats Atki-- The Devil, ur General Mills talking. You can do it, turn away from the darkness, it will be okay

[vggiegirl]

Darn us! If I could live on pretzels and diet coke, and be healthy, I would. :wayne: to the pretzels gods.

*wishes there was dancing pretzel icon*

***Sneaks Jinga a coke behind Steve's back....Sneaks out of the room***

[beforewisdom]

***Sneaks Jinga a coke behind Steve's back....Sneaks out of the room***

LOL! BTW, I love your AOL IM nick!

[vggiegirl]

LOL! BTW, I love your AOL IM nick!

***Sneaks back in albeit briefly. LOL Thanks :) I've had that handle for ever :D