Is there such a thing as a High Carb diet?

[testing123]

I need to lose about 28 pounds and I would love to go on a high carb diet.

I consume massive amounts of carbs and It think that I could stick to it.

Does anyone know of a high carb diet plan?

:shrug:

[Misunderestimator]

1. LOL... Well, yes....

Eat all the carbs you want, but run 10 miles a day.

:bounce:

[jdsmith]

2. Yes.

Two steps:

1. Eat lots of spaghetti and bread. Drink beer. Etc.

2. Run about 100 miles a week.

Marathoners thrive on this diet.

[m-jean03]

3. Complex carbs

Whole grains and vegetables, with some light protein.

Whole grains are a natural and healthy food for all of humankind, unless you're living in the polar extremes.

Try what we call the macrobiotic diet. Two good books are "The Self-Healing Diet" by Kristina Turner or "Food and Healing" by Annemarie Colbin.

You'll be healthier, happier and slimmer. I lost 10 pounds in 2 months after I first started that diet.

Good luck!

[testing123]

5. Are pretzels and bread complex?

I will have to go to the library and take a copy of that book out.

:shrug:

[m-jean03]

12. Not if they're made from refined flour

Whole wheat pretzels work, whole grain bread works. But flour products are pretty deficient in energy and nutrition -- optimal nutrition and healing properties are only retained in whole, unpolished grains -- Brown rice, millet, barley, etc. Other good foods are oatmeal, polenta, corn tortillas, bulghar, whole grain pasta.

Your library ought to have at least one of those books, or do a search on "macrobiotics" or "whole foods". Good luck. It's a great direction to go in that too few people are aware of.

[testing123]

17. I think that I need a salt lick

I crave salt all of the time. I also like rice, potatoes, bulghar and couscous.

What is macrobiotics?

Thanks

[m-jean03]

23. You're too yin/expanded

You need contraction/yang - That's why you crave salt.

Which makes sense, if you like refined carbs. You like a lot of sugar/caffeine, too? These things give you instant energy and pleasure but ultimately burn you out and cause you to gain weight, because they aren't giving you or your metabolism any strength or sustenance.

You need a copy of Kristina Turner's book, for sure. You can get a copy of the first edition for less than 2 dollars used on Amazon.

Yin foods (sugars, refined carbs, caffeine) give release, relaxation, stimulation.

Yang foods -- animal flesh, salt, give us strength and sustenance.

Another way of thinking about these things is in terms of breakdown (yin) and buildup (yang). Too much of either one is harmful.

Macrobiotics (greek for "The Great Life") is the middle way, balancing our emotions and physical state with minimal-impact foods like cooked whole grains, light proteins, vegetables and fruits.

I post on another forum devoted to macro nutrition: http://www.cybermacro.com
You can get advice there, maybe from me! :-)

And here's a really good article from CNN about it. http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/29/macrobiotics.ap/index.html

[m-jean03]

16. Whole grains don't raise your blood sugar like

pretzels and bread do. This is why they are so good for us, and they keep our moods balanced and metabolism strong. Plus they have strength giving properties so you won't crave the high fat animal foods that cause so many problems.

[testing123]

4. I walk 5 miles a day

When I am not sick I walk about 5 miles per day.

I can't run because I have asthma.

Will that work?

[pagerbear]

6. You betcha!

That's what got me here:

[testing123]

8. More of you to love honey!

:loveya:

[Deja Q]

13. I wanted to say that!

:-) :loveya:

[Droopy]

11. Wow, pagerbear!

Congrats on the weight loss!

[Droopy]

7. Yes, I'm on a high carb diet

I've put on 20 lbs. in the past 6 months.

Oh, you were wanting to lose weight? I'm sorry, I don't think the high carbs are going to help you.

[testing123]

10. Damn

I am addicted to bread and pretzels.

[HuckleB]

18. Find yourself some whole grain bread and pretzels.

And you might be off to a good start.

[Misunderestimator]

20. I was addicted to carbs...

And I ran 5-10 miles a day. Had to cut back the carbs when I had to stop running. I still bike, jog and do weight training, but I still limit my carbs and stay at a good weight.

If you reduce your carbs significantly, after a few weeks, you won't be craving them anymore. I really don't have cravings at all for bread, pretzels, popcorn, sweets, pasta, even though I don't eat a lot of foods I love. I choose the carbs I really love (like pasta and bread and rice) and limit how much I have.... but I really don't have cravings for them... I just enjoy them when I eat them.

I'm a big proponent of limiting your carbs.

[Deja Q]

9. If you were trying to GAIN 28 pounds you could become the spokesperson for

McDonalds...

Exercise and eating small meals of decent foods frequently is the solution. Which I hate because I used to eat only twice per day, with gigantic meals. (I'm actually down 4 pounds, but still have 31 to go... grumble.)

[Droopy]

15. I with you HypnoToad. That's the way to do it.

When I was at college I used to eat small meals because that was all I could afford and I did a lot of walking around campus. I lost about 20 lbs. in three months doing that. Now that I'm back at work I've reverted back to my old ways of eating a very large meal a day with some snacks thrown in and I don't excercise and I've put the weight back on.

[testing123]

22. McD's?

:puke: :puke:

That's double puke!

[HuckleB]

14. I suppose one might call Dean Ornish's diet high carb.

It's very high in the type of carbs everyone should eat, with plenty of fiber. There's nothing wrong with a "high carb" diet, with carbs being a high percentage of the calories you take in, as long as those carbs are truly complex and the overall caloric intake is at a point where you can lose weight.

Don't get sucked into the pop culture of high-carb/low-carb stuff. It's got more to do with marketing than with actual science.

[m-jean03]

19. I forgot about Dean Ornish!

This is definitely a good recommendation, just what I was talking about. :thumbsup:

[HuckleB]

21. Oh, and check out "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" by Walter C. Willett

His recs can be accommodated very well to the individual's food preferences, so this is a good place to start. It also touches on the whole of the science of our understanding of nutrition and metabolic issues, rather than the usual focus on selected studies or the study of the week that we usually get.