Deciding to be "carb free"...Any advice??

So it seems that majority of the food that I love is carb based: pizza, tortillas, pasta, rice, etc....I know its alot easier said than done but I think this is the next step I HAVE to take seeing as Im gaining again ....Anyone got some good advice for saying NO to carbs??

Read up on South Beach Diet. It gives sound advice on eating the "good carbs" that our body requires. Though if you follow their plan you will go the first two weeks very limited but after the two weeks can reintroduce in moderation foods with carbs. It is really a reasonable way of life to eat those things which are bad for us in moderation. I also recommend watching Fat Head. Its a comical rebutal of Supersize Me but it gives so much great information on how carbs are affecting our bodies. Best of luck!

I don't go carb free, I go low carb...I stay around 30-40 carbs a day.  I chose to include complex carbs in my diet (I stay away from simple processed carbs).  I eat fruits and veggies.  I don't eat any bread, pasta, cereal, or rice...because even the wheat versions have too many carbs.  I will eat wheat crackers and low carb wheat tortillas.  I stay away from all prepackaged/frozen convenience foods.  I chose to make my meals at home where I can control the amount of sodium and fat in my food.  My stew I make in the crock pot is much healthier than Dinty Moore from a can. 

I would say if you are gaining make sure you are exercising.  If you are then increase your intensity and increase the amount of time or amount of days you go.  You have to remember you have to find a diet you can stick to for the rest of your life.  If cutting out all carbs isn't something you can stick to forever you will gain back your weight as soon as you start eating carbs again.  It's good to find a happy medium. 

Good luck. 

 I couldn't have said it better!
I even get more carbs than you - im around 50!  :-)

Atkins.com is also a great source for info and recipes.

I don't do low carb perse, but I did change over to all complex carbs vs. simple carbs for the first year.  I limited sugar to no more than 5% per serving, got rid of all the white carbs, i.e., white rice, potatoes, flour, pasta, bread, etc. 

Instead I did yams or sweetpotato's, whole grain crackers, brown rice, wheat flour, etc.

My Nut suggested that I test my carb tolerance.  What you do is start tracking carbs along with your protein.  Start by eating around 80+ carbs today.  If you stop losing weight, lower your carbs to 70 g a day for a week.  If you still aren't losing, go to 50 g per day for a week, etc. etc.  When you do that consistently for  a few weeks where you are comfortably losing weight is where your carb level should be.  Not  everyone is carb sensitive or intolerant.  I find that I can eat about 50 g per day and still lose weight. Those that follow the Atkins regime sometimes eat less than 25.  Everyone is different. 

Regardless what you do with the amount of carbs, change over from simple carbs to complex carbs.  Eventhough a carb is a carb, is a carb, Complex carbs give you more fiber and tend to keep you fuller longer.

The South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet will give you all the science behind the low carb diet world.

Best~
Lisa O.

Thanks Lisa for sharing the carb count from your nutritionist!   LOL  I am always struggling with the figuring out of carbs but know that I feel better without sugar and white flour, etc.  thanks again   

it takes me about 3 days to get carbs out of my system.

I set it up during a time that I think will be low-stress --- for example, starting on a Friday morning, since my weekends are generally under my control.

I plan to exercise morning and evening. I stock up on some foods I really like (cheese, nuts) that might be higher in calories -- but not in carbs -- and I eat a small amount of those between my protein-packed meals.

I drink warm tea and take a hot bath in the evenings -- then, brush, gargle, floss and call the kitchen closed for the night.

By Monday, I am usually feeling much better --- de-toxed and ready to face a new week with many fewer carbs.

If your going carb-free that's not going to leave you with much of a selection at all!!!

Thanks for the awesome suggestions everyone!!! I'll be sure to update how things are coming along