Low carbs, no glutens or 100% whole grain?

I'm not trying to beat a dead horse but I want to understand. If I use whole Spelt flour instead of white flour, some people say that's OK. Others say it still has gluten so no go. Others say just eat small amounts but make it 100% whole grain. What's the truth as you know it? Is there a bun that is OK sometimes? Is brown rice OK if I keep away from white rice? How about Quinoa pasta?

I'm doing well but I'm still confused about a lot.

There are many issues present in your questions. Are you avoiding gluten for a specific reason? If gluten causes you irritation then you want to avoid ANY grains that contain gluten, to include oats, barley, and corn. You can buy gluten-free oats and cornmeal now. However, whole grain wheat will not help if you have gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

Though Quinoa is supposed to be "healthy" it is also very high carb, so the question here would be what is your personal carb limit? For me, quinoa anything is too high in carbs, even whole-grain carbs are still carbs. Again, while brown rice is "healthier" as it is whole grain, it is also very high carb. Once again, the question comes down to your personal tolerance for grams of carbs. How many carbs can you consume daily and lose or maintain? For me to lose, I have to stay below 50 grams, usually at 20 or less. My maintenance level is about 50 grams per day. I figured this out through trial and error. All I know is that one serving of gluten-free pasta puts five pounds on me immediately. If I am willing to pay the price of spending a week to get that off, then I will have the pasta.

If you are gluten-intolerant, there are a variety of GF breads, pastas, and crackers available, but all high carb. One serving now and then should not be out of line. Again, it just depends on your goals and how your metabolism responds to carbs. I hope this helps a little.

Hi,

Thanks for your response!

I have no issue with glutens, per se. I'm just wanting to set up a lifestyle that is going to keep the weight off. I'm well below target but everyone is scaring me to death about the later weight gain. I'm looking for long term balance before I set too many bad habits!

Yeah, the stories of regain terrify me as well. My observations are that those of us who gain extreme amounts of weight most likely experience some form of Metabolic Syndrome, and we should NOT eat refined carbs, whi*****ludes all sugars and refined grains. Your best strategy may be to avoid breads and starches or limit them to once or twice a week. Really, you just have to experiment and see where your carb limit is. How many grams of carbs per day did you consume while losing? How many grams can you consume and maintain? If you do gain a few pounds, look at your carb consumption first. Personally, my body pefers fats over carbs, so I'd much rather have olives and cheese than any starches or grains.
Good luck.
You will figure out what works for you!

Depends what your goals are... Is it low carb? Then it doesn't matter, in general you shouldn't eat either, and when you occasionally do eat --what you want.

my goal is to stay thin :)

I decided a couple of months ago to adopt the keto lifestyle long term. That means absolutely no grains. There are tons of recipes out there for breads, etc., made from almond or coconut flour, you might want to try that.

I have been at goal for over 12 years and my 'secret' is I eat a variety of foods but small amounts.

You're the perfect one to talk to if you don't mind. Ever have a sandwich or bun? If so, what kind of grain? Ever

It sounds like having carbs (sandwich, bread) is important for you to be happy long term. Not having them would make you feel like you're missing out on a food you love.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying food. This is about lifestyle and lifelong choices. You got some great advice in some other posts in this thread about finding out what the right amount is for you by trial and error. I am still pre-op so don't have personal experience yet with wls, but have been reading for months now, and what the post op folks always say is to find your own threshold, as each person is different.

Maybe reread the great advice you got from people on this thread and try finding your personal threshold. If you eliminate something completely that you truly want, it can lead you right back to binging and guilt. Instead, maybe try to figure out what the minimum you need to be satisfied with is, and go from there.

Best of luck, and enjoy!